Vegas Hockey Knight
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Oakland Raiders should follow the Vegas Golden Knights blueprint

By Andrew Steele-Davis

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 30: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders shouts over the crowd noise at Arrowhead Stadium during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 30, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 30: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders shouts over the crowd noise at Arrowhead Stadium during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 30, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 23: Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 23, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 23: Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 23, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Build a winning team

Now, before we get started, I am well aware that constructing a successful hockey team is a completely different undertaking compared to building a 53-man roster for an NFL franchise. The two are entire worlds apart, they are in different stratospheres. It’s basically apples and melons.

However, the premise is still the same for the sake of this piece. The Golden Knights, albeit they got a stroke of luck with how the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft was set up, had a clear plan in mind for how they wanted their roster to look and they executed it to perfection, resulting in a team that could compete for championships from the off.

The Raiders will, of course, arrive in Las Vegas with a roster in place already but they can take lessons from the Golden Knights when it comes to approaching free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft.

Firstly, and let’s be honest here, the residents of Las Vegas have opened their heart to hockey and the Golden Knights, but winning has to play a big part in that and the fact that they made a stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year without a doubt has played into that. If they stunk the place out from day one and were finishing with losing records, would they be packing out T-Mobile Arena and be able to boast the third highest TV ratings in the country for US hockey markets in 2018-19? Maybe, but I would be inclined to say that both of those numbers would have been way down if the Knights were woeful in that first year.

So, as such, the Raiders will need to explode out of the gate in their inaugural year in Vegas and there is added importance on the franchise enjoying a fast start. Unlike the Golden Knights, they aren’t starting from scratch, they have a rich history and they already have a large chunk of Raider Nation who are entrenched in Oakland and are reluctant to make the move to Vegas with their team.

CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 12: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) celebrates his game winning goal in overtime during an NHL hockey game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Blackhawks on January 12, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo By Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 12: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) celebrates his game winning goal in overtime during an NHL hockey game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Blackhawks on January 12, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo By Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

They will need to be won over as will current NFL neutrals who reside in Las Vegas that will want to pledge their allegiance to one team. Could the Raiders be that team? Quite possibly, but they will need to produce an on-field product that attracts both existing fans and potential newcomers.

How do they do that? Build a winning team for starters. Again, unlike the Golden Knights, the Raiders won’t need an Expansion Draft to construct a roster, which the Knights did extremely well as backed up by their stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year, because they already have a roster that has a strong core.

They have a quarterback with some level of promise in Derek Carr and if some of that potential can be tapped into this year, then that should fill Raider Nation with plenty of confidence ahead of making the move to Las Vegas. Then you have star power in wide receiver Antonio Brown who is without doubt a master of his craft.

He was an All-Pro four straight years from 2014-17 and was the first player to rack up at least 100 catches and 1,200 yards receiving in six straight seasons. Plus, his 686 catches and 9,145 yards since 2013 are the most for any player in a six-year span, which tells you all you need to know about Brown’s prowess.

OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders drops back to pass against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter of their NFL fooball game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 30, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders drops back to pass against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter of their NFL fooball game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 30, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

There is no doubt that Brown has all the talent required to both be a productive machine for the Raiders, as well as being the face of the franchise and the main draw once they head to Vegas, provided he remembers to wear protective foot gear when undergoing a Cryotherapy session (yes, we went there).

The Raiders also have a collection of intriguing rookies in running back Josh Jacobs, defensive end Clelin Ferrell and safety Johnathan Abram, who will add an influx of fresh young talent to the Raiders roster this year and should be the future of the franchise going forward. This team will need young stars to build their identity around when in Las Vegas and those three will be at the heart of that.

Plus, the Raiders hold multiple First Round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft and will be able to add to their abundance of talent, while continuing to makeover a roster that has a slew of flaws as it is currently constituted. There is a lot of work to be done for this franchise in terms of applying a radical makeover to this roster, but they got a head start in this year’s Draft and if they can add more valuable pieces in the 2020 Draft and via free agency, then Las Vegas should be welcoming a team that can at least compete week in and week out.

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