After a second disasterous year in a row, rumours abound that there will be yet more coaching changes in Oakland, with either HC Norv Turner, or DC Rob Ryan being replaced in the offseason.
At the very least, a serious overhaul of the players will need to be done. The Raiders are very short at a number of positions, notably RB, but the Defense will also require looking at, especially if both starting CB's Charles Woodson and Philip Buchanon get the transfers that they seem to be looking for. Woodson was tagged as Oakland's franchise player for last season, but it seems that he does not want to be tagged again in '05, preferring to test the free-agent waters.
Most of the decision making process relys on WR Jerry Porter staying in Oakland, otherwise a draft pick will have to be used on replacing him. If Porter stays and Woodson leaves, that will leave a heafty cap space to be spent on a quality RB (potentially the NY Jets' free agent LaMont Jordan), leaving Oakland to go predominantly for defensive players in the draft.
Yet more rumours see the Minnesota Vikings troubled No. 1 Receiver Randy Moss traded to Oakland. This would give the Raiders one of the most feared Receiving corps in the entire NFL, of Moss, Porter, Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel. With QB Kerry Collins starting to put his passes together in the second-half of the season, and alongside a new quality RB, the 2005 Oakland Raiders will again be a serious contender in the AFC West. |
