After the NFL FA period is over, I will evaluate the Raider's roster at each position and try to predict how they will fair this season.
This is how I will breakdown the roster. I will assign a letter grade to each area and provide a prediction for our record for the upcoming 2011-2012 season.
Breakdown:
QB's: C
Starter Jason Campbell is an average NFL quarterback. Without a solid running game, he will struggle, which was evident last year in his inconsistencies. It might be a while before the Raiders get a game changer, but for now Campbell will be good enough to win games with the Raiders rushing attack in McFadden and Bush.
RB's/FB: A
Darren McFadden has proven that he can be an elite NFL running back. Now, he just needs to stay healthy. Michael Bush can also carry the load and tops of the Raider's 2nd best rushing attack in the NFL. FB Marcel Reece is a dynamic player who impacts both the running and passing game in a positive way.
WR's: C
The key to the Raiders WR's is Chaz Schillens. If he can stay healthy he can be great in my opinion. He missed many games during the 09 season, and missed 11 games last season with nagging foot and knee problems. Dynamic return man Jacoby Ford is probably the biggest playmaker on the Raiders offense. He pretty much won the overtime game against Kansas City last year with that clutch catch downfield. WR's Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy need to continue improving, and rookie WR Denarius Moore looks like a star in the making. The future at WR looks bright, but for right now they're an average core waiting to improve.
TE: B-
Losing Pro Bowl TE Zach Miller was a tough loss to swallow, but the Raiders signed the best replacement available form Giant TE Kevin Boss. Boss is an excellent run blocker, but is not as good as Miller is a receiver, so the Raiders will suffer slightly in that regard.
O-Line: C-
The Raiders lost LG Robert Gallery to the Seahawks in Free Agency, and that is the one spot on the offensive line that is yet to be replaced with someone worthy. Daniel Loper will probably be a stop gap at LG until a better replacement is found. Jared Veldheer finished strong last season at LT should continue to improve this year at protecting Jason Campbell's blind side. At Center, will be Raiders 2nd round pick Stefen Wisniewski. At RG, there is veteran Cooper Carlisle, who is getting too old to be effective and played below average last year. Another possible starter at RG is Bruce Campbell, who seems to be developing slowly. At RT, I expect rookie Joe Barksdale to takeover for Langston Walker. The Raider offensive line lacks experience, but it is made up of huge maulers that will continue to open up huge holes for McFadden and Bush.
D-Line: A+
Led by veteran leader DT Richard Seymour, the Raiders have one of the top defensive lines in the league. Tied for 2nd in league with 47 sacks, the Raiders have plenty of young talent that will soon become elite individual talents. DE Matt Shaughnessy, DE Lamarr Houston, and DE/OLB Kam Wimbley are young guns that will be bringing down opposing QB's for a long time. Along with Seymour, DT Tommy Kelly and DT Jon Henderson are good against the run.
LB's: B-
All Raider fans expect Roldando McClain to develop into an elite talent at MLB. Last season he struggled at first but started to understand coverages and sniffing out screen plays better as the season went on. OLB Quentin Groves played okay as a starter but I think its definitely an area that could be improved. Kamerion Wimbley played good as an OLB, but struggled a little in coverage. Wimbley really played well when rushing opposing QB's on 3rd downs. He had 9 sacks last season as an OLB, which is pretty damn good if you ask me.
CB's: D+
The Raiders lost CB Nnamdi Asomugha, the best CB in the NFL. He's definitely a difficult player to replace but it will be up to Stanford Routt this season to cover other teams #1 WR's. Chris Johnson will have to regain his 2009 form if the Raiders are to have a good secondary this season. Along with that, some of the young Raider CB's will have to play well, including CB's Walter McFadden, Jeremy Ware, Demarcus Van Dyke, and Chimdi Chekwa. Only time will tell how well the young defensive backs will develop.
FS/SS: B+
The Raiders are pretty much set at Safety for now, and the future. Michael Huff is finally becoming a ballhawk, and SS Tyvon Branch is a solid tackler but struggles a little in coverage. Watch out for 2nd year player Mike Mitchell to get in on some big plays as well.
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Special Teams: A+
Shane Lechler is still the best punter in football, and Sebestian Janikowski can still kick the ball 70 yards. Enough said. KR/PR Jacoby Ford had 3 TD's last year and is one of the fastest players in the NFL.
Offense: C
If the Raiders can continue to run the ball, everything will be fine. If Jason Campbell is forced into the role of a playmaker, the Raiders offense will struggle.
Defense: B
The Raiders secondary isn't as good as last year because of the loss of Nnamdi, but the Defensive Lines play will more than make up for it.
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Overall Team Grade: C+
2011 Record Prediction: 7-9 3rd in Division
Projected Starting Lineup:
QB: Jason Campbell
RB: Darren McFadden/ Michael Bush
FB: Marcel Reece
WR: Chaz Schillens, Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore
WR: Louis Murphy, Darrius Heyward-Bey
TE: Kevin Boss
LT: Jared Veldheer
LG: Daniel Loper
C: Stefen Wisniewksi
RG: Cooper Carlisle
RT: Joseph Barksdale
DE: Matt Shaughnessy
DT: Richard Seymour
DT: Tommy Kelly
DE: Lamarr Houston
OLB: Kameron Wimbley
MLB: Ronaldo McClain
OLB: Quentin Groves
CB: Stanford Routt, Walter McFadden,
CB: Chris Johnson, Demarcus Van Dyke, Jeremy Ware
FS: Michael Huff
SS: Tyvon Branch, Mike Mitchell
P: Shane Lechler
K: Sebastian Janikowski
KR: Jacoby Ford
PR: Jacoby Ford
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