Will the Raiders unusually average offseason pay off this year?
It's a rare occurence to be talking about the Oakland Raiders while praising them for not having a disastrous offseason.
After seven straight seasons with 11 losses or more, the organization deserves a passing grade for its offseason moves. In an offseason that would be considered average for most teams, it was a fantastic one if you’re the Raiders.
Davis keep Cable
First, it began with owner Al Davis retaining Tom Cable as head coach after much speculation as to whether he’d finish the last year of his contract. Cable probably saved his job by benching JaMarcus Russell while Charlie Frye led the Raiders to some late-season victories as Oakland played spoilers in the second half of the season.
The good work from Al Davis started in the draft, as Davis resisted his usual temptation of drafting an athletic player (a la Darren McFadden and Darrius Heyward-Bay) rather than a refined skill-position player . Instead Davis addressed a team need and acquired middle linebacker Rolando McClain. Many scouts were worried that Davis would take offensive lineman Bruce Campbell in the first round, who’s a beast but is a riskier pick. McClain was the safe pick and Davis took Campbell in the 4th round instead which is not a bad pick.
Davis also selected Jared Veldheer, another raw lineman and Lamaar Houston who is a dynamic defensive end. Overall it was a pretty good draft by the old man.
Russell let go
The day after the draft, Davis wowed many by trading for QB Jason Campbell of the Washington Redskins. It impressed many because that spelled the end of Russell in Oakland who has been a bust thus far and Davis swallowed his pride and let go of the player he had invested so much in.
Now, Oakland is still a rough patch team. They still are lacking offensive threats. Campbell is an upgrade on Russell at quarterback but he has still underachieved so far in his career. Campbell will have to deal with an atrocious offensive line, a weak backfield and an unimpressive receiving corps. Kyle Boller is a decent backup and is more experienced than Campbell and may win the starting job if Campbell continues to struggle in the pocket.
At running back, Darren McFadden is a former number four overall pick who was picked for his athleticism and not his football instincts. His running style just has not meshed well with the pro game. Don’t expect much from the like of Michael Bush and Michel Bennett either.
The Raiders brought in raw specimens to fill their offensive line which may not pan out the way they want. Their pass- protection may still need help and their running game may suffer.
Still a long way to go
The receiving corps provides little hope. The wide receivers are fast and athletic but cannot seem to catch a ball. Tight-end Zach Miller is the staple of the offense as he can catch, run good routes and bail out his quarterback.
The defence may be the Raiders best hope of competing. The defence is led by Richard Seymour Nnamdi Asomugha but it was not nearly enough for the Raiders last year. The Raiders play a lot of man-to-man coverage which does not bode well for Oakland's average pass rush.
Rolando McClain will provide an instant upgrade at middle linebacker. The defence was not that bad overall in 2009 as they shut down some good teams in 2009 including the Eagles, Steelers and Bengals.
The special teams looks good as Sebastian Janokowski has a cannon for a leg and punter Shane Lechler who is among the league’s best.
All in all, the Raiders are showing signs of improvement. If Oakland gets the much-needed leadership it needs, they can slightly improve from last year, but don’t expect a miracle season from this continuously rebuilding franchise.
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