[ad_1]
It's unclear what the Raiders' short-term plan is in Jon Gruden's first season, but there's a chance to fix this mess in relatively short order. Owner Mark Davis hinted at a blue print last week, after the team's latest defeat.
"I always look in the mirror, and the buck stops with me," Davis told ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez after Sunday's 20-6 home loss to the Chargers. "Where this team is right now we have not had a chance to build a 22-man roster. have a roster right now. "
Davis was referring to the four-year plan to turn the organization around. Starting in 2012, the thinking went on, the team should be able to land five players – every year to rebuild the roster. Many of those cornerstones have been shipped out of town; Khalil Mack was traded before the season and the Raiders' pass rush immediately suffered. Amari Cooper was traded several weeks ago and Derek Carr and the offense continues to sputter.
More NFL
Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa seems like a no-brainer with the first overall pick. He would be the closest thing to a player-for-player swap for Mack. At No. 13, NC State Wide Receiver Kelvin Harmon could be an upgrade from Cooper, who is now with the Cowboys. Alternatively, the Raiders could add more defensive depth by taking the corner – Georgia's DeAndre Baker or Washington's Byron Murphy should be on the board, but Greedy Williams probably will not be. Alabama's all-world safety Deionte Thompson would make a lot of sense here. And at No. 25, take Harmon if he's still available.
And that's just in Round 1. The Raiders still have three of the next 68 picks. There's still the problem of picking the right player, which, as it says, is all over the world. That said, it was just two seasons ago that Oakland went 12-4, made the playoffs for the first time since 2002 (also the last time the team had a winning record) and Carr was a legit MVP candidate.
Maybe Gruden did not need to blow things up and start over, just a few tweaks were in order, but that ship has sailed. Now the question becomes: Can the coaching staff and front office come to an agreement?
(Note: In the table below, the teams are "most likely to have the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft" to "least likely" using two different methods. : Teams are first sorted by their '18 records, strength of schedule, via Tankathon The other column is out by the "SportsLine 's preseason raised draft order." Finally, here's our most recent 2019 NFL mock draft if you'd like to see who we have each team taking.)
* Dallas feels its 2019 first-round pick to Oakland as part of the Amari Cooper trade.
** Chicago feels its 2019 first-round pick to Oakland as part of the Khalil Mack trade.
New Orleans feels its 2019 first-round pick to Green Bay to draft Marcus Davenport in 2018.
Teams on the bye – BILLS, BROWNS, DOLPHINS, PATRIOTS, JETS, 49ERS – are a combined 23-40-1 and the 49ers, Jets, Bills, and to a lesser extent Browns, are all still running the race for No 1.
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Giants
The Buccaneers are a mess, even when compared to the Giants. Think about that for a moment. New York has at least shown glimpses of promise in recent weeks; yes, Eli Manning is 37 and probably should retire after the season. And yes, the offensive line has already cut two starters from the Week 1 lineup but they managed to protect Manning during Monday night's win over the 49ers. The Bucs appear to have no answers. Coach Dirk Koetter took over play-calling duties against the Redskins and was able to move the ball, four turnovers doomed any chance they had at a victory. Alex Smith despite the fact that the offensive line has been down three starters. At this point, it probably does not matter if Ryan Fitzpatrick or Jameis Winston is the starter.
Oakland at Arizona
We wondered at the beginning of the season if the Raiders would win a game. They beat the Browns, so they avoid that shame, but now the question becomes: Can the Raiders win two games? This is truly the worst team in football, in part because Jon Gruden insists of getting rid of his best players. The Cardinals have not been much better, which is weird because this group went 8-8 last season to a quarterback. First-year goal coach Steve Wilks substituted offensive coordinator Mike McCoy with Byron Leftwich, who seems to have helped rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and all-world running back David Johnson. If only someone in Oakland could help Derek Carr get back on track.
Carolina at Detroit
The Panthers had their doors in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. If you're looking for a silver lining this: Christian McCaffrey was just about unstoppable on the first drive and he scored every point the Panthers put on the board. But this one feels a bit more like a trend, especially given this week's opponent. Detroit has been a huge disappointment; 9-7 seasons under Jim Caldwell, new coach Matt Patricia has the Lions going backwards. And it's hard to excuse all the first-time coach and division rival Matt Nagy has quickly turned things around in Chicago.
Denver at L.A. Chargers
Are the Chargers the best team in the AFC? That's been one of the under-the-radar storylines in recent weeks. The problem, Bill Parcells liked to say, "You are what your record says you are." And the Chargers' record says they're playing a game of the Chiefs in the division, and behind the Steelers and Patriots in playoff seeding. But there's no mistaking how good this team is; The Broncos are 3-6 and their season is all but over. Whether second-year coach Vance Joseph survivors is one of many questions to be answered along with whether to general manager John Elway will be searching for his next franchise a year after signing Keenum Case to a two-year deal.
[ad_2]
Source link
