All Raider Squad: Non-Hall of Fame

DE

Greg Townsend: Townsend is the Raiders' all time sack leader according to the trackable stats because the sack didn't become an official stat until 1983.  Townsend also played OLB and DT.  He wasn't a full time starter until 1988.  Prior to that he was a pass rush specialist behind Lyle Alzado and Howie Long and he did that job well. He made the Pro-bowl in 1990 and 1991.

DT

Chester McGlockton: McGlockton was one of my favorite players of all time.  He is fifth on the Raiders all time sack list and a four-time Pro-bowler. He was always a monster in the middle and many opposing offenses feared his presence breaking through the line. 

Tackles didn't become an official stat until towards the end of his career, but I always remember seeing him in on lots of them.

DT

Otis Sistrunk: I chose Sistrunk because he was able to play the nose well in a 3-4 as well as play as a solid DT in a 4-3. Defensive stats were not kept accuratly during his time, but he was a monster killer on the DL. He made the Pro Bowl in 1974. Other DT considerations were Reggie Kinlaw, Darrell Russell, and Bill Pickel.

DE

John Matuszak: Matuszak was better known as Tooz. This was a hard choice, but Tooz was a monster on the line before sacks and tackles were official stats. He never made the Pro-bowl, but he was on two championship squads with us. Other DE considerations were Lyle Alzado, Anthony Smith, and Big Ben Davidson.

MLB  

Matt Millen: Millen was part of a 3-4 defense most of his career, but I always thought he was solid. He's been getting trashed lately for his lousy job as a GM in Detriot, but let's not forget the bad @$$ MLB he was for the Raiders.

He made the Pro-bowl in 1988 and was a member of two Raider championship squads. He was always a solid tackler and had 11 career sacks. Other considerations were Dan Connors and Greg Biekert.

OLB 

Rod Martin: Like Millen before him, was part of two championship squads with the Raiders. Martin set the interception record for the superbowl with three INTs in Superbowl XV and is a two-time Pro-bowler. He has 33.5 career sacks officially, 14 INTs (four returned for TDs), and has returned two fumbles for touchdowns. 

OLB 

Phil Villapiano: Villapiano was the original showbizzer.  If you ask me that is where the primadonna thing all started, but he backed it up on the field.  He was a 4 time Pro Bowler and had 11 career INTs; again sacks and tackles were not official stats during his time.  Other OLB considerations were Rob Fredrickson, Aaron Wallace, and  Jerry Robinson.

FS 

Jack Tatum: "The Assassin" Jack Tatum gets this one hands down. He was one hitting monster and made everyone who entered his zone pay. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and has 30 INTs and eight fumble recoveries (one returned for a TD) as a Raider. He lived up to his name. Other considerations were Vann McElroy, Eddie Anderson, Rod Woodson, and Tom Morrow.

SS 

George Atkinson: George "The Animal" Atkinson is my choice here. He was a ferocious hitter and manhandled his opposition like nobody's business. He is a two-time Pro Bowler with 30 INTs (two returned for TDs), 13 fumble recoveries (two returned for TDs), and was also a kick returner with three punt returns for TDs. Other considerations were Warren Powers, Mike Davis, and Lorenzo Lynch. 

CB 

Lester Hayes: Hayes' record for most INTs in a season by a Raider cannot be ignored. Hayes is a five-time Pro-bowler and was a member of two Raider championship teams. He is tied with Willie Brown for the Raider career INT lead. He has been nominated to the Hall of Fame several times but never enshrined.

CB

Terry McDaniel: McDaniel is third on the Raiders all time INT list. He was always a spectacular defender. He represented the Raiders in the Pro-bowl five times and is often overlooked when we think about some of the greatest Raider defenders of all time. Other considerations were Fred Williamson, Skip Thomas, and Eric Allen. 

Punter

I decided to chose a special teamer for this and it is punter Ray Guy because he was always the best at his position.

Ray Guy has made it to the final round in Hall of Fame selections but is overlooked every year because apparently whoever makes the final decisions doesn't think punters deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. If you ask me, if a player was the best at his position, then he deserves the HOF no matter what position he plays. 

If punters don't deserve the Hall of Fame, then they don't need to be in the NFL; we should just go for it on fourth down unless in field goal range. It would make the game a lot more interesting if you ask me.

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