A few years ago, the Oakland Raiders were the current New York Jets: a perennial also-ran that rebooted by gutting its roster. They created a ton of cap space, spent money in free agency and drafted two cornerstone players, Derek Carr and Khalil Mack. They suffered through another three losing seasons and a coaching change, but it finally clicked last season with a playoff appearance.
On Thursday, the Raiders took another big step, locking up their franchise quarterback -- Carr -- with a reported five-year extension for $125 million.
The Raiders' ascent shows there is hope for the Jets, but it will take time, patience, smart decision-making and, yes, a little bit of luck.