Which playoff team should the Las Vegas Raiders use as a model?

Similarities

Las Vegas with Maxx Crosby and Trayvon Mullen is in a similar situation as Green Bay was the last offseason with Kenny Clark and Jaire Alexander. The Silver and Black could benefit from making a similar investment in their pass rush and secondary as the Packers did. Making big offers to free agents like Yannick Ngakoue and Byron Jones along with adding a couple of defensive playmakers in the draft would bolster the young core of the Raiders’ defense.

On the offensive side of the ball, while Darren Waller doesn’t have the full body of work that Davante Adams has, both pass-catchers have similar traits to one another and have proven to be a legitimate number one option in the passing game. Big body receivers who can run routes as well and as fast as these two are the type of players offensive coordinators and quarterbacks covet. Beyond each team’s number one receiver, the supporting cast for each receiving core is  similar as well.

Wide Receivers Allen Lazard, Marques Valdes-Scantling, and Jake Kumerow are no more notable than Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow, and Zay Jones. However, the biggest difference in the two offenses is at quarterback. This isn’t meant to diminish what Derek Carr has been able to accomplish, but he’s not the same caliber as Aaron Rodgers and to be fair, most aren’t.

The latter proved this year that he can get the job done with one number one target and help elevate the play of the other less established players around him. While Carr was far from terrible, his play was up and down this season and he struggled to do more with less.

Assuming the six-year starter remains the signal-caller in Las Vegas, the organization needs to add another weapon in the passing game which Green Bay did not need to do.

Circling back to the theme of copying the Packers’ blueprint to building a team, the Raiders offense could benefit from replicating the Cheese Head’s backfield as well. Both running backs, Jamal Williams and Aaron Jones are difference-makers in the passing game which is something head coach Jon Gruden should take note of.

This past season, Jalen Richard had the most targets of any running back on the team and he ranked 32nd in that category among the position. Las Vegas will have backs that are threats as receivers in Josh Jacobs, DeAndre Washington, and Richard – if the latter two return – but need to starting tapping into their talents.

Throwing the ball to running backs has become a staple of Green Bay’s offense should become a key piece of Gruden’s. It’s a trend that the rest of the league is catching on to and it’s time for the old coach to get on board.

There are plenty of similarities between the 2018 Green Bay Packers and 2019 Oakland Raiders and as the cliché goes, this is a copycat league and the Silver and Black would benefit from following the formula the Packers used. Now the question is, will Las Vegas’ decision-makers try to reinvent the wheel and do things their own way?