2008 Raiders

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This was a paper that i wrote for my claim of value paper. Feel free to bash on it if you want...haters.

After years of watching the Raiders struggle on both sides of the ball, last year they made a change on the defensive side. They were able to stop opposing offenses, but they couldn’t finish on the offensive end. That is why Darren McFadden was a good pick for the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft. Many people say, “Defense wins championships.” And that could be true, but a team always needs a little bit of offense to help them put points on the board. Taking McFadden with the fourth pick overall gives the Oakland Raiders an explosive weapon on offense. He will also take pressure off second year quarterback JaMarcus Russell. According to Rivals.com, a college scouting database, Darren McFadden has an awesome athletic package that includes size, speed, quickness and hands. Darren McFadden was a good pick for the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Darren McFadden will be able to make a huge impact on the offensive end in his rookie season. The Raiders admitted that running back was not a big need in this year’s draft, but they couldn’t resist on the flashy McFadden. The Raiders were sixth in rushing last year. They had Lamont Jordan at running back for the first three games of last season and he led the league in rushing. Warren Sapp, a recently retired twelve-year Defensive Tackle said, “But Lamont Jordan is like the worst offseason running back I’ve ever been around; he was out of shape and couldn’t keep it going. Then, remember late in the season, Justin Fargas was slashing and cutting and gaining all those yards? (McFadden) is the same guy, but he’s faster. I promise you, this guy will hit those holes and take it to the house, then our offensive line will slash people up.” The Raiders passing was horrible. They ranked 31 out of 32 with a measly 164.4 yards per game, according to Yahoo! Sports. This is partly because they had three different quarterbacks start throughout the season. JaMarcus Russell, who is now a second year, didn’t prove much last year. He started four games and only averaged 93.3 yards per game with a total of two touchdowns and four interceptions. These stats should differ greatly in the 2008 season because opposing defense will be more focused on the explosiveness of McFadden in the backfield.
Considering the choices that were available, McFadden was the best pick. Other possible picks for the Raiders were Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston, Sedrick Ellis, and Jonathan Stewart. The first three players named were all defensive linemen. With Warren Sapp retiring, and the known struggles of the Raiders’ rush defense, they might have wanted a run stopper like Glenn Dorsey. But the Raiders signed a young defensive tackle, Tommy Kelly, last year to a long lucrative contract. Tommy Kelly was injured early in the season and wasn’t able to play for the last nine games of the season. Jonathan Stewart was the next running back to go after McFadden, but he has a long list of injuries so that brings his stock down. McFadden was praised as the most explosive offensive player in the entire draft. Larry Holder, of the SunHerald, wrote that he might be a more versatile Adrian Peterson. Since Tommy Kelly has already been signed to a long contract, there is no point for the Raiders to draft someone at his position. In addition, it was a good decision to draft McFadden over Jonathan Stewart because they bring the same skills to the team, but McFadden doesn’t have a history of getting injured. If the Raiders’ first round draft pick is unable to perform it would ruin the chances of a turnaround season.
With the great success of rookie running back Adrian Peterson last year, it was tough to pass on this year’s version of Adrian Peterson. Last year Adrian Peterson broke the single game rushing record, had 12 touchdowns and 1341 yards. The Raiders alone had a total of 11 rushing touchdowns all of last season, three of which came from our quarterback. Our top running back, Justin Fargas, had what was considered a breakout year last year, with a grand total of four touchdowns. He racked up 1009 yards, but yards don’t translate into points, touchdowns do. According to Rivals.com, Darren McFadden had a total of 41 touchdowns in three years in college, that is an average of 13.67 touchdowns per year. With those numbers in college there is no reason to doubt that Darren McFadden will be able to get at least four touchdowns in the NFL.
Experts at ESPN said that picking Darren McFadden was a big gamble. Raiders owner, Al Davis, has always been a gambling owner. That is why there was no surprise when he picked Darren McFadden with the fourth pick of the NFL Draft. McFadden grew up in a rough neighborhood and has been in two altercations: first, a vicious fight outside a nightclub that left his big toe revealed to the bone; the second, again in front of a nightclub but this time he was handcuffed for “proving aggressive behavior.” He was not arrested. McFadden has no criminal record, but his rowdy behavior is a concern for the Raiders. I believe that with the money he is going to be making, he will be able to contain himself in public. The talks about the contract include a six-year deal worth at least $50 million. That would make most people think twice about their rowdy behavior. The positives of drafting McFadden greatly outweigh the negatives, and that is why McFadden was the good pick by the Oakland Raiders.
McFadden’s 4.33-second 40-yard dash, 6’2” height, 215-pound weight, and his versatility-agility combination make him irresistible. The Oakland Raiders have a young defensive unit that is getting better and better each and every year. Along with a young quarterback who has the potential to become a star. With the addition of McFadden to
help take pressure off of the young quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, the sky’s the limit for this young Oakland Raiders team.
















Works Cited
Holder, Larry. "McFadden is tops amongst runners in this year's NFL Draft." Sun Herald. 3 May. 2008. .
"NFL Truth & Rumors." Sports Illustrated. 3 May. 2008. .
Wang, Gene. "Warning: Do Not Pass on Raiders' McFadden." Washington Post. 3 May. 2008.
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Silver, Michael. "Retired DT Sees McFadden as Good Fit." Yahoo! Sports. 3 May. 2008.
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"Darren McFadden - Arkansas Football." Rivals. 3 May. 2008.
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