Raiders picked to finish last in AFC West by Colin Cowherd

The Oakland Raiders have an intriguing situation brewing, but FOX Sports radio host Colin Cowherd isn’t buying into the hype.

If you follow the NFL, the Oakland Raiders were inescapable this offseason. After firing Jack Del Rio on the final Sunday of the 2017 season, owner Mark Davis made the splash hire of the winter, luring Jon Gruden out of the broadcast booth and onto the sidelines for 10 years and $100 million.

Many believe that Oakland is going to return to its glory days with Gruden running the show, but don’t count FOX Sports radio host Colin Cowherd among them. On his Monday show, Cowherd went through the AFC West and broke down the good and bad.

Ultimately, he believes the Los Angeles Chargers will win the division and secure a No. 2 seed in the conference. The Kansas City Chiefs are his second-place team with a 9-7 record, while the Denver Broncos are thought to go 7-9.

As for the Raiders, Cowherd sees them as a mess, finishing at 5-11. His main reason? Gruden not being able to find his way after being out of football for a decade.

Frankly, it’s tough to get a handle on who Oakland is going to be this season. On one hand, Khalil Mack is a generational talent coming off the edge, and the secondary can only be better with the returns of Gareon Conley and Obi Melifonwu. Offensively, Derek Carr and Amari Cooper should be better this year than they were last, and the line remains a constant.

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On the other hand, the defense still has a litany of holes, and Cooper hasn’t been the star many thought he would be following his excellent rookie season. Additionally, is Gruden crazy for signing so many older free agents this offseason such as Jordy Nelson, Doug Martin, Keith Smith and others?

Only time will tell, but Cowherd isn’t buying what the Raiders are selling.