Darren McFadden’s most recent injury has made it even more clear how important it is for the Raiders to ink a long-term deal with restricted free agent Michael Bush.
On Thursday, coach Hue Jackson revealed that McFadden was out for at least two weeks with an orbital fracture. Michael Bush signed his restricted free agent tender on Saturday, after a practice Friday in which Louis Rankin and Rock Cartwright took all the snaps.
In a press conference a few days ago, Jackson joked saying that McFadden looked handsome and he had no doubt the running back will return in two weeks. Jackson also reminded every one of last preseason when McFadden missed a considerable amount of time due to a hamstring injury and came back to have 1157 yards and a break-out season. Still, McFadden has yet to play an entire season without missing time.
It’s the elephant in the room-McFadden is prone to injury.
There is a severe lack of depth in the Raiders running-back depth chart. After McFadden and Bush, there is rookie Taiwan Jones and veteran Rock Cartwright. If Bush isn’t re-signed long-term, the Raiders will need to find another back, or hope that Jones is ready to take over for Bush next season. It’s no small task and Taiwan Jones isn’t exactly the “bruiser” that is needed as a change-of-pace to McFadden.
McFadden should return before the season starts, but the Raiders need to work something out with Bush, because there isn’t a back on the roster that can replace him.
Michael Huff tweeted he was having breakfast with Michael Bush this morning in Napa. A short time later the Raiders announced Bush had re-signed.
Bush ends his quasi-holdout and reports to camp. The Raiders need the body as Darren McFadden broke his orbital bone and Rookie Taiwan Jones is nursing a hamstring injury. Michael Bennett also has a “nick” leaving Rock Cartwright to pick up the slack.
Bush should practice today for the first time in 2011 with the recently signed Kevin Boss.
The Raiders also signed receiver Chad Jackson. He’s another camp body with kick return skills.
I asked Raider Nation to grade the draft picks on a scale of A to F. Love (A), Like (B), Wait (C), Hope D and Hate (F) were the options.
Draft grades mean nothing, but what you, the fan, thinks of the draft actually does mean something.
Fan grades are a reflection of how much confidence the fans have in the front office.
So let’s get to the grades…
Stefen Wisniewski
A – Love Grades: 38
B – Like Grades: 30
C – Wait Grades: 0
D – Hope Grades: 3
F – Hate Grades: 1
Overall GPA: .901 (A)
Wisniewski receives a low A letter grade by the fans. His uncle’s legacy in silver and black certainly had a lot to do with his reception, but the Raiders needed lineman badly also and this probably boosted his stock.
Demarcus Van Dyke
A – Love Grades: 2
B – Like Grades: 9
C – Wait Grades: 46
D – Hope Grades: 14
F – Hate Grades: 1
Overall GPA: .609 (D)
Ouch, Demarcus Van Dyke receives a near failing grade from Raiders fans, but it is interesting to note that the vast majority voted to wait on Van Dyke. Van Dyke barely squeaks out the D grade.
Joseph Barkdale
A – Love Grades: 16
B – Like Grades: 34
C – Wait Grades: 22
D – Hope Grades: 0
F – Hate Grades: 0
Overall GPA: .826 (B)
When a team drafts a right tackle prospect in the middle rounds, it should be expected that the guy grades out average when it comes to fan excitement. The Raider Nation gives the Joseph Barkdale selection a low B. Barksdale received no D or F votes. Barkdale is a much-needed addition to the Raiders thin offensive line. The Raiders need for lineman likely helped his stock.
Chimdi Chekwa
A – Love Grades: 8
B – Like Grades: 26
C – Wait Grades: 32
D – Hope Grades: 5
F – Hate Grades: 1
Overall GPA: .741 (C)
Perhaps even more condemning of the Van Dyke pick was the Chewka pick two rounds later. Chewka is more physical and it seems like he would be able to step in and play before Van Dyke. The Raider Nation gives Chekwa a solid C grade.
Taiwan Jones
A – Love Grades: 17
B – Like Grades: 32
C – Wait Grades: 12
D – Hope Grades: 7
F – Hate Grades: 0
Overall GPA: .812 (B)
It’s hard to imagine a running back from the late rounds giving the Raider Nation so much confidence. It wasn’t a position of need and the fans still recognize and are excited about Taiwan Jones. He receives a low B from the fans.
Denarius Moore
A – Love Grades: 13
B – Like Grades: 27
C – Wait Grades: 14
D – Hope Grades: 11
F – Hate Grades: 2
Overall GPA: .739 (C)
The C grade is indicative of just how much unknown there is when a team drafts a receiver, but the Raider Nation recognizes there could be a value play in Moore, but we have to “wait” and see.
Richard Gordon
A – Love Grades: 2
B – Like Grades: 8
C – Wait Grades: 27
D – Hope Grades: 25
F – Hate Grades: 5
Overall GPA: .526 (F)
Raider Nation doesn’t acknowledge the need for a blocking tight end. The Richard Gordon selection surprisingly receives a F from Raider Nation. He has a good chance of making the roster, but the fans don’t like the pick of a little-known tight end in the sixth round. I believe the fans are wrong on this one.
David Ausberry
A – Love Grades: 1
B – Like Grades: 12
C – Wait Grades: 24
D – Hope Grades: 25
F – Hate Grades: 5
Overall GPA: .554 (F)
The Raider Nation is not enthusiastic about the Raiders final draft selection either. Ausberry is a big receiver that is likely to be converted to tight end. He wasn’t on the radar as a draftable prospect and the Raider Nation supports this with a F letter grade.
Overall: C
The fans grade a draft just how it should be graded. A solid C grade is a wait and see grade. Good job Raider Nation!
Don’t agree with the results? The poll is still open.
The Raiders completed day three of the 2011 NFL draft by selecting Chimdi Chekwa, Taiwan Jones, Denarius Moore, Richard Gordon and David Ausberry to add to the selections of Stefen Wisniewski, Demarcus Van Dyke and Joseph Barksdale yesterday.
With the selections on day three, the Raiders finished plugging at least three team needs and added depth a wide receiver. Al Davis doesn’t hide his affection for speed and in this, his 39th year as managing general partner, he again selected multiple players who ran the 40-yard-dash in under 4.4 seconds.
Now that the draft is complete and since the NFL is enduring a lockout, we have time to properly analyze the Raiders draft picks. Who are these players and what are their strengths and weaknesses? How do they fit on the team in 2011?
Stefen Wisniewski is the safest pick the Raiders could have made in the second round. Most if not all the top-tier talent had been selected and he’ll be an instant starter at center and should play for a decade. The fans will love this one also, because Stefen is the nephew of former Raiders all-pro guard guard and current assistant offensive line coach Steve Wisniewski.
Strengths: Smart, technically sound, knows how to use his hands and plays with a good base most of the time. Natural bender, bends at the knees. Agile and has good footwork. Fires off the snap quickly. Whistle-to-whistle player that is successful because he never gives up on a play.
Weaknesses: Average overall strength and may struggle with big nose tackles. Sometimes overextends and gets off-balance. Frame maxed out, can’t carry much more weight.
Overall: Wisniewski is a very high floor player that doesn’t need a lot of time to develop to help the Raiders. He’s durable and the Raiders have been looking for a center since Barrett Robins hailed a cab to Tijuana just before Super Bowl XXXVII. He’s a natural leader and should be an instant starter and upgrade over Samson Satele.
The simple fact that Al Davis drafted Demarcus Van Dyke should not define the Raiders 2011 draft class. He’s one player and he does have potential.
Al Davis drafted Van Dyke in the third round, which is why analysts will not like the selection. The experts believed Van Dyke was a fifth or sixth-round prospect and very much a project. He’s a thinly-built burner and needs work on his technique to make use of his speed.
Thankfully, the Raiders have Kevin Ross, Rod Woodson and Willie Brown as coaches and mentors for the young corner project.
Strengths: Solid ball skills, length and speed, fluid hips, reads and reacts to what he sees quickly.
Weaknesses: Needs help with his footwork to maintain his speed when he turns and runs, needs to add ten pounds to his frame, will not be a great jammer without adding bulk and strength.
Overall: He has the physical skills to be a good corner in the NFL, but he’ll have to add bulk and work on his footwork. He will contribute on special teams and his best chance to get on the field on defense is probably in the dime or nickel package. He’s a faster version of Walter McFadden.
The Raiders needed help on the offensive line and they chose Joseph Barksdale over other quality options on the board. He’s an athlete that hasn’t played consistently well. He became an offensive lineman in college after being recruited as a defensive tackle. He was a five star recruit out of high school and some people believed he was the next Haloti Ngata. He projects to right tackle, but may have a home at guard as well.
Strengths: Athletic and strong. Can slide and move his feet. Long arms. Can be nasty is a solid run blocker. Agile for a man his size and carries his weight well.
Weaknesses: Bends at the waist too much and can get himself caught out of position. Inconsistent. Not an elite athlete, probably can’t play left tackle in the pros.
Overall: The Raiders see a ton of potential in Barksdale and if he can become more consistent and focus on his craft he has a very good chance to start at right tackle for the Raiders as a rookie. Having Steve Wisniewski and his nephew around could help him as he’s only been playing offensive line for four years. He could be a gem of a right tackle in time.