CLEVELAND, Ohio — With the release of the Browns’ 2024 schedule, we’re looking at each of the teams they will play this season in schedule order.
As I’ve done each of the past couple of years, I’ll look at the biggest changes for each team and what it means for their matchup vs. the Browns.
Today’s look is at the Browns’ Week 4 opponent: the Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite starting fourth-round quarterback Aidan O’Connell for the majority of games last season, the Raiders finished only one game below .500 at 8-9. Antonio Pierce came in as the interim head coach after Week 8 and not only led the team to some impressive wins, including a win at Kansas City on Christmas, but he earned the full-time job in 2024.
Here is a look at the Raiders offseason.
Check out links to other editions of this series at the bottom of this post.
Biggest addition: DT Christian Wilkins
The signing of Wilkins may have been the biggest splash signing from an AFC team this offseason. Las Vegas threw big money at Wilkins in the form of a four-year deal worth $110 million, including $84.75 million.
Wilkins has never gone to the Pro Bowl, but he has been a high-level defensive tackle for quite some time in Miami. He had a career-high nine sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2023, which was the third year in a row that he had double digit TFLs.
The Raiders now will get to pair him with Maxx Crosby, giving their star edge rusher a high-level lineman to take some pressure off him.
Biggest subtraction: RB Josh Jacobs
One of the bright spots in years past for the Raiders was the play of Jacobs. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and in 2022, he earned first team All-Pro honors.
But Jacobs has left the desert for Green Bay, signing a four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers. Jacobs may be coming off his worst season in terms of yards (805), yards per carry (3.5) and rushing touchdowns (six), but he’s a presence that won’t be easy to replace.
The pressure will be on third-year back Zamir White to replace him atop the RB depth chart. But White was very good down the stretch with 397 yards and a TD in the final four games of the season
Best draft pick: TE Brock Bowers
Quarterback was just out of reach of the Raiders as the top six went in the first 12 picks. So the Raiders simply took the best player left at the time in Bowers.
He was arguably the most impactful star at Georgia when the Bulldogs won national titles in 2021 and 2022. Bowers had 175 catches for 2,538 yards and 26 TDs in three seasons at Georgia.
Bowers is the prototypical matchup nightmare for opposing defenses because he’s too fast for linebackers and too big for most corners to cover. Despite questions about the ceiling of the Raiders at quarterback, Bowers has a chance to be a great weapon alongside Davante Adams.
What it means in their matchup with the Browns
The Raiders may be one of the more interesting teams to watch because they proved they can be better than the sum of their parts. Pierce deserves a lot of credit for how Las Vegas played at the end of last season.
The question is whether they can get enough from the quarterback position or if they’ll be in the market for one in the 2025 NFL Draft. If it’s the latter, despite the promising pieces around O’Connell and free agent signing Gardner Minshew, it could be a long year for the Raiders.
When it comes to playing the Browns, 2024 will be their first trip to Las Vegas. They will have to face a defensive front anchored by Crosby and Wilkins that is going to be tougher to play against than in years past. If White proves his run at the end of last season wasn’t a fluke, the Raiders will be as pesky a team as they were at the end of last season.
The Browns will need both the offensive and defensive lines to be on point when they head to Las Vegas.
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