With all do respect, I have followed the Raider off-season and training camp as close as I can via the local newspapers articles that are online. C-Pep has the inside track on the starting QB spot and it looks like Walter may get cut if JR ever does get signed.
Al Davis is holding off on guaranteed money, posibly in light of the Vick scenario and the chance that a new CBA will favor reason, i.e. rookie salaries will be fixed so no more outlandish guarantees just to have someone pull an akili SMith, or a (who was the guy from WSU that went to SD)
Anyway, look for the Raiders to go 8-8 and be pushing for 9-7 this year. The defense is even going ot be better. Those who discount what the Raiders are doing in the pre-season with respect to how well they did last year in pre-season are not watching the games.
Last year in pre-season those games were run by the scrubs at the end of the game. This year we are going into the end of the half with the lead playing starters vs starters.
Now, I do take our success with a grain of salt in that we haven't faced imposing defenses or all the starters on a teams offense. Still, if we weren't moving the ball, as was the case last year then I'd be inclined to say SOS, just a different year
Culpepper, Jordan and Porter will have respectable numbers.
The team is on it's way up but I don't expect miracles.