5 Las Vegas Raiders Who Are Likely on the Chopping Block

5 Las Vegas Raiders Who Are Likely on the Chopping Block

The Las Vegas Raiders are starting from scratch after Josh McDaniels' firing, and changes are coming. The offense, defense, and special teams might get a tune-up before it's all over. Here are the five Las Vegas Raiders most likely on the chopping block under the new regime. #5 Brian Hoyer, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback

Brian Hoyer has failed to impress the Las Vegas Raiders brass, and it’s coming back to bite him. He got his first chance to prove himself after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury and did nothing with it. His stats are so bad that he slipped to the QB3 position before the season's halfway point.

The worst showing was against the Bears, where he went 17 of 32 for 129 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. His only other action was against the Patriots, where he went 6 of 10 for 102 yards and zero interceptions. There are far better backups to justify keeping him on the team. #4 The entire Las Vegas Raiders' defense [caption id="attachment_41457" align="alignnone" > Source.Facebook[/caption]

The Las Vegas Raiders defense needs a major overhaul. They continue to be one of the worst defenses in the league and aren’t making any progress. They have a few good players, but not enough to move the needle. That’s why everyone from Trevon Moehrig to Nate Hobbs is on the cutting room floor. The new coach will most likely want to bring in their own guys and implement what they believe will work. 

Their biggest problems on defense come from not taking the ball away and allowing an average of 342.3 yards per game. They are known to start a game strong and even get some key stops. None of it matters, though, when the defense allows a score just a few drives later. 

The other problem is turnovers. The Raiders' offense needs more opportunities with the ball, and only the defense can do that. 

Related: 5 things Las Vegas Raiders fans need to be worried about #3 Joshua Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders running back

Josh Jacobs has made several mistakes in the 2023 season, and they might result in his departure. His first mistake was sitting out training camp for a better deal and missing critical time with the team—the time he could have spent developing chemistry and conditioning his body for the upcoming schedule.

Jacobs's second mistake is not proving he is worth his one-year extension price of over $10 million. #2 Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver

Hunter Renfrow continues to be moved down the depth chart. He remains one of the most underutilized stars on the roster and isn’t seeing much action under Antonio Peirce. 

This is a sign that Renfrow could be on his way out, and there’s a lot of validity. The first is that despite five receptions against Miami, he has only been targeted a few times. He's also injury-prone and on a roster stacked with great wide receivers.   #1 Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback [caption id="attachment_38893" align="alignnone" > Source. Facebook[/caption]

Jimmy Garoppolo, who's been injured twice this season, doesn’t seem to be the answer that the Las Vegas Raiders are looking for at quarterback. 

There is no reason to hang on to an injury-ridden quarterback with turnover issues. The Raiders need someone sturdy, and Garoppolo is not it. There are far too many better options, and Garoppolo’s price tag is too high. He never deserved this kind of money in the first place, and now the new regime has to deal with it. Bonus: Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce has led the Raiders to a better record and keeps the team on track. Pierce started with a 30-6 victory over the Giants, marking a nice change for the Las Vegas defense. They also beat the Jets 16-12 in a game that came close to going the other way. Pierce then took his first loss of the season in a 20-13 effort that at least kept the team close.

The Raiders are doomed to repeat their mistakes and go with an unqualified candidate that takes the team nowhere. They should instead stick with Pierce and build some chemistry. However, it doesn't seem like it will happen with the pool of candidates the Raiders are considering, including Jon Gruden and Rich Bissacia.

The Raiders got rid of Rich Bissacia in 2022 after he took the team to an 8-5 record and a wild card spot. If that didn't impress management, Pierce has a long season ahead of him.

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