Final 53 Man Roster
Here's the final 53 man Raider Roster with added comments for each positional group:
QUARTERBACKS (3)_Jason Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Boller.
-> The Raiders traded for Campbell who has the most career starts in the group. His accuracy and steady leadership will be critical to manage the game. The key will be Campbell's proficiency in the red zone. Ski has proven that he is more than a capable back-up and is 1 play away from being the signal caller. Boller had an excellent pre-season and has a solid working relationship with OC Jackson. Overall this group is solid with good depth.
RUNNING BACKS (4)_Michael Bush, Darren McFadden, Rock Cartwright, Michael Bennett
-> It was imperative to carry both Cartwright and Bennett due to the recent injuries of Bush and McFadden. The running game never got in gear this off-season and is a concern going into the regular season. Best case scenario is for Bush to return in a few weeks and for McFadden to be utilized as a multi-purpose skilled player in space.
FULL BACKS (1)_Marcel Reece
-> Reece is an excellent pass catching threat out of the backfield but needs to improve dramatically as a lead blocker. Luke Lawton will more than likely return after his 2 game suspension. Lawton is a more traditional power blocker.
WIDE RECEIVERS (7)_Chaz Schilens, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy, Jacoby Ford, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Nick Miller, Yamon Figurs.
-> This is the most inexperienced, least productive WR group in the NFL, bar none. The Raiders desperately need to sign 1 veteran WR to provide Campbell a reliable, chain moving complement to the passing game.
TIGHT ENDS (2)_Zach Miller, Brandon Myers.
-> I would expect the Raiders offense to incorporate 2 TE sets more than usual due to the subpar WR corps. Miller is on the cusp of becoming a Pro Bowl candidate and Myers is a solid pass catcher. Both men are average at best run blockers. My biggest concern for Miller is that teams will naturally adjust their game plan to make it difficult for Miller to make a big impact.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10)_Mario Henderson, Robert Gallery, Jared Veldheer, Cooper Carlisle, Langston Walker, Khalif Barnes, Samson Satele, Daniel Loper, Erik Pears, Bruce Campbell.
-> It will be very interesting to see if Veldheer can lock down the center position. A 6'7" rookie from a division 2 college starting at center day 1 is an unlikely and interesting story. This group is filled with some major question marks and uncertainty. The only rock solid starter is Gallery at guard. The key will be Henderson re-gaining his pass blocking form to protect Campbell's blind side.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (7)_Matt Shaughnessy, Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, Lamarr Houston, John Henderson, Desmond Bryant, Trevor Scott
-> I'm genuinely thrilled about our DLine's talent and depth. Shaughnessey, Houston, and Scott are very capable edge rushers. Moving Seymour inside strengthens our interior run D. If this group can get 20 solid snaps from Big John Henderson, it bodes well for a very productive rotation.
LINEBACKERS (7)_Kamerion Wimbley, Rolando McClain, Thomas Howard, Ricky Brown, Travis Goethel, Quentin Groves, Sam Williams.
-> Wimbley is the 1st SLB the Raiders have had since Romo who can neutralize the full back on power sweeps. McClain's football IQ is off the charts. Both Wimbley and Scott (listed as a DL but will play WLB) are excellent pass rushers. The biggest concern is the unit's ability to defend RBs and TEs on pass plays.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (9)_Nnamdi Asomugha, Chris Johnson, Tyvon Branch, Michael Huff, Mike Mitchell, Walter McFadden, Jeremy Ware, Stanford Routt, Hiram Eugene.
-> It is my hope that Asomugha will be given the liberty to change up his assignment and not be isolated in outside coverage on the same side of the field. It would be wise to get Asomugha more involved by matching him up with the other team's #1 WR, moving him into the slot on some 3rd downs, playing more zone coverage, and blitzing from the edge. CJ had a poor pre-season and Huff needs to improve in his open field tackling.
SPECIAL TEAMS (3)_Shane Lechler, Sebastian Janikowski, Jon Condo (LS)
-> Lechler & SeaBass are the best pair in the NFL. The special teams unit needs to improve dramatically on kick and punt coverage. Jacoby Ford should be given the opportunity to handle the return game.
posted by Calico Jack at 11:07 AM
6 Comments:
Thanks CJ for putting all this together. Veldheer got the starting C job from Satele and I think he's going to be great. On paper, with the addition of a veteran wideout, there is no reason I can see we couldn't win the divis. Out on a limb here, but by the looks of things, I'm amped about this team. Esp the D line. Solid. And if Nmamdi gets the restraints off, then he can prove again he's the best DB in the NFL...Darrelle who? Glad to see you back CJ. Go RAIDERS!!!!!! Danna
CJ, You say Henderson needs to regain his pass blocking form. When did he ever have good form? He gave up the most sacks last year of any LT in the league. The year before he played a handful of games at the end which included one good game against Mario Williams. I don't think he has it.
The Raiders roster seems to have improved greatly the past two years with the exception of the O-line which is horrendous and may in turn lead to the undoing of the team this year. I wish Al would have spent some money in this area.
Florida Raider
Thanks Danna. I like our defensive front 7 in particular.
FLR - Henderson had a great pass blocking form the last 6 games of 2008, regressed in 2009, and could get our QB killed in 2010.
Our biggest areas of concern are the OLine and WR group.
CJ,
Beyond Mario, I sure hope Veldheer is the answer at center. I feel many of the Raiders problems can be traced to the day Robbins went awol. There has not been a quality center since (unless you count a washed up Newberry)
People tend to focus on the LT when they talk o-line but I think a physical quality center is a real key to success in the NFL (strength up the middle center, qb, rb)
Florida Raider
Nice round up.
Agree about the huge question marks at OL and WR. DHB still looks shakey and I'm afraid they'll regret not pursuing a veteran WR.
D-Line is a strength, but not sold on Scott as a DE. He gets handled by most average-to-good tackles and is weak at the point of attack. Hopefully, I'm wrong and he'll show improvement this year.
LBs have improved and like what I hear about McClain, but his play in pre-season honestly didn't impress me. We'll see come Sunday.
Go Raiders!
X - Wimbley, Groves, McClain and Houston should help our run D. Moving Seymour inside makes perfect sense. I get the feeling that T. Scott and Matt Shaunnesey will rotate at end depending on game circumstances. I would also expect T. Howard to come in a WLB in obvious pass situations. For once, our D has solid depth and quite frankly, will need to carry an offense that is clearly a work-in-progress. We shall all see on Sunday if some of the offseason moves will pay off in W's!
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