Oakland Raiders Just a Defensive Line Away from Relevance: If general manager Reggie Mckenzie wants to improve the outlook of the Oakland Raiders franchise, he must address the defensive line. Mckenzie had the right idea when signing free agents Justin Tuck, Antonio Smith and C.J. Wilson, but the trio hasn’t fulfilled expectations needed to solidify the front line. Rookie nose tackle Justin Ellis is the only player on the defensive line drafted by Oakland, and that needs to change by the 2015 draft. Both Tuck and Smith are under contract until 2016 with guaranteed money. When Wilson’s contract expires after this season, the Raiders should strongly consider drafting defensive tackle Leonard Williams from the University of Southern California. The pick would allow Smith to move back to his natural position at defensive end. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller suggested standout offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi for the Raiders in a mock draft. However, Donald Penn has played well at left tackle. Oakland’s offensive line is one of the best in the NFL at protecting the quarterback in terms of sacks allowed. Rookie signal-caller David Carr has only been sacked seven times this season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Reggie Mackenzie needs to address a more dire need on the team. The Raiders have the most futile defensive line in the league. A formidable defensive front is marked by sacks—being able to rush the quarterback and run defense. Oakland ranks 26th in rush defense, giving up 130.1 yards per game. Pressure up front is virtually nonexistent, recording only seven sacks this season. If the Silver and Black cannot win battles in the trenches, opposing quarterbacks will continue to have an excess of time and space needed to pick apart the defensive backs. According to CBSSports, Williams is currently ranked as the second-best overall player in the 2015 draft, if he forgoes his senior season. The combination of Khalil Mack at linebacker with Williams spearheading the 4-3 scheme could be a powerful one-two punch at the heart of the defense. Veterans Tuck and LaMarr Woodley, who have had success at their respective positions—and played on Super Bowl teams could provide leadership behind the talented play of a young nucleus on defense. Bolstering the defensive line is a concept three other NFL teams have adopted to boost their chances of making the playoffs and becoming contenders. Within the division, the Kansas City Chiefs don’t have a top-tier quarterback or the most talented wide receivers. Nonetheless, their defense is ranked third in the league in preventing third-down conversions, allowing a stingy 32.9 percent success rate. The Chiefs are also fourth in the league in total sacks with 24. It’s fair to point out Kansas City’s defense is mediocre when defending the run, but the pressure on opposing quarterbacks creates enough static in the pocket to force poor decision-making from the signal-caller. In effect, their pass defense is No. 1 in the league, allowing less than 200 yards. Picking up Williams could have the same effect on the Raiders defense and provide something the Chiefs don’t have, an athletic solid nose tackle to stop the run. The Buffalo Bills are now second in the AFC East with Kyle Orton under center and rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins. When examining the rosters overall production, its clear the team is led by their defensive front. According to ESPN reporter Mike Rodak, the organization invested $45 million on a defensive line that is currently wreaking havoc in the NFL. The price tag has been worth every penny thus far. EJ Manuel, the potential franchise quarterback was benched four weeks ago. Running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson are both expected to miss significant time with injuries. Yet, the team is still in stride with the New England Patriots at 5-3, headed into their bye week. Bostons Erik Frenz published a article centered around the Bills potent defense, a characteristic Patriots head coach Bill Belichick discussed: The Bills’ dominant defense takes pressure off Orton. He doesn’t have to produce gaudy passing numbers to win shootouts. The defense minimizes opposing scoring opportunities, which prevents Buffalo from falling behind by a huge deficit. The Minnesota Vikings were unable to capitalize on the Bills’ stagnant offense in Week 7. The defense kept Buffalo within one score, allowing Orton to throw a game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds. Right now, Carr is classified as a decent prospect on a bad team. How will he fare in a game-winning drive? Does he have the football acumen to make the right throws in high-pressure, late-game situations? If the defense minimizes scoring opportunities, those intangibles will be put to the test. The Detroit Lions are the best example of a defense keeping a team competitive. The Lions have been expected to make substantial strides for the past couple of seasons with the potentially explosive combination of Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush leading the charge. Detroit currently leads the NFC North, and a majority of the credit has been attributed to the defense. Sports Illustrated and NYT Sports noted the success of the Lions defense: Its maintained its stronghold on the NFC North with brute for force led by Ndamukong Suh, Ezekiel Ansah and Nick Fairley. The Lions rank second in rush defense, allowing 74 yards per game. Most importantly, the defense leads the league with the fewest points and total yards allowed. Johnson hasn’t been a major factor since Week 3. He was showcased as a decoy against the New York Jets and Bills in Weeks 4 and 5. Megatron hasnt scored a touchdown since the season opener against the New York Giants. In his absence the Lions are 3-0. Detroit’s running backs are contributing a collective 79.6 yards per game, ranked 31st in the league. Stafford’s numbers aren’t eye-popping. He has 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions—while constantly trying to escape pressure. Stafford has been sacked 24 times, the most among starting quarterbacks, per Pro Football Focus. Despite the shortcomings on the offensive end, the defense keeps the Lions atop the standings as a contender. Detroits expectations tapered, coming off a 7-9 season with a new coach, but the defense has elevated those expectations. Similar to the Lions, the Raiders have meddled in obscurity. Oakland is constantly written off as a sub-.500 team without direction; Mackenzie can right the ship with a new defensive line. Thorough and in-depth scouting can lead the Raiders to quality running backs and receivers after the first round. Offensive skill players like LeSean McCoy, DeMarco Murray, Jordy Nelson and T.Y. Hilton are all impact players formerly drafted in the second and third rounds. The flashy allure of college standouts like Todd Gurley or Amari Cooper is tempting, but if you have a franchise quarterback (the Raiders feel Carr fits that description), he can elevate the talent around him. If Mckenzie is confident Carr can lead the offense, he can draft high on defensive players and give Maurice Jones-Drew and James Jones another year to develop within the offense. The Raiders’ front office should look no further than the previous Super Bowl when contemplating whether to build a prolific offense or dominant defense in pursuit of the Lombardi Trophy. Advanced statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference. Follow @AuthorLysander Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #Football #NFL #AFCWest #OaklandRaiders
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 02:52:10 +0000
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