PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS

NO. 31

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Well, the Raiders might not be the worst franchise in the best pro sports league in the universe.  But they're close.

We actually think the team has the potential to improve significantly in 2007, if they can muster some type of reasonable type of performance on offense. 

The boost would have come much more quickly, and would have lasted longer, if the Raiders had used the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on receiver Calvin Johnson, a complete-package wideout who could have opened up the entire attack, drawings safeties away from the line and opening up underneath routes.  Pairing a Johnson-fueled offense with a very good defense would have, in our opinion, helped the team get a lot better, a lot faster.

But, instead, the Raiders opted to flip a coin with a quarterback who has a rocket arm, but is otherwise an unknown commodity.  The reward could possibly be great, but we think that the risk is more than this team can presently bear.

Thus far, the risk isn't paying off.  Russell is a holdout, and his demands likely are driven by the perceived necessity of the Raiders to avoid yet another embarrassment.  Too proud are the Raiders to acknowledge that Russell's camp might just be right.

Still, we give owner Al Davis credit for his willingness to pull the plug on the Art Shell sequel after one very bad season, but we're not sure that Lane Kiffin is the answer, or that Davis will give Kiffin enough time to become the answer.

With all that said, we've got a soft spot for the teams that have had a chronic run of bad luck, since we think that fans of every team deserve to have some hope at least once every few years.  As to the Raiders, the feeling in league circles is that the franchise will remain in disarray for the remainder of the Davis regime.  We hope that's wrong.  For now, though, it's hard to say that the team is in better shape than any more than one of the 32 NFL clubs.

Key departures:  WR Randy Moss, QB Aaron Brooks, DE Lance Johnstone, RT Langston Walker, CB Tyrone Poole.

Key arrivals:  QB Daunte Culpepper, S Donovin Darius, RB Dominic Rhodes, FB Justin Griffith, QB Josh McCown, WR Travis Taylor, TE Tony Stewart.

Draft pick most likely to make an impact:  RB Michael Bush.  If his leg is healed, Bush could be the steal of the draft, and could render Dominic Rhodes and LaMont Jordan luxuries not worth their salaries.

Coach's current job security:  1 year.  If the team is a train wreck, Al Davis won't hesitate to look elsewhere.