It is officially the offseason and it is time to get to the real work. The Las Vegas Raiders have their coaching staff fully intact. Got to say, I am very optimistic about this staff and the direction this team can truly head into. In saying that, the Raiders have plenty of holes to fill on their roster.

The obvious is a quarterback and you can even make a case for the Raiders to address the run game. In what is a copy cat league, the Raiders should follow the blueprint that the Philadelphia Eagles laid out that helped lead them to a convincing Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Follow the Blueprint and Build

It’s definitely a league that’s built on scoring. Very pass heavy and loads of offense. The mantra of defense wins championships doesn’t exist as much, but the Eagles proved that to be wrong. Their defense came up large and helped put themselves in prime position to score, given the turnover margin. The credit should not just go to the Eagles. In 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl 31-9. Everyone talks about this blowout, but Mahomes has been blown out before. As a Raiders fan, it’s been amusing, but the Chiefs are still a top tier organization. The big difference between the Bucs and the Eagles was how they got to Mahomes.

The Bucs ran numerous blitzes and all you saw was Mahomes run around like a chicken with its head cut off. When it came to the Eagles, they blitzed ZERO times and got six sacks. That’s magnificent and truly putting emphasis on them winning the battle in the trenches.

The Eagles had the top ranked defense when it came to average yards against. They also excelled in the pass game and had the fewest pass yards allowed per game on an average basis. They were led by players that were on rookie contracts. They played a huge factor into making them successful. But the Eagles defensive front was a huge reason for them having success and they were led by Jalen Carter.

The Eagles had more than just Carter. They had Sweat, Baun, Williams, and Smith Jr. In addition, they are led by Vic Fangio who is one of the best defensive coordinators in the sport. So how do the Raiders build and go from here?

How the Raiders Can Follow Suit

The Raiders have one of the best pass rushers in the sport. Maxx Crosby is a force to be reckoned with and teams are always looking to double team him. Furthermore, they do have Christian Wilkins in the middle and finally have that interior pressure. But the Raiders did rank near the bottom in sacks this season, so they need to improve their pass rush overall. The Raiders didn’t get a full season of this duo, as Wilkins missed most of the season. For the Raiders to follow that blueprint, they need to bolster the pass rush.

There are numerous routes the Raiders can go with the sixth overall pick. It all depends what QB is available and what the teams in front of them do. But if the Raiders decide that they want to beef up their defense, the draft is loaded with pass rushing talent.

Much like the Eagles, the Raiders should beef up their trenches and aim to win the battle on the front lines. Abdul Carter would be a pipe dream if he falls to sixth overall, as he is the best pass rusher in the draft. One thing the Raiders could do is bolster their secondary and look for an added boost for that layer of the defense.

Having a healthy Wilkins, Crosby, and maybe the possibility of bringing Malcolm Koonce back, the Raiders could have something brewing. Luckily, they’ll have Patrick Graham returning, so there is familiarity and for a team that’s finished inside the top 15 for defense the last two seasons, this is inspiring.

What it also comes down to is the ability to draft, evaluate the talent, and plug them into play. Spytek has work to do, but bringing in the youth and allowing them to impact the lineup is going to be key. He’s done it before with the Bucs, and like the Eagles they had a lot of youth impact the group.

The blueprint is there. Time to build.