About the Project » Let’s start with some background.The Oakland

Could the Oakland Raiders — currently homeless in 2019 — play their home games in London next season?According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys 2019 , it’s at least a possibility. Raiders’ lease on the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum has run out, and the new stadium being built for the Raiders in Las Vegas will not be ready before the 2020 season.That leaves the Raiders without a home for the 2019 season.All other things being equal, the Raiders would prefer to remain in Oakland in 2019 — except there’s a little problem: in early December, the city of Oakland filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the Raiders and the NFL over the team’s move to Las Vegas, attempting to recover tens of millions of dollars to pay off the remaining debt on renovations to the Coliseum.“I personally want to play in Oakland,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a November ESPN interview. “I absolutely want to play in Oakland. We have a completed lease sitting with the city council, that all they have to do is agree to it and we’re here next year.”Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images“Emotionally, I would say, why would I give them $3 (million), $4 (million), $5 million in rent that they’re going to turn around and use to sue me?” Davis said of the then-potential lawsuit. “But, at the same time, if they’ll have us, I can’t turn on the fans. I can’t do it. And this is terrible negotiating I’m doing now. I’m going to get killed. But that’s just the way I am. But, if in fact it does get ugly, and can’t be bridged, we do have options.”One the lawsuit was filed, the team announced that it would not return to the Coliseum in 2019 — which is why the Raiders’ final 2018 home game against the Broncos on Monday night was so fraught with emotion; it could easily have been the final game the Raiders will play in the Coliseum.But where would they play next season?Last week Darwin Thompson Jersey nfl draft , the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Raiders were in preliminary discussions to play their 2019 games in AT&T Park — home of the San Francisco Giants baseball franchise.The Chronicle story said that it would be January before a deal could be reached for that facility, and also quoted Davis and Raiders team president Marc Badain.Those options could include Reno, San Diego, Glendale — and even Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco.In mid-December, KGO-TV in San Francisco reported that city officials were preparing for the possibility the Raiders might want to share that stadium with the San Francisco 49ers — even though they had not heard anything from the Raiders.According to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the Raiders will have to have something figured out before February so that the NFL can begin its scheduling process.So that’s a lot of uncertainty for a situation that will have to be resolved in the next six weeks.Enter Jay Glazer.In a short segment aired on Sunday morning, Glazer reported that the possibility that the Raiders could play their home games in London next season is on the table.“London is now an option for the Raiders; it’s being discussed for them to play next year,” Glazer said. “They’re still trying to figure it out. Other owners have brought it up to the Raiders, [and] the Raiders are discussing it.”The Raiders were already one of five teams slated to host an international game in 2019 — four of them to be played in London, and one in Mexico City.Could it really be possible they could play seven more in London?The scheduling alone would at first appear to be impossible, but according to Glazer, what’s being discussed is that the Raiders would have two four-game homestands in London separated by two four-game road trips.That would mean the Raiders would have to have a practice facility in the London area, plus one in the United States — presumably their existing facility in Oakland.And it would also mean that a lot of NFL teams — including the Kansas City Chiefs — would have to travel to London in 2019.Putting aside the logistical issues the Raiders — and their opponents — would have to face under such a plan, it makes sense on one level.Given the substantial effort the NFL has put into its international outreach, you have to wonder if a one-year trial for a London home team might be useful to the NFL.Could a franchise build a fan base in London by playing all of its home games there for a season?Strictly as a laboratory experiment, you can see the value the NFL might see in such a plan.NFL: International Series-Seattle Seahawks at Oakland RaidersKirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsBut on the other hand... why London instead of Mexico City?If the Raiders were to play their home games in Mexico City — while continuing to use their existing practice facilities in Oakland — the logistical problems would be greatly reduced.Mexico City would be less of a strain on both the Raiders and their opponents — if for no other reason than the teams wouldn’t be traveling across nearly as many time zones.And the NFL could still have the benefit of a laboratory experiment on what happens when an NFL team plays a full season in another country.To be sure, after the bizarre incident this season where the Chiefs-Rams game was moved to Los Angeles at the last minute after the Estadio Azteca field in Mexico City was discovered to be in poor condition, it could be that the NFL considers it too much of a risk to commit to eight full games there in 2019.So then we have to consider another possibility: that the league is floating this idea as a means of getting the city of Oakland and the Raiders back to the negotiating table.As it now stands Replica Darwin Thompson Jersey , the two sides seem to be an at impasse.The city filed suit, knowing full well that if they did so, the Raiders wouldn’t come back to Oakland in 2019.The Raiders made good on their promise to back out after the suit was filed.Could the threat of playing their home games 5,000 miles away get the Raiders do the sensible thing — for the franchise, its 2019 opponents and its fans?If the Raiders are unable to make a deal for another venue in the next few weeks, the pressure will be on.It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. The Kansas City Chiefs placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Dee Ford on Monday, making official a decision the team had been leaning toward throughout the offseason.Ford is coming off the best season of his career, piling up 13 sacks and forcing an NFL-leading seven fumbles. The Chiefs have expressed an interest in a long-term deal, though they are also open to trading him as they switch from a 3-4 to 4-3 base defense under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.In other words, it’s no sure thing Ford plays next season under the roughly $15.4 million tag.The franchise tag gives the Chiefs until July 15 to agree on a long-term contract, but they may need to free up some additional salary cap space to do so. That’s because they have other pressing needs in free agency, not to mention a bevy of stars due to hit free agency soon.They would like to extend defensive tackle Chris Jones and wide receiver Tyreek Hill before next offseason, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is eligible for an extension next year.“Obviously, Dee is a player that has done so much for us, in particular last year,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said recently. “We have a special thing brewing here, and I think everyone wants to keep this thing rolling.”For his part, Ford called it a “no-brainer” to sign the franchise tender.The Chiefs have certainly invested plenty in Ford after selecting him in the first round of the 2014 draft out of Auburn. He went through some growing pains as he adapted to life in the NFL Stitched Darwin Thompson Jersey , and he has an injury history that is cause for concern 鈥?and that makes the franchise tag a good option.Ford remains a high-risk, high-reward kind of talent.“The one thing he can do, and we all know this, he is an explosive football player that makes a lot of plays,” said Spagnuolo, who was hired after the Chiefs lost to the Patriots in the AFC title game to turn around one of the league’s worst defenses. “He’s had some production, and if he is here with us, I’ll be excited to have him and be excited to work with him.”The Chiefs are also considering what to do with fellow outside linebacker Justin Houston, who had nine sacks in 12 games last season. The veteran leader carries a salary cap hit of $21.1 million next season, and the Chiefs could free up a significant amount of money by trading or releasing him.“I would say that he’s under contract for this year and next year,” Veach said at the NFL’s scouting combine this week. “Again, our plan is to play with him and we look forward to having him on our roster. There’s a lot of dialogue, and I think everything is fluid for the next few weeks.”The problem is the Chiefs have little depth beyond Ford and Houston. Defensive end Breeland Speaks is a more natural fit in a 4-3 system, but he was only a bit player after the Chiefs selected him in the second round out of Ole Miss last year.That’s another reason the franchise tag on Ford made sense.“I certainly think that we have a bunch of versatility along the line there. Justin and Dee, both of those guys can play in this scheme and do well,” Veach said. “We like the pieces that are in place and we’re anxious to get this offseason started.”100View Gallery Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta