With plenty of draft choices and cap room, it figures to be a very busy few months for the Las Vegas Raiders. What are the priorities for Jon Gruden’s club?
Will good things come in Year No. 3 when it comes to the second chapter of the John Gruden Era with the Silver and Black? Of course, it’s now the Las Vegas Raiders that will embark on its seventh decade professional football and there’s a new home and a new excitement in terms of the conversation.
The club certainly made strides a year ago – although a 1-5 finish after a 6-4 start – certainly stung a bit. Still, Gruden’s squad won three more games than the previous season. And yes, there’s still work to be done when it comes to this team. But moving up in the standings won’t be easy, especially with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs owning the top spot in the AFC West each of the last four years.
Meanwhile, the Raiders haven’t won a division title or playoff game since 2002 and haven’t been to the post season since ’16. So what can this club do this offseason as the turnaround continues?
5. Settle the backup quarterback position
Over the past two seasons, much has been made between the sideline interactions between Raiders’ head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr. The animated sideline leader has no doubt made an impression on the six-year signal-caller. This past season, the former Pro Bowler connected on a career-best 70.4 percent of his throws. His previous high? One year earlier, he hit on 68.9 percent his passes. There’s have been a combined 40 TD passes and only 18 interceptions and Carr has thrown for 4,000-plus yards each season.
He’s also been very durable. In 2019, backup Mike Glennon made two appearances but he’s set to become a free agent. Also on the roster are DeShone Kizer and Nathan Peterman? Are either destined to be Carr’s second in command or will the team look elsewhere?