The Las Vegas Raiders threw up a lot of smoke screens in the last two weeks, suggesting that there was a way forward with defensive end Maxx Crosby back in the fold and Geno Smith serving as a bridge quarterback to get to projected new QB Fernando Mendoza.
In the end, though, this was never going to happen, and the Raiders managed to get a pair of top picks for Crosby just a day after releasing Smith.
These two moves won’t make the team better, but they were the right moves to make. The Raiders needed a clean slate after a disastrous season with Pete Carroll at the helm, and they seem to have made the right coaching move, too. Now Klint Kubiak gets to continue the process he started by cleaning house and hiring his own staff, and he’ll be able to start fresh by revamping the roster as he sees fit.
This was the right move for Crosby, too. He needs a change of scenery, and he deserves a chance to play for a contender, although the Ravens were never really that last year. They made this trade out of both desperation and necessity after their defense fell apart and they made the stunning decision to move on from coach John Harbaugh.
The second top pick gives the Raiders more ammunition in their rebuild, and it’s badly needed. The back and forth between Crosby and the team hid the fact that while the Raiders have some pieces in place on offense, they badly need an overhaul on defense, where Crosby and cornerback Eric Stokes were close to the only viable players. It would be shocking if Las Vegas used the 14th pick on anything other than a defensive player, although the Raiders have so many needs that almost every position on the field is in play.
The next moves will happen in free agency, and this is when we find out if Kubiak has an actual plan. The Raiders have enough cap space to go after virtually anyone, and the coach has a Super Bowl ring to use as part of his sales pitch. A possible bridge quarterback and a defensive stud could be on the table, and either or both of those options will reveal a lot about the strategy going forward.
The Raiders haven’t solved their biggest problem, though, which is that their leadership structure remains unclear. Owner Mark Davis seems content to let minority owner Tom Brady run the show, even though that’s produced disastrous results to date. Until Las Vegas has a clear chain of command, Kubiak will be fighting an uphill battle to turn around a franchise that’s been a horrible mess for at least a half decade now.