Could the Las Vegas Raiders be rebuilding again heading into 2021?
By Brad Weiss
![Nov 15, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden (left) and general manager Mike Mayock walk off the field after the game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 37-12. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Nov 15, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden (left) and general manager Mike Mayock walk off the field after the game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 37-12. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fjustblogbaby-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F15204488-850x560-c630d6c421e59fedea2cb1dc83b781965ad0a1579857ef92894e361b89bdb872.jpg)
Raiders have handed out some crazy contracts
Then there has been free agency since Mike Mayock arrived, and while he has done some nice things in terms of the later rounds of the NFL Draft, his record in free agency is appalling. He has handed huge contracts out to the likes of Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams, and Lamarcus Joyner, all of which are no longer with the team.
While Mayock is the general manager, the moves have to be run by Jon Gruden, who has the final say of any player this organization brings in. After reshuffling the deck to add cap space heading into what was supposed to be a huge 2019 offseason, the Raiders really fumbled the snap and went into 2020 needing to fix more issues.
As far as trades, Antonio Brown was a disaster, and his trades for guys like Zay Jones and Trevor Davis have not worked out either.
Before the 2020 season, the Raiders were coming off a seven-win season and looked to be headed towards a potential playoff spot in 2020. However, they would once again blow an early solid start to the season, as Las Vegas got nothing out of some of the big-names Mayock and Gruden brought in once again.
Cory Littleton, Maliek Collins, and Carl Nassib were all given a ton of money to come in and fix this defense, and all three were major disappointments. They even gave Marcus Mariota a huge contract to backup Derek Carr, and we saw him in limited action this past season.
Overall, trades and free agency have been horrible the past two years, which has led to this franchise once again having more questions on both sides of the ball entering another offseason.