Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis certainly gave fans plenty to be hopeful about this summer. The 79-year-old kept the players he needed, drafted for flash and brought in a handful of big names during the offseason.
He made sure, however, that followers of his franchise don’t get too comfortable.
There were arguably no upgrades to the team’s offensive line made during the NFL's off months. One veteran center was lost and replaced by another, and a longtime Raider left tackle was swapped with a young face familiar with the Bay Area.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Raider line is in for any worse of a year than last. That’s not a bad notion to consider, bearing in mind that Oakland rushed for 130.4 yards per game last season and showed a 31-sack improvement in the pass-protection department from two years ago.
Perhaps the strongest area of the team's O-line is up the middle, where two familiar faces are returning and a just-as-capable center is making his debut with the silver and black.
Both guards from last season -- Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle -- are coming off strong years and set to return in ‘08. The pair of linemen helped pave the way for running back Justin Fargas’ first 1,000-yard season, despite the fact that the 28-year-old halfback started less than half of the year. In pass protection, Gallery and Carlisle were equally as impressive, allowing only two combined sacks for a loss of 6 yards. Last season was the best showing Gallery has put up since being drafted second overall in 2004, while Carlisle racked up his seventh season with fewer than two sacks allowed in a possible eight years.
At the core of the Raider front line, 32-year-old center Jeremy Newberry was lost in free agency to the AFC West rival San Diego Chargers. Replacing him, though, is an equally experienced and proven center in John Wade, who’s set to enter his 11th season in the NFL. Last season, Newberry started 14 games for the Raiders and allowed a pair of sacks and committed six penalties. In his 10-year career, Wade has averaged 1.8 sacks against and 2.3 yellow flags per year. In terms of reliability in both the rushing and passing games, there won’t be much of a difference from ‘07 to ‘08 at center.
The major questions are at the tackle positions. Even then, though, only one side of the line has seen a major shift from a year ago. Unfortunately, that modification is at the most important position on the line, left tackle.
Opposite right tackle Cornell Green, who started 10 games for Oakland last season, will be the one major question mark in ‘08, free-agent pickup Kwame Harris -- who was pulled from the starting rotation in San Francisco last season after giving up 18 sacks in 2005 and 2006. The hopes surrounding Harris is that a change in scenery and an offseason’s worth of tutoring from O-line coach Tom Cable can reform the inconsistent tackle. After all, Cable did tell the Oakland Tribune in June that Harris can be “the ideal left tackle.”
Even with all the questions surrounding Harris, however, there are plenty of backup plans Oakland can look to. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound Mario Henderson -- a third-rounder of the team in 2007 -- has a year’s NFL experience under his belt and is receiving plenty of attention this summer from the Raiders’ staff. Also, former third-round pick Paul McQuistan, who has started 12 games in two years with the team, is a viable option, particularly after posting such a strong campaign in 2007.
And, hey, there’s always Robert Gallery …
Those were the days.
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