The State of the Raiders
They suck. That's about all that needs to be said, but perhaps I should elaborate...
Let's start at the top. Old man Al Davis will keep this franchise in his Skelator-like grasp until the last breath escapes his body, and he will run the organization right into the ground. Davis has old ideas about the sport that are no longer applicable. The Raiders, like the sad old man who owns them, are hanging onto their glory days and trying to avert attention from their current shameful state. The Raiders will not be a good team again until Al Davis dies. Even then, it will take a great owner and a genius GM to undo the damage that Al Davis has done.
Art Shell...I guess I have nothing particularly bad to say about Art Shell. Shell is a good coach. He's not great. He's far from brilliant. He clearly isn't in the same league as Parcells, Shannahan, Belichek, or even Gruden...but he's good enough. He is a good fit for the organization, and could even turn the Raiders into a playoff team within a few years, assuming that the personnel gets better...
Which leads us to Aaron Brooks. I knew that Brooks would be bad when the Raiders signed him, and I may have overestimated him. Brooks is awful. He is the worst starting quarterback for the Raiders since Todd Marinovich. Andrew Walter, the kid out of Arizona State with a cannon arm, is much better...but he won't help the Raiders win now. He is inexperienced, he won't get much playing time behind Brooks, and he can't outrun the defensive line. Since the Raiders' front five can't stop a defensive line, the Raiders quarterback, at least for now, is going to have to be someone who can get out of the pocket. That's not Walter. It is Brooks, but unfortunately Brooks can't do much else.
The defense is actually not all that bad. Huff was a great acquisition and will turn into a very good player. The defensive line actually looks like they are capable of pressuring a quarterback, although the run defense leaves a lot to be desired. The linebackers were bad last year, and look slightly improved this year. Overall, the Raiders have a mediocre defense...one that could be good enough if it were teamed with a good offense.
Unfortunately, it isn't. Randy Moss is great, but none of the quarterbacks are capable of getting him the ball. Even if they were, the line isn't capable of giving a quarterback time to get Randy Moss the ball. And even if everything falls into place...good protection, a good throw...Moss is probably double covered, because Jerry Porter is pouting on the bench, and Alvis Whitted is not exactly a big time threat. This is not an NFL quality offense.
The Raiders have not helped themselves in recent drafts, either. Most of the first round picks have gone to decent but not great defensive backs. (Huff, last year's first rounder, is an exception...this kid is very good. But he won't be enough). I think it's fair to say at this point that Robert Gallery is a bust. We have been patient, but Gallery simply lacks the quickness to stop NFL defensive ends. He may eventually be moved to guard, where he would be okay, but would become the most overpaid guard in the history of the NFL.
So, what's the answer? I don't think there is one. There is no hope in Raider nation. We're going to have to wait for Al Davis to die.
Let's start at the top. Old man Al Davis will keep this franchise in his Skelator-like grasp until the last breath escapes his body, and he will run the organization right into the ground. Davis has old ideas about the sport that are no longer applicable. The Raiders, like the sad old man who owns them, are hanging onto their glory days and trying to avert attention from their current shameful state. The Raiders will not be a good team again until Al Davis dies. Even then, it will take a great owner and a genius GM to undo the damage that Al Davis has done.
Art Shell...I guess I have nothing particularly bad to say about Art Shell. Shell is a good coach. He's not great. He's far from brilliant. He clearly isn't in the same league as Parcells, Shannahan, Belichek, or even Gruden...but he's good enough. He is a good fit for the organization, and could even turn the Raiders into a playoff team within a few years, assuming that the personnel gets better...
Which leads us to Aaron Brooks. I knew that Brooks would be bad when the Raiders signed him, and I may have overestimated him. Brooks is awful. He is the worst starting quarterback for the Raiders since Todd Marinovich. Andrew Walter, the kid out of Arizona State with a cannon arm, is much better...but he won't help the Raiders win now. He is inexperienced, he won't get much playing time behind Brooks, and he can't outrun the defensive line. Since the Raiders' front five can't stop a defensive line, the Raiders quarterback, at least for now, is going to have to be someone who can get out of the pocket. That's not Walter. It is Brooks, but unfortunately Brooks can't do much else.
The defense is actually not all that bad. Huff was a great acquisition and will turn into a very good player. The defensive line actually looks like they are capable of pressuring a quarterback, although the run defense leaves a lot to be desired. The linebackers were bad last year, and look slightly improved this year. Overall, the Raiders have a mediocre defense...one that could be good enough if it were teamed with a good offense.
Unfortunately, it isn't. Randy Moss is great, but none of the quarterbacks are capable of getting him the ball. Even if they were, the line isn't capable of giving a quarterback time to get Randy Moss the ball. And even if everything falls into place...good protection, a good throw...Moss is probably double covered, because Jerry Porter is pouting on the bench, and Alvis Whitted is not exactly a big time threat. This is not an NFL quality offense.
The Raiders have not helped themselves in recent drafts, either. Most of the first round picks have gone to decent but not great defensive backs. (Huff, last year's first rounder, is an exception...this kid is very good. But he won't be enough). I think it's fair to say at this point that Robert Gallery is a bust. We have been patient, but Gallery simply lacks the quickness to stop NFL defensive ends. He may eventually be moved to guard, where he would be okay, but would become the most overpaid guard in the history of the NFL.
So, what's the answer? I don't think there is one. There is no hope in Raider nation. We're going to have to wait for Al Davis to die.
posted by AdmiralLando at 1:38 PM
1 Comments:
I would be speculating, but my guess is that scouts assumed that someone as talented as Gallery would catch up to the speed of the NFL game. He just hasn't, and it doesn't look like he will.
I'm not so sure that rookie contracts in the NFL are out of control. The NFL players union is pretty weak. Keep in mind that Gallery was a top five pick...it's a select few rookies that make the kind of money he makes. He is in a unique position as an offensive lineman and high draft pick, which is why he is so overpaid at this point.
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