Too early to start talking draft? Ha!

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, February 03, 2009  |  Comments( 28 )

Oakland Raiders
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Got an email postmarked from the Raider Nation a couple of weeks ago from a reader named Yoruba -- who asks if it’s too early to start talking about the upcoming NFL draft, surely a rhetorical question. Seriously, when is it ever too early to start talking draft, particularly with the ever-teasingly promising rebuilding mode going on in Oakland?

Analyzes Yoruba: “I conclude with my idea of what the Raiders need in order to get back on track. Keep coach Cable. Draft an offensive lineman in the first round, a receiver in the second, another offensive lineman in the third, a defensive lineman in the fourth, and then grab what talent remains at that point. Obviously we can’t get Crabtree and one of the top linemen in the first round. I think an offensive lineman should be priority.”

Debate of Tom Cable aside – surely the Raider Nation knows this writer’s take on that selection – Yoruba has a decent checklist here. Let’s call the Raiders set at quarterback, running back (heck, overstocked here), tight end, cornerback, safety and the great majority of special teams. Many are calling for a third linebacker to play alongside Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard, but this is hardly high priority enough to take up a first-day pick in the draft. (Unless, of course, something just falls in Uncle Al’s lap.)

Round 1 is obvious, right? With a class heavy in offensive linemen and a whole lot of the first nine drafting teams looking to fill skill positions, the Raiders simply have to go for Eugene Monroe of Virginia, Michael Oher of Mississippi or Andre Smith of Alabama, any of whom might be available.

The idea of picking up a wide receiver in the second round rankles a bit, however. Considering the habits of Al Davis et al on the free-agency market (economy, schmeconomy!), might the team be better off pitching a snappy new Raider uniform to potential signings like Antonio Bryant, Jabar Gaffney and/or Amani Toomer? Or how about really investing in the JaMarcus Russell Era by penning T.J. Houshmandzadeh?

(Imagine Terrell Owens wearing No. 1 for the Raiders in 2009. No, wait, it was just a joke. You can all come off your various ledges now.)

Faithful reader/Raider Nation member (yes, the two may sometimes coexist within a single being) Ben W. should probably be certified as an Oaktown genius for his plan:

"The Raiders have the young nucleus on offense they need ... minus a number one receiver. Personally, I'd love to see them package Fargas and a couple of draft picks and make a run at Boldin. Is Boldin an attitude problem? Possibly, but I think it is because he sees himself as a #1 on a team he'll never be #1 on. The Cardinals will need a veteran RB after James leaves."

Now, that’s thinking. While recently, the anti-social Raider front office has preferred – awful bridge-burning Randy Moss swap excepted – to sign rather than trade. Fans of the trade such as yours truly would love to believe such a mutually beneficial deal is possible. Hopefully, such outside-the-box thinking will be employed by the Raiders come draft time.

Thoughts, Raider Nation? What do you do with the first four Raider picks?
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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CommentsComments: 28  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
IERAIDER		04:36 AM
02/03/2009
I think we should trade farges. the eagles need an rb. lets see what they can give us. but we do need help on the line. plus I...
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No.2
svduran1		04:50 AM
02/03/2009
Several good ideas here, Boldin can catch and has several impressive game films. How long does Houshmandzadeh have left? Amani...
No.3
IERAIDER		04:57 AM
02/03/2009
svduran1 did u see his super commercial? d-mac is an nfl dream. he said it was his shoe's maybe we all chip in and get him some...
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