One of the greatest things about the Las Vegas Raiders is their strong alumni base. But that can be a double-edged sword because those franchise icons know what a successful organization looks like. And the Raiders have been far from that over the last two or so decades.
But the way that Mark Davis and those in the building treat former players is the reason that they keep supporting. It's why they show up to Klint Kubiak's or Fernando Mendoza's intro press conferences. And it is about time that Las Vegas pays those legends back by winning some football games.
John Spytek and the front office made some serious strides in that direction this offseason, at least on paper. In fact, Spytek's moves were so impressive that they earned some high praise from Hall of Fame wide receiver Tim Brown. But Brown wants the Raiders to actually put it all together for once.
Tim Brown wants to see Las Vegas Raiders capitalize on "best offseason since 1988"
Brown recently spoke with Vegas Nation about the offseason that Las Vegas has had, both in free agency and in the 2026 NFL Draft. The massive compliment that Brown paid to Spytek and Co., however, did not come without a challenge as well.
"This is the best offseason they’ve had since I've been involved, going back to ‘88,” Brown said. “I just think that this group of guys, I’ve seen their videos, (them saying) ‘We’re here to work, We can’t wait.’ It’s a beautiful thing. Now let’s go get it done. I’m not going to question or challenge anything that they’re saying; I just want to see the action on the field. Last couple of years, you can see guys making business decisions, you know what I mean? And once you see that, man, it’s hard. It’s hard to watch. It’s hard to be supportive, to come to the games, and all that, because I know what’s going on in the locker room if that’s happening on the field. … Look, the free agents, it’s been a great deal, and they’ve done a great job. But now should be the easy part, right? Going out there and proving that you’re worth that contract. We’ll see what happens."
Of course, the 1988 offseason is when the Raiders drafted Brown with the sixth overall pick out of Notre Dame. The Silver and Black, then in Los Angeles, also landed defensive lineman Scott Davis and Pro Bowl defensive back Terry McDaniel in the first round of that draft.
Coincidentally enough, Al Davis hired a young coach by the name of Mike Shanahan that offseason. Of course, Shanahan is the founding father of the offense that Klint Kubiak will run in Las Vegas this year, as the Kubiak and Shanahan families are massively intertwined.
Before Brown and his teammates' arrival, the Raiders went 5-10 during the 1987 NFL season. But their win total climbed in the following three years to seven, eight, and eventually 12. By 1993, Los Angeles had been in the playoffs three out of four seasons.
If Las Vegas can replicate that same success, then the offseason can truly be considered a win. And Brown knows that the regular season results are all that matter, not necessarily how everyone perceives a slate of moves made in March and April.
Again, Spytek and the front office having the "best offseason since 1988" in Brown's eyes is a huge compliment. But Brown is challenging the Raiders to finally put it all together and not just be the offseason winners. To be real winners. He's done it and knows what it looks like.
Hopefully, Brown's words are prophetic, and Las Vegas is playing important football in January and February here soon. If not, it won't be anything that Brown hasn't seen before, and he will have been right to have had his reservations.
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