Post by scorpion42 on Jan 1, 2009 18:39:37 GMT -7
Raiders say they're headed in the right direction
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The Raiders believe they're finally onto something decent. All it took was one overhead presentation, two head coaches, three offensive play-callers, four blowout losses and innumerable controversies, spats and embarrassing moments.
That journey might explain why the Raiders are so happy riding a two-game win streak into the offseason. Players think they're on the road to somewhere better - and they don't even have a permanent head coach in place.
"It sucks to say we've found our identity at the end of the season, but we did," middle linebacker Kirk Morrison said. "The last couple of games showed what this team is all about. It's been hard, but we caught our stride at the end of the season.
"It was just too late."
Surely, there must be less volatile ways to find themselves in a 5-11 season. As they try to avoid a seventh straight year with 11 or more losses, here's what the offseason has in store:
The core
On the field, this franchise's future is fastened to the arm of quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who finished far better than he started.
The Raiders are set at running back with Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Tight end Zach Miller has his position solved for years to come. Crazy as it sounds, Robert Gallery has become the anchor of the offensive line, albeit at left guard.
Wide receivers Chaz Schilens and Johnnie Lee Higgins showed promise at the end of the season. That gives the offense parts on which to rely.
Most of the defense will return, and fans can decide for themselves if that's good or not. Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha probably will be franchise-tagged again, whether he likes it or not.
With only one assistant coach under contract next season, perhaps a new set of coordinators can milk more out of the existing roster.
The undecided
Perennial Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler is set to escape, and don't dismiss the impact he makes in the field-position game - especially with an offense that rarely marches the length of the field.
The only way the Raiders keep Lechler is to offer him silly money that's unheard of for a punter - and even that might not be enough.
They have a hard decision with wide receiver Javon Walker, who was a pricy bust before blowing out his ankle in midseason. He's due $9 million next season, and the team must decide if he's worth that much.
Asomugha isn't the only free-agent cornerback. The Raiders liked Chris Johnson enough to dump Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall in midseason. If Johnson gets a better offer, and Stanford Routt walks as expected, the secondary will go from deep to sunk.
The future
The Raiders pick seventh overall, making it six times in seven years they've drafted seventh or higher. At some point, those prime picks must yield more wins than losses.
The Raiders need a No. 1 wide receiver who can go deep for Russell, taking pressure off the run game and letting the other receivers go against lesser cornerbacks.
They are more likely to sign an upper-tier free-agent receiver such as T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Antonio Bryant than draft one No. 7 overall. Owner Al Davis hasn't taken a receiver in the first round since Tim Brown in 1988.
Oakland also could use a cornerstone left tackle. Those are hard to find on the open market. It could be years before the Raiders draft that position again after failing in several first-round draft tries.
The Raiders also must fill (or re-fill) four offensive-line positions, strong-side linebacker and free safety.
And of course, a head coach to pull all this together would come in handy.
NFL notes: Mike Shanahan is out in Denver.
Report card: Scoring the Raiders' performance. D5
Priority list
1. Name head coach.
2. Fill 11 of 12 assistant-coaching positions, including offensive, defensive and special-teams coordinators.
3. Draft a frontline wide receiver or left tackle (to make life easier on quarterback JaMarcus Russell).
E-mail David White at dwhite@sfchronicle.com.
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The Raiders believe they're finally onto something decent. All it took was one overhead presentation, two head coaches, three offensive play-callers, four blowout losses and innumerable controversies, spats and embarrassing moments.
That journey might explain why the Raiders are so happy riding a two-game win streak into the offseason. Players think they're on the road to somewhere better - and they don't even have a permanent head coach in place.
"It sucks to say we've found our identity at the end of the season, but we did," middle linebacker Kirk Morrison said. "The last couple of games showed what this team is all about. It's been hard, but we caught our stride at the end of the season.
"It was just too late."
Surely, there must be less volatile ways to find themselves in a 5-11 season. As they try to avoid a seventh straight year with 11 or more losses, here's what the offseason has in store:
The core
On the field, this franchise's future is fastened to the arm of quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who finished far better than he started.
The Raiders are set at running back with Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Tight end Zach Miller has his position solved for years to come. Crazy as it sounds, Robert Gallery has become the anchor of the offensive line, albeit at left guard.
Wide receivers Chaz Schilens and Johnnie Lee Higgins showed promise at the end of the season. That gives the offense parts on which to rely.
Most of the defense will return, and fans can decide for themselves if that's good or not. Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha probably will be franchise-tagged again, whether he likes it or not.
With only one assistant coach under contract next season, perhaps a new set of coordinators can milk more out of the existing roster.
The undecided
Perennial Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler is set to escape, and don't dismiss the impact he makes in the field-position game - especially with an offense that rarely marches the length of the field.
The only way the Raiders keep Lechler is to offer him silly money that's unheard of for a punter - and even that might not be enough.
They have a hard decision with wide receiver Javon Walker, who was a pricy bust before blowing out his ankle in midseason. He's due $9 million next season, and the team must decide if he's worth that much.
Asomugha isn't the only free-agent cornerback. The Raiders liked Chris Johnson enough to dump Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall in midseason. If Johnson gets a better offer, and Stanford Routt walks as expected, the secondary will go from deep to sunk.
The future
The Raiders pick seventh overall, making it six times in seven years they've drafted seventh or higher. At some point, those prime picks must yield more wins than losses.
The Raiders need a No. 1 wide receiver who can go deep for Russell, taking pressure off the run game and letting the other receivers go against lesser cornerbacks.
They are more likely to sign an upper-tier free-agent receiver such as T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Antonio Bryant than draft one No. 7 overall. Owner Al Davis hasn't taken a receiver in the first round since Tim Brown in 1988.
Oakland also could use a cornerstone left tackle. Those are hard to find on the open market. It could be years before the Raiders draft that position again after failing in several first-round draft tries.
The Raiders also must fill (or re-fill) four offensive-line positions, strong-side linebacker and free safety.
And of course, a head coach to pull all this together would come in handy.
NFL notes: Mike Shanahan is out in Denver.
Report card: Scoring the Raiders' performance. D5
Priority list
1. Name head coach.
2. Fill 11 of 12 assistant-coaching positions, including offensive, defensive and special-teams coordinators.
3. Draft a frontline wide receiver or left tackle (to make life easier on quarterback JaMarcus Russell).
E-mail David White at dwhite@sfchronicle.com.