2023 was a disappointing season for the Las Vegas Raiders, but with Antonio Pierce heading into his first full season as head coach, 2024 could look very different.
With hopes to turn things around immediately, the Raiders will have to see a lot of narratives flipped with training camp quickly approaching.
Unanswered Questions Ahead of Las Vegas Raiders Training Camp
As the Raiders’ interim coach last season, Pierce led the team to a 4-4 record, which included an upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs and a historic 63-21 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Raiders clearly responded much better to Pierce’s leadership than Josh McDaniels, who was fired midway through last season.
Despite the change at head coach and premier talent on both sides of the ball, the Raiders enter this upcoming season with low expectations and plenty of unanswered questions.
Who Will Win the Starting Quarterback Job?
The Raiders are one of few teams whose starting quarterback job is open for competition.
While Gardner Minshew is the presumed favorite, second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell has an opportunity to challenge him for the job.
For Minshew, he joined the team in free agency on a two-year, $25 million deal. He most recently spent 2023 with the Indianapolis Colts, taking over when then-starter Anthony Richardson went down with an injury.
Minshew led the Colts to a 7-6 record, just one game shy of the AFC South crown. In that time, he threw for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
While Minshew did find some statistical success and can be a solid starter, he is limited in his ceiling. Additionally, his contract points to him being signed as a temporary solution rather than a long-term answer.
While O’Connell doesn’t have the greatest tools or ceiling either, he did enough to please Adams and the Raiders last season. And with some more development, he could see his game continue to grow.
However, Minshew’s contract value will likely make him the leader for the job, though we will not know an official starter until later in training camp
How Will Christian Wilkins Impact Maxx Crosby?
The biggest move the Raiders made this offseason was signing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on a four-year, $110 million deal. The contract included $84.75 million guaranteed and a base value of $110 million. The question, though, is how much his impact will be felt on the defensive line.
The team returns superstar EDGE Maxx Crosby, who earned Pro Bowl honors in each of the last three seasons. He returns 52 career sacks, including 14.5 in 2023. However, Crosby did that with Jerry Tillery and Bilal Nichols as his two starting defensive tackles, and Tyree Wilson as the EDGE opposite of him.
Simply put, Crosby posted those numbers with next to no help on the defensive line.
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Now, the Raiders add Wilkins into the mix. With 20.5 career sacks and nine in 2023, Wilkins is one of the best pass-rushing threats from the interior in the NFL. He also had 30 pressures in 2023.
Those interior pressures are important to note because they force the quarterback outside of the pocket and into Crosby. If there wasn’t a good defensive tackle there, the quarterback could instead step up and avoid Crosby.
If the duo can stay healthy, Crosby could very well see an increased number of sacks because quarterbacks can’t just run away from him, and they’ll even be pushed towards him.
How Will the Raiders Replace Josh Jacobs’ Production?
While they made plenty of additions, the Raiders’ biggest loss comes at running back with Josh Jacobs.
In five seasons with Las Vegas, Jacobs totaled 1,305 rushing attempts for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns. That includes 2022, when he led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning All-Pro honors.
However, the Raiders opted to let Jacobs walk in free agency rather than bringing him back. He signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Green Bay Packers.
To replace him, the Raiders are going to rely on returning talent and depth rather than a superstar lead back. The two who will lead the show are Zamir White and Alexander Mattison, with one of them likely earning the starting nod during camp.
For White, he’s been with the Raiders since 2022 but had most of his career production in 2023, starting four games in the wake of Jacobs’ injuries. In that action, he totaled 104 carries for 451 yards and one touchdown. More specifically, he had 69 yards, 145 yards, 71 yards, and 112 yards in the final four games of the season, respectively.
Mattison, though, has been around the league much longer, seeing action in 75 games. In 2023 specifically, Mattison got his first shot as a starter. However, he did not find the success in the lead back role that he saw as a complimentary piece. On 180 carries in 2023, Mattison ran for 700 yards, 3.9 yards per carry, and zero touchdowns.
What Will Brock Bowers’ Impact Look Like As a Rookie?
As part of a strong 2024 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in the first round. The question now is what his role will look like as a rookie.
In three years with the Bulldogs, Bowers put up record-breaking numbers, catching 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns. This includes 56 receptions for 714 yards and six touchdowns in 2023 despite missing multiple games due to injury.
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However, the Raiders also return Michael Mayer, a second-round pick in 2023. As a rookie, Mayer caught 27 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns.
Bowers is likely to be more of a receiver and Mayer may serve more as a blocker. Both could and will be on the field simultaneously, working as a duo rather than competing against each other. However, their exact roles will be more clear once training camp is underway.
Who Will Start At Outside Cornerback?
Finally, the Raiders need to figure out who their starting cornerbacks will be on the outside. Nate Hobbs has the nickel spot locked down, but beyond him, there’s a lot of unknown.
Jack Jones, who was acquired via a mid-season trade in 2023, will likely hold down one spot. During his time with the Raiders, he allowed a 56.3% completion percentage, 228 yards, one touchdown, and a 63 opponent passer rating. He also notched two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown.
However, it’s the other side that will not be answered until training camp. In the draft, the Raiders took both Jakorian Bennett in 2023 and Decamerion Richardson in 2024. It will more likely than not come down to one of those two.
Bennett saw action in 14 games in 2023, starting four of them. However, he allowed a 68.4% completion percentage, 316 yards, one touchdown, and a 102.5 passer rating during those snaps.
Richardson, on the other hand, spent four seasons at Mississippi State before being drafted in the fourth round. Remarkably, he did not record a single interception during his college career. However, he brings strong measurables and was one of the best-tackling cornerbacks in the draft.