Every team is built differently and not all of them

No matter what an NFL team does Derek Carr Jersey White , there will be those who disagree with it. out as hoped. Few teams this offseason were more..." Raiders Free Agency 2019Raiders Draft 2019Raiders NewsRaiders offseason receives harsh criticism from some NFL execs while others see strategyNew,138commentsPDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Raiders offseason receives harsh criticism from some NFL execs while others see strategyTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailOakland RaidersNo matter what an NFL team does, there will be those who disagree with it. Every team is built differently and not all of them are going to work out as hoped. Few teams this offseason were more busy than the Raiders, so there was a lot to consider when ESPN put together their offseason grades.The Raiders were given a C+ grade.That’s not great, but there were certainly many teams who fared worse in the grades. It’s middle of the pack, considering there were 13 teams who got worse grades than the Raiders and a few who got the same grade. To help with their opinions on each team’s offseason moves, they asked some unnamed NFL executives to give their takes. This is where it gets interesting.Though the trade of Khalil Mack was not made this offseason, it was made just prior to last season and the first of the two draft picks acquired from the trade did occur in April when the Raiders made the Bears pick at 24 overall. They got Alabama RB Josh Jacobs.Also since then was the Amari Cooper trade which was made midseason and had the Raiders picking for the Cowboys at 27 overall, selecting Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram. One exec was not a fan of those swaps.”I would rather have Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper than Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Abram,” an exec said. “That is why it is dangerous to trade good players for draft picks. Those draft picks are super valuable until they are spent and then they are players that not everybody wants.”Another exec looked at the Mack trade in a different light. Because while the Raiders balked at the idea of paying the now 3-time All Pro Mack $23 million, they went out this offseason and made a somewhat unproven Trent Brown, who has never even made a Pro Bowl, the richest offensive lineman in NFL history.”They pass on Khalil Mack, but then they overpay the tackle [Trent Brown] and they overpay the safety [Lamarcus Joyner],” another exec said. “You could have had a dynamic pass-rusher [Mack] for $23 million a year, but now you are paying $27 million a year for a safety and a tackle who could not start in San Francisco two years ago.”These are all valid criticisms. Especially those with regard to Khalil Mack. There’s very little defense (so to speak) for making such a move.That being said, at least one exec sees a method to the madness.”They are paying a bunch of offensive guys and it is not a terrible strategy Clelin Ferrell Oakland Raiders Jersey ,” an exec said. “They are saying they will draft on defense and have guys for four years. Most of these big-time players getting cut are defensive guys, which I think played into their thinking on Mack. There is some evidence to support it and that is how they are building their team.”Trent Brown’s deal in particular shifts much of his money to his second year, which is great for him, but could be potentially bad for the Raiders because if he stumbles out the gates, they are stuck with him for at least two years. ”One thing they did was structure contracts to have big bucks in Year 2, for when they are in Vegas,” an exec said. “That is good for players, too, because there is no state income tax in Nevada.”Now, I know how this goes. Those of you who would be angry at these executives’ criticism will bitch that they should put their name on it. The fact of the matter is, if you want honesty — actual honesty — you get it with anonymity. That’s how journalism works. Otherwise you’re just a publicist. Follow @LeviDamien It looks as though the Raiders and Packers’ preseason matchup will take place in Winnpeg, Manitoba come August, according to Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press.The NFL is coming to..." Raiders NewsNFL finalizing deal to play Preseason Week 3 Raiders-Packers game in WinnipegNew,26commentsPDTIt looks as though the Raiders and Packers’ preseason matchup will take place in Winnpeg, Manitoba come August, according to Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press.Levi Damien previously reported that the location of the game was down to Green Bay or Winnipeg a few weeks ago, and it looks like Winnipeg won out. There have been a few other Canadian cities in consideration to host this game Cheap Clelin Ferrell Jersey , as I reported back in March, but the timing with other CFL teams such as Regina and Edmonton was never right to host this game. However, the Blue Bombers will be on the road that week, which is Week 11 of their season, so there is no conflict for the club.There will be a soccer game held at Winnipeg’s IG Field on Thursday, August 22, so it may be expected that the game will take place on either Saturday, August 24, or Sunday, August 25. No date is set in stone yet and the game has yet to be formally announced to take place in Winnipeg, but as soon as the date and time are known you’ll read it here.Week 3 is always the most exciting of the preseason weeks as the starters get a lot of run, so maybe we’ll get to see Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs and Antonio Brown go up against A. A. Ron Rodgers, Davante Adams and nobody else in particular ahead of their regular season matchup in Green Bay scheduled for October 20. This brings the total number of countries that the Raiders will compete in this year to three, and I fully expect them to host the Seattle Seahawks on the Moon by the year 2025.