It’s been a long time since the Oakland Raiders have been relevant in the NFL.

Minus a pair of 8-8 seasons in 2010 and 2011, you have to go all the way back to 2002 to see a season where they had any kind of sustained success. Needless to say, it’s been a pretty rough 12 years since then. But there’s plenty of reason for optimism with the Raiders now, and 2015 may be the year the trend starts to turn upwards.

The big reason why is because the Raiders have finally managed to get some potential going. Former head coach Dennis Allen, while respectable, never looked like he had a real grip on things. Conversely Jack Del Rio is a veteran coach who has seen it all. I doubt there’s anything that will catch him off guard.

The flux at quarterback is now gone thanks to Derek Carr, who showed a ton of promise last year. Wide receiver Amari Cooper looks like an instant stud player, Michael Crabtree is a solid No. 2 option and Rod Streater can absolutely excel in a reserve role. Even Latavius Murray looks like he could be a good player, with much more consistency than Darren McFadden ever gave the team. Mychal Rivera made good strides too, and the addition of Clive Walford can only make things better.

And that’s just the offense. Khalil Mack is a ridiculously talented linebacker in his own right. With a year of experience, there’s plenty of reason to think he can be even better this year. Adding players like Curtis Lofton and Sio Moore make the middle of the Raider defense pretty solid. D.J. Hayden at cornerback may have been a reach, but he’s got plenty of upside, as does the other starter (Travis Carrie).

I don’t need to mention Charles Woodson really. Honestly, for all of Nate Allen’s faults, he might actually work out with enough talented players around him. Dan Williams can be the big lane-clogger on the line, and there’s plenty of pass rushing potential with Mario Edwards, Max Valles and Justin Tuck.

The one big caveat to this optimism is that all this potential may not immediately translate into wins this season. For all the explosive potential here, it’s still a little early to start entertaining dreams of a division title. Think of 2015 as the last year the Raiders need to really gel themselves into a contending team.

Come 2016, the division should be a whole lot weaker once Peyton Manning retires, and the window of opportunity will start to crack for Oakland. If the Raiders can stay on the track they’re on, they could be the next guard of the AFC West and make it seem like 2002 all over again.

Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.