The Oakland Raiders are starting training camp on Thursday in Napa and after a very interesting offseason and while Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen have made a number of moves, it remains to be seen whether they will work out or not and this will be the first chance anyone gets to see how things are shaping up.
The Raiders have many questions heading into camp and while we can't address them all, there are a few that are coming in a bit more important than the others, including the quarterback battle between Matt Flynn and Tyler Wilson as well as the health on defense from Charles Woodson and rookie DJ Hayden. The team made a number of signings this offseason, including Nick Roach, Charles Woodson, Mike Jenkins, Kevin Burnett and Tracy Porter and the front office is expecting improvement on defense.
McKenzie focused on offense in the draft apart from picking Hayden with the 12th overall pick and the health of him on defense will be a key issue, as he had a heart issue in college that almost killed him, but doctors said that shouldn't be a factor going forward. The team drafted Menelik Watson on the offensive line to shore up the blocking for Flynn as well as Darren McFadden and later on he added Nick Kasa, Latavius Murray, Wilson, Brice Butler as well as Sio Moore at linebacker.
The team should have some interesting battled between Flynn and Wilson, as Flynn has never been a starting quarterback and while he has more NFL experience, it isn't too much and while the Raiders will give him the best chance to win it since they traded for him, there is no guarantee that he will win the job, much like what happened in Seattle last season. Flynn has put up 87 completions on 141 attempts for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns in 37 games played in and he has started two games, throwing for 771 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions and now he will get the chance to be a starter for real.
Wilson has the talent of a top 10 pick and he will have a chance to win the backup job of Flynn shows that he is ready to be the starter for real. Wilson put up numbers at Arkansas with 7,765 yards for 52 touchdowns and 26 interceptions and he will have a solid chance to play this season. The team is moving to a new running scheme this year and the offensive line will need to adjust, as will Darren McFadden, as he is coming into a contract year and the team is hoping that he can stay healthy after he had problems staying on the field last year.
McFadden's best season came in 2010 when he had 1,157 yards and seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 47 catches for 507 yards and three scores. The running back is expected to improve this season as he enters that final year and fantasy owners could be the biggest beneficiary of that. McFadden was hampered last season by injuries and the running scheme, but this year the Raiders are ready for a new one and that could open up things for both Matt Flynn and quarterback and McFadden at running back. Rashad Jennings could be a smart pickup to handcuff with McFadden, especially if the injury bug comes knocking again.
The Raiders had a very intriguing offseason themselves and after trading for Matt Flynn, they feel that the team is improved with veterans like Charles Woodson, Mike Jenkins, Tracy Porter, Nick Roach and Kevin Burnett. The team also likes its draft picks in DJ Hayden, Menelik Watson, Latavius Murray, Nick Kasa, Sio Moore and Brice Butler and Reggie McKenzie expects all the players to contribute this year. While it might not be enough to beat the Broncos, it should be enough for the team to improve this season from last years record.