As the offseason continues to roll along, the next step for the Las Vegas Raiders is training camp. Rookies will report to camp this Sunday on the 21st with the veterans joining the action three days later. For Raider Nation, all eyes will be under center as Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew continue battling it out to earn the title of starting quarterback.
Before camp officially kicks off for the Silver and Black, we at The Raider Ramble answer questions asked to us by the greatest fans in all of sports: Raiders fans.
This week’s mailbag contains questions about Davante Adams and the secondary in Las Vegas. Beyond that, we take a look at the Raiders’ chances to dethrone the reigning AFC West victors and Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs.
If you have any questions that you’d like us to answer, drop them under our mailbag tweets moving forward.
Additionally, you can shoot a direct message to @AlexMonfreda or @TheTovarMario_.
Raiders Mailbag: Davante Adams, the Raiders secondary, and Las Vegas’ chances of dethroning the Kansas City Chiefs
Q: Who will be the third safety?
A: It’s hard to imagine that Isaiah Pola-Mao won’t be the Raiders’ first rotational safety/third deep safety. Pola-Mao’s 6′ 4″ height towers over the 6′ 0″ Trey Taylor and 5′ 11″ Chris Smith. In addition to his size and coverage abilities, Pola-Mao’s ability to locate the ball carrier sticks out; but what else can you expect from Troy Polamalu’s cousin?
Q: Any chance ‘Tae gets traded?
A: There’s always a chance, but that chance is as close to zero as it gets without actually being zero.
It just doesn’t make any sense for the Raiders. Beyond his large dead cap hit, a player of Davante Adams’ caliber largely makes up for not-so-great quarterback play. If the Raiders want to compete this year with their quarterback situation – and they do – they’ll need Adams.
Can Las Vegas win the AFC West?
Q: Can we dethrone the Chiefs and reclaim the AFC West title?
A: On the surface, this is a near-outrageous question. One of these teams finished under .500 in 2023. The other won the Super Bowl.. for the second straight year. And yet, yes; it is possible, albeit not likely.
There are two factors here: Antonio Pierce has the Raiders believing the sky’s the limit. They’re going to come out swinging from Week 1, and if they catch fire, the sky truly is the limit.
The second factor is that’s the exact opposite of the Chiefs’ style. Kansas City moves slower and irons out the bumps and bruises in the first half of the season before getting it all together and taking off.
In 2021, the Chiefs started their season 3-4 before finishing 12-5. The next season, in 2022, the team started 4-2 before winning 10 of their last 11 contests. Last season wasn’t much different as the Chiefs lost their first game of the season and, even though they won their next six games in a row, by Week 16 they still hadn’t fully figured things out. The team’s 9-6 record proved that to be true.
If the Raiders start their season hot and the Chiefs once again need time to get it all together, then yes, Las Vegas certainly can win the AFC West. Although, make no mistake; when it’s time for the postseason, the Chiefs are the gold standard.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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