Wildcat in Oakland: Unlocking Darren McFadden's potential.

This kid is not a bust...

With the talent he has, Darren McFadden should be a lot more productive than he has been so far.  There are a myriad of things that have impeded his growth and production.  Some are his fault and some are not.

What isn't his fault?

You can't expect a guy who comes from a spread offense in college to jump right in and immediately be productive in a professional-style offense.  There are many more responsibilities for a back in the professional offense than in the college spread.  It takes time and patience to learn them all.

As a former coach, I looked for every possible opportunity to make my players as comfortable as possible.  This theory invariably improves their play and professional players are no exception.

That being said, why not get this kid into a situation that makes him comfortable? 

The more comfort he enjoys and the less he has to think about what to do, the better he'll play.  That's true for any player.  The Wildcat offers Darren that comfort level.

It takes more than one good back to run an effective Wildcat. 

It takes the right personnel at certain key positions to pull it off.  Quick, agile interior offensive linemen, wide receivers who can block down field, read holes like a back, and are comfortable receiving hand offs, as well as tight ends who can block well at the point of attack.

The Raiders have all of those.

Robert Gallery is freakishly fast for his size.  Chris Morris is fairly agile and quick.  Sampson Satele played in a version of the spread at Hawaii.  These are linemen who can do what needs to be done in the Wildcat.  Maybe even better than what they're asked to do now. 

Offensive lineman requirements?  Check!

Louis Murphy is no stranger to the Wildcat.  He and Percy Harvin ran it at Florida and won a national championship.  Darius Heyward-Bey has proven that all he is good at so far in his career is blocking down field.  Chaz Shillens can and will do anything he is asked to do for the betterment of the team. 

Wide receiver requirements?  Check!

I don't have to tell you how good our tight ends are.  Miller is a beast who is willing and able to block.  Brandon Moore can certainly block and Tony Stewart isn't a slouch either. 

Tight end requirements?  Check!

Need more?  OK...

Even Jamarcus Russell ran some spread at LSU.  If making McFadden comfortable would help him, why wouldn't it help Russell?  It most certainly would (if he's in there).

Keep in mind that running the Wildcat will not solve all of the problems for this offense, nor should the Raiders become the "Dolphins west."  What it will do is offer one more thing against which defenses have to plan.  Diversity is huge and can make or break an offense.

At this point, what does Oakland have to lose?  More games?  Oakland's lost 11 or more games in seven straight seasons now.  Obviously, what the team has been doing over the last few years isn't working.  Maybe it's time to try something new.

What is McFadden's fault?

The Wildcat won't correct or improve the negative issues of his own doing.  He still goes down too easily, blows blocking assignments, and fumbles the ball.  These are all correctable with work and time.  D-Mac has proven he's willing to do what it takes.

Ultimately Darren McFadden will be free to "just play" in the Wildcat.  He won't have to think about blocking assignments, option routes, or anything else.  He'll only have to make the reads he is used to making in college.  Those should be second nature to him by now.

Darren's desire to be great is not in question.  He has shown he is willing to work hard to improve his deficiencies I mentioned earlier.  Making him more comfortable with a Wildcat package will only accelerate his development, confidence, and his production.

So back to the question with which I started. Will instituting a Wildcat package help Darren McFadden reach his potential?  The answer is definitely yes.

The Wildcat will also help other guys.

With McFadden and Murphy working together in the Wildcat, they will improve, help the team, and maybe even reach their potential.  Any success they can forge from this formation will breed a good attitude that will rub off on the whole team.

The combination of a Florida Gator and an Arkansas Razorback working together toward a common goal. Who'd have thunk it? 

Hark, the rise of the "Gator-Back"?