Bold things will need to happen for the Las Vegas Raiders to make it to the Super Bowl next season, and here are some.
The Las Vegas Raiders season is officially over and as we look onto the off-season, there is a lot to be excited about. Even though this previous season was a disaster, this new Raiders regime seems to be looking ahead to the future, hopefully for the better. One move, in particular, has shocked the airways since the moment they announced it.
As many know by now, in Week 17 the Raiders decided to bench Derek Carr to protect themselves from the injury clause in his contract, effectively ending his nine-year career as an Oakland/Las Vegas Raider.
You can see here my original thoughts on why the Raiders weren’t going to take the next step until they moved on from Derek Carr. Carr’s contract gives the Raiders an out if he is traded or cut by February 15th, which is when his $33 million base salary for 2023 and $7.5 million of his 2024 base salary is fully guaranteed. If he were to get injured during the 2022 season, all of that would be guaranteed automatically.
Hence the benching.
So, with the position of QB1 currently vacant, there are a lot of rumors circulating on which of the half-a-dozen routes the Raiders could go will be the one they decide. The caveat on how much you invest in the quarterback position right away is the fact that Las Vegas has many holes that could warrant top picks or top free agents, all across the defense and among the offensive line on offense.
The Raiders still have a lot of good talent and pieces to build around though and in my opinion, aren’t as far away from competing for a championship as many people think. Is it going to take the perfect combination of off-season acquisitions for them to compete right away? of course. But the fact that is a possibility is hope in itself that they can build off a disappointing season.
Here are my three bold moves the Raiders can make in order to fight for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy come next February.