One More Move for Huff Could Mean a Great Defense for the Raiders

Michael Huff has been largely criticized for his play since arriving in Oakland in 2006. Many have looked at his stat sheet and have even called him a bust as a number seven pick.

I don't see it that way.

If you want to go from a standpoint of statistical production vs. place in the draft then you can say so.

However, he is a good football player and has tried his best to do what has been asked of him thus far in his career.

What was asked of him is not his fault. He has played strong safety for the better part of his career and has shut down the best tight ends in the league. The problem is that he simply is not built for stopping the run and making over 100 tackles a year.

Last season saw Huff have somewhat of a breakthrough. He had three interceptions and 14 pass deflections.

Tackling remains a knock on him. Tyvon Branch just had a good season at last year at strong safety and Mike Mitchell is a big hitting safety that had injuries cost him playing time last year.

We all know that Al Davis loves for his picks to play and Huff was Art Shell's pick. So despite finally breaking through at a more natural position for him last year, it seems the walls may be closing in on Huff.

But they don't have to be.

Both Branch and Mitchell are very fast and physical safeties. Mitchell is supposed to be the second coming of Jack Tatum and his college film indicates just that. Injuries slowed him down early in the season but he showed promise once he was healthy late in the season.

Where does that leave Huff, who just started to breakthrough last season. There were many trade rumors involving him but none came into fruition. I believe a move to corner would be just what the doctor ordered for the Raider defense.

What? Another position change? This position change would best fit his natural skill set and Chris Johnson isn't working out opposite Nnamdi Asomugha.

Huff was Thorpe award winner that some teams looked as a corner instead of safety coming out of college.

He actually had better cover skills than Asomugha at that point as Asomugha was also a safety. It's obvious that Asomugha has become the best cover corner since then but Huff too could make such a transition.

In no way am I predicting that he would make a better corner than Asomugha but he doesn't have to be. Asomugha is the master of such a transition so he could help him transition faster that he did.

Huff is a 4.3 40 man and has a 40 inch vertical leap so the athleticism is there. At 6'1 205 lbs., Huff would make a solid bump and run corner. He has already covered tight ends and slot receivers since joining the Raiders so man coverage isn't foreign to him.

Huff moving to corner would leave bangers Mitchell and Branch at the safeties which means our best 11 men would be on the field. The Raiders could very well have one of the most physical secondaries in the league.

We just might see something reminiscent of Tatum, Willie Brown, George Atkinson, and Skip Thomas patrolling the Raider secondary. 

If not for any other reason, the Raiders should try it to get what they can out of their former number seven pick.

I think he has it in him to make it work.