Although they have been avoiding it like the plague over the last few years and making irresponsible offseason moves to maintain a semblance of "competitiveness," the Las Vegas Raiders finally admitted that they needed to rebuild this offseason.
That began with firing an aging head coach, Pete Carroll, and replacing him with a young, offensive-minded leader in Klint Kubiak. Yes, the front office spent a lot in free agency, but that was out of necessity, and they didn't add anyone older than 27. They traded veteran talent and stockpiled picks.
Rebuilding the right way is hard, and it starts with getting the head coach and quarterback right. On Thursday evening, the Raiders finally nailed the second half of that equation with the No. 1 overall pick that everyone knew was coming all along: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Now, the rebuild is fully underway.
Las Vegas Raiders now have central figure in rebuild with Fernando Mendoza on the roster
Having a young quarterback that was selected early in the NFL Draft on the roster changes so much for an organization. Not only does it force front offices, coaching staffs and fanbases to be incredibly patient, but it gives all involved something to look forward to. It takes the pressure off.
If the Raiders look good with Kirk Cousins under center to begin the year, then everything in Las Vegas is ahead of schedule. When the Mendoza is finally ready, or Cousins begins to lose it a bit, the young quarterback would be walking into an advantageous situation for an inexperienced player.
Should the team not be able to support its quarterback, as many fans and pundits expect, then at least the older signal-caller is out there taking the bumps and bruises instead of the rookie. The roster can grow around the veteran, and Mendoza can be inserted when the team is ready for him.
Or, if Cousins is a trainwreck with Las Vegas, then Kubiak and his staff have quite the ace in the hole. Mendoza is the ultimate player in the bullpen for the Raiders to call upon if the offense needs a jolt or the fanbase and team need something to get excited about again in a trying season.
To build around Mendoza, the front office would be wise to continue beefing up the offensive line until it has five surefire starters. Adding a big pass-catcher out wide with the ability to make contested grabs and adjust to back-shoulder throws would play nicely into Mendoza's skill set as well.
Finding another young running back to add to the fold to give Kubiak the two-headed monster that he wants in the backfield would be great, too. After all, a strong running game is a quarterback's best friend, and Mendoza has no issue letting his running backs eat, as they did at Indiana.
Bolstering the defense to take the pressure off Mendoza so he doesn't have to play hero ball is another way to aid this rebuild. Clearly, the Raiders have many avenues that they can go down to eventually make life easier for their future franchise quarterback.
One thing is clear: Drafting Mendoza is the official beginning of this rebuild. Yes, the team made many decisions this offseason that were clear investments in the young player and the future. But now that he's officially in the building, every choice must be made with Mendoza's best interests in mind.
We'll get there eventually, Raider Nation. But let's be patient, as a watched pot never boils. Mendoza is a great young player, but not a perfect prospect. That said, he'll surely do everything he can to return this franchise to greatness. Las Vegas won't be built in a day, but the foundation is now laid.