Double Down: Oakland Releases Javon Walker, Greg Ellis

Oh, what might have been.

Oakland today made the news pretty clear that, when the Raiders had signed Javon Walker for Randy Moss-like money, they were hoping more than predicting good things.

Javon, who had decent seasons in Green Bay and Denver before his personal demons unraveled his life, was supposed to be our go-to guy in Oakland. Ronald Curry was playing out the string and Jerry Porter was an afterthought. Javon Walker was in the right place at the right time.

Wrong.

Besides the episode in Las Vegas and his conflicting problems with the coaches, Al Davis gave Walker a chance that first year. How did he respond?

With an injury-filled season, until he was unplugged early, missing out on the Raiders two-game winning streak at the end of the 2008 season.

Come the offseason, Walker tried to get some help for his injury, something that surprised his coaches and doctor. Was it authorized? Needed?

You have to wonder, because while Javon was telling stories about him being ready to come back and be better than ever, Oakland seemed to look at him as nothing but an overpaid joke of a player.

So going into free agency, the only question with him was: Why not sooner?

Greg Ellis, meanwhile, is this season's version of head-scratcher, similar to last year's release of Gibril Wilson.

Ellis, coming over to the Raiders from the Cowboys, was shouldered with a difficult task. Anyone coming to Oakland and playing defense had their hands full, in no easy terms. For his work he compiled 29 tackles, seven sacks, and forced two fumbles. Decent numbers out of the defensive end position.

So why did the Raiders do this move? Money is a good guess, with Al Davis trying to trim the payroll. It does cause a few to wonder...and wonder who is going to pick him up in easy fashion.