For Oakland Raiders, a Simple Fix Isn't That Simple Anymore

When times were simpler, maybe a bit foolish, things seemed a lot simpler. For the Raiders, a player here and things would be fine.

A lineman goes down hurt? Just plug in another player.

Marcus Allen is down? Plug in Bo Jackson.

And so on and so forth.

In this day and age, however it is no longer a simple game where you can just drop in one player and expect things to run smoothly. Nor is it a case where a simple player can turn an entire team into a playoff-worthy club, no matter who the player is.

Even something as simple as dropping in a GM would help, Al Davis dropping out, or cloning Ken Stabler.

But lets look at first things first.

We've heard time and again that Al Davis should get a GM, and this would fix a lot of the problems with the club.

Nice dream, but a few things need to work with this idea...and even then it might not fly. First and foremost, Al Davis would have to step back, and allow his baby to walk without his prodding.

Secondly, you would have to hope it is a GM with some sense, and someone not named Matt Millen. Lastly, you'd have to hope that the GM doesn't turn into a short-term experiment that Davis pulls the plug on after one year.

That's a tall order...you want fries with it?

Now, for the long-term thoughts. Even with the GM, would that make JaMarcus Russell play better? Would that keep Robert Gallery from getting injured? Would he keep Tom Cable from punching out the clock, or punching someone in the clock?

Iffy, in Oakland.

Our second simple case comes from JaMarcus Russell. One camp of fans thinks if we replace him, we're instant contenders. The other camp thinks if Russell sheds about 40 pounds, we'll be ok.

First side of the argument have a few problems. As bad as Russell was last year, we wound up having no choice but to play him. We all remember J.P. Losman's "Oh Crud" moment against Denver, right? At the same time, if you replace him you have to find a replacement that is durable and dependable as a QB...this should make for a fun training camp in 2010.

The second side of the argument, comes from the hope that Russell can shed 40 pounds, regain the support of his teammates and can learn the playbook without forgetting it. It won't matter if you have a cannon for an arm if you fumble the ball.

It also won't matter if you scramble out, only to have the ball get intercepted because you overthrew your own teammate who was open. I think it would be nice for Russell to slim down, if anything so we can trade him to a team who might have some hope for his future.

At the same time, his contract makes that almost impossible.

The last point on simple fixes, has to come with the offensive line. Sure, you see them line up and they all have the simple tasks of stopping the blitz or opening running lanes for McFadden, Bush, or Fargas.

But remove one player, say Robert Gallery...we'll just plug in another guy and it'll work fine, right?

Um, no.

Even Tom Cable had this nightmare last year, with players switching assignments, first early on and then when Gallery was lost for the season. Even the center, normally in Oakland a strong, locked up position, saw switching as players had to fill in. This led to problems on running, protection problems, and Cornell Green's classic problems, holding way too much.

Looking at the coming free agency time and eventually the draft, Oakland is going to have a time filling in all the holes.

I just hope they don't leave any holes to work with...It wouldn't make sense to paint the car, and not fix the flat tire, right?