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No one in the Raiders’ organization will be content with an 8-8 season, especially after starting the season 6-3 with wins over two of the league’s top teams.
The offseason will be a period of soul-searching as the front office tries to determine which players will be part of the base they want to build on and which are consumable.
Here’s a look at some of the positive developments, and some of the negatives, in a wild 2020 season:
Positive
Darren waller
The tight end followed a 2019 breakout campaign with an even better 2020 to establish himself as a legitimate NFL star.
That consistency should give the Raiders optimism that Waller will be in the upper echelons of the tight ends for years to come.
Derek carr
Remember all the questions about replacing Carr before the 2020 season?
The seven-year veteran responded to them all with one of his best seasons, further strengthening his grip on work.
Gruden is notoriously fickle about his shifts, so that’s subject to change at any time. But for now, Carr is as firmly established as he has been for some time.
Clelin Ferrell
The former first-round pick took a step forward in his second season.
While the sack numbers are still not there, Ferrell was the 17th ranked edge defenseman in the league out of 115 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus, having finished 76th out of 104 as a rookie.
Daniel Carlson
The kicker had 33 of 35 on field goals and 45 of 47 on extra points to break the franchise record for points in one season with 144 points.
Coaches love it when they don’t have to deal with the volatility of their kicker.
Nelson agholor
The signing of the free agent was largely an afterthought with the Raiders so invested in the passing catches, but Agholor was an eye opener.
He had a career-high for yards and tied a career-high with eight touchdowns while posting a remarkable 18.7 yards per catch.
The only problem for the Raiders is that he’s made a lot more money to keep.
Negative
Young secondary
The Raiders have injected a lot of talent into their high school over the past two offseason. They always expect a return on their investment.
First-round picks Johnathan Abram and Damon Arnette struggled to stay on the court and endured their fair share of ups and downs when they were there.
Trayvon Mullen has shown the potential to be a very good cornerback, but he needs to be more consistent and can only play one position.
Beginner receivers
The 2020 NFL Draft was filled with extremely talented receivers who have already made significant contributions to the league.
Gruden and Mike Mayock chose one of them and settled on Henry Ruggs, who posted pedestrian numbers in his rookie campaign. Bryan Edwards looked like a stallion in training camp, but his rookie season was distracted by injuries and inconsistencies.
Both are very talented. Ruggs has made an impact by opening the field for his teammates, but the Raiders need more production from them.
Racing game
The overall numbers don’t look terrible, but a closer look reveals a disturbing trend.
Running back Josh Jacobs has dropped 4.8 yards per carry as a rookie to just 3.9 this season. Part of that can be attributed to a beaten offensive line and Jacobs is never quite 100%. But he’s averaged exactly 1.9 yards before contact in each of his two seasons. Jacobs has gone from 2.8 yards per carry after contact to 2.0 this season.
Skip rush
The Raiders finished 29th in the league with just 21 sacks. This lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks also helped the team finish 30th with just 15 takeaways, none of which in the last four games.
They absolutely have to find a way to join the quarterback.
Carlson Points Record
He’s had a great season and everything, but the Raiders would love to see him on the field a lot less next season. Some of those goal practices need to turn into touchdowns for the Raiders to take the next step.
Hunter Renfrow said he told Carlson the only record they wanted him to set next season was most extra points converted.
Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. To follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
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