Since 2002, when the Raiders appeared in the Super Bowl against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had their doors blown off, Oakland hasn’t sniffed the playoffs, nor have they finished any place higher than third in their division. While many are considering their 7-9 finish in 2015 their crowning achievement of the last decade-plus, management is looking for even more headed into 2016. With a loaded offseason including a well-received draft and the second-most expensive free agent class in the AFC, the Raiders appear to be one of the most upward trending teams the league has to offer. As training camp continues to creep up on us, expect Oakland to be on plenty of “sleeper team” lists and to serve as one of the more trendy picks to win the AFC West this season.

Key Free Agent Additions

Kelechi Osemele (G) – 5 years, $58,500,000

While the Cowboys have the undisputed best offensive line in the game, with the signing of Osemele, the Raiders have made the argument that they are at least second to Dallas in terms of interior play. With Osemele, they have added one of the most talented young guards in the league. He will slot in across from Gabe Jackson – the other guard – and next to center Rodney Hudson – the oldest of the bunch at a seasoned 27 years old. In 2014 and 2015, Osemele graded out in the top-five in overall run blocking according to Pro Football Focus, which should help give them a more committed rushing attack. Although a steep price, Osemele gives the Raiders one of the more talented offensive lines in the league and most importantly gets them younger in the process.

Sean Smith (CB) – 4 years, $38,000,000

To say the Raiders struck gold early on last season with the waiver claim of David Amerson is an understatement, as the former second-round bust of the Redskins graded out as the ninth ranked cover corner according to Pro Football Focus in 2015. His length and press cover skills seemed to really work with the scheme of Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who excelled with that style during his years with the lanky DB’s out in Seattle.

In hopes of doubling down, the Raiders went out and paid 6-foot-3, 220-pound corner Sean Smith this offseason to play opposite of Amerson in the No. 1 press corner position. PFF graded Smith as the 12^th overall corner, so considering the money that has been thrown around to DB’s lately; Smith is coming to Oakland on a bargain.

Bruce Irvin (LB/DE) – 4 years, $37,000,000

In Seattle, with the bevy of pass rushing talent they have featured over the years, Irvin was sort of lost in the shuffle and was often played out of position. If you don’t believe me, just ask him, as the moment he inked a new contract with a different team, Irvin began to spew, "I honestly felt if I stayed in [Seattle’s] system, I don’t think I would ever be the player I think I can be in this league... Seattle kind of limited me in that defense.” (According to CBSSports.com).

In Seattle, positioned as the SAM linebacker, Irvin was asked to play the run and drop into coverage much more often than he is comfortable with. In signing with the Raiders, Irvin is hopeful he will be given the opportunity to play exclusively as a pass rusher. If everything goes according to plan here with this signing, defenses will have to deal with All-Pro Khalil Mack on one side, while Irvin should have plenty of chances to rack up some serious stats coming hot off the other side.

Again, Oakland may have paid a projected price point here rather than a proven production agreement, but in a league so scarce of true pass rushing talent, sometimes you have to overpay.

Reggie Nelson (FS) – 2 years, $8,500,000

This signing may have been the biggest no-brainer of the entire free agency period, as the Raiders needed an impact safety and the NFL’s league leader in interceptions for 2015 just happened to be sitting out there on the open market. Nelson comes at a very affordable price and while he may be 32 years old, his veteran presence will be a welcomed addition to a young and improving defense.

Key Draft Selections

Karl Joseph (SS) – 1^st Round

Based off talent alone, Joseph is a first-round player, but this pick surprised many considering the bevy of talent still left on the board at the time and the fact that he is coming off a pretty severe knee injury. All things considered, though, Joseph is a baller who possesses a more well-rounded skillset than he’s given credit for.

A noted assassin in the open field, Joseph is one of the hardest hitting safeties in recent memory. Along with a powerful hit stick, he moonlights as a deft cover safety and brings some sure tackling to boot. Provided everything checks out with his knee come training camp, the Raiders can expect Joseph to be the starting strong safety opposite recently signed veteran Reggie Nelson. The pick may not be the best value in the first round, but with a team looking to fill needs now, Oakland surely satisfied a gaping void with a tremendously talented player.

Jihad Ward (DL) – 2^nd Round

Ward is a versatile defensive lineman and sports a mammoth 6-foot-5, 297-pound frame. If I told you he still has room to fill out his build would you be surprised? Well, that’s the case, as he could put on close to around another 15-20 pounds of muscle, and may grow another inch or two according to some team doctors. To go along with his physical potential up front, Ward possesses some unbelievable athleticism for the position(s) as he began his collegiate career as a wide receiver/safety hybrid. He moves very fluidly and right off the bat will serve as one of the most athletic defensive linemen in the league. Check out the near 300-pounder throwing down a reverse dunk just days before the Combine this past winter…

With all of this potential, the downside with Ward is that he is still incredibly raw for the NFL. As mentioned above, he still has plenty of room to grow and it shows in his strength and in his technique. It’s tough to challenge taking his talent in the second round, but Raiders fans better learn to be patient with him, as Ward is unlikely to make an impact for at least the first couple seasons he’s in the league. 

Shilique Calhoun (DE/LB) – 3^rd Round

A player who many gave first round consideration, Calhoun is an excellent value pick by Oakland and a nice addition to their ever-developing pass rush. Without sugar coating this I’ll keep his analysis simple… According to Pro Football Focus, Calhoun was the No. 1-rated pass rusher in college football, while he finished 74^th against the run. He will enter the NFL as a situational pass rusher and would be a liability if asked to do much else.

Considering his mastery of that one skill, however, he may be able to give the Raiders some value in his rookie season – contrarily to most first year edge rushers – similarly to how Hau’oli Kikaha managed to give the Saints excellent production as a rotational rusher particularly down the stretch last season.

This is the exact type of role player that many successful playoff teams have, and while he may not turn into a perennial Pro Bowler, Calhoun may end up making some critical plays down the stretch when it counts the most for the Raiders.

Connor Cook (QB) – 4^th Round

While the Raiders appear set at quarterback for the next decade or so with Derek Carr, they did a great job shoring up the position by taking a first round caliber signal caller all the way in the fourth round. Not to say that Cook could have been taken in the first and successfully lead a team from day one ­– there’s a reason he slid – but on talent alone, he’s got the traits that warrant first round consideration. The real knock on Cook is that he has character concerns in that he doesn’t exactly gel with teammates and isn’t the most accomplished of leaders. He was never voted captain in any of his five years of college football at Michigan State and he came up very short in the College Football Playoff this past January.

All negatives aside, Cook has the build, arm and accuracy of an NFL quarterback right now. He has the mind to process the Raiders' playbook and was successful in a pro-style offense for the entirety of his collegiate career. Considering many had a first-round grade on Cook, the fact that Oakland was able to land him in the fourth should be considered a haul. If everything works out as planned here, the Raiders will find a way to flip him after a few years for a solid return just like the Packers and Patriots have done so many times with their backup signal callers over the years.

DeAndre Washington (RB) – 5^th Round

In a previous edition of “Around the League” I wrote a handful of paragraphs about Washington and his potential impact with not only the Raiders this season, but for fantasy owners as well. To keep it short, I believe that he was one of the better late round value picks of the draft this spring and he has a chance to get close to an even carry split with Latavius Murray this season provided he plays his cards right… Full Analysis Here (Begins after the Bradford bashing)

Cory James (LB) – 6^th Round

Playing out of position for all of his senior season, subsequently and understandably, James’ production was down in 2015. This, to go along with his size concerns, led to his fall in the Draft this past spring, but the Raiders saw the potential to add yet another explosive edge rusher to their attack so they pounced on James in the sixth round.

To give you an idea of whom James is ideally in the NFL, think Elvis Dumervil or James Harrison. Undersized for the edge rushing position at only 6-foot-1, 235 lbs., James makes up for it in relentless passion and outstanding athleticism. Over his first three seasons at Colorado State, James tallied a whopping 24 sacks as he proved to be one of the most underrated pass rushers in the country. For his senior season he was moved off the edge to the inside linebacker position, where he seemed to struggle mightily.

If used initially in sub-packages and obvious passing downs, James will undoubtedly succeed, as his passion and talent just run too strong for any other outcome. On the other hand, he remains a limited player which is why he managed to fall all the way to the sixth round. He may never develop into an every down player, but he should serve as a nice special teams player and a spark plug coming off the edge at least a few times per game.

Vadal Alexander (OL) – 7^th Round

Physically, Alexander is an absolute monster. He comes in at a 6-foot-5, 323 lbs., while his arms measure in at an orangutan-like 35 ¼ inches. That alone had scouts drooling over his potential, enough so that many gave him a third – even some a second – round grade, but on top of that, the fact that he’s a road grader in the run game should have warranted at least one NFL GM giving him a chance within the first four rounds. Surprisingly, however, Alexander nearly fell out of the entire draft, and that comes likely due to the concerns over his lack of athleticism and inability to kick outside if needed.

Even so, Alexander is a man of colossal stature who can pave a way seemingly at will in the run game. He has the potential to compete for the goal line sub-package job as the extra interior offensive lineman, while he may also have the chance to serve as the understudy for two very talented guards in Gabe Jackson and the newly signed Kelechi Osemele.