Predicting Starters at Every Position for Oakland Raiders in 2012

It's February, Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen are probably locked in a dark room in Alameda reviewing game film from 2011 to determine which players on the roster will be be starters in 2012.

One starter from the 2011 squad has already been released and more roster moves will likely be announced prior to the start of free agency in March.

We'll start with the easy ones...

Quarterback: Carson Palmer

Hue Jackson may no longer be the head coach of the Raiders but he'll leave a lasting footprint.

Carson Palmer will cost the Raiders their first-round draft selection in 2012 and a second-round selection in 2013 that would also become a first-round selection if the Raiders make it to the AFC championship game.

The steep cost for Palmer will keep him in the starter role for the next few years. Palmer is also the best quarterback the Raiders have put on the field since Rich Gannon.

Terrelle Pryor won't be pressing for snaps anytime soon. 

Running Back: Darren McFadden

There will be fans that suggest trading Darren McFadden and retaining Michael Bush is the right way to go. They're wrong. 

McFadden has been an unstoppable force since the Raiders passing game gained respectability with Jason Campbell under center. McFadden is averaging 5.3 yards per carry over the past two seasons to Bush's 3.9, a whopping 1.4 yards per carry difference.

Despite McFadden's injuries, he's out-rushed Bush 1,771 to 1,632 on 78 fewer carries over the past two seasons.

Bush is a classic backup and Reggie McKenzie should avoid paying him starter money. McFadden's contract is reasonable and the Raiders can hedge their bet on McFadden with Taiwan Jones, Marcel Reece and a free agent.

Fullback: Marcel Reece

He's a restricted free agent and he'll be back in black in 2012. Reece's role in the offense should expand with the departure of Bush.

Good things happen when Reece gets the ball in his hands. He hasn't had the chance to rush the ball much over the past two seasons, but has made the most of his opportunities and he could add short-yardage responsibilities in 2012. 

Reece is a dangerous and capable receiver that is a matchup problem for defenses because there are so few fullbacks that do what Reece can do.

Richard Gordon was a converted tight end and Manase Tonga primarily a blocking fullback in 2012 and neither pose much threat to Reece as the starter. 

Split End: Darrius Heyward-Bey

Darrius Heyward-Bey wasn't a popular player for his first two seasons as a pro, but Heyward-Bey quietly put in the work required to improve and racked-up 975 yards receiving in 2011.

He'll probably never have great hands and that will probably limit his ceiling as a player, but he's got a great attitude and he wants to be a good.

Heyward-Bey's impressive 2011 and work ethic will keep McKenzie from spending precious cap dollars on an available free agents.

An offseason with Carson Palmer can only help Heyward-Bey's development. 

Flanker: Denarius Moore

Denarius Moore is another reason Reggie McKenzie is likely use his cap dollars on players that don't play the receiver position.

Moore broke out in the Week 2 loss to the Bills with five receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown. He added an impressive 123-yard, two-touchdown game in Week 10 against San Diego.

He's a young player that will only get better as he adjusts to the NFL level. He was at least partially responsible for a few interceptions and needs to refine his route-running, but that will all come with more experience.

Jacoby Ford will push Moore, but there is plenty of room for both in the Raiders offense.

Slot: Jacoby Ford

Jacoby Ford has had trouble staying healthy, but he's a valuable weapon on offense and special teams. He still needs to refine his game, but his elite speed will cover up many of his warts as a receiver.

McKenzie could bring in a slot receiver on the cheap, but it's likely Ford's spot to lose. Don't automatically assume the slot receiver is third-string, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp could bring more the West Coast offense to the Raiders making the slot receiver the go-to receiver in many instances.

Left Tackle: Jared Veldheer

Jared Veldheer has solidified what had been a position of considerable need for the Raiders for several years. He's still got some growing to do, but he's improved steadily over the past two seasons. 

There isn't any player on the roster that can push Veldheer to the opposite side. Jared Gaither as a left tackle would have made sense if the Raiders weren't shifting back to zone-blocking principles.

It's on Veldheer to protect Carson Palmer's blindside and keep the Raiders in the playoff hunt.

Left Guard: Stefen Wisniewski

The zone-blocking system will dictate a lot of what the Raiders do on the offensive line. Instead of shifting Wisniewski to his natural center position, he's likely to stay at guard.

Much of the zone-blocking system hinges on the footwork and ability of the guards to block in space. Wisniewski is a technician that should take to the new system quickly and efficiently.

It's the perfect system for Wisniewski because he will be able to rely on his athleticism and will no longer be losing physical battles with the defensive tackle.

Center: Samson Satele

Satele is a free agent and the Raiders could also look at Chris Myers from Houston or Scott Wells from Green Bay. 

Satele came the Raiders in 2009 at which time the Raiders ran the zone-blocking scheme.

Bringing in a center with more zone-blocking experience could be valuable, but the safe money is on Satele coming back and dusting off the zone-blocking cobwebs in his head. Or are they growing out of his head? 

Right Guard: Cooper Carlisle

Carlisle is a zone-blocking veteran and he managed to maintain his job at right guard through the transition to the man-blocking scheme. 

He's due a large chunk of salary next season and is a prime candidate for a restructured deal to stay with the Raiders.

At five years, no other Raiders offensive lineman has a longer tenure with the team. He'll make it to year six.

Right Tackle: Joseph Barksdale

Khalif Barnes wasn't getting the job done and it's time for the Raiders to see what they have in some of their young offensive lineman. If you had to put your money on Bruce Campbell or Barksdale, you'd go with Barksdale.

He's a little large for your typical zone-blocking lineman, but should be able to slim down slightly and his added size may be helpful when the Raiders shift to man-blocking principles in the red zone. 

There is some concern here, but the Raiders aren't likely to throw resources at a position when they have two young players that may be the answer.

Tight End: Kevin Boss

Boss lost a surprising number of snaps to Brandon Myers in 2011, but still doubled Myers' yardage total. Safe to safe it's Boss' starting spot to lose.

With all the other options, the tight end could become a tertiary option for the Raiders offense or worse. If the Raiders need more of a blocking tight end, will the Raiders see the need to keep Boss around?

Probably, but don't be shocked if this one goes a different way.

Defensive Tackle: Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly

We'll go ahead and assume a base 4-3 defense for the defensive tackle category even though we know the Raiders will likely be shifting to a 3-4 defense with some regularity in 2012.

There has been a lot of talk about Kelly and Seymour and their contracts, but Seymour is willing to restructure and Kelly has a contract that makes him costly to release.

Both players are scheme diverse and can play end in the 3-4 and together have combined for 12.5 and 13.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

The questions that need to be answered:

Are Kelly and Seymour to blame for the Raiders problems against the run?

Who will play nose tackle in the 3-4 front? John Henderson?

Defensive tackle is one of the more interesting positions to monitor this offseason. 

Defensive End: Lamarr Houston and Matt Shaughnessy

There are two ends in the 3-4 and two in the 4-3 with totally different responsibilities.

Lamarr Houston may actually be better suited for the 3-4 than the 4-3, but Matt Shaughnessy seems to be the player with the greatest disadvantage if the Raiders move to the 3-4.

Shaughnessy doesn't have the size to support the run as a 3-4 end or the agility and athletic ability to become an outside linebacker. Could Shaughnessy be traded? It's possible.

More likely is the Raiders have a multi-front defense and Shaughnessy gets the bulk of the load at 4-3 defensive end.

Outside Linebacker: Kamerion Wimbley

Kamerion Wimbley's sack numbers may not look impressive, but he applies pressure more consistently than any other player on the Raiders defense.

Dennis Allen used Von Miller as a 4-3 outside linebacker and he was the only 4-3 outside linebacker to have a better pass rush grade than Wimbley as graded by ProFootballFocus.com. Miller was also the only other 4-3 outside linebacker to rush the quarterback on a higher percentage of his snaps than Wimbley.

In short, Wimbley's role should remain unchanged. He'll put his hand in the dirt and rush the quarterback on passing downs and rush the quarterback more than 70 percent of the time.

Outside Linebacker: Anthony Spencer

Aaron Curry carries a $5.7 million base salary into 2012. He'll need to reduce that salary to a reasonable level if he's to compete for the job at outside linebacker.

What's more likely to happen is Curry will reduce his salary and compete for a job with a free-agent pickup and probably act as a second inside linebacker in 3-4 formations.

The Raiders need a more traditional 3-4 outside linebacker and that could make Curry the odd man out.

Anthony Spencer is a quality 3-4 outside linebacker that could really help the Raiders transition to the 3-4.

Middle/Inside Linebacker: Rolando McClain and Travis Goethel

It's time for Rolando McClain to prove he belongs or move along. This is it for McClain, he'll have this one season to prove to Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen if he deserves another season.

Perhaps a shift to the 3-4 defense will help McClain. He'd likely get to blitz more often and would only have one run gap responsibility on most plays. 

Next to McClain could be injury-plagued linebacker Travis Goethel. Goethel got glowing reviews from the coaching staff prior to being placed on injured reserve each of the last two seasons. Maybe Goethel never stays healthy long enough to become the starter, but he's an unknown player that could surprise given the opportunity. 

Aaron Curry could sneak in here also, but he's suspect in coverage and that may limit his ability to secure a starting job at either inside or outside linebacker. A lot of factors are working against Curry and will be a testament to him if he sticks. 

Strong Safety: Tyvon Branch

The Raiders are expected to make re-signing Branch a priority. They still have cap work to do, but that's a formality. Dennis Allen's defense should finally showcase Branch's abilities and get him national media attention. 

Branch lead the team in tackles in 2011 and was one player in the Raiders secondary that didn't make routine mental errors.

Definitely a player to watch going into the 2012 season. 

Free Safety: Chris Harris

Michael Huff is reportedly due $4 million in base salary and another $4 million in the form of a roster bonus in March.

There is little chance Reggie McKenzie pays Huff $8 million for the 2012 season and is likely to let Huff go and look for a cheaper alternative.

Chris Harris is a veteran free safety that would come for a decent price. The Raiders will have to make sacrifices somewhere. 

Cornerbacks: Tracy Porter and Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson will likely restructure his contract and stick around. Johnson's best quality is his ball skills and he should be able to put them to the test in Dennis Allen's attacking defense.

Tracy Porter is a popular name out there to come to the Raiders because of his links with Allen. Brandon Carr is a better option, but he'll come at a significantly higher premium.

Reggie McKenzie will not overpay for Porter, but he needs to get bodies in to compete for the starting job and Porter has proven himself in the league and is just 25.