[...]Raiders confirm Wylie hire – Inside the Oakland Raiders – A look inside the world of the highly classified Oakland Raiders from the writers of Bay Area News Group[...]…

You’re speaking in absolutes, and the only examples of QBs that win without quality offensive linemen you give are future Hall of Famers.

Jason Campbell is not going to get confused with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlesberger. Neither are the majority of the other NFL quarterbacks. The vast majority of the other quarterbacks in the league need good offensive linemen to protect tham and to block for their running games. They also need receivers that can run pro routes and catch the ball when it’s thrown to them. They also need defenses that can stop people when they have to so the team isn’t playing from behind and forcing them to throw the ball.

I understand your point, but what you’re trying to convey as a universal point only applies to a small percentage of NFL teams. Everybody else needs an o-line, and even the great ones struggle when they don’t get protection. All you need to do is watch Rivers or Manning or Brady when they’re continually harrassed back there. They aren’t very good under constant pressure, either.
___________________
This is a great post Ed. I wonder why Alex didn’t address it???

Al Davis lets WINNERS coach, and have a larger say in the operation of the team. If a guy with little or no HC experience comes along (Lance), he’ll make sure that person has the tools around him to improve. If the guy shows he has a WINNER’S aptitude, he’ll carry more weight.

Gruden carried some weight when he won…and Al got fair value for him at the time when he traded his rights. However…to just turn-over a team to ANY HC is the stupidest idea one can have. Would you turn over YOUR half-billion-dollar enterprise to someone, just because he can draw X’s and O’s? Verrrry doubtful, no matter what you say.

Al lets winners coach…and he helps winners develop. However, neither Gruden nor Lance ever showed one iota of having better hiring/drafting skills than Al has. Even if a name comes to mind (and I can already hear it)…that one option (or many) is no better the strike/homerun ration than the average NFL team has when selecting players or staff.

Al gives winners a long leash…but it pains MR, KK, and the like to admit it. It hurts whatever tired argument they have left to disparage anything good about the Raiders.

____________________________________________________

Sorry, only point was that I thought we had superior talent to Denver in RB position.

rmr, what is the west coast offense?

West coast offense is just another version of the gilman / Davis offense. The emphasis on shorter drops and quicker passes, and pass routes.

Remember Bill Walsh is a direct descendant from the Davis coaching tree.

So indeed Davis is the grand father of the so called west coast offense

………..

No doubt, Mistic.

I mean, everything Bill Walsh knew he learned from Al Davis. That 49er offense of the ’80s was a replica of the ‘63 Raiders. In fact, the reason Walsh drafted Montana is because he had shades of Cotton Davidson in him. Walsh would watch Montana’s Notre Dame game film and his mouth would just water at the way Joe would ignore a wide receiver wide open on a cross 10 yards downfield, with nobody between him and the goal line, and instead force it to a wideout streaking down the sideline in triple coverage. “That’s our guy!”, Bill said.

They installed a copy of the Patriots play-action pass-first offense.

The passing, for the most part, succeeded.

They had no defense and a RB that struggled with hammy injuries (DMac last year w/ toe). Their overall talent level has been low for a few years now, and are still 2 years away.