Could the Raiders be this year's last to first team?

They've got a new proven head coach in Pete Carroll, they picked up the best RB in the draft in Ashton Jeanty, they've got the best tight end in the NFL in Brock Bowers, a top defender in Maxx Crosby, and an improved QB in Geno Smith. Despite the presence of Smith, I got a feeling they take Shedeur Sanders with the 4th pick in Round Two. In fact, I'd be shocked if they don't. I'm not a big fan of his ego but this would be a huge value pick for the Silver and Black.

Afc West is the toughest division. I say no. I don't think Geno is the guy

It's been a good draft for them so far. They will wait until next year's draft to try to get an elite QB prospect. Gino there for at least two years will help with some stability at that position for now. Having Jeanty and Bowers on the field at the same time is going to be very exciting to watch. 

@SPark1

 Geno is better than what they had and he's got a better coach. I'm shocked that Sanders is still on the board. Shades of Colin Kaepernick. Nobody wants the drama.

I think they hit above their win total.

Something tells me the chiefs take a slight step back. 

Denver overachieved. Sophomore slump coming for Bo Nix.

Chargers I think take it. Harbaugh keeps those guys focused and I dont think Herbert has another playoff game where he throws 5 picks like last year. That was insane. But then again, that might be who he is. A Glorified Sam Darnold who folds under pressure.  

Should be interesting, GL.

It was 4 interceptions against the Texans. 2 of those were not his fault (dropped/tipped passes by his receivers). One was a horrible decision and throw by Herbert. At least one was due to the Chargers IOL giving him shit time to throw.

The IOl is what led to the Chargers singing Becton and James in the off-season. And somehow, I don't even think it's enough.

With that said, it's up to Herbert to dispell the playoffs jinx he's going through. (0-2 in the playoffs)

As to what the OP is saying, the Raiders (a long with the rest of the AFC West) had a great draft.

The AFC West is going to be tough this season. Maybe the Raiders are still 2 year away from being where they want to be, but the Chargers/Chiefs/Broncos are going to claw their way to a division win. Despite what I said about the Raiders for this year, I wouldn't be shocked if they prove me wrong. Brady and Carroll seem to be righting the ship.

Geno Smith is not very good 

I'd say it's more likely they go last to last again.

Their defense stinks. The other 3 teams in their division were all in the top 10 on defense, they were bottom 10.

Their Oline stinks. They were the worst rushing team in the NFL and gave up the 9th most sacks.

New coach, new QB, new RB is a lot of new parts. They're hardly going to fix such a bad team so quick when they have no continuity and now preseason is shortened.

If you give me the choice of any AFC West QB to start a franchise with I'm definitely picking Geno Smith last of the four.

[Quote: Originally Posted by cocky24]Geno Smith is not very good[/Quote

Another washed NFL QB and Pete Carroll's a loser the Raiders will suck again.

Geno is going to break a lot of hearts in the 2 minute drill at the end of the game. 

and Herbert is a bust, can only excell vs bottom feeders

No

Would need the ball to bounce their way on alot of occasions. 

Might finish 8-9 this season which is encouraging 

Nah, this ain't it, chief.

They filled a lot of roster needs and have a good coach. They don't need Geno to be Brady, just run the ship and don't make crazy mistakes. Their division rivals play the same NFC East schedule as they do. They just need to hold their own in the division and pick up some other quality wins. Our horrible team did go into Baltimore last year and shock, so...

I was convinced last year that the Raiders could improve by a win or two and make the playoffs. Then I saw their turnstile O-line give Minshew no time to throw. Their offensive line was just terrible.

The analysts on NFL XM will tell you that they have a C and a T, and that's about it. If the draft fixed their OL, great - but that's a tall order against the Chiefs stellar defense, and the Broncos' best defense since 2015. An average O-line won't cut it against those teams, and the Raiders OL last year was Bottom 3. 

If you want the downlow on Geno Smith, just ask Seahawk fans about how they were ready to move on from him midway through the 2023 season. He just throws inexplicable picks in clutch situations, and it's gotten worse the last two years.

If the Raiders could fix their O-line, this would be a different story. But that's a tall order in a stacked division, and Geno ain't a miracle worker.

They have the easiest schedule in the division, based on the 2024 standings, so who knows? A lot depends on their Oline.

As far as the other teams in the AFC West, Super Bowl losers are generally a bad bet for the following season (see S.F. last season). The Chiefs have had a lot go right appearing in three straight Supies. They were the luckiest team in the NFL last season before being exposed by Philly. The Chargers? Hmmm, maybe, but Justin Herbert hasn't been consistent. Hard to rely on him. The Broncos? If Bo Nix doesn't suffer a sophomore slump they could certainly be in the mix. The division looks wide open to me. With upgrades in the front office, the coaching staff and the overall roster, the Raiders have a shot in my humble opinion.

Geno Smith is not the guy, and to say he is an improvement over the guy last year ( Aiden O,Connell) isn't saying much.... 

I agree with Rush. Well said.

Some of the other comments here are QB-centric, when there’s other parts of the teams that are important. Let’s rank some other key categories:

HC: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Raiders. 

OL: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Raiders.

WR/TE: Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders.

RB: Raiders, Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos.

Defense: Chiefs/Broncos, Chargers/Raiders.

Home Field Advantage: Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders, Chargers.

As you can see, the Raiders are not top tier in most categories. If their OL is still fubar, it invalidates almost all the other categories.