The Oakland Raiders appeared to be headed for a playoff berth, but a late-season slide resulted in the Raiders finishing 7-9 and missing the postseason yet again.

But the fact that Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) even seriously contended for a playoff spot this year was a miracle in and of itself considering how talent-deficient the club seemed to be.

Now, the Raiders actually have something to look forward to in 2020, as there may be hope for them after all.

Here are three major needs for Jon Gruden's club this offseason:

3. A quarterback

Derek Carr, Raiders, Chargers
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The Raiders aren't in dire straits under center like some other teams in the NFL, as Derek Carr is perfectly capable of manning the position, even if he isn't elite.

But is Oakland willing to settle for ordinary?

Don't get me wrong: I like Carr, and I think he takes too much heat, but it seems pretty clear that he is never going to be anything more than just a decent quarterback, and with the Raiders owning the 12th overall pick in the draft this spring, it would make sense for them to take a signal-caller.

Because Carr will be just 29 years old at the start of next season and is at least adequate, I have this a bit further down on the priority list, but it is something the Raiders need to strongly consider.

2. A wide receiver

Raiders, Tyrell Williams
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Tyrell Williams is nice, and Hunter Renfrow seems to have potential as a Julian Edelman-type at slot receiver, but the Raiders don't currently have a No. 1 wideout.

Antonio Brown was supposed to be that guy, but we know what happened there.

Gruden and Co. should have a nice chunk of cap space to work with this offseason in order to fill this hole, and there are some wide receivers on the market who could interest the Raiders (like A.J. Green).

No matter where Oakland finds it, it needs to add another playmaker in the aerial attack.

We already know that tight end Darren Waller is a monster, but the Raiders need more weapons, especially if they do decide to go in a different direction from Carr and draft a quarterback.

1. Pass rushers

Clelin Ferrell, Raiders
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The Raiders totaled just 32 sacks this season, which ranked toward the bottom of the NFL. This has been a problem for Oakland for quite some time now, an issue that was compounded when the Raiders traded Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears just before the start of the 2018 campaign.

To be fair, the Raiders have somewhat of a bright future here. Rookie Maxx Crosby logged 10 sacks this year, and while fellow first-year defensive end Clelin Ferrell struggled, Oakland likes his potential moving forward.

That being said, it's obvious that this is a problem area for the Raiders, and they can't just wait for Ferrell to break out for it to be fixed.

Again, Oakland has plenty of cap room to play with, so some of that should go toward at least one other pass-rusher who can lift the Raiders' pass defense from the depths of 25th in the league.