What the "Al" is going on?
By Rick Richardson
Even Al’s detractors have to give him credit. When most teams are barely causing a ripple in the off-season stirring of the talent pool, Al is jumping in and yelling “cannon ball”! Whether you have already written him off as the equivalent of the declining Fidel Castro of the NFL, or you think “Slick” is going to grab more NFL glory for years to come; you have to admit that Al is making the void of on field action fun.
I know, I know….you don’t want the off-season to be fun, you want the miserable in-seasons to start being worth their investment. Take heart Raider fans, the timeless outlaw may be rolling the dice for one last big payday. Maybe out with a blaze of glory, and then hand the reigns to a new Raider czar.
The roster at the end of 2007 was still in need of a shake up. Watching the Raiders on Sundays last season you could feel from the outset they we were generally out manned. It was only a matter of time until they succumbed to the pressure, as it has been for several seasons now. The big plays at the end of games weren’t just terrible luck, they were inevitable as teams finally woke up, found our weaknesses, and subsequently knocked us out.
The Raiders have spent money profusely this off-season, but at least you can say they haven’t sat on their hands. The team has been shaken and stirred, giving anyone with a pulse in Raider land just a little hope even if they won‘t admit it. Al has never had trouble with the salary cap, so it might be time to quit worrying about the financial side and start enjoying the new group of players to dawn the silver and black.
The latest splash into free agency looks to be corner back DeAngelo Hall. Paired with Nnamdi Asomugha we could see the best corner duo for the Raiders since stick' um was legal. A move like this can be game changing. With two shut down corners the opponents game planning just took a wicked turn. Jay Cutler probably sat up out of bed in a cold sweat last night with visions of sacks and interceptions. With this move Fabian Washington or Stanford Route can slide to nickel to form a formidable pass defense allowing Burgess and company the added time to turn a close call into a train wreck for opposing quarterbacks.
This also opens up a scenario where the Raiders could select Vernon Gholston. I would prefer a trade down, but with Al’s go for broke approach don’t look for that to happen. My money is still on Al picking the flash pick with Mcfadden, balancing out the spending spree on the defense with a little more spending on the offense.
Keep it up Al, and this fun off-season could give a lot of the Raider bashers a few shiny objects with Lombardi tattooed on the side to envy in the next year or two.
Even Al’s detractors have to give him credit. When most teams are barely causing a ripple in the off-season stirring of the talent pool, Al is jumping in and yelling “cannon ball”! Whether you have already written him off as the equivalent of the declining Fidel Castro of the NFL, or you think “Slick” is going to grab more NFL glory for years to come; you have to admit that Al is making the void of on field action fun.
I know, I know….you don’t want the off-season to be fun, you want the miserable in-seasons to start being worth their investment. Take heart Raider fans, the timeless outlaw may be rolling the dice for one last big payday. Maybe out with a blaze of glory, and then hand the reigns to a new Raider czar.
The roster at the end of 2007 was still in need of a shake up. Watching the Raiders on Sundays last season you could feel from the outset they we were generally out manned. It was only a matter of time until they succumbed to the pressure, as it has been for several seasons now. The big plays at the end of games weren’t just terrible luck, they were inevitable as teams finally woke up, found our weaknesses, and subsequently knocked us out.
The Raiders have spent money profusely this off-season, but at least you can say they haven’t sat on their hands. The team has been shaken and stirred, giving anyone with a pulse in Raider land just a little hope even if they won‘t admit it. Al has never had trouble with the salary cap, so it might be time to quit worrying about the financial side and start enjoying the new group of players to dawn the silver and black.
The latest splash into free agency looks to be corner back DeAngelo Hall. Paired with Nnamdi Asomugha we could see the best corner duo for the Raiders since stick' um was legal. A move like this can be game changing. With two shut down corners the opponents game planning just took a wicked turn. Jay Cutler probably sat up out of bed in a cold sweat last night with visions of sacks and interceptions. With this move Fabian Washington or Stanford Route can slide to nickel to form a formidable pass defense allowing Burgess and company the added time to turn a close call into a train wreck for opposing quarterbacks.
This also opens up a scenario where the Raiders could select Vernon Gholston. I would prefer a trade down, but with Al’s go for broke approach don’t look for that to happen. My money is still on Al picking the flash pick with Mcfadden, balancing out the spending spree on the defense with a little more spending on the offense.
Keep it up Al, and this fun off-season could give a lot of the Raider bashers a few shiny objects with Lombardi tattooed on the side to envy in the next year or two.
posted by Rick Richardson at
10:38 PM
2 Comments:
Al's Mandate is McFadden!
He fills to many holes....
1 RB
2 Slot WR
3 Kick Returner
4 Punt Returner
5 3rd/Emergency QB
and he is far to fast for AL to pass!
OakFoSho
Hey Oak,
You have to know Al is thinking the same thing, except for number 5; Al would still carry 3 quarter backs on the roster. That's why although I would prefer a trade down, it would be hard not to look forward to his talents on the field.
Great points and thanks for posting!
Mo
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