The Oakland Raiders finished 5-11 last year, a record they honestly shouldn’t have had.
They have good skilled players at every position and a pretty good coaching staff. What is it about Oakland then? No one really knows.
But with Russell in his third year, the year most players start to break out, and having Javon Walker and Darius Hayward-Bey as his receivers, this offense could do something this year.
It’s just a matter of getting Walker back on the field, and getting running back Darren McFadden to play to his potential.
Can the Raiders do that this year? The answer is yes.
Offseason Acquisitions
Khalif Barnes, OT
Ryan Boschetti, DT
Jeff Garcia, QB
Marcus Johnson, OT
Lorenzo Neal, FB
Erik Pears, OT
Gary Russell, RB
Samson Satele, C (Trade from Dolphins)
Players Lost
Rashad Baker, DB
Ronald Curry, WR
Justin Griffith, FB
Jake Grove, C
Kwame Harris, OT
Ashley Lelie, WR
The Raiders definitely got more then they lost.
I love the addition of Lorenzo Neal, because he will open lanes for Darren McFadden and Justin Fargaas in that running game. Jeff Garcia will provide a good backup for oft-injured Jamarcus Russell. They also added tackle Khalif Barnes and center Samson Satele who will help this offensive line greatly.
Players Drafted
1(7). Darius Hayward-Bey, WR, Draft Grade: C+
2(15). Mike Mitchell, S, Draft Grade: D
3(7). Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Draft Grade: C
4(24). Louis Murphy, WR, Draft Grade: B
4(26). Slade Norris, DE, Draft Grade: C
6(26). Stryker Sulak, DE, Draft Grade: C
6(29). Brandon Myers, TE, Draft Grade: B
The Raiders chose speed over production in this draft.
Michael Crabtree was still on the board, but they chose speedy receiver Darius Howard-Bey instead. Howard-Bey isn’t a bad pick, but they could have gotten him at a later time and they could have gotten a better receiver in Crabtree. S
afety Mike Mitchell is another speedy guy that was chosen too early. He will provide depth behind Michael Huff.
Receiver Louis Murphy was a very good pick in the fourth. I always felt like he was very underrated, and will provide another deep weapon for Jamarcus Russell.
Defensive Ends Schaughnessy, Norris, and Sulak will provide depth on the defensive line. Brandon Myers is more of a blocking tight end, something the Raiders don’t have.
Draft Grade: C-
Breakout Player:Jamarcus Russell, QB.
I believe the Raiders could be the surprise team this year. Players tend to break out in their third season, and Jamarcus Russell could do that. He didn’t play almost at all in his rookie season, so he got his first season behind him last year. Now he knows how everything works, and with the weapons he has, this could be a big year for Russell.
The Raiders got better after they hired Tom Cable as their head coach mid-season. Now that he is their full time head coach, we could see a big improvement. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders turn out to be a playoff team this year.
Projected Record: 9-7.
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