As many feared, this appears to be a QB purgatory situation. Not bad enough for a good shot at a QB prospect, but also not good enough to get into the playoffs.
This offseason is the first out opportunity in the Carr contract if in not mistaken, but he might be a player they could trade to the Bears or a team who feels like they only average QB play away from a contender.
The frustrating thing is that the Raiders not really being a team who is ready to compete this year was very predictable. It seemed like they didn't have the discipline to carry the rebuild they committed to all the way through. Now it seems like they will have to stick with Carr and be 7 and 9 again next year.
The discipline? Huh? I don't even know what you are talking about.
Seriously- let's look at this year. Screw the record. I am talking about let's look at what we know. We started off the year swinging for the fences with trying to get AB on board. Sure, he was not a model citizen in Pittsburgh but dang, who could have called what happened? If we had AB minus the head case, I think just that alone we would be looking at a whole different year. That top tier WR like that opens everything up. Tyrell Williams could do damage. Waller would create huge mismatch issues that would be hard to deal with for any team when you would have to spend so much attention on AB. Jacobs would have even more room to run as well. That one lost move really put us back offensively.
Mayock did an outstanding job in his first draft. I was a little worried about him 'managing' the draft but he did very well with that. I was not worried about his eye for talent and I was proven right about that. Most would agree with me the best rookie class of the year.
Ferrell- Solid all around DE if not sexy. He has improved as the year has gone on and I see room for continued improvement with him. He is a stud against the run and his pass rush is likely under valued with many fans because he doesn't have the sack totals which morons who don't know football or are too lazy to do a decent analysis of a player and just look at the sack totals will boooo him.
Jacobs- Everyone, even idiots, can see Jacobs is a stud. The dude is a great all around back with really lacking in one area (Pass Pro) which I know he is committed to working on because he doesn't want to come off the field. How bad does he not want to come off the field? He plays with a shoulder injury and still doesn't change how he makes contact with defenders. He has all the speed and moves of a smaller back but plays like a big back too. I love this kid.
Abram- We didn't even get a full game out of him but that first full game showed up a whole lot. He does seem like the kind of safety that can do it all and is a playmaker. It is too early to tell but a Troy Polamalu type of safety may just be what we have in Abram.
Mullen- Gruden/Mayock had enough faith in him to trade Conley to Texans mid year. Corner for a rookie is hard and Mullen is getting the reps. I have seen improvement over the year as he has got those reps. There is a good chance that he is a solid NFL CB but we need to see more and really want to see his sophomore year to have a better grasp of whether he is or is not.
Crosby- The kid has exploded. What's his face from the NFL network did a reranking of the rookie class and has him 5th overall out of all rookies (Jacobs is 2). 8.5 sacks so far. And the thing that impresses me the most is that this kid is raw. I don't see a whole lot of technique on these sacks but just naked force, energy and willpower. As he gets coached up more and more and is able to add more moves, he really can be an elite pass rusher in this league.
Johnson- Much like Mullen, he is getting the snaps now after being out for most of the season as a rookie in a hard to be in position for a rookie and it will take some time for us to really know if he is going to be a reliable NFL CB or not. Some flashes but some mistakes. Just like you expect with a rookie that missed a lot of time.
Moreau- If not for Waller, Foster may be the big break out TE this year but even in his supporting cast position behind Waller he has shined as a rookie. It was a blow for him to be out for the rest of the season but we can do some damage next year with two TE sets for sure.
Renfrow- a fifth round gem. He sure as heck doesn't look like an NFL WR. Hell, he doesn't look like a college WR but somehow, someway he makes it work. I don't know how. I don't really get it. But what I did get was seeing his improvement as the season went on. I could see the game was slowing down for him until he ended out for the season.
Bell- Cut, the fate of many 7th rounders.
Rookie FA's
Doss- Hard knocks favorite. Hasn't seen the field much even though we brought him back and we are not very deep WR wise.
Cole- Serviceable punter.
Ingold- He should have been named to the Pro Bowl as a FB.
James- Hasn't seen the field I think at all. OL depth.
Nixon- Our other rookie CB. Let's see how he develops.
We have a lot of key players out: Abram, Crowell, Harris, Joseph, Key, Moreau, Burfict, Renfrow and more who have missed more than a couple of games.
We have the two mid round (at least) 1st round picks to play with. 5 total in the top 100.
We have cash to sign FA's and the sexy new stadium with the sexy no state income tax in a sexy city. FA will be coming to us asking for us to sign them.
We have an offense that is pretty much set, needing only a true #1 WR.
We are a very young team. I think second or third youngest. Out of our key players only Incognito is at an age where we know his days are limited. After that Hudson, Joyner and Burfict are veterans but still having plenty in the tank.
We are technically still in the playoff hunt. It sucks to have taken the last few losses and even more so after getting the high of winning some games but I see nothing but positives out of this year. This is a rebuild with clear progress and clear future progression.