Oakland Raiders Finally Have Direction, but Still Years Away from Contending

The Oakland Raiders haven't been contenders for almost a decade and—while things are looking up under new management—fans will need to wait a few more years before their team is finally back on top.

This fact doesn't exactly make Raiders fans happy. They've been waiting for a long time, and the AFC West is perennially up for grabs. With so much traded for Carson Palmer and so much young speed on the offense, shouldn't the Raiders be ready to win now?

No, not even close.

Great man though he was, Al Davis left the Raiders bereft of talent. The same method of operations that made Davis a Hall of Fame coach didn't work the same way in today's NFL. As other teams evolved, the Raiders' talent level degraded as old coaches were recycled again and again.

Enter Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen.

McKenzie spent years in Green Bay, learning from two of the best personnel men ever—Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson—before coming to Oakland. McKenzie also played for the Raiders and knows what history and culture mean to this team and to this fanbase. He's made it clear that things are going to be done a new way in Oakland...the right way.

Allen doesn't have quite the same pedigree that McKenzie has, but the laundry list of coaches he's served under is almost as impressive—Dan Reeves, Sean Payton, John Fox. What Allen knows about defense, he's learned from guys like Fox, Wade Phillips and college head coach R.C. Slocum. Allen hopes to bring that "Wrecking Crew" mentality to Oakland.

Those aren't retreads, and those aren't the "same old story" that Oakland has been used to in the past. McKenzie (49) and Allen (39) are rising stars in their respective positions. All signs point to these two men being competent and able to return the Raiders to glory.

Just, not yet.

The Raiders have a long way to go before they're consistent contenders in the NFL.

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