The Bee asked, Raider Nation answered. What fans say the Raiders should do this offseason
.JPG "Las Vegas Raiders offense huddle during an NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Pittsburgh.")
The deadline is near for the Raiders to decide what to do with Derek Carr.
Will the Raiders trade or release the quarterback by Feb. 15? A release seems more realistic than a trade, but anything can happen.
That is not the only pending decision. Las Vegas needs to address multiple key areas.
The Bee asked Raider Nation at the conclusion of the regular season what they hope the team does in the offseason.
Here are some of the 50-plus messages that were received via Twitter, with The Bee’s responses. Have more thoughts? Leave a comment at the end of this story or @agalaviz_TheBee on Twitter.
@PJC_Raiders: Fire the head coach.
The Bee: Raiders owner Mark Davis is not ready to do that, but if Las Vegas starts off poorly next season, then the possibility increases. Make no mistake: Josh McDaniels didn’t do a good job this season. That cannot be repeated next season. Multiple losing seasons in a row can never be acceptable.
@xMasonYanez: Trade up for (C.J.) Stroud or (Bryce) Young. We hopefully won’t be close to this high next year.
The Bee: That seems ideal for the Raiders, but there’s always a chance Stroud will be available at No. 7; look around at early mock drafts.
@RaiderRuiz: Better QB, Offensive lineman, defensive lineman, linebackers, safety, owner, general manager, head coach, defensive coordinator, water boy
The Bee: We get it. The Raiders need a lot of work, but we don’t expect GM Dave Ziegler to be gone, nor McDaniels (see above). A new defensive coordinator? It’s likely McDaniels will give Pat Graham another year. After all, Graham will be coaching at the Senior Bowl.
@Gogetafterit: Revamp the defense...
The Bee: That’s a must, indeed. The Raiders have holes they need to fill. Linebacker comes to mind. Ziegler needs to improve this area or else it will almost certainly be another long season, and Raider Nation will be very upset if the defense is not improved. Then again, it seems the defense has been a problem for a long time, right?
@tpojabrony80: DRAFT decent players
The Bee: No doubt that needs to happen. There have been a lot of misses and reaches in previous years. Ziegler needs to hit on his many draft picks to give Raider Nation hope that the franchise can be turned around quickly. Just ask the Jacksonville Jaguars.
@EloyVidales: New QBs, OL, Defense.
The Bee: You may get your wish on a new quarterback, but who will it be? Tom Brady? Aaron Rodgers? Jimmy Garoppolo? It’s anyone’s guess as to whether one of those veterans or a rookie via the draft is the answer. Stay tuned. Yes, the offensive line is another area that should be looked at. Better protection and blocking is always a must. We addressed the defense already. Another area of importance.
@Em_Jaaay: Hire a coach who wants to win games tired of tanking
The Bee: If only Davis had kept interim coach Rich Bisaccia and let it play out this past season. If it didn’t work out, then Davis would be in the market now for maybe a Sean Payton? Forget about that now. He’s moving forward with McDaniels in hopes next season will be better.
@tasker_red: 1. Fire McDaniels 2. Hire Sean Payton 3. Make sure McDaniels is truly gone 4. Spend on Defense
The Bee: Firing McDaniels is not happening. Maybe during or after the 2023 season if the Raiders struggle? By that time, if and when, Payton will be unavailable. It would be shocking if the Raiders don’t go all in on defense in free agency. They need to. It’s a must.
@MarkRN4L: We need o’line and secondary help
The Bee: Definitely the offensive line needs to be addressed. We’ll dive into those needs, soon. Secondary, too, which has always been a need.
@raiderray43: Would love to see them take a look at what Cincinnati has done to have the Chiefs number. Make no mistake the division goes through KC and that has to change.
The Bee: Yeah, we agree. Replicating what another successful organization has done can often provide a good blueprint. We’ll see if Ziegler delivers and gets the players to possibly unseat KC.
@Coach_JRam81: Fire McDaniels but they won’t so nothing they do matters…. Mark Davis is the real problem.
The Bee: Davis really should’ve stuck with Bisaccia. The Raiders seemed to have momentum going into 2022, but that didn’t hold up after the hiring of McDaniels and the subsequent losing season. Davis wants to win, badly. He knows it. He better hope next season is better than 2022. No doubt he should’ve kept Bisaccia, but he calls all the shots.
@TomHatley1: Win. Don’t care how #JustWinBaby
The Bee: Yes, winning is always nice, but you should care since this will be an important draft and free agency period. They need a touchdown on all levels this offseason.
@ramosray1972: Go all in on Defense in FA and draft, New D coordinator, upgrade the O-line and re-sign Jacobs and for sure stay away from the Brady n Jimmy G BS.
The Bee: We’ve addressed the defense earlier in this piece. Graham is staying for now, and upgrading the offensive line needs to happen. They didn’t do much of that in the last free agency and it hurt despite what they think of the line improving. Re-signing Jacobs is a must. At least they have the franchise tag at their disposal. Stay away from Brady? Tell that to McDaniels. Brady could very well sign with the Raiders, but how much longer would he play for? He’s going to be 46. The Raiders must draft a QB.
@MarineVigilant1: Where to begin. The O line is terrible. Desperate need for LBs. Help for Crosby on the D line. Corners who can actually cover. I think Jacobs and Stidham and D Adams are good.
The Bee: A lot of work needs to be done for the Raiders on the defensive side. That is imperative in free agency and in the draft.
@o_Zanyy: Brady and Daron Payne.
The Bee: Some Raiders fans don’t want Brady, while others welcome him, as long as they hope he brings wins. If Brady signs with the Raiders, we can see it lasting for one season before handing the reins to a likely high draft pick.
@RaiderBatti: Draft @will_levis
The Bee: Will Levis is a possibility for the Raiders at No. 7, but we have a feeling the Raiders could target another QB in the first round.
@semipronuggshow: LINEBACKERS
The Bee: Bingo. That needs to happen. We’ll detail available free agent linebackers soon. The Raiders were stretched thin because of injuries. Denzel Perryman played well the two seasons he was with the Raiders. The linebacker position is another area of need, for sure.
@raiderboone43: Coming into this season they were 10 win playoff team with a roster that wasn’t as good as this years. All they had to do is get a couple defensive lineman a couple offensive lineman and they should have been fine instead they hired a joke of a coach who runs into a stack box
The Bee: We didn’t get it either. The Raiders were trending up, but obviously took a step back this season. There were high expectations, but that fell apart rather quickly. That cannot happen next season.
@VegasRaidersBlg: I’d really love to see massive changes but I’m sure that won’t happen
The Bee: You never know.
@pggraber: Focus on D and o-line in Draft and free agency, sign a place holder QB, Draft another one in mid to late rounds. Focus on fixing all the other problems first, then try to find a young QB in 2024 or 2025 drafts
The Bee: Maybe you should help out Ziegler with your ideas.
@est8789: Get rid of the only coach that lost to Jeff Saturday
The Bee: It was such a weird season. But it looks like McDaniels will be on the sideline when the 2023 NFL season starts. Not what you and a lot of Raider Nation wanted to read.
@kegley_marcus: Trade Carr for a 1st. Bring in Brady. Bring Gronk out of retirement. Draft QB Will Levis. Bring in Jalen Ramsey and go crazy on Free Agents of Defense and draft after 1st Round
The Bee: We would be shocked if the Raiders get back a first for Carr, if they do end up trading him. A third-rounder seems more realistic, but will Carr want to be traded when he could pick his own team if the Raiders have to release him? If Brady joins the Raiders, then we can see Rob Gronkowski joining him in Sin City. Foster Moreau is a free agent. Darren Waller is under contract. Unless they decide to trade him, too. Jalen Ramsey? What would you trade for Ramsey? He’s not a free agent until 2027. James Bradberry will be available, though.
@Rivas562: Draft a defensive player in the 1st Round. Bring in Brady & keep Stidham
The Bee: That’s another route the Raiders can go.
