Warning—you won’t believe what experts say about the 2024 Las Vegas Raiders.
#5 Las Vegas Raiders starter likely won’t be announced until after training camp
The fight is on for the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback job, but neither Aidan O’Connell nor Gardner Mishew has impressed so far. Instead, both are said to be missing throws and suffering from many other miscues. This means the decision on who to start will likely come later this summer.
“The Raiders will pick a starter between O’Connell and Minshew, but don’t expect a decision until the end of training camp,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote in a June 16 column. “They may keep three quarterbacks, or they could stash their third option on their practice squad.”
Gardner Mishew is by far the more experienced starter of the bunch, but Antonio Pierce will want to preserve the chemistry between O’Connell and the offense from last year.
#4 The Raiders make poor offensive decisions
ESPN analyst Seth Walder is not a fan of the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense. His latest assessment is that they have made some of the worst off-season moves in the league. He also accuses the team of blowing the draft in epic fashion. Below is Walder’s harsh assessment:
“First, they failed to secure a long-term solution (or even a long-term hope) at quarterback… Vegas entered the offseason in an unenviable position of needing a quarterback, not having the roster to support a major signing like Kirk Cousins, and drafting last among a slew of QB-needy teams.”
Honestly, the Raiders didn’t have many other choices. Their only real candidates were Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill, and Marcus Mariota. None of these are ideal choices, which is probably why the Raiders went with Gardner Minshew.
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#3 The Raiders could win the AFC West in 2024
Las Vegas Raiders fans know what it’s like to see countless negative headlines claiming the organization is doomed to fail. Analyst Rich Eisen, however, sees the Raiders winning the AFC West this season and denying the Chiefs a three-peat. He also sees Max Crosby winning DPOY and Antonio Pierce being a Coach of the Year candidate. Here is what he had to say about the Raiders in 2024.
“Maxx Crosby is your defensive player of the year. The condor goes and he just absolutely kicks ass. Antonio Pierce is a coach of the year finalist. And, the autumn wind is a pirate, and the Raiders win the AFC West.”
#2 Raiders spent too much on a free agent during the offseason
The Las Vegas Raiders are prone to making ridiculous moves in the offseason. This time, they signed Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million contract. Some believe he is the perfect person to put beside Max Crosby and the improving defense, but others doubt his impact.
“The 28-year-old Wilkins isn’t a game-changer,” Brad Gagnon wrote for Bleacher Report. “He’s never been an All-Pro of any kind or even a Pro Bowler, he’s never posted an approximate value in the double digits, and he’s never had a campaign with 10 sacks or more than two forced fumbles. And yet he’ll count more than $30 million against the cap in 2025, 2026, and 2027.”
#1 The Las Vegas Raiders have terrible running backs
Problems with the Las Vegas Raiders start with the running back situation. Unfortunately, Joshua Jacobs walked away in 2024, leaving a big hole in the position. Zamir White has shown some promise, but he is still very inexperienced. The rest of the Raiders’ running backs consist of Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, and Dylan Laube. This is a worst-case scenario for the Raiders, who could use help in the running game. Instead, the pressure will likely shift to their starting quarterback. Pro Football Focus offers the following analysis”
“It felt like the Raiders were left high and dry after watching Josh Jacobs sign elsewhere… Their backfield state is now some combination of Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, and rookie Dylan Laube. White earned a 70.6 PFF rushing grade last season, while Mattison recorded a 68.4 figure.”
Next: Ranking Las Vegas sports coaches from worst to best in 2024
