Oakland Raiders Making Solid Progress

The activity in Oakland has been both positive and surprisingly restrained. I hope that this signifies a change in philosophy for the organization. However, the skeptic in me believes that old Al is forced to behave due to the cramped cap room.

I must admit that every time I hear that "the Raiders don't rebuild, they reload", I want to punch someone in the face. It has been painful watching my team behave like a gambling addict staking it all on the next sure bet. The last handful of sure bets (i.e. D. Hall, J. Walker, T. Kelly) didn't hit the jackpot and blew the team's bankroll.

There have been no superstars lured to the coliseum that will damage the organization if they fail to produce. The off season pick-ups are all of the low-risk, high-reward sort. Just the kind of gambling that I enjoy - a no lose situation. Let's have a look at these discount-priced heroes in random order.

1. Khalif Barnes - This fellow has the greatest upside of all the off season moves. He was inked to a one-year contract. Guess what that means. If he sucks (as some hacks claim), then the team can move on without permanent damage.

He seems like an athletic and motivated guy. To get an idea about his personality, read this article if you have not already done so.

2. Samson Satele - He brings some much needed island influence. Beyond that, I have kept my expectations minimal. On one hand, I remain hopeful that he will be great since he held down his starting role all last season with a bum shoulder. That's toughness.

On the other, the genius known as "The Tuna" decided to pass of him. That's scary.

3. Jeff Garcia - A real back-up QB. Finally! When J. Russell throws perfect spirals at maximum velocity into the dirt or into the bleachers on Mt. Davis, Garcia can go in there and get some wins.

I'm not giving up on Russell, but there have been far too many  lines dropped about his lackluster work ethic for me to sing his praises. If Garcia can't motivate Russell to improve, he can teach by example when he wins the starting spot.

4. Other offensive dudes - Eric Pears is another athletic tackle that can step in and increase competition at the once thin position. He has solid zone-blocking experience with the Broncos, and he was a starter before he missed most of last year due to injury.

Marcus Johnson is a versatile lineman who will likely have a better shot at playing time at the guard position. He seems to be an attempt to add depth where it is sorely needed. Bruce Gradkowski will bring the Andrew Walter experiment to an end and is another good depth move.

5. Defensive additions - Ryan Boschetti is officially a DT, but he's a little light in the pants for my taste. He is simply camp competition. Jason Horton is more of the same.

These moves are sensible and they are the kind of moves that improve the core of the team.

However, more must be done, especially on the defensive side of the ball. There are far too many holes in the roster for the above moves to be completely satisfactory, but the powers that be seems to be following a clear path to success.