Oakland Raiders Need Players with Potential of Cliff Branch and Daryle Lamonica

Seven of us were traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike headed toward Reston, Virginia. Our goal was to be in place to watch the game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders in 2010.

A stop was made along the way, and I purchased a USA Today Sports Weekly. It had an article on the positive and negatives of each of the 32 NFL teams.

It mentioned that Raiders' quarterback Jason Campbell was "yanked" from his role as starter. It did not give the best comments on the performance of backup Bruce Gradkowski either. And there also weren't the most positive comments on the feats of linebacker Rolando McClain.

The fact that the two quarterbacks were mentioned reminds us of the need for depth at the quarterback position. A young guy named Terrelle Pryor seems to have the potential of developing into a good quarterback, but he already has a few issues.

When another B/R member asked my opinion, I responded by saying that it's too soon to determine whether Pryor would be a good fit for the Oakland Raiders. Let's just see what unfolds in the Ohio State University football team controversy before making a decision.

On the other hand, many of us Raider fans don't expect many positive comments from the media. That's why adding a young player like Pryor may hinder our speedy attainment of excellence and also lessen the character of the 2011 team.

We do like it, however, when the Raiders get any recognition on the improvements to the team.

The commitment to excellence keeps us focused on the criteria and not the competition.

The criteria for excellence should be to match, or exceed the performance of, the Oakland Raiders of the past.

Players like Jim Otto, Daryle Lamonica, George Blanda, George Atkinson, Cliff Branch and many others set a standard for this generation of Oakland Raiders.

Comparing the Oakland Raiders with the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills or Carolina Panthers is focusing on a standard of survival rather than one of excellence.

Those teams had a 0-4 win-loss record for the first quarter of the 2010 season.

If you look at some of the other teams that do not have a criteria for excellence, there is a lower ceiling of expectations.

It's more like a student who says he is glad he didn't fail, rather than saying he or she missed the mark of getting an A for excellence.

Go Raiders! Reach for the standard set by former stars of the Oakland Raiders. Also, aim to have a better image off the playing field in the future.