Should the Las Vegas Raiders take advantage of the draft and stash cheaper, unproven players on their roster to develop for years to come? Should the team seek out free agents and spend more money on established players who can help immediately?
Much is made about how a team acquires its players, and the Raiders have come under fire for years about their inability to draft effectively. Ever since the Jamarcus Russell fiasco and the shortcomings of the 2020 class, it seems like no matter what the Raiders have done, their draft selections have been viewed as weak compared to the rest of the league.
However, not every free agent signing has worked out for them either. Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams, and Antonio Brown were huge swings and misses on the free agent market.
With the help of Pro Football Reference, I go in-depth to discover how much of the 2023 Raiders’ offensive production came from homegrown players like draft picks or undrafted free agents, and how much came through acquisitions like free agent signings or trades.