The team did manage to pull off a few upsets against Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Denver, but it will take more than a few lucky wins to establish some valid legitimacy.
You can blame it on Al Davis, Tom Cable, and the rest of the front office, but ultimately, the weight of responsibility rests on the players themselves. The discipline on both sides of the ball was a source of mockery and sub-par performance all year long.
From players running into each other in coverage, wide outs getting tied up in routes, dropped balls, poor throwing, and missed assignments at the line, it's clear the Raiders need to move in a different direction this offseason.
The front office has spent their last three first round picks on players who have not lived up to expectations (JaMarcus Russel, Darren McFadden, Darius Heyward-Bey). It's doubtful Al Davis has learned his lesson and will divert away from his usual "speed supersedes all" mentality but either way, the team has a number of holes to address.
Offense
Biggest Needs: QB, OT, FB, WR
JaMarcus Russel is a bona fide bust and, with the possibility of losing Gradkowski to free agency, the Raiders have a lot of work to do in upgrading the quarterback position. Bringing back Gradkowski wouldn't be the worst of ideas; the offense rallied behind the journeyman and were able to display an ounce of consistency.
If the team does decide to address the quarterback position in the draft, I doubt it will be in the higher rounds. Rather, expect them to go after a mid-late round guy like John Skelton or Jarrett Brown.
Of course, it's difficult for any quarterback to throw the ball effectively without a proficient offensive line. Robert Gallery is st...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
