Russell, McFadden & Heyward-Bey; what’s going on in Oakland?
The Oakland Raiders have said many times over the last few years that they are building. They are trying to get back to winning ways and they cite many of their young players as keys to getting back atop the AFC West.
But the players they have selected in the last three drafts are showing major flaws, are slow to develop and have many fans uneasy whether or not they will ever be deserving of their high draft status.
In this age of the NFL; drafting well and picking the right talent coming out of college is vital in staying competitive or getting to a high level of success. The Raiders have had many opportunities to get it right since 2003 and their picks in recent years are going through growing pains – and it’s showing on the product on the field.
Case #1: JaMarcus Russell
His woes are well documented. Russell is the worst rated starting passer in the NFL (39.8), has the lowest completion percentage of any starter in the league (41.3%) and there are little signs of improvement in his game since he took over the main duties in Silver & Black.
Russell’s incomplete passes are comical at times; as he sails tosses over his intended targets heads, cannot get in rhythm for any prolong periods and his leadership has been in question since he arrived to Oakland. He is the key piece to this puzzle, and this organization will either sink or swim with his future.
Right now, it does not look good. Oakland paid him a lot of money and will use as much time as possible to determine whether or not he is the passer they thought was worth of the number one overall choice three-years ago.
One thing I always ponder is if he could have succeeded elsewhere? Drafting is not a science. And there are no handbooks in developing quarterbacks. But if Oakland had a stable coaching situation and surrounded him with a nurturing system from the start of his career, would this situation be different? What about the offensive line? If they could just field adequate talent and give him a chance to sit in the pocket comfortably, would that had helped his development so far? And what about his targets? Russell has rookies, has-beens and never will be type talents around him.
But that should not save him from the critique he must absorb. A quarterback taken that high in the draft should be expected to make his team better, regardless of the state of the team. At this point of his career, he should help elevate the play of others and show more in his character, play and ultimately, wins, losses and performances on the field. Russell has not.
And when you see Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco lead their teams at a similar young age, Matthew Stafford as a rookie stare down the barrel of a historic streak and give Detroit signs of life and Mark Sanchez go 3-0 in his first three starts as a pro, you get the impression that Russell is in a no-win situation or will never be the guy Oakland wants him to be.
Case #2: Darren McFadden
The speedy rusher that was picked to make life easier for Russell. His multi-dimensional talents are impressive. But at this point, worthless, because Oakland has to simplify the offense as much as possible as to not make their quarterback feel overwhelmed.
McFadden had durability issues in his first year, played in 13-games and only managed 499 rushing yards. So far in 2009, many of the knocks on him during draft time have proved to be true. McFadden has fumbled three times (losing 2), has gone down easily whenever a defender lays his hands on him and is appearing like a load of talent that either will never be used correctly in Oakland, or that will be un-tapped while by the Bay.
He is by far the Raiders most explosive talent. Yet the offense ranks 30th in scoring, 31st in yards per game and a pedestrian 21st in rushing yards per contest.
Case #3: Darrius Heyward-Bey
The most scrutinized of all three picks, and the selection that drew the most attention this past draft throughout the entire league.
Heyward-Bey has been non-existent since he arrived. A case of the dropsies in the summer, a quiet pre-season and a horrid start to his regular season already has many questioning his existence in Silver & Black.
He has one-catch for 18-yards so far. In comparison, fellow rookie Louis Murphy, a fourth round selection, has 8-receptions for 138 yards and a score.
The decision to bring Heyward-Bey in will only intensify the critique the Raiders have had in the past of their eye for work out warriors and players with impressive measurables rather than their ability to put on pads and play the game of football.
The product out of Maryland was the first receiver taken – seventh overall – and when you take a player that high, he should just be more than a deep threat, but a true potential ‘go to’ guy. And at this point, Heyward-Bey does not even look like a player that can be a playmaker. Certainly, not a talent deserving of such a high draft status.
So next time you look at the Raiders on offense and see their struggles, just take a glimpse of their last three draft classes and realize what is going on.
I’m not expecting a rookie like Heyward-Bey to light up the league, nor do I think that McFadden should be on the same level of an Adrian Peterson. But when you draft that high consistently, and add talent to your team with such prized selections, you would think that more production, growth and hope would be drawn from three valued prospects.
Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist
