[ChicagoRaider]

I have played the Raiders a lot. Probably 10-15 franchises. So, here are some keys. I have not updated since the first rosters, so I am using preseason rosters.

Go to a 3-4 defense. I use the Steelers D.

For Defensive line, that means Tommy Kelly is enough at DT. Get down to 3 DT. Dump one expensive DT contract in the first year. Good DT are always expensive. Actually, even bad DT can be expensive. Then trade Burgess (you can get a ton for him from KC, like throw some more in, and you can get their excellent first round pick). Pick up Greg Ellis to be your RE for now.

For linebackers, you can get two trainable MLB from the free agent pool. The rest is a matter of style. Just don't do anything expensive.

You are set in the secondary.

On offense, go to a Colts offense. You have a lot of young B potential WR. Get their value up. Make sure you keep Javon Walker as your #5 or #6 receiver. He has to age a couple of years before you can let him go.

You have some offensive line that is coming up on contract expirations. Trade the good ones. Take junk from free agent pool for a year.

Jamarcus Russell is a QB of yours for a while because of that contract. Trade Jeff Garcia (Minnesota, swing things to get Percy Harvin if you can, you have to add more) and Lorenzo Neal. Oren O'Neal can becom a very good FB. As can Michael Bush.

Also, you should trade either Fargas or Bush. I always trade Fargas myself. Cincinatti always loves Fargas. That raises the question of whether you want their young LB to fill out your LB corps. I go for high picks myself.

You can get a second TE. I get Wrighster myself. Make sure you resign Zack Miller before he gets to the end of his contract. He is very reasonable with 2 years left, but gets unreasonable otherwise.

You should scout for the following:

1) a "B" or better QB with high awareness and short and medium accuracy. They key is to get Russell into backup status fast. Second round picks can get you a really serviceable QB.

2) offensive linemen - good trainable ones are always available deep

3) linebackers - good trainable ones are always available deep

4) likely top 10 picks. You have so many needs, that your top picks have to be best-available. The only positions to ignore are HB, WR if you manage to trade for Harvin, TE if you sign a 75+ TE for your second one, and FB as long as you have O'Neal. Never miss a chance to get someone to mirror Nnamdi.

You should have 10 picks at rounds 5 and higher when you are done, with at least 4 picks in the first two rounds. Those players will define your team going forward.

In the offseason, get Norv Turner and Ron Rivera. Now your "B" QB with high awareness and accuracy will be deadly in the Colts system, and your four linebackers will be on top of everything. Odds are if you do not get a DE in the first two rounds, then you can get a LB that can convert to DE. Your offensive line will take a year or two to come around if you draft well. Then you are in the money.

If you do this right, you are hurting, but not dead at the end of season 1. You will also trade a lot of people who have become 1-year players after the first season. Basically you can get out of your problems by not digging any more. Don't resign those mediocre offensive linemen for 4 million a year. Always trade them. You can resign Morrison and Howard. But plan ahead, and decide what you are doing with 2 years to go.

By year 3, the only ridiculous contracts you should have left are Jamarcus Russell, Tommy Kelly and Javon Walker. You should have a lot of cheap LB and OL. That is what makes the Raiders' salary cap work.