The Las Vegas Raiders spent this offseason making plenty of moves to improve their football team next season. They ended the 2024 season with a measly 4 wins that led to them getting the 6th overall pick in the draft. Vegas struggled to get anything going in their 2024 campaign on both sides of the ball. Their defense ranked bottom 2 in the league per PFF and the offense wasn’t much better at 25th. This team did a ton of moves that should improve this team in a big way, but I don’t think it will be enough for them to make a run at the playoffs come December.
Fresh Start at the Top
The Raiders started their offseason strong by firing Antonio Pierce as the head coach and Mike Davis as the GM. Vegas replaced Pierce with a proven Pete Carroll and Davis with John Spytek who just was with Tampa Bay. A change of culture is exactly what a team like this needs. Change starts at the top and now they have a stable leader for the first time since Jon Gruden. I also loved hiring Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator as he comes off a National Championship. He can add value to an offense that was flat out terrible last year. These veterans of the game being hired is really exciting to see for the silver and black.
A Proven QB at the Helm
Geno Smith revived his career back in 2022 with Pete Carroll as his head coach. Vegas reuniting them is such a great move for their offense, especially when they only gave up a third-round pick for him. He threw for 4,320 yards last season, which was 4th in the league. Along with that he threw 23 touchdowns to 15 interceptions behind an O-line that let him get sacked 50 times. Smith has proven he can succeed at a high level. This move is an amazing upgrade for the team when compared to what they were rolling with last year. That being said, this isn’t a long-term answer for the Raiders. Geno is 34 years old and with the amount of abuse he’s been taking behind bad o-lines, I could see the wear and tear catching up to him. I think that he will keep the offense afloat for the next season or two, but Las Vegas is going to have to address the QB position again sooner rather than later.
The Raiders 2025 Draft Class
The Raiders first three rounds of the draft were the best in the whole league to me. They were able to get the best Running Back Prospect in years with the 6th overall pick. They gave Geno Smith a great weapon in the second round in Jake Bech out of TCU. Then with their three third round picks they addressed key positions in a CB and 2 offensive linemen. Obviously these players might not all pan out, but on a team that needs young players they’ll have a real shot to develop. Jeanty gives Smith a run game to rely on that he never really had in Seattle. Vegas’ offensive line isn’t great, ranking 26th according to PFF. There’s room for improvement, but Jeanty’s skill set and shiftiness should still have him seeing productive touches. Bech is physical and hard to take down as well, which should see him winning contested catches more often than not. Offense was a key side of the ball that the Raiders wanted to focus on during the draft, and they did just that.
Lacking Big Time on Defense
2024 was not an ideal year for the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense who was one spot away from being crowned the worst defense in the league. They have issues all over from CB to LB to DL. Everywhere you look there’s a guy who could easily be replaced. To address this issue in the offseason they signed S Jeremy Chinn to a three-year deal. Chinn just had a good year with the Commanders who shocked everyone in the 2024 season. The front office also extended Maxx Crosby who is one of the best players in the league at getting to the QB. I think them signing Elandon Roberts for cheap is an underrated move this offseason, as he’s been productive the last couple of years with Pittsburgh. Outside of a few pieces, I don’t expect this defense to get much better. Carroll would be a coach of the candidate if he could get this defense even close to the top half of the league.
This Team is Still a Year Away
Even after all of the good moves this team has made, they still aren’t a wild cared team in my eyes. In a division like the AFC West, this team will struggle to even take one off of their rivals. The Chargers, Chiefs, and Broncos all have more complete teams than Vegas. That along with their schedule being pretty difficult makes me question whether or not they can win more than 6 games at best. Las Vegas will be a fun team to watch this year and they are building something good over there. At the end of the day they just don’t have the weapons at receiver or a stable O-line. Along with a defense that I expect to struggle. The Raiders will end up being on the edge of competing, but just not quite there yet.
