My Michael Crabtree Blog

Well the 2009 NFL draft is over with and the Oakland Raiders sure made a lot of people including myself scratch their head. It is clearly evident that Al Davis values nothing more than speed when evaluating players. Sure, Darius Heyward-Bey ran the fastest 40 time at the combine but what does that really prove? The NFL is about so much more than pure speed (although it does help) and some of the best receivers in the game do not warrant the word "burner" being associated with them. First, I cannot for the life of me figure out why the Raiders passed on Michael Crabtree when he was sitting their right in their lap. Furthermore, if Davis REALLY wanted Heyward-Bey why didn't he trade down in the draft to get him?

Two principles are in question here. First is Mr. Davis' ability to properly evaluate talent at this stage of his life. Moreover, his managing of drafts is also under serious scrutiny after last weekends debacle. The Raider Nation is not happy I can tell you that. I am not knocking Heyward-Bey at all but he was the 5th or 6th ranked receiver on every one's board. Sure, he is fast but his hands are inconsistent at best.

Now, to his defense the NFL is a whole different animal and NOBODY knows how this will all work out over time. With Crabtree fittingly winding up across the Bay in SF the 2 rookie WR's will be compared to their entire careers. I am open minded about Heyward-Bey and now the Raiders have their version of the triplets set. We needed a big play receiver and now we have one and it will be up to Russell to get him the ball deep and accurately. I did see an interview on NFL Network and Heyward-Bey seems like a good kid who is ready to start working. It does concern me however that he mentioned that he has not talked to QB JaMarcus Russell yet.

Here is my take on the Raiders garbage draft:

2009 NFL Draft Picks:

7. Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

--Very limited production at Maryland to go with extremely inconsistent hands. Moreover, Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin were both on the board. Grade: F

47. Michael Mitchell, SS, Ohio

--I truly don't understand this pick. Oh wait a minute, yes I do. Mitchell ran a great 40 at the combine and that was enough for Al. This is absolutely a horrible pick. Mitchell was a sixth-round prospect at best and countless NFL executives had him pinned as an undrafted free agent. No solace in the fact that the Bears were apparently interested in Mitchell too. Hopefully this fires him up and turns him into a Pro Bowl player. Mitchell has to make multiple Pro Bowls for the Raider Nation to forget about this pick. Grade: F

71. Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin

--Yet another total reach here by the Raiders. We need a defensive end, but similarly to Mitchell this guy was rated a 6th or 7th round prospect by most draft pundits. Time will tell but one has to wonder if he will even make the team. Grade: F

124. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida

--Finally - a player who isn't a reach. Good pick and ideally both him and Heyward-Bey produce this year. Any Gator is great value in the 4th round. Grade: B+

126. Slade Norris, OLB, Oregon State

--Very limited production at Oregon State and yet another head scratcher. There was much better talent still on the board. Grade: F

199. Stryker Sulak, DE, Missouri

--Nice pick here and Sulak is better than Shaughnessy that was drafted rounds before. Sulak is a quick pass-rusher who I expect to make the team and to contribute this year. Grade: B+

202. Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa

--His 40 time was lacking making you wonder if Al had left to go play bingo for the day. Grade: C

Overall Draft Grade: D-

Time will tell how this all plays out but the Raider Nation is not happy with Al and that is unusual because historically Raider fans have not questioned his judgment. These are different times in Raider land however and when you have a team that has not been competitive in years patience starts to wear thin. And after a draft like this patience is as thin as I can ever remember.

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of Gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider/fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Visit today at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]

The Oakland Raiders haven't won more than five games in a season since winning the division back in 2002, and are coming off their second straight 5-11 season. The biggest move the Raiders made this offseason was cutting ties with former No.1 pick JaMarcus Russell, who will go down as one of the biggest bust in NFL history. Here is a look at what the Raiders will bring to the table for the 2010 season, plus my prediction on where they finish the season in the AFC West.

Offense: The second biggest move the Raiders made this offseason was trading for Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, who will easily be the best quarterback the Raiders have fielded since Rich Gannon was under center. Backup Bruce Gradkowski really played well starting for Russell at the end of last year, but figures to move back to the No.2 spot this season.

The Raiders lost running back Justin Fargas this offseason, but are hoping that Darren McFadden and Michael Bush will benefit from more carries. I don't know that will be as big a factor as having a quarterback that can throw the ball, as opposing defenses were able to just stuff the line and beg the Raiders to throw it the past couple seasons.

It doesn't appear the Raiders made the right choice when selecting Darrius Heward-Bey over Michael Crabtree last year, but there is still a chance that Heyward-Bey can turn into a solid receiver if he continues to improve and starts catching the ball. Chaz Schilens figures to be the No.1 target on the outside if he can stay healthy, with Louis Murphy and Johnnie Lee Higgins also in the mix at the receiver position. The Raiders do have one of the best young tight ends in Zach Miller, and figures to put up even better numbers with Campbell throwing him the ball.

The offensive line is a bit of concern heading into the 2010 season. Left guard Robert Gallery must stay healthy for this unit to improve in 2010, as Gallery played in just six games in 2009. With a healthy Gallery I think we will see better production out of left tackle Mario Henderson, who faded down the stretch. Center Samson Satele and guard Cooper Carlisle are back, while Langston Walker, Khalif Barnes, and Bruce Campbell are expected to battle for the starting right tackle spot.

Defense: The Raiders made a really nice addition to their defensive line with the pickup of defensive tackle John Henderson, who should make life a lot easier for fellow tackle Tommy Kelly. Richard Seymour is back to start at defensive end, while Matt Shaughnessy and Quentin Groves are expected to battle for the other starting spot at end.

The Raiders have had some bad luck with recent draft selections, but I think they were right on with their first round pick of middle linebacker Rolando McClain, who I think will be a star for years to come on this side of the ball. Trevor Scott and Kamerion Wimbley are back on the outside and will enjoy playing next to McClain this season.

The Raiders have one of the best corners in all of football in Nnamdi Asomugha, as teams refuse to throw the ball his way. That puts a lot of pressure on the other starting corner Chris Johnson, but Johnson is capable of getting the job done. Tyvon Branch is the likely starter at strong safety with Michael Huff battling Hiram Eugene for the starting free safety spot. Also keep an eye out for 2009 second round pick Mike Mitchell to get more playing time this season.

Prediction- 3rd AFC West: I have the Chiefs just slightly ahead of the Raiders this season in the AFC West, but I believe both teams are going to be much improved and be right around the 8-8 mark this season. If Campbell exceeds expectations, the Raiders could compete for the division title.

See where I have the rest of the teams finishing the season in my 2010 NFL predictions. If you plan on betting the NFL this season, be sure to stop back for our live NFL odds each and every week.

Ahhhh my Oakland Raiders. I have been a lifelong Raider fan and it just pains me to witness what my beloved team has become. The Raiders finished 5-11 in 2008 leaving the Raider Nation with yet another year of heartache. I have written (and will continue to write) several articles about the Raiders prospects as a team heading into 2009. For the sake of this article however, I will be examining the Raiders solely from a fantasy prospective. With that in mind let's look at the fantasy potential of the Silver and Black for 2009.

It is no secret that I am not sold on JaMarcus Russell as an NFL QB and I am even less fond of him as a fantasy QB. To be blunt, Russell has shown me and fellow Raider Nation members very little in his 3 years in the league. Obviously, he has the cannon arm but it takes much more than that to be a successful NFL QB just ask Jeff George. Furthermore, Russell has not shown much of a work ethic since the Raiders invested pretty much their entire franchise with him 3 years ago. Truthfully, I wanted and still wished the Raiders had drafted Brady Quinn rather than Russell as I think Quinn has all the tools to be a fine QB in this league for a long time to come if the Browns ever give him the chance. I just don't see that out of Russell and apparently the Raiders are getting concerned as well or they would not have signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia to "backup" Russell. I have news for you folks. If Russell starts off slowly which is a real possibility seeing as though the Raiders have an absolutley brutal schedule this year Garcia will be in there. Until Russell shows some fire underneathth his ass don't go anywhere near him on draft day this August even as a number 2 QB.

As down as I am on Russell I am that high on the Raiders running game and in my estimation if the Raiders pound the ball all year long utilizing the 3 headed monster they currently have on the roster I truly believe that this team can go 8-8. First, Darren McFadden WILL breakout this year to the tune of 1100-1300 yards and 12 total TD's. Count on it. Why am I so sure of that? A couple different reasons. First, Dmac is just too damn good. His rookie campaign was derailed largely in part to a stubborn turf toe injury that hampered him for virtually the entire year. Make no mistake about it. In terms of pure talent McFadden is better than Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and Steve Slaton. Moreover, Dmac has been proactive regarding the aforementioned toe injury by having the Raiders trainer place a steel plate in his shoe to help prevent such an injury from happening again. Finally, battering ram specialist Lorenzo Neal has been brought in by the Raiders specifically to block for McFadden and to help launch his career. McFadden is the real deal. Draft him between the 3rd to 5th rounds as a number 2 RB and watch him explode.

In addition to McFadden the Raiders also sport 2 other fine backs in Justin Fargas and Michael Bush. If I am a betting man I am thinking that Fargas will be the odd man out this year. If McFadden gets hot early on which I believe he will Fargas will not be seeing the field much. Bush however, will have a role regardless. The nation saw exactly what Bush is capable of as a runner in the week 17 finale against the Buccaneers when he rushed for 177 yards and 2 TD's in a game that Tampa needed to win to make the playoffs and that ultimately cost Tampa Head Coach and former Raider Coach Jon Gruden his job. Had it not been for the broken leg he sustained at Louisville Bush would have certainly been a top ten pick and the Raiders absolutely stole him in the 4th round a few years back. Bush will surely continue to see work this year as a short yardage/goal line back and don't be afraid to take a shot on him with a pick in rounds 12 and after. As for Fargas, I personally wouldn't waste a pick on him because unless McFadden gets hurt this year I don't see him putting any kind of worthwhile numbers statistically.

Unlike the Raiders running attack the team's receiving corps is clouded with controversy and question marks. Al Davis shocked me and the rest of the world when he selected WR Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin. It is obvious to me and everyone else that really the only variable that matters to Mr. Davis when evaluating players is the 40 yard dash time. I will not get into Davis here as it is not the proper format as this is an article pertaining to the Raiders from a fantasy prospective only. Does Heyward-Bey have any fantasy potential for 2009? Yes. Would I daft him? Yes, but no earlier than the 13-14th round and if someone like Maclin or Percy Harvin is still on the board I would take either ahead of Heyward-Bey. However, from a fantasy point of view Heyward-Bey has some things working for him. First, he is already the number 1 receiver on the team and Mr. Davis has made his intentions perfectly clear that he intends to try to get the ball deep to the speedster right from the get go. If you are in a league like mine who rewards you with bonus points for long TD runs and receptions than it is worth a shot taking a late round flier on Heyward-Bey because the law of averages says that he will catch at least a few bombs from Russell this year. Another receiver that could see an increase in his production if Russell develops the way the franchise needs him to is Johnny Lee Higgings. Higgins represents a nice talent both at the WR position and as a punt/kick returner. Similarly to Heyward-Bey take a shot on Higgins late and if Russell can finally get his head out of his ass you may see some dividends from him as the year progresses. Chad Shillings and rookie Louis Murphy from Florida are 2 other Raider receivers to keep an eye on this fall.

TE Zach Miller could be the biggest beneficiary if Russell makes strides. Miller started to really make a name for himself last year by catching 56 passes for 778 yds and 1 TD. Both the receptions and yardage led the Raiders receivers by a mile and although the 1 TD is disappointing Miller is sure to improve on that in 2009. Miller along with Greg Olson from Chicago are my 2 dark horse TE candidates for the upcoming season. Olson has the better QB but Russell and Miller appeared to form a nice chemistry last year and if that continues Miller has the talent to be an elite NFL TE.

The Raiders DST is to be avoided at all costs until the unit proves otherwise. Last year the team ranked 31st against the run and were pounded on the ground all year long. The DL was a complete disaster and LB Tommy Kelley who normally anchors down the unit had an off year. The secondary is led by one of if not the best cover corners in the game with Nnamdi Asomugha who was just signed to a contract extension this off season. Asomugha is the modern day Lester Hayes and is truly one of the best at the CB position in the NFL. The bottom line however, is that it goes without saying that there are far better options at the DST position than the Raiders and they should not be considered in any circumstance under any format. In leagues where kickers are rewarded with bonus points for FG's over 50 yards kicker Sebastian Janikowski can be of some value as he still has the same leg he had coming out of FSU.

To conclude my examination of the Raiders I strongly suggest taking a long hard look at McFadden as a number 2 RB for 2009. I am telling you right now he is going to have a great year and I also like the TE Miller. As for the other Raiders there is nothing really to get excited about from a fantasy prospective. Next up: The Kansas City Chiefs.

Chris Limburg is the fantatical purveyor of OaklandRaidersCentral.com: A Oakland Raiders/Fantasy Football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL. Sign up for my free newsletter at [http://www.oaklandraiderscentral.com] and receive my fantasy football e-course that will prepare you for your draft and enable you to dominate your league in 2009.

Well here we go again. Another season of Oakland Raider football is rapidly approaching. What will the Oakland Raiders be like in 2009? Will it be more of the same or will the Raiders finally make some headway in an AFC West that in my estimation is wide open. First, I will start off by saying that I like Tom Cable as a coach and I believe that the Raiders made a smart move by keeping him aboard. I think that the Raiders have shown more promise under Coach Cable than any coach since Gruden. When one looks at the realistic candidates for the Oakland job one realizes that keeping Cable in an effort to bring some stability to a franchise that has lacked it for years makes sense. Cable is a former OL coach and with McFadden, Fargas, and Bush this team is built to be a power running team and I think that Cable will really work on establishing the run this year.

Unlike past off seasons where the Raiders have tried to land some big name free agents this year's free agency period has proved to be relatively uneventful for the Silver and Black. Outside of signing QB Jeff Garcia the Raider's biggest off season move has clearly been the re-signing of CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha is one of if not the best cover corner in the league today and he invoked memories of Lester Hayes when you watch him play. The Raiders also resigned punter Shane Lechler which I also believe was a solid move. We all saw in last years playoffs how valuable a punter can be in terms of field position. Lechler is one of the best and I am please to see him back.

In my estimation the Raiders OL is a mess which is a shame because they have 3 backs that can tote the rock effectively in McFadden, Fargas, and Bush. It remains to be seen whether there will be any holes for any of them to run through. To bolster a line that has underachieved for years the Raiders added LT Khalif Barnes from Jacksonville. While it appears on paper that this is an upgrade over Kwame Harris this is still a position that the Raiders need to address in the draft next weekend. Former 1st round pick Robert Gallery has played virtually every position on the OL and been dominant at none of them. Jake Grove is gone to Miami and in his place comes Samson Satele who should benefit from the Raiders zone blocking schemes that Cable likes to utilize.

Defensively the Raiders have numerous glaring weaknesses. After Asomugha the secondary is extremely thin despite ranking 10th overall in passing yards allowed with 201.2 per game. Former Texas standout Michael Huff has been a tremendous disappointment much in the same way that Gallery has and towards the end of the year was replaced in the starting lineup by Hiram Eugene. Chris Johnson is a solid player but Stanford Rout and Justin Miller are situational players at best. The LB's are fairly solid with Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard anchoring down the middle but this corps could use some help from the DL which was a nightmare last season with the departure of Warren Sapp. The Raiders allowed 159.7 yards per game on the ground in 2008 to rank 31st in the NFL. Tommy Kelly had a horrible year and Gerard Warren has never made any kind of an impact anywhere he has played.

So, who should the Raiders draft with the 7th pick overall? I have been saying that the future of this franchise remains QB JaMarcus Russell. Obviously, we all know that Russell has a cannon arm but his throws are erratic and he has been hurt not having anyone to throw the ball to outside of Zach Miller. If Russell pans out the Raiders will be fine but if he is a bust and you are already hearing whispers to that effect the Raiders are done for another 5 years at least. Cable subtly hinted recently that Russell's work ethic could be better and that he needs to establish himself as more of a leader on the team. Russell responded by showing up to the Raiders off season workouts and hopefully has gotten the point because Cable is right when he says that if he matures and works on his mechanics he could be great. With that in mind I unquestionable believe the Raiders need to select either Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin with the 7th pick this Saturday.

To Russell's defense he has never had a go to guy since his inception into the NFL. Javon Walker is a joke and Ronald Curry had been release and has since signed with the Lions leaving the Raiders virtually nobody at the position. The Raiders need to give Russell a go to guy; someone to work with and grow together much in the same way Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison used to do it in Indy. The Raiders and Russell in particualr need a receiver desperately. I am hearing many so called "guru's" saying the Raiders will draft OL Andre Smith out of Alabama. This would be a HUGE mistake no pun intended. Smith's pysique is atrocious which to me is a sure sign of laziness. Laziness is one thing that the Raiders do not need anymroe of. What the Raiders do need is someone to step in right away and be a playmaker for the team and especially Russell and either Maclin or Crabtree would provide it. Further down in the draft the Raiders can then address some of their other need positions such as DL, OL, and the secondary.

It has been a long time 2001 to be exact since the Raiders have had any glimmer of success. Hopefully this is the year that Russell makes some strides and gives all Raider fans something that Michael Irvin said is the only thing a man needs in order to keep going: Hope. Till next time.

Cheers and Beers

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider and fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Sign up for my free newsletter at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]