[AceRimRat]

After Further Review: Goodbye, Fabian; hello, rookie
or, Oakland gives up on another first-rounder

April 27, 2008
By Eric “Ace” Strauss, Raiderfans.net Staff Columnist

NEW YORK — The Oakland Raiders have invested an awful lot of high draft picks in the defensive backfield in the past decade or so.

They’ve paid about as much in the way of dividends as your average recession-plagued mutual fund.

The Raiders gave up on another first-round defensive back today, trading cornerback Fabian Washington, the team’s top pick in 2005, to the Baltimore Ravens for a fourth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the 125th overall.

Washington moved into the starting lineup as a rookie, but lost his job as the left cornerback opposite Nnamdi Asomugha early in the 2007 season. Stanford Routt — the second-round pick from the same class — started for the rest of Lane Kiffin’s first year, but he appears to have lost the job this offseason after the trade for DeAngelo Hall.

The corner from Nebraska snagged four interceptions as a second-year starter, and after a top training camp last year, appeared poised for a breakout year akin to Asomugha’s in 2006. Instead, he was benched after the second game, getting only one more start all year.

The Raiders traded up to get Washington in 2005, landing a replacement for another first-round disappointment, Phillip “Showtime” Buchanon, who they traded during that same draft week.

The trade came just a few minutes after the Raiders selected defensive back Tyvon Branch at the top of the fourth round.

Recent Raiders first-round defensive backs:
• 1998: Charles Woodson, cornerback, Michigan — left as free agent in 2006
• 2001: Derrick Gibson, safety, Florida State — not re-signed as free agent in 2007
• 2002: Phillip Buchanon, cornerback, Miami — traded in 2005
• 2003: Nnamdi Asomugha, corner/safety, California
• 2005: Fabian Washington, cornerback, Nebraska — traded today
• 2006: Michael Huff, safety, Texas

[MileHighRaider]

Thanks!

Can't wait to see what we get for Fabs. I like these two moves.

[RaiderInNY]

Bye-Bye Fab!!!

With a loaded defensive backfield, he had to go. Funny, how his career started here in OAK. Routt was ahead of him in their first camp together, got on the field 1st and contributed in a bigger role 1st in their rookie campaigns, and Routt will remain as Fabian goes a few years later.

[AutumnWind32]

Fabian is a much better Nickel corner. I would've traded Routt who struggles inside. At this point I don't see how Routt fits in with this defensive backfield.

Credit Baltimore for stealing a good, young player.

[Spottie]

Wow. A 4th rounder is not much for a player who contributet regularly and has some yrs of experience under his belt... I think the Ravens have the better end on that trade

[ErMonnezza]

washigton for arman "crystal knees" shield???????????????

we are a joke

worst draft ever

I thought the moss trade was a disaster but we made part 2 this year

we have no one to start opposite to burgess and noone to start with howard and morrison (few people rate williams a football player, not me) and we trade a former 1st rounder for an useless and always injured WR , with okam , rubin , harrington, goff, and urrutia still there???

the perfect season is coming........

[JFF]

Am I wrong, or did we essentially trade a 1st round CB for a 4th round cb? Why not just keep Fabs?

[AutumnWind32]

Originally Posted by JFF

Am I wrong, or did we essentially trade a 1st round CB for a 4th round cb? Why not just keep Fabs?

No, we traded a 1st round CB for a 4th round WR fomr the U of NoWhere who is coming off of a torn ACL and had a total of three catches last year. So we got that going for us.

[Jerseyboy]

Dopes anybody know much about Branch's Punt/Kick Returning ability?

I don't like this Sheilds pick...

[Gridiron PIRATE]

Originally Posted by AceRimRat

Recent Raiders first-round defensive backs:
• 1998: Charles Woodson, cornerback, Michigan — left as free agent in 2006
• 2001: Derrick Gibson, safety, Florida State — not re-signed as free agent in 2007
• 2002: Phillip Buchanon, cornerback, Miami — traded in 2005
• 2003: Nnamdi Asomugha, corner/safety, California
• 2005: Fabian Washington, cornerback, Nebraska — traded today
• 2006: Michael Huff, safety, Texas

From this, it looks like we hit every 3 years. I hope we hit with Huff though >_<;;

[G-MoNeY]

cool

[illwill187]

Branch is from my hometown and went to the same highschool i did...this is even better then the johnnie morant pick who was from syracuse...but yeah Cicero North Syracuse Represent!!!....Im soooo rooting for this kid to make the team


I dunno why we havent drafted a DE or Possibly O Tackle...they must be confident in what we have on the team...Wish i could say the same

[Jimi18]

Love your Futher reveiws ACE

thanks.. nice way of breaking things down

[cat444]

i am very disappoinetd, we loose a first round for a wr , we need a ****ing De and Dt , we have just 3 De richardson , burgess, edward, all 3 are bad againts the run and if we loose one by injury we are dead, at FA there are nothing now to help the d-line, everybody said we need to fix the d-line since 5 years and again we bring nothing to help. very very unhappy with this draft , this wr in round 4 is just another loose pick as carlos francis

[Hungary87]

Man, I just logged on to see who we took with only our second selection so far this draft. A CB. Holy f*****n s***t man, just unbelievable.