Just read your infamous Slide show list, I feel for you bud, what exactly were the terms of the assignment? Granted I cant disagree with all the players, it just seems like a brutal assignment for you. I know I would have a hard time writing it as well. Any fans reading this, please cut Chris some slack, not all writing assignments are going to be popular hits with the typical fan a writer might have, until we know the full extent to the assignment and what all the requirements are, we shouldn't cast stones.

Reggie definitively went in a different direction then i would have in the draft. But to be completely honest, i take that as a good sign, its not just business as usual with the raiders. The Autumn and wind of change are blowing. I'm expecting big changes this year, hopefully we will be back on top of the division in about 3 years. I don't see Reggie changing the coaching staff as regularly as Al did. Also in regards to the draft, he went after more solid players and not the high risk reward that we have been going after in the last decade. Out of the draft, i look forward to Burris and Criner the most, but we shall see what happens.

I really liked your 7 draft needs of the raiders. I still think we take another DB in the draft this year, i'm not sold on DVD and the other guys are just now walking onto the proving grounds, i posted my thoughts on Burflict in the comment section on another users response, but i am only a fan if we get him in the late round due to his maturity issues. I feel he can grow as a raider and will make our backers the most feared in the afc. But he needs to fix somethings. At this point, as a fan my biggest hope is Chapman does fall to us in the 3rd.

Hey, Chris - love your blog & follow you religiously on Twitter. I'm @keegs58! Looking forward to reading some of your stuff on here. :)

Something is wrong when a team that can get this kind of talent in coaching (allen not included yet) and players but doesn't make the playoffs for nine seasons. I feel RaiderNation and Al were jobbed and they aren't really looking at the whole facts. The Raiders, right now are a family owned team and the NFL really wants to get AEG and Farmers Insurance to become parters. If thats the case they will try to encourage the Raiders to lose and trade DMAC an overated player chris? so the team will lose and have a smoother relocation to L.A. Fans need to stop being scared of being called whiners and contact Goodell before 2012 starts. Farmers and AEG does have some influence with McKenzie through the NFL who now has influence in the Raiders' organization.