When Jon Gruden signed on to coach the Raiders in 2018 for the next decade, it was clear that he was going to build the team “his way.” That much has been evident as he traded away the likes of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper before the 2018 season ended.
Where the Raiders have seen the most turnover is on defense as only three of their “core” defenders were on the roster before Gruden arrived; Nicholas Morrow, Marquel Lee and Erik Harris. All three of those players are projected to be backups in 2020 with Morrow likely seeing the most snaps as the team’s third linebacker.
The Raiders made it a point over the last two offseasons to get younger and more athletic on defense. While they haven’t quite accomplished that goal yet, this is a significantly better defense on all three levels.
If players like Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby and Trayvon Mullen can all take leaps forward in Year 2, this defense has the chance to surprise a lot of people. Don’t be surprised if this defense looks significantly different in the second half of the 2020 season as they have several new pieces that will need some time to find their role with the Raiders.
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