Raider's Team Needs

With the draft and free agency approaching, it's time to take a peak at our needs this offseason.


Quarterback

After horrible seasons by both Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks, it is time to start looking for a franchise Quarterback. The best option open to us for filling this position is the draft but there will be a few veteran QBs to take a look at like Carr, Leftwich, Plummer, Johnson and Schaub but the draft still remains the best route.



Running Back

Lamont Jordan has done little to prove that he has the talent to be more than a good backup. It may be time to give up on him and look for another option. I don't think the Chargers backup Turner is much of an improvement but we could always try to make a move on a star like Clinton Portis but we would have to part with more than we'd like to. There are also some decent options in the draft but other needs will most likely force us to fill other positions first.



*Wide Receiver

This is marked with an asterisk because it won't be as pressing of a need if we retain either Randy Moss or Jerry Porter which may be possible after the firing of Art Shell. There are no real number one receivers available in Free Agency this year so once again the draft becomes extremely important. Calvin Johnson would be a nice pick if we decide not to draft a Quarterback but that seems unlikely at this point of the offseason. Davis has been good at spotting later round receiver talent so maybe we can find next season's Colston to compliment Curry, Gabriel and Morant.



Offensive Line

The line is in such bad shape that it may not be salvaged in a single offseason. There are some decent Free Agents available but they might come with a high price tag. We already have quite a bit of youth along the line so Free Agency seems like the best way to go at this point. A tackle like Leonard Davis would go a long ways. The Raiders won't give up on the youngsters like Gallery that have underperformed thus far in their careers yet. Maybe a new coach and system will help them.........I think I've heard that one before.



Tight End

We have some unproven talent at Tight End so it won't be an extremely high priority this offseason but it is still a need. I think Anderson has regressed so much that he will give way to Madsen this year. Madsen made some nice plays in the receiving game but needs to improve his blocking skills if he is going to ever be a starter in the league. We also have journeyman Randal Williams on the roster but I'm hoping Madsen will be able to bolster a potentially weakened recieving core.



Outside Linebacker

We are set with Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard but Sam Williams still scares me a little bit. He has had an injury prone past and it would be nice to be able to bring someone in to compete with him. I am keeping my eye out for Darnell Bing if we don't bring in someone. Bing was converted to linebacker from the safety position last season and looked decent during the preseason games. Maybe this year he will get his oppertunity. It would be nice to have three talented linebackers with four combined years in the league under their belts.

The Coaching Search and the Draft

The Search for the Next Head Coach

As coaching candidates continue to come and go, the real question become "Who is the right coach for our team?" Here is a short list of coaching candidates that I feel could have a positive impact on our team.

1) Rob Ryan
I know we could use a coach that has a great offensive mind but Rob Ryan is a great candidate due to the support he has from the players on our roster. Ryan has turned our defense into one of the youngest and most talented groups in the league and he would be a coach that shows passion and emotion on the sideline. The only drawback to Ryan as our Head Coach is that it could adversely affect the defense.

2) Steve Sarkisian
The main reason I have Steve Sarkisian on this list is because Al Davis has an outstanding eye for young coaching talent and this is an Al Davis pick all the way. Sarkisian is young and unproven which will allow Davis to pull the strings and select the rest of the coaching staff and well as handle the personel decisions.

3) Denny Green
I think Green loves Al Davis and could be able to quiet Randy Moss down a little bit. Green isn't a bad coach and hasn't had a whole lot of success because of some of the situations he has been put in. He built a great team in Arizona and may be able to accomplish the same feat here.


A Draft of Possibilities

The first choice in the upcoming draft promises to be an interesting one. The choice will obviously be an offensive player but other than that, little will be known until the player selected is standing on the stage holding a silver and black jersey.

We are in need of many positions on our offense and Quarterback would be a likely choice if it wasn't against Al Davis's nature. We could see a Davis pick like WR Calvin Johnson here. He is a freakishly gifted receiver and we all know Al Davis might have a tough time passing him over.

If we do decide to go with a Quarterback the choices are Brady Quinn, Jemarcus Russell and Brian Brohm. I would be happy with Russell or Brohm but I have a feeling that Quinn may be a bust in the making.

Disapointing end to a disapointing season

Well it's official. We are the worst team in the NFL this season which means it is finally time for us to look to our future. Here is a short list of things to think about this offseason.

Will Art Shell be our head coach in 2007?

Where will Randy Moss and Jerry Porter end up?

Will we honor the contracts of Ronald Curry and Lamont Jordan despite large bonuses in the horizon?

Who will be the first overall draft pick?

Some of these questions will be answered very shortly but others may linger a bit too long.
I think Art Shell will be our coach in 2007 but we will hire a new offensive coordinator and give him more control over the offense.

Randy Moss wanted to go to Atlanta when he signed with us so that is a possibility but Minnesota is also interested by all early reports. Jerry Porter on the other hand could go just about anywhere. He is unlikely to get a lot of attention due to his large contract and poor production.

The first pick in the upcoming draft is up in the air. I think Brady Quinn will end up dropping down a few picks but there are some other good possibilities out there like Joe Thomas, Calvin Johnson and Adrian Petersen.

Her is my outrageous prediction of the upcoming offseason. T.O will become a Raider. It has all the makings of an Al Davis move and he is more productive than Moss but may have an even worse attitude.