5 Questions the Oakland Raiders Could Answer in the 2011 NFL Preseason

A year after finishing 8-8 and sweeping the AFC West, the Oakland Raiders fired their head coach, Tom Cable, and promoted offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to the position. 

Jackson will help provide a sense of continuity for the franchise, but there are still plenty of questions for the Raiders to answer as they approach the 2011 preseason. 

However, that is the case for nearly all 32 NFL teams. Offseasons typically create as many questions as they answer, and it's hard to project the answers to those until any football is played. 

Insert preseason games, which serve as the early proving grounds for players and the magic eight ball for many of the questions. 

Let's go over some of the questions that the 2011 preseason could answer for the Oakland Raiders.

Who Are the Raiders' 5 Starting Offensive Linemen?

The offensive line is probably the most important positional battle of Raiders camp. 

The left side of the line, with Jared Veldheer at tackle and Daniel Loper at guard, should be set in stone. But center, right guard and tackle are all up for grabs. 

Second-round pick Stephen Wisniewski and Samson Satele, who the team re-signed, are battling for the center position. It's possible the loser of that competition could move over to right guard as well. 

If that's the case, that player will have to beat out Bruce Campbell, who management is high upon. 

At right tackle, the Raiders lost out on Jared Gaither to the division rival Chiefs, but they still have options. While third-round pick Joseph Barksdale might have the early edge, veteran Khaliff Barnes will have every opportunity to win the spot with a good preseason. 

By the time the preseason is completed, the Raiders should have a good idea who their starting five are. 

How Does the Receiver Depth Chart Shake Out?

Like their offensive line, the Raiders have plenty of bodies at receiver but very little idea how it will shake out. 

Jacoby Ford and Darius Heyward-Bey begin the preseason as the starting receivers. That could very easily change throughout the course of the exhibition games. 

Louis Murphy was the Raiders' most productive receiver last year, and both Chaz Schillens and Denarius Moore have shown potential. 

A former first-round pick, Heyward-Bey has been wildly inconsistent and is far from a lock at one of the receiver spots. 

Without a good preseason, either Murphy, Schillens or Moore could jump him on the depth chart.

What Is the Role of Kevin Boss?

The Raiders lost tight end Zach Miller, who caught the most passes of any player on the team last season, to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. 

To offset the loss, Oakland turned to former Giants tight end Kevin Boss and signed him to a four-year contract. 

While he's never caught as many passes as Miller did in 2010 (60 for 685 yards), Boss can help fill the role that Miller once held in Oakland. Boss actually has 10 touchdowns receptions over the past two seasons. 

It will be interesting to see how the Raiders plan to use Boss. Is he expected to bring exactly what Miller did? Quarterback Jason Campbell certainly felt a comfort level there with the tight end position. 

And in an offense that does like to use the tight end underneath the coverage, Boss may turn out to be one of the more important offensive players on the roster.

Who Plays Cornerback?

The Raiders obviously lost All-World cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, but there is some potential depth still on the roster. 

Stanford Routt was given a new contract and he's expected to be an impact player on the Raiders' defense. As it stands now, Chris Johnson is slated to start opposite Routt. 

Behind those two, rookie Demarcus Van Dyke and Walter McFadden are the primary backups. 

But is that how the Raiders will go into the season? In this age of the NFL passing game, teams need three or four solid cornerbacks. 

Rookie Chimdi Chekwa was an early favorite to get snaps, but he has been injured for most of camp. Van Dyke is certainly fast, but he's also a rookie and raw at the position. 

How the young backups play in the preseason will go a long ways to deciding who plays the most snaps in the nickel and dime defenses. 

Who Is Jason Campbell's Primary Backup?

Jason Campbell is the undisputed starter for the Raiders at quarterback, but there are a few things you must consider when deciding his backup. 

First, Campbell was pulled from two games last season and missed three others. Counting on him for 16 games might be a reach. The backup quarterback will likely be taking snaps for the Raiders this season.

Secondly, the Raiders have an uninspiring battle for that No. 2 spot behind Campbell. 

Kyle Boller is the backup at this point, but as a former first-round bust who's never stuck with a team, it's hard to like the idea of him playing meaningful snaps. 

Behind Boller is Trent Edwards, who flamed out of Buffalo after beginning the season as the starter, then appeared in a handful of games for Jacksonville. 

There really isn't a good answer whether Boller or Edwards wins the backup job, but we'll have a much clearer picture who that man is once the preseason is over.