Oakland Raiders Teams of the Decades: 1960-2010

This is a slideshow featuring a Raider starting lineup for each decade that has been completed. I also included 12th men on offense and defense for each decade.

It is mainly composed of Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, members of championship squads, and fan favorites.

Note: If players had success in two different decades, they are eligible for both rosters as long as they outshined the other players of that decade. I tried to get everybody on a roster that I felt deserved it one way or another.

Raiders of the '60s

I wasn't around in the '60s, so I had to do some research, and I put together a starting lineup of the Raiders on offense and defense plus a 12th man on each side.

I really don't know much about these guys, so I didn't give much any detail on why I chose them.

QB Daryle Lamonica

RB Clem Daniels

RB Herwitt Dixon

WR Art Powell

WR Bo Roberson

TE Billy Cannon

OT Harry Schuh

OG Wayne Hawkins

C Jim Otto

OG Jim Harvey

OT Bob Svihus

12th Man Alan Miller FB

DE Big Ben Davidson

DE Dan Birdwell

DT Dave Costa

DT Tom Keating

LB Dan Connors

LB Archie Matsos

LB Gus Otto

DB Dave Grayson

DB Fred Williamson

DB Kent McCloughan

DB Tommy Morrow

12th Man Ike Lassiter DL

This was mainly based off Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. Players whose careers lapsed the '60s and '70s who didn't appear on the '60s team will likely be on the '70s team. As we get closer to the eras that I remember, some players will appear on multiple squads if their performance outshined others.

Raiders of the '70s

I wasn't around in the '70s either, but these are the guys that really made the Raiders famous and a very storied organization.

QB Kenny Stabler...The snake was always ready to bite.

RB Pete Banaszak...The rooster always crowed on the goal line.

RB Mark Van Eeghen...hard runner and always ready for duty.

WR Fred Biletnikoff...Good hands and a Hall of Fame career.

WR Cliff Branch...Rightfully deserves the Hall of Fame.

TE Dave Casper...Ghost to the Post.

LT Art Shell...Solid starter in the Hall of Fame.

LG Gene Upshaw...One of the best first rounders we ever took.

C Dave Dalby...Three-time Super Bowl champion.

RG George Buehler...Clear the hole.

RT John Vella...Block block block.

12th man (Tie) RBs Clarence Davis and Marv Hubbard...Both had critical roles in the running game.

DE John Matuszak...Tooz they called him, and he was solid.

DE/DT Otis Sistrunk...The Man from Mars was ready for you always.

DT Art Thoms...Heard he was a fan favorite during this time.

LB Phil Villapiano...Mr. Showbiz.

LB Monte Johnson...Hard knocks.

LB Willie Hall...Big hits.

LB Ted Hendricks...The Mad Stork delivers.

SS George Atkinson...The Animal is gonna eat you for dinner.

FS Jack Tatum...The assassin is ready to kill.

CB Willie Brown...The Old Man is still around and in the Hall of Fame.

CB Skip Thomas...Dr. Death is waiting.

12th man DT Dave Rowe...Stuff the run.

P Ray Guy...Why don't punters get the Hall of Fame?

K George Blanda...Only Raider QB in the Hall of Fame and was mainly a kicker.

I wish I was around to see these guys.

Raiders of the '80s

All right, now we're in the decade that I was born in. Some are players that drew me to become a Raider fan.

QB Jim Plunkett...Two Super Bowl championships and no HOF; last I checked, the championship is what they all play for.

RB Marcus Allen...Hall of Fame RB and Super Bowl XVIII MVP.

RB Kenny King...Key role on offense.

WR Cliff Branch...Here he is again; better career than Hall of Famer Lynn Swann and no HOF for Branch?

WR Mervyn Fernandez...Speed kills, and he showed why.

TE Todd Christensen...Excellent hands that could catch the ball.

LT Bruce Davis...Not the greatest, but held his own.

LG Charley Hannah...See above comment at LT.

C Don Mosebar...Pro Bowler and longtime starter; career ended when he lost an eye.

RG Mickey Marvin...Keep it solid.

RT Henry Lawrence...Three-time Super Bowl champion; starter for two.

12th Man RB Bo Jackson...Best ever with a short career. If it wasn't for his career-ending injury, he would've been the starter for the '90s squad. He was an MLB All-Star as well as an NFL Pro Bowler.

DE Lyle Alzado...Mean and dirty.

NT Reggie Kinlaw...The Killer is here.

DT Bill Pickel...Don't get caught in this pickel.

DE Howie Long...One of my favorites of all time; excellent against the run and pass.

LB Rod Martin...Super Bowl record of three INTs and could be counted on to make amazing plays.

LB Matt Millen...Great MLB, but lousy GM.

LB Ted Hendricks...Continued to deliver in the '80s and earned the Hall of Fame.

SS Mike Davis...Hit and cover.

FS Vann McElroy...Often overlooked but favored by many.

CB Lester Hayes...Shutdown corner; tied with Willie Brown for the all-time Raider INT lead.

CB Mike Haynes...Gentleman Raider, but don't be deceived—he's a true frustrater.

12th Man LB Bob Nelson...The fourth LB in the 3-4 look.

P Ray Guy...Explain to me again why punters don't get the Hall of Fame.

K Chris Bahr...He was our kicker.

Tough choices at WR, but I remember Fernandez best, and Branch was a key in both the '70s and '80s. It was hard not to put Bo Jackson in the starting lineup, but his short career was a memorable one, and Allen and King have key roles in winning Super Bowls.

Greg Townsend didn't come alive until the '90s, so I gave the 12th man to LB Bob Nelson, who was often overlooked by the attention the other three drew.

Raiders of the '90s

These are my most memorable Raiders. I just wish Bo Jackson's career wouldn't have ended so soon; otherwise he'd be the starting RB here instead of the offensive 12th man on the '80s roster.

QB Jeff Hostetler...Though often injured, when healthy we rolled with him at the helm.

RB Napoleon Kaufman...Great runner and returner and is now a preacher.

RB Derrick Fenner...Never played a big role but was vital to the offense.

WR Tim Brown...More Pro Bowls than any other Raider in team history.

WR James Jett...Better hands gave him the edge over the Rocket.

TE Ethan Horton...Ricky Dudley was the starter most of the decade, but Horton's Pro Bowl appearance gave him this spot.

LT Bruce Wilkerson...Went through several but was longest tenured.

LG Steve Wisniewski...Was he better than Gene Upshaw? Good question.

C Barrett Robbins...Mosebar was around most of the decade, but the '90s belong to Robbins.

RG (tie) Max Montoya & Kevin Gogan...Couldn't decide because Montoya was solid and deserved a Pro Bowl and was the longer tenured. Gogan got a Pro Bowl nod, but that was his only good season.

RT Lincoln Kennedy...Mr. President.

12th Man WR Rocket Ismail...Not the best hands, but if they have the ball, catch him if you can.

DE Howie Long...Long career and lots of memories.

DT Chester McGlockton...The Big Mac in the middle was a monster.

DT Darrell Russell...Short career courtesy of drugs, but two Pro Bowls gave him the edge over Nolan Harrison.

DE Greg Townsend...Raiders' all-time sack leader.

LB Aaron Wallace...Average, but I remember him playing a lot.

LB Greg Biekert...Deserved several Pro Bowls; this man could kill an offense easily.

LB Rob Fredrickson...Stud turned slacker, and that was the end.

SS Ronnie Lott...Seems like we had a new one every year, but Lott was the only Pro Bowler.

FS Eddie Anderson...Longest INT returned for TD in Raider history at 102 yards.

CB Terry McDaniel...No. 3 on the Raiders' all-time INT chart.

CB Charles Woodson...Instant Pro Bowler and then slowed by injuries and revamped as a Packer.

12th Man (tie) DE Anthony Smith and CB Lionel Washington...Washington was with us a long time and now coaches our DBs. Smith could sack QBs like potatoes.

P Jeff Gossett...Never understood why we let this guy go for a snap fumbler.

K Jeff Jaeger...Or this guy for an inaccurate kicker.

So many memories and choices. Hostetler was the best QB we had. Tough choice on the OL because we went through so many LTs, but Wilkerson was the longest tenured. Montoya was solid at guard and I felt was overlooked for the Pro Bowl several times, but I couldn't ignore Gogan's honor. Robbins was overlooked for the Pro Bowl so many times after he took over from longtime C Don Mosebar, who was successful in the '80s.

On defense, Howie Long made it on both the '80s and '90s, and Townsend came alive, but you can't ignore Anthony Smith's sacks. We went through numerous strong safeties, but Ronnie Lott was the only Pro Bowler. Darrell Russell had a short career, but his Pro Bowl nods gave him the edge over Nolan Harrison. Charles Woodson was an instant Pro Bowler, but Lionel Washington's service can't be ignored.

This was the only decade we didn't appear in a Super Bowl.

Raiders of the '00s

They started this decade promisingly by winning the AFC West the first three years, but after losing Super Bowl XXXVII, this became the most disastrous decade in Raider history.

Some of these players may have been short tenured, but I chose who I felt were the best of the bunch.

QB Rich Gannon...2002 NFL MVP.

RB Tyrone Wheatley...Charlie Garner saw more action, but Wheatley was more productive.

RB John Ritchie...Most notable Raider Image player with his bloody forehead, which made him a fan favorite along with his power blocking ability.

WR Jerry Rice...The most recent Raider to get inducted into the Hall of Fame.

WR Tim Brown...We didn't call him Mr. Raider for nothing.

TE Zach Miller...Instant contributor.

LT Barry Sims...He was good at one time, and when his days ended, they ended.

LG Robert Gallery...Best Raider Image on the current roster.

C Jake Grove...Letting him walk last offseason was a mistake.

RG Mo Collins...Hard choice because we had a lot of them; Collins was a favorite of mine though.

RT Lincoln Kennedy...Finally got a Pro Bowl nod in the 2000s.

12th Man RBs Zack Crockett and Justin Fargas...Crockett was the man for short yardage, and Fargas was a big fan favorite whose service can't be ignored.

DE Derrick Burgess...First Raider to ever lead the NFL in sacks.

DT Tommy Kelly...Nice undrafted steal.

DT Ted Washington...Big man in the middle that we never replaced.

DE Tony Bryant...Good pass rusher whose career was shortened by a neck injury.

LB Eric Barton...Tackling machine that walked in the middle of the decade almost.

LB Kirk Morrison...Actually lived his dream of playing for the Raiders and led the team in tackles all of his years.

LB Thomas Howard...Playmaker and intimidator in the passing game

CB Nnamdi Asomugha...Went from bust to boom almost instantly.

CB Charles Woodson...Just think how solid our secondary would be if we still had this guy.

FS Rod Woodson...I did like Stuart Schweigert, but if Ronnie Lott's Pro Bowl selection earned him a spot on the '90s roster, then Rod Woodson's earns him a spot on the '00s roster.

SS Tyvon Branch...If you think I'm gonna say Derrick Gibson or Michael Huff, you are high as a kite. I think we finally found a keeper here in Tyvon Branch.

12th man (Tie) DT Rod Coleman and DB Phillip Buchanon...Buchanon was great with us but ruined his career after he left. Coleman was a disruptor off the bench that will never be forgotten. The only reason Kelly got the start is because Coleman left so quickly.

P Shane Lechler...Another punter that will deserve the Hall of Fame when he retires.

K Sebastian Janikowski...The Raiders' all-time scoring leader.

I have no room for headcases like Randy Moss, Warren Sapp, and Jerry Porter on this roster, especially when they were with us while we were losing.

A lot of these guys were with us early in the decade and played key roles for us prior to retirement or leaving in FA. Pro Bowlers got first nod with one exception, and that was Barrett Robbins for letting his team down the year he finally got the well-deserved nod.

Our biggest problem in this decade was coaching and prima donna players that I left off this roster because they were distractions that hurt our team badly.

Hard to choose a RB when you have a committee of them. I felt that Wheatley and Fargas were the best with their hard-nosed running styles. Ritchie was a fan favorite at FB with his trademark bloody forehead, and Crockett always picked up the tough yardage. We went through so many faces, I just put in the Pro Bowlers and then my favorites in the voided positions.

Just when we thought greatness was coming back after not appearing in a Super Bowl in the '90s, we sank into our own black hole after losing Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002-03 season. The only way out is WIN in 2010!

Raiders of the '10s...Preview

In my opinion, the biggest problem in the 2000s was the coaching. Tom Cable has been retained for a second full season, and the players seem to be behind him.

There is a lot of talent on the roster that will be a dangerous team if they all gel and form what is expected to be the best team in the NFL. Cable does not put up with head case players and expects them to give their all on game day.

As long as they keep their commitment to excellence and play with pride and poise, we could be the team to beat this next decade. The most important thing is JUST WIN BABY!

We don't have a final roster, so I can't make a squad for this decade yet.