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Oakland Raiders: Six things we’ve learned through six weeks of play

By Kevin Saito

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: (EDITORS NOTE - This image has been converted to black and white) Oakland Raiders wait in the tunnel ahead of the NFL International series match between Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders at Wembley Stadium on October 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: (EDITORS NOTE - This image has been converted to black and white) Oakland Raiders wait in the tunnel ahead of the NFL International series match between Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders at Wembley Stadium on October 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /
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Oakland Raiders
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 27: Oakland Raiders fan Davi Tole of Nevada displays a sign to passing motorists on the Las Vegas Strip near the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign after National Football League owners voted 31-1 to approve the team’s application to relocate to Las Vegas during their annual meeting on March 27, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders are expected to begin play no later than 2020 in a planned 65,000-seat domed stadium to be built in Las Vegas at a cost of about USD 1.9 billion. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The Raiders Are On To Las Vegas

When Gruden was handed the keys to the franchise, Mark Davis didn’t drop a “win now” ultimatum on him. And they both knew, coming in the door, that there was going to be a period of rebuilding that would be taking place on Gruden’s watch. And Davis was fine with it.

Oh, Gruden has talked a good game about wanting to win now, and bring a Super Bowl trophy back to the city of Oakland before the curtain falls, and the Raiders pack everything up. But, ever move he’s made to this point suggests that he’s making, is being made with an eye toward making them relevant again – in Vegas.

This is not to suggest that Gruden has been actively trying to tank. He’s brought in a lot of veterans, many with a good pedigree, and most believe, was trying to win now.

Next. We're Still Waiting For That 1998 Revival. dark

However, given that the team is 1-5, and is going nowhere, it seems equally plausible that Gruden has now shifted gears, and will be looking to rack up draft picks, clear cap space, and get everything point in the direction he wants it to go – building a team capable of not just hitting the ground running and being competitive when they finally land in Sin City, but a team capable of winning once they get there.

With the team very possibly, if not very likely, pulling up stakes and playing in a temporary home in 2019, Gruden no longer seems to have any qualms about burning it all down, and starting the rebuild, the results of which, he hopes, coincide with the team’s move into a new permanent home.

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