Darren McFadden: Deja Vu for Raiderland?

A lot of people are looking at Oakland right now, with the number four pick, and scratching their collective heads.

Most, are running with the idea, of grabbing a certain running back, Darren McFadden, from Arkansas.

What most don't realize, is this looks terribly familiar, for anyone who looks back in the Raider's past.

First of all, go back to the early 80s, when the Raiders picked up a USC thunderbolt by the name of Marcus Allen. Allen, to his credit, was fast on his feet, talented, and could do the touchdown plunge as good as anyone else. A lot of people might have asked how could Allen plunge to 10th, overall, considering in front of him, who was taken. Kenneth Sims? Johnie Cooks? Chip Banks did ok, but don't ask a Colts fan who Art Schlichter was. Anyways, fast forward a few years, and we see the Raiders, in 1987, take a small stakes gamble. Bo Jackson, who decided to take a hobby in baseball, re-entered the draft, after holding out a full year to avoid a fate in purgatory, also known as Tampa Bay. Al Davis, seeing a chance at having a high-caliber Running Back, and then a short yardage expert in Allen, used a 7th round pick, which stuck.

Now, a lot of people will ask, how can the Raiders contemplate using the 4th overall pick, on Darren, considering how many Running Backs we presently have?

Well, this can go to two tangents. The first, is that there's no chance we'll keep all the running backs we have, on roster. The lottery, of Fargas, Rhodes, Jordan, and Bush, would be fun to confuse announcers, if everyone had the same number, but realistically, I don't see Jordan sticking around until Training camp. Fargas showed, that if he's given time, he can keep another Running Back fresh, by spelling him, or for an injury replacement, as can Rhodes. Also, last year a lot of people felt we would see Michael Bush come in, after his injury was given time to heal, but someone in Oakland felt it was better to shelve him, and give him the full season to heal.

So, you could have Bush on one side, McFadden on the other, and Fargas as a third option. Not a bad backfield.

The second tangent, is classic Al Davis. You snag McFadden, with no intention of keeping him....using him as trading bait, either to said Cowboys, for picks and/or players, or, as the rumor mill loves to do, offering a number of said players to the Bengals, for Ocho Cinco.

Personally, I'd love to see three Running Backs going to town. But if history is any example of how the Raiders like to make things excitable....Al's going to make the draft a busy time, wheeling and dealing.

Stay tuned.