Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders are hoping to bounce back from a rough 2018 season. Mike Mayock has come in as the new GM and has made some moves to improve the roster.
One of the first moves that Mayock made was acquiring Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers via trade. Then, Oakland also proceeded to add Tyrell Williams and other weapons to the offense.
This offseason was definitely more successful on paper for the Raiders than the last offseason. Last offseason, Oakland traded Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. The Raiders watched Mack dominate in 2018 like they were watching their ex be happy without them.
Now, the Raiders are bringing in new pieces to their roster to change the culture of their team. The Raiders are trying to return to the success they had in the early 2000s when Gruden had his first stint with Oakland.
In 2019, there are a few concerns that surround the future Las Vegas Raiders. Here are the three top concerns for the Raiders for the upcoming season.
3. Handling All of the Egos on the Roster
Coming into 2019, the Raiders undoubtedly have the most interesting roster in terms of the number of players they have that are loud characters. After all, the NFL chose Oakland to represent the NFL in HBO's Hard Knocks series, knowing this team can bring some entertainment to fans.
This offseason, the Raiders have added Antonio Brown, Vontaze Burfict, and Richie Incognito to an already questionable locker room. Having Brown and Burfict was awkward enough, but signing Incognito was the cherry on top for the recipe of landing the Hard Knocks nod.
Of course, Brown and Burfict had their difference as they were personal rivals when the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals faced each other. In one instance, Burfict laid a hit on Brown's head that stirred up a ton of controversy in the media.
Although, Brown and Burfict seemed to have cleared the air and are ready to try being teammates for the time being. But will Gruden be able to handle all of the player's egos this season? That remains to be seen but if they begin losing games, there's a chance that the locker room becomes unraveled at the seams.
2. The Pass Rush
We heard it all season last year: the Raiders lack an elite pass rusher on their team. I wonder who could've been there to help the team get to the quarterback. Does anybody ring a bell?
Gruden and the Raiders decided (at the time) it was best to move on from Khalil Mack after not being able to sign the pass rusher long-term. Mack would land in Chicago and sign the most lucrative deal for a defensive player in NFL history.
Nonetheless, the Raiders are still trying to replace the production that once came from Mack. In 2018, Oakland ranked dead-last in the NFL with just 13 sacks all season. To put things into perspective, Mack had 12.5 sacks by himself in 2018.
This offseason, the Raiders drafted Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby in hopes they can help the pass rush improve in 2019. In today's NFL, you need to be able to consistently apply pressure on the quarterback if you expect to win games.
1. Can Derek Carr Return to His 2016 Form in 2019?
Again, Mayock and the Raiders front office made it a goal to surround Derek Carr with more weapons in 2019. They did just that by acquiring Antonio Brown via trade, signing Tyrell Williams, and drafting Josh Jacobs and Hunter Renfrow.
The past couple of seasons have been rough for Carr but he was playing with little to no help in the offense. Just a few years ago, Carr was an MVP candidate in 2016. In 2018, Oakland traded Amari Cooper, officially beginning their rebuild at their skill positions on offense.
Now, in 2019, Carr will receive no excuses from fans and the media alike with the number of weapons he has at his disposal. Brown is still one of the best receivers in football at 30 years old and Williams is a dangerous threat down the field.
Plus, when Jacobs signs his rookie contract, he figures to step into the starting role on the offense. Currently, Jacobs is holding out for a contract to his liking and his hold out will reportedly leak into training camp (good ammunition for Hard Knocks).
Nonetheless, Oakland did all they could to surround Carr with talent and he will need to step up in 2019 if they hope to improve this season.
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