Derek Carr has been the face of the Raiders since entering the NFL. This offseason Carr was traded to the New Orleans Saints marking the end of an era. The Raiders are now starting a new era with Jimmy Garoppolo. Will the move to Garoppolo pay off? Let’s break that down further and offer a record prediction for the 2023-2024 season.
The Good
We’ve touched on the current state of the running back position several times this offseason. One of the running backs in those discussions was Josh Jacobs. Jacobs is coming off a dominant season for the Raiders where he led the league in rushing with 1,653 yards. He until recently quietly stayed away from the Raiders due to his contract situation. This has since been resolved as Jacobs is back with the team practicing again. Thankfully for the Raiders he returned and is looking to build on last year’s success. I see another big season for Jacobs in the silver and black and if you’re a fantasy football player he is a must-target.
With the 7th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech. Wilson is an immediate plug-in-play EDGE defender with a big upside. Pairing Wilson with Maxx Crosby was a great move by the Raiders and the duo should cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks. The Raiders had their struggles last year on defense but if they can generate more pass rush it should improve that unit overall in 2023.
The Bad
For whatever reason the relationship between Derek Carr and the Raiders soured last season causing his exit. Whether this is the right move remains to be seen but in my mind, Carr wasn’t the issue for Las Vegas. The move to Garoppolo is a risky one. When healthy Garoppolo has shown he can lead a team to the Super Bowl the problem is he has only played one injury-free season in his 9 year career.
Beyond health, Garoppolo has never been one to stretch the ball down the field. I wonder how this will impact Davante Adams next season. Garoppolo thrives in the short to intermediate passing game where he is very accurate. With that said I do believe the Raiders will be looking for a quarterback once again next offseason.
The Prediction
The AFC West should be one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL next season. I do see a slight improvement in wins for the Raiders but they will struggle to get above .500. Their schedule is brutal as three of the first four games are on the road (@Denver, @Buffalo, @Los Angeles Chargers). Expect to see rookie Aidan O’connell at some point this season and I wouldn’t be surprised if he impresses.
2023 Record: 7-10 (4th in the Division)
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