The 2024 season has been a total disaster for the Raiders. The list of issues this season goes on and on. Between the terrible quarterback play, the Davantae Adams trade request, and the injuries to key defensive players, Vegas never stood a chance this year. Despite all that, and the current 2-10 record, the Raiders can turn things around in a hurry if they nail the off-season.
Before diving into the off-season plan, the state of the head coaching situation needs to be discussed.
After leading the Raiders to a 5-4 record in nine games as interim head coach last season, Antonio Pierce was given the full-time job this off-season. Players were ecstatic, as they loved playing for Pierce because he instilled confidence in them and allowed them to play freely. He became a fan favorite after a 63-21 demolition of the Chargers, and a Christmas Day victory over the Chiefs. Pierce embodied what it means to be a Raider, and fans and players loved it. Fast forward to this season, and things have not gone as planned.
Pierce was vocal about wanting to find a franchise QB in the draft (Jayden Daniels), but that was never an option, as no one was willing to trade down, and all six quarterbacks were taken before Vegas picked at 13. The Raiders then entered the season with Gardner Minshew and Aiden O’Connell battling it out for the starting spot. Minshew would win the job, but he would be benched four times in 10 weeks before suffering a season-ending injury. It’s hard to blame Pierce for the QB situation, as he wanted to trade up for a young rookie, but the hiring of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was his decision, and that did not work out.
Getsy lasted nine weeks in Vegas before being let go by Pierce. Not having a reliable QB is hard enough, but when coaches can’t make things easier for the players, it makes everything even worse, and Getsy failed to do that. The offensive coordinator hire was a big whiff for Pierce, but his game management skills have been his biggest issue all season long.
Rookie head coaches are bound to have bumps in the road, but Pierce has been making the same mistakes all year long despite having multiple former head coaches on staff as advisors. He doesn’t know when to use timeouts. He is conservative when he needs to be aggressive more often than not. He has made too many questionable decisions this season, and it has led to frustration. The team plays hard every week, but they don’t have much room for error, and more often than not, Pierce is making critical ones.
It would seem unlikely that Mark Davis would fire his third head coach in the last four years but it is not out of the question. The last five games of the season could determine whether or not the Raiders are looking for a new head coach this off-season. If Pierce were to be fired, someone like Mike Vrabel would make a lot of sense, or even someone like Todd Monken, the Ravens offensive coordinator.
Heading into the off-season, the Raiders are projected to have just under $110 million in cap space. The only team projected to have more money to spend than the Raiders is the Patriots. That number will likely go down, as Vegas has multiple key players heading to free agency that they should look to re-sign. Players such as Nate Hobbs, Tre’von Moehrig, Robert Spillane, Adam Butler, Divine Deablo, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Malcolm Koonce could all receive new deals from the Raiders. After expected re-signings, the Raiders should still have around $50- $60 million in cap space to work with, and that is more than enough to fill some notable holes.
Last season the Raiders made a big splash by signing star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a 4-year deal. This off-season they have a chance to make a splash on the other side of the ball.
Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins is expected to leave the team in free agency, and the 25-year-old is just the player Vegas needs on offense. He is a true outside receiver, with all the makings of a number-one option in a passing game. The only reason he is not thought of as a top 10-15 guy is because he is playing behind Ja’Marr Chase.
Higgins would instantly become the Raiders number-one wide receiver, and he would form one of the better-receiving cores in the NFL. Vegas would have an alpha outside receiver in Higgins, a true matchup nightmare in rookie phenom Brock Bowers, a reliable chain mover in Jakobi Meyers, and a deep threat in Tre Tucker. Whoever the QB ends up being, will have a tremendous supporting cast around him.
Higgins is the prized possession of the free agent class, but he isn’t the only player the Raiders would bring in. Vegas has a major need at running back, and while they will likely draft someone, they should sign a veteran as well. Khalil Herbert and Jordan Mason are set to be free agents this off-season, and both are perfect fits for the Raiders. They have both been career backups who have performed well when given a chance. Vegas should sign one of them and pair them with whatever rookie they end up drafting. Neither player should cost much, but it would give them a chance to be a full-time starter for the first time in their careers.
The Raiders already made one big splash with signing Higgins but general manager Tom Telesco wasn’t scared to be aggressive during his time with the Chargers.
Assuming the Raiders re-sign all of their notable defensive free agents, the defense would be set for the most part. Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, Malcolm Koonce, and the rest of the D-line create one of the best units in the NFL. The linebacker unit could use some help, but Spillane and Deablo are a solid duo, and the team often has just one linebacker on the field. The Cornerback room is extremely young but Jakorian Bennett has developed into a true shutdown corner in just his second season, Nate Hobbs is one of the league’s best slot defenders, and Jack Jones is one of the better playmakers at the position.
The one position that could use an upgrade though is safety. Moehrig is a good player but he has transitioned into more of a box safety, and that has led to the Raiders needing a true ball hawk on the backend of the secondary. While he may be pricey, Javon Holland would be well worth it, as he is rangy and athletic and has been one of the league’s best at the position since entering the league in 2021. Moehrig and Holland would become one of the league’s best duos as they are a perfect complement to each other.
The Raiders would sign other players as depth pieces during free agency as well, but these are the key additions the Raiders should make. Between the re-signings of all the key defensive pieces, and the additions of Higgins, Herbert/Mason, and Holland, the Raiders would be set up to go all-in on a QB in the 2025 draft.
After free agency, the Raiders have one big glaring hole on the roster, and it is the most important position in the sport. At the moment, the Raiders are picking second overall, right behind the Jaguars, and they are primed to land the QB of their choice.
In the first round, the Raiders draft their hopeful franchise QB in Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Cam Ward was also in play here, but something about Sanders in Vegas feels right. Of all the QBs in this class, he is the purest passer, as he works best from within the pocket, but he can use his legs to make a play when needed. In most draft classes he wouldn’t go this high, but with the position being so important, the value gets driven up. Sanders is certainly a first-round talent and is exactly what the Raiders need. He would have a chance for success right away thanks to the talent around him in Vegas.
After securing their QB of the future in the first round, the Raiders add a dynamic running back to be Sanders’s partner in the backfield in the second round. Teams that are not close to being contenders are not advised to use an early selection on a running back, but Omarion Hampton out of UNC is too good to pass up.
He brings a unique blend of physicality and explosiveness with his running style. In a class that is loaded with elite backs, Hampton is arguably the second-best in the class behind Ashton Jeanty. He sees the hole and he hits it. The Raiders run game is one of the worst in the league, and an easy way to fix that, is by bringing in a player like Hampton. He will come in and split time with whoever Vegas signs in free agency, but he will be the full-time starter by the time the season is over.
Having an effective run game will help the team, but also help Sanders out as he won’t have to drop back and pass 50 times a game. Hampton is a great back and is the last skill piece for this offense following the addition of Shedeur.
Sanders and Hampton are great, but they can’t be great without blocking, and in the third round the Raiders take care of that. It would appear that the Raiders have four of the five starting spots on the O-line locked up for the future, but one of the guard spots is a question mark. Jordan Meredith has looked good in limited action, but he can’t be the only option entering next season.
Jonah Savaiinaea out of Arizona would offer the Raiders a versatile lineman who can compete for the starting guard spot but also play tackle if needed. This would give the Raiders their o-line of the future, with Savaiinaea and Dylan Parham at guard, Jackson Powers-Johnson at center, and DJ Glaze and Kolton Miller at tackle. Keeping Sanders protected will be key, and this group should be able to do just that for a long time.
The draft has been all offense so far but with the 3rd round pick they acquired from the Jets via the Davante Adams deal, the Raiders take a chance on a high-level athlete on the defense side of the ball. Harold Perkins Jr. out of LSU was viewed as a first-round lock before the season, as he drew many comparisons to Micah Parsons due to his freakish athleticism. Unfortunately, Perkins would suffer a season-ending ACL injury, and it has created a lot of questions surrounding his draft stock.
No one was ever sure what position he would play, as he looked best as a pure pass rusher, but LSU would use him as a coverage backer more often. Between the lack of position clarity and the injury, Perkins is now viewed as a day-two selection and he is the type of player the Raiders can take a chance on. He can sit behind Deablo for a season and rehab, but eventually, he can take over as the starting linebacker for the team. The Raiders love to blitz and Perkins would thrive in a system that lets him play free and lose.
Vegas needs to find playmakers on defense and taking a shot on Perkins this late in the draft is one way to do so.
Sanders, Hampton, Savaiinaea, and Perkins would be a homerun class for the Raiders as all players possess tantalizing upside and they all fill positions of need.
The Raiders are 2-10 but they are so much closer to being a competitive team than the record indicates. The offense has struggled in a big way due to the lack of a rushing attack and poor QB play, but there are pieces to build around. Bringing in Shedeur Sanders, and giving him a supporting cast of Omarion Hampton, Tee Higgins, Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and Tre Tucker, would allow him to have immediate success as a rookie.
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders would be returning basically the same group as the year before, with the addition of Javon Holland, and the return of Malcolm Koonce from injury. The defense was top 10 just last season with the same group, and it would not be a surprise if they return to form with a fully healthy unit and the addition of Holland.
The Raiders wouldn’t be instant Super Bowl contenders with this off-season, but they would become a tough game for anyone. They would have offensive firepower that they haven’t had since the Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree days and a defense that can win them games just like they did last year. Quick rebuilds have become more popular in the NFL over the past few years, as teams such as the Texans, Commanders, and Broncos have seen instant success despite having a rookie QB. With this roster, there is no reason that the Raiders can’t be the next team to go from a top-five draft pick to playoff contention in one season.
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