[Blade]

Fans, Critics Question Raiders Draft Strategy

Oakland, CA (Post-Draft, 2006) – The NFL draft is a time of new beginnings for young players and for teams alike. It can signal a time of hope, and a time of criticism. After the completion of the draft, the Oakland Raiders faced the latter.

The NFL Commissioner took the stand and made his announcement: “With their first pick of the NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select, from Syracuse, Running Back Erik Kuehler.” The announcement was promptly met with boos from the Raiders fans present at the event. Draft analysts were also confused about the pick.

“There is no question that Erik Kuehler is talented,” said Merv Kripper, analyst for the Big Sports Network (BSN) on their draft television special. “However, there are some question marks about the young man, with his size being the big one. With the type of game he plays, there are questions as to whether he is durable enough to be a big time runner in the NFL. Also, why did Oakland even draft him when they already have a top talent running back in Lamont Jordan and a good back-up with their recent signing of Chris Brown. This pick just seems like a waste to me.”

That sentiment has been echoed by a number of Raiders’ fans online and on the street. They are wondering why the Raiders did not draft out of need and select someone like CB Mitch Myers (6-1, 213), who was drafted by New England with the 27th pick, or DE Earl Fist (6-7, 278), who was drafted by Kansas City with the 31st pick. The arguments are further bolstered by the fact that Oakland selected CB Quinn Foley, out of Virginia Tech, with the sixth pick of the second round. Foley is only 5-6 and 178 pounds, which will make him a target by the opposition since he will be lining up against a taller receiver.

“Quinn Foley is another talented guy, but look at his size,” said Kripper. “Every situation he will be in will be against a receiver who is taller than him, sometimes by an entire foot. He is a great coverage guy, but all the opposing teams are going to have to do is throw up a jump ball. I just can’t see him becoming anything special in this league, other than a special teams guy.”

When questioned about the Raiders’ selections, GM Barrett Blade was quick to defend the picks. “We are very happy with our draft,” said Blade. “In all of our mock drafts done, we never imagined that Erik would have fallen to us. That is one of the reasons I went out and signed Chris Brown. But when he was still on the board during our pick, we had to take him. It was a question of who was the best player available at the time. We looked at the other positions, and there just wasn’t anyone else who was worth a first round pick at that spot. Erik’s talent demanded that we select him.”

“Sure, we looked at the other players available, and the ones we basically had to select from were Erik, Mitch Myers, Quinn Foley, and Earl Fist. Mitch Myers has talent, but from what we saw, he was too unpredictable. There is a good chance he will not be as good as is thought. We really liked Quinn at the cornerback position, and we felt he would still be there when our next pick came around. He obviously was. As for Earl Fist, he is a good all-around defensive end, but he is not great and he is also a bit unpredictable. If he was there in the second round, we might have selected him, but in the first? No way. Erik is small for a running back, but I think that he will be just fine in our organization. Quinn Foley will be alright, too. His size is a concern, but we felt that his athletic ability will more than make up for that.”

Blade was then questioned about what this means for Lamont Jordan and Chris Brown, especially with the drafting of fullback Alvin Grier, who should be able to make the tough yards when called upon, which was one of the reasons for the signing of Brown. “Lamont knows that he is the starter here,” said Blade. “How could he not be, with his performance last season. We expect Erik and Chris to just compliment him, but Lamont will be the starter and get the majority of the touches. As for Chris, that is a difficult situation. When I signed Chris, I was not expecting to be able to draft Erik, and Chris seemed to be a good fit. I still think he is going to be a good fit here, though it should make for an interesting training camp and preseason. But I expect Chris to get his share of touches as well.”

Chris Brown was optimistic, but guarded in his outlook on the situation. “Well, it is not what I expected,” said Brown over the phone when reached for comment. “I was expecting to be the main back-up to Lamont, and I was ready for that. Now, I am not sure what will happen, though I will be ready to play and give it all I have. I am hoping that it will be enough to prove I can be the main guy behind Lamont. We will have to wait and see, I guess.”

With the draft complete, the Raiders now look to fill their roster and prepare for training camp. “There are going to be questions,” said Blade, no stranger to criticism. “There are always questions, and there is always something for the fans to be upset about. That is why they are fans, they are passionate about their team. But we are very excited about the upcoming season, and I think that fans will be surprised by how these young players do. Football season is almost here again, and it is going to be a fun time for this club.”