John Spytek and Klint Kubiak did a lot of work this offseason to improve the Las Vegas Raiders' roster and develop the talent that was already in-house. So much so that the Silver and Black don't need to make any drastic moves after what was considered a strong offseason program for the franchise.
Yes, some will say that the Raiders need to add another veteran to the defensive interior, while others will clamor for a big signing at the wide receiver position. Neither avenues make much sense for Las Vegas to travel down, as this young team needs to actually see its young players in action.
But the organization does need to address a few orders of business before the team takes the field for training camp and the preseason. The Raiders don't have to do anything major, but etching these off the checklist would make the next phase completely stress-free for all involved.
5 things the Las Vegas Raiders must achieve ahead of training camp
Sign Fernando Mendoza
This one is pretty straightforward. Mendoza has yet to ink his rookie deal, and while this appears to be a non-issue and one that Las Vegas should easily be able to remedy, it would be best to just get him under contract. That way, all their ducks are in a row, and no outside noise can taint an otherwise normal situation and cause unnecessary drama before the young player ever takes an NFL snap.
Sign Jermod McCoy
Again, this is self-explanatory. While it is understandable that McCoy wants to recoup some of the financial loss he sustained while dropping in the draft, hesitation to do so on the Raiders' side likely comes from that nefarious injury history. Getting his deal done will likely boost his confidence, though, and Las Vegas could then fully focus on his road to recovery, not his contractual situation.
Shore up Taron Johnson's contract situation
In an act of good faith, Johnson returned to OTAs and mandatory minicamp after initially holding out. But this little spat is likely to be far from over. That is, at least, until the Silver and Black cave a little bit and give the veteran a small extension and/or more guaranteed money. What that will look like remains to be seen, but the Raiders should just shore up this situation before training camp begins.
Add a body at LB if Nakobe Dean isn't ready
Dean missed a majority of the offseason program, including all of OTAs and minicamp. Las Vegas isn't sounding the alarms about his absence, but nobody can argue that his not being out there is a good thing, especially considering his injury history. If he doesn't look like he'll be ready to go for training camp, the Raiders should consider adding another cheap body to compete for a roster spot.
Add a body at CB if Jermod McCoy isn't ready
Just like Dean, McCoy missed most of the spring practices, at least those that were open to the media. The team seemingly has a plan for him, and hopefully, they are just following that, but only having three playable boundary corners, one of which is a rookie fifth-rounder, is a bit concerning. I wouldn't mind a low-cost addition here for the sake of more competition.
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