Jason: Why I Am Such a Believer In the Raiders
The preseason will finally begin Friday night for the Silver and Black, as they play their first game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sports 1140 KHTK.
Many people have thrust lofty expectations on the Oakland Raiders this year and you can add me to that list. There are always things you can find that might be missing from a team, but I feel that list is much shorter than all of the positives to begin 2016 for the Raiders.
The knock against Oakland might be that you have to "crawl before you can walk," meaning that the Raiders haven't done it yet. That first time jump is hard but it is possible.
I would argue that they started to crawl already over the last two seasons and now they are ready for an all-out sprint in a tough AFC West. Reeling off three wins late in 2014 was a start. Year one of the Jack Del Rio era saw a competitive team that jumped to seven wins and now I believe this year is ready to jump again.
My biggest reason for believing in the Raiders is quite simple: the roster. For years, Oakland just wasn't good enough. Gaping holes filled the 2 deep roster and finding high level talent was very difficult. This team boasts more depth than the past decade, more highly skilled professionals and a nice blend of youth and experience.
If you can start a season by saying you have one of the best defensive players on the planet, an emerging superstar wide receiver, one of the best offensive lines in the league and a quarterback that by all accounts is ready for a breakout season, then the optimism should be high.
I love that not only is Jack Del Rio in year two with the program, but so are coordinators Bill Musgrave and Ken Norton. Our midday show spent two days in Napa and the vibe felt great, the optimism was authentic and the talent is clearly there. The question now becomes, how much of a jump can they make?
It's tough to put a number on wins, but I honestly believe they will compete for the division, they will be one of the better teams in the NFL (let alone the AFC) and will be looking at their first trip to the post-season since 2002.
It's been a long time coming but Reggie McKenzie's methodical moves have finally paid off and Raider Nation will enjoy one heck of a year. Enjoy the game tonight, the rest of the preseason too and what should be one fun ride in 2016 for the Raiders.
