NFL preview: Oakland Raiders
I was all set to pick the Raiders to finish at .500, when I thought Tom Cable was leading them back to respectability, not sucker-punching his assistant coaches and breaking their jaws.
Projected finish: 7-9 (2nd in AFC West)
Especially now that Cable is alledged to have tangled with assistant Randy Hanson, I have no idea where the Raiders will end up. On one hand, they've got enough young players to like, especially if QB JaMarcus Russell makes a leap, that they could really build on their strong finish to the 2008 season. On the other hand, Russell has been inconsistent at best since the Raiders took him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and the roster remains underwhelming in more than a few spots, especially on offense.
There is reason to believe the QB spot can become a strength for the Raiders soon. Russell did show progress in his sophomore season, and if he falters, veteran Jeff Garcia is still capable of stepping in. I have my doubts about the Raiders' choice of Darius Heyward-Bey with the seventh overall pick in this year's draft, but he certainly brings a unique skill set to a weak receiver cast that includes Chaz Schilens, Johnnie Lee Higgins and Louis Murphy. At least Russell has a decent tight end to throw to in Zach Miller.
Darren McFadden, who disappointed as a rookie, faces a dogfight with Justin Fargas and Michael Bush for the right to be Oakland's feature back. Whoever gets most of the carries will have veteran FB Lorenzo Neal as his primary lead blocker. Mario Henderson, Robert Gallery, Samson Satele, Cooper Carlisle and Cornell Green look like the starters on an offensive line that will be hard-pressed to be average.
Trevor Scott, who showed promise as a rookie, and veteran Greg Ellis are the starting ends on a defensive line that I think can be one of the best in the NFL. Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren are a fearsome tackle tandem. This line lacks a speed rusher or a candidate for 15 sacks, but it has everything else. Warren gives it an overpowering physical specimen, and Kelly a more fleet former end on the inside.
Probable starters at linebacker include unproven Jon Alston and the solid Thomas Howard on the outside and Kirk Morrison, a relative unknown who has 385 tackles over the last three years, on the insdie. Nnamdi Asomugha might be the best CB in football, but the rest of the secondary is the only real defenive weakness I see. Chris Johnson is set to start opposite Asomugha, and Tyvon Branch and Hiram Eugene are a pair of safeties that don't qualify as frightening to the opposition.
