There’s a new head coach and new general manager in Sin City. But the Las Vegas Raiders are once again making massive changes to their roster.
There has been no playoff win or divisional title since 2002. There have been only two playoff appearances since 2003. And once again, there’s a new head coach as well as a change at general manager. But when it comes to the Silver and Black, the franchise has once again plunged into free agency and been as busy as any team in the league.
A season ago, the Las Vegas Raiders overcame a lot of issues both on and off the field. The club won its first three games, dropped seven of its next 10 contests and then closed out 2021 with four consecutive victories. It resulted in a wild card berth for interim head coach Rich Bisaccia and company – the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2016. But the Raiders came up short at Cincinnati.
So enter new sideline leader Josh McDaniels and new GM Dave Ziegler. But apparently nothing has changed when it comes keeping the transaction wire busy. Offseason after offseason, the Raiders bring in plenty of new faces and jettison lots of performers. And these consistent overhauls have certainly not done a lot for this franchise in terms of success as continuity has certainly been an issue.
This year, the team dealt for Packers’ All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and signed him to a lucrative contract (terms via Spotrac). It signed star pass-rusher Chandler Jones away from the Arizona Cardinals.
Hence, the club dealt its sack leader from a year ago, Yannick Ngakoue, to the Indianapolis Colts in a deal that netted them young cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. There are also former New England Patriots in running back Brandon Bolden and fullback Jakob Johnson, as well as ex-Chiefs’ wideout Demarcus Robinson.
All told, the franchise has already added 20-plus new faces. And this year’s NFL draft is still weeks away. Will all these moves pay off? The Raiders have not made back-to-back postseason appearances since reaching the playoffs three straight years from 2000 to 2002.