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The Las Vegas Raiders finished second in the AFC West in 2020. John Gruden's men were the epitome of inconsistency, managing an 8-8 record, as they missed out on the NFL playoffs via a wildcard spot.
Nevertheless, now that their offensive line is fixed, Kansas City seem poised to dominate the division once again in 2021. Division rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers (9-7) and the Denver Broncos (5-11) have seriously strengthened their respective rosters in the draft and via free agency. Moreover, both teams will look forward to welcoming back some key players - (Chargers: CB Derwin James; Broncos: WR Courtland Sutton and DE Von Miller) - too.
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For the Las Vegas Raiders to win (or likely come second and with a winning record) in the AFC West and make the playoffs looks like a tall order at present, as they are in a highly competitive division.
So what have Gruden's Raiders done so far during the free agency window and in the draft? Has the storied franchise done enough to keep football alive in Las Vegas post-Christmas for the new members of the Wynn Field Club (see below)?
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Well, Gruden and co. certainly made a few head-scratching picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. But I'm not going to sit here and pretend to know even 20% of what the Las Vegas Raiders' scouting department knows about their draft picks because I don't.
Most analysts gave the Las Vegas Raiders a low grade, with CBSSports ranking the Raiders' class 28th among 32 teams.
For me, Alex Leatherwood does look to be a top prospect at RT but perhaps not a first-rounder. The acquisition of S Trevon Moehrig in the second-round - a player most analysts had going off the board in the first - offsets the Leatherwood-reach nicely. The Las Vegas Raiders did a decent job of plugging holes in their depth chart but didn't exactly turn too many heads with their selections.
The Free agency was a bit of a mixed bag for the Las Vegas Raiders: the additions of DE Yannick Ngakoue, CB Casey Hayward and RB Kenyan Drake were offset by the departures of some key members of the offense: RT Trent Brown, C Rodney Hudson, RB Devontae Booker and WR Nelson Agholor.
So, what else can coach Gruden and co. potentially do to strengthen the Las Vegas Raiders' roster in time for September 9? Well, the free agency market would be the best place to look for some new talent. So, on that note, let's take a look at:
Five free-agency signings the Las Vegas Raiders should consider to bolster their roster:
Looking at the Las Vegas Raiders' depth chart right now, the following areas could do with some bolstering: wide receiver, right guard, middle linebacker, weakside linebacker and an extra face at left tackle.
Obviously, the Las Vegas Raiders don't have the cap room available to strengthen all five positions. But if there is cash to spare, the following players have the ability to upgrade their roster.
So, in no particular order, let's get started:
#1 Mitchell Schwartz, Left Tackle
The Raiders do have a very good LT in Kolton Miller. But nobody can argue that Mitchell Schwartz, one of the elite tackles in the NFL over the past decade, would be an upgrade on Miller.
Moreover, with both Miller and Schwartz capable of playing at LT and RT, it would take the pressure off Alex Leatherwood and allow him time to settle in and make mistakes, as all rookies seemingly do.
The depth along the Las Vegas Raiders' OL isn't good. That was evident last season when the likes of RG Denzelle Good, LG John Simpson and LT Brandon Parker all posted low PFF scores.
Schwartz would probably start at the Las Vegas Raiders; he certainly improves depth across the OL and is an absolute no-brainer to go after for coach Gruden.
#2 KJ Wright, Weakside Linebacker
Corey Littleton, who was fabulous with the Los Angeles Rams, struggled in his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders last year, posting a PFF grade of 47.1.
Most analysts considered KJ Wright's 2020 campaign as one of the worst of his storied career. Nevertheless, Wright still chipped in with 65 solo tackles, one forced fumble and two sacks.
If Wright doesn't start ahead of Littleton, the 2016 Pro Bowler would certainly offer a significant upgrade on the depth chart and is worthy of coach Gruden's consideration.
#3 Jurrell Casey, Defensive Interior
Jurrell Casey missed large swathes of last season due to injury but still kept up his streak of never posting a PFF score of less than 70 overall.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been linked with Casey, who has chalked up 51 sacks in a fine career to date.
There’s no reason to believe Casey won't return to good form once he is back fit and firing. If that's the case, the Las Vegas Raiders could certainly do a lot worse than by adding a 5x Pro Bowler to their defensive ranks.
#4 James Carpenter, Guard
James Carpenter may have failed to live up to the hype that comes with being a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. But the Las Vegas Raiders have holes in their depth chart that need plugging.
The once highly-touted Alabama Crimson Tide prospect is the best, largest free agent available on the board to plug one of those holes. Maybe coach Gruden could be the man who finally gets the best out of Carpenter... maybe.
#5 Danny Amendola, Wide Reciever
After allowing last season's top WR Nelson Agholor (896 yards, 8 TDs) leave Vegas for New England, coach Gruden moved quickly to acquire John Brown and Willie Snead to bolster the ranks.
Nevertheless, even with the depth chart brimming with wideouts, there are serious question marks hanging over the likes of Trey Quinn, Caleb Scott and Zay Jones.
There are also still question marks lingering over last year's No.12 overall pick Henry Ruggs, who needs to take a huge leap in his sophomore campaign to cement his WR2 spot in the long term. Ruggs may be blessed with speed but failed to live up to expectations in 2020, registering just 452 yards and two TDs.
Danny Amendola chalked up 602 yards for the Lions last season and is another veteran player who could come in, push Ruggs lll and also perform a capable job in the Las Vegas Raiders' offense.
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