Oakland Raiders, Waiting For "The Autumn Wind" To Return.

Is this the year the Oakland Raiders turn the pirate ship around? I think so, much to the surprise of many NFL fans and analyist's. Sure, Oakland has had a lousy record the last six years, the worst record in the NFL over that span of time. But I think the tides are about to turn, and the "Autumn Wind" is about to return in the Bay area. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking a Superbowl apperance, and maybe not even a playoff spot.  I do think Oakland will be in the hunt for the AFC West, battling the Chargers for the top spot. The Chief's and Bronco's are rebuilding with new coaches, players and schemes. It may be difficult to put that all together in the first year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I think the Chiefs will improve, slowly, and that Denver took a step back with it's QB situation and a questionable defensive unit up front in the run heavy AFC West.

The Charger's should be a solid team with Shawn Merriman returning from a season ending knee injury. A healthy LT and Sproles in the backfield, and the addition of some nice draft picks that Coach Norv Turner is hoping can contribute significantly this season. (Larry English, in particular)  The Charger's are widely considered by the media to win the AFC West this year, and they very well could, they have the talent. But they'll have to improve over last years team, with a tough schedule to make the playoff's, let alone the Superbowl.

The Oakland Raiders should by all means be a better team this year. With the constant Head coaching carousel no longer revolving in Oaktown. The Raiders have some stability back in former interim, and now Head Coach, Tom Cable. He rallied the team late last season to big wins, upset's even, over Denver, Houston and Tampa Bay. The players seem to buy into the system and Coach Cable, something that seemed problematic with former coaches Lane Kiffen and Art Shell.

Oakland has a tremendous backfield in McFadden, Bush and Fargas. They all have different styles and talent, and could pose problems for defenses trying to make those adjustment's. I think Oakland will favor McFadden and Bush over Fargas. The addition of FB Pro Bowler Lorenzo Neal should give some open lanes for any of these guys to exploit. The offensive line should be better with the addition of some offseason additions, and the competition from last years starters. More experience in the Zone Blocking can't hurt.

Jamarcus Russell will be key for this Oakland team. Many negative thing's have been written about him. His weight, accuracy, desire for the game, etc. The truth be told, he was pretty solid towards the end of last season, his first full year of playing after sitting on the bench nearly all of his freshman season.  He still had a higher QB rating than some Hall Of Fame and Pro-Bowl QB's. He's still got a lot to prove, and this is the year he need's to step up. But I'm not ready to label him a bust quite yet. Especially not from May mini-camp reports, where new playbooks, players and coaches are together for the first time.

In addition the WR core should be better. That was a major problem in Oakland last year after injuries depleted the WR group, and inexperienced players were asked to step up. They did at the end of the season, and perhaps can carry it over this season. The addition of DHB will give the team the ability to spread the field, and give big play potential. TE Zach Miller could have a Pro-Bowl season, as he's been Russell's favorite target. Not to mention WR Louis Murphy and TE Brandon Meyers should be a good addition to this Raiders offense.

On the Defensive side, the CB position should be one of the the best in the league with Pro-Bowler Namdi Asomough and surprisingly Chris Johnson whom played better than Pro-Bowler DeAngelo Hall ever did in the Silver and Black. The LB's and safety's should be solid with Morrison, Eugene, Brown, Joesph, Mitchell and Branch among the mix, to help stop the run. Defensive Coordinator, John Marshall like's to do LB Blitz's, and I think he's got some good, speedy, aggressive players to do it.

The DT position surprisingly was not addressed in the draft or free agency. But perhaps that will happen during preseason cut's. I'd assume at this time Oakland is happy with what it has, but some depth and competition would not hurt at this position. Oakland struggled with run defense, to put it mildly, last year and they have to improve in this, period. The LB core should help this year, but whoever the DT's are, they have to step up. The good news is that Terdell Sands has noticeably lost some weight, and hopefully will improve on his disappointing season last year.

Hopefully, the Raiders can silence the critiques. They should have the talent, now they just need to get that old Raider mentality and toughness back. Indeed, "The Autumn Wind is a Raider. Pilagging just for fun. He'll knock you round, and upside down, and laugh when he's conquered and won." The Raider Nation is ready for the "Autumn Wind" to return.