Jon Gruden had a clear roster-building strategy going into the 2018 season with the Oakland Raiders Womens Antonio Brown Jersey , and that was to fill the roster with cheap veterans who would help him and defensive coordinator..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Raiders StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Raiders NewsYahoo Raiders Team PageYahoo Raiders ReportYahoo Raiders Depth ChartYahoo Raiders TransactionsYahoo Raiders PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Raiders sport one of NFL’s youngest rosters after having oldest group in 2018New,41commentsPDTShareTweetShareShareRaiders sport one of NFL’s youngest rosters after having oldest group in 2018Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsJon Gruden had a clear roster-building strategy going into the 2018 season with the Oakland Raiders, and that was to fill the roster with cheap veterans who would help him and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther implement their systems. This resulted in the Raiders having the oldest 53-man roster in the NFL, That’s not a long-term strategy and never was designed to be, and it was been totally turned upside-down this year as the current Raiders roster is incredibly young, with an average age of 25.35 years (yes, I did this math myself thank you very much).For reference, the youngest team in the NFL last season after the 53-man cuts was the Cincinnati Bengals, who were on average 25.2 years old, and the Browns came in second with an average age of 25.3 years old, identical to the Raiders’ current 90-man roster. The Raiders’ average age in 2018 was 27.4, which was nearly six months older on average than the 31st oldest team, the Atlanta Falcons whose average age was 26.9.Oakland also had the oldest team in 2014, with a veteran lineup surrounding rookies Derek Carr and Khalil Mack for an average age of 27 even, but made the playoffs in 2016 with the 13th-youngest roster of 26 years even on average.The Raiders are mostly made up currently of players 27 years old and younger, and have only six players over the age of 29 on their roster, one of whom is the long snapper Antonio Brown Jersey White , Andrew DePaola, and none of whom are over the age of 31. Contrast this to last season when the opening week roster included aged veterans Donald Penn, Reggie Nelson, Jordy Nelson, Marshawn Lynch and several other players who were long in the tooth. The only Raiders over the age of 29 who are expected to be major contributors this season are Doug Martin and Antonio Brown, both of whom are 30 years old. Rookies Josh Jacobs and Maxx Crosby are still 21, while Johnathan Abram and Clelin Ferrell are 22. All four are expected to see plenty of playing time and be major factors in 2019.The roster won’t stay this young after cutdown day to the 53-man roster. Several of the rookies and players under 23 years old won’t make it or will be placed on the practice squad, and that will skew the average a bit higher. But some of the older players might not make it either, and it’s unlikely, mathematically speaking, that the average age of the Raiders will be over 26. That will still make them one of the youngest teams in the league and on paper one of the teams most set up for long-term success. CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Oakland and the Los Angeles Chargers both come into Sunday’s game ranked in the Top 10 in total offense. The matchup between AFC West rivals is likely to come down to who has the greatest success running the ball.Both teams had a 100-yard rusher in their wins last week. The Raiders‘ Marshawn Lynch had 130 yards in a 45-42 overtime victory over Cleveland , while the Chargers’ Melvin Gordon gained 104 yards on the ground in a 29-27 win over San Francisco .Lynch and Gordon are both ranked in the Top 10 in rushing. Lynch is fourth with 300 yards and has shown flashes of being back to the level he displayed in Seattle from 2011-14, when he had four straight 1,000-yard seasons. Gordon is seventh with 276 yards.Both players are showing they are physical runners in different ways. Lynch has generated 77.3 percent of his yards after contact according to SportRadar, the highest percentage among the top 24 backs. Gordon is tied for third in broken tackles with 12.“There’s not a lot of backs that can say they run the football like he does. He still has elusiveness and speed,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said about Lynch. “ he feeds off of it.”Gordon is also making an impact in the passing game as he is tied for the Chargers’ lead in receptions with 17. That has allowed him to lead the AFC in yards from scrimmage with 475.“He’s really done a great job as a receiver and really been a factor to make huge plays for us Bo Jackson Jersey White ,” Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. “I think he has been driven to get his game to another level, and I think we’re seeing the benefit to that. He’s worked hard. He’s studied it.”Both teams are looking for a win to avoid falling to 0-2 in division games. Quarterback Philip Rivers said the Chargers need to start stringing together wins to avoid falling further behind unbeaten Kansas City.“I think we’re just playing a little better all the way around. A little more complementary all the way around,” Rivers said. “But certainly, you know, this is no time to keep going win-loss, win-loss, win-loss. So it’s an opportunity for us to get our second win in a row and get above .500 and keep going.”Here are some other things to watch as the Chargers look for their third straight victory over the Raiders:CARR VS. RIVERSOakland’s Derek Carr and Rivers have split their first eight meetings. Both are coming into the game with momentum.Carr is looking for his third straight 300-yard game, which would be the first time that has happened in his five-year career. Rivers has thrown 11 touchdowns, tying for the most he has thrown in the first four games.PASS RUSH HELPThe Chargers are hoping defensive tackle Corey Liuget’s return from a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers helps improve a pass rush that has struggled.Los Angeles has only eight sacks as Melvin Ingram has been frequently been double-teamed. Defensive end Joey Bosa will miss his fifth straight game due to a foot injury.ROOKIE TACKLESThe Raiders will have an untested tackle this week after right tackle Donald Penn was placed on IR with a groin injury. Rookie Brandon Parker will step in and team with fellow rookie Kolton Miller, who is on the left side protecting Carr. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this will be the first time since the 1970 merger that the Raiders will have two rookie tackles starting in a game.DEFENSIVE HELPThe Raiders hope the anticipated debut of cornerback Daryl Worley will help eliminate the big plays that have plagued the defense. Oakland has allowed a league-worst five 50-yard or longer plays and is tied for second worst with 23 plays allowed of at least 20 yards. Worley should provide a needed boost in the secondary as he returns from a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policies on substance abuse and personal conduct.WHOSE HOME GAME?The Raiders left Los Angeles in 1994, but they still have a large and boisterous contingent of fans in the area. When the Raiders played a preseason game against the Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 21, it sounded like a Raiders home game. Even though the StubHub Center seats only 27,000, it is likely the crowd will be predominantly silver and black.The Chargers have won five of their past six at StubHub, but it hasn’t felt like a home-field advantage. Last Sunday’s game against the 49ers appeared to have more San Francisco fans.