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The Raiders aren't making much noise in free agency and will attempt to build through the draft. Missing are five of their original seven draft selections and in their place are five players that may contribute in 2012. A couple more selections may be awarded as compensatory selections, but that is yet to be determined. What is the best case and worse case scenarios for the Raiders' 2012 draft? Not only does it depend on the players they draft, but how many they draft and how the players perform they obtained for those picks.   1st Round: Carson Palmer Hue Jackson orchestrated a trade that brought Palmer to Oakland. It was too much to give up, but what's done is done. The Raiders have their franchise quarterback, right? That's the hope. The new regime is hitching their wagon to Palmer and putting a new offense around him. There wasn't many other options for the Raiders. Best Case:  Palmer, with an offseason with the receivers and studying the offense, turns in a pro...

Prediction 1: Matt Shaughnessy will have 10 sacks or more. Result: Shaughnessy played in three games registering 1 sack. There is no way of knowing is Shaughnessy would have made it to 10 sacks and the three games was too small of a sample to project out a full season. 0 for 1. Prediction 2:   Taiwan Jones will have at least two touchdowns longer than 70 yards. Result: Jones also had an injury that derailed what could have been a promising start to his young career. No dice. 0 for 2. Prediction 3: Darren McFadden will have 2000 total yards from scrimmage. Result: Yet again injury hurts he possibility of the bold prediction coming true. McFadden had 768 total yards from scrimmage in seven games. Projecting McFadden's season over 16 games means he falls short at 1751 total yards. 0 for 3. Prediction 4: Darrius Heyward-Bey will catch twice as many passes as he did last year. Result: Twice as many? That wasn't enough for DHB who caught more than twice as many passes and it w...

Can you remember when the Raiders were without a real deep threat? On multiple occasions the Raiders had a roster filled with receivers who could only run in a straight line? The Raiders also had their fair share of divas at the position. Remember when Oakland's pass offense revolved around dump offs and check downs? Remember when it seemed Justin Fargas was the only reliable weapon the Raiders had? Do you remember all the years Zach Miller led the Raiders in receptions and receiving yardage? Do you remember feeling the entire Raiders team squawk after Miller signed with Seattle? I am sure you remember the excitement in the media when the Raiders announced that Kevin Boss had picked Oakland over his other suitors. All the articles stated, “Well, he is a better blocker," and Al Davis let a pro bowl tight end slip away. The Raiders were blasted for letting Miller go to Seattle and accused of taking Miller's talent for granted. Kevin Boss has yet to play a snap and the Raider...

Last Monday night the Raiders secured the current longest win streak inside a division and ended the embarrassing 11-game losing streak in prime time games. After the Oakland Raiders week one victory on MNF one thing is certain: The Raiders are a run orientated team, both offensively and defensively. As Richard Seymour said, "If you can't stop the run, you aren't going to be successful in this league.” The Raiders goal offensively is to pound the rock, then work play action to hopefully open up the offense. Defensively the Raiders will rely on their front four to control the line of scrimmage and mix in the occasional zone or blitz. Last Monday night, the Raiders executed their game plan with perfection by rushing for 190 yards and giving up a league low 38. What was most impressive regarding the running attack was the four-minute drill to close out the game. It was not giving the Broncos the ball back that guaranteed victory. It was the Raiders ability to run successfully...

What can you expect of the Raiders this season? More on that in the season preview later this week. This is about bold predictions. We will revist them at the end of the season and see how we did. I try to keep this as positive as possible so this is going to have a homer-like vibe to it. Just know, this is bold predictions. Hitting on 1/3 of them is probably an excellent hit rate, like baseball. 1. Matt Shaughnessy will have 10 sacks or more. 2. Taiwan Jones will have at least two touchdowns longer than 70 yards. 3. Darren McFadden will have 2000 total yards from scrimmage. 4. Darrius Heyward-Bey will catch twice as many passes as he did last year. 5. Jason Campbell will have 3000+ yards passing and 20 touchdowns. 6. Denarius Moore will return two punts for touchdowns. 7. Jacoby Ford will return two kicks for touchdowns (despite the new rules). 8. Michael Bush will rush for just 500 yards....but with 10 touchdowns. 9. The Raiders will have a top 5 offense and lead the league in rushin...

Panic arose with the loss of Zach Miller, lest we forget from the ashes many times a Phoenix arises. Kevin Boss got his first opportunity after the departure of all-pro tight end Jeremy Shockey from New York. Bringing in Boss was a sound business decision at less than half the cost of Miller. The Boss signing aside, let's look at the current roster:   Brandon Myers The third-year player has looked poor in camp, but still may have been the default starter had Boss not been aquired. His lack of consistency puts him on the roster bubble. Myers is a reasonable in-line blocker, but he has lapses in passing game.   David Ausberry Potentially Marcel Reece 2.0 at the tight end position. Converted from wide receiver his senior season at USC. He is literally still growing into the position and needs to add bulk. He continues to turn  heads in camp with his speed (4.52) and fluidity. The departure of Miller may afford him a roster spot due to his receiving skills.   Richard Gordon R...

Adam Schefter reports the Raiders agreed to terms with tight end Kevin Boss on a four-year, $16 million contract. The contract includes $8 million in guarantees. Zach Miller will make about twice as much and the production of each will likely be very comparable. Kevin Boss is a better seam threat than Miller and a slightly better blocker. He isn't quite the receiver Miller is, but he will be provided with greater opportunity in Oakland than he was in New York. If the Raiders offensive line also improves, the Raiders wouldn't have to bring in a sixth offensive lineman to run block. This creates doubt in the mind of the defense, particularly in the red zone, because Boss is a capable receiver. Boss is the type of tight end Al Davis values. A tall, big-bodied red zone threat who is a good blocker. This was a match from the very beginning. The Raiders receivers will still have to make up the difference between Miller and Boss as a receiver, but not as much as you might think. Easil...

Although the Oakland Raiders operated a run first offense in 2010 with Darren McFadden rushing for over 1100 yards and coming in third in the NFL with 5.2 yards per carry, it is imperative that the Raiders help Jason Campbell in 2011. The Raiders have to get Campbell a reliable target at tight end. Zach Miller was targeted 14 more times than any other receiver on the team in 2010. The 92 balls he thrown his way made him the 10 th most targeted tight end in the NFL. He's now a Seahawk. Adding Kevin Boss is a no brainer. Although Boss had 25 less catches than Miller last year, he had just 150 yards less than Miller. He averaged nearly 4 yards more per catch than Miller. He may not be a better receiver, but he is a more proven blocker and is the best available tight end left in free agency. By adding a veteran wide out, the Raiders passing game could improve enough to make the loss in tight end production and afterthought. Boss is just 27 and has a lot of miles left on his body. He c...

Hue Jackson confirmed free agent tight end Kevin Boss is working out with the Raiders today. The Raiders unexpectedly lost Zach Miller to the Seattle Seahawks and need to plug the huge hole Miller leaves. There is mutual interest and that is always a recipe for a marriage.

ESPN's John Clayton reports Zach Miller has agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks. Adam Schefter confirms the contract is for five years and $34 million with $17 million in guarantees. That's nearly $7 million per season of which about 3.4 million will be guaranteed. Al Davis simply couldn't match the Seahawks offer. Davis rolled the dice letting a tight end hit free agency and he lost, but as Alex Miglio of Dolphinsblog.com explains, Miller is not as valuable as he seems. So don't panic. Kevin Boss has already shown interest in the Raiders and the Raiders can mitigate the loss in a variety of ways. The receivers growth is a big part, they can also use Richard Gordon as a blocking tight end and David Ausberry or Brandon Myers as receiving options. A piece together Zach Miller approach. It's a huge blow to the offense, but  the development of Marcel Reece and addition of Taiwan Jones may mitigate some of the offensive loss as well. It's a business and the Ra...

Kamerion Wimbley's cap figure is now more manageable. He agrees on a five-year, $48 million deal which includes $29 million in guarantees. The signing was brought about somewhat urgently by Zach Miller's visit to Seattle and former coach Tom Cable. With Wimbley signed, the Raiders should have enough flexibly to sway Miller and bring in an offensive lineman. If Miller chooses to sign in Seattle, the Raiders could bring in Kevin Boss. If the Raiders are serious about fixing the offensive line, they should return the favor and sign Sean Locklear. Another option would be longtime divisional foe Brian Waters. Lofa Tatupu is in for a visit. He's a good player with injury problems. It's difficult to figure out how he would fit in the Raiders 4-3 defense and may foreshadow the Raiders usage of the 3-4 more this season. Tatupu, like Gaither, will need to check out medically. He also has a planned visit to Washington, which wouldn't mean much if the Raiders wanted to extend ...

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Michael Huff agreed to terms with the Raiders. Was Tyvon Branch not a fit at free safety or was it Michael Mitchell not ready to be the starter on the strong side? The Raiders 2010 secondary remains intact less Nnamdi Asomugha. The Raiders went 1-1 without Asomugha in 2010. The secondary should continue to be strong in 2011 with the additions of rookies Demarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa at cornerback. Huff's versatility is perhaps his best trait as he can also help out at cornerback when needed. Next up, Zach Miller, but he must wait for Kamerion Wimbley to sign his long-term extension.

The Raiders took the field for the first time in 2011. Missing were key free agents Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller and Michael Huff and restricted free agents Michael Bush and Marcel Reece. Missing also were the slow tempo learning-intensive practices deployed by Hue Jackson's predecessor Tom Cable. Training Camp Report Hue Jackson is taking a different approach. Jackson's practice was high tempo and he wants it even faster. With practices shortened an an abbreviated offseason, Jackson must install the playbook in significantly less time. Higher tempo means more learning in less amount of time. It's simple, the Raiders should have high tempo practices to get as much done as possible before the season. Stefen Wisniewski probably had the most interesting media session when he mentioned the new playbook. He mentioned how the Raiders are going to use a lot of misdirection and motion to utilize the Raiders excellent offensive speed. It's something worth keeping your eye on. -...

The NFL and NFLPA agreed to a labor deal today, meaning there will be football in 2011 and no regular or preseason games will be missed. Training camp will begin Wednesday. Camp and free agency will be simultaneous and abbreviated. Zach Miller will be the Raiders top priority in free agency. With the Raiders sitting roughly $5 million over the proposed new salary cap this could be harder than previously believed. Based on the new rules, teams would be able to use a one-time veteran exemption up to $3 million and can also borrower $3 million against the 2012 salary cap. The details aren't fully known on how this all works yet. Any cap savings that can be saved by releasing players would likely happen on the first day of the new league year to clear room for Miller and hopefully a veteran offensive guard. That could be as early as this afternoon. The Raiders manage the cap in such a way that they never have a problem landing a big free agent. However, the Raiders often find themselve...

After crunching a few numbers, making a few educated estimations, and updating some old salary cap data one thing is clear: The Raiders can't afford Nnamdi Asomugha. The Raiders may only be able to afford Zach Miller or Michael Huff, and not both. If the Salary Cap were in place in 2010, the Raiders total salary cap figure would have been $132 million. As of  January 13, the Raiders cap figure for 2011 was $85.8 million. This was prior to new deals for Stanford Routt, Richard Seymour as well as the franchise tender given to Kamerion Wimbley. Based upon my calculations, the Raiders figure is between $118 million and $130 million for 2011. The two methods deployed to come up with this range were using the $85.8 and adding the money committed in contracts after January 13. The second was utilizing the contracts page on Rotoworld.com and compensating for any guarantees the player may have. Obviously both methods are flawed which is why the range is so large. $12 million could be the...

I just received word that the Raiders placed the high restricted free agent tender on both Zach Miller and Michael Bush. Makes sense from a Raiders perspective and there is a poor chance they actually have to play for those tenders in 2011. The new CBA will dictate what happens. Both players could be free agents or both could play under the tags, but they should ultimately be free agents. More info and analysis to come...

Stanford Routt received a new contract for $31 million over three years with about $10 per year over the first two years. Richard Seymour will be paid in the $12-15 million per year range for the next two years. Kamerion Wimbley will receive a one-year franchise tender around $10 million. Throw in $8 million to John Henderson and a ham sandwich for Rock Cartwright and you have about $80 million worth of spending on players. $80 million is a lot of money in a normal NFL off season, but it is even more considering the uncertainty surrounding the CBA. There are still free agents to be signed too. Nnamdi Asomugha, Michael Bush, Zach Miller, Michael Huff and Robert Gallery are all potentials. While the Routt contract would seemingly indicate the end of the Nnamdi Asomugha era, don't be surprised if Al Davis continues to open his wallet for his players, including Asomugha. Signing players before a new CBA is signed is risky business. The market for players could completely...

92-17. That's the Raiders combined score the last two weeks against the Broncos and Seahawks. The Raiders also have 500+ yards of offense in back-to-back victories. Darren McFadden continues his resurgence and had 135 total yards against the Seahawks. This actually lowers his per game average. Bush added 51 yards and a late touchdown. In a game in which the Raiders needed a receiver to step up in the absence of Louis Murphy, Darrius Heyward-Bey hauled in five balls for 105 yards including a 69-yard touchdown. Fullback Marcel Reece added three receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Jason Campbell completed 15 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns and his performance has begged the question as to who the Raiders starting quarterback will be once Bruce Gradkowski is healthy. The Raiders defense combined for eight sacks and held the Seahawks to 47 yards rushing. If there was any concerns that came out of the win, it was Nnamdi Asomugha injuring his ankle and Zach Miller only having...

The doldrums of the NFL offseason are upon us. There isn’t much to keep football fans going this time of year, besides the drama that seems to be created and spewed from the ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol. In a time of relative calm, what is there for football fans and the Raider Nation to cling to? ESPN’s Ice Cube documentary, "Straight Outta L.A." airs tonight at 5 PM pacific. In the mean time, focus should be and will be on the Raiders starting quarterback Jason Campbell. Did Campbell really improve every year of his pro career? What can we expect in 2010, realistically? Warning, as the following content is statistic heavy. + is improvement, - is regression for the following 2006 7 games 76.5 QB Rating 10 TD at 4.8% 6 INT at 2.9 % 1297 yds or 185.3 yds/gm 53.1% Comp 0 Fumbles Lost/1 total 2007 13 games 77.6 QB Rat --- (+1.1 vs 2006) 12 TD at 2.9% --- (-1.9% vs 2006) 11 INT at 2.6% --- (-0.3% vs 2006) 2700 yds or 207.7 yds/gm --- (+22.4 vs 2006) 60.0% comp --- (+6.9% vs 20...

I was at the game, so this is from a live perspective this time around. I should attend a number of games this season, although I don't forsee another pre-season game in me. I got to see the rotations and I paid very careful attention to the RB rotation. Fargas played only against the starters, and struggled a little bit, but he ran hard and it wasn't as if we were tipping our hand as far as running plays go. Solid. He had a couple nice gains. I find it hard to believe Fargas isn't going to get banged up and hurt again the way he runs, but at least we have some nice young backs to back him up this season. McFadden got a few carries against the starters and looked really good. It wasn't flashy, but he only got one outside run the whole game and never lined up as a WR nor was he thrown a screen pass. He runs hard and fast and its only a matter of time until he breaks some big ones. McFadden also got rotated with Bush against the second string defense (With second string o...