Not That Many Players Away

They Say "what goes up, must come down" but, with the Oakland Raiders Going 15-49 since the 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, Raiders fans should start expecting the opposite to start comin' true. The NFL draft is 2 months away & the Raiders have the number one pick. They have had a top 10 pick ever since 2003. I don't mean to bum people out but if, by chance, you are bummed then know this, as Lennon once sang "It Can't Get Much Worse".

FIRST: The promise of this young defence can't be denied. Rob Ryan has created a fresh scheme that utilizes both 4-3 & 3-4, though mostly 4-3. Resigning Terdell Sands for the D-line is a must. Even still, another run-stopper could be required. Linebackers Kirk Morrison & Thomas Howard are strong, promising young talents but an energetic veteran field leader, on the line, would help these two younger players adjust. The secondary is all but set, and if Darnell Bing gets a full season in then he could be the hard hitting, finishing touch. All & all the D does not need to much tweakin', after all they were third over all in that category.

SECOND: Here comes the 50 million dollar question. How to fix an offence that struggled to score one TD a game last year. Some believe trading down is the best option. Some believe we are better off with a veteran QB as opposed to drafting one of these following first round locks, JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn or Brian Brohm. However, for me, I would agree with this post I Am Big On J-Russ posted by GCP.

Indeed, whatever the silver & black do in the draft it will depend upon what they do at head coach. Hopefully, he will realize the talent of his team was not on display in what they did this year. Guys like Randy Moss, Lamont Jordan &, mr. benched me but I'm still ready to play, Jerry Porter are sure to play better for a coach they believe in. The single most unappreciated fact about the 2006 season for the Raiders is their Head Coach & Offencive Coordinator. Lets start with Art Shell, he had not coached a game in 8 years, I think that hinders his chances. Then there is Tom Walsh, he hadn't been anywhere near the NFL for years. I also read an article on defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, that states his case pretty well, called Rejecting Ryan could hurt chemistry. While I'm still not sure which coach is best, I still feel a QB is the most needed component to a contending in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders.