Safety Charles Woodson and kicker Sebastian Janikowski skewed the average age of the roster last year, but he Oakland Raiders are actually a young team. The anchors of the offense and defense are just 24, with quarterback Derek Carr leading the offense and defensive end Khalil Mack anchoring the defense.
If the Raiders are going to break from the losing ways of the last 12 years, they will need numerous young players to develop. That includes Carr and Mack, but more importantly, the 15 other projected starters who are 27 or younger.
As the quarterback, Carr’s development is the most important, which is why the team went out and signed center Rodney Hudson (27) and wide receiver Michael Crabtree (27) in free agency. For the same reason, the Raiders drafted wide receiver Amari Cooper (21) in the first round and tight end Clive Walford (23) in the third. They want both to be impact rookies.
The Raiders are clearly hoping that surrounding Carr with talent will aid his development. Considering his No. 1 receiver last year was Andre Holmes (27), who is now fighting for a roster spot, the Raiders have certainly made huge improvements in the passing game.
An improved running game will also help, which will rely on the running backs and offensive line. Expectations are high for left guard Gabe Jackson (24) and Latavius Murray (25), who both enter the 2015 season as unquestioned starters. Although both have some experience, neither has arrived.
Roy Helu Jr. (26) will be a valuable addition on passing downs, but the ideal would be for Murray to become a weapon in both the running and passing games. If Murray is the dynamic playmaker that he was at times last season, Oakland’s offense has a chance to be quite good.
The biggest question is on the right side of the offensive line. Menelik Watson (26) has the inside track to the starting job at right tackle, but veteran Austin Howard (28) is pushing him. At right guard, the Raiders have multiple options, but journeyman J’Marcus Webb (27) is starting to tighten his grip on the job.
Unlike most teams, the Raiders have either a young player or a question mark at almost every position on offense. Left tackle Donald Penn, Hudson and Crabtree are the only players that have established themselves as starting-caliber players for a whole season. Hudson and Crabtree are still theoretically young enough to have career years.
The reality is that not every player the Raiders want and need to develop on offense is going to do so. So far, the right side of the offensive line seems to be the biggest issue, but it’s unlikely everything else goes as planned. Injuries will play a role and there are always surprises once the regular season starts.
Defensively, the Raiders are young, but not quite to the extent that they are on offense. Woodson, defensive end Justin Tuck (32), middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (29), safety Nate Allen (27) and defensive tackle Dan Williams (28) are all starters.
However, no position ground on the team has less experience than the cornerbacks. T.J. Carrie (25) is one starter with D.J. Hayden (25) and Keith McGill (26) as the No. 2 and No. 3, although the order is still to be determined.
That’s not a good thing.
Hayden and McGill didn’t look good in the first preseason game, which resulted in Neiko Thorpe (25) getting first-team reps, per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. If the Raiders don’t get production from their cornerbacks, it’s going to put tremendous pressure on a young front seven to produce.
Aside from Mack, defensive tackle Justin Ellis (24) as well as linebacker Benson Mayowa (24) and rookie defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. (21) must be able to get to the quarterback with some consistency. Last year, the Raiders finished 30th in sacks and sack percentage with most of the same pass-rushers. That means any improvements will have to be largely the result of player development.
The Raiders should be improved as they have collected talented young players on offense and defense over the last couple of years, but they will be reliant on their development in 2015 to break from their losing ways. It’s unlikely to be as smooth as Raiders fans in August hope it will be, as we are already starting to see at cornerback and right tackle.
