Raiders Opinion: Staying Competitive In The AFC West

Embed from Getty Images

With the Raiders bringing in top-tier talent on both sides of the ball, the team has made its intentions of competing in the dangerous AFC West incredibly clear. All four AFC West teams made major moves, (Denver gets Russell Wilson, Los Angeles gets Khalil Mack, and Kansas City gets Juju Smith-Schuster) but will the Raiders’ acquisitions of Davante Adams and Chandler Jones be enough to keep the team in contention?

Return Trip

Entering the 2022 season, the Raiders are one of two AFC West teams eyeing a return to the playoffs and have boosted their wide receiving corps and defensive core in hopes of continuing the dream. While both wide receiver and linebacker are crucial positions in today’s NFL, building with youth is also important. In order to acquire Davante Adams, the Raiders traded their first- and second-round pick in this year’s draft. Although young wide receivers are beginning to take the league by storm, it has been growing increasingly likely that most receivers worth a first-round pick would not be available by the time the Raiders’ former pick rolls around.

Around FPC

NFL RUMORS: Deshaun Watson Traded To The Cleveland Browns

NFL NEWS: Raiders Opinion: Tae Day And Everybody’s Celebratin’

DRAFT: 2022 NFL Draft Profile: OG Kenyon Green

NFL MOCK DRAFT: FPC 2022 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Lions Snag Malik Willis

NHL: NHL Insights: Tyler Toffoli Trade, Jack Eichel’s Return and Wild West

PODCAST: Full Press NFL Podcast Ep 36: Deshaun Watson Traded To The Cleveland Browns

The Time Is Now

Since the Raiders have been pursuing a “win now” roster, building for the future is not as important, which allowed Las Vegas to make the push for Adams. Sending two picks for Davante Adams made sense for the Raiders, especially considering Adams’ history versus a draft pick mystery.  The Raiders’ second major move involved signing pass rusher Chandler Jones, while correspondingly moving Yannick Ngakoue for Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. Statistically, Jones has outperformed Ngakoue in his career, and the Raiders gained a noteworthy cornerback in the moves.

Rolling The Dice

Las Vegas’ major moves come as a bit of a surprise, as the team has tended to lean towards holding their draft picks in hope of finding a needle in the haystack in the draft. Whether Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler has seen the years of draft struggles or the success the Los Angeles Rams have had in trading away draft picks as if they are cursed, the winds of change appear to have blown on the Raiders.

Ignored But Still Dangerous

With Derek Carr’s extension looming, the Raiders could be bunkering down with what they have, and potentially moving away from acquiring more big-contract players. If that is the case, the Raiders roster has greatly improved, while their opponents hope their recently acquired stars are able to bounce back from relatively disappointing seasons. Khalil Mack, Russell Wilson, and Juju Smith-Schuster all had down years in 2021, and while frustration with their current team or injuries may have played a factor, the Raiders are the only team to acquire a player actively performing at the top of their class. As of now, prior to the draft, the Raiders may still be overlooked by the sportsbooks, but are currently poised to make a serious run at the AFC West title.