The run that the Las Vegas Raiders went on to make the playoffs this year was quite an improbable one. Given all of the obstacles that they faced during the season, no one expected them to be able to rally and make the late-season run that they did.
Jon Gruden resigned after some of his email interactions were leaked during the investigation into the Washington Football Team. 2020 first-round picks, wide receiver Henry Ruggs III and cornerback Damon Arnette, were both released. Ruggs was involved in a drunk driving accident that was fatal, while Arnette posted a video of him brandishing weapons and making threats online.
Despite all of that, they were able to finish the season 10-7 and earn a Wild Card spot. They fell just short against the Cincinnati Bengals on Wild Card weekend, losing 26-19.
This season, the Raiders are hoping to take another step and advance in the postseason. Josh McDaniels was hired away from the New England Patriots to take over as head coach, which has created some buzz around what he will do with the offense.
The team has a need at the wide receiver spot and should look to fill it aggressively. Many people have connected them to Davante Adams, but it would be hard to imagine the Green Bay Packers not placing the franchise tag on him to keep him in town.
With Adams expected to remain with the Packers, CBS Sports believes the Raiders will instead pursue DJ Chark. Chark is predicted to leave the Jacksonville Jaguars and sign a three-year deal worth $37.5 million with Las Vegas.
Chark would bring the speed element that the offense lost when Ruggs was released. But, he is more than a one-trick pony as he possesses a more developed route tree than just using his speed to run deep. With Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller excelling in the short and intermediate routes, Chark would help open things off by taking the top off of the defense.
Injuries are a real concern for Chark, as he has missed at least one game in all four seasons in the NFL and at least three in all but one. There will be plenty of motivation on his part to prove he can be one of the better receivers in the NFL when healthy and to shake the label of being a big guy that plays little, as Urban Meyer described him.
With the Raiders, he could become their nominal No. 1 receiver, which he has the size and skillset to live up to. He may end up being the third player in the pecking order for targets, but that is a spot we have seen Tyrell Williams, Nelson Agholor, Zay Jones and Ruggs excel in previously.
