Oakland Raiders 2007 Team Preview Emory Hunt, Director of Scouting QB- Last year San Diego Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson almost threw more touchdowns than the Raider QBs Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks. Raider QBs threw a combined 6 TD passes in ’06. Hoping to improve on that number, the Raiders spent their 1st round pick (#1 overall) on the talented QB out of LSU JaMarcus Russell. Russell has the size (6’6 250lbs), the arm strength, the accuracy and the poise that you look for in a QB.  Gone from the team is Brooks and Walter figures to not be a factor, so that leaves Russell to battle ’07 Free agent signee Josh McCown to battle for the starting spot. It will be interesting to see how Russell is able to perform in the pre-season because it might determine whether or not the future is now. RB- The Raiders are loaded at RB. Unfortunately, it’s loaded with a bunch of #2 and #3 type players. LaMont Jordan is a good back when running downhill. Jordan’s problem has been his ability to stay healthy. He has to improve on his 3.8 ypc average over the last two seasons if he wants to be a part of the Raiders future plans. Justin Fargas showed some quickness to the hole that Jordan lacked, but he is still better suited to be a third down back. Free agent signee Dominic Rhodes, will miss the first 4 games of the season due to a league suspension, but when he returns, the 5’9 203 scat-back will be a factor in the running game. Rhodes is a cutback runner, so pairing him with the downhill runner in Jordan will give the Raiders a formidable duo. Also, keep an eye on 4th round draft pick Michael Bush from Louisville. If he checks out medically, he could add more big play ability to the Raiders backfield. WR- Even without Randy Moss, I really like the Raider WRs. Joey Porter was in Art Shell’s dog house all last season. The 6’2 220lb veteran is looking to prove to everyone that he can be a #1 receiver. Ronald Curry also returns this year. Curry was the most consistent WR last year catching 62 passes. He is expected to continue to blossom into a solid #2 wideout. The wild-card out of the bunch is the former 1st round pick Mike Williams. Williams comes over from the Detroit Lions after being underused and a disappointment. But he is reunited with his former college coach, Lane Kiffin who knows how to get the most out of the 6’5 230lb wide receiver. Williams has the size and the hands to be a dominant presence across the middle of the field and in red-zone situations. Rookie 2nd pick, Zach Miller is a solid TE and instantly upgrades the tight end position. Look for him to have success in Kiffin’s system. OL- To say the Raiders had offensive line issues in ’06 would be an understatement. Sometimes it looked as if the line has something against the QBs by giving up 72 sacks last season. Left tackle Robert Gallery, was consistently beat last year earning him the nickname “Turnstile”. I’m going to give Gallery one more chance to redeem himself before I officially slap the BUST label on him. Jake Grove returns as the starting center, but must hold off newcomer Jeremy Newberry. Grove is much better suited to play guard. Barry Sims will also try to recover from being benched last year by Art Shell. After hitting rock bottom in ’06, the OL has no choice but to improve in 2007. DL- The Defense was the strength of Oakland last season. DE Derrick Burgess was a terror off the edge in ’06 with a team high 11 sacks. Burgess has grown into one of the most feared pass rushers in the AFC. Future Hall-of-Famer, Warren Sapp, bounced back from a subpar 2005 campaign to finish with 10 sacks last season. Sapp has apparently found his fountain of youth by showing up to mini-camp 30 pounds lighter. Tyler Brayton and NT Terdell Sands also made some noise last year. Tommie Kelly provides great depth at both end and tackle. Rookie DE Quentin Moses from Georgia could compete for a starting spot opposite of Burgess. Moses could also see some time at OLB with his athletic 6’5 260lb frame. LB- OLB Thomas Howard and MLB Kirk Morrison are as about as solid as they come. The duo combined for 257 stops. SLB Sam Williams was finally able to stay on the field last year and played well, but maybe not well enough to keep rookie Quentin Moses from possibly starting. Robert Thomas is a versatile backup that can play all three linebacker positions and can also start in a pinch. DB- I’m excited about the Raiders secondary in 2007. The back four made tremendous strides as a group in ’06. Fourth year CB, Nnamdi Asomugha had an 8 interception campaign which was tied for 3rd in the AFC. Asomugha has a nice combination of size (6’2) and speed (4.4) that should continue to grow with his confidence.  Speedster Fabian Washington showed great quickness and anticipation last year that gave opposing WRs fits. Expect more ints coming to Washington as teams might shy away from throwing at Asomugha. Michael Huff did okay in his rookie season but the Raiders really want him to start generating some turnovers. FS Stuart Schweigert is okay but somewhat limited athletically, which might explain his lack of ints. But to his credit, he played solid all last season and was rarely out of position. Look for new free agent signee SS Donovan Darius to start at strong safety and Huff to slide over to free safety. Special Teams- Punter Shane Lechler and Kicker Sebastian Janikowski have the strongest legs in the NFL. The Raiders are pleased with Lechler but want Janikowski to be more consistent from 40+ yards. KR/PR Chris Carr has speed to burn and is dangerous returning kickoffs. Schedule- The Raiders have a schedule that is favorable. If that offense can score between 17-24 points a game, then that suffocating defense will really flourish. September is crucial for Oakland because they play 4 games before the BYE week. If they can go into the BYE at .500, then the Raiders can surprise some people in the AFC West. Comments?
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