‘It’s family’: Last remaining Oakland Raiders carry deep bond

The franchise’s fourth relocation, this time to Las Vegas, occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. That altered the Raiders’ plans of conducting their offseason program in Alameda before transitioning to their new Henderson home.

“I had a storage unit up there and I never ended up going back,” said Cole, one of four players still on the roster who made the move. “I feel like in some ways I never got to say goodbye. I had stuff in the facility. I had stuff in the storage unit. So in some ways, it was super weird. Every now and then I catch myself telling a story to someone that starts, ‘When we were in Oakland,’ and I realize I sound so old when I say that. Because nobody even knows what it was like there.”

The only other players that can relate to Cole are kicker Daniel Carlson, defensive end Maxx Crosby and left tackle Kolton Miller. The bond the quartet has formed through all the upheaval the organization has endured in recent years remains strong.

“It’s family,” Miller said. “The camaraderie, the brotherhood. To be able to continue that journey with the Oakland boys, it’s pretty freaking cool.”

Carlson believes the ups and downs the four have experienced with the Raiders have made them more connected.

“We all have respect for each other’s crafts and how hard we all work,” Carlson said. “There’s respect for the longevity because it’s rare in this business and we’ve seen it through Oakland and Vegas and COVID and some of the crazy times, so it’s cool to have that shared respect.

“It’s a pride that we’ve been able to be a part of this transition.”

Different arrivals

Miller, 29, was the first to arrive when the Raiders drafted him No. 15 overall in 2018 out of UCLA. Carlson, 30, was signed as a free agent in Week 8 that season.

Crosby, 28, came a year later when the Raiders picked him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft out of Eastern Michigan. Cole, 29, later joined Crosby in the team’s rookie class that season as an undrafted free agent from North Carolina State.

Pete Carroll is the fifth coach the quartet has played for with the Raiders. Carroll, who is trying to change the organization’s culture, appreciates the leadership the four bring.

“Those guys bring us the connection to our history,” Carroll said. “This has been an incredible franchise for tons of years and I go way back with that. So for us to bring in our new way of looking at things to complement what has already been created in the past and to have those guys is crucial.

“And there’s something about the history in this particular situation of carrying the pain. It hasn’t been good. It hasn’t been what they want. So, they’re as hungry as you can get and as hungry as the guys coming in with the big chips on their shoulders.”

The group also added a new member this week. At least kind of.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper, who the Raiders drafted No. 4 overall in 2015, signed a one-year deal with the team Monday. Cooper was traded to the Cowboys in 2018, one day before Carlson was signed, so Miller is the only teammate still around from his first stint with the organization.

Cooper, 31, also left long before the Raiders moved to Las Vegas.

“It’s not every day that number goes up, so Amari definitely counts as an Oakland Raider,” Cole said. “But I don’t think he counts in the survivor pool.”

Sticking around

Cole, Carlson, Miller and Crosby often joke about who will be the last man standing. Carlson is entering the final year of his contract. But Cole, Miller and Crosby signed extensions this offseason.

They have all said they hope to be a Raider for life.

They also want to make sure the rest of their tenures have more highs than lows.

“It means a lot to me, being a part of the Silver and Black and the history. I feel like I’ve said it a million times, I feel like I was meant to be a Raider. I love being here. I love the people. And you look at all the legends that created what this brand is, and that’s winning,” Crosby said after signing his new deal in March. “It’s one thing to be a face of a franchise, but I want to be a winner. And that’s truly all that matters to me.”

Carroll, who led the Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl 48, hopes to take care of the winning part. But the players don’t want to forget about the past as they dream of the future.

“I think the history of the Raiders organization from Oakland to L.A. to Oakland to Vegas is a unique journey and I think it’s the job of the guys who have been here for a while to tell that story,” Cole said.

All four had special memories from their time in California.

Miller, a Redwood City native, got to start his NFL journey in his home state. Crosby was an unknown his first training camp, when the Raiders were featured on the series “Hard Knocks,” but later became a star. Cole and Carlson tried to practice on a baseball field at Auburn in the offseason to simulate the challenges posed by the Oakland Coliseum, which also housed baseball’s Athletics at the time.

None of them will forget those experiences, even though they’ve since moved to an upgraded facility and a shiny new home in Allegiant Stadium.

“I’m really glad we got to experience it,” Cole said. “The tradition, the game day atmosphere, just being in the Bay Area and feeling the energy. The (Golden State) Warriors were still there and the A’s were still there. I think it’s sad the sports teams are all gone, but there was a real buzz in the area. It was cool to live there. It was cool to play on the baseball field. It was cool to be in a facility so many legends have come through. The history and tradition, I think it means a little more to the guys who played in Oakland because we understand it a little more. And there’s really nothing that will ever replace the Black Hole.

“It was a beautiful thing and I’m glad I got to see it.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.