Just about everybody thought Darren McFadden was the best running back in the draft, and most of those same people also agreed he would be a poor fit in Oakland. For starters, the Raiders had something like 10 guys at the position already on the roster, and for a team that won just four games in '07, there were bigger personnel needs. Well, Al Davis might be old, but he still knows a little something about assembling a team. Or maybe he just got lucky -- either way, McFadden has been impressive during the first 10 days of training camp. From Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune:
There's a good chance the three teams that passed on McFadden are going to be sorry they did. I was skeptical when Lane Kiffin said the Raiders would have traded up to get him. Now I believe it.You know, I was one of those people who thought the Raiders were insane(r?) for taking McFadden, but there's a reason I'm a blogger and not a front-office type.
Not only does McFadden's speed bring to mind Bo Jackson and Napoleon Kaufman, but he's got better hands than either, is a quick study and does everything with a smile on his face. He is even better than they thought he was.
Conventional wisdom would have the Raiders beefing up the offensive or defensive lines, but there's something to be said for using skill-position players to mitigate such issues. Like, say, McFadden. We'll know shortly whether he -- along with JaMarcus Russell and almost-retired Javon Walker -- is enough to offset deficiencies at other positions.
I have my doubts, but I thought Aaron Brooks would be a disaster and that Tom Walsh was quite possibly the worst offensive coordinator in the history of offensive coordinating. Oh, wait.
