The last few seasons for the Las Vegas Raiders have left much to be desired. With personnel and coaching changes, will the Raiders be able to return to greatness?
The Raiders have endured a rough 22 years since their last Super Bowl appearance in 2003. In that span, they have only made the playoffs twice. Both of those playoff appearances resulted in Wild-Card Round losses.
Since 2003, the Raiders have a record of 128-228. Only the Cleveland Browns have a worse record in that time span.
The Silver and Black would face much bad luck and misfortune throughout the years.
In 2007, the Oakland Raiders drafted quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick. Russell was expected to be an elite quarterback and lead the Raiders to success for years to come. This would not be the case as Russell would go on to become arguably the biggest bust in NFL history.
Fortunes seemed to change for Oakland in 2014. The team drafted linebacker Khalil Mack and quarterback Derek Carr, who immediately became cornerstones of the franchise. In 2015, the Raiders drafted wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Oakland’s new core had been established and by 2016, the Raiders were back in the playoffs behind a MVP caliber season from Carr. Oakland had broken a 14-year playoff drought.
A dream season had quickly come to an end when Carr fractured his fibula in a week 16 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Without their leader, the Raiders lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.
Oakland had failed to reach the same level of success in the seasons that followed. They would trade Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper to the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys, respectively, during the 2018 season.
The next few seasons were plagued with even more drama. Poor play on the field and incidents off the field continued to haunt the organization in wake of its relocation to Las Vegas in 2020.
The Raiders would not make the playoffs again until 2021, where once again they were Wild Card exits at the hands of the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2023, Las Vegas parted ways with its longtime quarterback in Carr. The Raiders embarked in a new direction, which has not gone as planned thus far.
Tom Brady ensured that he would play a major role in the Raiders’ operations. Brady and company swiped the slate clean for the Las Vegas front office. The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco.
The Silver and Black replaced Pierce with former Super Bowl champion head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll coached the Seattle Seahawks from 2010 to 2023. During that span, Carroll’s Seahawks accumulated a 137-89-1 record.
John Spytek took the reins as the Raiders’ new general manager. Spytek was Brady’s teammate at Michigan. He was also an assistant general manager with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Brady led them to a Super Bowl win.
In the 2025 offseason, Las Vegas traded for Geno Smith. Smith played for Carroll in Seattle. With the acquisition of Smith, the Raiders gained stability at the quarterback position, which they have not had since losing Carr.
Las Vegas extended defensive end and franchise star Maxx Crosby to a three-year $106.5 million contract. Crosby has been the heart and soul of the Raiders’ defense for the last six years.
The Raiders also brought back defensive end Malcom Koonce and safety Isaiah Pola-Moa. Both are looking for expanded roles in Las Vegas’ defense for the upcoming season.
Vegas lost several key defensive players in free agency. Nate Hobbs, Tre’von Moehrig, Robert Spillane, Marcus Epps and Divine Deablo all departed.
To fill those holes, the Raiders signed safeties Jeremy Chinn, Lonnie Johnson Jr, linebacker Elandon Roberts and cornerback Eric Stokes.
Last season, the Raiders ranked last in rush yards. Vegas signed former Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert, in hopes that he will bolster the run game.
The Raiders’ front office still has time to improve the roster through trades and remaining free agents. They have approximately $50 million in cap space to work with.
Las Vegas can look into a possible reunion with Amari Cooper, who is still a free agent. Cooper, now a veteran heading into his 11th season, would provide additional help to Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker in the Raiders’ passing attack.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has been linked to Las Vegas, in what would be yet another roster addition with ties to Pete Carroll. Walker would immediately boost the Raiders’ rushing attack.
Besides 7-year veteran Kolton Miller, the Raiders’ offensive line is still relatively young. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, DJ Glaze and Thayer Munford Jr. are all heading into their second seasons. Vegas is banking on the development of these young players to solidify their offensive line for the foreseeable future.
The 2025 NFL Draft is next month and it provides an opportunity for the Raiders to bolster their roster with young talent.
The Raiders currently have the 6th overall pick. As of now, many have Las Vegas taking running back Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State.
Other possible selections include Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
Whether they stay put at 6th or trade up, Las Vegas is hoping that this pick will be a game-changer for the franchise.
Las Vegas has to consider drafting a quarterback, whether it is with the 6th pick, in later rounds or a possible trade up. Though the Raiders traded for Smith, he is not a long-term solution for the Raiders’ quarterback problem as he is 34-years-old. Smith will eventually have to play the mentor role for his successor.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has shown great interest in playing for Las Vegas. While Sanders will most likely be taken earlier in the draft, the Raiders could trade up for him or just hope falls to them in the draft.
The more likely route would see the Raiders taking a quarterback in a later round. Other quarterback options include Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss, Quinn Ewers out of Texas, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Ohio State’s Will Howard.
While there is still a lot of work to be done, Brady and company have shown they are not afraid of making bold moves to ensure that the Raiders return to greatness.
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