5 reasons why Raiders will fail with Jon Gruden

4. The Raiders don’t have a great base of talent

Oakland went 12-4 back in 2016, reaching the postseason for the first time since reaching Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002 season. The result was a combination of good fortune and career years. The Raiders won all six of their games that were either decided by three points or less or that ended in overtime, while Carr played himself into the MVP conversation.

The expectations should have been tempered going into 2017 with those ideas in mind, but the hype machine ran, and Jack Del Rio eventually got run. Now, Gruden takes over a team that has a solid quarterback (Carr), an intriguing but inconsistent receiver (Cooper) and a Hall of Fame-level pass-rusher (Mack).

Outside of those three, the skill positions and defensive talent is severely lacking. Marshawn Lynch and Bruce Irvin are the most recognizable names of that group, but they are role players, not leading men. The offensive line remains a strength behind Kelechi Osemele and Rodney Hudson, but that’s a moot point without better weaponry.

The national notion seems to be that Gruden is taking over a franchise teeming with potential. The reality? Gruden is stepping into a situation with a few stars and a ton of question marks.