Lechler May Not Be So Busy This Year

For the first time in too long Raider fans are going into a season with high expectations and a positive vibe about the moves made during the off season. The recent failures of  Kwame Harris and Javon Walker combined with the lack of production from top ten picks over the years have given fans many disappointing Sunday's to say the least. If nothing else the moves made during this off season have rejuvenated arguably the most loyal fan base in all of sports and brought hope to a franchise looking to return to past glory. Head coach Tom Cable seems to have players believing in his system while the addition of offensive coordinator Hue Jackson should bring creativity to an offense that has ranked near the bottom of every statistical category over the past 7 years.Player development will be key if the Raiders are going to turn things around.

   First the offensive line must do a better job of allowing the quarterback, whom ever it is , more time to evaluate coverages and find open receivers down field. Depth and talent was added in the draft, but the team still lacks a proven anchor at the left tackle position.  Although nobody on the current roster has recorded a 1,000  rushing or receiving yard season (outside of recently signed rb Michael Bennett) the potential, talent and depth should give our creative minded coordinator plenty of weapons to work with. That being said its time for these talented players to live up to their potential and show why they were taken with such high draft choices. This is a big year for 3rd year running back Darren McFadden, I believe anything less then 1,500 combined yards is unacceptable and he needs to find a way to stay on the field and hold on to the ball.  McFadden and Michael Bush still have the potential to become a very productive rb combo especially since they compliment each others game so well, i look forward to seeing how they are used in this new offense. TE Zach Miller is the  most reliable receiving threat and with a more consistent quarterback his touchdown and reception totals could be among the highest in the league. WR is the team's most talented yet raw position. If speedsters Darrious Heyward-Bey and Jacoby Ford can hold on to the ball, Chaz Schillens stays healthy, and if Louis Murphy builds upon an impressive rookie campaign the Raiders could have a very explosive wide receiving core. With QB JaMarcus Russell's inability to read and react quickly the no-huddle offense has been absent in Oakland since he took over, however once Jason Campbell or Bruce Gradkowski take over it will be interesting to see if they bring it back. It's ridiculous to think of the possibilities this offense can do with the right OC and QB at the helm, I believe a 3,500 yard 20 td season is very possible from either Campbell or Gradkowski if the O line can keep them upright, and those totals would be much improved from the 17 total tds the offense scored last season. I do realize that this offense is very young and inexperienced, and there are many variables to take into consideration. We may not see this group fully grasp what Hue Jackson wants to accomplish until midway through the season. Outside of JaMarcus I've heard nothing but positive things about player's work ethics and time spent working to improve their game, if it all comes together there is no ceiling to how effective this group can  be....."Just Win Baby"