The Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots have existed at opposite ends of the NFL spectrum for the past two decades. While the Raiders have struggled just to remain relevant, the Patriots have vied season after season for the AFC East crown and the Lombardi Trophy. But this offseason, the balance of power seems to have shifted. That's not to say that the Patriots are suddenly close to dropping their top contender label - they'll hold onto that as long as Tom Brady is playing and Bill Belichick is coaching. But the Raiders have served notice that Oaktown is no longer an NFL destination to deride.
Yes, it's probably premature to utter Raiders in the same breath as Patriots, but it's not as far apart as you once would have thought. As such, it's not surprising to hear that both teams are paying close attention to a 2016 NFL Draft prospect who brings immense talent, but also a bevy of question marks with him to the professional game.
Torian White, a standout UCLA offensive tackle dismissed by the Bruins after allegations of sexual assault surfaced, is reportedly drawing interest from the Raiders and the Patriots, as well as the Seattle Seahawks.
White, 6-foot-5, 317-pounds, played the last two years at Hampton after being dismissed from UCLA. He avoided criminal charges, but the stain of the allegations stuck with him.
White held his pro day on Friday and put on a quality show for the Raiders, Patriots and other teams, logging 20 reps on the bench press and running 40's in the 5.2 range.
For the Raiders, a culture change certainly seems to be underway. Thanks to the development of Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack, no longer are the Raiders a last ditch free agent destination. Adding Kelechi Osemele, Bruce Irvin and Sean Smith in one offseason proves that.
But would adding a guy like White push the Raiders back into questionable territory? Not necessarily. In fact, it could be argued that chasing the same kinds of players that the Patriots and Seahawks - two teams that represent the cream of the NFL crop and that often mine diamonds in the rough from various areas outside the first-round of the draft and the early days of free agency - is a good sign for the franchise.
Now, they'd have to be comfortable with White's explanation for what happened at UCLA, but there's no denying his talent.
There's no knowing where White will end up and whether the Raiders, Pats or any other team is really that serious about picking him up. But roster building is an inexact science and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie is developing a deft hand for the kind of shrewd moves that have allowed New England and Seattle to excel in recent years.
