Three goals
–Get Derek Carr up and running. Another year, another offensive coordinator. But this year Carr gets to play for a quarterback-centric head coach for the first time in Jon Gruden. He will be entrusted to be a “CEO” quarterback and a manipulator along the lines of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. There may be some bumps along the way, but Napa is the perfect place to iron those things out.
–Establish a defensive mindset. Face it, the Raiders have been bad on defense for about as long as anyone can remember. They are coming off a year in which they had just five interceptions and had to rally to even get that many. They don’t sack the quarterback either, nor were the Raiders particularly adept at stopping the run when it mattered, either. That changes with coordinator Paul Guenther, who will bring the Raiders up to speed schematically and insist on a quantum leap in terms of performance.
–Avoid a sideshow. There’s already the potential for one if Khalil Mack stays out of camp while awaiting a long-term extension. If he ends up playing for his fifth-year option, Mack may not show up until the regular season begins. Last year distractions included Donald Penn’s holdout, Gareon Conley’s rape investigation (no charges were filed) and Marshawn Lynch and his personal film crew. Gruden would love for it to be all about football in 2018.
Top battle:
Running back. Marshawn Lynch is the incumbent starter who played well down the stretch. Doug Martin has been one of the NFL’s best backs for two of his seasons and injured for the rest of his career. He has impressed the coaching staff. Lynch hasn’t yet thrived in carry-sharing situations. Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, impressive as rookies but mediocre as second-year players, will fight for roster spots.