Raiders' Productive Offseason Has Impacted Their AFC West Positioning

The Las Vegas Raiders took a responsible approach to the offseason, making conservative moves in free agency that filled several holes. Las Vegas secured a solid draft haul, starting with their running back Ashton Jeanty selection with the No. 6 overall pick.

Jared Dubin of CBS Sports graded every team's offseason moves following the completion of the NFL Draft. He gave the Raiders' offseason a B+ after a successful NFL Draft. However, they still have a long way to go to compete in a division that produced three playoff teams last season.

Dubin noted that although the Raiders' draft was undoubtedly productive, their other offseason moves left much to be desired. While the Raiders filled several holes in free agency, many players who were brought in are looking for bounce-back seasons and may not be impactful.

"Vegas underwent as much change this offseason as any team in the NFL, and should be a much-improved team in 2025. Upgrading the disaster at quarterback alone should be worth a few wins, putting the Raiders in position to be significantly more competitive. Throw in retaining Crosby, drafting Jeanty and more, and there's quite a bit to like here. But it's hard not to wonder about the longer-term viability of anything the team has done," Dubin said.

"Carroll is 73 years old and obviously wasn't going to oversee a rebuild. Smith will be 35 in October. Drafting a running back in the first round generally yields a good player, but one with a shorter shelf life. If the Raiders were closer to contention, these moves would make more sense. They're good, solid moves, but perhaps not for a team that was as far away from contention as this group."

Still, Las Vegas has reason to be excited heading into the upcoming season. The Raiders are not Super Bowl contenders, but it is fair to expect at least marginal improvement this upcoming season. After the past two seasons, even marginal improvement would go a long way.

Although the Chiefs have owned the AFC West for the past decade, the Raiders may only be a season or two away from knocking them off the throne.

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