Oakland Raiders 2009 Training Camp: The Top Battles To Keep an Eye On

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

There will be several positional battles in Oakland worth watching. It is way too early to start making predictions as to what will happen without attaching the phrase “until proven otherwise.”

It appears that the Raiders will have a nice mix of youth and veterans at almost every spot. The first mini-camp of the year gave us all a glimpse of the new players. The main thing it did was give the coaching staff a chance to play with their new toys.

You can’t come away from it with any definitive answers, as it is premature to do so, but with that being said, some people did. Look forward to one of the most competitive training camps you’ve seen as the team works toward respectability. Coach Tom Cable is prepared to right the ship and lead the team in the right direction.

Here are some of the highly anticipated training camp battles to look forward to.

LT Mario Henderson vs. Khalif Barnes

Mario Henderson played well in the opportunities that he had last year. In my opinion he should’ve started the remainder of the season after the week two game in Kansas City. He had a prominent role in all of the Raiders' five wins last season. He earned the right to be the starter of the left side.

Barnes was brought in to challenge him; he will have the opportunity to compete for the starting job, but it is Henderson’s job, and it will be up to him to remain the starter or lose it to Barnes. There is also a good chance that the loser starts on the right side.

RT Cornell Green vs. Erik Pears, Khalif Barnes, and James Marten

Cornell Green was the starter on the right side last season but did not play well and didn’t cause anyone to forget about Lincoln Kennedy. He was the starter on the right side in the team’s recent mini-camp, but it isn’t a mystery to say that the Raiders really want someone to take that position from him. You’ll see a tremendous amount of competition at the position from Khalif Barnes, Erik Pears and James Marten.

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey vs. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Louis Murphy, Todd Watkins, Sammie Parker, and Arman Shields

Al Davis wanted more targets with Raider speed for JaMarcus Russell to throw to. Al has his track team and a talented group of young receivers. The team has a total of 11 receivers on the roster right now. Obviously several won’t make the roster, but more than likely five or six will be the number of receivers carried on the roster.

I’ll use a wait and see approach with this statement, but I don’t think that Javon Walker will be on the active roster. He appears to be ready to go on IR. Look for a talented young group of wideouts that will be able to make plays all over the field. You’ll see a few of the other receivers factor into the return game.

SLB Ricky Brown vs. Frantz Joseph and David Nixon

This position and the DT position are the two most neglected positions on the team and have been for a while. The team has started Robert Thomas, Ricky Brown, and Sam Williams at the position. Thomas is no longer on the team, Brown has returned from injury, and Williams was re-signed.

The team needs to have a lot of competition at the position between Brown, Frantz Joseph, and David Nixon. The team should come out of training camp two or three deep at the position.

MLB Kirk Morrison vs. Frantz Joseph

Kirk Morrison has been the starter in the middle for a few years now. He has been the team’s leading tackler for years. However, too many of his tackles have been after the runner has gained substantial yardage. This isn’t a knock on him or his play, nor is it a demotion; it speaks more to the problems the team has had at the DT position.

Frantz Joseph is a talented player, and if he can show in training camp that he can play in the middle, it would be better for the team to move Morrison to the SLB position. He played the SLB when he came to the Raiders. One of the reasons he was drafted was his versatility and showing he can play all three linebacker positions.

This would allow the team to have three solid young linebackers on the field at the same time.

Joseph is a very versatile 6’2”, 243-lb. linebacker that can play all three of the positions. He has what is known as natural violence, which is the trademark of a solid linebacker. He takes on blocks very well and shows a lot of desire, effort, instincts, and playmaking ability. He has the ability to change the culture of a defense.

LDE Jay Richardson vs. Derrick Gray, Matt Shaughnessy, Stryker Sulak, and Desmond Bryant

The team added depth at the position, selecting three players at the position in the draft and adding one as an undrafted free agent. All of the players mentioned won’t make the roster, but this group will have brought healthy competition to the position.

Jay Richardson is in his third year but hasn’t seized the position. Derrick Gray was an undrafted player that came off of the practice squad last year. It appears that players were brought in to compete with and will have the opportunity to beat out Richardson.

Expect the team to come out of training camp two or three players deep at the position, while the remainder will have a chance to make the team on special teams.

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