Are the Raiders a 'Healthy' Franchise? Pt. 5

A well-respected NFL executive told our Hondo Carpenter Sr. the five key things that you judge to know if your franchise is healthy. This series, a Raider's Today exclusive, is a look into how the Las Vegas Raiders fit within those five indicators.

Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

Recently, our Las Vegas Raiders beat writer Hondo Carpenter Sr. and his wife, Shannon, had dinner with a widely respected NFL executive. That dinner revealed a fascinating revelation.

The executive told Carpenter what he considered the five indicators of a healthy franchise.

The fifth and final indicator of a healthy franchise is the organization's unity and vision. A clear direction of where the team should be, and all levels of the franchise bought in.

"You can have the right owner, you can have the right coach," Carpenter said on the "Las Vegas Insider Podcast." "But if the players aren't on board, you don't succeed. And you gotta have everybody on the same page going in the right direction. ... It is imperative in life, whether it's a business, a family, a church, a relationship, a football team -- everybody's gotta be on the same page. You can't have a owner who opens an Italian restaurant but his cook only wants to cook Mexican food. ... This is the off the field stuff, this is why you heard me ask [Coach] Antonio Pierce at the NFL owner's meeting about, he's the guardian of the locker room, the culture. This is why sometimes you got a player who is a fit to your scheme, but you're like eh, I don't know if he's going to fit in my locker room."

General manager Tom Telesco and Pierce have been on the same page since Telesco's arrival in January, and it has shown this offseason. The signing of Gardner Minshew to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting job at quarterback has fostered an already competitive atmosphere.

Minshew, a fiery competitor, has proven to be the right personality for the team. He and O'Connell have embraced the competition admirably, and it can make the Raiders a better team.

The Raiders established a goal for their new identity, to be a physical team with a punishing defense and vertical offense. In embracing this identity, the Raiders signed defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and drafted linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and cornerback Decamerion Richardson on defense.

On offense, adding lineman Cody Whitehair and Andrus Peat from free agency, along with drafting Day 1 starter Jackson Powers-Johnson, bolstered the Raiders offensive line. Drafting generational tight end Brock Bowers, who projects to be an impact playmaker right away, gives another weapon to whoever wins the QB1 job.

The Raiders are in a better place currently than they have been in recent seasons. It could manifest into more tallies in the win column.

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