Oakland Raiders 2010 Season Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds
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Oakland Raiders 2009 NFL Record: 5-11 Home: 2-6 Away: 3-5
Oakland Raiders 2010 Preview
The snarling Oakland Raiders used to treat each NFL game like D-Day. Now it’s more like Groundhog Day. The team that once partied Saturday night, then whipped your butt on Sunday has become a reliable double-digit loser and quite probably the most dysfunctional franchise in the league. Al Davis’ hope springs eternal, but his team is once again surrounded by questions as it heads into the 2010 season. Both sides of the line have questions, the first-round draft pick from 2009 has ‘yet to prove he has NFL-caliber hands and the team’s best player, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, somehow was involved in trade rumors over the offseason. At least Oakland addressed its biggest issue, the quarterback position, by trading for Washington’s Jason Campbell on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Raider Nation was elated that this spelled the end ofJaMarcus Russell, whose failure as an NFL quarterback has haunted this team for most of the past three years.
2010 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks
Trading for Campbell completely changed the face of the quarterback position in Oakland. Campbell isn’t exactly an NFL superstar; the Redskins soured on him because he wasn’t accurate enough in the West Coast offense. But tall, mobile and strong-armed, he could be well suited to the Raiders’ run-run-bomb approach. And he certainly seems to be a major upgrade over Russell, who was released in early May. The Raiders didn’t promise Campbell the starting job when they acquired him, but everyone assumes he’ll wind up with it, especially considering that one of his rivals – Bruce Gradkowski, who outplayed Russell last year – tore his non-throwing pectoral muscle in April and won’t see the field until summer. Charlie Frye and former Cal star Kyle Boller could also be in the mix.
2010 Oakland Raiders Running Backs
The Raiders liked to talk about their three-headed monster at running back, but they chopped off one of their heads this year, releasing veteran Justin Fargas. That will mean more carries for a pair of young backs, the speedy Darren McFadden and the bruising Michael Bush. Is either ready for a full-time load? Bush has been the more consistent of the two but has never seemed to be in favor under either Lane Kiffin or Cable. McFadden has shown exceptional receiving skills but has also fumbled and gotten hurt too frequently; a former No.4 overall pick, he’s getting precariously close to “bust” territory. Oren O’Neal was cut in late April, so the fullback position will be interesting while Luke Lawton serves a four-game suspension fqr a positive steroid test. Marcel Reece could be the frontrunner.
2010 Oakland Raiders Receivers
It’s easy to isolate Russell’s shortcomings, but you have to cut him some slack on one point: His wide receivers were more hindrance than help. The Raiders still like Chaz Schilens, a reliable pass-catcher who lacks elite speed. Beyond him, the main targets are a pair of 2009 rookies who combined to drop 15 passes last year. At least Louis Murphy made some big plays, too; he looks like a keeper. No. 1 pick Darrius Heyward-Bey dropped six balls and caught only nine, looking utterly devoid of confidence most of the year. There is little production off the bench, though it will be interesting to watch lightning-fast rookie Jacoby Ford in the slot. The silver lining is at tight end, maybe Oakland’s strongest position. Zach Miller (66 catches in 2009) might be a Pro Bowler if he played in a more potent passing offense. Tony Stewart is a cOl11mendable blocker and special teams player, and second-year guy Brandon Myers was a great find in the sixth round.
2010 Oakland Raiders Offensive Line
The Raiders drafted a pair of intriguing tackle prospects in Jared Veldheer and Bruce Campbell. But Veldheer comes from a tiny program (Hillsdale College in Michigan), and Campbell needs major work with his technique, so it’s hard to imagine either will have much of an impact in 2010. That leaves the Raiders with a veteran line that was substandard, especially in pass protection, last year. Curiously, the best of the bunch is Robert Gallery, who was considered a bust at tackle but has turned into an ornery, capable left guard when healthy. Mario Henderson continues to improve at left tackle, but right tackle now falls to Khalif Barnes, who was injured for all of 2009. Right guard Cooper Carlisle looks to be on the downside of his career, and Samson Satele is the starting center almost by default.
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2010 Oakland Raiders Defense
When the Raiders drafted Lamarr Houston in the second round and immediately called him an end rather than a tackle, it fueled speculation that the team was moving toward a 3-4 system. It’s not a bad idea because there isn’t much depth up front. Richard Seymour played very well, if unevenly, in his first year as a Raider, which is why the team hit him with the franchise tag. After that, there’s a big drop-off Oakland really likes two second-year players, end Matt Shaughnessy and tackle Desmond Bryant, and Houston should help the run defense, but all three are still learning – a task that becomes n10re difficult without veterans Greg Ellis and Gerard Warren to mimic. The Raiders have been horrible against the run for years – they ranked 29th last year – and part of the blame must fall on tackle Tommy Kelly, who hasn’t played up to his huge contract. If Oakland goes to a 3-4, some question whether Kelly can play nosetackle.
When the Raiders opened against the Chargers in Week 1 last year, their starting linebackers were Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard and Ricky Brown. None is likely to start against the Titans on Sept. 12. Howard and Brown are now backups, and the popular Morrison was traded to Jacksonville. Trevor Scott, a talented third-year player, moved from defensive end to weak-side linebacker last year and will start there again in 2010. New to the strong side is trade acquisition Kamerion Wimbley. Scott and Wimbley give the Raiders dangerous edge rushers, making it likely Marshall will be given the green light to blitz again. In the middle, there is tremendous pressure on rookie Rolando McClain of Alabama. It’s unfair to expect one man to completely revamp a team’s run defense, but that’s basically what McClain faces. The Raiders took him higher than they’ve ever taken a linebacker (eighth overall), and he made Morrison expendable.
Davis has always prized fast, aggressive defensive backs, and he has to be happy with where his team stands in that regard. Left corner Chris Johnson is up and down in coverage, but playing opposite the brilliant Asomugha, who is rarely tested by opposing quarterbacks, is a perilous task. The Raiders surprised a lot of people by tendering restricted free agent Stanford Routt at the first- and third-round level, meaning he’ll get a base salary of $3.268 million. That’s starter money, which would indicate he’ll get a chance to compete with Johnson. Expect Johnson to retain his job, though. The Raiders have a number of capable deep men, if no true standout. Free safety Michael Huff was the most improved player on the team last year, finally justifying a portion of the money he earned as the No. 7 overall pick in 2006. Davis absolutely loves third-year player Tyvon Branch, a ferocious tackler (if dubious cover guy) at strong safety, and second-year man Mike Mitchell is cut from the same cloth.
Oakland Raiders 2010 Season Prediction
Opposing coaches and players – and the Raiders themselves -like to talk about how much speed and talent this team has. The underlying notion is that the Raiders posses an untapped wealth of potential and only have to get a taste of winning to turn the corner once and for all. That argument has worn thin over the years, but trading for Campbell and drafting a couple of run-stuffing defenders have restored some confidence. Still, if the Raiders are to get better, they will need major contributions from a lot of young guys. Are they ready? Since 2003, this team’s annual record has been 4-12, 5-11, 4-12, 2-14, 4-12, 5-11 and 5-11. Expecting anything better than a .500 finish in 2010 seems overly optimistic.
We predict that the Oakland Raiders will finish 3rd in the AFC West, with a record of 7-9.
Oakland Raiders Betting
AFC West Odds: 13-2 AFC Conference Odds: 50-1 Super Bowl Odds: 100-1
Oakland Raiders Five-Year Win Betting Trends
2005: 4 2006: 2 2007: 4 2008: 5 2009: 5
Bet on the Oakland Raiders
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