Just win at least 4 games, baby! That is going to be about it for the Oakland Raiders in 2009. Tom Cable is a good coach. Unfortunately the team built for him is brutal. Darrius Heyward-Bey at 7? Nothing against Bey, and I’m sure he will turn out fine, but Michael Crabtree should have been taken. Either way it will not be easy getting whoever they took the ball anyway. JaMarcus Russell is not as good a QB as Al Davis seems to think he is. New QB Jeff Garcia should start if the Raiders want any chance to be competitive. The offensive line is decent at best, and that may be a reach statement.
It’s a shame that line is a bad as it is, because the lone bright spot on offense is the trio of RBs the Raiders have. Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, and Darren McFadden are all good backs.
Oakland has a good secondary headed by Nnamdi Asomugha. NA is one of the best CBs in the NFL. Chris Johnson played well after DeAngelo Hall was cut during the season. Let’s see what Derrick Burgess comes up with this year being that he is in a contract year.
Offense
Picking up T Khalif Barnes through free agency will be an upgrade from Kwame Harris. But the rest of the line is a huge problem. But Robert Gallery sucks. So it’s going to be tough for Fargas, McFadden, and Bush to find many holes to run through. This of course will force the Raiders to pass the ball. Which isn’t good because the Raiders have no WRs. Sure they drafted the kid at 7, he is crazy fast, but has a problem holding on to the rock. Johnnie Lee-Higgins may have potential but still is too much of an unknown. The most consistent receiving option will be TE Zach Miller. Miller is a damn good TE, and which ever QB is playing, he needs to know where he is at all times.
Defense
Oakland’s defense ranked 31st in the league against the run in 2008. They made little or no effort to correct this as all 3 players in the middle of the line are returning. Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, and Terdell Sands are all back. These guys gave up over 150 yards a game on the ground last year. And Derrick Burgess’ play has been less than stellar as of late. They do have a solid LB corps with Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard roaming the middle, but the guys up front are providing no support. We know about the starting CBs, but the safeties are a bit unknown. Tyvon Branch missed most of the year with injuries, and the Raiders surprise everyone yet again by taking S Mike Mitchell in the second round of the draft. Justin Miller is a good KR but on defense, not so good.
What does this all mean
Another long season for Raider Nation. Sorry Raiders fans, the offense is in flux, and with a tough 6 game opening stretch, they may dig themselves into a ditch they can’t climb out of. Opening with 3 straight division games, hosting San Diego on Monday Night Football, at Kansas City, and back home for Denver, the run defense will be tested early. Then they head out on a two game road trip starting in Houston (Steve Slaton), finishing with a game against the Giants (Brandon Jacobs). The six game stretch ends finally in week 6 with Oakland hosting Brian Westbrook and the Eagles. That will not be easy.
Thanks for stopping by, come back tomorrow for team # 30…
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