The Las Vegas Raiders brought out the big dogs for Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference. Kubiak and John Spytek were joined on stage by Pro Football Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, and Charles Woodson, along with legends like Jim Plunkett and Rich Gannon.
It was a statement by the franchise, as they showed their belief in Kubiak in a way that they haven't done for any of their other recent coaching hires. The hope is that the latest head coach will be the one to finally turn the Raiders around after more than two decades of struggling.
While there is optimism around the hire, both Kubiak and Raider Nation understand that there is still plenty of work to be done before the team can truly compete. Two of those Hall of Famers who joined Kubiak on stage shared a similar view on what moves will help expedite that process.
Howie Long and Marcus Allen share how the Raiders can return to glory
The Raiders have not won a postseason game since 2002, the second-longest streak in the NFL. They also have the second-worst winning percentage in that span, showing just how awful the franchise has been during that stretch.
The organization has given a reason for optimism heading into 2026 to a fanbase that has been longing for a return to the glory days. Las Vegas still has plenty of holes on both sides of the ball, however, particularly in the trenches.
Raiders.com's Paul Gutierrez shared comments from Long on the importance of building both the offensive and defensive front.
"Offensive line's an issue; defensive front has to be better. I played against this coach's dad. We all played against his dad. And if I were going to hire a coach, you think about their family, that system, that scheme is the predominant scheme [in the NFL today]," Long said. "There are different variations of it - (Sean) McVay runs it one way. (Kyle) Shanahan runs it another way. The guy in Minnesota (Kevin O'Connell) runs it another way. This is the new…world order of offense. How do we get there? Build from within - both from the defensive front and the offensive front."
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Allen chimed in, agreeing with his fellow Hall of Famer.
"I think we're all on the same page about building the line of scrimmage first," Allen said. "If you have guys up front, players like myself get all the credit, Todd Christensen and Cliff Branch. But you can basically run any system you want to if you have the guys up front."
Long added that if you can run the ball, it opens up the passing game, while Allen noted that success begins on the line of scrimmage on both sides. Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden recently shared a similar sentiment, as he claimed that Las Vegas must surround projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza with a fortress of blockers.
The Raiders' offensive line was, arguably, the worst positional room in the entire NFL last season. While getting Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson back from injured reserve in 2026 should help, it is clear that upgrades are needed on both lines.
Hopefully, the franchise legends were able to convey that message to those in charge of making decisions. While the trenches were a major problem on both sides in 2025, Spytek will have plenty of cap space and draft capital to address the issue this offseason.
Bolstering the trenches is the only way forward for Klint Kubiak's team.