Oakland Raiders 2019 Futures

Offseason moves

First season after Jon Gruden's return to Oakland was very turbulent. He decided to rule with the iron fist, which led to trading away some of their top talents early on. Amari Cooper never managed to consistently produce up to his full potential in Oakland. That is why his departure was not as painful as the other one. Trading away DPOY Khalil Mack was a shocking decision and the one they most likely regretted, after finishing dead last in the "sacks" category last year. But with all the draft picks acquired from those trades and freeing up a lot of cap space, they were able to rebuild this roster in the offseason. Their biggest acquisition was Antonio Brown, whom they brought over from Pittsburgh.

One of the best wide receivers in the game will provide an elite go-to option for Derek Carr. New general manager Mike Mayock didn't stop there and basically overhauled the entire WR group, with speed being the most common trait among the new additions to the roster. Tyrell Williams and JJ Nelson can both stretch the field, while Ryan Grant and Hunter Renfrow will use that space in the middle of the field to get some catches, working out of the slot.

Speaking of Derek Carr, he got hit way too often last year with two rookie tackles protecting the edge. Raiders recognized the issue and addressed it by making Trent Brown the highest paid O-lineman in the history and also bringing in Richie Incognito to add some nasty demeanor inside.

He's 36 and had a fair share of issues off the field. But it's worth noting that he made the Pro-Bowl in 3 out of the last 4 seasons and there is no doubt that he can still be productive as an NFL starter. Having Incognito by his side should help 2nd year LT Kolton Miller, who struggled throughout his rookie season. Bottom line is, AFC West defenses should watch out because this offense is much improved compared to last year.

Hey, what about defense?

Yeah, the defense. I can't really remember when was the last time the Raiders had a good defense. Even with Khalil Mack carrying this unit on his back, they were mediocre at best. Generating pass rush and covering the tight ends were some of the things they struggled with year in, and year out. Trading away Khalil Mack definitely didn't help their pass rush. In my opinion, that is also the biggest weakness of this team.

They drafted Clelin Ferrell from Clemson with their 4th overall pick this year, but he is still far from Mack's level and will probably never get there anyway. This group has a bunch of young players and rotational guys, but nobody who can command a double team from the opponent and free up some space for other guys on the line "to eat". Secondary played some decent football at times last season, once they got used to Paul Gunther's defensive scheme. Signing Lamarcus Joyner from the Rams for $42 mil and drafting Jonathan Abram in the first round of the draft will help them patch some holes on the back side and help them build on the foundation that they laid last year. Middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict will also play a huge role there. He re-joined Gunther, after 6 years spent under his tutelage in Cincinnati. He knows this defense inside and out and will be crucial for making on-field adjustments and putting his teammates in the right places to make the play.

AFC West & schedule

Here comes the tricky part. Their division is one of the toughest in the league. Kansas City Chiefs are -150 favorites to win the division and 7 to 1 to win the Superbowl, only behind the defending champion - the New England Patriots. They have a bunch of weapons on offense and most of the teams can't find a way to slow them down. LA Chargers seems to be improving every year. They are coming off of a 12-4 season, with some good talent on that roster. But it seems to me they peaked last year.

Philipp Rivers is going to be 38 this year. They are in the middle of a contract dispute with their star running back and they have no home-field advantage in Los Angeles, after relocating from San Diego a couple of years ago. Denver changed their coaching staff after two disappointing seasons. They are still searching for their franchise QB after Peyton Manning retired. They are hoping Drew Lock could be the one, while Joe Flacco keeps "the seat" warm for him until he's ready to start. There is some talent on this roster, but I think they are not a big threat this year. The team will need time to adopt the system from the new coaching staff and they have the worst situation at the QB position in this division. Looking at the Raiders schedule, I'm not optimistic about the playoffs this year, even with all the improvements made in the offseason. Opening the season against Broncos and then facing Chiefs, Vikings, Colts, and Bears is crazy. Assuming that Chiefs are probably winning the division, they need that wild card spot. But considering the strength of the AFC West, combined with a challenging schedule to start the season, I doubt they can get 10+ wins, which are usually required for that wildcard spot.

Best bet

Curveball. Seeing no value in the usual futures markets, I decided to go through some more obscure ones and found an interesting bet for "AP offensive rookie of the year award". Oakland Raiders drafted running back Josh Jacobs from Alabama as their 24th overall pick. After letting go Marshawn Lynch after the last season, it's clear that the rookie Jacobs is their bell-cow this year. He is a very versatile player. He'll play behind an improved OL, with very strong interior (Incognito, Hudson, Jackson) and a head coach that likes to run the ball.

Looking at the competition, it seems to me that this one is basically H2H between him and No.1 overall pick Kyler Murray. Other options are not a big threat imho. Dwayne Haskins is playing for one of the worst teams in the league. It's unknown if he's even the starter and his left tackle is holding out at the moment. Marquise Brown is a WR, playing in the most run-heavy offense in the league (Baltimore). And Mecole Hardman is really explosive, but will not be among primary options in that stacked Chiefs offense. Backing Jacobs at these odds simply makes a lot of sense.

Pick: Josh Jacobs to be AP offensive rookie of the year @9.00