4 storylines to watch in the Raiders’ march to Las Vegas

This could be a crucial week for the Oakland Raiders.

They might commit to Las Vegas by filing for relocation. Their stadium lease in Las Vegas could gain some clarity. And Oakland’s hopes of keeping the team could fade away. Here are four storylines worth monitoring:

1. Raiders owner Mark Davis has been reticent to specify when the franchise will apply for relocation.

The Chargers’ departure from San Diego to Los Angeles last week seemed to seal the fate of the city of Oakland. Davis, who could submit his request any day, has a month left to apply before the league’s Feb. 15 deadline.

2. Davis continues to court fellow owners to ensure the Raiders will secure the 24 votes needed to move the team to Las Vegas.

Influential owners such as Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots publicly have spoken in favor of the move, which bolsters Davis’ case. Davis, son of the late Raiders maverick owner Al Davis, is not considered to be the same litigious threat that his father was.

Importantly, Davis stands on terra firma regarding any potential legal issue, leaving ownership satisfied. A relocation vote likely will come in late March, when the owners convene for the league’s meetings in Phoenix.

3. Is Sheldon Adelson in or out? The chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp. has been a critical piece of the relocation puzzle with his offer to chip in $650 million toward the cost of a 65,000-seat domed stadium in Las Vegas. But negotiations, which are ongoing, haven’t produced a lease agreement.

Last week, the Raiders announced that finance giant Goldman Sachs would complete the financing of the $1.9 billion domed stadium with or without an investment from Adelson.

4. Grains of sand in Oakland’s NFL hourglass tumble through at an alarming rate.

In football terms, it’s 4th-and-20 in the relocation game with less than a minute to play. Can politicians from the city of Oakland and Alameda County, who for years were lax in aggressively pursuing and wooing Davis with an acceptable stadium proposal, mount a last-minute drive to keep their beloved silver and black?

After the Chargers’ exercised their option last week and moved to Los Angeles, Davis is left with two choices: Oakland and Las Vegas. He repeatedly and steadfastly has said that the Raiders will move to Las Vegas.

Ronnie Lott, leading a last-ditch charge to keep the franchise in Oakland, was a Hall of Fame defender. But Raiders’ fans need offense right now.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson.

Jon Saraceno can be reached at jsaraceno@reviewjournal.com.