Kelly Skipper, the Raiders running back coach, had some reassuring things to say about this fallen fantasy stud.

“The thing about Darren is, he didn’t have any major surgeries, so he’s able to come back here healthy and he’s playing at a high level right now and it’s offseason,” Skipper said. “So, that’s a good thing. He didn’t have surgery so he’s going to be off the whole spring. Nah, that’s not the case. He’s out here. You would never know he got hurt. He’s making cuts at full speed, everything.”

Darren McFadden Stats

Fantasy Factor: McFadden’s history of injuries has fantasy owners skeptical of his value. In four seasons, the Raiders have yet to get a full 16 games out of McFadden, making his 2012 fantasy value very high risk/high reward. At the moment, there is no threat to lose carries to the running backs behind him on the Raiders depth chart, making McFadden’s role in the offense a non-question.

Fantasy Football:

Money management skills is going to be the one thing I plan to preach when raising my kids. One of the biggest problems in today’s economy is the notion that you can buy anything at any time by simply using credit.

While at a much larger scale, the NFL draft requires budgeting skills in very much the same sense. In the spur of the moment a team can throw away their future for the fallen star on the draft board. The Oakland Raiders are feeling the pain of spending too much too quickly and enter this years draft without their 1st-round pick (traded to Cincinnati), their 2nd-round pick (traded to New England), their 3rd-round pick (used in the supplemental draft) and their 4th-round pick (traded to Washington).

In other words, the Raiders could easily be at one of the tables at your local pub with you watching the draft on the 26th and 27th.

The going rate of trading into a round for future draft picks is to upgrade the pick by one round. Meaning if a team wanted to trade into the middle of the second round, the price would be a future first round pick. That’s an expensive price to place on a player that may not pan out. The history of the NFL is loaded with deals where teams sell the farm to move up or into a round where they have no picks. If the team misfires on the prospect they got-to have, it usually creates a rippling effect of hurt for years to come.

At a press conference Wednesday, Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said fans shouldn’t expect the team to trade away any of next years picks to move higher up in this years draft order.

I do not want to trade future picks especially high ones, McKenzie said, via the San Jose Mercury-News.

“I am the new guy. This is my first time drafting after a legend has been drafting for the Raiders for so long. So it’s huge. But I’m excited about it and looking forward to it.”

I for one, will have to see it to believe it. The Raiders have always burned future draft picks and rarely plan for anything beyond the present date.

Not to rub it in any further, but the teams that seem to really profit from adding talent and future picks are those who see the most value in giving up their present position. If a player that does not excite you, move back, gain more wealth and re-evaluate.

On A Side Note

The Patriots and Eagles are usually front runners for making the most out of what they have on NFL draft days. We all know who the mastermind is in New England, but one of the long time hidden gems of the Eagles organization is actually no longer there. GM Tom Heckert was apart of some excellent trades for Philly in the 2000′s but now makes the call in Cleveland. I for one am looking forward to seeing what he can do with the large bounty of picks acquired in last years mega-trade with Atlanta for Julio Jones. It’s hard put a smile on the face of a Browns fan these days, currently siting with the odds least likely to win Super Bowl but still, the Browns do have a chance to set things right with the high number of quality picks in this years draft.

Fantasy Football:

The Oakland Raiders made a daring move to replace injured QB Jason Campbell on Tuesday, sending two very high draft picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for Carson Palmer. The Raiders sent a first round pick next year and a conditional 2nd round pick in 2013. If the Raiders win a playoff game that 2nd rounder becomes a 1st.

The Raiders (4-2) became desperate for a QB when Campbell broke his collarbone in the course of a win over the Browns on Sunday. Campbell had surgery Monday and was expected to miss at least six weeks, leaving the Raiders with only Kyle Boller and Terrelle Pryor about the roster. Palmer, who had been working out in Southern California, currently reported to the Raiders’ facility and will quickly learn the offense. Oakland hosts Kansas Town on Sunday and then has a bye week, that will be great timing for the QB to soak up the offense. Even though Palmer hasn’t played since the previous season, he incorporates a historical past with Hue Jackson, who was his offensive coordinator at USC along with being receivers coach for a few seasons in Cincinnati.

Hue Jackson was with the Bengals when Palmer had his best season in 2005 (3,836 yards with 32 TD passes and a 101.1 rating) but really, that’s not saying anything now that it’s 6 years later

Who Wins?

This trade is very surprising to me, mainly because Cincinnati came out as the clear cut winners in this transaction. For years both of these two teams would trip and fall over poor decisions and trades through the NFL draft or free agency, but finally I can say the Bengals learned how to play the game. All off-season, fans and critics were rolling their eyes at the lack of motivation from moving disgruntled Carson Palmer, they now look brilliant for their extreme patience.

The Raiders are not sweating the details as they really just want to win, you can’t blame them for that, but a first round pick is so valuable in the NFL, not to mention the possibility of having to give up two 1st round picks.

We just saw last years leading wide receiver in yards Brandon Lloyd go for a bag of footballs to the Rams on Monday, and what about Kevin Kolb in the off-season for a cornerback the Eagles are barely using. What would make you think Carson Palmer, who is probable top on the leader boards for Call of Duty online, is worth so much?

Carson Palmer Career Stats

I applaud the Cincinnati Bengals. I believe this will be a trade to look back on and laugh at. I’m not saying Palmer is going to stink the joint up, I’m sure he will led the Raiders to the Playoffs and win “a” playoff game, but that’s it. The top AFC teams like the Ravens and Patriots are not going to go down easily, and with no NFL draft picks on day one or day two (now a 3 day event) next season, this move could hurt the black and silver from growing as a potential contender. Remember, nobody breaks a decade of losing to win it all in the playoffs, it takes a few years to get the right pieces in place to make a run. Is Palmer that piece to the puzzle? We’ll have to wait and find out, but I’m not holding my breath.

I just think 2 years from now when the Bengals are running the AFC North with a seasoned QB Andy Dalton, and a fantasy-must have A.J Green, the Bengals can thank their stars for this move that added the extra pieces to the puzzle through the picks acquired from the Raiders today. That is to say Cincinnati doesn’t regress and select a couple “Bungle Players” like they are some accustomed to doing.

Fantasy Football:

San Diego Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders

The Chargers have historically dominated these match-ups, in Philip Rivers’ starting tenure as a QB for San Diego he is 8-0 against the Raiders. And although these games have a tendency to churn out the grit of a division rivalry and the occasional intense match-up, clearly the Raiders have found a way not to pull off the win in recent history.

Rivers has been performing as he usually does this season, that being at a peak level (at least for us fantasy players). He is ranked third in the league with 332.0 passing yards per game, and second in touchdowns with nine. Malcom Floyd will continue to benefit from his success (amongst other things, like VJ’s holdout). Rivers was picked up in later rounds than names like Rodgers, Brees, Manning, Brady, and even Matt Schaub in certain drafts; I’m sure those who have him are loving life right now. Antonio Gates has at least a touchdown in his past 8 games he’s the Chargers obvious go to and is a nightmare for opposing defenses. As far as the rushing attack goes look for Matthews to get more involved as the season goes along, San Diego invested in him for a reason and that reason should be evident as the season progresses, unfortunately for those who rode Mike Tolbert for a few weeks might now need to rely on clean up duty for fantasy points. Great week to start him as a fantasy sleeper as pointed out in our Week 5 Start’em Sit’em article

Fantasy Football:

Houston Texans 2-1 vs. Oakland Raiders 1-2

Naturally, I don’t want to dwell too much on the Texans players. Given all the variables and how they apply to your league, you should know who to start amongst the Texans offense. Between Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, Owen Daniels, Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones, the Texans offense is loaded with fantasy protein, and if you didn’t draft any of their players you should regret it (though I hear Matt Leinart is available!). So this game might appear to be one-sided, from both a fantasy and reality perspective.

Let me be one of many to tell you that’s a tad presumptuous. Oakland actually brings a lot to the table. Amazingly, Gradkowski has actually been a significant upgrade over Jason Campbell, who’s about  eight months away from his UFL debut. And while Gradkowksi’s success has come against the Rams and Cardinals respectively, the Raiders have actually amassed thirty-six points in their last three halves of football (they’re not exactly the ’98 Vikings, but still, it’s more than anyone could have expected).

This is the start of the bye weeks, and come next week I’m starting Sam Bradford in the absence of Tom Brady. Certainly if you can justify starting Bradford in one league you can justify starting Gradkowski in one of similar makeup. Especially when you consider the Rams opponent (I’m starting Bradford because they’re playing the Lions in week five). Though the Texans are not quite as lowly as the Rams, their secondary is as close as you’ll find on a team that will compete for a playoff spot. Right now Houston has the worst passing defense in the league by a solid 129 yards (comparatively, the drop from 30th to 31st is thirty yards). This improves the projections for Gradkowski, as well as Zack Miller, Louis Murphy and Darius Heywood-Bey (especially Miller and Murphy). It’s a bit of a backhanded compliment, but of the offensively inept teams in the league, Oakland is clearly the best of the pack.

Without further ado, let’s get to some projections.

Fantasy Football:

*AFC West: Three out of the four teams in this division added talent that will have a chance to step onto the field and maybe make impacts in  fantasy football. The Raiders stuck to improving their defense but did acquire their new 2010 quarterback.

Denver Broncos

Demaryius Thomas WR 6’3 230 lbs

Goodbye Brandon Marshall, hello rookie replacement. Demaryius Thomas is an explosive receiver with a very similar build and style to the ex-Bronco 100-reception-wonder. Although, Marshall’s numbers were so amazing that comparisons could start to haunt this poor kid who has to come in and fill a major role. There is no doubt that Thomas will be asked to step up early and should be awarded a starting spot by training camp.

Demaryius Thomas had a very impressive college resume that will carry him over into the NFL fluidly, but that lack of quarterback talent and surrounding cast will definitely be the anchor that holds this rookie back. Questions to the Broncos offensive line have people wondering if the running game will be as affective in 2010, also I not sure Kyle Orton will ever instill fear into the eyes of his opponents.

The Broncos started 6-0 last season before melting into a 8-8 club. Did the offensive formula  that worked so well to start just need time to be figured out? The second half of the season defensive coordinators could read McDaniels game plan like and open book, as points were hard to come by. Either the case, D. Thomas and his new breed of Broncos will try to make people forget about previous versions of what this team looked and sounded like.

Opportunity: WR1
Stock Value: High – Thomas will be a player that you will either thank yourself for drafting early or kicking yourself later for thinking he’d be around in the late

Eric Decker WR 6’2 215 lbs

3rd round pick Eric Decker is a player that really caught my eye on film. I have been very impressed by this kids fearlessness and ability to make the tough catch in traffic. Decker is all about the circus grab and has the wheels to burn his opponents there after. Although, his chances of cracking the starting line-up on the team will be difficult, the Broncos do have a lot of depth. But don’t be surprised if his name pops up when training camp starts up.

Tim Tebow QB 6’3 240 lbs

Tebow in my mind, was a flashing hood ornament to the Broncos 2010 draft class. He provides no real purpose this season and realistically is a long shot as a project in the McDaniel’s offseason. I would have thought he would have fit better in Miami, where they are currently running a version of the option “wildcat” offensive. Tebow has no fantasy value in 2010, and I’m not sure if there is any keeper value with him either.

San Diego Chargers

Ryan Mathews RB 5″11 220lbs

Mathews is this years “gotta have player” in fantasy football. The Chargers made no hiding the fact that Mathews was their guy and they moved up to grab him in this years 2010 draft. With Ladianion Tomlinson gone, the backfield is now free for a new young talent to walk in and try to find holes to run through.

Personally I know the pain Charger fans have felt the last couple seasons with their running game as I had LT in my fantasy pool. Tomlinson has lost a step but he was not the whole problem. I tend to believe part of the blame can go to the offensive line. In years past LT would find a seam and burn through it, but in the last 2 years the holes were harder to find. I’m sure Mathews will have an easier time, being a fresh rookie with a full head of steam, but I do think that the Chargers have been groomed for the passing game, and that the O-Line is far better at pass protection than they are at moving the pile.

Mathews true test will be handling a full work load. Sporles will be a savior at times, reveling pressure with his elusive speed, but there is no doubt the heart and soul rides on Mathews catching on quickly. The Chargers are now a pass first team, but if they can use their backfield effectively, yards will be very easy to come by.

Awarded: RB1
Stock Value: Very High – If you are lucky enough to snag Ryan Mathews this year, take this pick with a grain of salt. He could turn out to be the fantasy stud that can carry your team to a championship, or Mathews could be an average 700 yard 6 TD type guy. Draft other options as there is no such think as a “sure thing” in fantasy football.

Kansas City Cheifs

Dexter McCluster WR 5’8 165 lbs

Converting McCluster into a WR is a very odd move. I have him at a buck-65 but the coaching staff will most likely be feeding him all summer.  McCluster’s speed and hands have earned him a chance to become a special project for the Chiefs. Maybe the thinking is to create a Wes Welker type run after the catch option, a lot like what Matt Cassel had when he was in New England. With Bowe and Chambers as the vertical threats, McCluster can cut and read around defenders underneath finding holes for solid yardage. Fantasy value is hard to determine at this point, but if used correctly this speedy weapon could help the offensive immensely this season.

Opportunity: Slot WR (WR3)
Stock Value: Low to Very-High – training camp will be where we learn if this project will actually see the light of day. The fall back plan is for McCluster to be a 3rd down RB.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders had an excellent draft, concentrating on their defense and offensive line. The only new fantasy name that came about  was ex-Redskin Jason Campbell, who was acquired for a bag of footballs. Campbell, a player who has played in more versions of  NFL playcalling styles than most 10 year veteran quarterbacks, should do very well dressed in black and silver. A lot like McNabb’s new role in Washington as Campbell’s replacement,  the Raiders plan to revolve their offense around the running game and tough defense. Jason Campbell will have a fresh start and should look to prove to fans that he is better than previous years past.

Fantasy Football:

It’s everyone’s preferred recurring NFL fable: A quarterback comes into the league full of promise, is drafted too high because everyone insists on drafting quarterbacks early, he doesn’t turn out like those who drafted him had convinced themselves he would (with most everyone validating them), said quarterback is ostracized for accepting money he never should have received in the first place and the team has a scapegoat for why they’re still struggling to win five games a season four years later.

Tiger Woods paramours are less abundant than failed over-drafted quarterback busts. But with JaMarcus Russell, there has never, in the history of the NFL draft, been a finer example of unwarranted hype catapulting a player’s draft prospects.

For those who aren’t aware, JaMarcus attended LSU and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the first overall pick in 2007. While in Baton Rouge, Russell played for some of the more loaded college football rosters of the past decade, yet he managed to produce some respectable yet retrospectively benign numbers, and the Tigers won a national title the year before (2003) and after (2007) his tinier as starting quarterback, never during.

You can chalk that up to coincidence, but it seems a little too convenient. From what I can recall, during his final season at LSU, Russell was very much an afterthought on the college football landscape. Amazingly, he made his bones in the Sugar Bowl against renown pushover and beneficiary of excessive media attention stalwart, Notre Dame.

This is as much a testament to Notre Dame’s cushy positioning with the BCS as much as it is the overrating of Russell himself. But in all honesty, anyone with half a brain and a semblance of understanding for how college football operates could tell you what a red herring that bowl performance was. You know how? Because anytime a remotely capable quarterback played Notre Dame under Charlie Weiss’ career, he would always look like a first round draft pick.

His numbers for the game were laudable, without question, but Notre Dame — like every time they’ve made a BCS game since its inception — had cherry-picked a Sugar Bowl bid with over-exposure and a soft schedule. Essentially, there was a tremendous talent gap between the two teams and Russell was able to exploit that alongside roughly ten additional future NFL players. From the time that game ended to the time Oakland announced their intentions to draft Russell, that game was always used as the justification to do so.

When the two parties finally tied the knot, it did irrevocable damage to both employer and employee. Russell wasdrafted ahead of Joe Thomas and Calvin Johnson (amongst others), despite a futile offensive line, and the front office knowing full well they were trading then disgruntled wide receiver Randy Moss for a 4th round pick. Thus is standard protocol for the Raiders, take the player with the highest Q rating that will give them the most attention and damn the consequences. So Russell’s failings with the organization weren’t entirely his fault. They brought him in surrounded by little to no talent, and cut him with a similarly marginally talented roster. Basically, the Raiders aren’t going to be much worse without him than they were with him.

But there’s plenty of blame to be placed on everyone, and that includes Russell. He’s managed to turn a promising career into one of the biggest draft blunders in NFL history in three season’s time. His current physique looks like a “before” photo for a weight loss supplement. His numbers actually decreased from 2008 to 2009 despite his supporting cast improving (the defense isn’t as good as it was in 2008). At this rate, he’s going to be bouncing at clubs somewhere in Louisiana or Alabama by 2020 (that $39 million he bilked out of Al Davis will carry him for a few years), and all we’ll be left with are stories of squandered talent and terrible life decisions.

Contrary to what may be popular opinion, I’d argue that Russell’s talent was never on par with what was reported. NFL combines along with the Notre Dame performance and his size and strength led many people astray. He seemingly possesses all the tangibles and none of the intangibles that are necessities for quarterbacking in the NFL, and since no one measures intangibles then this isn’t a far-fetched result (unless the person in question is Tim Tebow, of course, then intangibles are all that matters). This argument could be made about virtually every draft bust, but in the case of JaMarcus Russell, the lack of justification for drafting him as high as they did never felt as palpable with Mike Vick, Tim Couch, Akili Smith or David Carr.

So along those lines, Russell isn’t quite the biggest bust in draft history (at least not in performance, though probably in stature), which is basically the worst backhanded compliment you can give someone under these circumstances. But performance wise, and also when you take into consideration that the Raiders don’t really have a suitable or promising replacement (Jason Campbell? Eh, could be worse, which is about the nicest thing anyone ever has to say about Jason Campbell these days), speaks in droves.

Typically, when a franchise cuts a first overall pick so soon after drafting him, the contingency plan (that they were lucky to get) is a little more stable, but that’s the Raiders M.O.  And really, if they can get through 2010 without embarrassing themselves, there are a whole host of highly rated quarterbacks that will be draft eligible in 2011 (most notably Ryan Mallet and Jake Locker, both of whom are better than anyone on the table for 2010. They’re also great examples for why you don’t rush to draft a quarterback like JaMarcus Russell just for the sake of drafting a quarterback).

As for Russell himself, despite my own reservations he still has time to turn his career around. Based on the potential and what NFL front offices value in quarterbacks, he’ll get a chance somewhere else. Although with what we’ve seen and heard, all signs point to him regressing. It would be great for his character to land some place like New England or Indy or Pittsburgh, somewhere with some organizational structure. Unfortunately all reports seem to suggest he’ll end up in (gulp) Cincinnati or Arizona, franchises whose reputations are synonymous with failure and irrelevance. Honestly, he’s better off going to Canada for a season to assist in restoring his reputation than backing up Carson Palmer or vying for and failing to claim the starting spot over Derek Anderson and Matt Leinart (another potential failed top ten pick). It worked for Ricky Williams.

If that’s even in the cards and you were taken 1st overall, you’re in the discussion for worst pick ever. If he right’s the ship in the next couple of years, he has the opportunity to cement a positive legacy for himself. If he doesn’t, the shit storm he’s currently immersed in will follow him forever, and the best thing anyone will have to say about his career is he was never arrested.

Fantasy Football:

Are The Raiders on the Right Track?

To characterize the past few seasons of Raiders history in one word would be to call it atrocious,  appalling, and even unfathomable. Ever since the Rich Gannon led team made it to the Super Bowl (2002) the Raiders have become subject to being the butt end of every NFL joke, owner Al Davis has become the poster boy for questionable decisions, while over these 7 years the team has amassed only 26 of a possible 112 victories. Al Davis made a large error in the selection of Jamarcus Russell but now, that’s over with, Russell has been released, and out of the folds emerges Jason Campbell (traded for on draft day) to perhaps lead the silver and black into a new age?

Looking at the draft, Oakland followed up its continuous questionable draft day practices on day one by selecting ILB Rolando McClain with the eighth overall pick. Most thought the logical move would have been a selection of an offensive tackle but with Trent Williams and Russel Okung already drafted and Bruce Campbell slipping, there were no longer any elite tackle prospects. Although it may be viewed as questionable, I believe the Raiders made a rational decision here, taking the best available player: McClain will be able to come in and contribute on day one. The Raiders had a beautiful day two, in the fourth round Al Davis selected OT Bruce Campbell (a projected top 10 pick), speedster WR/RB/KR Jacoby Ford, and QB Jason Campbell (via trade). Other mentionables include DE Lamarr Houston (round 2), OT Jared Veldheer (round 3), and CB Walter McFadden (round 5).

Last season, Jamarcus notched a win or two as the Raiders #1 QB but he was unable to remain the starter, Bruce Gradkowski took over late into the season and showed this Raider team its potential with constant sustained drives. Enter Jason Campbell: Campbell is not an elite QB, this we all know. However he is a step up from what those in Oakland are used to playing with. He has the ability to sustain drives, mobility, and a deep arm to stretch the field. Oakland already has a stubborn defence that is looking to improve with the additions of ILB Rolando McClain, DE Lamarrr Houston (Round 2), DE Quentin Groves, and the young players drafted to the secondary (CB’s Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware, S Steive Brown). If Campbell is able to keep this defence off the field (as has not been the case in recent years) the Raiders have a real chance at improving their stock in the NFL.

Although, don’t get your hopes too high. Oakland is playing in a very tough division, the Chiefs and Broncos appear to be teams on the rise, while San Diego is without a doubt the division’s power house. The Raiders still aren’t a likely bet to make the playoffs in the AFC West however they may finally reach an elusive .500 record that they have not seen the likes of since the 2002 season.

Fantasy Football:

JaMarcus Russell Released By Raiders

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out… The Raiders have swallowed their pride and let go of the 1st overall pick of the 2007 Draft. The Raiders paid Russell more than $36 million through the last few seasons, and still owe him $3 million more. The glass half full attitude for the Raiders, is they did save $6.45 million by not having him on the roster in 2010.

JaMarcus Russell could be the biggest bust in NFL history. Ryan Leaf was bad, but Russell wasn’t much better.  JaMarcus held out his first season, not signing a contract until after the Week 1 of the regular season. Making his rookie season a complete loss, starting only one game. But even once getting the starting job he was inaccurate and struggled with weight problems.

Russell had a career QB rating of 65.2, with 23 interceptions, 25 fumbles, and sacked 70 times…in just 31 games played.

Mike Florio of PFT.com had an interesting take the Raiders decision making. By allow him to participate in the minicamp the Raiders put themselves on the hook for a big risk. If he had suffered a torn ACL or some other curious injury, the Raiders would have owed him the full $9.45 million.

With Leather.com loves to cut down Athletes, and their latest post is painfully funny click here

Fantasy Football: