Oakland Raiders are building their roster the right way

The Oakland Raiders stand at 3-2 in the midst of an unforgiving schedule, and there’s a legitimate belief that they’re building the roster the right way.

The Oakland Raiders record stands at 3-2, they are currently second in the AFC West, and if the season ended today would have locked down a Wild Card spot in the postseason. Those are huge accolades for a team that survived the Antonio Brown saga, embarked on a seven-week road trip, and just lost their starting linebacker for the season.

But credit must be given where its due and the praise should be shared by both the players and front office alike. The 2018 season was a sore sight to see, but it’s slowly beginning to reap its benefits in 2019.

Truth be told, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock are (slowly but surely) building the roster the right way.

It all begins with a franchise quarterback, and the Raiders have one in Derek Carr. But having one means nothing if the surrounding pieces are absent. 2018 was a prime example, where Carr lacked protection (he was sacked 51 times, good for third-most in the NFL) and he lacked offensive weapons around him.

Gruden and Mayock understood this, and that’s why they brought in new weapons with the help of draft picks and cap space.

Pass protection? That’s why Trent Brown was made the highest-paid tackle in the league, and he, alongside Kolton Miller in year two, just held Khalil Mack to zero sacks in London. Offensive weapons? That’s why they signed Tyrell Williams, who has proven to be up to the task of being the WR1 in Antonio Brown‘s absence. Josh Jacobs was drafted to be a three-down back, and he’s more than proven to be worth the selection.

Oakland had no problem letting Jared Cook walk, but that was only because they say they had a stud in the making in Darren Waller. Waller is a matchup nightmare, and quite frankly a god amongst fantasy football leagues.

And that’s just on the offensive side of the ball, the defense (again, slowly but surely) is treading in the right direction as well. Lamarcus Joyner has proved versatile defending the slot, the task is just making sure he’s on the field to prove it (like in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, where he recorded seven solo tackles and a pass deflection).

Credit Mike Mayock for his scouting prowess, because similar to the year prior in Maurice Hurst, the Raiders may have found another gem in Maxx Crosby. The fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan is slowly but surely working his way into playing more snaps, and on Sunday he recorded his first career sack. The week prior? Crosby had two pass deflections and repeatedly irritated Jacoby Brissett.

Have they found the answer at pass rusher yet? Is the secondary top-notch to date? Not yet, and there are still improvements that can be made on both sides of the ball. But in all honesty, did you expect the Raiders to be at 3-2 at this point, treading in the direction of fighting for a Wild Card spot?

Likely not, but the reason they are is that this roster is slowly but surely showing the payoff. Two back-to-back road wins against the Colts and Bears is no joke, especially given the obstacles thrown their way. The Raiders may just be fast-forwarding their rebuild timeline, and all signs point in the right direction.