The Oakland Raiders Have Much Bigger Needs Than Receiver

What if? That's always the question during the offseason among fans as they speculate who their favorite teams may sign in free agency or go for in the draft.

The Oakland Raiders have a need that they have ignored due to Terdell Sands not turning out to be the player they had hoped. Nose tackle is what the Raiders defense hasn't had since Ted Washington, and that's not saying much, as he was done before he got here.

It's comical yet ludicrous how Rob Ryan and company had approved of what they were putting on the field. Five years of bottom of the barrel run defense, and the coaches and even Al Davis himself can't find out what the problem is?

In a 4-3 or 3-4 defense, you need a strong yet disruptive nose tackle to take up a couple offensive linemen so the linebackers can do their jobs. The Raiders thought they could sidestep their need for a better interior line by giving a player who has never started a full season at defensive tackle a huge contract.

We're talking about Tommy Kelly. If anything, he should be making a fifth of what he's making now. That's what you get when you have Al Davis making up the contracts—a recipe for disaster.

Kelly's deal could have been the deciding factor on Darren McFadden last year, as it is somewhat understandable it's hard to pay your interior defensive line (UT, NT) top dollar, so the Raiders passed on Glenn Dorsey.

However, in this case it was another sidestep of a need for a luxury. Just how drafting a wide receiver early (Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin) or picking up a big name in free agency (T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Antonio Bryant) is not the answer.

Last year Davis gave Javon Walker a ridiculous contract to be the Raiders' No. 1 receiver. People seem to have forgotten he's still under contract and will not be released because of his injury has made his $5 million roster bonus GUARANTEED.

Davis has already spent a pretty penny between his misfire on DeAngelo Hall and other huge contracts (Walker, Kelly, Gibril Wilson, JaMarcus Russell, McFadden), which will be eating up cap space. Not to mention he is most likely to give Nnamdi Asomugha the exclusive franchise tender, an $11.718 million one-year deal.

That won't make it easy to draft a player in the top 10, but Davis will make it work, as he always has. Unless, of course, he has a couple of people under him whispering trade down to have a shot at Alex Mack, who has worked with the Raiders' new offensive line coach Jim Michalczik back at Cal for the last four years.

Assuming that there isn't a trade down, and that the Bengals don't take B.J. Raji at No. 6, the Raiders could instantly improve their run defense by selecting him. Well, how can Davis pay Kelly and Raji top dollar?

Well, how can he pay Walker and Crabtree/Maclin (or a highly coveted receiver in FA) top dollar? Exactly. It all starts up front, and the Raiders need to improve their number one priority: run defense.

It has been overlooked time and time again that the Raiders' wide receiver corps was not only injured with Walker and Carter out last year, but there was also almost no chance for Russell to find a receiver with how much time he had with Kwame Harris starting.

When Harris was benched, the offense started to click. That was with two young receivers in Chaz Schillens and Johnnie Lee Higgins. Walker will be back whether people like it or not, and there is talk of Drew Carter being re-signed since he had some chemistry with Russell before he was lost for the season.

Don't forget the Raiders invested a fourth round pick last year in Arman Shields, who may turn out for them. Minus Ronald Curry from the receiving corps, who is due to be cut, and altogether the Raiders aren't in that bad of shape.

If anything, the Raiders should pick up a veteran (someone who isn't injury prone wouldn't hurt) like Mike Furrey through free agency, someone who will move the chains and be productive. Wasting another draft pick on a receiver is the wrong way to go.

The trenches need some more beef, and they should start that beefing up with Raji. At this point, if Raji isn't atop of their draft board, that spells trouble. Another sidestep could lead to another step back, which is the last thing the Raiders need right now going forward into the 2009 season.

Interested in my writing? Check out some of my other Raider topics at my blog.