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2009 Oakland Raiders Season Preview
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2010 Oakland Raiders Preview | 2010 NFL Team Previews
The 2009 Oakland Raiders Season Preview is showing great promise for the upcoming season. There is still much room for improvement and they must start to experience success beyond the 2008 season. Expectations are high as the Oakland Raiders rabid fan base is hoping for a much improved season after a 5-11 campaign in 2008. Tom Cable is returning for his first full season as Raiders Head Coach. He was named the interim Head Coach on September 30, 2008 and owner Al Davis saw enough to give Cable the position for the 2009 season. Cable joined the team as Offensive Lines Coach back in 2007. The 2009 Oakland Raisers The Defensive Coordinator for the 2009 Raiders is John Marshall. Ted Tollner is the teams Passing Game Coordinator. Quarterbacks Coach Paul Hackett will likely be judged on how well QB Jamarcus Russell develops.
Other 2009 Oakland Raiders Team Related Pages
2009 Oakland Raiders Schedule | 2009 AFC West Preview
2009 AFC Conference Preview
2009 Oakland Raiders Free Agency And TradesThe 2009 Oakland Raiders Free Agency and Trades led to the joining of veteran QB Jeff Garcia coming over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Garcia's signing will put even more pressure on Russell to play like the Raiders were hoping when they selected him first overall in the 2007 draft. Garcia is definitely a solid QB and should be ready to step in if Russell falters. Fullback Lorenzo Neal was signed by Oakland coming over from the Baltimore Ravens. Neal spent five years in San Diego blocking for Ladanian Tomlinson earning Neal Pro Bowl accolades. Neal is a good signing and should help open up some running room for second year back Darren McFadden. Center Samson Satele was acquired via a trade with the Miami Dolphins for a sixth round pick in the 2009 draft and a swap of fourth round picks. Satele started every game last year at Center for the Dolphins. Defensive End Greg Ellis was signed to a three year contract by the Raiders after being released by the Dallas Cowboys. These offseason acquisitions should help a Raiders team which had many areas in need of improvement.
2009 Oakland Raiders NFL DraftOne of the most criticized selections of the entire draft was the seventh overall pick of the 2009 Oakland Raiders NFL Draft, when they chose Darrius Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey played for Maryland and is a wideout with blazing speed but hasn't proven he is a wideout that is worthy of such a high selection. It should not be too surprising a pick as Owner Al Davis has always fallen in love with players who have exceptional speed. The Raiders 2nd round choice and No. 47 overall is Safety Michael Mitchell out of Ohio was also a puzzling pick as most experts believed him to be a fifth round pick at best. Defensive Lineman Matt Shaughnessy out of Wisconsin was the Raiders 3rd round pick as the 71st overall selection. The Raiders had two fourth round picks. With their fourth selection the Raiders chose another WR in selecting Florida's Louis Murphy as the 124th overall selection. Linebacker Slade Norris out of Oregan State was chosen in the fourth round as well at the126th overall selection. The Raiders next pick was in the 6th round when they picked Stryker Sulak, a defensive lineman out of Missouri at the 199th overall selection. Also chosen in the 6th round was Brandon Myers a TE out of Iowa at the 202nd overall pick. Only time will tell how this draft class will ultimately pan out, but immediate reaction is that the Raiders probably had the poorest draft of any team in the league.
2009 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks
The Raiders selected QB Jamarcus Russell as the first overall selection of the 2007 NFL Draft. To this point he has not lived up to any of the expectations and the Raiders are hoping to see a much improved Russell under center in the 2009 season. Russell has a big arm and Oakland hopes he can find this years first round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey for some big receptions. Journeyman QB Jeff Garcia signed with the Raiders this offseason and will be a very solid backup for Oakland as one of the 2009 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks. Garcia is coming from Tampa Bay where he found limited success in a similar West Coast style system. If Russell struggles again this year Garcia will likely replace him as the starting QB. Russell will need to hold onto the ball better in 2009 as he lost seven fumbles a year ago.
2009 Oakland Raiders Running BacksRunning Back Darren McFadden struggled through an injury plagued rookie season last year and looks to bounce back with a strong performance in 2009. He has the ability to be an explosive runner in this league and one of the most watched 2009 Oakland Raiders Running Backs, if he can stay healthy. RB Justin Vargas was the leading rusher for Oakland a year ago and finished with 853 yards on the season. Oakland also has RB Michael Bush to help fill the load if McFadden cannot remain healthy. The Raiders will look to have a strong running game in 2009 to help compliment Jamarcus Russell and the passing attack.
2009 Oakland Raiders Wide Receivers Before the 2008 season the Raiders went out and got Javon Walker and Ashley Lelie in free agency. Neither of them had a good years last year and both will need to be much better as 2009 Oakland Raiders Wide Receivers if this team is going to have any success. With Jamarcus Russell being more experienced going into this season that should bode well for the Raiders passing attack to improve from a year ago. First round draft choice Darrius Heyward-Bey will be given the chance to silence the critics who say he was drafted way to early in this years draft. There is no doubting Heyward-Bey's speed but his hands have been suspect throughout his college career. If he is able to catch the ball he may provide the deep threat Owner Al Davis was looking for when he selected him seventh overall.
2009 Oakland Raiders Offensive Line
With the second overall pick in the 2004 Draft the Raiders selected Left Guard Robert Gallery. He is has been nowhere near as productive as they would have liked when they chose him so early. If Gallery can finally live up to the potential he showed in college, then the 2009 Oakland Raiders Offensive Line should be pretty formidable. The big boys joining Gallery as starting lineman are RG Cooper Carlisle, RT Cornell Green, Center John Wade, and free agent pickup LT Khalif Barnes coming over from Jacksonville. This hefty group weighs in at an average of over 300 pounds.
2009 Oakland Raiders Defensive LineThe Raiders defense line was a weak spot for the team a season ago. No Raider had more than five sacks last year. Gerard Warren had a solid season last year with four sacks and 40 tackles at Right Defensive End. Tackle Tommy Kelly and Defensive End Jay Richardson will need to improve solidifying the left side of the line. They combined for only 7.5 sacks last year and will need to increase this number greatly if this group to improve their lackluster play from a season ago. Derrick Burgess had a poor year a season ago and Oakland will need him to be much better at Right Defensive End this season. We are hoping for a much better season from the 2009 Oakland Raiders Defensive Line.
2009 Oakland Raiders LinebackersWith Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard the Raiders have a pair of young solid linebackers who should be fixtures for the team for many years to come. Morrison and Howard will be two of the very few bright spots the Raiders can count on in their Defense. Oaklands linebacking core is young but talented and if they can perform up to their potential this could be a sold unit for the 2009 Oakland Raiders Linebackers. This years fourth round pick Slade Norris is a capable pass rusher who should likely start right away for the Raiders.
2009 Oakland Raiders Secondary
Nnamdi Asomugha is regarded as possibly the best cover corner in the NFL. The Raiders cornerback was rarely challenged last year only having the ball thrown his direction 27 times and giving up only 8 completions. You can truly say that Nnamdi Asomugha is a lockdown cornerback. Chris Johnson is the other corner and did well a year ago once filling in for departed DeAngelo Hall. Hall didn't produce much for the 2008 Raiders so his depature shouldn't make much of a difference. Safety however is a weakness for Oakland with 2006 No.8 pick Michael Huff playing poorly only registering 28 tackles last season in spot duty. Hiram Eugene was serviceable last year at free safety but the Raiders may go in the direction of this years 2nd Round pick in Michael Mitchell instead. We are expecting strong results from the 2009 Oakland Raiders Secondary.
2009 Oakland Raiders Draft Picks
Round 1: Pick 7 - Darrius-Heyward Bey WR (Maryland)
Round 2: Pick 47 - Michael Mitchell S (Ohio)
Round 3: Pick 71 - Matt Shaugnessy DL (Wisconsin)
Round 4: Pick 124 - Louis Murphy WR (Florida)
Round 4: Pick 126 - Slade Norris LB (Oregon State)
Round 6: Pick 199 - Stryker Sulak DL (Missouri)
Round 6: Pick 202 - Brandon Myers TE (Iowa)
218th pick-Brad Jones (Colorado) Linebacker
| 2009 Oakland Raiders Free Agency Acquisitions and Trades |
| Jeff Garcia from Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Quarterback |
| Lorenzo Neal from Baltimore Ravens - Fullback |
| Samson Satele from Miami Dolphins - Center (Trade) |
| Greg Ellis from Dallas Cowboys - Defensive End |
| 2009 Oakland Raiders Free Agency Losses and Trades |
| Gibril Wilson to Miami Dolphins - Safety |
| Jake Grove to Miami Dolphins - Center |
| Ronald Curry to Detroit Lions - Wide Receiver |
| Justin Griffith to Seattle Seahawks - Fullback |
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