2007 Rankings
Rushing: 6th (130.4)
Passing: 31st (164.4)
Total Offense: 25th (294.8)
Run Defense: 31st (145.9)
Pass Defense: 8th (195.8)
Total Defense: 22nd (341.6)
What was the Raiders’ best/worst move during the offseason?
They may have overspent in some areas during the offseason, but the Oakland Raiders managed to restock their roster somewhat with talent like safety Gibril Wilson, cornerback DeAngelo Hall, and receiver Javon Walker. All good pick ups. However, they failed to do much to address one of the worst run defenses in the league, and it could back to haunt them again this year. Tommy Kelly, who is coming off an ACL injury, will move inside to replace the retiring Warren Sapp at defensive tackle, but other than that there are no major changes among the front seven on defense.
What needs to go right for the Raiders to succeed this season?
The Raiders filled some holes during the offseason, and appear to be a better team on paper. But to challenge for the playoffs in 2008, not only must they get better against the run, they have to get improved play from quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who struggled in limited play late last season. Lengthy contract negotiations kept him out of camp last year and put him behind in his development. But with a full camp and preseason under his belt this year, he should be ready to start displaying some of the talent that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He’s sure to have some growing pains along the way, but look for him to improve as the season progresses.
Where will the Raiders finish the 2008 NFL season?
The Raiders scored just 17 points per game in 2007 while giving up more than 24, which means they must improve on both sides of the ball. So many things have to go right for this team, however, just to compete for the playoffs. And while it might not all come together this season and they may not yet be among the league’s better teams, they should be more competitive.
They will continue to try to pound the ball on the ground with Justin Fargas and the addition of rookie Darren McFadden should make their ground attack much more dynamic. But their passing game must improve or teams will continue to stack their defenses against the run. The Raiders must also show a marked improvement in their run defense, but I’m not sure moving Kelly to the inside to replace Sapp is going to be enough, though.
Overall, the Raiders seem to be turning the corner toward respectability, but they have a long way to go. I could see them making a run at a .500 record this year, but a playoff push is probably still a year away.
Prediction: 7-9 and third in the AFC West
