3. Expectations couldn’t be higher in Oakland
Until Derek Carr broke his leg right before the playoffs last year, the Oakland Raiders were thought of as the team best suited to challenge the New England Patriots in the AFC. Obviously that didn’t happen.
Heading into 2017 the Raiders have only added significant fuel to their fiery roster.
Carr is healthy and as focused as ever, to the point where he’s going to play out the final year of his rookie deal if he doesn’t land an extension before camp. No distractions, he’s said.
No QB in the AFC West posted better numbers on passes 20+ yards downfield in 2016 than @Raiders QB Derek Carr. pic.twitter.com/tQXCfzlDlW
— PFF (@PFF) June 4, 2017
Adding Marshawn Lynch and Jared Cook to Oakland’s potent offense should scare the heck out of opposing defenses, which will have their hands full.
Defensively, adding Gareon Conley, Obi Melifonwu and Eddie Vanderdoes were moves in the draft that should pay near-immediate dividends. We expect Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin and Co. to be even more aggressive going after the quarterback this year because of the extra help on the back end.
The Raiders ticked a lot of people off when the move to Las Vegas was approved. But as ticket sales show, the hype surrounding this team is as strong as ever. So also are the expectations, especially since many fans would likely agree with Ice Cube, who said the Raiders owed Oakland a title before the move to Vegas.