Raiders, Davis, mess up in Draft
DJ Bowen III
Issue date: 5/6/08 Section: Sports
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For some reason, the Raiders took "the best player on the board" by drafting Arkansas running back Darren McFadden with the fourth overall selection. Don't get me wrong, McFadden put up stellar numbers in the extremely difficult SEC (over 140 yards rushing per game, 21 overall TD's) and is a freak of an athlete (4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, second among all RB's). But McFadden won't improve the Raiders record in 2008.
For starters, the Raiders are extremely stacked at the running back position. LaMont Jordan rushed for over 1,000 yards as a Raider just two seasons ago; recently released Dominic Rhodes signed a contract last off-season and rushed for over 100 yards and a TD in Super Bowl XLI; Justin Fargas emerged last season as the Raiders' premier rushing option by amassing over 1,000 yards in only 14 games; Michael Bush was an injured rookie last year, but rushed for over 1,100 yards and 23 TD's his last healthy year of college.
With these four legitimate weapons in silver and black for 2008, why invest a large sum of money, around $20 million guaranteed, in an unproven rookie?
As evidenced by the Raiders being the sixth best rushing team in the NFL last season, and maintaining the majority of their offensive line, the Raiders obviously didn't need a running back to fortify their offense.
Improving a defense in the bottom third of the NFL in yards allowed would have been a better way to spend the fourth overall selection.
Okay, so maybe Davis was thinking two steps ahead; maybe he wanted to keep McFadden away from divisional rivals. Sorry Al, this theory just doesn't cut it. The Chargers have the best running back in NFL history in LaDainian Tomlinson, the Broncos consistently turn average Joe's into 1,000-yard rushers (Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell, Olandis Gary, Reuben Droughns, Terrell Davis) and the Chiefs have the most reliable back in the NFL in Larry Johnson.
If Al wanted to draft a player that his divisional rivals might draft, why not take a player the Raiders need, like LSU's Glenn Dorsey.
The Chiefs followed the pick of McFadden by immediately drafting Dorsey. If Dorsey were paired with Raiders' All-Pro defensive end Derrick Burgess, the majority of defensive coverage mistakes would be forgiven if pressure were placed on the opposing team's quarterback.
It is my firm belief that McFadden might have a successful rookie year with the Raiders, but Dorsey would have solved a lot more problems this year for the hapless and hopeless Raider Nation.