Raiders Season Predictions

Week by Week

Week 1 - vs Chargers - Raiders win 21-16 - Strong start as Palmer proves his doubters wrong with 3 TD passes.

Week 2 - @ Miami - Raiders win 27-3 - The new defense show their 'top 5' ability with 5 sacks and 3 interceptions.

Week 3 - vs Pittsburgh - Raiders win 14-10 - a tough game but the Raiders come out on top however McFadden goes down with an injury.

Week 4 - @ Denver - Broncos win 28-14 - Peyton shows why the Raiders will need to draft a top CB next year throwing for 4 TDs as the backup RBs have an awful day with 3 fumbles.

Week 5 - Bye - McFadden uses the bye to get back to full health with the Raiders at 3-1.

Week 6 - @Atlanta - Falcons win 40-24 - DMC is back but Palmer can't keep up with the unstoppable Falcons offense.

Week 7 - vs  Jacksonville - Raiders win 20-0 - after giving up 40 points to the Falcons the Raiders D shuts out Gabbert and MJD.

Week 8 - @Kansas - Raiders win  23-20 - Crucial win for the now 5-2 Raiders as a Janikowski kicks a 50 yarder as time expires at Arrowhead.

Week 9 - vs Tampa Bay - Bucs win 16-13 - Slip up for the Raiders as our only TD comes from a Jacoby Ford kick return however he injures himself while celebrating and is out for at least 3 weeks.

Week 10 - @Baltimore - Ravens win 10-6 - Another poor day on offense with Palmer throwing 3 picks and suddenly the Raiders are 5-4.

Week 11 - vs New Orleans - Saints win 28-27 - Painful loss for the Raiders as they are reminded of the defeat to the Lions last year as Brees pulls of a 99 yard game ending TD drive to beat the .500 Raiders.

Week 12 - @Cincinnati - Raiders win 31-20 - Palmer destroys his old team with 400 yards passing and 3 TDs

Week 13 - vs Cleveland - Raiders win 17-16 - Scrappy game but still a W as the Raiders move to 7-5 on the first of a run of 3 home games

Week 14 - vs Denver - Raiders win 24-7 - Crucial win against the division rivals after Peyton goes down injured in the first quarter and Dmac runs wild for 212 yards and 3 TDs

Week 15 - vs Kansas - Chiefs win 17-10 - Bad game for RBs as both Charles and McFadden go down injured with the Raiders at 8-6

Week 16 - @Carolina - Panthers win 21-6 - Raiders look lost without McFadden and go to 8-7 with 1 game to play against the Chargers, seem familiar anyone?

Week 17 - @San Diego - McFadden is a game time decision and to everyone's surprise he plays! A stalemate in the first quarter, Raiders need the win to clinch a playoff berth while the Chargers are just playing to beat us after a poor 5-10 season so far. Its 14-14 at end of the 3rd, tension is at a maximum. Chargers get a FG with exactly 2 minutes remaining to go up 17-14. Carson Palmer will have to play the best 2 minute drive in Raider history and he does with a touchdown to DHB as time expires wins it. Greg Papa is heard all around the world as the Raiders win 21-17 to clinch a playoff berth.

AFC West

Denver  11-5
Raiders  9-7 (Wildcard)
Chiefs  8-8
Chargers  5-11

Playoffs
Manning is Injured and the Broncos get knocked out first round and unfortunately so do the Raiders but it was a season the Raider Nation will never forget!!

Do the Raiders really need Chris Cooley?

Yesterday (Aug 28) the Redskins announced that they will release veteran tight end Chris Cooley. Cooley has played his whole career in Washington after being selected in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft. Cooley was very productive during his eight seasons with the Redskins recording 428 receptions for 4,703 yards and making 2 Pro-Bowls but has missed time in recent years due to Injury. However Mike Shanahan noted that health was not the reason Cooley was cut and that he can still be productive elsewhere in the NFL and that it was "tight end competition" that forced the move.

The Raiders are a possible suitor for Cooley and Raider-Nation seems very keen on this move. The Raiders are inexperienced at tight end and Gregg Knapp's offense likes to utilise tight ends so it would seem logical to grab Cooley as there will not be a better player at the position than him available.

Unfortunately I do not see this move happening, It seems the perfect addition but for some strange reason I do not think it will happen. Firstly the Raiders declined the opportunity do go after Kellen Winslow Jr. when the Bucs wanted to get rid of him showing that the Raiders are not that desperate for a TE. While Brandon Myers, Richard Gordan and David Ausberry are not top-tier TE's I think they will do the job nicely and have been helped lots this off-season by Knapp and Al Saunders. Furthermore Cooley is not a top-tier TE any more and has clearly lost some talent. Another question mark is if it would make financial sense, Cooley has hired a top agent and will not want to play for a veterans minimum and we all know how tight the Raiders are with cap space. Lastly for some reason I just cannot see Cooley in the Silver and Black and who would we cut? Gordan, Myers and Ausberry are all fairly equal and developmental guys, it would be hard to choose who to loose.

After saying all that, the Raiders will probably go out and get him but I'm sorry Raider Nation, I just don't see this move happening.

Top 100 players of 2012 - Where is Seymour?

I didn't really pay much attention to this years 'Top 100 Players' list complied by the players. Last year there were lots of questionable picks and some strange placings for some players. The same is also true for this year.

The only raider represented in the list was Darren McFadden who came in at no.60, 38 places higher than his ranking of 98 last year and this pleasantly surprised me. I'm happy the players are starting to realise what a threat Run DMC is and I think 60 is about right for Dmac, the 9th highest RB on the list. After McFadden I was sure we would see Seymour as the next raider on the list but to my and everybody else's surprise Seymour was left out. Big Rich was ranked no.66 last year and after another strong, pro-bowl season I was sure he would be on the list and even crack the top 50 but nope. He was left out while players like Tim Tebow and John Kuhn got in.

How, Why and for What reason? Some fans say he is ageing and losing a step but surely the players of all people must realise he can still beat 1 on 1's with ease and get to the Quarterback on a regular basis. Either the NFL have got it out for the Raiders and left his name off the voting list or the players are all just going insane. Either way, Seymour is not going to be one happy bunny after hearing of this and I fully expect him to be as good as ever next year and prove all the players wrong!

Best team in AFC West?

Excluding the Raiders (As I am inclined to say they are the best) , going into the 2012 season who is the best team in the AFC west?

The Broncos? - The Broncos won the division on a tie-breaker last year and now have this new quarterback called Peyton something.. The Broncos won most of their games last year due to Dennis Allen, their defense and Matt Prater. With the addition of Manning on offense most people will assume that Denver are now the best team in the AFC west. Along with Manning, Tracy Porter, Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme are just a few of the other free agents Denver brought in. However Denver had a quiet draft, even trading out of the first round and there is no one from their draft that stands out as an immediate starter. In addition the loss Brodrick Bunkley is massive, he was very important to the Broncos defense. Denver got lucky with Tebow last year. Had Kyle Ortan remained the starter the Broncos would have had a losing record and even with Manning I don't see Denver winning any more than 10 games this year.

The Chargers? - The Chargers had a late resurgence last year to finish 8-8 and spoiling the Raiders chances to win the division. The Chargers have a good team and many are saying that San Diego improved the most out of any team in free agency and the 2012 NFL draft. I'm not sure that is quite the case as although they added Robert Meachem, Jarret Johnson among others and came up big in the draft grabbing highly rated LB Melvin Ingram they did lose key players like Vincent Jackson and Mike Tolbert. Furthermore while adding talent to positions like OLB and WR they didn't really do much to help where they were weakest last year, the O-Line and Cornerback and until they address those key positions I don't see them making a playoff run. Phil Rivers will quickly become agitated and without Jackson, he will have another poor year. I expect the Chargers to finish about where they did last year at 8-8.

The Chiefs? - Kansas City were very unlucky last year losing several key players to injury early on in the season. However they still went on to finish 7-9. The Chiefs are a bit of a mystery, with Jamaal Charles back in the backfield and a healthy Matt Cassel who knows what they could achieve. They have also had a successful offseason picking up Peyton Hillis and Eric Winston as well as former Raiders Stanford Routt and Kevin Boss. There is a strong possibility that the chiefs could go from worst to first in the division this year and if they stay healthy they could easily get 10+ wins.

Two years ago the Raiders went 6-0 in the division. This year I don't see why the Raiders cannot repeat that however it will be hard. All teams have aspects of their game that if used effectively could dismantle the Raiders team and all 6 games will be close.

To answer the question 'Who is the best team in the AFC west excluding the Raiders?' I would have to say the Chiefs followed by the Broncos and then the Chargers. All 3 teams are close in talent and I wouldn't be surprised if come the end of the year, the teams will be ranked in reverse order.

The Oakland Raiders Soccer Team

Being English I have grown up watching Soccer, or football as we call it over here, and it is only recently that I have started watching American Football. It is just a week to go till the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament and it has got everyone over here very excited. England will probably have another disappointing campaign but I also wondered what American Football players would be like playing soccer. This being a Raiders blog, I have decided to name a team of Raiders players and their positions if they were to switch over to soccer.




Goalkeeper - Denarius Moore - D.Moore has the ability to adjust to the throw which will help him at Goalkeeper.  While he is not the tallest option, I still put him at GK due to his hands which glue to the ball (Just look at his fingertip catch) and his arm length is 33 in which is longer than most other receivers.

Central Defenders - Tyvon Branch and Jared Veldheer - Branch will be very good at reading the play and dealing with corners and crosses into the box. On the other hand Veldheer, who is 6'8", will be an intimidating and physical obstruction to opposing attackers and he will help protect the goal like he protects Palmer's blind side.

Fullbacks - DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa - The Future (fingers-crossed) for the Raiders at CB. Both DVD (4.28) and Chekwa (4.40) are incredibly fast and both can defend from opposing attacks as well as having the ability to push forward, speeding down the wing and helping with the attack.

Center Midfielders - Darren McFadden and Shane Lechler - McFadden will open up defences with his all-round ability and play making skills setting up many goal scoring plays and scoring a few as well. Lechler is the David Beckham of this team. He has got experience and a very good shot on him.

Wingers - Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey - Both quick receivers than will use their speed to their advantage while playing soccer. Jacoby will use some flash skills to get round defenders and Heyward Bey might be better suited to soccer as he won't have to use his hands which have been a headache for Raiders fans since we drafted him !

Forwards - Sebastian Janikowski and Terrelle Pryor - Seabass will play the role of the strong power forward who has the strength to run through defenders and has a very powerful shot, a bit like Wayne Rooney (He looks like him too!). Pryor will play in a role more similar to Lionel Messi and he will be the one providing all the assists and doing all the hard work.

Surprise players that will make it onto the final 53-man roster

There is still a lot of training camps and preseason games to go before the Raiders have to trim their roster down to 53 players. However after what I've heard after the first few OTA's and just from a gut feeling I think that these relatively unknown players will make it onto the final roster.

Rod Streater WR - The Raiders are deep at WR and I can see us having 6 wideouts on our final roster. 5 of them are obvious choices but the sixth is a question mark. It could go to Eddie McGee, Thomas Mayo or Duke Calhoun among others but I think it will be Rod Streater that steps up and grabs the place. Eddie McGee  has been working out with Palmer and is the favourite but from what I hear from OTA's Streater hasn't dropped a catch yet. While there isn't any contact yet, OTA's do show glimpses of what a player will be like and just look at this catch from his college days. Streater will be the first surprise to make the Roster.

Lucas Nix G - Nix was one of the best UDFA out there and at 6'5", 317 lb he won't be hard to miss on the practice field. Nix fell out of the draft due to his knee injury keeping him inactive in 2011 but has been said to possess a 'mean streak' and will be playing as hard as possible to get that roster spot. I think the Raiders take him on because of his ability to play center and his size and talent.

Kaelin Burnett LB - Both Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen have been talking about wanting players who are versatile or as Coach Allen calls it 'multiple'. Burnett played both LB and DE in college and is just what the new-look Raiders are looking for. I also see the Raiders having at least 7 LBs on the final roster so Burnett who was very productive in college is almost certain to make the roster.

Aaron Henry S - I see Henry beating out Matt Giordano for a roster spot as he will be a lot more productive on special teams and is probably the better player. Like Nix, Henry was one of the top players to go undrafted and chose the Raiders over the Cowboys, Browns and Lions. Henry was selected to the 2011 All-Big Ten First Football Team and is just what the Raiders need. As well as making the Roster, I like Henry to be very productive for the Raiders this year and I see him as a future star.

Brian Banks - Why the Oakland Raiders should give this former High School Star a tryout

Most Raiders fans have probably never heard of Brain Banks. Once a top ranked Linebacker recruit who was awarded a scholarship to play college football at USC. However in 2003 he pleaded no-contest at the age of 16 to a rape charge. 9 years later, Brain, now 26 has been exonerated from that rape charge that he was actually wrongly accused of.

According to the 'Brian Banks' website, Banks is now training again with his dream to become an NFL player revitalised. "I want to reinvent myself" Brain says, "Professional football will be the first of many notably accomplishments of my life post-exoneration".

Banks is a 6'3'', 245-pound Linebacker that has not played football in a decade. However with McClain likely out for most of the season and the Middle Linebacker position a big question mark It would be worth a gamble giving Banks, who obviously has a lot of talent, a tryout at least. He boasts a 4.5 forty time and has the size to be an NFL player so why not? Reggie McKenszie has made a thing of adding 'good guys' to the Raiders roster this offseason and after all he has gone through, Banks is a humble and hard-working guy. There is a 99% chance that it turns out he doesn't have the skills for the pro-game but there is that 1% that just might be what the Raiders need. Banks deserves the chance to prove himself and this could be the feel-good story of the year.

Visit brianbanks.org for more information on this incredible story and watch the emotional official trailer for the upcoming documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfnDfQsjbJQ&sns=tw

Biggest Question Marks for the Raiders coming into the new season

Personally I like to look at the positives coming into a new season but sometimes the negatives get in the way. Here are the biggest question marks for the Raiders that are worrying me heading into the new season.

Can Darren McFadden stay healthy? - Not only does McFadden getting injured every year hurt the Raiders but it also wrecks my chance at fantasy football glory. When healthy McFadden is a game changing player and one of the best backs in the league. But that is When healthy. Last year McFadden only played 7 games before suffering a season ending linsfrac injury. This year for the first time we will see both Palmer and McFadden play together and it should be scary good. IF McFadden can stay healthy then I don't see why the Raiders can't make a deep playoff run.

Can The Raiders defense get it together under Coach Allen and co? - Last year Chucky Bresnahan failed to turn the Raiders defense into a 'bully' like Hue Jax wanted. In reality it was the 29th worst defence and looked appalling especially in pass defence losing us key games against the Lions, Packers, Dolphins and Chargers. Reggie McKenzie came in and immediatly fired Hue and brought in Allen, a defensive minded HC. Hopefully Allen can do what he did in Denver and turn around a poor defence.


Can Palmer return to his best and lead the team to Playoff glory? - Palmer was very hot and cold last season as he shook off the rust after seating on his couch for half the season. There were glimpses of his old self and it looked promising in week 10 when he connected with D.Moore on some big plays but after that he didn't really look much better that Jason Campbell. In a recent CSN interview he claimed his best days were still ahead of him. Lets hope he really means it.

Can our new players replace old ones and be difference makers? - Stanford Routt, Kamerion Wimbley and Michael Bush are all former Raiders. All 3 were key players last year and all 3 must be replaced. At CB the Raiders have signed Ron Bartell and Spencer. At LB we signed Phillip Wheeler and drafted Miles Burris and at RB we traded for Mike Goodson. Aswell as these player the Raiders have brought in several other free agents as well our 2012 draft class. Nobody truly knows how well these players will perform which is why it is a big question mark. Hopefully they will not only replace but improve from last years players.   

The Best Raiders players to follow on Twitter

Recently I have become a 'Twitter addict' as it is one of the best ways to get instant info on anything Raiders. You can get instant updates from analysts, beat-writers and the players themselves. Below is a list of my favourite Raiders tweeters!

Tyvon Branch - @tyvonbranch - 23,751 followers The Raiders franchise player keeps it real with his tweets and has some good jokes with other Raiders players. Top tweet "I really can't believe @Huffy247 really ran back in the house just to put on the same hoody as me smh"

Michael Huff - @Huffy247 - 33,323 followers The hero last year vs the Texans after the passing of Al Davis, Huffy loves teasing fellow raiders and a must follow for any raiders fan. Top tweet "I'm thinkin about growing my hair out and bringing my shag back for the season, what do yall think"

Marcel Reece - @CelReece45 - 17,008 followers Although still holding out from Raiders OTAs, Reece is one of my favourite raiders and his tweets are among the best. Top tweet "don't ever give him that title! U crazy? RT @nikkyface: Metta is so #THUGLIFE"

Mike Goodson - @GoodNplenty33 - 8,306 followers Mike Goodson is yet to play a down of Raider football but has already shown his worth on Twitter. And if you ask nicely he gives you a follow back. Top tweet "#PSA Ok LeBron fans seriously he's a great player without a doubt!! But not like Mike and Kobe *kanye shrug*"

Jacoby Ford - @JacobyFord12 - 50,403 followers Jacoby tweets a lot and most of it doesn't really make much sense but every now and again he tweets something awesome and that is why he has 50,000+ followers. Top tweet "@DonteStallworth you ain't bout that sushi life".....Do you see what I mean about his tweets not making much sense now.

Those are my top 5 Raiders tweeters. There are some other good tweeters like Terrelle Pryor and Taiwan Jones who you should go follow but if you are going to follow anyone, those top 5 are your best bet!

Follow me @HNeedell if you want and also one of my favourite Raiders bloggers who writes for Thoughts from the Dark Side @AsherMathews who deserves some more followers.

Why the Oakland Raiders should go after Kellen Winslow Jr.

Earlier this morning (May 21) Winslow announced on Sirius XM NFL radio that Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano had informed him that he won't be back with the team in 2012 and this makes a lot of sense. It is a new era in Tampa bay and Winslow who can be a bit of a head-ache at times in the locker room was never really in Schiano's long-term plans, add that to the fact that he has 3 years remaining on his contract and is guaranteed $3.3 million this year it was a no brainer really.

Although never living up to his full-potential he is still only 28 years old. He has had numerous surgeries on his knees and the strain is showing after only achieving a 10.2 YPC average last year however he has remained productive in Tampa, getting 700+ yards for the third straight season in 2011.

There won't be any teams out there that are willing to trade for him as he carries a high price tag so It will be no surprise when the Bucs cut him. So long as nobody with more money gets him he will be a great addition to the Raiders (Thats if he will take the salary cut). At the moment there is not a stand out TE on our roster, Kevin Boss is headed to the Chiefs leaving us with David Ausberry who is basically a WR and Brandon Myers who is basically another O-Lineman. Winslow's all round ability at TE is just what the Raiders and Carson Palmer need and In my opinion signing him to a 1 year contract will be a low risk/high reward scenario.

My Thoughts on Rolando McClain

Last week as we all know McClain was sentenced to 180 days in jail on charges of third-degree assault, recklass endangerment and discharging a firearm inside the city limits. 

What I find most disturbing about this whole affair is that all this happened 3 days before a key game down in Miami and one the Raiders ultimately lost, you can't fully blame Rolando for the defeat but why? Why would he visit his hometown in Decatur, Alabama (A place where in January 2011, he was driving a car that was shot at)  get a gun and then go to a house to beat up a childhood friend? The Video footage of the attack that surfaced (see here Video-of-Rolando-McClain-incident-surfaces) is very depressing to see. No doubt McClain is a multi-millionaire yet he is seen in a small house in a 'ghetto' in a town where crime rates are very high. 

The Raiders organisation has always produced violent 'criminal' players on the field and are often described as the 'bad-boys of the NFL' and you just have to look at the penalties the raiders conceded last year to confirm this but does being a 'criminal' on the field make you a criminal off it and does playing for the Raiders make you a violent person? In my opinion it has nothing to do with the Raiders culture, yes our fans are a lil' crazy but If you look at Rolando on the field he plays with so much anger (Just look at his body slam on Danny Amendola http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ0LH_jiCDY). This could be just the way he is but this is apparent in so many linebackers in the NFL these days, Ray Lewis may or may not have killed somebody and just recently Junior Seau committed suicide most likely due to his experiences in the NFL. Yes, American Football is a violent game and that is why so many people tune in every Sunday but if it is so violent that it is making somebody like Rolando who before the NFL was clean a thug who goes around threatening to kill people then something must be done.

I think some Jail time will do McClain some good and help him in controlling his anger but a suspension from Roger Goodell isn't going to do much in terms of helping linebackers across the NFL realises that it is just a game after all and I think that is the message that needs to be drilled into current NFL players heads before it is too late and they turn into another Junior Seau. (R.I.P by the way...)

The best and worst of the Raiders 2012 schedule

In 2012 the Raiders are playing teams from the AFC North and the NFC west as well as games against the Dolphins and the Jaguars due to where we finished last year in our division and if i'm honest, looking through the schedule there isn't one game where I think that the Raiders have no shot in this one..Then again there isnt any games where I think it is an easy win. It is going to be a very interesting season for the Raiders and here are my 3 easiest and hardest games of the 2012 season.

Easiest

Week 7 vs Jacksonville - The Jaguars don't really know what direction to go in at the moment. Blaine Gabbert looked woeful last season and even though they had a decent draft, drafting top WR J.Blackmon and DE Andre Branch and have one of the best backs in the league in MJD their GM is still in love with Tebow and drafting a punter in the 3rd isn't really going to help that much. This should (fingers crossed) be a breather in an otherwise hectic season

Week 2 at Miami - Yeah I know they destroyed us last year 34-14 and probably ruined are chance at the playoffs but in my opinion they took a step back this offseason. Ryan Tannehill isn't going to help them this year especially with no Brandon Marshall. The Raiders should have a more enjoyable trip to the south beach this year

Week 13 vs Cleveland - Do I really need to explain this one?

Hardest
Week 3 vs Pittsburgh - This game promises to be a great game and I hope that the old Raiders/Steelers rivalry can re-establish itself this year. The Steelers are getting old but still manage to dominate year after year. With no real run attack as Mendanhall  is out with a torn ACL this game will be very close and one the Raiders will have to win if they want to make a playoff run

Week 4 at Denver - The following week the Raiders travel to mile high to face Manning and the Broncos. By week 4 expect Peyton to be back on top of his game and pick many holes in a week Raiders secondary. The Raiders are going to need that bye week in week 5!

Week 16 at Carolina - I could have gone for lots of teams here, games against the Falcons, Ravens, Saints and Chargers will all be difficult. However I think the NFC south is wide open at the moment, the Saints are a mess at the moment with no Sean Payton or Vilma and at the moment no Drew Brees and the Falcons haven't done anything to show that they have improved from last year so I think the Panthers and Super Cam will grab it by the horns and come week 16 be one of the best teams in the NFL

My Bold predictions for the Raiders 2012 season

After a disappointing 2011 campaign the Raiders finished on 8-8 again and for the 9th year in a row missed out on the playoffs. During the off-season Oakland has been very quiet with little cap space or draft picks to play with but they have been very effective with what they have done. The Raiders now have a new man leading the show in Reggie McKenzie and 'his guy' Dennis Allen and the Raider nation should expect big things out of the Raiders this year. These are my 5 Bold predictions for the 2012 season.

1) Darren McFadden rushes for 1800 yards, leading the league in rush yards - This one is not even that bold, the key for McFadden is staying healthy if he can this will be easy. The news from camp is that he is looking as fast as ever so expect Run DMC to be on top of his game come September.

2) Rookie WR Juron Criner shows he is not just a camp star by catching 10 TDS - If you haven't seen the highlight reel for this kid then you should probably check it out, Im expecting great things from Juron, a steal in the 5th round.

3) Darrius Heyward-Bey will have a pro-bowl season and finally surpasses 1000 yards receiving - He got close to the 1000 yard mark last year and has been drastically improving every year, it is only a matter of time before he finally shows the league he was worthy of that top 10 draft pick and I think he will do it this year

4) Ron Bartell proves to be the bargain of free agency coming up big with 5 INTs - This guy was overlooked in free agency because of neck injury that ruled him out for the entire 2011 season but under Dennis Allen who was the secondary coach for the superbowl winning Saints in 2009 Ron Bartell will shock many people around the NFL.

5) HC Dennis Allen and DC Jason Tarver turn the 29th ranked Raiders defense in 2011 to a top ten defense in 2012 - Allen worked wonders with the Denver defense last year and the Raiders do have talent on defense. I think the rookie LB Miles Burris starts at LB after a couple of weeks and the heavy hitting Raiders defense of old will be back in a big way in 2012.

These are BOLD statements so don't take them too seriously but on the other hand don't sleep on the Raiders in 2012 and I wouldn't be at all surprised if two or three of these turn out to be true!

Ranking current Raiders players nicknames

The Raiders have had a good history due to some great players and great players get great nicknames. But Jack 'The Assasin' Tatum, Dave 'The Ghost' Casper and Kenny 'The Snake' Stabler are long gone. Here is my list of the best nicknames for current Raiders players

1) Darren McFadden - RUN DMC - Darren certainly knows how to 'walk this way' and this nickname does him justice
2) Rolando McClain - Death Ro' - He might just end up on death row himself if he isn't careful
3) Jacoby Ford - V12 - He's fast like a V12 engine and he also wears no.12. This nickname fits the bill nicely
4) Sebastian Janikowski - Sea-Bass - I know he is a kicker but he kicks it from 63 yards away, he deserves a nickname
5) Richard Seymour - King Richard - The King is getting old but he is still our stud defensive player and this nickname gives him the respect he deserves

So that is my top 5 Raider players nicknames. There are more such as DHB, Wiz 2.0 and D.Moore (well D.Moore isn't really a nickname but anything with a D at the start sounds cool a la D.Wade). Hopefully our new players and rookies will play well enough to grant themselves nicknames and bright times our ahead Raider Nation !

If you have any other Nicknames you would like to share please post them in the comments section.