The 2018 season was quite the roller coaster ride for the Oakland Raiders.
The return of Jon Gruden initially brought some hope to the organization, but it quickly became apparent the dynamic between Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie was dysfunctional.
McKenzie had been the first man to get Oakland pointed in the right direction in nearly two decades, and Gruden swiftly unraveled his progress. By hoarding washed-up veterans, trading away young franchise cornerstones and benching other promising young prospects, Gruden tore apart everything McKenzie had restored.
The eventual firing of McKenzie was just a formality, as he had clearly lost the battle for control the moment Gruden was hired.
Now former NFL Network analyst Make Mayock—with his zero years of front office experience—steps into McKenzie’s shoes. Given the cachet Gruden carries in Oakland and Mayock’s lack of experience, it’s hard to imagine he’s there to be anything more than a yes-man to execute Gruden’s ill-conceived schemes.
On the field, Gruden actually did a decent job. His playcalling was more modern than some expected and he didn’t appear to be in over his head on Sundays. But its the power he yields in the roster-building department that should terrify Raiders fans. With the unique power structure in New England as the lone exception, you can’t win in the league today with a head coach calling the shots in the front office.
With that said, here’s a look at the positions where Gruden and Mayock should direct their attention this offseason.
Pass-Rusher
By trading away Khalil Mack before the season, the Raiders took a poor pass rush and turned it into one of the worst the NFL has seen in recent memory.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Oakland’s pass rush ranked dead last, generating a pressure rate of just 23.2 percent. Over the past three seasons, only the 2016 Colts were worse (21.6 percent).
Fortunately, the Raiders already have promising 2018 third-round pick Arden Key to begin the rebuilding process. Among players with at least 200 pass-rush snaps, Key’s 10.6 percent pressure rate ranked 47th. However, no other Raiders pass-rusher ranked higher than 138th out of 173 players.
35-year-old Frostee Rucker, who started opposite Key for most of the season, is a free agent. His replacement will likely be coming from one of the Raiders first-round draft picks.
Given their deep issues in the front seven, however, Oakland should be in the market for multiple free agents and draft picks who can contribute in this area in 2019.
Wide Receiver
After trading Amari Cooper during the season, the Raiders were left without much to build around at the receiver position. Over the final eight games without Cooper, 33-year-old Jordy Nelson and tight end Jared Cook (who is a free agent) tied for the team lead with 53 targets apiece.
Oakland can’t expect Derek Carr to live up to his contract with weapons like Nelson and Cook. So if they’re sticking with Carr, they need to be aggressive in rebuilding the receiving corps.
Perhaps the most glaring issue on the depth chart at receiver is the lack of a deep threat. Amazingly, it was Cook, a 31-year-old journeyman tight end, who led Oakland in targets of 20 or more yards downfield in 2018. Even if he’s re-signed, that cannot happen again.
With three-first round picks, Oakland should strongly consider using one of those on a receiver who can stretch the field. A prospect with elite speed, such as Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown, or a bigger receiver who can win with size, such as Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry, could get the job done.
Tight End
As previously mentioned, Jared Cook is a free agent. On most rosters, replacing a journeyman like Cook wouldn’t be much of an issue; but given the critical role he played in the Raiders offense, finding an upgrade should be an offseason priority.
Cook became a safety net for Carr versus zone coverage this season, as he led the team with 51 targets versus zone, a 22.5 percent target share, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Finding another weapon, either at receiver or tight end, who Carr trusts in those situations should be one Oakland’s top offseason goals.
Running Back
With the corpses of Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin carrying the load, the Raiders run game predictably struggled in 2018.
Excluding plays in the red zone (where short runs are more common, and more acceptable), the Raiders ran for two or fewer yards on 46.1 percent of their rushing attempts, the fourth highest rate in the league according to Pro Football Reference.
Due to the fact that the position has relatively little value compared to others on the depth chart, running back isn’t a position in which the Raiders should invest significant resources. However, they also can’t enter 2018 with the equivalent of Lynch and Martin again.
Jalen Richard has done a nice job in his role as the receiver out of the backfield, so perhaps Oakland should invest in a between-the-tackles runner in the third or fourth round to share the load with Richard.
A prospect such as Kentucky’s Benny Snell Jr. would be an ideal target for Oakland in that range.
