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2012 Record: 4-12 (3rd in AFC West)
2012 Season Review: After back-to-back 8-8 seasons in 2010 and 2011 it appeared that the Raiders may have been headed in the right direction and could maybe even contend for a playoff spot in the near future. But last season those good feelings all went down the drain as Oakland limped to a 4-12 record, their eighth season with double-digit losses in the last 10 years. Quarterback Carson Palmer didn’t play terrible, but nonetheless he was traded to Arizona in the offseason after just 25 games as a Raider. Speaking of quick exits, head coach Dennis Allen could be on a very short leash this year in only his second season at the helm, but it’s not like that’s anything new for this franchise. They’ve gone through seven head coaches in the last nine years and their current one really has no hope of being successful this season.
Offseason Review: Key Additions- QB Matt Flynn, LB Kevin Burnett, S Charles Woodson, KR Josh Cribbs, CB DJ Hayden (draft), OL Menelik Watson (draft)….Departures- QB Carson Palmer, LB Philip Wheeler, TE Brandon Myers, LB Rolando McClain….Final Analysis- The Raiders main weakness last season was their defense. No team aside from the Jaguars had fewer sacks than Oakland last season, so they definitely needed to revamp their front seven, while their secondary was average at best and could definitely use some help. Well they certainly tried to improve upon those positions in the offseason but I’m not so sure that any of their additions will be very effective in 2013. They’ll basically have an entirely new front seven this season after adding two new defensive tackles (Pat Sims and Vance Walker) along with three new linebackers (Sio Moore, Nick Roach, Kevin Burnett). It’ll be hard for this group to be any worse than last year’s, but still I’m not sure how much of an improvement these guys are. The four of them that played in the NFL last season (Moore is a rookie) totaled seven sacks combined last season, so they won’t exactly be giving opposing quarterbacks nightmares on Saturday nights. The secondary also needed help, and again that help was received, but I’m unsure how effective it will be. At cornerback Tracy Porter, Mike Jenkins, and DJ Hayden were all added in the offseason, while Charles Woodson and Usama Young were added at safety. All of these guys will be welcome additions and certain upgrades over the players at their positions last year, but I still don’t see them being all that productive for a variety of reasons. As for this putrid passing offense of a year ago, the front office traded signal-caller Carson Palmer for a seventh round pick in next year’s draft and replaced him perpetual backup Matt Flynn. The one-game wonder Flynn is coming off a season in which he was beat out by third round pick Russell Wilson for the starting job in training camp. Once Wilson proved what he could do in the regular season, Flynn was rendered expendable. He will not have a very large impact on their team this season, positive or negative. Grade: C-
Strengths: There honestly isn’t one unit on this team that I look at and think is in any way a legitimate strength over the competition. I’d say that running back Darren McFadden is explosive and could have a big impact this year if he stays healthy, but that’s the key phrase, if he stays healthy. How many people following the NFL have any faith in McFadden playing out a full season in Oakland? He’s going into his sixth season now, yet he’s only played in 57 NFL games, never playing in more than 13 for a season. McFadden is extremely fragile and injury-prone, and I expect none of that to change running behind this putrid offensive line. If I had to pick one unit on this team to categorize as a “strength” this season though, I guess I’d pick their best one which is the secondary. Mike Jenkins was decent in his short-time in Dallas, but he was frequently making bone-headed blunders and surrendering big game-altering passing plays. Other projected starting corner Tracy Porter will likely be out for a while after suffering a groin injury in a recent preseason game, leaving the other starting spot open to rookie DJ Hayden or Chimdi Chekwa. Both guys are obviously unproven, but Hayden played well last season in college at Houston and can be somewhat productive if he stays healthy. At safety Charles Woodson will be reunited with his old team this season, but the former All-Pro is simply over-the-hill at 37 and will struggle to keep up with receivers down the field in coverage this season. Despite that he will still be important as a mentor for the younger guys in this secondary down the road. Woodson will not have to play extremely well this season though as he’ll be lining up next to one of the league’s better strong safeties in Tyvon Branch. The stud five-year veteran Branch should anchor a unit that will be improved from 2012 and should at least be serviceable going into this season.
Weaknesses: Trust me when I say that the 2013 Oakland Raiders will have quite a few things to be concerned about this year. First let’s start with the one that’s the most obvious, the quarterback. Right now it’s looking like Terrelle Pryor will be the opening day starter just based on the fact that he’s been slightly less terrible than Matt Flynn in the preseason. Pryor’s been in the league for two seasons now although he really only saw game-action last year, playing in six games while completing less than 50 percent of his passes and throwing for a measly 155 yards. I wouldn’t feel too confident in him under center this season but I guess he’s a better option than Flynn right now. Although it’s not like it’ll really matter who will be under center for Oakland this season because they’ll probably have no one to throw to. The Raiders top three receivers right now are Denarius Moore, Rod Streater, and Jacoby Ford. Those three combined for 90 receptions with 1,325 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. That’s less than what most of the league’s top receivers recorded by themselves. Simply put, Moore is the only receiver on this unit that I have any confidence in this season, and he’s just an average NFL talent at best right now. On defense this front seven is an absolute mess. On the defensive line Lamar Houston is a very talented end who led the team in sacks last season with four while playing very solid defense against the run. But he likely won’t be getting any help this season from his fellow lineman. The other three guys on the line, end Jason Hunter and tackles Pat Sims and Vance Walker, are all just mediocre. They’ll probably be an improvement over the old unit, but I highly doubt they’ll have any sort of positive impact this season. Their linebacking corps is pretty much the same story. Outside linebacker Kevin Burnett is one of the better players on this defense overall as he really has no major weaknesses, but he’s surrounded by little talent. Nick Roach is just a mediocre talent while the rookie Sio Moore has yet to prove himself. Similar to recent years, don’t expect much pressure to be supplied by this front seven this season.
Fantasy Breakout Player: By default their top receiver Denarius Moore will be getting a ton of targets this season. Whether Flynn or Pryor ends up taking the reins for most of the year under center, their inexperience will cause them to be looking for a solid target to count on. Moore isn’t a great NFL receiver, but on this team he’s a number one type guy. He’s probably a solid late-round draft pick in deeper leagues as a third option at receiver.
Best Case/Worst Case: Best Case- Pryor starts the season under center as the number one guy, and he’s surprisingly able to hang on to the job. McFadden stays healthy for the first time in his career, giving this offense a dimension which it previously lacked. The defense is average yet still better than last year, and the Raiders astoundingly finish around .500. Worst Case- The two quarterbacks play hot potato with the starting job as neither one of them plays well enough to hold it down for any extended period of time. The new additions on the defense prove mostly to be busts, leaving a unit that is among the league’s worst. With putrid units on both sides of the ball the Raiders flop to a 14-15 loss season, giving them the first pick in next year’s draft.
One Word to Describe This Preview for the Lazy: Hopeless. We previewed the Jaguars a few days ago and I used “debacle” for them. That’s because I was saving “hopeless” especially for the Raiders. Somehow, someway this Oakland team has even less hope than the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars, and let’s be honest, they know it too. There is just no chance in the world that this team wins any more than six or seven games this season at the very most. I just see no way of anything better than that happening. They might be best off tanking the season and hoping that one of the top quarterbacks of next year’s draft class falls into their lap.
Prediction: 3-13
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