Raiders Inching Closer to Vital Few Weeks for Future

The calendar has officially flipped to July, and the Las Vegas Raiders are that much closer to taking the field for training camp. This offseason has brought wholesale changes to the desert, as a Raiders team that has lost nearly 30 games in the past two seasons looks to turn things around.

The past few seasons have been forgettable for the Raiders, to say the least. Las Vegas' front office hopes the work they have done since January will pay off on the field sooner rather than later. However, several things will need to happen first.

Critical Weeks Approaching

The Raiders have done a few things consistently right leading up to this offseason, and the last five months have been among the best the organization has had in years. This is the case in multiple regards, as Las Vegas' need for additional talent was wide-ranging.

As the first week of July comes to an end, the Raiders are yet another step closer to training camp and the preseason, which will quickly put their new additions to the test on the field, where it matters most. Las Vegas' front office has made the moves. Klint Kubiak and company must take it from there.

Improved Supporting Cast

The Raiders have revamped their team with a multistep process that began with the hiring of Klint Kubiak. Upon his hiring, Kubiak quickly assembled his coaching staff, including Mike McCoy and Andrew Janocko. Both of whom have prior ties to Kubiak.

Las Vegas spent the past few weeks laying the mental foundation for the increased physical work that will soon arrive in training camp. Kubiak explained how the offseason workout programs paved the way for what is to come later this month in training camp for the new-look Raiders.

“I think, obviously, you don't get as much practice time as you used to get. The OTAs are different than they were 15 years ago, there's less time. And it feels like with every day that goes by, they're trying to take even more from you there. The development is tough, so you got to be really intentional with your time,” Kubiak said.

“You got to know probably who's going to play for you, because you're not having as many position battles, because there's only so many reps to go around. The most obvious thing is that the minute that guy gets on the field, all eyes are on them, and all of the success that you hope for them to have, you put on their coaching staff, and you try to put them in a great position to be successful.”

The Raiders have been careful not to put the cart before the horse. In every facet of their preparation since returning to the field, Las Vegas has taken a carefully constructed approach, even if it seemed elementary at times. They believe this will help lay a solid foundation for the future.

As Kubiak, McCoy, and Janocko lay the foundation on the offensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Rob Leonard will continue to do so on the other side. Leonard recently explained how that process looks for him, as it differs from how it looks for Kubiak, McCoy, and Janocko.

“You rely on conceptually the concepts that have started to build here, things you like, things that you trust, things that you know very well. Then you understand why you would call that, you understand the weaknesses of how that would be attacked, and you have the confidence to install it to all 11 guys," Leonard said.

“So, you know, all the stops I've been at and picking and choosing and making sure it fits all together, especially from a terminology standpoint. And the coaches are the first litmus test for that, like if they can get it, we can coach it. It's one thing to understand it in the meeting, but can we actually coach this and get it executed?"

More roster changes are sure to come over the next few offseasons as the Raiders continue rebuilding. However, those future roster moves will be the next step after the foundation is laid this offseason and during the 2026 regular season.

Training camp makes this offseason's moves much more of a reality than they have been so far. The last few weeks of July, into August, will be Las Vegas' first real chance to begin moving past a dismal run of seasons. Las Vegas' rebuild is just beginning, but this season's training camp is a vital part of it.

The Raiders have been hard at work this offseason, as much as the league allows, implementing many new elements. Yet training camp will overshadow all that work, as an unproductive one would undo some of the progress made.

There will be no shortage of takes on the Raiders' progress this season. What is undeniable is the fact that training camp impacts the regular season, especially the first few weeks. It is also undeniable that the Raiders have a very manageable first four games of the season.

Those first four games of the season are followed by a challenging span of games against some of the league's best teams. That stretch of matchups makes the Raiders' first four games even more important, as a poor start in those first four games would be problematic.

Las Vegas has gotten off to poor starts each of the past three seasons and has been unable to recover, sustaining 10-game losing streaks in each of the past two campaigns. After all of the changes they made this offseason, they cannot afford another bad start to a season.

Finding a way to put their offseason moves together on the field cohesively will be the Raiders' primary goal in training camp. They must do so, as a winnable first four games followed by a daunting streak of opponents gives Las Vegas little room for a slow start to another season.

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