Instability, Inconsistency in Oakland Sending Raiders into Black Hole

The Oakland Raiders have been the laughingstock of the NFL for the past decade, and it’s their own fault.

The ridicule is the result of a continuous pattern of poor decision-making year after year—from poor draft picks to the constant quarterback shuffle under center. The organization has been unable to find a successful quarterback-head coach combination. Ten years of indecisiveness has buried the franchise.

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Currently, rookie QB Derek Carr projects to be a promising player despite the disarray he has already been exposed to—playing on a bad team, under his second coach in six games. Just like Carr, the quarterbacks before him had to adjust to transition but eventually faltered in the face of so much instability. The first-year signal-caller will likely endure the same impediments.

When the season concludes, it’s likely the Raiders front office will hire a new coach, one with his own vision, to replace interim head coach Tony Sparano. If Carr hangs onto his starting job, he would have to adjust to a third head coach in 17 regular-season games.

Looking back through the past decade, the organization clearly isn’t sure of the direction to guide its football team. Coaches have come and gone—some coaches struggled tremendously, and others weren’t given enough time to build.

Coach	Year	Win-Loss Record
Tony Sparano/Dennis Allen	2014	0-6
Dennis Allen	2013	4-12
Dennis Allen	2012	4-12
Hue Jackson	2011	8-8
Tom Cable	2010	8-8
Tom Cable	2009	5-11
Tom Cable/Lane Kiffin	2008	5-11
Lane Kiffin	2007	4-12
Art Shell	2006	2-14
Norv Turner	2005	4-12
Norv Turner	2004	5-11

Both Tom Cable and Hue Jackson were fired at the end of 8-8 seasons, the best season records the Raiders haved in the past 12 years.

Under Cable, Oakland ranked sixth in points scored with Jason Campbell completing 59 percent of his passes to the likes of Zach Miller, Louis Murphy, Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The following year, both Cable and Campbell were replaced. Cable was fired after the season and replaced by former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, while the Raiders acquired Carson Palmer in exchange for a first-round pick in 2012 and a conditional second-round pick in 2013 after Campbell went down with an injury. These two moves were intended to finally bring success to the flailing Raiders.

But it never happened.

After going 8-8, Jackson was axed. A year later, Palmer was traded again, this time to the Arizona Cardinals. Palmer started slow in Oakland but improved in his second year under head coach Dennis Allen in 2012.

	TD/INT	Yards	Completion Percentage
2011	13/16	2753	60.7%
2012	22/14	4018	61.1%

Despite a decent season from their quarterback, the Raiders defense was atrocious—giving up the fifth-most points to opposing offenses. A poor 4-12 record led to more personnel turnover. In 2013, Oakland started its eighth different season-opening signal-caller in 11 years, Terrelle Pryor, who was benched later that season in favor of Matt McGloin.

Drafting Carr out of Fresno State in 2014 and starting him over Matt Schaub and McGloin seems to be a good decision thus far. Then again, how long is his leash before he's yanked off the field? Will the Raiders stick with him if he begins to struggle or if the team continues to lose games?

History says absolutely not.

Quarterback	Year	Starts
Derek Carr	2014	6
Terrelle Pryor	2013	9
Carson Palmer	2012	15
Carson Palmer	2011	9
Jason Campbell	2010	12
JaMarcus Russell	2009	9
JaMarcus Russell	2008	15
Josh McCown	2007	9
Andrew Walter/Aaron Brooks	2006	8
Kerry Collins	2005	15
Kerry Collins	2004	13

The Raiders are headed for a top-five pick in the 2015 draft that could include top quarterback prospects Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and Brett Hundley. Is Oakland willing to pass on these prospects to progress with Carr?

The organization has botched draft picks repeatedly, by either making poor picks or prematurely aborting the player development process. Robert Gallery (No. 2 overall pick in 2004) Darrius Heyward-Bey (No. 7 overall pick in 2009) and JaMarcus Russell (No. 1 overall pick in 2007) were first-round draft busts.

The Raiders had a top-10 overall pick in five consecutive drafts from 2006 to 2010, and none of these players were developed into significant contributors. Some of the players drafted in the early rounds (Rounds 1 and 2), showed signs of potential but weren’t re-signed.

Player	Year	Team	Overall Draft Pick
Rolando McClain	2010	Dallas	8th
Darrius Heyward-Bey	2009	Pittsburgh	7th
Darren McFadden	2008	Oakland	4th
JaMarcus Russell	2007	Free Agent	1st
Michael Huff	2006	Free agent	7th

What’s the excuse for allowing players like Rolando McClain, Lamarr Houston and Mike Mitchell to walk away and contribute to defenses elsewhere? Yes, the salary-cap factors into the decision to sign and release players, but Oakland has failed to maintain fledgling talent capable of solidifying its defense.

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In 2013, the organization took a chance on cornerback D.J. Hayden, who entered the league on the mend. His recovery from a life-threatening injury makes a great comeback story but not necessarily a wise first-round pick. The Raiders needed to land a safe, solid pick; instead they took a gamble on Hayden. The second-year cornerback has played in only eight games in two seasons. He has yet to play this year because of a foot injury and is eligible to return to the field in Week 8 against Cleveland.

Looking back on the constant transition, the Oakland front office and scouting department needs to improve its talent evaluation skills and stick to a plan of action. Inconsistency and instability create chaos, and that's been evident when watching the Raiders play every year for the past decade. The organization has always maintained a mercurial outlook, but gambling on certain players and other risky personnel decisions have backfired, sending the franchise into an embarrassing downward spiral.

As mentioned, a new regime will likely be implemented with a new coach in 2015, but depending on their draft pick—if they don’t trade it—the impulse to draft a new face of the franchise could be tempting for general manager Reggie McKenzie.

Oakland’s first four picks of this year’s draft are current starters. Linebacker Khalil Mack leads the 2014 draft class and is showing early signs of being a future staple on the defense.

However, the essential parts of the team are still unclear. Carr’s position depends on who’s coaching the Raiders next season. Regardless, of the quarterback-coach combination in Oakland, the two individuals must grow together and lead the development of a young nucleus to elevate this franchise from obscurity.

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