After a 3-5 start, the Las Vegas Raiders have found their swagger under interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
Over the last two weeks, the Silver and Black destroyed the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21, which prompted them to fire their head coach Brandon Staley, and then rolled in Kansas City to spoil the Chiefs’ Christmas with a 20-14 victory.
While back-to-back wins over AFC West foes have built momentum and injected life into the Raiders’ playoff hopes, the team will have to answer some tough questions regardless of how the 2023 season ends in January, playoff-bound or not.
Owner Mark Davis will make crucial decisions with full-time openings at the general manager and head coach positions, but could he lose one of his coaches who might chase a job elsewhere?
Once the Raiders hire a general manager and head coach, those two individuals must do what it takes to find a franchise quarterback while strengthening the supporting cast and roster around him.
Let’s look ahead at a handful of pertinent questions the team must answer in the offseason.
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Will the Las Vegas Raiders lose Patrick Graham in the upcoming hiring cycle?
While most of us would agree that Pierce has earned the full-time head-coaching job with the way he’s turned around the team in a short period of time, perhaps we’ve overlooked defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s work with the defense.
As of Thursday, the Raiders have a top-eight scoring defense for the first time since the 2002 campaign, the year that they advanced to the Super Bowl. Clearly, Graham has done an outstanding job with a unit that ranked 26th in scoring and 28th in total yards allowed last year.
It seems as though Graham has provided a system that’s conducive to player development and Pierce brought the swagger, which has bred an aggressive, confident and disciplined defensive unit that’s put the league on notice over the past couple of weeks.
Remember, Pierce coaches the linebackers. Robert Spillane is having his best pro season and looks like a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Divine Deablo has shown improvement in his third year.
With that said, Graham has put all three levels of the defense together to field a cohesive unit, and other teams have likely taken note of his work.
As the Raiders bullied the Chiefs on Christmas, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur suggested that Graham may also have his eyes on head-coaching jobs as well.
If the Raiders defense ranks top 10 in multiple categories by the end of the campaign, Graham may draw a fair amount of buzz as a head-coaching candidate in the offseason. Who knows, maybe Davis will interview him as well as Pierce for the in-house position.
Related: Could Antonio Pierce lose out on Las Vegas Raiders head coach job?
Without a trade, what quarterback options will be available in NFL Draft?
Regardless of whom the Raiders hire to run the front office and lead the team, they must upgrade the quarterback position. Barring a near-flawless run to Super Bowl 58, Aidan O’Connell will likely serve in a backup role next season.
In fairness to O’Connell, he’s shown progress, specifically in the first game against the Chiefs in Week 12 and against the Chargers two weeks ago. In both outings, he finished with a passer rating over 101.
However, O’Connell has struggled mightily in two of his last three games. Against Kansas City on Christmas, he didn’t complete a pass after the first quarter. Yet the Raiders still pulled out the victory thanks to two defensive touchdowns and running back Zamir White’s breakout 145-yard rushing performance.
At times, you can see O’Connell’s physical limitations on display with his inability to evade pressure or throw accurately outside of the pocket structure.
In today’s league, a coordinator can do so much more in terms of creative play-calling with a quarterback who can extend plays with his legs, improvise on the move and force defenders to account for his ability to routinely pick up first downs on foot.
Most draft analysts believe that the 2024 NFL Draft class will feature multiple potential franchise quarterbacks. But if the Raiders continue to win, they will need to trade up for a blue-chip prospect at the position.
What if the Raiders cannot find a trade partner?
Well, they would probably miss out on Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU) and Drake Maye (North Carolina) while turning to Bo Nix (Oregon), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Michael Penix (Washington) as potential mid-first-round targets.
The Raiders could finish the season with a record between 7-10 and 9-8. Last offseason, teams with those records held draft pick Nos. 8 through 21, which would align the Raiders with the second-tier quarterback prospects, who may also have Year-1 starting potential with the ability to develop into franchise players.
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Does Zamir White’s production make Josh Jacobs expendable?
Now, let’s get into the finer potential roster adjustments, starting with the running back position.
In consecutive offseasons, the Raiders must figure out how to maneuver the running back market with Josh Jacobs set to hit NFL free agency in 2024.
White has a small sample size of high-end performances, but he’s started to show the potential to lead the backfield in the short-term future. Over the last two weeks, White has played up to his nickname, Zeus, rushing for 214 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries.
Against Kansas City, White carried the offense while O’Connell threw for just 62 scoreless yards and sealed the victory with a 43-yard run.
For the 2024 term, White’s contract will count for about $1.2 million against the cap, and Jacobs may want north of $10 million per year on a new deal at the prime of his career. Keep in mind that the Raiders signed Jacobs to a modified franchise tag, a deal with a $11.8 million base salary worth up to $12 million back in August.
Las Vegas’ next regime will have to weigh the pros and cons of retaining Jacobs at a hefty price or saving money to funnel it to other shallow positions on the roster. White coupled with a rookie running back could be a much more cost-effective alternative to re-signing Jacobs.
How can the Las Vegas Raiders develop Malcolm Koonce,Tyree Wilson
Malcolm Koonce has made significant strides on the edge. For now, he looks like a suitable long-term tag-team partner for Maxx Crosby. Koonce has recorded 21 pressures, seven sacks and seven tackles for loss while on the field for 42 percent of the defensive snaps.
Over the last few weeks, Koonce has seen an uptick in his snap count and started in the previous game against the Chiefs.
If Koonce takes on a full-time role on the edge, the coaching staff must be creative in finding ways to get No. 7 overall pick Tyree Wilson on the field.
Of course, Wilson can line up on the interior, and that’s unlocked some of his pass-rushing potential, but he’s not a full-time defensive tackle at this stage in his career. Perhaps that changes as Koonce continues to grow into a complete edge-rusher.
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Is Amik Robertson back in a starting role in 2024?
Amik Robertson went through his ups and downs in four seasons with the Raiders, but he’s having his best season in the final year of his contract with six pass breakups and two interceptions while allowing a 57.1 percent completion rate and a 76.2 passer rating in coverage.
The Raiders selected Robertson in the fourth round as the last pick of their 2020 draft haul, and he’s the last man standing from that class.
Despite a height disadvantage, Robertson isn’t short on tracking the football. At 5’9”, he’s often positioned himself to make game-changing plays and even sealed a victory in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers with a leaping interception.
Aside from his ball skills, Robertson’s ability to line up on the boundary and in the slot will increase his value on the open market.
Currently, Robertson lines up mostly on the outside opposite Jack Jones, who looks like a long-term building block in the secondary, with Nate Hobbs in the slot.
Jones and Hobbs are under contract with the team through the 2025 and 2024 campaigns, respectively. The Raiders could re-sign Robertson to keep their nickel cornerback group intact, or they can allow him to explore the free-agent market and acquire a cornerback in the early rounds of the 2024 draft.
Remember, the Raiders also selected Jakorian Bennett in the fourth round of this year’s draft. They could focus on his development as well.
With Jones and Hobbs likely in prominent roles for the 2024 campaign, the next regime will likely compare Robertson to cornerbacks in the upcoming draft class as it evaluates the position from the inside out.
Because of his performances this season, Robertson may also have an opportunity to earn a moderate pay raise elsewhere. His salary demands may dictate where he suits up next season.
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.