With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, it is time to turn our attention to the 2019 offseason, and here are some important dates for the Oakland Raiders.
The Oakland Raiders finished the 2018 NFL season with a 4-12 record, as they really struggled to put wins together under head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden was making his return to the sidelines after a 15-year absence, returning to the team that gave him his first head coaching job back in 1998.
While Gruden’s Raiders did not win many games, they did start to play better down the stretch, and have a good opportunity to improve the roster this offseason. They will head into the 2019 NFL Draft with three first round picks, and have a bunch of cap space available to them this free agency period.
The issue is, they have 33 players who are pending free agency, so the team could look a lot different from last season. That could be a good thing, however, as Gruden really dismantled the team last offseason, and will be looking to continue to remake the roster alongside new general manager Mike Mayock this year.
Here is a list of some key dates to circle on your calendar this offseason.
Key Dates
- February 19- Franchise/Transition tag period begins
- February 26 thru March 4- NFL Scouting Combine
- March 5- Franchise/Transition tag period ends, 1pm PT
- March 11 thru 13- Free agent negotiation period begins
- March 13- Official start of free agency at 1pm PT
- March 24 thru 27- League meetings
- April 15- Raiders can begin workouts
- April 25 thru 27- 2019 NFL Draft
- May 3 to 6 or May 10 to 13- Rookie minicamps
- Mid July- Training camp starts
The Hall of Fame Game will take place on August 1, signalling the start of the 2019 NFL preseason.
The Raiders once again have the hardest strength of schedule going into the 2019 NFL season, so they better hope they can improve this roster in a hurry this offseason. Of course, the team has a pending move to Las Vegas on the horizon, and you can be sure that the organization is going to do everything they can to make sure they are a formidable force entering that 2020 season.