Why the Raiders Are Most Improved Team in the NFL

The Las Vegas Raiders have been actively implementing significant offseason roster changes aimed at improving their performance, with expectations that these upgrades will lead to more wins in the upcoming season. Brooke Cersosimo of NFL.com identified the Raiders as the non-playoff team from last season that made the most substantial leap this offseason, highlighting their long to-do list after a four-win year.

Key offseason moves included hiring head coach Pete Carroll, who has a history of reviving franchises, and reuniting Carroll with quarterback Geno Smith. Smith is viewed as an upgrade over previous quarterbacks Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew, providing leadership for "unfinished business." Additionally, the Raiders secured running back Ashton Jeanty, one of the top players in the NFL Draft, to bolster their offense.

The Raiders also enhanced their skill positions through the draft, selecting wide receivers Jack Bech in the second round and Dont'e Thornton in the fourth round. They retained tight end Brock Bowers and have Jakobi Meyers, who has performed well in early training camp. This is expected to make the offense more explosive, moving away from last year's rankings of 29th in scoring and 27th in yards. Smith is anticipated to have ample options with this young group.

Defensively, the team made notable improvements by signing free agents Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts, Jeremy Chinn, and Eric Stokes, contributing to an overall stronger unit.

After the first week of training camp, Pete Carroll reported positive progress, describing three "terrific days of practice" with high focus and intensity. He praised the team's effort in maximizing controlled opportunities during this early OTA-like phase, calling the third day their best practice so far.