In the last five seasons, the Oakland Raiders have gone 19-61, a very dismal stretch for such a storied franchise. But not only have the fans had the patience, but still carried their swagger during this period of very dark times.

Since the Raiders appeared in Super Bowl XXXVII, the team has not been able to secure many free agents, and the ones we were able to bring to town were not the talented players the rest of the league sought out. This became a huge reason why some players' salaries are out of control, or is it?

Nobody can be classified as overpaid, until they have shown what they are being paid for. This is my personal take on Rookies pay, as well as most signings for veteran free agents.

Now looking at what the Raiders spent, for their free agent acquisitions, and drafts in recent years, did they get the short end of the stick? With players like DeAngelo (trade), Gibril Wilson, Tommy Kelly, Javon Walker, Drew Carter, Nnamdi Asomugha (franchised), JaMarcus Russell (draft), or even Darren McFadden (draft).
Can anybody who watches the National Football League on a regular basis tell me that the Raiders didn't improve these last two years?

One thing the Raiders have done with the bleak seasons that keep coming by is that they were able to wait on the big spending for a franchise Quarterback, and Running Back, and now that we have both, with a good receiving corps, and a defensive that has been well praised so far in training camp, it will undoubtedly bring back a tough Raiders team.

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