A Doosie Of A First Day Draft Hangover
With the 4th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Raiders select…
Saturday April 26, 2008
DeMarcus Davis, Staff Writer Raiderfans.net
Alameda, CA - ...Darren McFadden. Sure, McFadden is an explosive runner, but because the Kansas City Chiefs traded away DE Jarred Allen, the Chiefs were given (on a silver and black platter) the luxury of selecting a true run stuffer DT Glenn Dorsey along with their other 12 picks. The spectre of having to play Dorsey and the Chiefs twice a year now has ominous connotations.
During the offseason, I was hoping the Raiders would select a defensive lineman with the 4th pick for the simple fact that the Raiders weren’t doing a very good job in stopping the run. Even the 2007 Miami Dolphins had success running against us last year. With Chris Long being selected 2nd overall by the St. Louis Rams that meant that I could get my wish granted with Dorsey because I KNEW that the Falcons were going for a QB and QB is exactly what they selected. It was just a matter of them choosing Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco.
I was certain that the Raiders would grant my wish and pick Dorsey next because I was CERTAIN that they wouldn’t pick a running back. After all, the Raiders still have LaMont Jordan,
Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, Dominic Rhodes, Reshard Lee, and Adimchinobi Echemandu all on the current Roster. However, despite my wanting a DE or DT, the Raiders went for the sexy pick in McFadden thus crushing my dreams of having a dominant run defense like the Raider defense of 2000 that also got after the quarterback.
Glen Dorsey
One of the Raiders’ biggest needs was to shore up that defensive line with Warren Sapp retiring. But according Raider head coach Lane Kiffin, the Raiders knew months ago that “this (McFadden) was the guy to have.” But what is strange is that Lane also confessed that there were more teams looking to move up to get Dorsey than there were for McFadden. Having said that, conventional wisdom would have been to take Dorsey to: 1) fill a need that the Raiders desperately needed to fix 2) take Dorsey and trade him to the Jets for all likelihood McFadden or DE Vernon Gholston; thus keeping Dorsey out of the AFC West and still fulfilling the need for an edge rusher.
To be fair to McFadden, he is a legitimate offensive threat running the ball with greater speed than
Justin Fargas, catching the ball out of the backfield like a LaDanian Tomlinson, and can be spread out to WR with his speed and superior catching abilities. Offensively, he will be a nightmare for defensive coordinators, but with a questionable offensive line (at this point), will getting McFadden be justified? Only time will tell of course.
So here’s to hoping that McFadden can ease my anxiety and, (don’t laugh), Dorsey becomes a dud in Kansas City.
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