The Las Vegas Raiders made plenty of moves to improve the roster heading into 2021, and here are some reasons to be excited.
It has been a busy offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders, who will welcome fans into Allegiant Stadium for the first time this Fall. The hope is that the Silver and Black can put a winning team on the field, this after blowing good starts to both the 2019 and 2020 NFL seasons.
Going into the offseason, there were plenty of question marks on the roster, including on the defensive side of the ball. Las Vegas has brought in talent on all three levels of the defense, and the offense should be one of the best in the league, even after revamping the offensive line.
Overall, they have enough talent to win ten games during the 17-game stretch in my opinion, and there is reason to believe that the roster is trending in the right direction. They have gotten out to strong starts the last two years, and hopefully, they can finally close out a regular season on a positive note, and punch their ticket to the playoffs.
There are many reasons why Raiders fans should be excited about the 2021 season. Here are three.
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 reasons to be excited about the 2021 season
Revamped Defense
As we stated earlier, the Raiders made it a point to revamp the defense this offseason, bringing in talent on all three levels. Upfront, the Raiders made their biggest splash, adding edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who will definitely help them improve in terms of getting after the quarterback.
Last year, the Raiders managed only 21 sacks as a team, with seven of them coming from Maxx Crosby. The combination of Ngakoue and Crosby is going to be a good one, and many believe that Clelin Ferrell is going to continue to trend in the right direction as he enters his third season in the league.
The linebacker group is returning in terms of the starters, but two newcomers will be welcome in rookie Divine Deablo, and second-year player Tanner Muse. Muse missed his entire rookie season in 2020, and both he and Deablo have enough athleticism, and versatility to be used in several different roles this season.
In the secondary, there are plenty of new faces, and for good reason, as this group struggled mightily in 2020. The hope is that Johnathan Abram can rebound, but the team brought in Karl Joseph in free agency, and Trevon Moehrig in the draft to bolster the safety spot.
At corner, Trayvon Mullen will lead a group with new faces as well, including Casey Hayward, who was a big pickup for them in free agency.
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 reasons to be excited about the 2021 season
Young Wide Receivers
Wide receiver was another position group that the Raiders focused on this offseason, as they brought in veterans John Brown and Willie Snead. Unfortunately, the team was not able to come to terms with Nelson Agholor for another go-around, this after Nelly became a star for the Raiders in his only season in the Silver and Black.
While Brown and Snead are solid veterans, all eyes will be on second-year players Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards. If the Raiders are to do anything of substance on offense, Ruggs and Edwards have to be a key, as they both bring a different skill set to the team, and will be counted on in a big way in Year 2.
If Ruggs and Edwards can shine this upcoming season, it gives Derek Carr and this offense so many different weapons to choose from. Tight end Darren Waller has been the top option for Carr in the passing game for two years, and hopefully, the two young wideouts can step up and combine to be one of the better 1-2 punches at the position in the AFC West.
Ruggs was the first wideout taken in 2020, and in 2021, he is going to show why.
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 reasons to be excited about the 2021 season
Jacobs and Drake duo
One of the biggest, and most-pricey moves of the offseason for the Raiders was bringing in Kenyan Drake via free agency. Drake is a guy who is going to be a focal part of this offense, even with the Raiders having an elite player at running back in Josh Jacobs.
Since coming into the league, Jacobs has put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and was named to his first Pro Bowl this past season. While running back was certainly not the issue, the addition of Drake is a welcome one, as it will help and keep Jacobs fresh throughout the extended 17-game schedule.
Las Vegas has struggled to get consistency at wide receiver, which has allowed teams to focus on Jacobs, and that has led to him getting banged up throughout his first two seasons in the NFL. If the Raiders want to make the playoffs, they need a healthy Jacobs, and Drake can certainly help him stay fresh.
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Jacobs is going to have another monster year, and with Drake taking some of the load off of him, he should be able to keep himself healthy enough for a playoff push. Gruden has said he is going to make Drake a big part of the offense, giving Carr two solid backs to choose from every time he gets under center.