There is a lot of excitement around the Raiders after just a few days of padded practices. The wide receiver corps has been rebuilt and the defensive line is deeper than ever. But after a 7-9 season last year, what should the expectations be for this young Raiders’ team?
In a recent article by ESPN’s Paul Guiterrez, he listed the Raiders’ ceiling for the 2020 season at nine wins. Take a look at his thoughts on this new-look Raiders’ team entering the season:
Whether the Raiders can close out teams. As defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said, the Raiders have “rebuilt the engine” of the defense this offseason. “It used to be when we have one guy out with an injury, we bled to death,” he says. “Now we have some depth across the board in the secondary, on the D-line, we can roll guys through and create roles for each and every guy.” Indeed, the Raiders added cornerback Damon Arnette in the first round of the draft, signed “prototypical 3-technique” defensive tackle Maliek Collins, rebuilt the linebacker corps with free agents Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski and signed safety Damarious Randall.
The Raiders are in a tough spot as the Kansas City Chiefs control the top of the AFC West. And with the team having such a difficult schedule this season, it is hard to envision them winning double-digit games unless several young players emerge early in the year.
Look for the Raiders to be a significantly improved team this season on both sides of the ball, but for their record to look similar to last year. Nine wins should be a realistic goal for the Raiders this season.
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