Raiders=Winning!? Raiders=Playoffs!? Raiders=McNabb!?

Ok, before any rolling of the eyes and passing this off as a drunken stupor, let's first take a look at some facts; and then we can deal with the fantasy!

Looking on the bright side, the Oakland Raiders seem to have a unified locker room with players who are in support of Head Coach Tom Cable. This is a great starting point because as Captain of the Ship, Cable has to be able to command with authority and have the confidence in knowing his players aren't secretly laughing at him or trying to undermine his plan of attack.

Since there seems to be team unison, if not team chemistry yet, the Raiders can begin to focus toward on the field matters and not locker room issues and players who are bad apples so to speak.

Another positive factor is that the AFC West is not as strong as years gone by. With some good bounces of the ball, the division title could fall in the laps of the Oakland Raiders this coming season.

Denver is inconsistent and no team to be scared of.

The Chiefs are young and have their own set of issues, so the Raiders can at least hope to split the season series with them.

The Chargers lost L.T., and maybe that alone will lift 'the curse of the Bolt' off the Raiders.

With a division that is up for grabs, the Raiders have enough talent right now when healthy to at least compete within the division. If the Raiders can strike gold in the draft and/or free agency, this team can have even more hope for the upcoming season in securing the division title.

With Justin Fargas gone, look for Bush or McFadden to really take control of the running game and begin to run downhill with regularity.

The receiving core as it stands now is obviously young- but Louis Murphy, Chaz Shillens, and Zach Miller all are talented players with good hands and football instincts; their growth will be fun to watch.

While the run defense is porous and leaks oil for too many plays and needs to be improved, the pass defense has some solid playmakers and talented youngsters that might turn out to be really good NFL players.

Besides Pro-Bowler Nnamdi Asomugha manning one corner slot, Chris Johnson and Stanford Routt (he of the first and third round tender) on the other side offer hope.

The safety positions are an interesting mix with Michael Huff who has been good and not so good, Hiram Eugene who has shown flashes of excellence; and the young buck Mike Mitchell who has that look about him for being a hard-hitting, play-making safety.

Fact: the kicking game is solid. Sebastian Janikowski should make the Pro Bowl this year, and Shane Lechler should return to the Pro Bowl this year. If the Raiders can add a dynamic kick/punt returner to get them good starting field position it will take a lot of pressure off the offense; especially the quarterback.

Speaking of the quarterback, now we get in to the area of fantasy and day-dreaming. Is there any truth to the rumor that the Eagles and Raiders are talking trade for Donovan McNabb?  Could McNabb be wearing Silver and Black this coming season?

If Donovan did become a Raider, and yes the cost of Nnamdi and/or a draft pick would be steep, the immediate upgrade at quarterback which is the single most important position in all of sports would be a huge boost of confidence and morale for the entire team!

If the Raiders hit a home run in the draft and get a standout offensive or defensive lineman, or maybe even both; the Raiders begin to solidify the line positions. If they can also draft or acquire a playmaking linebacker then the 4-3 defense becomes a unit to be reckoned with.

Via free agency, maybe the Raiders can pick up a veteran wideout to help groom the young receivers. Then whomever is quarterbacking the team- Bruce Almighty, Ja(add in your comment) Russell, or maybe (hoping for) Donovan McNabb will feel more comfortable dropping back to pass on third and long.

The 2010 schedule: besides playing the AFC West opponents, home games against Houston, Miami, Seattle, and St. Louis present a realistic chance of posting a winning home record this coming season.

As for the away games, in addition to winnable games in Kansas City and Denver, the Raiders play Tennessee, Jacksonville, Arizona, and San Francisco in their stadiums. Not exactly the toughest places to play, and minus Tennessee possibly; all should be fair weather games.

With renewed excitement, a schedule that does not seem too daunting, and an infusion of new players and current players on the roster returning from injury; Oakland really could surprise a lot people.

The 2010 NFL season is one of hope, again, for the Oakland Raiders. But things have to get better, they just have to! The Dark Side needs a ray of light cast their way, and this coming season could just see the Empire Strike Back!