After Further Review: Can’t go wrong along the D-line
or, How the Raiders could spend the fourth pick wisely
April 15, 2008
By Eric “Ace” Strauss, Raiderfans.net Staff Columnist
Chris Long & Howie Long
Photo credit: G Fiume/Ron Vesely/Getty Images
You know what they say when people assume.
But let’s ignore that for a moment, and instead assume the Raiders will do one fairly logical thing in a logic-defying offseason, and draft both according to conventional wisdom and according to need.
Which is to say, Darren McFadden fans, you might as well hit the “back” button on your browser and try another thread here at
Raiderfans.net.
Because let’s face it: If there’s one thing the NFL’s zone blocking schemes have proved over the past few years, it’s that decent offensive linemen can play well in the right system, and just about any running back with a pulse and a modicum of speed can gain 1,000 yards behind them.
Which explains why, as Al Davis throws money around this offseason like an over-the-hill frat boy at Mardi Gras (read: me, circa 2005), he signed oft-injured third-rounder
Justin Fargas to a big-bucks deal. That gives the Raiders three expensive rushers on the roster, each of whom picked up a 100-yard game at some point last season, plus redshirt freshman Michael Bush, who sat out his rookie season recovering from a college injury.
So, no “Run DMC.” And, under the “In Tom Cable We Trust” theory — plus the big-bucks Kwame Harris signing — no left tackle Jake Long. Last year’s No. 1 overall, quarterback
JaMarcus Russell, means no Matt Ryan.
And that leaves, um, the big glaring hole in the middle of Rob Ryan’s defense. Sure, the Raiders signed Terdell Sands to a big deal a year ago. What did they get for it?
About what they got from Sands in the first half of 2006: Zilch.
Oh, some other guy, named Sapp, retired. And
Tommy Kelly got his fat contract along with Fargas, but he’s coming off a serious knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are okay at rush end with
Derrick Burgess — even if he can’t be too happy about being passed over in the big spending spree. And while he’s no All-Pro at right end, second-year man
Jay Richardson is no Tyler Brayton, either.
Speaking of failed picks, for those thinking the Raiders might trade down from the No. 4 overall spot and get more rookies, let’s be honest: After the 2007 draft, do you really want more chances to whiff? When Lane Kiffin got introduced, Davis talked about his personnel acumen as USC’s recruiting coordinator. By the same time this year, Kiffin was talking about how Davis was the GM and he was just the coach.
That’s what the Class of 2007 will do to you, Lane.
Russell didn’t play much, as young quarterbacks often don’t, and second-rounder Zach Miller set the team’s rookie receiving record. After that, to recap:
• Quentin Moses, third round: Didn’t make the team.
• Mario Henderson, third round: Two games played.
•
Johnnie Lee Higgins, third round: Six catches and one lost punt-return job.
• Bush, fourth round: Didn’t play due to injury.
• John Bowie, fourth round: One game played.
• Eric Frampton, fifth round: Didn’t make the team.
• Richardson, fifth round: Hey, you got a good one!
• Oren O’Neal, sixth round: Yeah, he can block. But he’s still a backup fullback.
• Johnathan Holland, seventh round: Didn’t play due to injury.
That’s 11 picks, only four of whom actually got any playing time, and only three of whom played well.
I’m willing to give Kiffin a mulligan. But let’s go for quality over quantity this time.
And that means there’s only one place to go: The defensive line.
Certainly, the Raiders’ fate may be in the hands of the Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons, all of whom pick before the Raiders. But there are four unquestioned stud defensive linemen out there, and that means the Raiders are getting one.
But let’s pretend a little. Let’s pretend the Dolphins take Jake Long and the Rams take Run DMC and the Falcons — what a shock — take the quarterback, Ryan.
That gives the Raiders a choice. One that could make or break Rob Ryan’s defense, and with it, the Raiders’ 2008 season and Kiffin’s Raider head coaching career.
The candidates are:
Glenn Dorsey, defensive tackle, LSU
• Pros: Unquestionably the top-rated defensive tackle, most draftniks’ top defensive lineman, and some guides’ top player overall. Winner of most major awards for defenders and interior linemen. A stout run stuffer, top-notch athlete and tackler. A leader and hard worker.
• Cons: Has a checkered injury history, particularly in the legs. And it’s just a gut reaction, but Pro Football Weekly says this: “Too naive and could be blinded by the bright lights in a big city.” Okay, Oakland’s not New York or L.A., but that just screams “Darrell Russell” to me. And that makes me nervous.
Sedrick Ellis, defensive tackle, USC
• Pros: Generally considered a true nose tackle and Pac-10 defensive player of the year. Wide and strong, solid against the run and can rush some. An intense and instinctive player who dominated the Senior Bowl practices and game.
• Cons: Widely considered a top-15 or even top-10 pick, but not considered an elite, top-5 talent by many draftniks. Short and might not get much bigger. Some doubts about his playing on the nose in the NFL.
Vernon Gholston, defensive end/linebacker, Ohio State
• Pros: Let’s quote PFW again: “Layered with muscle and built like a Greek god. A special blend of power and speed.” Tell me that doesn’t have “Oakland Raiders” written all over it. You know all the jokes about looking good getting off the bus. But he’s also productive: 21.5 sacks in two years and the Big Ten defensive lineman of the year. Could play standing up as a rush ’backer.
• Cons: For all that potential, he faces questions about whether he’ll live up to it. Questions about things like consistency, technique, instincts, intensity and — perhaps most damningly — football intelligence.
Chris Long, defensive end, Virginia
• Pros: Neck-and-neck with Dorsey in most draft guides. Polished, talented and willing to work. A superb technician and gutsy as hell. ACC defensive player of the year. Oh, and his Dad’s some ex-Raider named Howie.
• Cons: Has a reputation as a bit of a limited athlete, and the downside to any “polished” product is that he may be as good as he’s going to get. Which is to say, pretty darn good, but there’s a difference between Gholston, who oozes with upside, and Long, who may well be all he can be.
Want to know what I think?
For starters, Dorsey is ultimately an under tackle rather than a nose tackle, and that’s what the Raiders are paying Kelly a ton of money to play. So he’s out.
The Super Bowl champion New York Giants showed you can never have too many pass-rushers, and Gholston is a pass-rusher extraordinaire. But he’s definitely a boom-or-bust pick, and can the Raiders really take that risk at this stage in Davis’ life and Kiffin’s career? So he’s out, at least in my book. Odds are, he’s not out in Davis’.
I like Ellis more than most, and think he would be the obvious choice if the other three are gone. But he’s a bit of a reach. On the other hand, a nose tackle who’s ultra-stout against the run is just what the doctor ordered for Rob Ryan.
Long is, of course, a fan favorite thanks to his family connection. And he is, as the Sporting News says, “the safest bet” among defenders, and maybe even in the whole draft — not to mention “the most polished defensive end prospect our scouts have ever evaluated.”
Yes, high-motor, high-intensity, limited athletically sounds like Brayton’s scouting report. And yes, there are no sure things in the NFL Draft. But there’s no doubt Long has more ability than Brayton, than Richardson, than any other end on the roster. On the other hand, Chris Long would have to live up to his father’s Hall of Fame career in Silver & Black, and might very well be better off without that pressure. Let’s face it, Raider fans love their guys until, well, they hate them. Right, Randy Moss?
But if any player can step into the lineup on Day One and thrive, it’s Long. If he’s there, the Raiders have to make him their pick. For the fans. For the defense. For any chance at contending this season.
Take your chances with Sands and Kelly and Warren inside. Put Long opposite Burgess, snag a one-dimensional speed rusher later and gamble on a strongside linebacker in a weak draft for them to match with budding stars Kirk Morrison and
Thomas Howard. Trust in
Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall on the corners, trust in Stanford Routt and Fabian Washington to back them up. Hope for the best from
Gibril Wilson, Michael Huff and Stuart Schweigert at safety.
The Sporting News says Long can elevate a defense. And after a near first-to-worst performance, elevation is just what the Raiders need.
If he’s there, he’s gotta be the pick. Change Henderson’s number, slap a 75 on Junior’s back and let’s play some arm-flapping, obscenity-spewing, big-hair-flying Rob Ryan defense.
We could all use some hope. From the owner’s box to the Black Hole. I don’t know about you. But Chris Long would give me hope.