Raiders get underwhelming grade for 2023 offseason moves
The Las Vegas Raiders were busy in the 2023 offseason trying to make their team better, but it would come off as one NFL analyst thinks differently. The Raiders had a terrible season in 2022 when we expected something completely different. Now, with no Derek Carr or Darren Waller, the Raiders had some moves to […]
The Las Vegas Raiders were busy in the 2023 offseason trying to make their team better, but it would come off as one NFL analyst thinks differently.
The Raiders had a terrible season in 2022 when we expected something completely different. Now, with no Derek Carr or Darren Waller, the Raiders had some moves to make in the offseason to get back on track and head towards the direction they were in the year before last – the playoffs.
The Raiders, in my opinion, handled their 2023 offseason the best way they could, outside of a few things they could have done a bit better. With what they had to work with, meaning the selection of players in free agency, they did well. They did much better than the C+ grade one analyst gave them.
Offseason Grade: C+
After Derek Carr‘s Raiders tenure ended unceremoniously last season, the team needed a new plan at quarterback. Settling on Jimmy Garoppolo as the answer felt like a very underwhelming resolution, particularly when it was followed up by avoiding a quarterback in the draft until the fourth round. Jakobi Meyers gives them a strong receiving corps, but they did trade away Darren Waller to the Giants before filling that space with Michael Mayer in the draft. Between free agency and the draft, the Raiders were one of the most active teams in the league; it’s just not immediately clear that they got a whole lot better in the process.
-Sam Monson, PFF
The Raiders added to their defense and offense in free agency and grabbed some pieces that know the offense and could make it even better than it was last season. Carr didn't know the system, Garoppolo does, so overall, in the grand scheme of things, the Raiders figured out their quarterback situation
For their defense, they added Marcus Epps, Duke Shelley, and their draft picks on that side of the ball, all of which should make that side of the ball better. Not to mention they got one of the three best defenders in the entire draft at pick seven in Tyree Wison.
The only thing I think the Raiders could have done better was picking Tre Tucker at pick 100. They didn't really need another receiver, as now they will be forced to let go of some good guys they already had, and they could have gotten some offensive line depth that they desperately need.
A C+ grade is pretty crazy. I understand they didn't make the moves everyone wanted them to make, like grabbing Aaron Rodgers or those crazy pickups that everyone wanted. But they did things that undoubtedly make the team better. I don't give them an A but to me a B+ is good.
