Raiders Successfully Building for Next Year

It speaks a lot about the guys we have in this locker room. We're not going to quit, not going to worry about our confidence. We're going to keep working together and good things will happen. This is the time of year when the phrase "we'll just have to make the best of it" is uttered frequently around the Oakland Raiders headquarters. via Sports Network

[Andrew]

i dont think that this year was that bad for us! so far we;ve improved by 2 games and i think there are 2 more winnable games on our schedule (green bay and san diego)! We are a team probably about 2 or 3 years away from winning again!

[2oonz]

The Raider's WRs have been showing signs of excellence lately.
The OL has been opening up some lanes for Fargas and committed
less penalties. McCown showed that the boo-birds were wrong.
The TE situation is better than last year. Most of the losses this
year have been close. The Raiders are the underdog against the
Packers, Colts, Jags and Chargers. However, they can at least be
competitive, and perhaps carve out one, maybe two wins. I hope
they win all four. I think the Raiders will be in the middle of the
pack next year winning around 8 games. In two years, they'll
be dominant in the AFC West.

[TexasRaider]

2oonz wrote:

The Raider's WRs have been showing signs of excellence lately.
The OL has been opening up some lanes for Fargas and committed
less penalties. McCown showed that the boo-birds were wrong.
The TE situation is better than last year. Most of the losses this
year have been close. The Raiders are the underdog against the
Packers, Colts, Jags and Chargers. However, they can at least be
competitive, and perhaps carve out one, maybe two wins. I hope
they win all four. I think the Raiders will be in the middle of the
pack next year winning around 8 games. In two years, they'll
be dominant in the AFC West.

As long as we continue to build around our centerpieces we will be a winning team sooner than later...

[TexasRaider]

This offseason I'd start with Re-signing Tommy Kelly, Justin Fargas and Nnamdi Asomugha. Then Tyler Brayton as a reserve DL since he seems to be a dedicated Raider no matter what his role is. Then Release a few for cap space like Lamont Jordan and Warren Sapp. Then draft and sign compliments to our centerpieces.

[Andrew]

i would keep sapp even though he's aging because he has played well up front especially when other teams need short down conversions, he's been cllogging up the run!

[RaiderFaith]

I also think there is value in Sapp teaching younger players....
Kiff said Jruss will certainly play this week. He wouldn't say how much time he will get, but I bet he gets at lease a quarter and if all is going well maybe a half.

[2oonz]

Jordan has to go after this season. I'd like to see Echemandu in training camp next summer along with Michael Bush.
Re: the QBs for next week's game against the Colts, the questions are,'Who's the least injured QB?'. And if Culpepper and McCown are still injured, why not start Walter?

[TexasRaider]

Andrew wrote:

i would keep sapp even though he's aging because he has played well up front especially when other teams need short down conversions, he's been cllogging up the run!

I will admit that Sapp seems to have stepped his game up since Tommy Kelly went down, but I don't really see him as a valuable centerpiece on our defense like Burgess, Howard, Morrison, and Asomugha. I may just be too much of a Sapp hater to really see him in a big picture, but Kelly is our best DT when healthy and I really hope we sign him to a long term deal this year.

[Featherman]

2oonz wrote:

The Raider's WRs have been showing signs of excellence lately.
The OL has been opening up some lanes for Fargas and committed
less penalties. McCown showed that the boo-birds were wrong.
The TE situation is better than last year. Most of the losses this
year have been close. The Raiders are the underdog against the
Packers, Colts, Jags and Chargers. However, they can at least be
competitive, and perhaps carve out one, maybe two wins. I hope
they win all four. I think the Raiders will be in the middle of the
pack next year winning around 8 games. In two years, they'll
be dominant in the AFC West.

Well looking at the AFC West 8-8 might damn near win the division.