Raider Reconstruction Is Taking Shape

Everyone including my own self has ridiculed Al Davis for what he has done with the Oakland Raiders since 2002. I’ve heard it all. “He needs to sell the team.” “The Raiders will never win again until Al Davis is not in charge.” “He needs to hire a G.M.” People not including myself have even gone as far as saying, “Al Davis needs to die!”

The loss of Jon Gruden and all the players the Raiders lost in a small period of time must be considered when looking at their dismal stretch of football since their super bowl loss in early 2003. That stretch has made Davis desperate so he shot blindly like a most desperate people would. These blind shots missed badly on most of his personnel and coaching choices from 2002 to 2006.

However, since 2007, the ingredients of a great team have been brought in with the exception of Jamarcus Russell. Along with Russell, the order in which Davis chose to rebuild his team made the Raiders appear further off than they were last year. So when the Raiders start winning this year, most football fans will call it a great turn around and point to this year’s off-season as the reason but that isn’t the whole story. This year’s off-season will help them get to the proverbial “promised land” but it will also prove to be the last step in filling all the holes that were virtually accrued at one time after their Super bowl loss.

     The biggest hit the Raiders took was the sudden loss of Rich Gannon to injury. This sudden departure was devastating because the quarterback position is the most important position in team sports. A quarterback’s sudden, career ending injury to an NFL franchise is tantamount to a Kings sudden death without a groomed and ready heir to his Kingdom. Brett Favre is allowed to skip O.T.As, mini camp, and training camp “thinking about it” for a reason. Winning quarterbacks don’t grow on trees.

Elsewhere on the offensive side of the ball, the thunder and lightning combination of Tyrone Wheatly and Charlie Garner versatile fullback John Ritchie were lost to age. Future Hall of Fame receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice as well as track star James Jett were also lost to age. All-Pro center Barrett Robbins and tackle Lincoln Kennedy were also lost. Kennedy had a long distinguished career. Barrett Robbins’ story was a little different.

Robbins’ departure was also devastating because it was sudden and the center is an important position on the offensive line. Centers make all the calls and adjustments along the offensive line. The Raiders got a preview of how bad life without Robbins would be during Super Bowl 37. The Tampa bay Buccaneers defense harassed Gannon into throwing 5 ints and sacked him 5 times. Robbins came up missing in action the week of Super Bowl 37. From there, Robbins would have problems that trumped any blocking assignment he could ever have while the Raider o-line became one of the worst units in the league.

     The losses on the defensive side of the ball were devastating as well. In this case it started in 2001 with the losses of MBL Greg Beikert, cover corner Eric Allen, and the downfall of repeated substance abusing DT Darrell Russell. In 2002 they lost All-Pro and future Hall of Fame FS Rod Woodson. The next year, Davis let perennial Pro Bowl corner Charles Woodson get away.

     While father time took Allen and Biekert from the Raiders, Russell and Woodson were sudden departures that didn’t have to happen. Russell was a beast that could have been as great for as long as he wanted. Unfortunately, he couldn’t overcome his lifestyle. That would later on claim his life in a car accident in 2004. Woodson was allowed to leave Oakland because Davis was scared off by Woodson’s battles with turf toe. The Raiders haven’t stopped the run since Russell’s his departure and opposing quarterbacks pick on the quaterbck opposite Nnamdi Asomugha. 

     By 2007, Sebastian Janikowski, Shane Lechler, Jerry Porter, and Roland Curry were the only remnants from the 2002 squad. Asomugha, Robert Gallery, Thomas Howard, Kirk Morrison Michael Huff, Justin Fargas, and the aforementioned Curry are the only draft picks since 2002 that made meaningful contributions to that time. DE Derrick Burgess was the only free agent that worked out at all. And even he, Fargas, Curry, Porter, and Morrison are gone now. That speaks volumes about the talent on the team then.

Talent wasn’t the only thing missing. There were no veterans around to help show the youngsters how it’s done. There was also no chemistry. All they had in the locker room were a group of players that didn’t know each other. The Raiders were like an expansion team without an expansion draft. Davis built has built a good roster from there.

Despite the mistake Davis made with Jamarcus Russell in the first round, 2007 was a good draft class. The Raiders got one of the best TEs in the league in second round pick Zach Miller. They also got the “thunder” portion of their backfield in late round gem Michael Bush. In 2008 they got the lightning portion of their backfield in Darren McFadden. The Raiders also picked up a late round gem in receiver Chaz Schilens. 2009 Saw the Raiders “reach” for Darrius Heyward-Bey in the first round because of that 4.27 speed. He will improve but Davis already picked a more polished receiver in late round gem Louis Murphy.

Asomugha is the best corner in the NFL and Michael Huff looks good at his natural position of free safety. Meanwhile, in 2008, the Raiders added 2 late round gems to the defense. DE\OLB Trevor Scott has tied for the team lead in sacks for his first 2 years and has yet start a full season. SS Tyvon Branch was second on the team in tackles and uses that sub 4.4 speed well in coverage. Michael Mitchell is supposed to be the Jack Tatum of the 2009 draft but the jury is still out. Third rounder Matt Shaughnessy looks the part with 4 sacks without an NFL start.

 The 2010 draft is being looked at as the slam-dunk draft. Big needs were definitely filled this year. First round MLB Rolando McClain comes in from the SEC and will help the Raiders stop the run. Second round DT\DE Lamarr Houston will also help stop the run regardless of position. Second round OT Jared Veldheer comes from a small school but was a combine star and handled big school pass rushers in All-Star games. Fourth round OT Bruce Campbell is an athletic freak like Gallery. It looks like they’re going to follow their own lead and move him to guard as they did Gallery.

The 2011 and 2012 Drafts have already started for the Raiders. There isn’t 2011 draft pick that will help us as much as Richard Seymour. His name and talent are just the beginning. His Championship mentality and experience will greatly influence this young team. What 2112 fourth round pick could help the Raiders as much as QB Jason Campbell? The four-year QB is right where Russell should be. He is the only QB that played in a situation worse than Russell’s and he has still improved each year. Last year, Campbell passed for 3,618 yards 20 TDs and 15 INTs. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes and his rating was 86.4. Those numbers along with how he played against San Diego last year would have given the Raiders the division title last year.

Free agency has treated us OK of late. Al Davis was forced into it with injuries and bad play along the o-line. Khalif Barnes looked as if he would supplant Mario Henderson last year until he broke his leg in camp. That would lead Davis to bring the huge, athletic Langston Walker back home after he left at the end of the 2006 season. I believe Barnes will prove to be a serviceable left tackle if Veldheer is not ready for the task. The free agent misses of Randy Moss, (quit) Kerry Collins, Aaron Brooks, Javon Walker, and DeAngelo Hall are in the rear view mirror now.     

The coaching carousel seems to have stopped as Cable is settling in. Until now, there has been no stability there since John Gruden aka “Chucky” was traded to Tampa bay. Campbell gets another offensive coordinator but he will enjoy this change. Hue Jackson is a great offensive mind that developed Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens offense. The fact that he will take over play calling means the Cable can just focus on doing what got him hired as the Raiders head coach. He will turn the offensive line back into a respectable unit again. D-line coach Mike Waufle is most known for developing the dominant New York Giant’s d-line of their Super Bowl run in 2007.

     The long, hard, reconstruction of the Oakland Raiders is taking shape. The Raiders are a young talented team with tons of upside. The coaching staff is now in place to point these talented youngsters in the right direction. There is also enough veteran leadership to support it all. The time of the turnaround has come. A trip to the playoffs is immanent for the Raiders this year. There is now light in the “Black Hole”!