Chiefs, Chargers continue to charge ahead in competitive AFC West
By Ellen Mathis
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are coming off their bye week, but that does not mean there isn’t a lot to talk about. The biggest news out of Oakland is their continued purging of players. Wide receiver Amari Cooper was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a first round pick this week. This seems to be a clear win for the Raiders as Amari Cooper is probably not worth the first round pick, but it remains to be seen how the Raiders will capitalize on having 3 first round picks in the upcoming draft.
Additionally, reports are out that there is some real turmoil in the locker room. Derek Carr has had to take to Twitter to defend himself against reports that there is a fractured relationship between him and the rest of the team. Who knows what is going on, but it would appear that no one is safe from a trade out of Oakland. Jon Gruden continues to amass picks for the 2019 draft. It looks like the Raiders are in full rebuild mode now. What does that mean for the future of Carr as a Raider? Who knows.
The Raiders have also placed running back Marshawn Lynch on injured reserve after he underwent groin surgery on Thursday. It is unclear if he will return, but the soonest could be the Christmas Eve game against the Denver Broncos.
Next week, the Raiders take on the Indianapolis Colts and Andrew Luck. The Colts have been playing fine while the Raiders continue to plummet. Luck has thrown 20 touchdowns on the season to Carrs’ 7. I would imagine that the Colts walk out with a win as the ever struggling Raiders probably drop to 1-6. Game time is 3:25 p.m.