Oakland Raiders: Questions They Must Answer if They Want To Make the Playoffs
Out of all the recent off-seasons, the 2011 off-season may be the most important for the Oakland Raiders.
The past seven seasons had been dreadful before the promise that 2010 brought fans. To see our team stay competitive in the majority of our contests and be in the playoff hunt right down to the end was quite a joy. Though the Raiders did not end their season with their ultimate goal in mind, a playoff berth, they showed that they could easily conquer their respective division and be a playoff contender.
The Oakland Raiders 2010 season can be summed up in one phrase: Moral victories.
In 2011, moral victories will not be enough. Raiders owner Al Davis has made it known that an 8-8 regular season will never be considered a successful campaign. No, the Raiders want to be consistent playoff participants and Super Bowl contenders.
Owner Al Davis has now entrusted his franchise to former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Jackson was given the deserved credit of making the Raiders a top ten offensive attack. With creative play calling and innovative use of his personnel, Jackson has made the Raiders offense a legitimate force. Now he must stretch his services throughout the entire team.
To make the playoffs in 2011 the Raiders must address some questions and concerns in order to fulfill their ultimate goal of NFL Domination.
How Do The Raiders Keep Their Core?
1 of 9
To say the Raiders have a lot of free agents would be an understatement. Not only do the Raiders have a plethora of free agents, but they all play a key role on this team.
Nnamdi Asomugha, Richard Seymour, Zach Miller, Michael Bush, Michael Huff. Those are all of our key free agents in the order of importance for the Raiders to keep in my opinion. All of them have made it known that they would have no problem staying in Oakland. It may not be easy, but the Raiders could very well keep all of them.
Michael Huff I think could be resigned at a cheap price. Huff may be willing to take whatever he can get, especially if he wants to stay with the Raiders as badly as he has expressed. A three year deal with bonus money tied to incentives would be more than enough to keep Huff. Or if you want a quick fix, you could give him a second round tender.
Michael Bush may be a bit more tricky. He probably will have a first and third round tender, much like Stanford Routt a year ago. His recent off-the- field antics may turn some teams away, giving the Raiders a bit more of a chance to keep him. I think Bush is itching for a starting job, so young teams could really use him. The Raiders must play this one carefully.
Do whatever it takes to keep Zach Miller. A five year, 5 mil per year, deal would be perfect for Miller. There are way to many teams with young quarterbacks that would love to get their hands on a Pro-Bowl TightEnd. You don't think the St Louis Rams would go after him to pair with Sam Bradford? What about the Carolina Panthers? Tampa Bay? Im just saying.
Richard Seymour is probably going to get the franchise tag one more time. As hard as it sounds, I don't see many other options. If the Raiders want to still make some free agent moves, the franchise tag for Seymour may be the only way to go.
Nnamdi Asomugha is the guy you keep. You get him signed with a respectable deal and do it now. I don't think Al Davis has a problem paying Asomugha. Just not 17 million dollars. You could cut that in half and Asomugha would still be one of the top paid corners in this league.
How Do The Raiders Approach Free Agency?
2 of 9
Unlike a season ago, the Raiders may have to make a bit of a splash in free agency. There are many players out there that can get this team over the hump. I think the name we all have heard is Jared Gaither, a top tier left tackle that has had issues with his respective franchise.
A lot of people connect him to the Raiders because of his ties to both Hue Jackson and Al Saunders. I would love to have him as a Raider. I just don't see it happening. The Ravens aren't going to just let this guy walk. They finally realize that Michael Oher is not meant to protect Joe Flacco's "Blindside". They aren't going to let Gaither go for nothing, and the Raiders don't have much to bargain with.
Besides, I think the Al Davis is going to take a serious look at Champ Bailey to pair up with Asomugha, even if it isn't a major need. A left guard may even be in the Raiders future if they feel Robert Gallery is replaceable. They may even want to finally look at a veteran wide reciever.
The possibilities are endless, so you may want to put a bit more faith in Jared Veldheer, because that other Jared may be a bit to hard to get.
How Do The Raiders Approach The Draft?
3 of 9
The Raiders had an outstanding draft a year ago, and they look to duplicate that in 2011. That is no easy task without a first round pick. The Raiders are going to miss out on some quality talent, so lets hope they get some people to fall to them in round two.
Some believe that Al Davis has something up his sleeve and may trade into the first round, but I don't see him having the ammo to execute that.
The Raiders biggest needs as of right now are Center, Left Tackle, Left Guard, Outside linebacker.
I think I am the only person who believes Center Stefan Wisniewski is still going to be around. It may be wishfull thinking, but it is more than possible. But if he isn't there, the center position is pretty deep this year, so we could address other positions while getting a center in later rounds, and still have them make a rookie impact.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I have a unique strategy of my own I think the Raiders may execute. I'll be writing an article about that in the near future, I would love to have your input.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Who Is Our Defensive Coordinator?
4 of 9
Did the Raiders hire a Defensive Coordinator and I just didn't get the memo?
It is getting late in the game, and the Raiders still haven't officially named a defensive coordinator. It seemed as if the Raiders had their eyes on Green Bay Packers linebacker's coach, Winston Moss. Moss was considered for many defensive coordinator jobs, but they are all taken now. So if Moss is really the Raiders guy, what is taking so long?
It may be time to consider "defensive coach" Chuck Bresnahan as our new DC. He was considered to be the Raiders linebackers coach, but Raider legend Greg Biekert was promoted to that honor. So now Bresnahan's options are a bit limited.
Persoanally, I think Moss is the man for the job. He would do wonders with our defense, he could really get us going. If we could get Moss and Biekert paired up to coach Rolando McClain, this whole defense could go into beast mode.
Bresnahan actually has a good chance as well, now that his former players are now his assistant coaches. I forgot that dynamic.
Whoever it is, I think they are set up for success. With these assistant coaches now in place, this defense, above anything else, should be more disciplined.
Which Wide Reciever Is Number One?
5 of 9
When the season actually gets here, there are some questions that can only get answered on the football field. One of those questions is which one of the young receivers becomes our number one guy? When you look at most of the contending playoff teams, we typically see a standout receiver. I think that is an aspect the Raiders must embrace.
Personally, I don't think any one receiver on our roster is better than another. I think Jacoby Ford gets all of the hype this year because of his big plays, but those big plays are mostly from all purpose yardage. As a traditional receiver his stats are similar to the rest of our receivers.
Darrius Heyward Bey is going into a critical year. If he wants to shake the bust title, he has to produce in year three the same way Darren McFadden did. I know he's a hard worker, but that hard work has to translate to the football field eventually. Im not expecting him to "breakout", per se, but don't be shocked if he turns out to be our most improved player on offense.
Louis Murphy, I think, took a bit of a step back last year. I look for him to be a whole lot more consistent this year. If he wants to be the number one guy, this is the year to make his case.
If Chaz Schilens can stay healthy, he is the front runner to be our number one. IF HE CAN STAY HEALTHY. Yes, that has been Schilens downfall in his young NFL career. When he is on the field, he is our best guy. His range of motion and footwork is impressive. But he has to stay on the field. He reminds me of Austin Miles in Dallas. He too had some health concerns before he finally turned it on. Hopefully Schilens can do the same.
regardless of who it is, one of these young men have got to make a name for themselves if the Raiders want to make a playoff run.
Can Darren McFadden Do It Again?
6 of 9
Darren McFadden was an ESPN SportsCenter highlight reel all on his own in 2010. He finally showed the potential he had coming out of Arkansas as a top five pick.
Now he has to prove it wasn't a fluke, and I don't think it was, not one bit. I expect that with the offensive line having an entire training camp under the power scheme, RUN DMC is going to take the world by storm. They say that an every down back is all but lost nowadays. Well in my opinion, there are only two backs in the league that can prove that statement wrong: Adrian Peterson and Darren McFadden.
McFadden I expect is going to have a lot more all purpose yards which means he will have to stay on the field giving the Raiders the best chance to win in 2011.
Not much needs to be said about Darren McFadden.
Is This What Jason Campbell Has Been Waiting For?
7 of 9
It is well documented that the word consistency is not the word to describe Jason Campbell's career. So lets not focus too much on what we already know. He had a rough time as a Redskin and has rarely been in the same offensive system in consecutive years.
Well in 2011, all that changes. He may have a new offensive coordinator, but it helps when your old one is promoted to head coach. It helps even more when that new offensive coordinator is someone you have worked with before. So familiarity shouldn't be an issue for Campbell in this upcoming year.
We know that Campbell had a hard time finding a franchise that supported him 100%. The Raiders have already made it known that Jason Campbell is their quarterback of the present. It is up to Campbell himself to become the quarterback of the future.
With Al Saunders as the new Offensive Coordinator, I expect Jason Campbell to take some shots down field a whole lot more. The Raiders will always be a run first team, but don't be shocked if Campbell is asked to take a few games over himself. He has always been smart with the football, but his interception numbers may go up a bit. But that is okay, because his touchdown numbers will as well.
Jason Campbell may never be a Peyton Manning. But that's okay. We don't need him to be. But Jason Campbell can be the kind of quarterback that when he is in the game, he makes this team better.
This is what you have always wanted Jason, but it is up to you to take it.
Can These Former Raider Legends Be Great Raider Coaches?
8 of 9
When was the last time you felt this good about the Raiders coaching staff? How long has it been? Don't worry, I'll wait....
I know, I can't remember either.
Now it's time to put up or shut up. It's easy to assume that a great player is going to be a great coach but the proof is on the field. Why do you think Mike Singletary is considered a good Linebackers Coach? Because he helped Ray Lewis, and turned Patrick Willis into a beast. Now if Greg Biekert wants to be put in a similar category, he has to do the same with Rolando McClain. I believe he will.
In Nnamdi Asomugha's rookie year, Rod Woodson helped develop a raw safety turned corner into what is now a three time Pro-Bowler. But that was as a teammate. Assuming Asomugha stays, he will have the responsibility to develop raw talent as a coach. In fact, he may need to find the next Nnamdi Asomugha. Young guns like Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware best pay attention.
The "Wiz" comes back to be an assistant O-line coach, bring some of that Raiders toughness back to the group. He may have a chance to even coach his nephew if he falls in the draft. I like Bob Wylie as our primary O-line coach but if this group improves, expect The "Wiz" to be our primary O-line Coach in 2012.
I like all of these hires. But they are going to have to pay off.
Hue Jackson and Al Davis: Is This Finally a Match?
9 of 9
Is this it? The match that we have all been waiting for? Is Hue Jackson the coach that passes the test of Al Davis? Well, we have heard the phrase "only time can tell". In this case, only winning can tell.
Since the departure of Jon Gruden, the Raiders have failed to find that special coach that could lead us to not just respectibility, but to undeniable quality as well. At Gruden's request, Al Davis let him go to Tampa Bay to let him be closer to his family. Tampa Bay would go on to win a Super Bowl vs our beloved franchise. The Raiders haven't been right since.
Do you remember who the Raiders Head Coach was before Jon Gruden? An offensive line coach, who was considered to be a players coach, that had all the respect from his players. His name was Joe Bugel. Sound familiar?
Davis would go on to fire Bugel for a young offensive minded coach that many other teams slept on, his name was of course, Jon Gruden.
Years later, Davis finds himself in almost the same identical situation. Letting go of Tom Cable, for none other than an offensive minded Hue Jackson. It worked the first time, lets hope it works again.
If Jackson can have similar success as his old friend, Gruden, let us hope Davis doesn't make the same mistake twice.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")