CLEANING SOME TARNISH FROM THE SILVER AND BLACK
by Peter Doyle


A lot can go wrong for the Raiders in '07;
fortunately Art Shell's coaching won't
be part of it

Its not an oversimplification to say that the Raiders are a complete mess.  They haven’t had a winning season since 2002, bottoming out with a league-worst 2-14 in 2006.  The offense was non-existent last year as the team scored 43 fewer points than the next-worse team, the perpetually offensively-challenged Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The team jettisoned their one true offensive superstar, malcontent Randy Moss, for a fourth-round pick.  A few things have changed for the better, but not enough to make the Raiders a playoff contender.

When you have to cite an easier schedule as one of the highlights for a team, you know things are bad.  Oakland’s non-division schedule includes only two teams with winning records in ‘06, the Bears and the Colts.   Their other non-divisional opponents were a combined 49-79 last season, giving the Raiders a shot at knocking off a few teams.  Of course, Oakland also plays in the League’s toughest division, which basically starts them off at 0-6. During last season’s five losses to start the season, Al Davis’s glory-days-link, Art Shell, looked like a deer in headlights, then basically picked up his check each week as the season cratered following their only two wins in weeks 6 and 7.   This year, Davis dumped Shell and brought in Lane Kiffen, a 31-year-old coaching prodigy who helped direct the USC offensive juggernaut.  Given some weapons and time, Kiffen should be able to resurrect the traditional Raider stretch-the-field offense.  For this year, Kiffen has the advantage of taking over a team with low expectations and nowhere to go but up, so the Raider Nation will be ecstatic with any improvement.

The other advantage of being really bad is getting the first pick in the draft.   With that pick, the Raiders chose JaMarcus Russell, the cannon-armed QB from LSU.  Following the Vince Young blueprint created by the Titans last year, the Raiders also traded for Josh McCown to start the first half of the season or until Russell is ready.   Of course, Russell has to be at practice to get ready.  As of press time, he had not signed yet and was expected to miss the start of training camp, not a great start for a 21-year-old, QB.  ESPN’s John Clayton is saying that the two sides are no closer than before the draft.  The Raiders have even resorted to giving Miami cast-off Daunte Culpepper an audition. Given the state of the Raiders offensive line, keeping Russell off the field might actually be the wisest course of action. The Raiders used five of their first six picks to draft offensive players, but only one offensive lineman.  The o-line gave up 72 sacks in ’06, 18 more than any other AFC squad and lost its best pass-blocker, Langston Walker to the Bills.  The Raiders plan to shift veteran LT Robert Gallery to the right hand side and change to a zone blocking scheme in an effort to give the skill players some breathing room.

With all of these changes to a line that was the worst in the league, the first half of the year could be hazardous to whoever is playing QB.  If the line manages to improve its play and allow McCown or Russell to get off a few throws, the ball will most often be directed toward former outcast, Jerry Porter.  Porter, who averaged 70 catches, 970 yards and 7 TD’s in ‘04 and ’05, was suspended or benched for virtually all of last season as a result of a feud with Art Shell.  With Shell gone and Randy Moss traded, the Raiders are giving Porter the opportunity to become the go-to guy.  Ronald Curry, who as the default primary guy last season, caught 62  for 727 yards but only 1 TD, will man the other side.  Mike Williams, the #10 pick overall in 2005, and a bust in 2 years with Detroit, was acquired with McCown and could provide a surprise lift if given some time. If Porter and Curry are able to stretch the field, it will open up things for 2nd round pick, Zach Miller, a 3-time all Pac-10 tight end from Arizona State.  To help out the equally pitiful running game, the Raiders signed free agent Dominick Rhodes from the Colts and drafted highly-rated Michael Bush from Louisville to compliment Lamont Jordan.  Fitting right in with the Oakland outlaw image, Rhodes was suspended for the first four games for substance abuse.  IF the passing game shows some life, opponents will be less able to stack the box against the run.  With Jordan, Bush, and eventually Rhodes, exposed to daylight for the first time in a year, the Raiders should significantly increase their paltry 94.9 rushing yards per game average.

The defense was the strength of the Raiders of the season last year and with all 11 starters back and the addition of Donovin Darius from the Jaguars, they will be even better this year..  The Raiders D ranked 1st against the pass and 3rd overall.  The rankings are a little misleading because teams were usually ahead of the Raiders early and therefore ran the ball more often.  Even so, the defense, led by a resurgent Warren Sapp and pro-bowler Derrick Burgess, who has had 26 sacks over the last two years, kept the Raiders in games.  The addition of Darius as a run-stuffer to a young secondary will give defensive coordinator Bob Ryan more flexibility for a team ranked 25th against the run. The kicking game remains stable with punter Shane Lechler and kicker Sebastian Janikowski.  Once again, the defense will have to win games for the Silver and Black, but they may have a few more points from the offense to work with.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO:
The offensive line improves to average, Russell signs sooner than expected and the defense gets even better.  During the second half, the Raiders spring Russell and Rhodes on unsuspecting opponents and rally to finish 5-11. The Raiders then pick up OT Jake Long from Michigan with the sixth pick in the 2008 draft. .  The Raiders young coaching staff and talent follow that up with a wild card playoff berth in 2008.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO:
Russell holds out into the regular season and never plays, Porter is not as good as he thinks he is, the offensive line is even more inept learning a new blocking scheme and living statue Daunte Culpepper steps in for an injured McCown and gets sacked on his first 3 plays.  The defense gets tired of carrying the offense and mails in the second half.  The Raiders go 2-14 again and get the 1st pick in the draft and use it to take running back Darren McFadden from Arkansas instead of trading down to get two or three of huge number of highly-rated offensive lineman in next year’s draft.