Raiders offseason earns low grade from Sports Illustrated

The Oakland Raiders made a bunch of moves to improve their roster this offseason, but Sports Illustrated feels they were not good enough.

After the team’s loss in Week 17 on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Oakland Raiders franchise knew it was time for a change. They made wholesale changes with the coaching staff, bringing back head coach Jon Gruden, who quickly put his stamp on the current roster.

The Raiders made a ton of moves this offseason, despite having very little salary cap space, and some glaring holes were patched up nicely. The 2018 NFL Draft brought in nine solid players, and most of them should have an impact on the team in year one this upcoming season.

Sports Illustrated recently gave out grades for each team in the AFC West when it came to the moves they have made this offseason. Despite the Raiders bringing in some talented players, they have by far the worst grade in the division, as SI handed them a D+.

You can check out their entire AFC West offseason report card here.

Basically, SI feels a lot would have to go right for the Raiders to even be considered a playoff contender in 2018. While that is true for almost every team in the NFL, to rate the Raiders offseason with such a low grade is really a bit of a shock.

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The bottom line is, the secondary got better, and there are some playmakers at linebacker now. The defensive line is going to be much better than advertised, and quarterback Derek Carr has his best group of wide receivers he has had in his career. A lot of new faces, and an improved roster should have the Raiders back in play in the AFC West in 2018.