Return to Excellence: The Story of the Oakland Raiders

As the 2008 NFL season nears, the Oakland Raiders are in a period of transition. Since the Super Bowl in 2003, where they were destroyed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48-21, the Raiders have compiled a 19-61 record.

By far, this is the worst record of any team in that period, and having four different coaches won't help change that. On Jan. 22, 2007, the Raiders entered the era of head coach Lane Kiffin. A young, feisty but laid-back 33-year old (31 at the time of his hiring) was given the reins to the most storied franchise in the NFL, by one of the most influential owners in the league, Al Davis.

Davis entrusted that Kiffin, the youngest coach in the modern era of the league, would turn the franchise around. Davis hoped that Kiffin would follow the lead some of the former young coaches he had hired, specifically Madden and Flores, who both led the Raiders to championships.

Oakland ended Kiffin's first season with a 4-12 record and the fourth pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

But in Kiffin's first year, the Raiders had drafted the quarterback of the future, JaMarcus Russell, who despite holding out for an extended time, played well in his limit playing time. They also established a top-flight rushing attack under offensive line coach Tom Cable, as well as splashing signs of the potential to be a contender in the AFC West, as six games were decided by seven points or less.

During the offseason, rumors floated around that Kiffin's job was on the line, either by resignation pressed by Davis or that he would leave to take the Arkansas job. The rumors were never louder than when current receivers coach James Lofton was interviewed.

To this day, the rumors are still rampant, and the reason for Lofton's interview was never found, but Kiffin is still the coach, and that’s the way it should be. Fast-forward to today, where current top pick Darren McFadden is running around the practice field with the burst of speed that Davis covets, and is giving fans a reason to expect greatness.

Also helping in the backfield is Michael Bush. The former fourth-round pick out of Louisville was a top prospect and Heisman-Trophy contender before he broke his leg in the opening game of his senior season. Bush will be featured as the "Thunder" to McFadden's "Lightning", and will send fear into the opposition for years to come.

Russell, who despite rumors of him bloating up to 300+ pounds, looks better than ever and is eager to build upon his rookie season. Coaches and players alike have said that Russell is always either in the weight room or watching film, and it excites everyone from Davis on down.

Javon Walker was brought in to give Russell a deep threat to match his strong arm, and could easily return to Pro-Bowl form and live up to the six-year, $55 million contract he received, if he recovers from a torn ACL properly.

Gibril Wilson brought his championship ring, as well as his ferocious hits and great man-to-man defense, to Oakland to help restore what was seemingly the best part of the team in recent years. He also should free up former top pick Michael Huff to roam the secondary and make plays as he did for the national champion Texas Longhorns.

Also with the addition of DeAngelo Hall in the defensive backfield, offensive coordinators will go crazy. Hall, who the Raiders received for only a 2nd round draft choice, is as talented as any other corner in the league. One of Hall's bigger strengths is his man-to-man coverage skills and he should not be misused as he was under the Falcons zone-read defense. When teamed up with the aforementioned defensive backs, as well as Pro Bowl corneback Nnamdi Asomugha, the Raiders arguably may have the best defensive backfield unit in the league.

Finally, with the retirement of future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, the Raiders locked up Tommy Kelly and brought in Greg Spires to try to fix one of the more spongy defensive lines in the league.

What does all of this add up to, you ask? Well, if I do my math correctly, from what transpired as well as adding the upcoming schedule, I figured that the Raiders should roughly be on par for a respectable 8-8 season. While that may not be great, or put Oakland in the playoffs for the first time since the disaster in Super Bowl XXXVII, it is a step in the right direction.

In turn, Kiffin would probably get an extension, the past offseason would not be looked at as a desperate spending spree, and the Raiders, the team for the decades, would make a return to excellence