The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL in the 2022 season. They were widely expected to be one of the top teams in the AFC after making some huge moves last offseason, but instead, they ended up going just 6-11, and missed the playoffs entirely. It's safe to say that expectations were not met this season.
After an offseason where the Raiders seemed to answer many of the questions surrounding the team, they have a whole new set of them to address this offseason. That's typically what happens when you go from being a playoff contender to one of the first teams in the league eliminated from contention, but that's how the cookie crumbles in the NFL sometimes.
The Raiders have a lot of big decisions to make this offseason, and that includes identifying players they should move on from after their disappointing 2022 campaign. Let's pick out three such players Las Vegas should part ways with this offseason and see why they would be better off without these guys than with them.
3. Rock Ya-Sin
Las Vegas' secondary was always going to be a weak spot, and that was pretty evident throughout the season considering how much playing time Rock Ya-Sin managed to get. Ya-Sin started in nine of the 11 games he played, and it's safe to say the Raiders should be looking for upgrades at cornerback this offseason with Ya-Sin hitting the open market.
Ya-Sin didn't have a great season, registering 45 tackles, seven passes defended, and a quarterback hit as his primary stats. He allowed a 60.9 completion percentage on passes thrown in his direction, and while his 82.6 passer rating on passes where he was targeted is a career low, that doesn't mean it's very good.
Ya-Sin hasn't managed to live up to his second round billing early on in his career, and based on how poorly the Raiders secondary played for much of the 2022 campaign, it feels like Ya-Sin's first season with the team should be his only season with the team. If they need depth at the position, maybe it makes sense to bring him back, but Ya-Sin should not be starting again next season for Las Vegas.
2. Clelin Ferrell
Speaking of guys who haven't lived up to their potential, it's probably safe to label Clelin Ferrell as a bust at this point. Ferrell, who was the fourth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, has never come close to reaching expectations, and now that he's set to hit free agency, it seems highly unlikely he will be playing football with the Raiders next season.
Ferrell was once again a rotational defensive lineman for Las Vegas, and his numbers on the season aren't very good (26 tackles, two sacks, two passes defended, three tackles for a loss, eight quarterback hits). Considering how high he was drafted, that is simply unacceptable. Ferrell was supposed to be one of the most dominant pass-rushers in the league, but he can barely even stay on the field.
A change of scenery seems like it could be good for Ferrell, and that means the Raiders would have to move on from him. Even on a prove-it deal, it just doesn't seem like there's a spot for Ferrell on this team. Cutting your losses on a high draft pick is always hard, but there's no reason for the Raiders to bring back Ferrell at this point.
1. Derek Carr
It's pretty much a formality that Derek Carr's time with the Raiders is over, but he still has to make this list. Carr was horrible in his first year working with new head coach Josh McDaniels, and with Jarrett Stidham taking over and looking somewhat competent over the final two games of the season, it's clear that a decent chunk of the blame for Las Vegas' lost 2022 season falls on Carr's shoulders.
With a ton of talent around him on offense, Carr was expected to take a big step forward. Instead he stayed in the same spot as he had always been in for the most part. Carr's numbers aren't awful (305/502, 3522 YDS, 24 TD, 14 INT) but he didn't come anywhere close to taking a step forward. He likely took a couple steps back in the process.
Carr has a track-record of being a solid quarterback in the NFL, and even with his big contract, some teams will be interested in trading for him. By now, it seems like only a matter of time until Carr is on the move, and for the Raiders, after what they saw from him in 2022, moving on from Carr is almost certainly the right move to make here.
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