3 Worst-Case Scenarios for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020
By Tyler Kemp
The Las Vegas Raiders were put into an impossible situation in 2019. With the combination of the Antonio Brown fiasco along with playing their last year in Oakland, Jon Gruden’s crew has their work cut out for themselves going into the new NFL season. In their first year in Vegas, things are not looking much better either. Here are the worst-case scenarios for the Raiders in 2020.
3. Derek Carr Never Returns to Pro Bowl Form
It may seem like it was a long time ago, but Derek Carr actually made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 to 2017. 2016 was Carr’s best year in the league when Oakland went 12-4 and made the playoffs. While there's been much talk of Gruden eventually moving on from Carr, the Fresno product failing to put up respectable numbers diminishes his trade value, and only place Vegas another year away from playoff contention.
2. 2020 Draft Class Fails to Impress
With all of the moves made by trading Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack, Vegas ended up with two first-round picks. The Raiders picked wide receiver Henry Ruggs III and cornerback Damon Arnette with those selections. With the combination of three wide receivers, three defensive backs and of course the annual Clemson draft picks, Vegas’ rookie class is under a lot of pressure to contribute immediately, and perform at a high level.
1. Entirely New Defense Gets Shredded by Difficult Schedule
This is not the 2016 playoff Raiders with Khalil Mack. This new group is young, full of potential and unproven. This means the lack of experience could hurt going against such a tough schedule. With potent offenses such as New Orleans, Buffalo, Kansas City and Denver twice and a new-look Tampa Bay, Gruden’s defense will be tested early and often throughout 2020. Vegas’ young group will be tasked with containing potential playoff teams each week.