The case for McFadden
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 4:37 pm in Oakland Raiders.
If Darren McFadden is sitting there at No. 4, the Raiders ought to use all of one second out of their allotted 10 minutes before sending his name up to the podium.
McFadden was in Alameda Monday getting the grand tour, which hardly qualifies as news. It can be safely assumed that Jake Long, Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston and Sedrick Ellis will pass through these parts if they haven’t already.
If McFadden is back on a plane bound for Alameda about a week after the draft, coming to his first minicamp as a Raider, then it’s huge news and a welcomed addition to a suddenly explosive offense.
Chances are McFadden got his dose of Raiders history if he got to talk with Al Davis, learning all about the likes of Clem Daniels, Hewritt Dixon, Marcus Allen and Charlie Garner as runner/receivers whose versatility helped make for a diverse and dangerous offense.
(OK, perhaps he left out the Allen, or simply referred to him as “No. 32”).
McFadden would be the most explosive Raiders running back since Napoleon Kaufman, the most talented since Bo Jackson, with the added bonus of having better hands as a receiver out of the backfield.
At the NFL owner’s meetings, Lane Kiffin seemed to shoot down the idea of McFadden coming to Oakland, noting a position group already stocked with Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and Dominic Rhodes.
There’s a few problems with that line of thinking, assuming it’s not a typical draft smoke screen. Fargas’ running style makes him an injury risk with every carry. No one really has any idea how good Bush is after a badly broken leg and two years away from real contact. As for Rhodes, he had to take a pay cut to stay with the team so someone apparently told him his chances of landing somewhere else weren’t good. So how much can you really expect?
Bush may be the only one of the three who is an above average receiver, and he’s more of a power back than a threat to go all the way. Even Kiffin allowed late last season that Fargas was subpar in that area, and Rhodes can circle out of the backfield for the short catch but isn’t much of a threat downfield.
Besides, Kiffin can say whatever he wants, secure in knowledge that he’s not the one doing the selecting. That job belongs to Davis, who will do as he sees fit whether Kiffin agrees or not.
I talked to a G.M. at the scouting combine from a team who won’t be in a position to select McFadden who told me the Arkansas running back would be an instant starter for either Bay Area team over inspirational blood and guts runners Fargas and Frank Gore. He believes McFadden to be an instant difference-maker.
When deep in its own territory, any offense with McFadden is a threat to break a routine play for the distance. When in the red zone, McFadden’s pass receiving skills would open up an Oakland offense which threw exactly one touchdown pass to a running back all season, a 7-yard flip to fullback Justin Griffith in Week 1.
McFadden would be a valuable resource for quarterback JaMarcus Russell whether it’s creating a mismatch for a downfield throw or as a dangerous option on as a safety valve against a heavy rush. The word is McFadden even has a taste for blocking.
Even if you believe the Raiders are already set at running back with the status quo, it can’t be a bad thing to have too many good players at one position.
Yes, the Raiders have needs at the point of attack on both sides of the ball. But you don’t sign up a middle reliever when a home run hitter is there for the taking.
Tomorrow: The case against McFadden
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
April 8th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
draft d mac
April 8th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
close this case draft DE or DT
April 8th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Really. Do we want to look back in ten years and realize we didn’t draft a potential L.Tomlinson, Bo Jackson or Emmit Smith cause we had Justin Fargas?
April 8th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
In our current ZBS what does having DMAC = to addtional yards per carry?
Jerry your comment on he likes blocking, if he is going to block in this league he may need to get his bench press reps up. to block need to be strong and have techq.
S. Ellis,
C. Long,
Trade down.
April 8th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
20th
April 8th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Is DMAC going to help us stop the run?
what about our Pass rush, can he line up as a DE?
Maybe we can throw him in as a blitzing safety?
April 8th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Jason, ask yourself the question, what do we need to win today?
April 8th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
McFadden better live up to the hype.
April 8th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Where’s Dakota, DSM? They’ve been eating this stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner while making certain that the rest of us are forcefed our meals.
April 8th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
How many of us on this blog actually watch college football?
How many of us have watched DMAC play in college?
How did DMAC do in Bowl Games?
Did Dmac have games where he was invisible?
How will he make a 4-12 team that was 6th in the league in rushing better?
Will he make that 4-12 team 1st in the league in rushing?
Is being 1st in the league in rushing that important?
Were was last years SB winner rank rushing?
Has anyone seen DMAC “swivel out” of danger or break someone ankles while putting a move on them?
What does DMAC translate in to victories? 2,3,4 ….
April 8th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
M, that was funny. You are going to get me fired again. LOL
April 8th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
We need to stop the run! D-line or trade down!
April 8th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
The best run defense is a potent offense. If the Raiders can score at least once a quarter; which they should be able to do with Bush, McFadden, Walker, Carter, Curry, and Miller. Then your forcing Denver, SD, and others to start passing more to try to keep up. McFadden makes sense to me.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
All togather now,
STOP THE RUN
STOP THE RUN
STOP THE RUN
STOP THE RUN
that was therapy for the NATION masses.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
We score they score. so based on that logic whoever gets the ball first and last wins?
April 8th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Al made up his mind who would be our 4th when mcbabymakingfadden ran that 4.3.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I heard it on the Radio that discharger rb lt is still feeling pain while running and cutting back. I say good riddance to the bum.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Thec Says: Did Dmac have games where he was invisible? Yes.
I have never seen him break a tackle.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
LT, another in a long line of running backs who performed well and never did get a ring.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
McFadden is fast, I will say that…but that’s all he is! I would rather have Jamaal Charles at a cheaper price rather than McFadden at #4.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
STOP THE RUN
April 8th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
“McFadden was in Alameda Monday getting the grand tour, which hardly qualifies as news.”
Jerry Mac -
Touché!
April 8th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
So what do we do when he starts fumbling twice per game?
April 8th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Whatcha gonna do now Norval? First string hurtin’, second string gone, Sproles and your own baby-making machine a-hole Rivers in the backfield. Trade for Lamont. You wanted him in the first place. HaHaHa.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
M, F lt. cant wait til the NFL door smacks him in the @ss. We are going to give SD a run for AFC west supramacy. They have some injuries right now to some keys:
Center Hardwick out 4-6 months
TE Gates out Big toe ????
RB lt lingering issues with knee.
Intangibles:
Norv turner as head coach
rivers a backup qb as a starter
discharger Playbook courtesy of Lofton.
dischargers window is closing fast.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
This will be just like 03, our offense will put up so much points with the likes of DMC and company that other teams won’t have the chance to run and will be forced to throw as they will fall behind in points. Against our new secondary?! PLEASE.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
nice article, Al.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Where is Dakota after this new post???
April 8th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
The only for sure thing is the raiders cant afford to miss on this pick.With all the money they have tied up in future contracts they wont be able to afford another top 5 pick.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
The case against McFadden:
He is not one of the top 5 players in the draft, and QB/RB are the last positions we need with this pick.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
By the way, what’s this crap about “McFadden’s pass receiving skills”? Dude only caught 46 passes in 3 years. Another RB on his team caught 49 passes last year alone.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
DMAC < R.Bush.
DMAC< AP
April 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
DMAC is getting love/hype because of what AP did in the NFL last year.
DMAC is not AP not even close. nor is he R.Bush, no swivel.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
we dont need mcfadden,huggy bear is a savage.With our zone blocking scheme any running back can be successsful,just look at the broncos.I mean jordan had 600 yds rushing and lead the league in rushing before he went down,and fargas came in and ran for a G before he went down.We”ll be alright.Draft d line
April 8th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Free Tibet
April 8th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
No matter who we pick, McFadden, Long, Long, Gholston, Ellis, or Dorsey I am going to feel pretty good about the chance that we got a great player, but I am also going to think about the one who got away.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
With all due respect to the NATION, a lot of the folks on this blog must not watch college football.
DMAC is good, and if the NATION selects him so beit. I will support him. I doubt that having DMAC will increase our winning %.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
it’s interesting to note that 32 is one of the only RB numbers available right now, and 34 seems to be the only significant number that will be available, so should mcfadden wear marcus’ or bo’s old #? that is the only real question about mcfadden
April 8th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I aint buying into this mc fadden hype, we better address stopping the run and take one of the d tackles
April 8th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
LOL @ Jim
Fargas contract is a short term max three year low cost deal. The TRUTH is they knew when making this deal they had their eyes on MCfadden.
Late in the game after being bashed my Bush and knocking helmets with hard-nosed Fragas , tired LBs wil be see in highlight reels 15 yards away from the rocket rough McFadden speeding down sidelines for TDS
PREDICTION;
AFC ROOKIE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
DMAC, 700 RUSH YDS, 7TDS
April 8th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Tommy T, good to hear from ya bro. I value your opinion 1000% on this blog. you are one of the voices of reason. that is why i am going to respectfully disagree with you on DMAC. But you do have info that we dont so you may know something we dont.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I like Mcfadden too,but d line is a priority and its been our weakness for years.Not since the days of Mcglockton and D-russ have we had a dominant interior line.That will help us win games,not another Rb
April 8th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
If we do take McFadden, I wonder if we could get a good solid D lineman in trade for Fargas. Not a great one, just a good one.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Some on this blog think we will be able to outscore our opponents with DMAC. How does that work again. I aqm very tired of losing. Very tired of losing. I am also tired of putting up with discharger fans. I am tired of lt cake walking on us every game to the tune of 150 plus yards a game. we need to put lt in his place thats grind him into the ground where he belongs.
Cant do that with DMAC now can we.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
700 yards aint gonna get anybody rookie of the year.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
We havent had a linbacking core like this one before.Thats why it is so important to hold the point of attack to keep our backers free of lineman,so that they can fly around and make tackles.Our d line gets blown off the ball and our backers are helpless,and our safetys are a mess.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
# M Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Free Tibet
April 8th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
We also need to take a flyer on Spikes. He is 31 but could Add depth and challenge as a starter. either Spikes or trotter would be a nice fit IMHO.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
—”Bengals signed WR Doug Gabriel.
Gabriel was released by the Raiders after training camp last season, and didn’t return to the league. The physical receiver provides depth in Cincinnati following the release of Chris Henry, and could end up as the No. 3 option with a strong camp. He could also compete to return kicks. Apr. 8 - 4:37 p.m. ET”—
April 8th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Free Planet Earth
April 8th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
The team is better with DMAC than without. The likelihood of our team being better is more achievable with DMAC as opposed to a DL upgrade. We need to score points, which in-turn forces the other team to throw the ball, which also relates to run support.
DMAC by himself will not stop the run, but an explosive offense as a whole will. I don’t care if LT runs for 150 a game as long as we’ve scored 28 points. We had several RB’s put up 120+ and it made no difference in the outcome of games…we lost.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
the Commissioner goes to the Podium,
“And with the 4th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas.”
Good night Raider Nation!
April 8th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Free Cuba
April 8th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Dang i hate that we missed picking up gabriel. Man we allways miss the good ones.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I HATE LT,LJ,AND WHOEVER DENVER DECIDES TO THROW OUT THERE EVERYYEAR!WE NEED TO GROW A SAC AND GET DIRTY,AND BREAK SOME FCKNG NECKS!
April 8th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Blackghost, 10000% accurrate. We need to paramedic who ever we play period. It all starts with the QB’s paramedic the head the rest will follow.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
But in the end assassin,defense wins more times than not .Do you remember 2002,who had the best offense?And who lost the super bowl?
April 8th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
my peoples you all need to realize the reason we were horrible in the run d was Warren Sapp. Much respect to him but he was past his prime and teams ran right through him, besides we picked up D-lineman in FA, T. Kelly will do fine at DT and Jay Rich will improve along with Burgess if he’s not traded, so why not take the best player available. He will be a vital part of rebuilding the franchise and we need to stop being critical for adding a potential gamebreaker. Lets Go!
April 8th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Lt’s line is not only 150 plus yards but 2, orr 3 touch downs.
Okay so we score, then the other team marches on us like napoleon?
The idea of we score they score does not hold a lot of weight with me. We need to stop the other team period.
I asked a question earlier does anyone watch college ball?
Somebody please give me something as to why DMAC is so compelling? And dont say speed.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
How is DMAC the best available player? Per who?
April 8th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
What, did Jerry just copy and paste all of my comments since January1, 2008 to make this article? Tomorrow he will copy and paste all of Terp’s and Saint’s posts with a small dose of “Skinny Leg” argument from BHP.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
When you have such a weakness like we do at d line.And you have 2 beasts like Ellis and Dorsey.Its a no brainer.If there gone,then you take the best player available.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I mean we have potentially good lineman right now<but no straight savages who are gonna knock heads off and snap necks when a Rb comes within their grasp.WE desperately need that and they could be there for us.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
dmac is overrated. his counter-part felix jones, a junior as well, had half the carries and a little more than half the yards dmac had. he had more reception yards with fewer catches than dmac as well. his yards/carry average was 1.5 more than dmac. if he had as many carries as dmac, it is projected (based on his yards/carry average) that he would have 2500 more yards than dmac.
do the math yourself, it’s not hard to figure out, dmac’s success was the run system of huston nutt’s offense, not the talent of dmac. it’s the same reason why lendale white has been a better pro than bush. it’s not the talent running the ball, it’s the system they run. dmac is overrated, and is not the next coming of bo jackson or marcus allen.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Blackghost - I agree that Defense wins more times than not. Would you agree that our defense is better right now than last year? The superbowl you refer to was a bit unique considering the head coach. no excuses, we lost, but the Bucs definitely had an advantage.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have a great defense. I just think our team could use an explosive offensive talent as opposed to an explosive DE/DT. The argument could go either way but I personally feel that our Defense is improved with Sapp gone and the recent acquisitions. It seems like we have more liability on the other side of the ball. Even if Mike Bush pans out, we still need a gamebreaker.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
thec, did we already not take drastic moves to improve our defense, are not the two best D-lineman on our team healthy, is our worst run stopping DT not now off the team, did we not just add one of the best run defending SSs in the NFL to replace arguably the worst, did we not joust add depth to our DL, do we not have the best secondary in the NFL, one of the best LB core, and at least an average DL, how exactly are we going to get marched down the field on, if we can score points the other team is forced to pass, and do you believe any team outside of NE or IND(if even one of them) is capable passing on this D, our D is better, you’re seriously underestimating our DL as well, and the effect our additions will have on the run D and the D as a whole, our D looks pretty solid last year, you’re acting as though this is the same team from last year, when in reality this D is far superior to the 2006 unit, which was pretty damn good…
April 8th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Fargas: 6 CAREER TDs! 6 career fumbles. 6 career injuries.
Wow, those stats simply blow me out of my chair! Al Davis better brush up on his HOF speech because the GREAT JUSTIN FARGAS is well on his way to Canton, lol. Why take the most explosive offensive player in the draft when we can get an average of 1.2 TDs per season out of Fargas??? What would the Raiders be thinking by drafting a guy that scored 41 TDs in the SEC??? A guy that single-handedly took out Glen Dorsey and the #1 LSU Tigers? That would be foolish when we could draft a midget DT like Ellis or Dorsey…they would really solve our run defense problems, lol. We already have a monster of an offense, and besides, who needs TDs to win? Really, drafting McFadden would be the ultimate mistake!
Get real. Outside of Chris Long, we should thank our lucky stars if we land McFadden.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Wow. Cincy signs Doug Gabriel. They must be real desperate. I think I’d rather have Peter Gabriel at WR…
April 8th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
# Oakglenn Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 11:29 am
“1)Kiff didn’t want to fire RR. He said so himself.”
Wrong, again. All Kiffin said was that Ryan wanted to leave himself, and that Davis wanted to keep him. Kiffin never said he wanted Ryan, and certainly didn’t deny wanting him fired.
Why do you feel like you have to lie to make the team look better, Oaklgenn? That’s not optimism. It’s dishonesty. Why do you feel you have to do it?
“2)Davis doesn’t know how to build a team, Kifffin does. How many NFL teams has Kiff built??? Actually, none, moron.”
Since 1970, that’s no less than Al Davis.
What successful NFL team, since 1970, did Al Davis ever build without Ron Wolf or Jon Gruden? Al built a fine team in the early ’60s, but since the advent of the zone defense and the west coast offense, Davis hasn’t faired well without the help of others, who were more in tune with the nuances of the tame in their respective times than Al Davis was.
Davis without a Gruden or a Wolf? 19-61.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
McFadden will be there if we want him and we could find depth on the De line in the later rounds. I don’t know what price comes with drafting a skill player that high two years in a row ? Another holdout and no money to sign Nambi or the rest of the FAs next year ? Trading down and picking up some 2nd round picks wouldn’t be the end of the world.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
“nuances of the game”, not “tame”, in post #69. My apologies.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
post #59 speed is not all he has!! he ran for over 4,000 yards in 3 years in the s.e.c he can move and get away from tackles since we dont have the best recievers in the world he will be an enormous most backs coming out of the backfield are covered by linebackers dmac will torch those guys it will be ugly!!! if hes there at 4 we MUST take him(that means c.long will be gone) then get ride of jordan and next year rhodes then we have bush fargas and dmac. i agree with jerry on this one hes not just fast he has talent he practicaly took games over and won them by himself in college we havent had a player like that in a long time. just my opinion but i hope like hell if not c.long then we see dmac in silver and black
April 8th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
is ellis, dorsey, gholston, or even long, by themselves, going to make the difference on D that mcfadden would on O? if we could have a line with all 4 maybe, but one D-lineman does not make the impact of mcfadden, and rookie D-lineman especially are rarely successful, and top 5 d-lineman especially are commonly busts(looking more at DTs than DEs), no one of these players will have the impact on our team that mcfadden will, not would, but will…
April 8th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Dakota defends the “skinny leg” Dmac Argument but
Uses the “midget” argument with Dorsey…
Dont get me wrong..I like DMac but Dorsey aint no midget thats for sure.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
tommy t, thanks for reminding me about the “parts” that we have added. your assumptions that you beleive I have are based on what? as far as our D is concerned on “paper” we are better. but until we can STOP THE RUN” we will be second rate in the AFC.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
And Oakglenn, how come at first yesterday, when I first brought up Kiffin wanting Ryan canned, you made the case for Ryan, and gave Al props for stepping in and not letting Kiffin fire him? Then, all of a sudden, you move to suggesting that Kiffin never wanted him fired. If you believed for one second that Kiffin wanted to keep Ryan, you would have made that case right from the get go. Wouldn’t you have?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Tommy T, question Bro, is R.Bush > DMAC ?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
neither DT is a midget and mcfadden is not skinny legged, but these arguments are pointless, just 18 days from now(less if you’re counting hours) mcfadden WILL hold up a silver and black jersey, it’s simply a fact…one that you will have to accept, regardless of whether or not you agree with the decision
April 8th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
So Tommy T, based on your comments we are set on D?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Post #70: exactly.
But I’m also thinking that the Raiders are in a similar position to that of the Jets: both have a really high first round pick, and both have to realize that whoever they don’t pick may very well face them as a division rival for years. The Chiefs pick right after the Raiders: the Patriots pick right after the Jets. So the other side of the coin argument isn’t just who you want/need most of this top set of great offensive or defensive players, but also who do you fear sending to an arch-rival.
I am totally ok if we go defense with pick 1. But it would kill me to see McFadden in a Chiefs jersey …
PS Dakota, was this your favorite blog post by Jerry ever, ?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
read my post i am consistent. Havent heard yet what makes DMAC so compelling. Aslo have not had any questions answered.
Is DMAC > R.Bush.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I will be a fan of the NATION no matter who we pick. If DMAC is selected i will stil fly my colors, and support the NATION. Still waiting on some compelling arguments from the arm chair GM’s we have on this blog.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
the c, that depends, if you’re looking for a WR then no, bush is not a bust nor is he bad at all, if he were in our system he would be preparing for a second straight pro bowl season this year(not 3rd because of the line we had in 2006), mcfadden is a better RB, mcfadden is about equal with peterson in terms of running, he being slightly more fast, explosive, and nimble, and peterson being slightly more powerful, strong, or imposing, but neither is excessively better at either, they are both elite, peterson landed in the perfect situation, the best power blocking OL in football, mcfadden is a better fit in a ZBS, and we happen to have the best ZBS OL in the league, as an all around prospect mcfadden is better than bush and a notch ahead of peterson, he is equal to peterson in terms of running and a notch behind bush as a reciever, so the answer to your question would have to be yes, although i feel bush has been drastically misused
April 8th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
[...] Read more. Posted in Blog, Oakland Raiders | [...]
April 8th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
By most expert accounts (Kiper, McShay,etc)DMAC is the best player on the board. Ask yourself this - in two years where will Fargas be (on the DL again), Rhodes (gone), Bush a perfect compliment to DMAC. And DMAC will be in the Pro Bowl. Do you take an inferior DT to fill a hole, or do you take the gamebreaker? To take Ellis over DMAC is laughable- a potentially undersize DT vs. a future MVP. Chances to get a DMAC come around once every ten years - don’t blow it. You’re Shanahan - who would your fear most - JR with DMAC or JR with Fargas etal.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
we are not set at DL but we are capable, we should have a top 10 D with the D we have, but remember, we have a 4th, a 6th, and 2 7th, and it’s very common to find good DTs and good ZBS OL deep in the draft, and this draft in particular is full of those types of players late in the draft
April 8th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
If we do draft McFadden it will be alot of fun to see him grow into the NFL. Maybe he’ll bust a few, probably not but he’s only a rookie. Will wait patiently for the excuses on this blog if he does break one and gets run down from behind or when he fumbles the ball several times in one game.
What will be disgusting is watching the other team rack up 175yards on the ground AGAIN against us in yet another close loss. Oh, but I forgot, McFadden is a first ballot HOF’er that is going to get 2500 yards and 15TD’s in his first season and bring us 10-12 wins next year.
Here’s to all of you guys that have crapped all over Fargas, Bush, Jordan and Rhodes for the past 4 months!
Enjoy!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Toomy T, about the only thing i will agree with you on is the Bush Misuse. DMAC does not have the swivel of R.Bush, and if we could trade DMAC for R. Bush I would do it in a split second. R. Bush had more swiv in high school than DMAC had his entire RB career. I watched a lot of c football and DMAC is mostly all speed.
R. Bush > DMAC IMO
April 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Ok everyone has their own opinion about who the best player is, but lets not downplay McFaddens talent. He’s a beast and his numbers dont lie. People downplayed Petersons talent last year and teams passed over him because of it. And lets face it big Al will not pass on him just like he didnt pass on Russel, wich will be the second piece to the dominant trio, (Qb, Rb,Wr) we can have the best defense in the world, but you still have to score points with the offense wich we didnt do enough last season. So lets get used to the idea of having Darren McFadden as a Raider. Its still a good pick. Peace!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Add MVP to that list!!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
fargas is good, i won’t argue that, but he is to an extent one demensional, he is also injury prone and already 28, he will not lst very long, and bush really is the perfect compliment
April 8th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
tommy t, sorry about the name typo in last post.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I remember a team called the Ravens taking us behind the wood shed in the afc tittle game so don’t discount a good defense.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Were the giants a top 10 D? They stopped the high powered pats O. Was that a trend or an aberition?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
thec, i had swivel in HS, a good athlete looks better in HS, to put up the stats(although stats are less than half the story) mcfadden did in the SEC while being rotated between QB, RB, FB, and WR is astounding, jones made a college career out of the attention paid to mcfadden, bush is slightly more agile then mcfadden, peterson is slightly more powerful than mcfadden, that is where each surpasses mcfadden, and it pains me to say it(being a lifelong SC fan), but mcfadden is better than bush and peterson at just about everything else, and where they have an edge, it’s not much of one, it would be nice if mcfadden had never even heard of a bar or been encounted by police and if he were 250lbs and ran a 4.2, but he is the closest thing to perfection that is realsitically possible, look at the only two RBs in NFl history that were more perfect, one retired far too early because his OL was holding him back and the other was tragically injured and had to split time with a HOFer and devoted time to another sport, mcfadden has a decent OL in fron of him with no injury history, he will destroy the competition
April 8th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
why do u think felix has more average than DMAC for all those bshers, cause he played mostly on third down
April 8th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
because mcfadden was the QB when felix was at RB so teams focused on the more dangerous option
April 8th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Tommy Tommy Tommy, You say Bush is slightly better in the Swivel department. I say a whole lot better. In fact no comparison. Better reciever Bush, faster Bush.
I wonder who Kiff would want in his stable bush or dmac?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Repo Man Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
And Oakglenn, how come at first yesterday, when I first brought up Kiffin wanting Ryan canned, you made the case for Ryan, and gave Al props for stepping in and not letting Kiffin fire him? Then, all of a sudden, you move to suggesting that Kiffin never wanted him fired. If you believed for one second that Kiffin wanted to keep Ryan, you would have made that case right from the get go. Wouldn’t you have?
_____________________________________________________
MoRon, you are an effing idiot. You really are. Once again, YOU SAID KIFFIN WANTED RYAN CANNED. KIFF NEVER SAID IT, IN FACT HE REFUTED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Right I forgot, you some how can see into mens souls!!! The all seeing MoRon!!!!! MoRon if you are all seeing and all knowing, why waste your time with the mere mortals blogging away on the site, go, go, oh omnipotent one. And get some help as dozens of us have suggested. I told you the fact. You don’t understand the fact, because you seem to be able to discern the underlying meaning in EVERYTHING!!!!!!! If Kiff said Ryan offered to resign, Kiff is lying, Ryan is lying and Oakglenn is lying and Davis is lying. What I said weeks ago, which I reiterated yesterday was, Kiff didn’t want Ryan gone, Ryan offered to leave, Davis stepped in, and that’s probably what is best for the franchise. That’s not an opinion, those are the facts, unless as you believe, every single character involved is lying, which seems funny suggested from someone who posted under dozens of names, lied about it repeatedly, until he was caught, repeatedly. In other words, the only character CONVICTED OF LYING IN THIS WHOLE THING IS YOU MO-RON.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I am out gotta jump in traffic later NATION.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I have to agree with you regarding McFadden. Living here in Atlanta i have had a chance to see a lot of Darren. No doubt he is the real deal with a Raider attitude and that coveted speed that Al loves. He is the next best thing to a speed receiver.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Tommy has left the building and what I presume will be getting his restraining order the day McFadden is drafted!!
“but he(McFadden) is the closest thing to perfection that is realsitically possible”.
I hope the candles from your McFadden shrine do not burn your house down. WTF???
April 8th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Will DMAC score? Sure. And every time the Raiders score the defense gives it right back. EVERY RB we started lastyear had at least two 100 yard games. How is that going to improve?
Would I pass on the next LT? (zero SB rings)
To get the next Reggie White (2 rings) or Strahan (1 ring) you bet.
The next Dickerson for Dent?
The next Simpson for Mean Joe Green?
The next Reggie Bush for Mario Williams?
Nap Kaufman for Bill Pikel?
You bet I would.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
If the great d mac is such a difference maker he won’t be there at no. 4 why would any one pass on him 3 times?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
MIDGETS I SAY MIDGETS!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Speaking about the case for McFadden….
Stop making this a philosophical debate, it´s not offense vs defense, it´s not wether DL is more valuable than RB.
It´s a particular situation.
And it´s about who´s gonna be the best player available at 4th and wether that player will make the whole team better.
McFadden should not be viewed as just a RB, he should be considered an all-around weapon.
He can line up all over the field, he can create tons of mismatches and he can score every time he gets the ball from anywhere on the field.
Do we have one of those?.
His presence in our backfield would be measured by more than just numbers, he could make the rest of the skill guys better because of the attention he will command when on the field.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Dakota,
Speaking of leaving the building, I have officially givin up on Walton. I thought the guy was gonna be a very good player but has proven to be an adequate bench player that turns the ball over and gets hurt way too much. I hope we drop him after the season.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
There are no reggie whites in this draft.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
we ain’t gonna go dt ‘cuz we resigned kelly (future hogg)& signed joseph who’s done something in the league. we also got g.warren & the terd (terdell sands)in recent draft’s , the dt’s that were drafted high (dwane robertson,marcus spears) have not become star’s or even major factor’s. we got to get some star power back &the way you do that is take the biggest,brightest most talked about player in the draft & that’s DARREN McFADDEN !!!!!!!! WITH OUR ZONE BLOCKING SCHEME HE’LL TURN FARGAS’ 14 YARD RUN’S INTO 80 YARD TD’S not tomention make jamarcus more at ease. so forget dt,de,ot &everything else GO STAR POWER !!!!!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
last year on average we scored 18 points/game and gave up 25 points/game, we have added walker, carter, harris, russell, and wade(replacing newberry=lateral move, but better ZBS fit), so how many points will that give our O, lets be extremely cynical and say 1 or 2, so we’re at 19 or 20pts, and how many points will hall, wilson, a healthy kelly(in sapp’s place and a far better run stopper), a healthy burgess, edwards(with clemons gone it’s a lateral move although he’s a better run defender), and depth in joseph, even if you’re being cynical you can say no less than 3 or 4 pts, so that brings us to 21 or 22, so we’re scoring 19 and giving up 22, or we’re scoring 20 and giving up 21, depending on how cynical and pessimistic you are going to be, so is mcfadden more likely to bring that 19 or 20 to 22 or 23 or is ellis or dorsey more likely to bring that 21 or 22 to 18 or 19, so can mcfadden give us an average of 3pts per game or is a rookie DT more likely to prevent 3pts per game, who has more of an impact as a rookie individual player, mcfadden or a DT, is it really a hard question, is anyone willing to tell me it’s the DT, granted this is being extremely cynical, a more realistic outlook right now would project us at 22 or 23 pts already and holding our opponent to 18 or 19 already, but who increases that margin the most? mcfadden by a landslide
April 8th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Saint, his game is limited and he is injury prone…sounds quite a bit like Fargas, lol. All kidding aside, Luke has been a disappointment. His shot was great last year, now he can’t throw it into the ocean, just like 05-06…I hope we dump him for salary purposes so that Buss will be more likely to keep Odom.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Why are you saying DT?? The only way we take a DT is if Dorsey is there and we unload Warren or Joseph.
We need a DE now, not a tackle.
and we definitely do NOT need a RB.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
the will pass or him because brown and jackson are far superior to fargas and much younger, and ATL seems to think such of mike turner
April 8th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
# Oakglenn Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 11:29 am
“1)Kiff didn’t want to fire RR. He said so himself.”
MoRon: Wrong, again. All Kiffin said was that Ryan wanted to leave himself, and that Davis wanted to keep him. Kiffin never said he wanted Ryan, and certainly didn’t deny wanting him fired.
______________________________________________________
Once again, Kiff said RR offered to resign. It’s you great MoRon, who some how can see into mens souls who says he wanted Ryan fired. Now Kiffin has never said that, but somehow the Great MoRon can see into mens souls.
Oakglenn: “2)Moron claims Davis doesn’t know how to build a team, Kifffin does. How many NFL teams has Kiff built??? Actually, none, moron.”
Since 1970, that’s no less than Al Davis.
What successful NFL team, since 1970, did Al Davis ever build without Ron Wolf or Jon Gruden? Al built a fine team in the early ’60s, but since the advent of the zone defense and the west coast offense, Davis hasn’t faired well without the help of others, who were more in tune with the nuances of the tame in their respective times than Al Davis was.
Davis without a Gruden or a Wolf? 19-61
___________________________________________________
Wrong as usual MoRon. lst off, as usual, that is not fact, it’s your warped stupid opinion that only you subscribe to. To the Great MoRon if anything goes right it is everyone but Davis who did it. If things go wrong, it’s Davis. You can’t have it both ways. Also MoRon you cannot have an argument when one person states a fact and one person states rumour, innuendo and conjecture. I told you that months ago. Let’s see the statement Davis makes saying Gruden and Wolf built those teams while Davis was on vacation. Until that point, you’re 100% wrong. This is soooo ridiculous it’s
not worth spending any time discussing it. And of course you never answer the question as to how many great teams Kiff has built. Nice one Mo.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
DE is a greater need than DT, i agree with you there, but there are few once in a decade DL that are identified right away, mcfadden is a once in a decade RB
April 8th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
one more thing. i don’t care what anyone say’s, the main reason we we’re garbage against the run was we had the worst tacklin’ safety in the league STUART SCHWAGG now with g.wilson back there,we have a safety that won’t whiff 9 outta 10 open fielder’s
April 8th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
neither strahan or white were top 5 picks, neither were first rnd picks, white wasn’t even drafted, compare how many HOF RBs were undrafted to how many HOF DL were undrafted, it’s not even close
April 8th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
compare how many were top 10 picks, again, it’s not close, HOF RBs are generally taken in rnd 1, usually in the top 10, HOF lineman are more common in later rounds than any other position
April 8th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
We are acting like a bunch of spoiled kids 3 weeks before Christmas arguing whether or not Mom and Dad will get us all a new Jag, BMW or a new Benz for Christmas, lol. We can’t go wrong:
Chris Long: what can I say, it would be dream to have him;
McFadden: Offense would be taken to a new level, it would help our rookie QB (yes rookie) and would force teams to pass against us once in a while;
Jake Long: Better than Barry Sims or Turnstile Harris;
Gholston: QB killa
Ellis: QB killa, better than Kelly, but what do we do with Kelly?
Dorsey: Run stopper, better than Kelly, but what do we do with Kelly?
Al, just don’t draft a CB, S or K #4!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
COME ON JAZZ!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
i agree dakota that 1. it’s difficult to go wrong in the situation we’ve been put in and 2. that the argument is useless, mostly because we all know who we’re going to draft, some people, for inexplicable reasons, that seem to make sense to them(of course if they didn’t, they’d have different opinions), have’nt been able to come to terms with it, but in the words of our immortal governator, “it is inevititable”, we will draft mcfadden, it’s just like last seaso, when the second the season ended we all knew Russell and Miller would be our first 2 picks respectively, if we had a 2nd , i might be able to tell you who we would take, but since we only have a 1st, you’ll have to be content with that, but you don’t need me to tell you and i don’t need you to believe me, you all know just as well as i do that mcfadden will be the pick…
April 8th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
There are only two scenarios where McFadden is not a Raider come April 26th: 1) Chris Long is available at #4 (not likely), or 2) the Jets trade up to #3 and pick him (Dallas will not)…
Otherwise get ready to order your McFadden jerseys boys and girls!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
If McFadden was a very good player, you make the need pick -Gholston, Dorsey or one of the Longs. If, as he is rated by most experts, a GREAT player, you take the back. You don’t pass up the great back because you have a stable of “good” backs. Raider fans - we had good backs with C.Davis,Van Eehgan, etc. But not until Marcus arrived did we understand the difference between a good back and a great back. And DM has Allenlike credentials. In the last two years -30 rushing TDs, 7 passing TDs (sound like Marcus?) 4 TDs vs LSU. It’s a gift from the Gods, take him.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
i find it interesting that jerry goes with the infamous “positives-negatives” which conveys a very different message than “negatives-positives”, it’s the old “he’s fast BUT he’s weak” v. he’s weak BUT he’s fast”, each side of the argument always uses whichever one suits their argument but essentially say the same thing, when you get into further evaluation, one of the arguments typically has a fault in their logic, most times both do but one argument is always more faulty than the other, and we’re all on a side of the argumen and the other side is always the wrong one, so who’s the wrong one, that’s for you to decide, i’ve decided, and while i may come off as self serving and arrogant(and i don’t care… of course i did i might choose not to come off that way..but i divulge), i do happen to be on the “right”(or do you prefer “correct”;either way the word is getting ” ” ’s) side of the argument more often then not, at least when it comes to the draft
April 8th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I’m sold. Lets do it. If you’re gonna gamble, it might as well be on a bonnifide homerun hitter.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I think we should draft a Dinemen, but if we walked away with McFadden I wouldnt be mad at all. One thing is for sure, he will add some excitement to the offense. He will sell some tickets, so I can see Al going for him.
I would love for the Raiders to get an elite RB that they can plug in for the next 6+ years. Im tired of watching San Diego with LT. I would love the Raiders to have some long term stabilty at that position. We havent had that in a while. JRuss and him can grow together like Emmit/Aikman or Peyton/Edgerin.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Ouch, Chris Paul 4 points, lol, say goodbye to that MVP talk Chris….Kobe all the way.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Jerry, I totally disagree with tomorrow’s blog!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
i actually already have a mcfadden raider jersey(#32), i had an extra allen on hand so i had the name switched, and it was a rebok rather than M&S, so it’s exactly what it’ll be when it comes out…
April 8th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Best post you have ever written.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
McFadden is the only sure pick in the first round, get over it.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Tommy, I am disappointed in you, never touch an Allen jersey…NO MATTER WHAT! You should have used a Zach Crockett jersey, lol!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
D-Mac will be our best back since Marcus watch this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w0QJcOK1GQ
Speed kills. I say draft him. I live in Florida so I catch a lot of SEC games he is for real
April 8th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
i didn’t have a crocket, i had two allens, one was an M&S and one was a custom allen renok, so it wasn’t an original allen, so really it’s just a mcfadden, but i still have the allen name plate
April 8th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Yo guys, waz up!! Sorry I’m late to the party. I’m kinda coolin’ adding to the blog (as stated earlier) but you better believe I still read it everyday. Jerry, good topic as usual! IMO Thec (I watch NCAAF as much as NFL) McFadden is the real deal. Yeah, he is a DEFINITE homerun hitter as every scout and analyst has mentioned. Arkansas would have been less than mediocre AT BEST with out the offense they built around this guy. If he can keep his eyes on the endzone and his dique in his pants, he will be more than special.
That said, I am officially on the ‘get defensive help’ side of this discussion. BUT, unless it’s Dorsey or Gholston then we’d be complete nutjobs to pass on D-Mac!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
*rebok
April 8th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
You McFadden guys…..if they draft him what happens to Rhodes, Fargas and Bush. Thats way to many RB’s for one team.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Again, only if Gholston or Dorsey are already gone (both Longs will be long gone - no joke intended) and I’m not really a fan of the undersized high motor guy (ie Ellis) then we should get McFadden. Then Tay, we keep D-Mac, Fargas, and the winner of a Bush v Rhodes training camp war!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
rhodes is as good as gone next year, fargas is 28 w/shaky injury history and while bush appears to be very good, he’s really the perfect compliment to mcfadden, as a runner mcfadden is more explosive and more of a homerun threat, bush is more of a goalline monster, mcfadden is an intermediate-deep reciever while bush is a short yardage reciever out of the backfield, they are both very good blockers as well and both have experience at QB, RB, FB, and WR, so their combined versatility combined with their compliment of skills is scary for defenses, through in JR and you have the foundation for what will be one of the all-time offenses
April 8th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Tay, who gives a shite what happens to Rhodes? This is what will happen if we add McFadden: Jordan will be cut by June 1. Rhodes will be retained through preseason in case Bush is a failure, if Bush can still play, then we release Rhodes. We go with McFadden, Bush and Fargas, with Joe as the last resort…not a big deal.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
get real, the target in two years should be Dmac and Bush. When you’re talking about an Allen-clone, Rhodes is irrelevant. Fargas is good but for Godsakes, you don’t pass the great back because you have a good back, let alone one who hasn’t finished a healthy year since high school. Do you have to gameplan around Fargas? No, but DMac changes the entire equation in prepping for the S&B. The only issue is contract.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Well said Dakota!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Gosh, where have all you McFadden supporters been the last 3 months? DSM, Tommy, Glory, Bob (kind of) etc, we could have used some help!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
jorda is cut, this will be rhodes last year unless everyone goes down and he explodes, in which case he’ll by himself a season, JR, miller, bush, and mcfadden form the foundation of what will be a scary offense for a decade, take mcfadden out of the equation and it’s not close to what it could be, but we don’t have to worry about that because the pick will be mcfadden
April 8th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Let me end this arguement now,
No matter what Jerry says, no matter what anybody else says, it doesn’t matter, It is What AL DAVIS says that matters.
Now we have seen Al take speed players and we also have heard him say one of his quotes “The quaterback must go down, and he must go down hard” or something close to that.
So if Al starts talking about any type of running backs from here to the draft then you know we are going to get D-MAC. If he starts blabering about defense, then it’s a d-line men.
D-Mac or D-line
It’s what Al wants, and what Al wants……..he gets.
Basically, wait till draft day.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I think this draft could work out well for us even with no trade down. We could grab an elite DE or McFadden with the 4. Then get another good sizable receiver like Kelly (maybe still there) or Urrutia (sp) with the 4th rd pick.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Guys,guys,guys
Its been a while since my last post and i have read all cases, pro and con about mcfad but do you really think we drafted a 6,6 270lb laser rocket arm so he can hand off to mcfad.The addition of Walker and Carter should point out that davis is thinking long ball like he always does.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
[...] McFadden, echoing many of the thoughts I expressed last week, as well as adding a few nuggets that make a lot of sense, especially given the Al Davis-inspired Raiders’ draft strategy: At the NFL owner’s [...]
April 8th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Next year we address Turd’s spot if he is still underachieving, LB, and o-line if Harris and Jake/Wade cannot hold down the line, maybe WR if JW’s knee is an issue. One more year of stockpiling young players and we will be contenders.
The worst thing we could do is trade a bunch of next year’s picks to get back into the second round this year. There are some monster DTs that could really set us up in next year’s draft.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Going over the Raiders rushing numbers again…
We did gain a lot of yards, but there is clearly a lot of room for improvement as far as the efficiency in the carries and the productivity in terms of TD´s and 1st Downs.
OAK Rushing yardage… 6th in the League (2,086)
OAK Yards per Carry… League Average (4.1)
OAK Rushing TD´s… 19th in the League (11)
OAK 1st Downs by Rushing… 26th in the league (267).
Those are the numbers produced by Fargas, Jordan and Rhodes under the ZBS.
With the same blocking scheme and 2 extremely talented and complimentary backs like Bush and McFadden, our running game has the potential to become one of the most dominant weapons in football.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I just tired of the Raiders waisting roster spots on guys that will never see the field. No more AD scholarships. The James Jett types. If we are not going to use them than cut the fat, use that roster spot for a guy who may actually see the field.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Good teams stockpile picks, bad teams trade picks for players…Al is playing a dangerous game this year, and I hope it is an aberration and not a new philosophy.
New philosophy and Al Davis…never mind, I just assured myself, lol.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Good pitching will always beat out good hitting in baseball. That wasn’t a good analogy. Comparing Dorsey, Ellis, Chris Long, and Gholston to a middle reliever when they look to be difference makers instead of a safety valve in the right system is also ludicrous.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Speaking of how Al does things Dakota, that cut in pay deal that Rhodes took is Al-speak for “return kick-offs and punts and take 3rd string or your azz is gone!!”
April 8th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Lol, I think you are most likely right about that Philly. fo sho
April 8th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I am not a supporter of McFadden based on the higher priority (IMO) of the D-line.
However, being from Texas, I remember the “Triplets” in Dallas dominating the league for several years. Remember, Dallas also had a Pro-Bowl TE on that squad.
Russell, McFadden, Miller, and (Insert WR here) could put Oakland in a posistion to win for a long time.
Just hope McFadden lives up to the hype.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Changed my name…sorta…kinda…maybe…
April 8th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Damn! By the time I get home and get into my S&B pjs and really get into the blog, it’s time to get ready to go to bed so I can get up and make the donuts. I’ll see you guys tomorrow (maybe wifey will give me some)! Peace Dakota and everyone. Hey Jerry, I can’t wait to see why you say we SHOULDN”T get D-Mac!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1E5GzxjXWs
April 8th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
K-Rock,
Immediately log off for the night and think about what you’ve done.
Let us pray!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Dakota…Lol.
As you know, I have looked at both sides of the issue, hell, I can probably still give you the best argument not to pick McFadden.
But hey, Casserly just said it´s still too soon for teams to have settled their Draft board at this time, so I haven´t either, I just know that I now like McFadden as much as anyone outside of Chris Long.
But it´s like you said earlier, we can´t really lose, I´ll be happy with any of the top 6 prospects.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
COW- First off, Reggie White only has ONE Super Bowl ring, not TWO. Second off, if you notice most people, including myself and I believe Dakota and maybe TT believe Chris Long is the first choice and DMac the second.
If you are comparing Gholston to Reggie White, then you must be high on crack.
Gholston may have numbers, but his numbers come in bunches. Check every game, he’s not consistent like White was at Virginia Tech. If you watch the Big Ten, you’ll see he disappears in complete games and will do awesome one week and absolutely nothing the next.
Therefore, if we miss on C Long and no one is willing to provide a treasure chest of draft picks for DMac (provided he’s available of course), then DMac is the obvious choice.
I’m not saying he’s HOF. I’ve said before he’s not a great back for a man blocking scheme, however with his speed, hands, and cut back ability he’s going to be a super stud in the zone.
Those who think Leinart was a stud, he is still thanking Reggie Bush & LenDale White and the zone blocking scheme they ran at USC for providing him with WR’s who for the most part were always open due to the rushing attack Kiffin ran.
Kiffin is rebuilding his USC offense in the NFL. USC ran a Pro style offense and he’s using NFL quality players to man each position.
Expect a high powered offense putting a lot of points on the board.
There’s no way our rushing D will be that horrible if our offense is scoring 24 + a game. NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE is going to pass on us if we can get just barely over a minimum of pass rush.
I have no doubt on purely passing downs both Burgess & Edwards will provide just enough pass rush that our secondary will score points with int’s.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Last year was easy. Oakland needed a QB for the future.
This year, whoever we take will mean sacrificing a need somewhere else.
Makes it a scary pick for some of us.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
It seems like every year LT gets us with that same throw for a touchdown crap. I would love for the Raiders to return the favor w/ McFAdden.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Tay, even if we do not draft McFadden, I bet Bush will still throw a TD against SD….lol, he can sling it too.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Are some of you guys really high on McFadden because he would be on your Madden game?
…..Really….Be honest…
April 8th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Saint Kaufman- Per your post about crapping on our current set of RB’s is crap in itself.
We love our RB’s because they are OUR RB’s. However, if you choose reality you’ll realize Fargas is injury prone and doesn’t have good hands. Rhodes doesn’t have the speed to break long gains and isn’t a featured back. Michael Bush is a question mark, but a question mark I’ve loved since we drafted him. I hope he plays big time.
For the most part no one in this blog dislikes our RB’s, but if there’s a chance to upgrade and provide our offense with a major playmaker then we better do it.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Damn Lakers…I do not need this stress.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Dallas- Aikman, Irvin, Smith, Novacek
Indy- Manning, Harrison, Addai, Clark
St Louis- Warner, Faulk, Bruce, Holt
Denver- Elway, TD, Sharpe, Rod Smith
GB- Favre, Freeman, Levans, Chmura
Most Super Bowl winners follow the above method of playmakers on offense. Notice, awesome QB, RB, WR, & TE.
QB Russell
RB DMac/Bush
TE Miller
WR ?? Walker, Carter, Higgins, Curry
DMac helps our offense get to the Super Bowl level in terms of talent.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
We all deinitely know that AD gets a hard on for speed, McFadden has enough of it.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Hey DSM.
I’ve read alot of negative about the guys we have and alot of love for the guy we don’t. Simple as that really.
Dakota,
Portland always shoots a high percentage on us in the first half. It’s rediculous. They’ll fold in the 3rd like always.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Darren Mcfadden Syndrome
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LM2mhvQxWMk
April 8th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I have to think something is up still, another move in the works. No way can they draft DMac at 4 and ignore the other holes, i.e. the D Line and O Line for that matter, until Round 4 of the draft.
Oh yeah, and Dakota, Luke Walton freaking sucks, dog…
April 8th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Mike Jones - LB made #10 on the list of NFL 1 Hit Wonders.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Hopefully the team can get a second round pick through a trade, then they can draft offensive firepower first, then defense second
April 8th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Dakota Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
“Jerry, I totally disagree with tomorrow’s blog!”
good sheet man, thanks for the laugh.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Night all…sorry if I have been too pushy with the McFadden thing, I just really have a great feeling about pairing him with the S&B.
I keep seeing Fargas break through the line, then getting caught from behind, drive stalls, FG or punt…
McFadden will turn those plays into points.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
saintkaufman- Show me some negatives I’ve said that aren’t the truth?
I’m not bashing on our RB’s and if we don’t take DMac I’ll be rooting for whomever is our starter.
To think one player is going to make or break us on either side of the ball is ludicrous right now.
We need upgrades in several positions so why not take a big upgrade in a the RB department?
April 8th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
have a good one Dakota.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
What if the Raiders had Rhodes restructure his contract to make him easier to trade? It would make sense if the Raiders are indeed planning on drafting McDadden.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I’m outta here, but had to post when people were wondering where I went considering DMac.
I look forward to the draft being over because then we’ll see who gets picked and where.
Prior to the draft we should all do a Top 10 list and see who’s right/wrong with their picks. See if Dorsey, Ellis, DMac, C Long, J Long, M Ryan, Clady, etc are worthy of their selection.
Then we can laugh at each other during the season when sure enough someone is a major bust.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
DSM,
Are you serious?
My post did’nt have DSM anywhere in it.
I don’t think we need an upgrade at RB.
Many on here have said some pretty crazy things about what McFadden is gonna do in our vaunted ZBS.
Go Raiders!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Sign in Bills stands…
“I would rather have a small Flutie than a big Johnson”
….Classic!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
As for the question does anyone watch college football, well, all the players are making the transition to the pros…with Glenn Dorsey, you have to wonder how a guy who’s been injured in college twice now will hold up against a seasoned, NFL style double team. Will he last all season? Or will he get hurt? Ellis is a wildcard because of his size…Long? I’m a little nervous on him, would hope he wouldn’t be a newer Tyler Brayton. McFadden has had two solid years now rushing the ball for more than 1000+ yards…
April 8th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
A Few Nuggets of Wisdom from My Favorite Gridiron Guru…
“The leadership definitely have to come from the leaders.” ……”Eli Manning has been given the rice of passage.” ……….”I think it’s his self-confidence in himself that make him so confident when it get down into the crunch time.”
I love you Emmitt!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
That’s awesome K-Rock!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Reminds me of Mike Tyson fading away into Bolivian!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Another…
“Patriots offense got debacled…”
Huh?
April 8th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
One of Dorseys “injuries”.
You either do this to a guy who’s dirty or is unstoppable. I have’nt heard anyone say Dorsey is dirty.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
and now the link….
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vqiLlOybz9s
April 8th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
What if the Raiders had Rhodes restructure his contract to make him easier to trade? Doesn’t it make sense if the Raiders are indeed planning on drafting McDadden?
Who would be interested in Rhodes? He’s still a pretty solid back up RB that could contribute to a lot of teams and maybe get the Raiders an extra draft pick in the process.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
god! everytime i read a story on McFadden, Im thinking “Draft Him” but I know we could use this pick for a needed position. God i pray Chris Long is available so there is no questions asked.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Great Article Jerry. I really believe that McFadden should be the pick. Look at the Colts & how they drafted Manning 1st overall & then Edgerin James the next year with that number 4 pick. James helped Manning so much in his development and took a lot of the pressure off. I feel that it would be very stupid for the Raiders to pass up on a franchise RB for someone like Justin Fargas who I believe wont last another 2 years in this league with his running style.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
All I can say is somebody doesn’t have a clue. Get help Jerry.
What Mcfadden did he see? he isn’t any better reciever than Fargas is IMO he dropped a lot of passes in traffic and fumbles too much.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
DSm-does it matter who’s right or wrong?aren’t we all Raider fans here?as long as we get better,who cares who’s right or wrong?(re:post181)
April 8th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
whether mcfadden is a better reciever than mcfadden or not is not a matter of opinion, it’s a matter of fact one way or the other, and the true dact is that mcfadden has better hands than fargas, much better
April 8th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
TT -
Maybe you can answer post #191 for me.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Lefty
Agreed!
April 8th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
good job lefty, you’re exactly right, as long as we win, but mcfadden is the best way to do that, and there’s no reason to debate because he is the pick
April 8th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
and Bush has better hands than both of them put together.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Flight 32 was theeeeeeee best, but we had a DEFENSE!!!!
April 8th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
i doubt it, teams can get better Rbs in any of the first 5 rnds, so if someone traded for him it would be for a 6th or 7th, and his depth/KR ability is worth more than a 6th
April 8th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Just take a look at his highlight reel on You Tube…guy is a stud….can you say breakaway?
Take Him…we are not likely to compete for Ring # 4 in 2008.
Down the line? LOOK OUT!!
Carry on Nation
Steelyone
April 8th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
tt-that’s your opinion.i happen to not think along the same lines as you.i believe drafting DM will set us back,not help us win.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
any player on You Tube will look like a star-that’s what it does-shows highlights!
April 8th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
TT -
So you think that the Raiders will draft McFadden and keep Fargas, Bush, Rhodes, Justin Griffith and Oren O’Neal? Seems to me if they draft McFadden one of those RB’s has to go and it won’t be one of the FB’s. Maybe, a big maybe, if they think Bush is still a question mark, but I think most likely that someone’s gotta go. Rhodes seems the most likely. This is all assuming that Jordan is already out of the equation…