Al Davis was famous for his "Win baby, win," slogan, but the Raiders, for the better part of the last decade, have failed to do much of that.
Dennis Allen takes over as coach of a team with a veteran quarterback at the end of his career and a few blue-chip players, but little else.
Reggie McKenzie, who learned at the feet of Ted Thompson in Green Bay, has shown he can dismantle a team. Now, he'll have to show he can build one.
Unfortunately, the damage has already been done to a large degree, especially when you consider McKenzie doesn't have his first three picks in this year's draft, only the Raider's compensatory selection at the end of the third round.
McKenzie has made a number of small moves to supplement the talent on this team, build depth, much like Thompson might. The big name players likely won't be in play very often in Oakland. They will likely be a draft and develop team.
Unfortunately for McKenzie, he doesn't have the credibility of a hall of fame quarterback and the talent of a double-digit win team that Thompson had when he arrived in Green Bay.
On the other hand, the Raiders just missed the playoffs in 2011. Oakland has one of the best fan bases in sports and they will suffer through a season or two of losing if the Raiders can nab the right players at the top of the draft, something this team hasn't done lately.
That means this season will be something of a free pass for McKenzie, since he's hamstrung by the bad personnel decisions and silly contracts handed out by his predecessors. Unfortunately for him and for the Raiders, there are still plenty of holes to fill.
Offense
If Darren McFadden can get healthy and stay healthy, the Raiders will be a dangerous team in 2012. McFadden was just beginning to show his vast potential when injuries cost him most of last season. There are some other young running backs on this roster with talent like Taiwan Jones, which should mitigate the concerns over losing Michael Bush.
Oakland's offensive line was actually one of the better groups in the league last year. They finished 5th in pass protection according to Football Outsiders and 14th in run blocking. Mike Brisiel was signed from Houston, which likely moves Steve Wisniewski back to his natural center position.
Having the flexibility to move him should make sure there is minimal drop-off after losing Samson Satele to the Colts in free agency.
This offense is desperately lacking in skill position players. The Raiders best receiver last season, Chaz Schilens, wound up in New York. Oakland hasn't had an elite receiver since Randy Moss although Darrius Heyward-Bey finally showed some glimpses last season.
Getting a tight end and a few receivers to get this offense some balance will go a long way in deciding just how dynamic this offense can be. With the running game being so solid, having even average receivers would be adequate, but this team doesn't have many.
Key Free Agents: Khalif Barnes OT (re-signed w/ Raiders), Kyle Boller QB, Kevin Boss TE (signed w/ Chiefs), Michael Bush RB (signed w/ Bears), Jason Campbell QB (signed w/ Bears), Cooper Carlisle G (re-signed w/ Raiders), Rock Cartwright RB (signed w/ 49ers), Stephon Heyer OL, T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Samson Satele C (signed w/ Colts), Chaz Schilens (signed w/ Jets),
Defense
Oakland was more aggressive addressing its defensive needs this offseason, perhaps understanding the limited number of draft picks.
The Raiders added players at every level of the defense, including three defensive backs: Shawntae Spencer, Pat Lee and Ron Bartell. None of these corners are starters at this point, but they do have some potential.
Phillip Wheeler was signed from the Colts and Dave Tollefson from the Giants to help with the pass rush, which wasn't effective from the corners last season.
Losing a handful of players from a pretty physical front seven will be a concern, but the interior lineman are arguably the best in football and Rolando McClain is one of the young defensive stars in the game.
Adding a pass rusher and an outside linebacker would go a long way in improving a defense that finished no higher than 27th in any of the major categories.
Oakland, in a division that just got tougher with Peyton Manning, isn't in a position to simply add a few pieces and be in position to compete for a championship.
More than the offense though, the defense has quality players like Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, Tyvon Branch and Rolando McClain. It won't take much to get this team back to playing solid defense.
Key Free Agents: Daryl Blackstock MLB, Desmond Bryant DL, Quinton Groves OLB, John Henderson DT, Jarvis Moss DE, Stanford Routt CB (signed w/ Chiefs), Trevor Scott DE (signed w/ Patriots), Lito Sheppard CB, Kamerion Wimbley OLB (signed w/ Titans),
Draft Targets
Needs: WR,TE,OL,DE,LB,CB
Round 1 (Pick 17): Traded to Bengals for Carson Palmer
Round 2 (Pick 48): Traded to Patriots in 2011 Draft deal
Round 3: Used in Supplemental Draft on Terrelle Pryor
Round 3 (Pick 95 Compensatory): Marvin McNutt WR Iowa (Pos. Rank: 13, Overall Rank: 96)
If the Raiders are high on a quarterback like Nick Foles or Brock Osweiler and he falls to them here, it isn't out of the realm of possibilities for them to take a quarterback here. Remember, this new regime isn't responsible for the Palmer trade or the Terrelle Pryor pick, meaning they could take the risk if it meant drafting a "quarterback of the future." If they choose a different route, McNutt is a solid value and has the chance to be a decent #2 receiver in the NFL. He isn't devastatingly fast, but can get open by running crisp routes. He also has the strength to get off of press coverage, as well as terrific hands. With the deep speed of Heyward-Bey, McNutt could be a solid compliment.
Overall
It's hard to judge this draft because the Raiders only have one pick. The value of that pick is pretty decent (-1) and there are only two players on my board rated higher in this scenario. I can't blame McKenzie and Allen for the lack of early picks, but unless Pryor can be a starter, that was a wasted pick. It's also hard to imagine any scenario where the Palmer trade yields value given that at #17 this year, the Raiders could be getting a long-term starter rather than a veteran rental for a team not ready to compete. Final Thought
Oakland isn't likely to be in the playoff chase in 2012 as they were in 2011. The AFC West will be better and the Raiders simply don't have the talent to compete. Making matters worse, the Raiders don't have their top picks, meaning they won't add any significant talent through the draft. The small upgrades made through free agency should improve the defense, but the offense lost some key contributors and may have a tough time scoring points. If the defense can play to its talent level, this may actually be a better team than it was last season, but its unlikely the record will reflect that.
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