Broncos coach Vic Fangio sees Raiders making ‘a big move' next season

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The Raiders are in the midst of a major overhaul, with the hopes that their second season under Jon Gruden in his second stint with the franchise goes better than the first.

They've made several notable acquisitions, like trading for wide receiver Antonio Brown and signing offensive tackle Trent Brown and safety Lamarcus Joyner, and are poised to further bolster their roster with three first-round draft picks in next month's draft, two of which were acquired in trades that jettisoned Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper.

The pieces are starting to fall into place for Gruden's updated vision for the Raiders, and at least one other NFL coach doesn't see that as happening by accident. Broncos coach Vic Fangio, the former 49ers and Bears defensive coordinator, believes better days are on the horizon for Oakland.

Fangio was hired by the Broncos in January after they finished 6-10 last season, third place in the AFC West and one spot ahead of the 4-12 Raiders. Denver traded for former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, but they've otherwise had a rather quiet offseason, particularly relative to Oakland's.

[RELATED: Gruden considers Mack trade catalyst for Raiders' offseason]

The Raiders were one last-second field goal from sweeping their two matchups with the Broncos last season, so the gap between the two longtime division rivals wasn't all that big. Given the additions the Raiders have made this offseason and the ones still yet to come, it's not hard to envision them overtaking the Broncos within the AFC West next season.

If the Raiders makes the big move that Fangio is expecting, who knows? They just might ascend even higher than that.

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