At some point in time a superstar truly embraces teaching his teammates and allows them to flourish.  The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves struggling to bring Kobe Bryant back to the collective flow.   Bryant was out at least five games and during that time the Lakers found their groove. The ball movement was crisp and everybody felt like they contributed. 

Fast forward to the last three road games and Bryant has tried to find his rhythm by forcing shots.  We all agree that Bryant's competitive intensity is at a narcissistic level. He believes and rightfully so that he can make and take any shot to win games. 

He may not admit it, but it probably irked him that the team was that successful without him.  This is a man who played through two broken fingers and was hell bent on playing through his ankle woes.

Bryant found life after Shaq was not easy; he did have an NBA record 80-point game but his Lakers were continuously beaten in the early playoff rounds.  General Mitch Kupchak then took the necessary steps to give him the help he needed.  All of this help resulted in the 2009 NBA Championship.

This year they wanted to get downright defensive and added Ron Artest a man known for his defensive skills.  They have a young experienced championship core; something Boston and Cleveland cannot boast.

So what is the issue? The young Lakers defer too much, Ron-Ron has lost some of his bite and seems somewhat subdued. 

Bryant's personality is so dominant it leaves the rest of the team unwilling to step up when the pressure is on. 

Bryant has stated that he had a talk with his boys, but somehow the talk has left them even more withdrawn. 

The one player to speak up who I have newfound respect for is Pau Gasol.  I still find his play soft, but the Spaniard sees the injustice and imbalance that Kobe's offensive forays has caused.

Phil Jackson historically has let his team figure things out, but sometimes it is necessary for a coach to wield a bigger stick and to speak more loudly.

Read more Los Angeles Lakers news on BleacherReport.com

The eighth pick in the draft is high enough that it will produce a quality player. However, it is far enough out of the top five that it may not yield a player at a position of need that is worthy of a top 10 pick.

The consensus among fans and experts seems to suggest that the Raiders most urgent needs are offensive tackle, defensive tackle, middle linebacker, and cornerback. There are some good players at these positions that will be available when Oakland gets their turn at the podium, but most of them won't be worthy of a top 10 pick.

So what to do?

Why not sign a few free agents that will provide the depth needed with players that are already experienced? Doing this will free Al Davis up to take the best player available on draft day, regardless of what position they play.

Here are my thoughts on the free agents that could fill a role and can step in and play if the rookies aren't quite ready to contribute:

OT: Mark Tauscher

Mark is a 10-year veteran who has had some success after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 draft. He has started at right tackle most of his career, but is versatile enough to play guard if needed. He has had some injury issues recently, but should be healed and ready to go by training camp.

Mark could also provide leadership for a rookie should Al Davis do what everyone thinks he will and draft Bruce Campbell with the eighth overall pick. I'm fairly sure that the Raiders can get Tauscher with a team-friendly salary, so why not give him a shot?

DT: Tank Johnson

Drafted in the second round of the 2004 draft, Tank has the talent to start. The only question is whether or not he will get out of his own way.

When have "off-the-field" issues like Johnson's stopped Al Davis from signing a guy, or when has it stopped Raider fans from embracing a guy? It hasn't. Not to mention, being surrounded by Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly should help remedy a lot of that.

The fact is that he would not be the long-term answer the Raiders need at defensive tackle, but right now he is a better option than Gerard Warren. Another thing: signing Johnson would provide is another player to compete for the starting job. That just might push Warren enough for him to finally play to his potential.

MLB: Keith Bulluck

A former first-round pick and Pro Bowler that plays with his heart and doesn't settle for mediocrity.

This guy is a leader and a play-maker closing in on the end of his career. If he were to sign today, we would have a starting MLB from day one. Again, he isn't a long-term answer, but a player that can teach and mentor a rookie until he is ready to produce.

I know he has had injury issues, but it's only because he plays as hard as he can on every down. He has proven throughout the years that he is willing to sacrifice his body for the success of the team. This is an attitude that is sorely lacking on the Raider defense.

Plus, he hates the Steelers as much as Raider fans do! You have to love a guy like that.

CB: Deshea Townsend

Drafted in the fourth round of the 1998 draft, this 34-year-old is the prototypical nickel back the Raiders desperately need.

Deshea has been both a starter and a role player for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 12 seasons. He played a key part in two Super Bowl championships and has mentored players like Bryant McFadden and Ike Taylor.

Having Townsend in the nickel package instead of Stanford Routt would be an upgrade in terms of knowledge and consistency. If his physical tools are too degraded to justify playing him ahead of Routt, having him on the sidelines would be a huge resource from which Stanford could draw.

Again, he isn't a long-term answer. What he can provide to Stanford Routt, Chris Johnson, and any rookie that would be brought in would be immeasurable in terms of leadership and overall knowledge of the cornerback position.

Keep in mind, I do not believe any of these players are the only options or the final options. In fact, I only see two of them as potential starters. 

Tauscher and Bulluck would be instant upgrades and would help the team on the field and in the locker room right away.

Townsend should not be considered a starter, but more of a mentor to Routt and the other young cornerbacks. He could produce in the nickel and dime packages all the while teaching and giving the young guys an example to look to as a leader and sort of a "coach in uniform."

Tank Johnson is the one guy on this list that could backfire. He would bring with him a lot of baggage and may not be willing to let it all go and do what's expected of him.

If we sign any or all of these players, the team won't be forced to take any player in the draft based solely on the position he plays. Davis could take the best player on the board at any position.

Summary:

The worst-case scenario is that none of these guys turn out to be as good as I think. OK, so? 

There is no salary cap this year and we should be able to sign them to incentive-laden contracts that don't have a whole lot of guaranteed money. If it came down to it, they could be cut without the team taking a huge hit.

With the exception of Johnson, these players will provide leadership and a winning attitude that the Raiders have needed for several years now. 

Let me reiterate: I'm not suggesting that these players would solve all of the Raiders' problems or that they should definitely be signed. 

I'm only suggesting that they are players that would bring a lot of needed depth at positions of need and should be considered by Al Davis.

Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com

In 2008 and 2009, the first teams to reach 50 wins both won the NBA championship. The Cavaliers are the first team to grab win No. 50 this season. Just saying…

2. Los Angeles Lakers (46-18)

If I were a Lakers’ fan, I wouldn’t really worry about too much. Sure, the Lakers are in a bit of a slump but, 90 percent of fans out there should have the Lakers as the current favorite to win the West again this year.

3. Orlando Magic (44-20)

Other than the Bucks, the Magic are the hottest team in the East. As long as Dwight Howard stays healthy, the Magic really doesn’t have much to worry about until the second round of the playoffs.

4. Utah Jazz (40-22)

As long as their offense stays consistent, the Jazz could have a decent chance of getting to the Western Conference Finals.

5. Denver Nuggets (42-21)

The Nuggets’ offense seems to be clicking very well, but if they want to get far into the playoffs, their defense has to step it up more.

6. Boston Celtics (40-21)

Mainly because of their defense, the Celtics still have a great shot at getting at least to the Eastern Conference Finals.

7. Atlanta Hawks (40-23)

Joe Johnson continues to play great and is one of the ten best players in the league right now. But the rest of the team might not be able to get to the Eastern Conference Finals with teams like Cleveland, Orlando, and Boston still ahead of them.

Once the Hawks get into the playoffs, then it’s going to be a rocky road to the Finals, which they are not going to make.

8. San Antonio Spurs (36-25)

The Spurs are the only top eight team in my rankings to have a losing record (18-22) against teams with a winning record. Not very exciting to hear if you’re a Spurs’ fan, but it’s true.

9. Phoenix Suns (40-25)

When Phoenix gets to the playoffs, they (once again) will not get very far. Why you ask? Well, they can’t play defense to save their lives.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-24)

Kevin Durant and company are surprising many, but they might not get past the first round of the playoffs. They are only 17-22 against teams with a plus-.500 record.

11. Portland Trail Blazers (37-28)

The Blazers could make some noise down the stretch if their defense continues to play great. Marcus Camby was a great addition to the team and can help them in the rebounding category, which is a great way to keep their defense solid.

But their 20-23 record against plus-.500 teams is a bit disturbing, which leads me to believe that they might not make it far in the playoffs.

12. Dallas Mavericks (44-21)

Despite them going streaking right now, I’m still not going to believe that they can get past the Western Conference Semifinals if they don’t play defense a little better.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (33-29)

Surprisingly, the Bucks are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference. They are the only team that have won at least nine of their last ten games and they continue to play well defensively. They could make the playoffs but might not win a series.

14. Miami Heat (32-31)

Like the Bucks, the Heat play very well on the defensive side of the ball, but might not make much noise in the playoffs if they make it.

15. Charlotte Bobcats (30-31)

The Bobcats are 0-12 lifetime against the Mavericks and 7-2 against the Lakers since February 2006. The Cavs are the only other team with a winning record in that span.

16. Houston Rockets (31-31)

As long as Luis Scola keeps playing like he has been over the past three games, the Rockets will soon completely forget about the loss of Carl Landry in the Kevin Martin trade.

17. Memphis Grizzlies (33-31)

About a month ago, I thought the Grizzlies could have a great chance to make the playoffs, but now I’m not so sure. They don’t play very well defensively.

18. Toronto Raptors (32-29)

Like the Grizzlies, the Raptors are the same way. They can’t play defense very well and they have been slumping recently. If they get to the playoffs, they won’t make much noise.

19. Chicago Bulls (31-31)

Joakim Noah sat out his fourth straight game with plantar fasciitis on Saturday. His absence is starting to affect the team. The Bulls, who haven't dropped five straight since November, have allowed an average of 110.8 points and have been outrebounded by an average of 7.5 boards during the skid.

This will not be a very good time for other players go get injured with the fifth- through ninth-seeded teams in the East are crammed at the moment.

20. New Orleans Hornets (32-32)

Once Chris Paul comes back, it might be too late. The Hornets are 10-15 since Chris Paul went down after their 21-17 start.

21. Philadelphia 76ers (23-39)

I wonder if the Sixers are going to miss Allen Iverson very much? It’s not going to make much of a difference on the court. They are already 16 games below .500, their offense ranks in the 20’s, have only won three of their last ten games, and have a terrible 11-28 record against +.500 teams this year.

22. New York Knicks (22-41)

Every time the Knicks lost another game, the Jazz look over and smile even bigger while knowing that they hold the Knicks’ first round pick in the upcoming draft.

23. Washington Wizards (21-39)

The Mavericks made the Wizards team look pretty dumb during the trade deadline. They gave the Wizards a good-but-not-great-and-now-injured Josh Howard.

He could’ve helped an offense that ranked 25th in the league but now he’s hurt and the Wizards are going absolutely nowhere in the NBA right now.

24. Golden State Warriors (17-46)

If the Warriors knew how to play defense, they would have 30 wins by now.

25. Sacramento Kings (21-42)

The only good thing that might come out of the Kings’ season is that Tyreke Evans is mostly likely going to win Rookie of the Year.

26. Detroit Pistons (22-41)

If the Pistons had some offense, they would have about 30 wins by now.

27. Los Angeles Clippers (25-38)

Even if Blake Griffin would’ve played this season, I still don’t think it would’ve made much of a difference. A 27th-ranked offense would’ve have gotten much better.

28. Indiana Pacers (20-43)

Tough times unless you happen to be watching the new Reggie Miller documentary on ESPN.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-50)

Kevin Love is making a strong push for the Sixth Man of the Year Award even though his team is getting tossed around night in and night out. He leads the league in double-doubles off the bench with impressive 14.

30. New Jersey Nets (7-56)

Extending Memphis' home losing skid to nine would give the Nets their first back-to-back wins of the season. But it didn’t happen. Don’t count on this team to win a game against a good team. They are 2-36 against plus-.500 teams this year.

Carter’s NBA 2009-10 Award Races:

Most Valuable Player:

1. LeBron James (Cavaliers)

2. Kevin Durant (Thunder)

3. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)

4. Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)

5. Dwyane Wade (Heat)

6. Amare Stoudamire (Suns)

7. Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)

8. Joe Johnson (Hawks)

9. Monta Ellis (Warriors)

10. Chris Bosh (Raptors)

Coach Of The Year:

1. Mike Brown (Cavaliers)

2. Phil Jackson (Lakers)

3. Stan Van Gundy (Magic)

4. Rick Carlisle (Mavericks)

5. George Karl (Nuggets)

Defensive Player of the Year:

1. Dwight Howard (Magic)

2. Zach Randolph (Grizzlies)

3. David Lee (Knicks)

4. Marcus Camby (Blazers)

5. Carlos Boozer (Jazz)

Rookie of the Year:

1. Tyreke Evans (Kings)

2. Stephen Curry (Warriors)

3. Brandon Jennings (Bucks)

4. Jonny Flynn (Timberwolves)

5. Marcus Thornton (Hornets)

Read more Los Angeles Lakers news on BleacherReport.com

Predictions of their demise have run rampant across the airwaves, as their recent three-game losing streak has induced anyone with a voice to proclaim their quest for a repeat all but dead.

A three-game losing streak for any other team would be a rough patch, but for the Lakers who have not lost three consecutive games in almost two years, it is a sign of impending doom.

Life as the defending NBA champions is a hard one and besides being every opponent's biggest game, every loss is scrutinized, dissected, and presented as evidence to an eventual downfall.

Additionally, this is the Los Angeles Lakers, a team despised for their excellence and held to a higher standard than any other franchise in professional basketball.

Expectations in Los Angeles are high every year, and the success of the team throughout the years has created an air of arrogance which surrounds the fans and the franchise.

Anyone who follows the Lakers fully expects them to be successful and this smug confidence has fostered an environment in which anyone not associated with the team rejoices whenever Los Angeles stumbles.

This is a phenomenon that transcends basketball and can be seen with other professional teams such as the New York Yankees in baseball, and the Dallas Cowboys in football.

They are simply the teams that people love to hate and some observers generate as much excitement seeing these teams lose as they do when their own teams win.

For those people it is much easier to decry the recent issues of the Lakers as the beginning of the end, rather than putting their recent three-game losing streak into perspective.

Most of the Lakers' struggles stem from an indifferent attitude and the cure for indifference is motivation, which is something Los Angeles has yet to find in the regular season.

Several Lakers including Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant have said as much, and although they recognize it as a concern, they don't seem to be especially disturbed by it.

One possible reason is the Lakers' recent slide has affected them little as far as the standings go, and even though they have lost some ground to the Dallas Mavericks, they can easily make it up by winning games.

Los Angeles still has the second best record in the NBA, and for the first time this year, the roster is finally beginning to get healthy just in time for the postseason.

Knowing that the majority of your issues are more mental than physical makes it easier to resolve those concerns without having to worry about chemistry problems caused by injuries.

And those mental issues are not season-ending flaws, but ones that can be corrected with a little tinkering, focus, passion, and desire; which are all of the elements of a champion.

Make no mistake, the Lakers are the defending champions.

Their team was designed to compete for NBA titles on a yearly basis, which lessens the importance of the regular season.

The most important thing is the postseason and the Lakers have the experience of winning a championship, so if they decide to take the long view rather than placing emphasis on the regular season, it's understandable.

Of course anyone would love to start the postseason as the No. 1 seed with homecourt advantage throughout, but if any team is capable of winning a playoff series on the road, it's the Lakers.

Their road record is not as good as last season's but they still have the pieces to dominate on the road, and during the course of a seven-game series, those advantages are highlighted.

The regular season is only a glimpse into the potential of a team, but the playoffs provide an extended look, and due to the importance of each possession, the game slows down.

A premium is placed on experience and the ability to deal with pressure under the most adverse circumstances, both of which the Lakers are very familiar with and will embrace in the postseason.

It's easy to glance at the recent failings of the Lakers and find fallacy in my logic, but they have faced adversity before, and based on the results of those challenges, I will reserve my judgement until the playoffs start.

Read more Los Angeles Lakers news on BleacherReport.com

DHB has always been a better physical specimen than football player and his production has never matched his talent level. I'm not going to suggest that he's a superstar in waiting. At the same time, I've done a couple dynasty startup drafts in the past month and I'm wondering if his value has slid to the point where he might actually be a good buy low candidate.

I just got him as WR72 (including rookies) in a 14 team PPR startup. He went at WR77 in my other draft. I'll be the first to acknowledge that Heyward-Bey looked dreadful in his rookie year, but isn't it a bit premature to bury his career after one terrible season?

I'm a Bay Area guy. I watched DHB play in the preseason. I watched him play in the regular season. He never showed me any glimmers of potential. On the other hand, that's not entirely unexpected from a rookie WR. Lots of great WRs didn't even see the field in their rookie seasons.

Here are Heyward-Bey's rookie stats: 9 catches, 124 yards

Pretty ugly. These numbers don't offer much hope...or do they? Here are rookie stats for some other now-prominent WRs:

Robert Meachem: 0 catches, 0 yards
Miles Austin: 0 catches, 0 yards
Santana Moss: 2 catches, 40 yards
Donald Driver: 3 catches, 31 yards
Vincent Jackson: 3 catches, 59 yards
Pierre Garcon: 4 catches, 23 yards
Jerricho Cotchery: 6 catches, 60 yards
Steve Smith (NYG): 8 catches, 63 yards
Steve Smith (CAR): 10 catches, 154 yards
Derrick Mason: 14 catches, 186 yards
TJ Houshmandzadeh: 22 catches, 228 yards
Hines Ward: 15 catches, 246 yards
Brandon Marshall: 20 catches, 309 yards
Plaxico Burress: 22 catches, 273 yards
Roddy White: 29 catches, 446 yards

Heyward-Bey had a better rookie season than Miles Austin, Santana Moss, Donald Driver, and Vincent Jackson. That's a pretty stunning truth, but of course it's not that simple.

Many of the players on the above list were low-profile prospects when they entered the league, meaning they weren't handed the opportunities that a first-round pick typically receives.

Austin was undrafted. Driver and TJ Houshmandzadeh were seventh-round picks. Pierre Garcon was a sixth-round pick. Derrick Mason, Jerricho Cotchery, and Brandon Marshall were fourth-round picks. Hines Ward and Steve Smith (CAR) were third-round picks. Chad Ochocinco, Vincent Jackson, and Steve Smith (NYG) were second-round picks.

By and large, these players weren't expected to be contributors on opening day. Many of them had to battle just to make their team's roster as rookies. It shouldn't be a big surprise that they were slow to impact because their respective coaching staffs had no impetus to force them into action before they were ready to play.

But what about the first-round wide receivers on my list?

Robert Meachem, Santana Moss, Plaxico Burress, and Roddy White all had poor rookie years. All of them were considered busts at one point in time. All of them turned it around.

Why did these guys start so slowly? Meachem and Moss struggled with injuries, but both were healthy enough to play at least a little bit. Moss averaged fewer than 10 yards per game in his rookie year and Meachem didn't record a single catch.

Burress played 12 games and averaged 23 yards per game. He was ineffective, he dropped too many passes, and everyone thought he was a huge bust. White fared substantially better than this trio with a respectable 446 yards as a rookie, but his production and results still had fans crying bust early in his career.

None of this proves that Heyward-Bey is likely to become a productive pro player, but the numbers suggest that it's entirely possible for a wideout to emerge as a superstar after humble beginnings. Are we being too quick to write off DHB? Is there any explanation for his poor rookie performance? I think there might be.

The first thing working against Heyward-Bey is something we'll call "The JaMarcus Factor." The Raiders were a terrible football team in 2009. The majority of their passes were thrown by JaMarcus Russell, arguably one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.

Russelll completed less than 50 percent of his passes, averaged 5.2 yards per attempt, and threw just three touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

Oakland's leading receiver was tight end Zach Miller. He had just 805 yards, which is a paltry total compared to the top pass catcher on most NFL teams.

My point here? Oakland's passing game was putrid. Some of the blame probably falls on Heyward-Bey, but I think everyone can agree that his supporting cast didn't put him in position to succeed (as opposed to Percy Harvin in Minnesota or Jeremy Maclin in Philadelphia).

And was it really reasonable to expect a good rookie year from Heyward-Bey in the first place? Even before the Raiders drafted him, DHB was described as a raw project who needed lots of refinement.

In this regard he's similar to Brandon Marshall, Chad Ochocinco, Vincent Jackson, and Robert Meachem. All of them were considered compelling physical specimens who lacked the polish to make an instant impact.

It wasn't a terrible surprise to see them slow out of the gate. No one called Vincent Jackson or Chad Ochocinco a bust after their rookie years.

Yet everyone has already given up on Heyward-Bey.

Why?

Expectations.

DHB was a top-10 draft pick. To make matters worse, he was picked ahead of more polished talents like Michael Crabtree, Percy Harvin, and Hakeem Nicks. As a result, his rookie performance tends to be evaluated in relation to that of his peers.

That's unfortunate because all of the other first-round rookie receivers selected last year had excellent seasons. If we take a step back and realize that DHB was really a late first-/early second-round project who was picked a round too high because one delusional team owner fell in love with his speed, I think his rookie season performance looks more palatable.

While we hope that every rookie will make an immediate impact, we don't panic when second-round project types like Devin Thomas, Vincent Jackson, and Chad Ochocinco fail to become instant stars. In that context, DHB's performance is much more acceptable.

Heyward-Bey had a terrible rookie year, but it's premature to close the book on his NFL career. His situation was terrible last season and unrealistic expectations magnified his poor performance because he was viewed as a high first-round pick when in reality he was a project who had very little hope of making an instant impact even before the Raiders took him.

He's not without talent. In highlight reels like this one you can see glimmers of speed and playmaking ability.

My main concern (aside from the fact that he looked horrible as a rookie) is that Heyward-Bey never dominated in college whereas guys like Santana Moss, Vincent Jackson, and Plaxico Burress were immensely productive at the NCAA level.

It's possible that Heyward-Bey simply doesn't have the football skills to ever become a quality NFL player. Time may justify the current level of skepticism, but his story isn't over yet.

If we view him as a project receiver who was doomed to fail as a rookie because of his toxic situation and his lack of polish, we should be much more forgiving of his early struggles.

Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland today made the news pretty clear that, when the Raiders had signed Javon Walker for Randy Moss-like money, they were hoping more than predicting good things.

Javon, who had decent seasons in Green Bay and Denver before his personal demons unraveled his life, was supposed to be our go-to guy in Oakland. Ronald Curry was playing out the string and Jerry Porter was an afterthought. Javon Walker was in the right place at the right time.

Wrong.

Besides the episode in Las Vegas and his conflicting problems with the coaches, Al Davis gave Walker a chance that first year. How did he respond?

With an injury-filled season, until he was unplugged early, missing out on the Raiders two-game winning streak at the end of the 2008 season.

Come the offseason, Walker tried to get some help for his injury, something that surprised his coaches and doctor. Was it authorized? Needed?

You have to wonder, because while Javon was telling stories about him being ready to come back and be better than ever, Oakland seemed to look at him as nothing but an overpaid joke of a player.

So going into free agency, the only question with him was: Why not sooner?

Greg Ellis, meanwhile, is this season's version of head-scratcher, similar to last year's release of Gibril Wilson.

Ellis, coming over to the Raiders from the Cowboys, was shouldered with a difficult task. Anyone coming to Oakland and playing defense had their hands full, in no easy terms. For his work he compiled 29 tackles, seven sacks, and forced two fumbles. Decent numbers out of the defensive end position.

So why did the Raiders do this move? Money is a good guess, with Al Davis trying to trim the payroll. It does cause a few to wonder...and wonder who is going to pick him up in easy fashion.

Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com

Memo to Al: There’s this little thing called “free agency” and it’s passing your team by.

Usually, no news is good news, but not when it comes to the reshaping of a marquee franchise. Yes, I know, the Raiders have been there and done that and they flopped with free agency. Nobody wants to rehash the DeAngelo Hall story, so I understand being a little gun-shy.

But normally, the free agent signing period around Oakland is a time of renewed faith as the team is usually busy trying to fill some gaps, whether they make sense or not.  

My ears might even perk up a little bit if the team were to re-sign Gibril Wilson. 

I kid, I kid.  

But with all due respect to the tagging of Richard Seymour and Janikowski’s’ new four year deal, the Raiders are no-shows at the free agent buffet table.

Perhaps the biggest news around Oakland was Saturday’s departure of veteran running back Justin Fargas. That is until Monday’s release of mega-bust receiver Javon Walker and injury-plauged defensive end Greg Ellis.

Not a surprise by any stretch that the Raiders would release both players. Walker was an over-paid, injury-prone deep threat that had lost a step, and ended up playing just 11 games in roughly two seasons in Oakland.

He was cut by the Broncos in 2007 and then quickly signed with Oakland. The former Packer and Bronco signed a six year, $55 million deal that left most NFL personnel scratching their heads.

It just never panned out for Walker. In 2008, he struggled to produce, catching only 15 passes and in 2009 he hardly ever saw the field. Healthy or not, Walker was a huge mistake and the Raiders will still be on the hook in 2010 for another $2 million. But at least they can put this disaster behind them.

The latest Twitter rumor had Walker’s replacement, Antonio Bryant, maybe paying a visit to Oakland, but there's no word if he ever made it to Alameda. League sources are now saying the former Bucs receiver is headed to Cincinnati, where he could sign as early as Tuesday.

As for Ellis, he was a good signing by the Raiders. And by all accounts, a good player in the locker room, but the 11 year defensive end was just too banged-up to contribute to the team on a consistent basis.

With the departure of Ellis and the upcoming player selection process on the horizon, don’t be surprised if Al Davis uses the eighth pick on a high-risk defensive end.

South Florida’s Jason Pierre-Paul is the top-ranked defensive end in the 2010 NFL Draft. Even though he’s still a raw talent, experts say he’s got all the intangibles of a great pass-rushing end.  

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has compared the 6’6” 260-pound junior to “The Freak”—Javon Kearse. NFL scouts say Pierre-Paul has the size and the strength to battle with just about anybody at any level. He ran a blazing 40 time (4.6) at the NFL Combine and potentially could be a monster-edge rusher. The downside is he’s only played one season of Division I football.

Ravens' quarterback Troy Smith is practically begging for Mike Holmgren to sign him to an offer sheet. According to Smith’s agent Ralph Cindrich, his client is dying to play for the Browns.

Cindrich said this to The (Canton) Repository : “[Smith] would crawl from Baltimore right now to be able to play in Cleveland.

"That's clearly where his heart is. That's where his love is. He has a great relationship in Baltimore and with the fans as long as I don't muck it up too much. He has a great relationship with (Ravens GM) Ozzie Newsome.

"It's just that this is where home is. In the offseason, he tells me, 'Get me home.'"

We’ll that sounds pretty clear.

For those of you unaware, Smith has been a very popular choice to take over in Oakland.

Now that he’s probably out of the discussion Raider Nation, do you have a plan B?

Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com

Since the list is long I decided to partition the 44 potential NFL players into four groups. Here is the first group with some of their statistics:

All of these guys aspire to become wide receivers. I have my preferences.

For example, an ideal wide receiver, in my opinion, should not weigh above 190 lbs to 205 lbs. He should be about 6'1" or 6'2".

Furthermore, I think that he should have a high number of yards, a high number of successful catches, and plenty of touchdowns.

With my criteria in place, we would then focus on the starred players.

Of the starred players, I am undecided on who would make a good Oakland Raider. So, consider this article a "teaser" and I will get back to you after I have done more research.

By the way, you do your research, too, so that we can have a good forum on this topic. The source is posted and the full names of the young players are listed on the webpage.

Source

Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com

Green was a favorite of head coach Tom Cable, but nobody can argue that his knucklehead penalties at the most inopportune times will not be missed.

This is just another step in the Al Davis youth movement. With the recent release of Justin Fargas, Javon Walker, and Greg Ellis, the Raiders roster just got significantly younger.

“I've been in the league 10 years now and one thing they’ve encouraged me to bring here is the leadership I do have," Green told Buffalobills.com. "I’ve been waiting for a long time to get this opportunity to be a leader and be an example for other guys. I’ve been a lot of places in my career. I’ve won a Super Bowl in Tampa so I bring some intangibles that a lot of guys don’t have right now because of their inexperience. I’m just willing to work with the guys and be a part of the team.”

Let me be the first to say good luck to Buffalo. I'll take Langston Walker over Cornell Green any day of the week, and especially on Sundays.

Wasn't their GM the same guy who bashed the Raiders a little while ago?

What kind of drugs is that guy on?

Somebody in Buffalo failed to do their homework.

This move might signify that the Raiders are looking to draft an offensive lineman with their first pick of the draft, or it could mean that the team expects Khalif Barnes to have an increased role on the line this year.

Regardless of what it could mean, it for sure means that the team knows Green was a problematic player.

And I just want to add a big thank you to Justin Fargas for what he brought to our team while he was here. He was the heartbeat of this offense regardless of his production, and he will be missed.

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