The Raiders’ offense in 2010

After two long seasons with QB JaMarcus Russell at the helm, the Raiders finally pulled the plug on that ill-fated experiment and traded with Washington for Jason Campbell. They also brought in Hue Jackson as their new offensive coordinator to help reshape an offense that finished the 2009 season ranked 31st in total yards and points per game.

They still lack enough weapons at most of the other skill positions to turn things around overnight, but these two moves are a definite step in the right direction.

Look for RB's Michael Bush and Darren McFadden and TE Zach Miller to have an expanded role in the offense this season as all three players are young and talented.

The real improvement in this team should be on the defensive side of the ball. After finally using the draft to properly address their needs, this defense should play well enough to keep them in the game against most of the teams they will face.

First round pick LB Rolando McClain and second round pick DT Lamarr Houston should be able to immediately help a run defense that was ranked 29th in the league, giving up an average of over 155 yards on the ground per game. All in all the Raiders used six of their nine draft choices on defensive players to add some depth to a unit that has some talent but has yet to live up to its potential.

Another positive move was the resigning of restricted free agent DE Richard Seymour to a one year franchise tender deal.

Last year this team finished 5-11, but included in those few wins were victories over Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. With the burden of dealing with Russell finally off their shoulders, the Raiders are poised to take a positive step forward in 2010.

Quarterback

Jason Campbell got out of Washington, which was a cancerous situation for him, but now comes to Oakland where things might not be much better. The Raiders football jerseys actually made a solid move in adding Campbell to the mix. His fantasy value is still highly questionable, however, and he should be viewed as little more than an injury replacement or bye week start based on matchups.

Running Backs

Can Darren McFadden become the lightning bolt he was at Arkansas? That's the question that will continue to plague the Raiders jerseys and fantasy owners. His enormous talent makes him a tempting option, but his production hasn't been worthy of a starting RB spot yet. Add to his lack of production three lost fumbles in only 125 touches last year, and his value is similar to Campbell: late round if at all.

Michael Bush is the more intriguing play. His skill set is more traditional than McFadden and he averaged 4.8 yards per carry last year in limited action. Bush should be considered a strong RB2 candidate in the late rounds.

Wide Receivers

This group is a wild card because of the improvement made under center in Campbell. Can Darrius Heyward-Bay be anything more than a track star? Is Louis Murphy ready to emerge as a legit receiver after leading the team with four touchdowns last year? What is Chaz Schillens worth in fantasy?

It's nearly impossible to put stock in any of these receivers because none of them have a track record of success in the NFL; Murphy's the best option, and he had only 34 catches for 521 yards last year. This group might be wait-and-see this year.

Tight End

This is the best bet for fantasy value on the Raiders' offense in 2010. Not only did Zach Miller have a very respectable 66 receptions for over 800 yards last year with three touchdowns, but Campbell has a history of using tight ends well in the red zone in Washington. Miller should be considered a strong second-tier TE play and could be a solid starting TE play this year.