AFC WEST - OAKLAND RAIDERS

2006 PREVIEW

The Raiders were the most overpaid team in the NFL last season as this team managed just four wins despite having one of the heftiest payrolls in the league. The primary reason was that the club had zero discipline, which should not be the case now that hard-nosed Art Shell has been returned as head coach.

While the Raidas may now be more organized, we feel they simply lack the talent to escape the cellar in this division. With the exception of running back LaMont Jordan, the best players on this team are probably a year or two past their prime. Moreover we feel they made a major blunder by passing on Matt Leinart with the 7 th pick in the draft in favor of safety Michael Huff. We simply felt that this team could ill-afford to pass on a franchise-type quarterback in that position. Instead they are turning the reins over to Aaron Brooks, who was signed away from New Orleans. While Brooks has had some nice moments in the past, he has also been maddeningly inconsistent throughout his career. Also wide receiver Randy Moss seemed very disinterested in his first season in the silver and black, and he has always had problems with authority. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to a disciplinarian coach like Shell.

The defense ranked 27 th in the league last year, and it was equally inept vs. the run and the pass. Opposing teams managed 128.1 yards per game on the ground and 217.6 yards in the air, and Oakland lost no less than five defensive starters to free agency (Charles Woodson, Ted Washington, Renaldo Hill, Ed Jasper, Tim Johnson). Granted they added defensive backs Tyrone Poole and Duane Sparks both from New England, but there are still way too many holes to fill in this unit.

2006 Prediction: 4 th Place AFC West