Henderson, Nevada — There have been more than a few bumps in the road for the Las Vegas Raiders in their first year of operation under the new regime of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.
After seemingly every bounce the Raiders went their way on their improbable run to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance in 2021, just the opposite happened on their way to a 6-11 finish in 2022. The Raiders blew five double-digit leads, including Franchise-worst 20-point advantage over the Arizona Cardinals.
As such, it’s been a roster retooling in Las Vegas—particularly in the most important center in team sports—off the season—so while the Raiders fell one place in total offense (from No. 11 in 2021 to No. 12 last season) and five points in passing (No. 6 to No. 11), Las Vegas jumped six places in scoring (No. 18 to No. 12).
Offense has star power and a pair of all-pros in two of the main skill spots, but questions remain. For example, have the combinations of specific positions improved, stayed the same or is the trend worse?
quarterback
plugins: Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell
losses: Derek Carr, Garrett Stidham
The returnees: Chase Garbers
Better, worse or the same? Better…with a caveat.
Wait, how could a position group that traded nine-year-old starter Carr for Garoppolo, who was unable to participate in field practices this spring due to his recovery from left foot surgery, do any better?
Simple – Garoppolo is better suited to McDaniels’ system, given his previous experience with it in New England. Sure enough, they were last in 2017. Which brings us to the caveat, which means Garoppolo, who’s been missing a lot of time over the past few seasons due to injury, should be available, right? And if not, it could be argued that allowing Stidham to leave may have been a bigger blow as he looked more comfortable in his two games than Carr did in 15 games last season. But if Garoppolo is ready to go, and all indications are he’ll be good at the start of training camp, edging Carr in the red zone.
Consider: Last season, out of 31 qualified QBs, Garoppolo’s QBR of 69 ranked 10th, while Carr’s QBR of 54 ranked 21st, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Including the playoffs, Carr’s 15 career red zone interceptions are tied with Ryan Tannehill for the most in the NFL since Carr entered the league in 2014. Since 2018, Carr has committed the second most red zone turnovers among 28 QBs with at least 150 pass attempts in the red zone.
running backs
plugins: no one
losses: no one
The returnees: Josh Jacobs, Amir Abdullah, Brandon Bolden, Zamir White, Brittain Brown, Jacob Johnson, Sincere McCormick, Austin Walter
Better, worse or the same? same.
With absolutely no traffic with this group of sites, how could it be anything but the same? In fact, there’s a chance it could be worse, much worse, given the apparent stalemate in contract talks with first-team All-Pro Jacobs, who became the first Raiders RB to lead the league in rushing since Hall of Famer Marcus Allen in 1985.
Jacobs, who rushed for 1,653 yards and led the NFL with 2,053 yards from scrimmage, did so after his fifth-year option wasn’t picked and then slapped with a franchise flag — which he hasn’t signed yet because he wants a long-term deal.
It was strange, then, to see the Raiders with a rushing offense ranked only No. 17 in the league, despite Jacobs’ exploits. However, his play and production surprised the new Raiders system as the McDaniels system has traditionally relied on a commission-based approach. Bringing back the entire RB list could herald an intent to share the ball more, which may not sit well with Jacobs. Stay tuned.
narrow ends
plugins: Michael Meyer, Austin Hooper, OJ Howard, and John Samuel Schenker
losses: Darren Waller, Foster Morrow
The returnees: Jesper Horstead, Cole Fringham
Better, worse or the same? worst.
While Meyer might be the second coming of Hall of Famer Dave Casper — hey, they have a common Notre Dame connection, and Meyer, as a secondary rounder, might actually be a draft steal — it’s hard to tell the tight end the room has stayed the same, let alone improved. , when there is little or no carryover.
A former Pro Bowler in Waller, who had already received a contract extension before the season began, was traded to the Giants, and Morrow was allowed to leave in free agency to join Carr in the Big Easy. While Waller’s production has declined sharply, from a franchise-record 107 catches in 2020 to 55 receptions in 2021 and 28 last season, injuries have had a huge part to play in that. But his mere presence on the list made this group a threat, opening up opportunities for others. There are more questions than opportunities here unless Mayer has all the answers. And remember McDaniels’ affinity with the tight ends in his system.
Receivers
plugins: Jacoby Myers, Trey Tucker, Philip Dorsett, Cam Simms, DeAndre Carter, Christian Wilkerson
losses: Mac Hollins
The returneesDavant Adams, Hunter Renfro, Kellan Cole, Chris Lacey, DJ Turner
Better, worse or the same? better.
Adams cemented his place as the NFL’s top receiver as he led the league with 14 catches and had 100 catches for 1,516 yards and averaged a career best 15.2 yards per reception. And the Raiders essentially traded Hollins, who was a better special team player than wide receiver, for Myers in the WR2 role.
The wild card then is slot player Renfrew, a former Pro Bowler who caught 103 tackles in 2021 but caught only 36 last season, missing seven games with numerous injuries. It was strange, then, to see the Raiders sign another slot receiver in Dorset and use a third-round pick on another fast slot man in Tucker. All of which set off a series of stories that Renfro was a commercial bait.
However, McDanies said Renfrew’s presence was one of the reasons he came to Las Vegas, and he has a history of success with slot receivers. Call Wes Welker and Julian Edelman.
offensive line
plugins: Dalton Wagner, McClendon Curtis, Justin Murray, Greg Van Roetan,
losses: Jackson Barton, Sebastian Gutierrez
The returnees: Colton Miller, Dylan Parham, Andre James, Alex Parris, Jermaine Elemonor, Brandon Parker, Thayer Monford Jr., Hronis Grasso, Vitaly Gorman, Justin Heron, Jordan Meredith, Nittany Moti
Better, worse or the same? same.
Yes, the Raiders have really managed to get the ball back with a group that contributed to Carr being sacked 40 times in 2021 and was dropped “only” 27 times in 15 games last season. In addition, the same oft-criticized O-line opened up enough holes for Jacobs to lead the league in rushing. So maybe it was better than advertised, and bringing back the same cast of characters is actually a good thing?
Dexterity is key here, and the fact that Las Vegas hasn’t recruited an offensive lineman speaks volumes, although the right tackle could be an interesting camp battle, with Eluemunor being key as he faces challenges from second-year Lineman Munford, who is Parker Now he is healthy. Heron and Wagner’s Uncut Ascendant. And if Eluemunor, who can also play guard, is better suited as a swing tackle, that will create more possibilities.
almost: defense