NFL Tickets
The Oakland Raiders have been the laughing stock of the NFL for a lot of years. They haven’t registered a winning season since 2002 when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, but their performance in 2015 was cause for optimism moving forward. Their performance in free agency might make them an early division favorite.
Oakland finished last season with a record of 7-9 which is an improvement on their previous three seasons. Quarterback Derek Carr showed a lot of growth since his rookie season and looks like the franchise quarterback they’ve been searching for since Rich Gannon.
Free agency officially kicked off last week and the Raiders were quick to sign a few huge names. The first was Kelechi Osemele who was regarded as one of the top players on the market. He’s a versatile offensive lineman who might be protecting Carr’s blind side next season.
After addressing a big offensive need, they started looking for defense. They quickly brought in help on the front seven and in the secondary with the signings of cornerback Sean Smith and linebacker Bruce Irvin. They’ll both be improvements and immediate playmakers defensively.
It’s clear the Raiders are selling something that upper echelon players are buying into, which is something we haven’t seen for over a decade. This is the perfect time for Oakland to take a leap forward as the defending champion Denver Broncos are being picked apart, not to mention the retirement of Peyton Manning. The Kansas City Chiefs are solid but by no means dominant, and the San Diego Chargers are coming off an atrocious season.
Looking at the AFC West, I don’t currently see any reason why the Raiders can’t make a legitimate run for a division title. If Carr can continue to grow and the front office can add weapons through the draft, Oakland should be able to win 10 games. It’s a bold prediction, but one that I have a lot of confidence in.
Share 
