Oakland Raiders: When the Chips Are Down, What Next, Tom Cable?

Tom Cable seems confident during his April 15th interview with the press. He is preparing for the 75th NFL Draft and he knows what he wants for the team.

Cable says that power, athleticism, and a good fit with the Oakland Raiders is what he is looking for in any new players.

He emphasizes the need for a productive player, perhaps favoring those who have played in, for example, championship games in college.

"It's a good thing," he says, "that there is more time for evaluation." He believes the new schedule will allow for more interaction between teams and players.

The Oakland Raiders will have eight picks. He will be looking at players who have not topped out and who have room for growth with the Raiders.

Somewhat concerned about the number of tackles that are available, he indicated that there are just not enough good tackles to go around. Only about 12 or 13 tackles seem to meet Cable's approval overall, while he also indicated that there is really a need for about 64 tackles, two for each NFL team.

He praised the progress of, for example, Darrius Heyward-Bey. He emphasized the need to pick new guys who are ready to "come right in and start for you."

When asked about JaMarcus Russell, he added that Russell came in at the start of the second week and is working just like everyone else.

Cable seems to know exactly what he needs to build up the team, and to fill the gaps.

It looks like the chips may have been down in the past, but a turnaround can be expected in 2010.

One thing seemed obvious: Cable's confidence is up, and now all we need is for the productivity of the team to be catapulted up by the new Raiders who will add power and athleticism, with a good fit to build a winning team in 2010.

Source

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