Considered a dark-horse Super Bowl contender in the preseason, the Las Vegas Raiders failed to live up to expectations. The team opened 2-6, its worst start since 2018, ultimately missing the playoffs.
Las Vegas finished 6-11 this season, the fourth-worst record in the AFC. The Raiders have yet to make it to the postseason in back-to-back years since all the way back in 2002, when they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.
After a disappointing 2022 campaign, head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler should be very active over the offseason. From re-upping impactful incumbents to the pursuit of new talents in free agency, the Raiders have a lot of work to do before next season kicks off.
With that being said, here are three major fixes the Las Vegas Raiders must make this offseason to return to the NFL playoffs in 2023.
3. Secure Josh Jacobs for the future
Perhaps the brightest spot of the Las Vegas squad in 2022 was the emergence of Josh Jacobs. The running back had a breakout year, earning a Pro Bowl selection and a First Team All-Pro spot. Jacobs finished the season with 340 carries, leading the league with 1,653 rushing yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns. He also had 53 catches for a personal-best 400 yards.
However, prior to the 2022 season, the Raiders opted against exercising the fifth-year option on Jacobs' rookie deal. That leaves the running back as a free agent in 2023.
Instead of having him under contract for around $8 million next season, Las Vegas will have to convince Jacobs to stay with a more lucrative deal—cutting into their resources to add talent elsewhere, a debilitating, self-inflicted dynamic that could have easily been avoided.
All things considered, Las Vegas should prioritize bringing Jacobs back to fix their mistake from the 2022 offseason. If he leaves the organization, the Raiders will have lost one of its best young players when they could have had him for just $8 million.
2. The defense in close games
While the Raiders finished with a negative record and missed the playoffs, things could have been very different. The team gave up leads of at least 17 points in three games. Also, Las Vegas became the first team in NFL history to lose five or more games in a single season after leading by double digits in the second half.
A big part of those negative results came on the defensive end. Las Vegas allowed 24.6 points per game on average, ranking No. 26 in the league. Its 4,129 passing yards allowed were the third-worst in the NFL, while just one team had fewer interceptions than the Raiders' six.
This means Las Vegas should consider signing some solid defenders in free agency. One position the front office should go after is linebacker. The Raiders only have Divine Deablo and undrafted rookies Luke Masterson, Darien Butler and Kana’i’ Mauga (zero career snaps) as linebackers under contract in 2023.
Some players that Las Vegas should go after are Tampa Bay's Lavonte David and Tremaine Edmunds of the Buffalo Bills. Both are top options on the market who could make an impact right away. The Raiders should also think about bringing back Denzel Perryman. The 2021 Pro Bowler would be a cheaper option who is familiar with the system and could mentor some of the team's youngsters at the position.
1. The quarterback position
At the end of the day, the 2023 season for Las Vegas will depend on what it does at the quarterback position. The front office will have the tough task of replacing longtime Raider Derek Carr.
After nine years with the franchise, Carr and Las Vegas agreed in late December that he would step away from the team after he was benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the remainder of the season. With Carr as a starter, the Raiders went 63-79 as he made the Pro Bowl four times.
In 2022, they went just 6-9 with Carr. The veteran completed 60.8% of his passes, lowest since his rookie year, for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns against a career-worst 14 interceptions.
Whether the organization will trade or waive him, it needs to address the quarterback position. The Raiders could go after a big name such as Lamar Jackson, and have already been linked to Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Also, the team has been linked to Aaron Rodgers and Tampa Bay's Tom Brady. In Rodgers' case, he would reunite with Adams, his main target for eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Additionally, the Raiders could select a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. They have the No. 7 pick, and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis could be available at that point.
Depending on which quarterback they get, the Raiders' 2023 could be a comeback year. At the very least, they must start thinking about the future as they build around a new starting signal-caller.
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