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| Douglas Benton. 24th November, 2006 - 8:55 pm
 The Raiders are 2-8 and are finding new ways to lose every week. With only six games left in what has become another year in the path back to excellence; here are five players to keep an eye on the rest of the way.
Justin Fargas, RB
With an injury to Lamont Jordan and the possibility that he doesn?t fit what the Raiders are trying to do, the door could open up to Fargas the rest of this year and into next season. Head Coach Art Shell wants to have a power running game, but you need some game-breaking speed with this offensive line. With open holes a luxury in Oakland, a back like Fargas, who can make gains off of broken plays, might just be the answer in the backfield.
Michael Huff, SS
Once again, Al Davis has added youth to the secondary and it is paying off with rookie Michael Huff at SS. Huff has 52 tackles on the season, good for fourth on the team, and has made the seamless transition to starting straight out of the University of Texas this year. Whether or not he will ever make it to a pro bowl level is still to be determined, but the key to rebuilding teams is hitting right in the first round. The Raiders did just that with Huff.
Ronald Curry, WR
With malcontents ahead of him in Jerry Porter and Randy Moss (discussed later), the path is all set for Curry to assume a starting role for Oakland next year. However, he doesn?t fit the bill of a starting wide receiver because he doesn?t have the ability to create mismatches anywhere on the field like a top wide receiver has to do. He is best used as a slot receiver in concert with a more capable receiver, like former Raider Doug Gabriel.
Kirk Morrison, LB
Morrison is yet another one of the young defensive players that have many people around the Raiders excited about what that unit can do in the future. He is very aggressive and is always around the ball, which resulted in 116 tackles his rookie year and 81 tackles thus far in 2006. Morrison is good enough to anchor this defense for years to come, but don?t expect him to reach All-Pro status or even be a consistent Pro Bowler.
Randy Moss, WR
Randy Moss. The name used to strike fear into the hearts of defensive coaches around the league. Now, it is used as a punch line for the joke that has become this season. Moss? problem isn?t a lack of desire, but a lack of talent. Moss never had great hands or was a great route runner, but he was an athletic freak, incomparable to anyone else who played the position. He could catch six balls for 80 yards and a touchdown without even breaking a sweat in his early days, but injuries and age has taken away that ability. He is now no more than a glorified second receiver at best and after this year, he won?t be the Raiders problem anymore. |
