Latest On Raiders, San Francisco
The prospect of the Raiders playing at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park has produced some notable reactions, none of which pointing to a solution having been reached yet.
The Raiders remain without a 2019 home, and now San Francisco mayor London Breed came out against another team playing in the city. She has also directly informed the Giants about her view on this matter, according to Lisa Fernandez of KTVU.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Oakland Raiders should play in Oakland,” Breed said. “We don’t need another layer to add to what we already have — and that’s an area that’s really congested filled with construction and will host a number of basketball and baseball games over the coming months.”
In addition to the Giants, the Golden State Warriors’ new arena, Chase Center, is scheduled to become a San Francisco sports site this year. Breed’s stance further complicates Raiders plans of potentially playing at Oracle Park. They entered into discussions with the Giants about this in December, but hurdles — from logistics, to league approval, to the 49ers’ San Francisco territorial rights — remain.
The NFL prefers the team share Levi’s Stadium, a site that could accommodate two teams, with the 49ers. This is the hopeful outcome of the NFC’s Bay Area team as well, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Raiders have discussed this option, but Mark Davis has thus far balked at being a one-year tenant at the 49ers’ stadium, per Albert Breer of SI.com.
No deal between the Raiders and Oracle Park has been finalized, but negotiations appear to have picked back up. However, considering the obstacles impeding this move, Davis might have to settle on one of the two traditional Bay Area NFL sites. A path back to Oakland for one more pre-Las Vegas season remains possible, but nothing significant has transpired between the Raiders and the city that is suing them in recent weeks.
Latest On Raiders’ 2019 Plans
Shortly after Super Bowl LIII, a report emerged indicating the Raiders had their decision on a 2019 playing site. The Silver and Black have an agreement to play at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park, according to NBC Bay Area (Twitter link).
But it appears there are still a few key hurdles to clear before the Raiders can play in another baseball stadium. The Raiders have not received approval from the NFL or the 49ers to make this move possible, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Raiders and the San Francisco Giants have not yet agreed to a deal, either, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic. The sides are discussing one, only the MLB team remains under the impression the Raiders are negotiating with two other sites. Levi’s Stadium and Oakland Coliseum are widely believed to be the Raiders’ other two 2019 options.
Despite playing their home games in Santa Clara, the 49ers could block the Raiders from playing at Oracle due to having territorial rights to San Francisco. The NBC Bay Area report indicated the NFL would announce the Raiders-to-Oracle move this week, the NFL could also nix this.
While the league did indeed conduct another site survey regarding the Raiders shifting from sharing a ballpark with the Oakland Athletics to doing so with the National League West club, barriers remain en route to this interesting future, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. The NFL will need to sign off on the playing field at the San Francisco baseball stadium, while security upgrades will need to take place, in order to meet league standards, per La Canfora. Meetings regarding whether or not the NFL will agree to make those necessary enhancements will transpire this week.
Oracle Park was considered for a possible XFL team, NBC Sports Bay Area adds. The site hosted XFL games in 2001 and bowl games for more than a decade. The city of Oakland’s lawsuit against the Raiders prompted them to explore other options; the Silver and Black pulled a one-year lease extension — for more than double their 2018 payment — off the table following the lawsuit.
Super Bowl LIII represented the apparently soft deadline for the Raiders to finalize their decision, but the league does want this decision to be made before schedule meetings begin soon, JLC adds.
Suspicion Arising About Raiders Drafting QB
As the Raiders transition further into the second Jon Gruden era, more staff turnover can be expected. Mike Mayock has replaced Reggie McKenzie as GM, and another of McKenzie’s lieutenants is no longer with the team. Director of pro personnel Dane Vandernat recently left the Raiders, according to Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Vandernat’s contract was to expire after the draft, per Caplan, who adds Dave Razzano will take over some of Vandernat’s pre-draft workload. This comes after player personnel director Joey Clinkscales received his walking papers. Teams that make front office changes often wait until after the draft to revamp scouting departments, and Mayock recently said he is scouting the in-house scouts. Vandernat’s Raiders arrival predated McKenzie’s. He had been with the team since 2008. Reggie McKenzie’s twin brother, Raleigh McKenzie, is still working for the Raiders as a scout.
Here is the latest from the AFC West, shifting to the Raiders’ quarterback situation.
- Rumors are circulating about Gruden and Mayock bringing in their own quarterback, with Peter King of NBC Sports writing “lots” of suspicion has arisen about the Raiders drafting a passer in the first round. This prospective move would not be accompanied by a Derek Carr trade, per King, who adds an NFL exec said the team may be tempted by the Chiefs’ draft-and-wait model they used with Patrick Mahomes. Of course, Alex Smith was 33 during Mahomes’ rookie season; Carr will turn 28 this year. That would not make for a smooth setup. Additionally, the Raiders’ first-round picks acquired via trade sit at Nos. 24 and 27. Several potential quarterback-seeking teams pick ahead of them, with the Giants (No. 6), Jaguars (7), Broncos (10), Dolphins (13, though they are eyeing the 2020 QB class) and Redskins (15) stationed in the first round’s top half. It would be a bit odd if the Raiders gave up assets to replace Carr, and King is hearing buzz about it even taking a top-10 pick to select Kyler Murray (if he ends up in the draft).
Raiders To Play 2019 In Bay Area
The NFL wanted the Raiders to have their 2019 setup worked out by Super Bowl LIII. With four days remaining until the season’s signature event, the franchise still does not know where it will play next season.
However, a region is now known. The Raiders were loosely connected to places like San Diego, Portland and Reno, Nev., but the team will play the 2019 season in the Bay Area, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (video link). But it’s still unknown which stadium will be the Raiders’ home in their final lame-duck season.
Roger Goodell said Wednesday he believes Mark Davis‘ preference is to keep his team in the Bay Area next season, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (video link) the Raiders and 49ers have engaged in discussions about sharing Levi’s Stadium next season. This would be the NFL’s preferred option, per La Canfora.
The San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park remains in play, and the Raiders discussed this with the MLB franchise recently. But it sounds like that is the least likely option, with the 49ers still having the right to block this from happening due to possessing territorial rights in San Francisco. The NFL has done site studies on the Raiders’ sharing a stadium with the 49ers and the prospect of them using the San Francisco MLB venue, per JLC.
Option 2 appears to be staying at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders were planning to reopen dialogue with the city of Oakland, but Rapoport adds this has yet to take place. The lawsuit Oakland filed against the Raiders and the NFL brought this uncertainty about the Raiders’ 2019 home, but Davis has been lukewarm about sharing a venue with the 49ers in the past. No 2019 lease agreement was in place between the Raiders and the Coliseum before the lawsuit.
The Raiders are on track to move to Las Vegas in 2020, but their 2019 location should be known soon, considering the “significant” backlash expected to come their way from the league if no solution surfaces by the Super Bowl.
Defense-Heavy Draft Expected For Raiders
- Needs exist at many spots on the Raiders‘ roster, but they are expected to conduct a defense-heavy draft, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. Oakland added several defenders in free agency last year, most of whom on one-year deals. The Silver and Black finished with an incredible 13 sacks — 17 fewer than the next-closest team (the Giants) this season and fewest in a season since the 2008 Chiefs, who also traded their best pass rusher that year (Jared Allen), recorded just 10 — and lack long-term answers at just about every position defensively. The Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades garnered the Raiders, whose own first-round pick became No. 4 overall, the Nos. 24 and 27 selections.
Raiders Looking For Pass-Rush Help
- Speaking of teams looking for pass-rush help, the Raiders are in a similar boat. New Raiders GM Mike Mayock didn’t try to hide the fact that the team is looking for some help on the outside of their defensive line this week at the Senior Bowl, telling reporters “are we focused in on defensive ends at [the Senior Bowl]? Of course”, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports, adding “we’d be dumb if we weren’t”. The Raiders had only 13 sacks as a team this past year, by far the fewest of any team in the league. In fact the second worse total was 30, more than twice as many as Oakland had, so it wouldn’t be at all surprising if they go with a pass-rusher at number four overall in this April’s draft.
Raiders Haven't Hired Ryan Grigson
Despite previous reports to the contrary, the Raiders have not hired former Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal (Twitter link). In fact, no deal is considered imminent, as Grigson was simply one of several executives interviewed by Oakland in what Gehlken terms an “information-gathering process.” The Raiders hired former NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock earlier this month, but haven’t made any other notable additions to their front office. The 46-year-old Grigson was fired by the Colts in 2016 after a tumultuous five-year term as GM, and has since worked with the Browns and Seahawks’ front offices.
Raiders Rumors: Martin, Cook, Trgovac
Here’s the latest out of Oakland:
- The Raiders say they want to hold onto Marshawn Lynch, but they are also still intent on keeping pending free agent Doug Martin, Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes. Martin finished out the year with 723 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and a yards per carry average of 4.2, his best showing since 2015. In late November, Jon Gruden was adamant about re-signing Martin, so it’s little surprise to hear that he remains in the team’s plans.
- Gruden also said the Raiders will work hard to re-sign tight end Jared Cook, Tafur writes. “I had a good meeting with Jared before he left,” Gruden said. “And we’ll do the best we can to get him back. It will be competitive. I’m sure there are a lot of teams who look at the tape and put him on their wish list.” Cook was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate after he hauled in a career-high 68 catches for 896 yards and six TDs.
- Former Buccaneers defensive line coach Brentson Buckner has taken the same job with the Raiders, but former DL coach Mike Trgovac is still in the team’s plans. Gruden says he’ll remain with the club in an advisory role.
Raiders May Wait To Hire QBs Coach
- Brentson Buckner‘s position with the Raiders will be defensive line coach, Jon Gruden said Tuesday (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez). Buckner, who coached the Buccaneers’ defensive linemen last season, will replace Mike Trgovac. The latter, however, will be promoted in some capacity, per Gruden. As for the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach position — vacated by Brian Callahan‘s move to become the Bengals’ OC Tuesday — the team might wait until the Combine to fill that position.
- Gruden believes Daryl Worley underwent shoulder surgery recently after ending his season with a torn labrum, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. Worley, a starter this season prior to landing on IR, is expected to receive an RFA tender from the Raiders.
Raiders Want Marshawn Lynch Back
Marshawn Lynch isn’t sure whether he’ll return for a 12th NFL season in 2019, but if he does, Jon Gruden says he wants him on the Raiders. When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Gruden said he’d love to have Beast Mode back in silver and black.
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“We’d love to have him back,” Gruden said (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal).
Lynch is out of contract, so a new deal would be required in order to keep him in the fold. From the Raiders’ perspective, it only makes sense to hang on to the bruising running back. Fellow veteran Doug Martin is also ticketed for free agency and younger option Jalen Richard will be a restricted free agent. In fact, the Raiders have only two running backs under contract for 2019 in DeAndre Washington and Chris Warren.
Lynch, 33 in April, initially retired back in 2016, but he ended up joining his home-town Raiders on a two-year deal in 2017. His first season in Oakland saw him rush for 891 yards and seven touchdowns, and he had similar production in 2018, rushing for 376 yards and three touchdowns in six games. Unfortunately, the veteran suffered what proved to be a season-ending groin injury in October.
The Raiders’ location in 2019 may also impact Lynch’s decision on whether (and where) to play. There’s still hope for the Raiders to be in Oakland next season, but nothing is final and other options are being explored.