Oakland Raiders: An Early Look at the 2010 Draft

With this season already in the record books for the Oakland Raiders, it’s never too early to look to next year.

Next year starts with the evaluation of those college football players who will be selected in the upcoming draft, and whilst the Raiders are quite well stocked at some positions, in others they are in desperate need of some new blood.

Oakland has the No. 8 pick this year, and the chance to pick up a real difference maker.  But they have to address the same old problems that have dogged this team over the last seven years. That is, a poor run defense and a shaky offensive line.

Here are my candidates that I believe should be considered. There will be a lot of movement up and down draft boards between now and April, and this is just an early assessment.

Offensive:

The Raiders are in dire need of a right tackle at the very least. Mario Henderson has been hot and cold on the left side, but Cornell Green has been a liability and simply has to be replaced if this offense is going to make progress.

Don’t kid yourself, we could select Russell Okung of Oklahoma State, but he will be gone by the time the Raiders are on the clock.

Brian Baluga from Iowa declared for the draft today though, and would be a great fit. 

The Hawkeyes already use a zone blocking scheme, which would make the transition to the NFL and Cable’s offense much easier. Baluga is a dominating run blocker and also a good pass protector.  At 6’6” and 315 lbs, with considerable athletic ability, he is a prototype NFL tackle who could play either side.

Anthony Davis of Rutgers may have as much upside as any tackle in the draft. Again, he has prototype size, and certainly has the speed and agility to fit in at Oakland. He has really impressed as the season continued, and looks like a top 15 pick. He has no real weaknesses, and projects to be an excellent NFL tackle.

Trent Williams is the best offensive lineman on probably the best offensive line in the country at Oklahoma. He may lack the athleticism to be an elite left tackle, but especially early on he would most likely be asked to man the right side for Oakland. He is a strong run blocker, and would be an instant upgrade over Green.

Defense:

The Raiders defense has had problems with tackling and discipline all season, and they have struggled at linebacker and defensive tackle. 

There have been questions asked of Kirk Morrison in the middle, and too many long runs plays have come straight over him. Depending on the CBA, he may be a free agent in March, along with Thomas Howard, Ricky Brown, and Jon Alston. 

Linebacker is therefore a big priority this offseason. 

Whilst Tommy Kelly has at times played well as the three technique tackle on the defensive line, the Raiders lack a true nose tackle to occupy blockers and clog the middle.

Rolando McLain of Alabama has all the physical attributes you look for in a middle linebacker, and has the speed/size combination that Al Davis loves. 

He is a sure tackler, who takes good angles to the ball, and is a high character kid. This would be a great selection, but McLain has yet to declare for the draft, so he remains a question.

Brandon Spikes has been the heart of an excellent Florida Gators defense. He is a ferocious hitter and plays the game with a real passion. 

Like McLain, he is a full-sized physical linebacker who can handle life in the middle. Spikes plays well in coverage, and had four interceptions in his senior year. He is a little less disciplined that McLain, but again, is a high character individual. 

He would be a reach in the top ten, but if he was available in the second or the Raiders traded down, he would be a good option.

Dan Williams from Tennessee has had an excellent senior year, and would give the Raiders the dominant presence on the interior of the defensive line that they have needed. 

Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy will be long gone, but Williams could be the ideal compliment to Tommy Kelly. Williams is the sort of defensive tackle that makes linebackers look good.

Any of these players would help address areas of weakness on the Raiders roster, and would also put an end to the run of poor first round draft picks that Oakland has made over the last 10 years. 

 

 

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Where Now for the Oakland Raiders?

After what must be classified as yet another disappointing season, the Oakland Raiders stand once again at a crossroads. Little within the organization remains stable, and that includes the two most important positions on the team—head coach and quarterback.

In order to go forward, we need to know where we are going, and who with.

I don’t think that anyone would like to put their house on whether Tom Cable will return next year as head coach or not, JaMarcus Russell is on the bench and out of favour, and Bruce Gradkowski is a free agent at the end of the year.

The head coach and quarterback questions need answering as soon as possible.

It may be on Sunday that the team is playing for Cable’s job, or it may be that this decision has already been made. Either way, how this team performs against a Baltimore Ravens team with everything to play for will say a lot about them. They have shown a brand of tenacity and pride already this season that has been sadly lacking in years past, and a win would give them a 6-10 record.

Not much on the face of it, but it would be the best record the franchise has had since 2002-03.

The revolving door of coaches since then has been a hugely negative force within the team, and players have struggled to reach their potential due to the lack of continuity surrounding coaching styles and systems.

In a recent poll on the Bleacher Report, more than two-thirds of fans thought Cable should stay at least for an extra year. Cable clearly has the locker room with him, and he also has solid if not overwhelming support from the Raider Nation. Maybe Cable was right when he said that this team would be in the playoffs with even average play at quarterback, maybe not. But this team would certainly have been better.

One more win? Two? Three? I don’t know, but it would have at least brought us back to respectability.

The other question to ask is if Cable gets fired, who replaces him?

A huge factor here is that over the last six years the Oakland Raiders have been a coaches graveyard, and the list of candidates for the job will consist mainly of retreads or the unproven and underqualified.

So my plea to Al Davis is to give this organization some stability by making it clear where we are going as soon as possible. At the end of the season, announce that Cable will be here next year, and sign Bruce Gradkowski to a new contract (plus pay him some decent money). That way the whole team gets some stability and focus for next year.

Pay the quarterback who produced for us, and make sure we hang on to him. 

Once that is done, we can start sorting out the run defense and the offensive line.

And finally, a very happy new year to all those in the Raider Nation, and I hope this year is better than the last.

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Raiders-Browns: How Badly Does Oakland Want It?

The Oakland Raiders will walk out into a cold and probably snowy Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday with the prospect of doing something that no Raider team has done since the Super Bowl. 

Winning six games in a season.

It might not sound like a great achievement, but the road back has to start somewhere, and this week 16 matchup will give us a good idea of how far this team has come.

Although the Raiders have won three of the past five games, against such playoff caliber teams as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati, they have yet to win two in a row or show the consistency that comes with real progress.

This game is the ideal opportunity. Why? Because it comes on a cold and muddy field, with both teams having little threat in the passing game.

In other words, it is going to come down to guts and who wants it most.

This Raiders team has come up with some tough wins in the second half of the season and has continued fighting for coach Tom Cable and each other long after they were eliminated from playoff contention. With one more win, they break their five-year streak of 11 or more losses per season. With that win, Cable probably keeps his job.

So there might not seem a lot at stake for Oakland this Sunday, but in reality there is. The Browns are also having a late run, having won their last two games. They too are looking to build some momentum going into next year.

Both teams have strong running games, with the Raiders notching up 241 yards on the ground against a good Denver defense last week, while Cleveland running back Jerome Harrison rushed for 286 yards last week himself.

Defensively, they are both susceptible to the run, ranking 28th and 29th in the league respectively.

Charlie Frye is starting for Oakland—he managed all of 68 yards passing last game until he was knocked out in the third quarter—while the Browns’ Derek Anderson is the only quarterback in the league with a worse rating that JaMarcus Russell.

Add the weather to that equation, and I don’t think there will be any records set for passing yardage.

So make no mistake, this will be a run first game, a smash mouth football type game.

Can the Raiders win at least six games in a season for the first time since 2002-03?  

The question will be answered on Sunday in Cleveland: How badly does this Oakland Raiders team want it?

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Raiders-Browns: How Badly Does Oakland Want It?

The Oakland Raiders will walk out into a cold and probably snowy Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday with the prospect of doing something that no Raider team has done since the Super Bowl. 

Winning six games in a season.

It might not sound like a great achievement, but the road back has to start somewhere, and this week 16 matchup will give us a good idea of how far this team has come.

Although the Raiders have won three of the past five games, against such playoff caliber teams as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati, they have yet to win two in a row or show the consistency that comes with real progress.

This game is the ideal opportunity. Why? Because it comes on a cold and muddy field, with both teams having little threat in the passing game.

In other words, it is going to come down to guts and who wants it most.

This Raiders team has come up with some tough wins in the second half of the season and has continued fighting for coach Tom Cable and each other long after they were eliminated from playoff contention. With one more win, they break their five-year streak of 11 or more losses per season. With that win, Cable probably keeps his job.

So there might not seem a lot at stake for Oakland this Sunday, but in reality there is. The Browns are also having a late run, having won their last two games. They too are looking to build some momentum going into next year.

Both teams have strong running games, with the Raiders notching up 241 yards on the ground against a good Denver defense last week, while Cleveland running back Jerome Harrison rushed for 286 yards last week himself.

Defensively, they are both susceptible to the run, ranking 28th and 29th in the league respectively.

Charlie Frye is starting for Oakland—he managed all of 68 yards passing last game until he was knocked out in the third quarter—while the Browns’ Derek Anderson is the only quarterback in the league with a worse rating that JaMarcus Russell.

Add the weather to that equation, and I don’t think there will be any records set for passing yardage.

So make no mistake, this will be a run first game, a smash mouth football type game.

Can the Raiders win at least six games in a season for the first time since 2002-03?  

The question will be answered on Sunday in Cleveland: How badly does this Oakland Raiders team want it?

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Oakland Raiders-Jon Gruden Return Rumours Won’t Die

It may be just a dream for the Raider Nation when they think back on the glory years of the Jon Gruden era, but the rumour of his return to the silver and black simply won’t lay down and die. 

It was brought to life again in very public fashion by his appearance at Raiders rally at Ricky’s Sports Bar in San Leandro (great place).

Now ask yourself a question, why would Jon Gruden be at Ricky’s for a Raider convention?

My answer is clear.

He wants to be a coach again, and he wants to coach the Oakland Raiders where he first won fame and glory. Yeah, he was in the bay area for the Monday night football game, but he didn’t need to come to Oakland or go to Ricky’s.

Jim Otto was at Ricky’s too, and spoke to Gruden.  It still unconfirmed, but Gruden reportedly told Otto he would return to Oakland if Al Davis asked him to.  Now things really start to take off at rumour control.

Jon Gruden my have signed a deal with ESPN, and profess to like being a commentator on Monday night football, but that really isn’t his passion, and it isn’t his bag at all.

His passion is coaching, and he is looking for a way to return. 

Despite winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, it didn’t end well for him there. 

But he is still loved in Oakland, as clearly demonstrated at Ricky’s the other night where he was mobbed by fans.

Gruden has been very careful since he left not to trash the organisation as so many have.

He has had numerous opportunities to bad mouth them, and Al Davis too, but he never said anything but good things about the Raiders.

Because one day he knew, he might want to return.

About six weeks ago, before his new contract with ESPN, a source close to Gruden said that both Gruden and Bruce Allen would not be adverse to returning to the silver and black if he was asked to do so by Al Davis. That is now twice he has said that.  

“Sources” close to people rarely say things that they haven’t been asked to say, and this all points to a careful and subtle campaign by Gruden to make a  return to the Oakland possible at some point, and to hold out an olive branch to Al Davis.

All Al has to do is take it.  

Some say the Gruden/Davis relationship can’t be rekindled—I disagree.

Davis admitted his mistake in firing Art Shell, and rehired him.

It proved to be a mistake, but showed that Al can change his mind if the time and the situation are right.

I honestly believe that the stage is set for return of Gruden to Oakland, and that it could happen not long after the end of the season. 

Bruce Allen going to Washington as General Manager might have Redskins fans thinking Gruden might be going there, but I think in his heart he wants to come home, to Oakland. 

Spare a thought though, if I am correct, for Tom Cable.

Cable is a decent guy who has given his all for the Raiders, and shown that without JaMarcus Russell, he could coach a winning team.

Cable will be the loser in all this if Chuckie returns.

If Gruden does return though, one thing is for sure, JaMarcus Russell is out of Oakland, faster than Jon Gruden can utter expletives.

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Bruce Gradkowski Injury Dooms Oakland Raiders

Let’s be honest. The minute you found out Bruce Gradkowski wasn’t coming back, you knew in your heart the game was lost for Oakland.

So did the team.

The extent of the injury is unknown at the time of writing. Hopefully it will not be too serious, as Gradkowski was at least able to finish off the series in which he injured himself.

This is a tough blow for the Raiders, who were really starting to look like they were turning things around with Russell on the bench. Coach Tom Cable was hungry for a second consecutive win. But as Russell came out to lead the offense again, the crowd booed; you could feel the excitement dissipate.

And not without reason. Almost immediately, the offense began to stall and the crowd began to leave.

With a strong Washington pass rush, and lacking Gradkowski’s mobility, Russell was a statue in the pocket. Sack after sack, stalled drive after stalled drive. Then his trademark interception, which lead to a Washington touchdown. 

Then another sack and another fumble, which was lucky not to make seven for Washington.

Game over, just over a quarter after seeing Russell back in the game.

But honestly, what incentive was there for the team to play their hearts out, knowing that Russell was under center?

It didn’t help that Oakland got hosed by the zebras yet again. A disgraceful call on Hiram Eugene for interfering with a punt return, which the replay clearly showed never happened. Another awful call for pass interference on Stanford Routt, when everyone in the stadium but the ref saw Santana Moss trip over his own feet with no help from anyone. In fairness, even Russell’s interception quite clearly bounced off the floor into LaRon Landry’s chest, and should have been incomplete. But it was a badly thrown ball all the same.

But despite the calls being biased to an alarming degree, this team was in the game very strongly until Russell came in. Then he played so badly the team simply lost belief that they could win, and it all fell apart. It breaks my heart; it really does.

I honestly don’t know how JaMarcus Russell can have the gall to accept his paycheck each week. He is an embarrassment. He cannot throw an accurate ball, he can’t read the field or look off safeties. He can’t evade the rush, he can’t lead the team, and he is totally delusional about his own ability. I could go on…

I know that the Raiders aren’t one of the elite teams in the league right now. But the simple fact is that they are competitive under Gradkowski, a free agent, and the worst team in the league under Russell. I know the offensive line could use work, but Gradkowski seems to manage well enough.   

It should have been Charlie Frye that came in and had his chance. If Cable continues to hitch his wagon to Russell, it will cost him his job. It really is that simple. It is already on the verge of costing Al Davis the support of Raider Nation.

The Raiders and Al Davis should just admit they made a mistake in drafting Russell, cut their losses, and move on. If they don’t, defeat will continue to be all that remains on their horizon.

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The Raiders Should Target DeAngelo Hall This Sunday

I have no doubt that the majority of the Raider Nation remember DeAngelo Hall, who returns to the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday as a member of the Washington Redskins.  Not very long ago, in fact in March 2008, Al Davis traded second and fifth round draft picks to the Atlanta Falcons for him.

The Raiders also gave Hall a monster contract to go with that trade.

Most experts felt that Hall, teamed with all pro Nnamdi Asomugha, would give Oakland a cornerback duo comparable to Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes.

On the first week of the season, these misconceptions were rudely shattered, as Hall gave up 146 yards on 9 receptions (and a TD) to Denver Broncos rookie receiver Eddie Royal in a 41-10 home defeat.

Hall played no better for Oakland during the rest of his short tenure.

Despite the price they paid for him, the Raiders felt that in the end, the addition by subtraction theory applied very much to DeAngelo Hall, and after another crushing 24-0 loss to the Falcons in week eight, he was released.

In his time in Oakland, Hall showed that he couldn’t stand up in man to man coverage, that he couldn’t tackle, in fact, he couldn’t do much of anything well.

Raiders coach Tom Cable would be well advised to recall that when he puts together his game plan this week.

The Redskins come to Oakland on a three game skid, and having lost 7 of their last 8 games. But they also come in with the league’s ninth ranked defense, and fifth against the pass. Their weakness is against the run where they rank twenty fourth, at 4.2 yards per carry.

That may well suit the Raiders, who are a run first team.

It will be unfortunate if left guard Robert Gallery can’t go after his back spasms last week, as Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is probably as good as it gets, and that matchup would be great to watch.

Even if Oakland can run the ball well though, at some point Bruce Gradkowski and the resurgent Raiders offense will take to the air. When they do so, their experience with Hall, though costly at the time, should be of benefit against a strong Redskins pass defense. 

They must know that if they can isolate Hall against a physical receiver like Chaz Schilens on short and medium patterns, that their chances of success are high. Hall can play within a system with help, but without that help he struggles.

The Raiders offense needs to take full advantage of that, and isolate Hall as often as they can.

Hall’s constant criticisms of the Raiders since his release should also provide plenty of motivation for the Raiders to expose him. Al never forgets.

Tom Cable has called to the Oakland faithful to attend this week, to make full use of the home field advantage and get back-to-back wins.

If the Raiders do win on Sunday, there is a very real possibility that they can finish with their best record in 6 years, given that their final two games against Cleveland and Baltimore are very winnable. The Ravens are fading down the stretch, and the Browns are about as bad as it gets.

If Gradkowski starts to prove on Sunday that he really can be the guy, the Raiders might just be on the verge on turning their fortunes around.

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Has Bruce Gradkowski Saved Tom Cable’s Job?

Watching the unfolding of an unlikely fourth quarter comeback by the Raiders against Pittsburgh tonight, I couldn’t help but be impressed.  It is a long time since I have said that about an Oakland offensive performance.

Now that Russell has been benched, things have turned around quickly under Bruce Gradkowski, who also engineered a win against a good Bengals team. This week, he put almost 400 yards of offense on one of the best defences in the league, which is an improvement again. Because the passing game was a threat, the running game also worked well. Not many teams can run the ball on the Steelers. Oakland did.

So what was different again this week? Rookie Darrius Heyward Bey didn’t play, that’s what was different.

The absence of the two biggest under-performers on this team has had the offensive unit exploding into life.

Gradkowski made 12 completions to wide receivers, including four for 128 and two touchdowns to rookie Louis Murphy. The fact that he has been able to get the ball to wide receivers on a regular basis has been statistically the most important difference between Gradkowski and Russell. The absence of Heyward Bey just made his job easier.

Gradkowski threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.  It has been a long time a Raider quarterback did that. He has an energy about him, and dare I say a “Rich Gannon” look about him. He clearly brings the kind of intensity and leadership that was lacking in Russell. I’m not going to get too carried away yet though. It’s still early, but its a damn good start. 

So where does this leave the Raiders? Not in the playoff hunt certainly, but right now it leaves them as the team no one wants to play.  At 4-8, Oakland could look to finish 6-10, which though not outstanding, would be their best record since they appeared in the Super Bowl, and is a solid base for next season.

Gradkowski is 2-1 as a starter, and it makes you wonder what Oakland’s record would be if Russell had been benched much earlier.

Three weeks ago, I don’t know anyone who would have given Tom Cable a cat in hells chance of keeping his job at the end of the season. Now, especially given the limited options available to the Raiders in the head coaching market, it seems a very different deal indeed. I’m glad, I like Tom Cable.

With JaMarcus Russell on the bench, this team is clearly headed in the right direction, and people have suddenly stopped laughing at Oakland.

So with a 6-10 finish, does Tom Cable keep his job? I say yes. Cable has seen the light and gone with the guy who can win games for him, Bruce Gradkowski. Cable has instilled in this team a fighting spirit that has been missing for many years. This team doesn’t give up like other Raider teams have done. He also wants to be there, he isn’t just passing through to fill out his resume.   

You can never predict what Al Davis will do, but with the change of quarterback, this is a different team, and I think it would be a grave mistake to interrupt such obvious progress now.

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What Needs to Change to Make the Raiders Competitive?

Although he has been a significant factor in dooming Oakland to yet another bad season, all of the blame for the Raiders’ 3-8 record cannot be placed at JaMarcus Russell’s door.  It goes deeper than that, and a number of other players have underperformed too.

 

Receivers

Oakland needs receivers who can get open and consistently catch the ball (besides Zach Miller).  Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward Bey have started most of the season, but both often run poor routes, are slow out of their breaks, and worst of all, drop a lot of catchable balls.  Unfortunately, they don’t look much better now than they did at the start of the season.  Their receivers rank dead last in the league for yardage and receptions.  That has to change.

 

Offensive Line

The only genuinely good starters in this group are Robert Gallery and Mario Henderson at left guard and tackle, respectively.  The remainder are average at best.   

Cornell Green was brought in as a stopgap right tackle three years ago, and is still there as a starter. 

Green’s poor pass protection and numerous pre-snap penalties hurt the Raiders regularly.  Against Dallas last week, Anthony Spencer got his first two sacks of the year and added three more quarterback hurries against Green.  That isn’t an accident.  The Raiders need to invest in a solid right tackle if they are going to make this unit a success.

Samson Satele, acquired in the off season from the Dolphins at center has also struggled against more powerful defensive linemen.  His tell tale head bob just before snapping the ball also allows opposing defenses to get the jump on the entire offensive line.  He certainly does not continue the Raider tradition of such players as Jim Otto or Dave Dalby. 

 

Run Defense

The last time the Raiders were in the top 10 in run defense, they made the Super Bowl (they were third that year).  It has been their Achilles’ heel ever since, never ranking better than 22nd.  While the defensive line has improved this year, the linebackers haven’t. 

Kirk Morrison might be the leading tackler on the team, but many of those tackles are well downfield, and the statistic is misleading.  He simply cannot shed blockers or hold the point of attack well enough to play the mike position.  Many of the big runs that plague Oakland come right through him, and he may be better suited to the outside.  The play of the others on the team has been spotty, with Thomas Howard as best of them on the weak side.

 

The Draft

While Al Davis has found some late round gems, none of his recent high first round picks have produced.  The last player that performed as advertised was Nnamdi Asomugha in 2003.   

Robert Gallery might be a good guard, but wasn’t the franchise left tackle the team drafted him to be.  Darren McFadden, JaMarcus Russell, Michael Huff, and Fabian Washington have all disappointed so far.  Prior to Asomugha, the last first round pick to produce well was Charles Woodson.  That was 11 years ago. 

Many might say that the problem is with Al Davis himself.  That theory certainly has some merit, but I don’t believe it.  I do think he needs help with a quality GM though.

The Raiders have talent on their roster, but unless they can fill the gaping holes in it and learn to draft better, their record isn’t going to improve much.

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