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It's no secret that the Oakland Raiders have struggled in recent
years, and Al Davis typically gets the blame for that. Does Davis
deserve the bad rap he receives, or is he too harshly judged? It is well
known that Davis once ran the NFL with his tremendous knowledge of the
game, but was he still at the top of his game in recent years?
Since 1998, the Raiders have had seven different head coaches. The team has had a top 10 draft pick six times since 2004. This is not exactly a sign of success, and to further the point, the team has gone 37-91 (not including the 2011 season) since 2003.
Obviously, Oakland has been doing a lot of things wrong in this time frame. But does Davis deserve all of the blame?
To start, here is a list of the Raiders' first draft choice in each year since 2001:
2001: Derrick Gibson, S, Florida State
2002: Phillip Buchanon, CB, Miami (FL)
2003: Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, California
2004: Robert Gallery, OT, Iowa
2005: Fabian Washington, CB, Nebraska
2006: Michael Huff, S, Texas
2007: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
2008: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
2010: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
2011: Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State
While the above list does include some excellent players, it also includes far too many busts. Nnamdi Asomugha and Darren McFadden are both superstars, but the rest of the players are average at best. Many of the names in that list were huge busts, and JaMarcus Russell may be the biggest bust of all time.
It is just common sense that a team that misses on so many high draft picks will not be good.
However, this list does not tell the whole story. Davis and the Raiders have done a good job of finding good talent in the later rounds of the draft, and this was a large part of Oakland's 8-8 record in 2010.
Then there's the question of whether or not Davis is to blame for many of these busts. Robert Gallery and Michael Huff were two highly praised prospects. The Raiders' owner was far from the only person to miss on those two.
Davis has often been made fun of for his speed fascination, but it hasn't always been as detrimental as many believe. The Raiders are laughed at for drafting Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick, and rightfully so, but not all of their "speed picks" have been so bad.
McFadden is probably the team's best player, and he is a speedster himself. Stanford Routt and Tyvon Branch were both drafted in part due to their speed, and they are currently two good defensive backs for Oakland.
Then there's free agency. In 2008, Davis and the Raiders
made multiple huge signings. The team re-signed defensive lineman Tommy
Kelly to a $50.5 million contract after Kelly missed most of the prior
season. Oakland also signed wide receiver Javon Walker to a $55 million
contract and safety Gibril Wilson to a $39 million contract.
Walker and Wilson both spent one season in Oakland. Kelly is still with the Raiders but has definitely not played up to his massive contract.
Davis was often laughed at for his huge free agent signings, and virtually none of the moves paid off for him.
Finally, there are the many coaching changes the team has made. The team hired Art Shell in 2006, and it was immediately obvious that the game of football had advanced beyond the former coach's comprehension.
Lane Kiffin, an assistant coach at USC, followed. It has been rumored that Davis meddled so much in coaching that he was unable to lure a legitimate coaching candidate. This signing certainly supports that claim, and Kiffin lasted just two seasons.
Offensive line coach Tom Cable was next, and Hue Jackson was promoted this past offseason. Some of these coaches may have been legitimate candidates, but for whatever reason, none of them panned out.
This could be due to Davis's meddling, a lack of player talent or simple coaching incompetence. The only thing that can be said for sure is that the Raiders have not had a successful head coach since Jon Gruden.
After years of cellar dwelling, the Raiders are finally looking like a respectable team. A combination of drafting failures, poor free agent signings and multiple unsuccessful coaching regimes have hindered the team for nearly a decade.
Davis certainly deserves his share of the blame. The team's owner was in charge of all personnel moves and managed the Raiders' many draft and free agency failures.
While not all of the moves Davis made were considered terrible at the time, many of them were. The NFL legend was once a football guru, but in the recent years before his unfortunate passing, he struggled to maintain a good football team.
Since 1998, the Raiders have had seven different head coaches. The team has had a top 10 draft pick six times since 2004. This is not exactly a sign of success, and to further the point, the team has gone 37-91 (not including the 2011 season) since 2003.
Obviously, Oakland has been doing a lot of things wrong in this time frame. But does Davis deserve all of the blame?
To start, here is a list of the Raiders' first draft choice in each year since 2001:
2001: Derrick Gibson, S, Florida State
2002: Phillip Buchanon, CB, Miami (FL)
2003: Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, California
2004: Robert Gallery, OT, Iowa
2005: Fabian Washington, CB, Nebraska
2006: Michael Huff, S, Texas
2007: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
2008: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
2009: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland2010: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
2011: Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State
While the above list does include some excellent players, it also includes far too many busts. Nnamdi Asomugha and Darren McFadden are both superstars, but the rest of the players are average at best. Many of the names in that list were huge busts, and JaMarcus Russell may be the biggest bust of all time.
It is just common sense that a team that misses on so many high draft picks will not be good.
However, this list does not tell the whole story. Davis and the Raiders have done a good job of finding good talent in the later rounds of the draft, and this was a large part of Oakland's 8-8 record in 2010.
Then there's the question of whether or not Davis is to blame for many of these busts. Robert Gallery and Michael Huff were two highly praised prospects. The Raiders' owner was far from the only person to miss on those two.
Davis has often been made fun of for his speed fascination, but it hasn't always been as detrimental as many believe. The Raiders are laughed at for drafting Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick, and rightfully so, but not all of their "speed picks" have been so bad.
McFadden is probably the team's best player, and he is a speedster himself. Stanford Routt and Tyvon Branch were both drafted in part due to their speed, and they are currently two good defensive backs for Oakland.
Walker and Wilson both spent one season in Oakland. Kelly is still with the Raiders but has definitely not played up to his massive contract.
Davis was often laughed at for his huge free agent signings, and virtually none of the moves paid off for him.
Finally, there are the many coaching changes the team has made. The team hired Art Shell in 2006, and it was immediately obvious that the game of football had advanced beyond the former coach's comprehension.
Lane Kiffin, an assistant coach at USC, followed. It has been rumored that Davis meddled so much in coaching that he was unable to lure a legitimate coaching candidate. This signing certainly supports that claim, and Kiffin lasted just two seasons.
Offensive line coach Tom Cable was next, and Hue Jackson was promoted this past offseason. Some of these coaches may have been legitimate candidates, but for whatever reason, none of them panned out.
This could be due to Davis's meddling, a lack of player talent or simple coaching incompetence. The only thing that can be said for sure is that the Raiders have not had a successful head coach since Jon Gruden.
After years of cellar dwelling, the Raiders are finally looking like a respectable team. A combination of drafting failures, poor free agent signings and multiple unsuccessful coaching regimes have hindered the team for nearly a decade.
Davis certainly deserves his share of the blame. The team's owner was in charge of all personnel moves and managed the Raiders' many draft and free agency failures.
While not all of the moves Davis made were considered terrible at the time, many of them were. The NFL legend was once a football guru, but in the recent years before his unfortunate passing, he struggled to maintain a good football team.
Did Oakland Raiders Owner Get Bad Rap for Team's Failings
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Agus Prasetyo
