Well here we go again. Another season of Oakland Raiders football is fast approaching. What will the Oakland Raiders be like in 2009? Will it be more of the same, or will the Raiders finally make some headway in an AFC West that, in my opinion, is wide open? First, I’ll start by saying that I like Tom Cable as a coach and I think the Raiders made a smart move by keeping him on board. I think the Raiders have shown more promise under Coach Cable than any other coach since Gruden. When you look at the realistic candidates for the Oakland job, you realize keeping Cable in an effort to bring some stability to a franchise that has lacked it for years makes sense. Cable is a former OL coach and with McFadden, Fargas and Bush, this team is built to be a powerhouse and I think Cable will really work to set up the race this year.

Unlike past offseasons in which the Raiders have tried to land some big-name free agents, this year’s free agency period has turned out to be relatively uneventful for the Silver and Black. Outside of signing QB Jeff Garcia, the Raider’s biggest offseason move has clearly been the contract renewal of CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, if not the best, and he conjured up memories of Lester Hayes when you watch him play. The Raiders also waived punter Shane Lechler, which I also think was a solid move. We all saw in the playoffs the last few years how valuable a kicker can be in terms of position on the field. Lechler is one of the best and I’m glad to see him back.

The OL Raiders are a mess in my opinion, which is a shame because they have 3 backs that can carry the rock effectively in McFadden, Fargas and Bush. Whether there will be holes for any of them to pass through remains to be seen. To bolster a line that has been underperforming for years, the Raiders added LT Khalif Barnes from Jacksonville. While it seems on paper that this is an upgrade over Kwame Harris, it’s still a position the Raiders need to address in next weekend’s draft. Former first-round pick Robert Gallery has played just about every position in the OL and hasn’t been dominant at any of them. Jake Grove has gone to Miami and in his place comes Samson Satele, who should benefit from the Raiders’ zone-blocking schemes that Cable likes to use.

Defensively, the Raiders have numerous glaring weaknesses. After Asomugha, the secondary is extremely thin even though he ranks 10th overall in passing yards allowed at 201.2 per game. Former Texas standout Michael Huff has been a tremendous disappointment in the same way that Gallery has been, and toward the end of the year he was replaced in the starting lineup by Hiram Eugene. Chris Johnson is a solid player, but Stanford Rout and Justin Miller are situational players at best. The LBs are pretty solid with Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard anchored in the middle, but this body could use some help from the IL, which was a nightmare last season with the departure of Warren Sapp. The Raiders allowed 159.7 rushing yards per game in 2008 to rank 31st in the NFL. Tommy Kelly had a horrible year and Gerard Warren has never had any kind of impact anywhere he’s played.

So who should the Raiders draft with the seventh overall pick? I’ve been saying that the future of this franchise is still QB JaMarcus Russell. Obviously, we all know Russell has a cannon arm, but his shots are erratic and he’s been hurt by having no one to throw the ball to outside of Zach Miller. If Russell goes well, the Raiders will be fine, but if it’s a bust and you’re already hearing rumors to that effect, the Raiders will be done for another 5 years at least. Cable subtly hinted recently that Russell’s work ethic could be better and that he needs to establish himself as a team leader. Russell responded by showing up to the Raiders’ offseason workouts and, hopefully, he’s gotten the point because Cable is right when he says that if he matures and works on his mechanics, he could be great. With that in mind, I definitely think the Raiders should select either Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin with the seventh pick this Saturday.

In Russell’s defense, he has never had a man since his start in the NFL. Javon Walker is a joke and Ronald Curry had been released and has since signed with the Lions, leaving the Raiders with virtually no one in the job. The Raiders need to give Russell a chance; someone to work with and grow together in the same way that Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison used to in Indy. The Raiders and Russell in particular desperately need a receiver. I hear a lot of so-called “gurus” saying the Raiders will draft OL Andre Smith from Alabama. This would be a BIG mistake no pun intended. Smith’s physique is atrocious, which to me is a sure sign of laziness. Laziness is something the Raiders don’t need anymore. What the Raiders need is someone who will step in immediately and be a playmaker for the team and especially Russell and Maclin or Crabtree would provide that. Later in the draft, the Raiders can address some of their other needy positions, like DL, OL and secondary.

It’s been a long time in 2001 to be exact since the Raiders have had a glimmer of success. Hopefully this is the year that Russell makes some headway and gives all Raider fans something that Michael Irvin says is the one thing a man needs to move forward: hope. Until next time.

cheers and beers