NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Las Vegas Raiders have no choice but to call it quits on the 2024 NFL season. Following their defeat Monday at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons, the Raiders should just dial it down a notch or two and focus on the offseason. The only thing the Raiders should worry about is Shedure Sanders, Ben Johnson, and Jordan Mason.
That’s right, the Raiders must start thinking long-term here and that begins with finding a new coach. Antonio Pierce has been good but the Raiders need someone to come in and change the direction of this organization. Ben Johnson will be the hot commodity this offseason. What he has done in his time with the Detroit Lions has not gone unnoticed. But it’s time that he gets his own big office and players he can build around.
His first order of business is to draft a QB who gets what he’s trying to do. Shedeur Sanders is that guy. Look at what he’s done with Jared Goff. He tuned Goff’s confidence around and has him as one of the best pocket passers in the NFL, if not the best. Sanders is the same player. He stands tall in the pocket and has the same zip on the ball as Goff does. They’re both accurate passes and can get the ball downfield.
What’s good for Johnson is that the Raiders are not without talent. TE Brock Bowers is a stud and a star in the making. WR Jakobi Myers, after a few productive seasons in New England, has cemented himself as their main wide receiver. Add Sanders to the mix, and that’s a solid foundation there. But something is still missing.
The two-headed rushing attack he has in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs has also made Johnson’s offense work in Detroit. This is where the Las Vegas Raiders will need to do some work. They can hit the draft and they can hit free agency. One name to take a hard look at is Jordan Mason of the San Francisco 49ers. He’s set to become a free agent in the offseason and with Christian McCaffrey tied to the team, Mason may be the odd man out despite his production while McCaffrey was hurt.
Mason, Bowers, Myers, and Sanders appear to be good building blocks for the future of the Las Vegas Raiders. All this is possible but the Raiders must continue to do their part this season and that includes not winning any more games. The New York Giants are right on their heels and are in need of a franchise QB. The Tennessee Titans could be in the market as well as the Cleveland Browns.
With Tom Brady in tow as far as ownership paired with his relationship with Sanders, this seems like a slam dunk. But the Las Vegas Raiders are cutting it close. They cannot allow the Giants to get ahead of them in the draft order.
Vegas needs to have a makeover. A new coach, a new leader in the huddle as far as a franchise QB, and someone to run the ball. This offseason is vital but so is making sure they do their part to get where they need to be.
