ALAMEDA, Calif. _ Thus concludes the most important offseason in the history of a storied franchise.
When coach Jon Gruden canceled Thursday's final practice of the Raiders' mandatory mimicamp, players went their separate ways until training camp convenes on July 26 at the Napa Valley Marriott.
The roster bears little resemblance to the one that left the field in a 35-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Dec. 30 to finish 4-12. A team that couldn't move the ball consistently on offense and gave up a franchise record 467 points with just 13 sacks on defense has undergone the most dramatic and talked about overhaul in the NFL.
Gruden and new general manager Mike Mayock, under authorization by owner Mark Davis, were on the attack from the outset. They brought in big-ticket veterans in their prime such as wide receiver Antonio Brown, wide receiver Tyrell Williams, right tackle Trent Brown and slot corner LaMarcus Joyner at a combined cost of more than $109 million in guaranteed money.
The draft, bolstered by last season's trades of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, added three first-round draft picks that are expected to contribute immediately, plus other picks that could quickly be in the mix for playing time.
The Raiders stayed healthy throughout the offseason other than losing running back Isaiah Crowell to a torn Achilles'. They acted quickly, bringing back Doug Martin, who had a bounce-back year in 2018.
A look at the eight most significant developments of the Raiders' offseason:
