Each year starts with little to hope for, and ends with a bottom of the barrel record.
So, what will this year bring?
Will they finally have a winning season and make a playoff push, or will the following games just act as a prelude to another Top Ten draft pick for the lowly Raiders?
Ever since their embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers way back in 2003, things have progressively gotten worse for Oakland.
They seemed to be getting worse each year, until the sense of pride that came with wearing silver and black all but vanished.
But there may be a chance for the Raiders this year.
Although their quality of play over the past few years would indicate otherwise, things are starting to improve for them. They have made the right moves this offseason and have a lot of young guys with a great deal of potential.
The first, and possibly the most significant reason why the Raiders while be better 2010 is the release of JaMarcus Russell. The former number one overall draft pick had not been living up to the expectations, and was on a short leash in 2009.
When it was made apparent that Russell was not fit to lead the team—though this was clear to most long before the move was made—he was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski.
Although the season was already deemed a failure, the Raiders showed signs of potential by winning three of their final six games despite their season being in shambles.
Although Gradkowski is an upgrade from Russell performance wise, the Raiders were negatively impacted by Russell’s presence.
Now that he is no longer a member of the team, things can only get better for Oakland.
The next reason why the Raiders will make strides in 2010 is the guy replacing Russell.
Wh...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
