The Las Vegas Raiders are set to usher in a new era at Allegiant Stadium in the 2020 NFL season. The Raiders have experienced some major turnover since the arrival of head coach Jon Gruden and it has ultimately culminated with their looming relocation.
Although the team is doing what it can to maintain the rich tradition they established in Oakland, it is safe to say that playing in Las Vegas will also come with a few perks of its own.
Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock have acknowledged that they have a number of voids to fill on the roster this offseason. They are hoping to take full advantage of the appeal that comes with playing in their new home.
Gruden feels that Las Vegas and the new Allegiant Stadium will serve as an ideal landing spot in their pitch to future free agents, via the team’s website:
“In previous years, the agents don’t come across the hallway to see you, you got to go look for them,” Gruden said. “Players want to come play for the Raiders, I think, because of the silver and black and their tradition to start with. The stadium, the excitement, Las Vegas. It really gives us an outstanding vehicle to recruit players. Hopefully, it all works out for us.”
It is no secret that Las Vegas already serves as a hotbed for players looking to unwind during the offseason. Now that professional sports had made its way into the city with the NHL, WNBA, and even the NBA Summer League, it is starting to become a destination where household names could potentially look to settle down.
The Raiders have managed to make their presence felt with the design of their sleek, new stadium just off the strip. They have also spared no expense to provide fans and players with a state-of-the-art facility stocked with all the bells and whistles on the inside to call home.
Their biggest priority now is making sure that they put a product out on the field that matches the glitz and glamour that comes with performing in Las Vegas. Although Gruden and Mayock have put together a strong rookie class to take bring with them, they are still in need of some more star power on both sides of the ball if they hope to kick off the 2020 campaign in style.
