After a rough a year ago, the O*kland Raiders head into 2019 training camp looking to make great strides under head coach Jon Gruden in the second season since his glorious return. To do that, the Raiders must see continued growth defensively while its newly-loaded offense produces with quarterback Derek Carr under center.
Whether it's the addition of controversial All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown, or unstable but talented offensive lineman Richie Incognito, the Raiders have never shied away from bold moves. With that said, the Silver and Black will be looking to finish its final year in the Bay Area. Here are the top five question marks facing the Raiders entering the 2019 edition of training camp.
5. Will the new-look offense be able to control the football long enough for the defense to produce late in ballgames?
While Antonio Brown will catch more than a few game-changing passes for the Raiders offense, he can't be expected to carry the load alone. With the defensive depth still a question mark, ball control — in certain circumstances — is going to be vital. Outside of Brown, will the other weapons show up in third down situations and can the offense avoid too many three-and-outs to keep the defense fresh? Besides Brown, the Raiders also added offensive lineman Trent Brown and linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Las Vegas product Brandon Marshall, as well as a host of rookies including first rounders Josh Jacobs (RB) and Clelin Ferrell (DL). If the new offense meshes and the defense improves, as expected, it could give the both sides of the football the needed balance to succeed. Additions at WR like Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson should provide experience for the offense but rookie WR Hunter Renfrow and TE Foster Moreau will both also be expected to contribute.Keeping the ball out of the hands of divisional QBs like reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes and Hall of Famer Philip Rivers will be crucial. Already, Renfrow has turned some heads and could be a dark horse to give the Raiders possession options underneath and over the middle. “I think Hunter Renfrow is a guy that’s going to come in and not make any mistakes, be very user-friendly for the quarterback," general manager Mike Mayock said. "I think Derek is going to have a lot of fun watching him compete. There is going to be a lot of competition at that slot and like Jon, I can’t wait to see some of these second-year players.”
4. Can rookie running back Josh Jacobs be an adaptive three-down ball carrier post-Marshawn Lynch?
Everyone loved "Beast Mode." From his love of Skittles to using the flame in O*kland to spark a joint, the dude was always entertaining and worked his tail off in the trenches for his hometown team. Lynch is gone and the Raiders drafted Alabama running back Josh Jacobs to replace him. Only seven other teams averaged fewer rushing yards than Oakland did last year (101.8 ypg), and only three other teams scored fewer than the Raiders' nine rushing touchdowns. Needless to say, Jacobs is expected to improve those numbers. With a better receiving corps, the field should be stretched enough for Jacobs to hit the hole, and slip by defenders. But is he a three-down back? Jacobs never played that three-down role at Alabama. In fact, in his three collegiate seasons, Jacobs carried the ball just 251 times, and no more than 120 times in any one season. Six NFL running backs rushed the ball at least 250 times last season, to put it into perspective. If durability is a concern, veterans Doug Martin and Jalen Richards should help spell Jacobs but, make no mistake, Jacobs is here to handle the ball. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnlxWfeQAJA3. How often will the offensive line keep quarterback Derek Carr off the turf?
According to Pro Football Focus, this was an offensive line that was a top-5 unit as recently as two years ago but veteran Kelechi Osemele inexplicably struggled with a 53.8 overall grade last season, and the Raiders’ offensive tackles were a simply terrible. Rookies Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker allow a combined 26 sacks and had 19 penalties between them. In 2019, Osemele is gone (traded to the New York Jets) and the Raiders signed veteran Trent Brown to the richest deal in NFL history for an offensive lineman. They also signed talented, but troubled veteran Richie Incognito to fill the void at left guard. Incognito will spend the first two games yet PFF still has the Raiders' offensive line rated as one of the worst in the league at 26th. If the line can't give Carr enough time to deliver to Antonio Brown, nor give Jacobs and the rest of the RB corps enough space to gain, frustrations could boil over fast. Incognito isn't know for keeping his cool but Trent Brown has consistently graded out as one of the league's best so his pairing with Incognito could surprise the "geniuses" at PFF, who also rank Carr as the most accurate deep passer (targets 20+ yards downfield) in the NFL in 2018, and ranks 3rd in deep passing accuracy since 2016. If given time, Carr has proven elite when getting the ball downfield. The question is: will he have enough time? This is a huge question mark heading into the 2019 season and it could be a continued storyline throughout, if the line struggles.2. Will all the eclectic personalities mesh, especially with the pressure of 'HBO's Hard Knocks' following their every move?
When the league announced the Raiders would be the focal point of HBO's Hard Knocks, there have been whispers of concern the extra distraction might affect the team as it attempts to shake off a sub-par 2018. it's one thing to learn a new locker room in the heat of the 2019 training camp but it gets exponentially more difficult to keep little conflicts in-house when you have film crews following your every move.While Antonio Brown is a master of self-promotion, not every player in a locker room is open to sharing their process. This could create drama where there is none, hurting Gruden's continued push towards building a contender. Since it debuted more than a decade ago, there have been 12 teams documented on "Hard Knocks," and just five of the 12 teams documented improved their record in the season immediately following the show while five finished with a worse record and the last two had exactly the same record. In addition, five of the 12 teams made the playoffs in that next season — but four of those five teams already had winning records the season before the HBO film crews ever showed up. Based on these numbers, one might not believe the Raiders have very good odds of improving but, then again, there is no team like the Silver and Black in the NFL. Many observers actually wondered why the Raiders were chosen this year, instead of next year when the team moves to Vegas. I guess the NFL felt this would be a better way to introduce its new Vegas market to the team before it arrives, instead of of after its moved into its new digs off the I-15.
