Oakland Raiders: 3 Reasons they won’t finish last in the AFC West
By Steve Rivera
1. Less turmoil than in 2018
From the minute Gruden returned to the Raiders last year, remaking the team in his image seemed unreasonable to NFL watchers. That said, despite the criticism and backlash from the Khalil Mack trade with the Chicago Bears followed by the trade of Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys, those deals look as though they have provided a decent return.
Three picks in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft doesn’t close the gap created when talent like that leaves, but it’s a good start. Furthermore, their selections show Gruden wasn’t necessarily looking to completely dismantle the Raiders before departing for Sin City.
For whatever ”chaos” 2018 provided perceptions wise, that seems gone this offseason. The plan to bring in young talent from winning college programs may yet prove to have been a smart strategy. Additionally, adding a diva the likes of Brown may actually prove to be the ignitor to a finish not in the division cellar.
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Bottom line is the last edition of the Oakland Raiders won’t be what many ”experts” thought when Mark Davis resurrected “Chucky” as head coach. They won’t be a lame duck team waiting for the glitz of a new stadium in a new city. They also won’t finish last in a division where teams are closer to each other than the experts might think.