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Predicting the Raiders Defensive Starters

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Mar 052012
 

The Oakland Raiders may not do much shuffling on the offensive side of the ball, but the 29th ranked defense will be altered.

Stanford Routt has already been released and Reggie McKenzie promises even more change. Of the 11 positions on defense, only two have unquestioned starters.

Had the Raiders been healthy, the starters at the end of the season would have been nearly identical to the starters in Week 1. The lone exception would be Aaron Curry starting over Quentin Groves.

Since the Raiders will use both three-man and four-man fronts, we’ll have to predict the starters for both schemes.

 

RDE Matt Shaughnessy (4-3 only)

Last season, Shaughnessy was among the favorites during training camp to have a breakout, but hurt his shoulder and missed 13 games. He’ll return in 2012 and hope to revive the buzz he generated last offseason. Shaughnessy managed to record just one sack in three games in 2011 and will be ready to add to that total.

The introduction of the 3-4 will be very interesting for Shaughnessy and his only scheme fit appears to be as an end in the 4-3.

 

LDE Lamarr Houston

Houston registered one sack in 13 games after registering five in his rookie campaign in 2010. He’s stout against the run, but he can be neutralized when forced to rush the passer.

Houston’s best opportunity to rush the passer comes from the defensive tackle position in the 4-3, but Richard Seymour will remain with the Raiders for at least another season.

Houston is scheme diverse and should be able to translate into a nice 3-4 defensive end. Instead of coming off the field on passing downs like he has the past two seasons, Houston will stay on field.

 

DT Tommy Kelly

Kelly has been rumored to be on the chopping block, but he’s a decent bet to return and should restructure the mega deal he signed in 2008. Kelly quietly put up a career year in 2011 with 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended and 1 interception.

Houston gets the starting nod over Kelly at 3-4 end, but Kelly could be just as effective playing the 5-technique. The question with Kelly is if he is the right guy to defend the run or if he would be better suited for the 3-technique a position locked down by Richard Seymour.

 

DT/RDE Richard Seymour

McKenzie made a commitment to Seymour when the deadline came and went that made half of Seymour’s $15 million base salary in 2012 guaranteed. That means McKenzie will need to work out an extension with Seymour that reduces his cap number.

Seymour has experience running the 3-4 and 4-3 fronts and would start in both fronts. He’d continue to have good success as a 4-3 defensive tackle from the 3-technique and would start at LDE as a 5-technique defensive end. He’s one of the few locks on the defense.

 

OLB Manny Lawson

Aaron Curry played well after coming over from Seattle, but there was a reason he was traded and he’s due $5.7 million in 2012. It’s hard to imagine the Raiders wanting to pay Curry anything close to what his contract has paid him to this point and that will force the Raiders to go in a different direction.

The Raiders will look for a more affordable option in free agency and hopefully they will find an OLB who is equally effective in the 4-3 and 3-4 defenses. There aren’t many OLB options in free agency so this will be one of the more interesting positions to watch.

Lawson has experience in both schemes and with defensive coordinator Jason Tarver.

Lawson isn’t great at rushing the passer, but uses his natural athleticism. He’s underrated in coverage and a good defender against the run. He’s a well-rounded linebacker that is being undervalued by the rest of the league.

 

MLB/ILB Rolando McClain

It’s a make or break year for McClain. Playing more of the 3-4 defense will take some of the pressure off McClain and he should be able to play faster. However, effort has also been an issue with McClain and that’s something Dennis Allen and his staff needs to address right away.

Despite lackluster play to this point in his career the Raiders will give McClain his chance at redemption. It’s up to McClain to take advantage of his second chance and shut-up his critics.

 

ILB Joe Mays

The Raiders don’t have a lot of cap space and will find it difficult to add a ILB in free agency. Travis Goethel is a huge unknown, but he’d be a consideration for this position as well.

Dennis Allen was calling in the plays to Mays in Denver and the familiarity will help the Raiders defense get up to speed in Allen’s defense. Mays shouldn’t break the bank, he’ll play in 3-4 alignments and provide competition for McClain as at MLB.

 

OLB Kamerion Wimbley

There has been a lot of talk about Wimbley and how he’ll be released if he doesn’t restructure his contract. The fact that this has all come out in the media suggests the Raiders are having issues negotiating with Wimbley’s agent.

Wimbley has a ton of leverage and the Raiders need to restore fiscal responsibility. The Raiders can release Wimbley and suggest it’s part of the regime change in Oakland, but the truth is they want Wimbley back.

Something will get done at the last minute that keeps Wimbley in Oakland.

 

CB Terrell Thomas

He’s coming off an injury, but was a solid cornerback for the Giants for the past few seasons. He’s more of a number two cornerback, but the Raiders can’t afford a top option.

When you think about which players can be signed to a reasonable contract and fit the new defensive scheme, Thomas comes to mind. He’s a poor man’s Cortland Finnegan.

 

FS Brandon Underwood

The Raiders picked up ex-Packer Underwood as one of McKenzie’s first signings. It would be easy to look at Underwood as a potential starter at cornerback considering he was signed shortly after the release of Stanford Routt, but that’s a mistake.

The Packers were trying to convert Underwood into a free safety, something the Raiders should try to continue. If Underwood can stay focused, he’s got enough talent to start. The Raiders need options in the secondary and with a limited budget the Raiders will be forced to find a starter or two with minimum salaries.

 

SS Tyvon Branch

The Raiders put the franchise tag on Branch and will continue to work on a long-term contract. Branch hasn’t been featured in the Raiders defensive scheme to this point, but that should be changing.

Branch is an extremely underrated player in the secondary and the fans will finally get a chance to see it in 2012.

 

CB Michael Huff

Huff has a huge cap number, but recently tweeted how excited he was about Dennis Allen’s defense. That would be an awkward conversation if McKenzie planned on releasing Huff.

Huff likely will or has restructured his contract to be more favorable for the Raiders, and the Raiders may have a hard time finding solid cornerbacks in free agency.

Safeties aren’t easy to find in free agency either, but McKenzie won’t be able to justify the cost on two safeties so Huff will shift to cornerback.

Free Agency Strategy: Play Moneyball

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  1 Response »
Feb 272012
 

A lot has been made of the Raiders lack of draft selections in the 2012 NFL draft. The Raiders have just two, but are likely to be awarded a few more by the NFL when they announce compensatory picks in late March.

The best pick that can be awarded is a pick at the end of the third round and compensatory selections can’t be traded.

In the NFL there is a salary cap and salary floor to keep all the teams as competitive as possible, but when it comes to draft selection they are traded like currency for acquiring players or more selections.

With such limited resources this offseason, the Oakland Raiders may need to take a page from the Oakland Athletics to stay competitive.

The most important lesson of Moneyball was the A’s determined a way to find value in the market. They did more with less and that’s exactly what the Raiders need to do this offseason.

 

Don’t Overvalue the Cornerbacks

Four of the 12 playoff teams in 2011 were ranked in the top half of the league in pass defense and three of those four teams were ranked in the top four overall. The Cincinnati Bengals were the lone exception having the 9th ranked passing defense in 2011.

The remaining eight playoff teams were all well below average pass defenses and the four worst pass defenses were all playoff teams.

It was an extraordinary year for passing and a terrible year for pass defense. Most teams will be in the market for help in secondary having determined the secondary is now an area of weakness. There are no shortage of options at cornerback to assist these teams.

It’s obvious that a great pass defense is not required to win a Super Bowl and with limited draft picks and salary cap room, the Raiders should play closer attention to other areas and not overvalue the available cornebacks.

The market is going to inflate the value of the available options, particularly Brent Grimes, Brandon Carr, Cortland Finnegan and Carlos Rodgers.

The Raiders should look for bargain options like Tim Jennings, Williams Gay, Richard Marshall and Terrell Thomas to see if one might be able to help solidify the group, but the Raiders should avoid the inflated costs of the top cornerbacks.

 

Buy Generic

The Raiders have some decisions to make when it comes to player contracts. Kamerion Wimbley, Aaron Curry and Michael Huff need to drastically reduce their cap numbers to stick around.

There is still time to work things out, but the Raiders strategy has to be to find cheaper alternatives that can accomplish the same tasks if one or more of them are released. In some cases the generics could actually be better which could steer McKenzie to release and not worry about restructuring the player.

Manny Lawson would be a good sign a.nd fill-in at linebacker Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver was his position coach when he played for the 49ers. Lawson is similar to Curry. He can rush, but he’s not a particularly good pass rusher, but he’s solid against the run. Dennis Allen would be able to utilize Lawson is a variety of ways as a blitzer.

The Baltimore Ravens have plenty of free agents and they will not be able to sign them all. One that stands out is strong-side linebacker Jarrett Johnson. Johnson is particularly good at stopping the run, which has been a problem for the Raiders since 2002.

Johnson will be a popular free agent, but he’s been extremely durable. Johnson has played in 129 straight games for the Ravens, a franchise record. Johnson is 31 and that could keep his costs down on the open market.

Jim Leonhard has been extremely consistent for the New York Jets, but he’s 29 and hasn’t been able to stay healthy. He’s not likely to command a huge sum in free agency and the Raiders could use a strong cover safety if they are forced to put Michael Huff on the street inside of pay him $8 million in 2012.

 

Find a Big Man

If the Raiders are planning to play the 3-4 with any regularity they will need a nose tackle that can draw the double team up the middle.

John Henderson is likely to be released due to his contact and that leaves room for run defender on the inside.

Available nose tackle’s include Antonio Garay, Sione Pouha, Paul Soliai, Aubrayo Franklin and Kelly Gregg.

Franklin and Gregg would be the perfect players for the Raiders considering their cost would be minimal. The Raiders wouldn’t need a full-time player unless they planned on shifting to the 3-4 permanently.

Pouha, Garay and Soliai are likely to be cost prohibitive for the Raiders and they will look at some of the cheaper options.

If Tommy Kelly is released the Raiders could look at Broderick Bunkley to play defensive tackle. He improved drastically under Dennis Allen in Denver and was one of the better run defenders in the entire NFL last season.

A linebacker and a tackle could help solidify a run defense that has ranked routinely in the bottom of the league.

 

Get a Bush Replacement

Unless the Raiders can work out a favorable deal with running back Michael Bush, he’ll hit the open market where he is likely to fetch more than the Raiders are willing to pay. It would be a surprise if the Raiders placed the franchise tag on Bush consider the hefty price tag.

Bush departure would leave a hole behind oft-injured starter Darren McFadden. Oft-injured slasher Taiwan Jones and special teams ace Rock Cartwright are the other two backs. Jones may or may not be ready for an expanded roles in the offense. Cartwright is strictly a special teams player, but he’s also a free agent.

The Raiders either need a big bruiser or just another back that can run Greg Knapps’s zone-blocking system effectively.

Good news for the Raiders is that the market for backs is deep and not many are buying.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis would be a good option because he knows how to pass protect having come from New England. Greg Knapp is much more run heavy, but it is nice knowing that the player in the game can put a body on someone to spare the quarterback a hit.

Mike Tolbert is another back that knows how to pass protect and would be great second option to McFadden. He’s built like a bowling ball and could be uses in rush and pass situations.

Justin Forsett would be an inexpensive option for the Raiders. He’s not a big back, but he had a career year in Greg Knapp’s zone-blocking system. He’d be a good pickup as a true backup to McFadden and may actually be able to steal enough carries away from McFadden to keep him fresh.

McKenzie should also keep open the possibility that Bush could be re-signed at a reasonable price.

 

Take Advantage of Value in the Marketplace

If Reggie McKenzie realizes a certain player is being undervalued by market, he should sign the player and rehab his value.

The Raiders could have 6 or 7 good defensive ends and still sign a defensive end that is being drastically undervalued. It’s better to sign a good player for an affordable price and let the coaching staff worry about how to utilize the player.

There’s always room on the roster for good players, so if McKenzie thinks the player is good, the coaches will figure out how to put him in position to win games.

While the Raiders will be hunting in free agency for players at positions of need, they should also keep their options open at other positions to see if the league might be undervaluing receiver, defensive end, offensive tackle, etc.

That means the Raiders should be talking to everyone, including the top free agent receivers to get an idea for what the market is going to look like and what sort of deal the players are expecting.

It may be that the Raiders need to strike now to land a number one receiver, but they wont know until there is competition in the marketplace.

Ranking the Oakland Raiders 2012 Offseason Hires

 Posted by at 4:47 AM  No Responses »
Feb 202012
 

Al Davis carefully planned his estate so his son could retain full control of the team. It will be Mark Davis who leads the team into an era of Raiders football without his legendary father.

Mark Davis waited three months before making any changes on the football side of the organization, but changes were inevitable.

Perhaps the best slogan for the 2012 Raiders would be, “Under New Management.”

The Raiders have hired 21 new people on the football side of the organization and whereas a quality control coach will have little to no impact on the immediate or long-term success of the team, a general manager will have significant impact.

 

21. Eric Sanders, Quality Control – Defense

He’s been with the team for two years and even the most die-hard fan doesn’t recognize the name. Sanders coached linebackers at U.C. Davis for two seasons and he was a psychology major before joining the Raiders. He’ll make copies of play sheets and get the rest of the staff coffee. That’s probably short-changing Sanders, but he sits firmly at the bottom of the pecking order.

Importance: Negligible impact.

 

20. Justin Griffith, Quality Control – Offense

Griffith has mostly followed Greg Knapp around the country. As a player, Griffith followed Knapp from Atlanta to Oakland to Seattle to Houston. He was no longer wanted as a player in 2010 and left Knapp to be a coaching intern with the Seahawks for the 2011 season. He’s well schooled in the zone-blocking system and an ex-player and that may prove to be a valuable resource for the offensive staff.

Importance: Familiar with zone-blocking system. Slight impact.

 

19. John Grieco, Assistant Strength and Conditioning. 

This is Grieco’s first NFL position, but he comes well credentialed and he’ll assist legendary strength coach Al Miller. While the strength coaches are some of the more underrated coaches on the staff, let’s not get carried away putting an assistant strength coach in-front of position coaches.

Importance: Injury prevention and recovery time. Slight impact.

 

18. Keith Burns, Assistant Special Teams

Special teams is the third phase of the game and only one or two coaches are devoted to it. Burns has been coaching for almost 30 years and was believed to be hired as a secondary coach. In fact, his Raiders.com biography says Burns is a secondary coach.

Importance: Impact on kick coverage. Slight to moderate impact.

 

17. Mark Hutson, Tight Ends

Like Burns, Hutson is a veteran of the college ranks. He’ll have the narrow focus of dealing with the tight ends. He’ll likely focus on blocking as he was the offensive line coach at Tulane dating back to Matt Forte‘s final year there.

Importance: Couldn’t hurt to have tight ends that can block. Slight impact.

 

16. Clayton Lopez, Defensive Backs

For the most part the Raiders went to the college ranks to fill position coaches, but the defensive backs coaches are one of the exceptions.

Lopez has a good track record at the NFL level, but he’s  bounced between teams. At the surface, Lopez’s work looks good as his secondaries tend to improve upon his arrival.

Impact: Lopez will not be around long if there is not a noticeable impact on one of the team’s weakest position groups.

 

15. Steve Wisniewski, Assistant Offensive Line

He’s not going to be real familiar with the zone-blocking system Greg Knapp will deploy, but he’s loved by fans and the organization. Wisniewski was a big part of the reason for the surprise Raiders’ offensive line in 2011. His role may be reduced, but the organization realized that he is more than worth keeping around.

Importance: Proven teacher of man-blocking techniques and will help transition to zone-blocking scheme. Noticeable impact.

 

14. Al Miller, Strength and Conditioning

Miller helped teams win four Super Bowl rings. He retired in 2004 to be with his wife who has Alzheimer’s disease. Dennis Allen, who he worked with in Atlanta, recruited him to be strength coach before he had been formally offered the Raiders position.

The strength coach is often overlooked, but strength and conditioning is a big part of injury protection and healing. Miller is one of best in the industry and only stopped to take care of family matters.

Importance: Noticeable impact on injury prevention and recovery.

 

13. Steve Hoffman, Special Teams Coordinator

Hoffman makes a lateral transfer from the Kansas City Chiefs. He inherits two of the best kickers in the NFL. As long as he doesn’t mess with Sebastian Janikowski or Shane Lechler he’ll be a success. His coverage units will be under scrutiny, but perhaps not as much as his field goal team after the Raiders blocked two kicks in-route to a win in Week 16.

Importance: Ability to impact one phase of the game significantly. Noticeable impact.

 

12. Terrell Williams, Defensive Line

Williams is yet another college coach to have been added to the Raiders staff. He wont design the scheme, but Williams will need to get the Raiders front to stop the run, something they haven’t been able to do since 2002. Coincidentally or not, the Raiders haven’t made the playoffs since 2002, which is the last time the team held opponents under 125 yards per game rushing.

Williams coached Cliff Avril and Anthony Spencer, both free agents, during their college years at Purdue. Only one is likely to be available, but the link is worth mentioning.

Importance: Williams will monitor a position needing improvement against the run. Significant, specific impact.

 

11. Ted Gilmore, Wide Receivers

Gilmore has been coaching receivers in the college ranks since the mid-1990s and most recently was coaching receivers at USC. This will be his first stint in the NFL and he’ll inherit a young and talented group of receivers that still need to grow at the position.

The continued growth of the Raiders offense may rely on the receivers and it will be up to Gilmore to make sure Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and Louis Murphy improve on their 2011 seasons.

Importance: Gilmore will monitor a position needing improvement. Significant, specific impact.

 

10. John DeFilippo, Quarterbacks

DeFilippo is another coach that seems to find a home wherever Greg Knapp lands as an offensive coordinator. This time around, DeFilippo will not be saddled with Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper and JaMarcus Russell as his three quarterbacks.

DeFilippo will have a proven veteran Carson Palmer and a young, athletic developmental player in Terrell Pryor. DeFilippo and Greg Knapp will likely be able to hand-select their backup quarterback of choice. Obviously this is a much better situation for DeFilippo than his previous stint with the team.

Importance: It’s a quarterback-driven league and the Raiders will need to get Palmer playing well and start planning for the future. DeFilippo could make a break a season or multiple seasons with his coaching of the quarterbacks. He’s likely to get assistance from Greg Knapp, without it DeFilippo would have more impact on team performance than any other position coach.

 

9. Kelly Skipper, Running Backs 

Skipper has had opportunities to leave the Raiders and he remains on staff for his sixth season. Skipper has done a nice job bringing out the best in Darren McFadden. McFadden had detractors coming out of Arkansas, but has corrected many of the issues scouts had with him in college while under tutelage of Skipper.

Importance: Significant impact of running game, which also happens to be a key of Greg Knapp’s entire offense.

 

8. Johnnie Lynn, Defensive Backs

The Raiders aren’t messing around with defensive backs or defensive backs coaches. Stanford Routt was released and the Raiders hired two defensive backs coaches with NFL experience.

Lynn comes over from Philadelphia, but he has years of NFL experience. He’s been an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. That experience can be valuable to his superiors.

He’s experienced and has been successful at each of his coaching stops with the exception of his one-year stint in Philadelphia last season. His secondaries have always keyed on getting turnovers and that’s an area of the Raiders defense that most improve.

Importance: His experience and expertise in many areas and track record as a secondary coach will make a significant difference for the entire defensive staff.

 

7. Frank Pollack, Offensive Line

Pollack has been the assistant offensive line coach for the zone-blocking Houston Texans for the past five years. He should have a very good handle both the zone-blocking system and how to teach it to NFL players.

Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp’s entire offensive system is based around the running game and the proper execution of the zone-blocking system. Pollack is a unique find because he’s well-versed in the system and was available. Knapp’s implementation of his system is made many times easier due to the hire of Pollack.

Pollack’s challenge is to team with Steve Wisniewski and get the young Raiders’ offensive line executing the zone-blocking system like they’ve been running it for years.

Importance: Significant impact to a pivotal area of the offense.

 

6. Johnny Holland, Linebackers

Holland was well-respected and well-liked in Houston. He was ousted with the rest of the defensive staff at the end of the 2010 season after a five-year stint as linebackers coach. He was one of the few position coaches at the time that was expected to stay with the team. Wade Phillips apparently had his own guy, so Holland sat out the 2011 season.

Both DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing achieved rookie of the year honors under Holland.

The Raiders are in desperate need of a coach that can motivate and challenge Rolando McClain and clean up Aaron Curry’s pass coverage.

Impact: Potentially huge impact on the Raiders defense. Even if the defensive line improves if the Raiders don’t also improve at linebacker they can’t expect to hold opponents to less than 125 yard per game rushing.

 

5. Jason Tarver, Defensive Coordinator

There is no denying that Tarver is a relative unknown. He’s young and has his only experience as a defensive coordinator came last season as co-defensive coordinator for Stanford. He wasn’t the play-caller.

This will be Tarver’s first time calling defensive plays and running his own defensive staff. It’s a good thing that Dennis Allen is the head coach and is likely to have his hands heavily in the defensive game plan. Greg Knapp is mostly self-sufficient on offense and Allen should and will have input on the defense.

It will be interesting to see if Allen allows Tarver to call the defensive plays as he said he would in his introductory press conference or if the coaches Allen was able to hire might have changed his mind.

Importance: The potential impact Tarver can make on team and the defense is significant. The defense was the problem in 2011 and Tarver is the man specifically tasked with correcting the issues although he will work closely with Allen.

 

4. Al Saunders, Senior Offensive Assistant 

The retention of Al Saunders can’t be understated. He’ll be an adviser on offense now and he’s familiar with the personnel and their strengths and weaknesses. He’ll be a valuable resource for Knapp and Allen to draw from for offensive information.

Saunders retention could mean Knapp isn’t going to force the Raiders offense to fully convert in one offseason. If that is the case it bodes well for the young players as the Raiders transition.

The Raiders could be attempting to use Knapp’s zone-blocking running scheme combined with a little more of Saunders’ Air Coryell-style passing game which better suits the Raiders options at receiver and quarterback.

Importance: Potentially large impact on the Raiders offense, particularly Carson Palmer and the passing game.

 

3.  Greg Knapp, Offensive Coordinator

His first stint with the Raiders was a disaster. He didn’t call the plays and he was forced to start JaMarcus Russell at quarterback in his second season. He’s experienced, but that also means he hasn’t been overly successful. In the past, Knapp has fallen in-love with the running game, but his recent stint as quarterbacks coach of the Texans may have reignited a love for the passing game.

Knapp needs to craft his offense carefully to fit the skill set of Carson Palmer. Al Saunders could be a valuable resource to Knapp.

The offense gained respectability under Hue Jackson and Knapp needs to build upon that success. A step down in offensive production is not likely to be well received.

Importance: Knapp has a nice group of players to work with and should be able to put them in position to make plays, but a step-back on offense is likely to be considered a failure.

 

2. Dennis Allen, Head Coach

Not since John Madden have the Raiders had a defensive-minded head coach. Allen comes well-respected from his prior stops in Atlanta, New Orleans and Denver. According to various accounts, it was only a matter of when and not if Allen received his first shot at being a head coach.

Allen’s tasked with taking a roster full of players and getting the Raiders back to greatness. Allen will preach discipline and accountability, two things the Raiders have been lacking since Jon Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay.

Allen has quietly put together a solid coaching staff and the team is hard at work preparing for the draft, free agency and the new era of Raiders football.

Importance: McKenzie’s commitment to Allen for four years and the organizational change marks a sharp contrast to the Al Davis-era. The impact will be significant even if that change does not immediate alter the Raiders win total.

 

1. Reggie McKenzie, General Manager

While Dennis Allen will be the face of the Raiders, it is Reggie McKenzie that will sit behind the curtain and pull the levers and strings. McKenzie will have total control of football operations, but as he’s mentioned multiple times that he wants the Raiders organization to work as a team. McKenzie will listen to input from his coaches and scouts, but when a decision has to be made, it will be McKenzie that makes that call.

McKenzie will let Allen coach and he’ll do what he can to assist his team in any way he can. Much of that has to do with the players that are brought in.

The players are the ones that actually play the game and that’s what makes McKenzie the most important hire the Raiders have made in decades. Ron Wolf suggested McKenzie and his interview with Mark Davis and John Madden went well enough that Mark Davis didn’t feel the need to continue the search.

Importance: The Raiders are committed to McKenzie for years to come. General manager hires are usually not the variety the team wants to be making every few seasons. The most stable franchises at top of the organization chart are also the franchises that are winning the most games.

As published on Bleacher Report 2/20/2012.

10 Biggest Roster Holes

 Posted by at 10:30 AM  No Responses »
Feb 162012
 

The Raiders don’t have many draft picks, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t several holes the Raiders would like to fill through the draft. Reggie McKenzie may try to add more picks via trade and will also look to add players that aren’t drafted.

Not all of these holes will be filled with draft picks, but McKenzie would do well to address as many as he can.

1. Inside Linebacker

If the Raiders plan to play more 3-4, they will need to add one or two inside linebackers. Rolando McClain is likely to get one more year to prove he isn’t a draft bust, but he will need help inside. Travis Goethel has been given an opportunity to play, but he can’t stay healthy.

Aaron Curry may be able to move inside when the Raiders decide to play 3-4, but that leaves a large hole at outside linebacker. 

2. Outside Linebacker

Kamerion Wimbley is the only lock to make the roster from last year’s group of outside linebackers. Curry will need to restructure his $5.7 cap number to stick and he also may become one of the two inside linebackers in a 3-4.

Factoring in the need for backups, the Raiders could be looking for two or three outside linebackers and at least one through the draft. 

3. Nose Tackle

Conversion to the 3-4 is not going to be complete without the big man in the middle. The Raiders need to look for a space-eater in the draft that can anchor a 3-4 for years to come.

The popularity of the 3-4 makes nose tackles hot commodities, but there is occasionally one that slips due to weight and work ethic concerns that can drafted with a lower-round pick.

It would then be up to the Raiders coaching and training staff to groom the young man into a pro. 

4. Cornerback

Stanford Routt was released last week, leaving Chris Johnson, DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa as the only cornerbacks on the roster. Johnson also has a large cap number and it is unknown if he has been able to recover mentally from the murder of his sister last season.

Chekwa might find himself moving to safety and that could leave Van Dyke all alone at the position. McKenzie will need to find several cornerbacks and hope the competition elevates the play of a couple of them.

It’s a deep cornerback draft and McKenzie has plenty of time to find a good one. Tramon Williams is good cornerback and the Packers didn’t even need to use a draft pick to find him. McKenzie will need to work some of that magic. 

5. Free Safety

Michael Huff has an $8 million cap number and will either need to restructure or he’ll be released next month. Hiram Eugene isn’t likely to be fully recovered from his femur injury. Chekwa could move to safety, but who knows if he would be ready to start at the position after one offseason.

That leaves free safety as a position of significant need. McKenzie may find a cornerback in the draft that can convert to free safety or an underappreciated ball hawk late in the draft with good instincts and poor measurables.

If Huff restructures, there is also a decent chance he converts to cornerback, leaving free safety as a need for the Raiders despite his retention. 

6. Strong Safety

Tyvon Branch is likely to be re-signed, but he is an unrestricted free agent. Branch could decide to see what his value is on the open market. If he tests the water, there are plenty of other teams with a need at strong safety that have significantly more money to throw at Branch.

Branch’s departure would be painful and open up a spot for the Raiders to find a player via the draft. 

7. Left Guard

Stefen Wisniewski should eventually be moved to center and the Raiders don’t have a left guard that can execute the zone-blocking system.

McKenzie will be looking for a good pass-blocker that struggled with man blocking in college and is likely to fall in the draft. A mobile and svelte lineman with quick feet will work for the Raiders’ purposes.

Even a late-drafted rookie might be able to start between Jared Veldheer and Stefen Wisniewski. 

8. Right Tackle

Barnes was never the long-term answer at right tackle and the Raiders need to find someone better. Joseph Barksdale and Bruce Campbell are still relatively unknown commodities and who knows how quickly they will pick up the zone-blocking system.

There is opportunity for McKenzie to find the long-term solution at right tackle in the draft and he should make every effort to fill the hole utilizing one of the Raiders’ few draft selections. 

9. Running back

Conventional wisdom is not always correct, but says a running back can be found late in the draft. The zone-blocking system has turned many undrafted or late-drafted players into stars, including Arian Foster and Terrell Davis.

Michael Bush is a good running back, but he’s likely to cost the Raiders far more than he would be worth on the open market. McKenzie would be wise to let Bush test the waters while still attempting to re-sign him.

If Bush does find a new home, the Raiders will need a suitable backup for Darren McFadden. Taiwan Jones will be in the mix, but he has an injury history of his own. Marcel Reece might be able to fill the void if and when he is re-signed. 

10. Quarterback

The Raiders will begin the transition to the west coast offense. As long as Carson Palmer is the quarterback, the Raiders will not be able to run the system to its full potential.

There are a number of sleeper quarterbacks in the draft this season that could be perfect and McKenzie should study these men to determine if one could be groomed to replace Palmer is a couple years.

Any drafted quarterback may also become the backup quarterback by default. Kyle Boller isn’t likely to be back and Terrelle Pryor is in limbo and could be converted to tight end.

Offseason Shopping List

 Posted by at 3:31 PM  No Responses »
Feb 072012
 

As seen on Bleacher Report.

The first offseason without the presence of legendary owner Al Davis will prove to be the most intriguing one in decades for the Oakland Raiders.

Reggie McKenzie takes over as the main football executive and has already been working to shape the Raiders into his team. McKenzie started with the head coach and has been interviewing and evaluating his front office staff and scouting department over the past few weeks.

Raiders fans are accustomed to coaching change, but front office and roster changes have always been subtle from year to year. Al Davis was the final decision-maker for the Raiders and he would slowly sour on players and wholesale changes would always come at the expense of the head coach.

 

McKenzie’s philosophy will differ from the late Davis’ philosophy. Davis loved speed, but he was just as interested in his size, strength, speed and other measurable traits as he was with a fast time in the 40-yard dash. Former Raiders and Packers general manager Ron Wolf told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that McKenzie was one of the few that can tell who can play and who can’t play.

McKenzie will like some of the players on the Davis-constructed team and he won’t like some.

To go about creating a shopping list for the Raiders offseason, it is first necessary to make an educated guess as to the weaknesses McKenzie sees in the roster and who is available to strengthen the team.

The Raiders will be lucky to get pick 97 in April’s draft, so expect McKenzie to spend time looking for players that can help solve the Raiders defensive problems in free agency. McKenzie will also need to solidify the Raiders offensive line by finding inexpensive fits for the zone-blocking system.

    Middle Linebacker (Need 1)

The Raiders will enter 2012 with four linebackers: Rolando McClain, Aaron Curry, Kamerion Wimbley and Travis Goethel. The Raiders will need more bodies and McKenzie may decide that replacing two or three of the starting linebackers is necessary.

McClain quickly wore out his welcome in Oakland and McKenzie can safety look for replacements now as opposed to giving McClain a third season as would typically be the case with a draft pick.

The Stud: D’Qwell Jackson, MLB

Jackson was a force up the middle for the Browns. He’s expressed a desire to stay in the Cleveland and the Browns could use the franchise tag to keep Jackson’s services, but if he hits the open market McKenzie should be interested.

The Young Star: Curtis Lofton, MLB

Lofton is just 25 and will be looking for a lucrative contract. McKenzie has said he will stay away from overpriced players and Lofton could qualify, but McKenzie also needs the stud middle linebacker the Raiders haven’t had in years.

The Technician: Stephen Tulloch, MLB

Technique is one of Tulloch’s strengths and the discipline needed to be a good technician could be useful to Dennis Allen and the Raiders defense. He’ll have plenty of offers out there, but he’s certainly a player the Raiders could look at to shore up the substandard group of linebackers.

The Familiar: Joe Mays, MLB

Just as it is easier to install an offense when the quarterback already knows the system, Mays was the “quarterback” of the Broncos defense under Raiders’ head coach Dennis Allen. He’d be an ideal candidate to join the Raiders and steal the starting job from Rolando McClain.

    4-3 Outside Linebacker (Need: unknown)

The Stud: Erin Henderson

Henderson is an all-around outside linebacker that could really help out the Raiders defense, but the Vikings would be crazy to let him walk. If he becomes available the Raiders should consider his services.

The Value Proposition: Chris Chamberlain

He’s a solid linebacker that wouldn’t cost as much as many of the other top options. He’d compete with the Raiders’ other linebackers for a starting job.

The Familiar: Wesley Woodyard

He played more than 300 snaps in Dennis Allen’s defense last season. If he comes over from the Broncos he would compete for a job and help the Raiders quickly install and implement Allen’s defense.

    3-4 Outside Linebacker (Need: Unknown)

The Best Available: Anthony Spencer

He’s benefited from DeMarcus Ware on the opposite side, but he’s a good player in his own right and has proved he can play. It seems the Raiders will remain a 4-3 team and Spencer will find a better home in a 3-4 scheme, but should the Raiders make a switch he could come into play.

The Tarver Terror: Manny Lawson

Lawson became expendable in San Francisco, but he became a solid player for the Bengals and he’d be complementary linebacker to the group the Raiders have now. defensive coordinator Jason Tarver has coached him before and he played well during his time under Tarver in San Francisco.

    Cornerback (Need 1

)

The Throwback: Cortland Finnegan

He’s a physical cornerback to pair with Stanford Routt. He should be more available and more affordable than Brent Grimes. Finnegan is also good in run support, a problem area for the Raiders in 2011. The concern here is how the NFL will officiate a “dirty” player on the most penalized team in the league.

The Cross-Bay Badass: Carlos Rogers

He played like a top-five cornerback in 2011 and figures to be paid handsomely this offseason. The 49ers would like to retain him, but may have trouble retaining Rogers and Dashon Goldson. He’ll command big bucks, but McKenzie needs to quickly find a player to play opposite Routt.

The Rival Ringer: Brandon Carr

If the Raiders show interest in the 25-year-old Carr, he’ll be able to leverage the Chiefs and Raiders against each other for his services. He’s young and seems to improve every year. He’s a good No. 2 cornerback and has room to grow and time to do it.

    Safety (Need 1 or 2)

The Raider: Tyvon Branch

The Raiders will look to retain Branch. He’s been an underappreciated player on the Raiders defense for many years and Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme may finally feature him.

The Injured Enigma: LaRon Landry

He’s been a star when healthy, but he suffered a nasty Achilles injury and his future is uncertain. The Raiders may be able to swipe a premium talent for a decent price, but he’ll need to pass a physical.

Mr. Inconsistent: Michael Griffin

What are you going to get from Griffin? History shows Griffin is either a Pro Bowl -aliber safety or a backup-caliber safety and nothing in between. That’s a bit disturbing, but the inconsistency might make him more affordable.

The Heavy-Hitter: Dashon Goldson

The 49ers will not lose Carlos Rogers and Goldson, but they will have to choose. If Goldson hits the open market he could be an option for the Raiders as he was last offseason. The fans will overrate Goldson’s season based on a few highlight reel plays and his hard-hitting style.

    Offensive Line (Need 2)

The Forgotten: Sean Locklear, OT

He signed a one-year deal in Washington and didn’t start. The Raiders will be moving back the the zone-blocking scheme and Locklear would seem like a logical and inexpensive option to fix the revolving door at right tackle.

Cable’s Contributor: Breno Giacomini, OT

Giacomini spent three seasons without getting much playing time, but he started playing consistently in Tom Cable’s zone-blocking system in Seattle and came on strong toward the end of the season. Another affordable option to consider at right tackle.

The System Fit: Chris Myers, OC

If the Raiders feel comfortable with Stefen Wisniewski remaining at left guard, there are two zone-blocking centers available this offseason. One is Houston’s Chris Myers. The Raiders offensive line coach was assistant offensive line coach for the Texans last year and Greg Knapp the quarterback coach. Myers is an interesting option if the Raiders can steal him away from the Texans.

The System Fit: Scott Wells, OC

Like Myers, Wells is a zone-blocking center. It could be difficult for Wisniewski to pick up and make the line calls in a zone-blocking system initially. Wells or Myers would be ideal players to help the line. The addition of a zone-blocking tackle and center would solidify the Raiders’ offensive front.

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