Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza and Maxx Crosby could make Raiders the NFL's biggest attraction

It's been a minute since the Las Vegas Raiders have been a team that people outside of Vegas really care about. It's been more than a minute, actually. But, that's changing this season. Finally.

The team locked in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins during the offseason and also drafted rookie Fernando Mendoza. Then, they tried to trade edge rusher Maxx Crosby only to get him back in a messy but interesting situation. That's so much drama in one offseason. But, drama can be a good thing.

Drama gets people interested in a team. For the first time in a long time, people care about the Raiders. They want to know what's going to happen to this team. And it's not just because Tom Brady is involved.

Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza and Maxx Crosby make the Raiders interesting

In a feature out on Monday for USA Today, reporter Nick Brinkerhoff names the Raiders the No. 2 team on his "vibe check" tally. That means they have a great vibe for the coming season.

"If the Raiders were a person at the casino, management would be suspecting them of counting cards. It's all coming up Vegas this offseason," he says in the piece. "No. 1 pick in the draft? Check. Hiring arguably the top head coaching candidate? Check. Anchor the offensive line with one of the league's best? Absolutely. Getting a superstar back in a voided trade? Sure, why not?"

He adds, "The Raiders have done nothing but win off-the-field since the Super Bowl. Now they'll hope that translates to victories on it. Still, the vibes might be at an all-time high."

Okay, so a vibe check isn't really a normal ranking. But it's fun to see that this storyline with the Raiders is working its way into the conversation.