Oakland Raiders: 6 Questions the Team Must Answer Quickly
By Kevin Saito
Dec 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) walks off the field after the Raiders defeated the Buffalo Bills 26-24 at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Question #6: Will These Upgrades Result in a Winning Record – Or Even a Playoff Berth?
There is no doubt that the Raiders are going to be big players on the free agent market this offseason. After all, the league has mandated that they spend most of the mountain of gold they’re currently sitting on and hoarding like Smaug the dragon from the Hobbit.
It seems very likely with the change in culture Del Rio is bringing about, along with the foundational young building blocks Oakland has on the roster, that they will be able to snare a few of the prime time free agents they are coveting and pursuing.
The 2015 Raiders are going to look very different from the 2014 version – and thankfully so. Though the Vegas oddsmakers are predicting the Raiders to win just 4 games or so this season, there is a real sense of optimism that this can be the first Oakland squad in more than a decade to post a winning record. Perhaps even challenge for a playoff berth.
It could be the simple offseason optimism all fans – even Cleveland Browns fans – get every year. It could be a matter of looking through rose colored glasses. But in the NFL, teams go from worst to first all the time.
And if McKenzie manages free agency right, and lands some of the big fish he’s going after, with a roster that suddenly has some real players and difference makers on it, the sky could be the limit for Oakland.