Oakland Raiders: Does this team stink? Tough love from a Browns fan

MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Jon Gruden reacts on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Jon Gruden reacts on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Roster Construction

This would be the place to discuss special teams. The Raiders’ special teams do not stink. The Raider’s special teams are pretty good, actually. Browns fans have watched a kick get blocked every week of the season so far. But there is a major difference between the Browns and the Raiders special teams.

The difference comes down to the real problem with the Oakland Raiders — roster construction.

The reason the Raiders’ have good special teams is that the bottom half of the roster is full of veteran players. The Browns’ special teams are populated with developmental players. As these players are young and inexperienced, they make mistakes like blocked kicks. The Raiders’ have veterans on the bottom of their roster. Experienced veterans make less mistakes which results in a better special teams unit.

But the Raiders’ have issues with roster construction. The reason the Raiders’ will be bad for a few years to come lies in their failure to construct a roster for long-term success. Yes, this is Gruden’s first year. Nobody expects him to fix the roster and be Super Bowl contenders in the same year. But at least he could attempt to work on one of those issues. Right now, the Raiders’ have terrible roster construction and they cannot win games. Their roster construction sucks.

Browns fans know all about bad roster constructions. Literally, bad roster construction is how a team goes 1-31 over two seasons. Browns fans have suffered, and continue to do so to an extent, with a roster that is poorly constructed.