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What have we learned from our 2008-2009 Oakland Raiders this far? Well, a lot has to be said of the mentality change. Russell is positive, Kiffin said that McFadden has a GREAT attitude. Overall, a lot to be happy about. It appears every area of the team has improved, except the offensive line. The first few days have been pretty normal, but lets re-hash what has been said about each positional grouping. QB: Russell can make some insane throws and appears committed to learning the smaller things. He has a ways to go, but I can't help but feel that those one or two plays a game where he is superman might be the difference between having just a QB that does the small things and one that can bring you back when you need him to. Tui looks poised to take the backup role, and Walter might finally get his wish out of town provided all the QBs stay healthy. RB: Bush has a ways to go to be the short-yardage guy, and honestly I am not sure that is the best role for him, because he is a bit m

Camp is finally here. I guess there were a lot of positives today, because even Ol' McDonald was upbeat. I guess when there is hardly anything negative to report, its tough to be negative, even for middle-aged sports reporters. -Javon Walker doesn't have any significant injuries and is in fact in better shape than he was during mini-camp when Kiffin said he wished Walker was in better shape. I find this to be a good thing because of the NFL Conduct Policy enforcement the media has been too quick to judge, when in fact Walker was just a victim. He could have been smarter, but we all make mistakes. - Kelly actually talked to the media because he was told he had to. I like that he is willing to admit that he has no personal vendetta against the media, simply put he just likes to got to work and go home. I respect his finally coming out and talking to the media, even though he doesn't really like to. I hope the media plays it cool with Kelly, because he still could change his

According to Adam Stiffler of NFL Network , Nnamdi Asomugha signed his tender and will be at camp. I have to think one of two things caused Asomugha to change his mind. 1) The Raiders assured him he wouldn't be franchised in 2009 or 2) Asomugha feared that he would be labeled a me-first player by holding out. I by no means think the first one is a possibility. Asomugha is a class act and he has just cemented his status as a team leader and defensive captain. One thing Al Davis admires more than anything and that is loyalty. Asomugha made the correct decision, because if Al doesn't give him that big contract next offseason, someone will. Aosmugha has just proven to his teamates, coaches and to Davis that he is serious about winning and being a team first guy, even if he has to overlook a business aspect of the game. Considering Asomugha went to the NFLPA business development classes this offseason, you have to expect he knows exactly what he is doing. In the end, I believe Asomu

So, I've been slacking. So sue me, I have a day job and I still do this stuff. Those other bloggers get paid and still can't write a decent blog everyday. So to catch up, here it goes, got to be a little more brief this time around. WR: We shouldn't get too concerned, but Walker has to be on our radar as turd player of the year. After signing a huge contract, he better produce or he will be tossed around like a cabbage patch kid at a toddler slumber party by the Raider Nation. That said, hopefully Curry's bone spur removal also removes his case of the drops, and I suspect it will, in addition to the real competition for his starting gig, which hasn't been around since Jerry Porter went Randy Moss all over Art Shell. Or did Randy Moss go Jerry Porter over Art Shell, or is Owens supposed to be in there? Who knows. ANYWAY, Curry should turn it up and hopefully Brad Roll's influence on Curry keeps him in the starting lineup. The wildcard here is Drew Carter which th

This might be one of the most intriguing positions on the Raiders roster. We drafted Darren McFadden a year after sinking a flyer on Michael Bush in the 4th round and just after inking Fargas to an extension which is a two-year deal in disguise. Technically, LaMont Jordan is still on the roster, but don't expect him to be much longer. It is hard to imagine McFadden not getting significant touches after sinking yet another huge signing bonus on a draft pick. He will, at WR, HB, RB, and maybe even QB. Expect McFadden to be involved in plenty of special formations. I'd compare him to a more physical Reggie Bush, and I expect that Fargas will be our Duece McAllister. Remember how well Bush did when Duece was healthy...now imagine an even more physical RB with similar speed. I believe McFadden can be special this year out of the gate and I don't know many people that expect him not to be somewhat productive. Fargas role is an interesting one. Where last year he broke down after

There isn't much doubt in Raiderland about who the starting Quarterback is. Lane Kiffin announced it at the end of last season. We all know it is JaMarcus Russell. However, what isn't so clear is who the backup Quarterback is. According to the USA Today the NFL set a new record for number of Quarterbacks started in a season. At this point in the NFL having a good healthy Quarterback is what leads team's to the Lombardi Trophy stage. We all know the Raiders will sink or swim with Russell, but what we have to factor in is a decent backup can sometimes keep a team in a playoff race. A playoff race both Kiffin and Al Davis expect to be in this season. Russell starting aside, the Raiders still have Andrew Walter, Tui, Jeff Otis and Sam Keller. While Otis and Keller are just camp arms, Tui and Walter might be one of the better competitions to watch this camp. While we don't want to admit it, its also important as the backup could be called upon if Russell were to miss time.

Bill Williamson reports the Raiders could be interested in bringing in veteran defensive tackle depth. He thinks the jobless Sam Adams and Grady Jackson might be good fits and I couldn't agree more. Both of these guys are veterans that could still get it done. Gravvy got it done for the Jags last season and they were pretty pleased with him. Only the desire to get younger prevented Jacksonville from bringing Gravvy back to clog the middle. I don't see what the hurt would be in bringing in a big guy with experience at very least to teach Sands a thing or two about stopping the run. Sam Adams on the other hand was part of the dubious line scheme the Broncos decided to run last season. The same scheme that made Gerrard Warren so unhappy before the season started. Besides that season he put up several solid seasons before that. Although he has bounced around a lot he seems to get it done on the field most of the time. My preference would be Gravvy as we are more familiar with him