Raiders’ Moses a future building block

By Jon Elliott  |   Friday, June 22, 2007  |  Comments( 33 )

Oakland Raiders
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Among the many tasks that were undertaken by the Raiders during the 2006 offseason, bolstering their already stingy defense was one of them.

While the secondary performed admirably last season, Oakland's run defense was ranked 25th out of 32 NFL teams. Another weakness that was examined was the failure to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Derrick Burgess and Warren Sapp combined for an impressive 21 sacks, but the rest of the 'D' only mustered 13. In an attempt to provide another immediate pass rusher, the Raiders selected former Georgia star Quentin Moses with the 65th overall pick in April's draft.

Moses had a spectacular junior season in 2005, in which he racked up 11½ sacks and 20.5 tackles for losses. As a result, when he returned for his senior season, the opposition was waiting with hordes of double-teams and blocking schemes designed to slow him down. Their efforts were not wasted, as Moses only managed 4½ sacks in 2006.

Entering his final season Moses was expected to come out as a possible top-15 draft pick, but his lackluster numbers caused his stock to plummet. However, his pro potential is still just as real as it was at this time last year. Not expected to be an every-down player to begin his career, Moses should still get plenty of opportunities to contribute as a situational pass rusher.

The 6-5, 261-pounder's success originates from his quickness off of the line and the vast array of pass-rushing moves he already possesses. Moses' build suggests that he could add a substantial amount of muscle to his frame, thus becoming a multifaceted defender. Until that point, he is a liability against the run and will have trouble getting a push if he is locked up at the line.

As a legitimate pass rusher, though, Moses should at the very least take some of the attention away from Burgess on the other end and Sapp in the middle. The hope of Raider Nation, however, is that Moses will not only be a distraction but a solid contributor to Oakland's 2007 sack total. That could start immediately for the Raiders' defense.

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