Top-5 needs for the Raiders entering the 2020 offseason

This offseason, the Raiders can be more strategic about how they approach filling their needs. Last season, they had needs at so many positions, it was just about filling as many as they could in free agency and the draft and hoping for the best at the other spots.

With some $60 million in cap money and four picks in the top three rounds, there is ammo to work with. With that, we look at the top five needs for the Raiders this offseason.

1. Wide receiver

They thought they had this position fixed last offseason when they traded for Antonio Brown, signed Tyrell Williams, JJ Nelson, and Ryan Grant, and drafted Hunter Renfrow in the fifth round. What they had by the end of the season was a gimpy Williams and Renfrow as easily the team’s top target among the wide receiving corps.

Even after midseason trades to acquire Trevor Davis and Zay Jones, they were still in deep trouble at the position as both players proved why their former team was so open to parting with them. And for the third season in a row, a tight end led the team in receiving. This position needs a big splash and a lot of depth as well. An influx of talent is an absolute must.

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Raiders select two Clemson Tigers in latest Draft Wire mock

The College Football National Championship game will be played on Monday night and there will be several first-round picks on display. Knowing how much Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden value players from big-time schools, specifically Clemson, it wouldn’t be a surprise if both of their 2020 draft picks were on the field tonight.

In a recent mock draft by Luke Easterling of the Draft Network, he gave the Raiders two players from Clemson in the first round; linebacker Isaiah Simmons and receiver Tee Higgins. Take a look at the reasoning behind each selection:

The pick: LB Isaiah Simmons This defense needs quite a few things, so why not take a defender who can play just about every position? While some may view Simmons as a ‘tweener, a smart team will see his versatility as a positive. Simmons has lined up at linebacker, defensive back, and even on the edge, wreaking havoc on opposing offenses from every spot.

The pick: WR Tee Higgins – The Antonio Brown situation was an absolute debacle, and despite having some solid role players in this receiving corps, the Raiders are still in desperate need of a true No. 1 target for Derek Carr. Higgins has a rare combination of size, length, athleticism and body control, giving him all the tools to quickly become that player for Jon Gruden’s offense.

If Simmons and Higgins were both available for the Raiders in the first round, they each would be ideal selections. Both are outstanding athletes and fill positions the team needs to upgrade this offseason. Look for Simmons and Higgins to have big performances against LSU on Monday night.

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Raiders offensive line went from weak to strong area in 2019. Key word for 2020; ‘continuity’

It’s a minor miracle what happened with the Raiders offensive line last season. And Raiders coaches are trying to ensure it wasn’t a one-and-done situation.

Following the 2018 season, you could have argued that the weakest position group on this team was the offensive line. The rookie tackle duo of Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker were purging sacks, while guards Keleche Osemele and Gabe Jackson were both hampered by nagging injuries that cost them games down the stretch.

The result was 52 sacks surrendered. Then the situation seemed to go from bad to downright desperate when the team traded away Osemele. The offensive line would need some serious rebuilding along with considerable improvement.

Usually you’d figure when positions need as much help as the Raiders offensive line did, the draft would figure to be the way to go. Well, what if I told you they accomplished the offensive line revitalization without using a single draft pick on it? It was a risky move, but for the time being it has worked out.

The first step was to do something about the tackle spot. Kolton Miller was the team’s first-round pick in 2018. He gave up 16.0 sacks as a rookie, but they were determined to give him his shot to be the team’s left tackle of the future. He was also battling a knee injury, so we had yet to see what he could do healthy.

Third round rookie Parker on the other side was just plain bad. No way around it. So, the team made their biggest investment to make Trent Brown the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history and plopped him at right tackle.

That just left the guard spot, where Denzelle Good was at the top of the depth chart after filling in at the position late in the season. The team had four picks in the top 35, so It seemed the perfect time to burn one of them on a guard.

Not only did they not use one of those picks on a guard, but they also didn’t use ANY picks on a guard. It looked like it was Denzelle Good or bust, backups be damned.

If that was the idea, it didn’t last long. Good soon went out with an injury that lingered into training camp. Then, out of nowhere, here comes noted NFL bad boy Richie Incognito, signed out of retirement, despite facing NFL suspensions for incidents that occurred during his year away. Ultimately he served his two games early in the season.

The move was highly criticized. You trade away a former All-Pro guard, use no draft picks on the position, your pegged starter gets hurt, and you sign a trouble former player out of retirement at age 36 who is already going to miss time to suspension?

On top of that, you sign a tackle to the richest O-lineman contract in NFL history and put him at RIGHT tackle? While leaving your unproven second-year guy who gave up 16 sacks at left tackle? Not exactly a foolproof plan. But it worked.

Incognito served his 2-game suspension and was in the starting lineup by week three. And he had an outstanding season while being a model citizen. Then when he left late in the season with an ankle injury, Denzelle Good stepped in and played well in reserve.

Kolton Miller was the key to the success at tackle. The Raiders knew what they had in Trent Brown. And Miller stepped up as well.

As a result, Derek Carr’s sack numbers were back down to a more respectable 29 and Josh Jacobs averaged 4.8 yards per carry on his way to being the odds on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The only issue was when Brown was lost to injury, they put Brandon Parker back in and suddenly it was 2018 again with Carr seeing pressure from the outside and backs getting stuffed in the backfield. So, I suppose finding a decent backup tackle would be a good idea.

A day after the Raiders season finale, they re-signed Incognito to a 2-year extension. And last week, they brought Denzelle Good back on a one-year deal as well. So, the same group will be back for 2020.

“Yeah it’s huge,” Gruden said of bringing back Incognito. “I mean continuity is a word that we‘d like to live by here, and it’s something we have struggled to do obviously.”

Honestly, it’s hard to believe we’re here. A lot had to go right with this line for things to fall into place. And from the looks of it, all those things happened. Miller developed as a tackle, Incognito was great on and off the field, Rodney Hudson was Rodney Hudson and was named 2nd team All-Pro, and Trent Brown was everything they hoped he’d be at right tackle. And they’re all back next year

Oddly enough, it was the longest-tenured member of the group Gabe Jackson who was the only somewhat disappointment, once again dealing with nagging injuries. With Good playing well, should Jackson falter again, there is a ‘Good’ alternative.

Overall, this line is in very good shape heading into this offseason and the 2020 season in Las Vegas.

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9 players the Raiders could target on draft night

The Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders have the enviable position of having two mid-first round picks in the talent-laden 2020 NFL Draft. Coming off a year that, by many experts’ standards, was better than expected, the Raiders will have a shorter to-do list than one would have guessed before the year began.

The offensive line performed well, the defensive line was much better than anyone would have guessed, and some players stepped up at TE and in the secondary. So, where could the Raiders go with their top two selections come Thursday, April 23^rd? Here are the group of players I’d expect the Raiders to target come draft night.

CeeDee Lamb – WR, Oklahoma – Lamb is a complete WR that is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He can win at the line of scrimmage and runs excellent routes at all three levels. He has excellent speed, but is deadly with the ball in his hands. I believe he is the best WR in this draft, but may not be the best fit for the Silver and Black. That WR would be…

Jerry Jeudy – WR, Alabama – Jeudy is as precise of a route runner to enter the draft in years. He can run the entire route tree and is another blazer, expected to run in the 4.4 range at the combine. He has excellent ball skills, as well. His precision on every route would pair extremely well with Tyrell Williams.

Isaiah Simmons – LB, Clemson – Simmons is a Swiss Army Knife of a defender. He will line up most frequently at a linebacker spot, but can drop into centerfield, can move up to the line of scrimmage, can play head up over a TE, move into the slot, or even move outside and play corner in certain defensive looks. He’s incredibly athletic for a man his size and can fit any defense in any situation.

Justin Herbert – QB, Oregon – Herbert teases with his physical traits. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s athletic, and he has a cannon of an arm. He just doesn’t seem to make as many big plays as you’d expect from a guy with his skill set. He had a good year in Eugene, but not one to move the needle one way or the other.

If you liked him entering the 2019 draft process, you probably still like him now. And vice versa. If he falls to the 12^th pick in the draft, the Raiders may very well want to bring him in as a potential long-term upgrade on incumbent Derek Carr.

Henry Ruggs – WR, Alabama – The fastest player in the draft, Ruggs is expected to challenge John Ross’s record in the 40 yard dash at the combine. He profiles as a DeSean Jackson-type of player at the next level and will create mismatches all over the field, ala Tyreek Hill. A true playmaker, Ruggs is a player that every team in the league would love to deploy.

Trevon Diggs – CB, Alabama – Another Bama player expected to receive heavy interest from CB-needy teams. Diggs is an exceptional athlete that is best suited for press/zone schemes. His ball skills are excellent and he’s a threat to score at any moment. He constantly has his eyes on the Quarterback, which has its positives and negatives. He is susceptible to double moves, but that can be mitigated with safety help. I love the player and think he could reach multiple Pro Bowls.

Laviska Shenault – WR, Colorado – Shenault is a little raw in terms of his route running, but there is no denying his athleticism and ability to create big plays. He is unbelievably difficult to tackle once the ball is in his hands, so he can be used early on in screens, reverses, and as a deep threat. His ceiling as a receiver is extremely high, but he’ll need to be coached on the nuances of the position.

Kristian Fulton – CB, LSU – Fulton doesn’t have the ideal size to be a perimeter corner in today’s NFL. But he checks off every other box. He’s an exceptional athlete with fluid hips and change of direction ability. He’s very sticky in man coverage and makes things extremely difficult for receivers.

He has the speed and the quickness to play tight man coverage and make up for any mistakes. I’m not sure he’s the best fit for the Raiders’ defensive scheme, but you sometimes just take the best player you can and figure it out.

Tua Tagovailoa – QB, Alabama – Wait, what? As of now, it is not expected that Tua will make it to the 12^th pick of the draft. However, he is coming off a major hip injury that could leave him vulnerable to falling in the draft.

Before the year started, most pundits had Tua pegged as the nation’s top prospect and player most likely to go first overall in the draft. Now, with Joe Burrow having supplanted Tua as the top QB, and Tua struggling through some injuries, nobody really knows where he’ll end up.

But, if for some crazy reason he falls, the Raiders should take a chance on a guy they could soon make the face of the franchise.

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Tom Flores again denied Hall of Fame induction in what figured to be his best chance to get in

During the halftime show of the Seahawks vs Packers Divisional round playoff game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame told former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson that he would be inducted into the hall of fame as part of the 2020 Centennial class. …

Johnson receiving his bid comes on the heels of former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher being told Saturday night on the set of CBS’s “The NFL Today” pregame show that he would also be inducted.

There were eight coaches named Hall of Fame finalists as part of the Centennial class. Of them, only two were to be selected. Also a finalist was former Raiders 2-time Super Bowl winning head coach Tom Flores, which means once again, Flores has been denied induction into the Hall of Fame, now becoming the only ever 2-time Super Bowl winning head coach (1980-83) to not be in the Hall of Fame. Jimmy Johnson (1992-93) was the other.

It’s been 26 years since Flores coached his last NFL game and this was to be his best chance at finally getting in. He is once of many former Raiders who either waited far too long to get the call, or still have yet to get that call. Ken Stabler died before he was finally inducted via the Senior Committee. Cliff Branch is a finalist for the Centennial Class as a player, but he too passed last year, making yet another legendary Raider not to get his chance to take the stage in Canton. Flores is 82 years old, so he is nearing the real possibility it could happen to him as well.

Other head coach finalists to not make this year’s class were

Don Coryell – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers

Mike Holmgren – 1992-98 Green Bay Packers, 1999-2008 Seattle Seahawks

Buddy Parker – 1949 Chicago Cardinals, 1951-56 Detroit Lions, 1957-1964 Pittsburgh Steelers

Dan Reeves – 1981-1992 Denver Broncos, 1993-96 New York Giants, 1997-2003 Atlanta Falcons

Dick Vermeil – 1976-1982 Philadelphia Eagles, 1997-99 St. Louis Rams, 2001-05 Kansas City Chiefs

Raiders 2019 season awards: Surprise player on offense, defense

In some ways, a breakout player and a surprise player can overlap. But not entirely. Breakout players tend to show signs of making the leap. Surprise players often come out of nowhere. Like, who saw that coming? Which, I suppose, is a way of breaking out, but are we going to split hairs over handing out more awards? I didn’t think so.

Here are the Raiders surprise players on both sides of the ball.

Surprise player: Offense

TE Darren Waller

Some of the Raiders coaches may have seen this coming, but few other people did. Waller was a former sixth-round pick who had never started more than three games in a season with a career total of 12 catches for 103 yards when the Raiders plucked him off the Ravens’ practice squad late last season.

Waller surpassed that total by the 2019 season opener. By week three, he had more catches (13) and yards (134) than he had in his entire career before joining the Raiders.

By the season’s end, Waller had the second most catches (90) and yards (1145) than any tight end in Raiders’ history. Anyone who told me they expected that I would call a liar. I don’t know if Waller expected that.

The team knew by midseason what kind of talent they had on their hands and moved decisively to lock him up long term. And with his history with substance abuse, there’s a lot of people who are rooting for him to live up to the faith the Raiders are putting in him.

Surprise player: Defense

LB Will Compton

Late last season, the Raiders signed three linebackers – Brandon Marshall, Will Compton, and Preston Brown. Of those three, the one that seemed least likely to make an impact was Compton. Marshall had been signed this offseason as a former longtime starter for the Broncos, so it seemed when they re-signed him that he could step right in and play.

Less than a week later, he was released again. Brown was a former third-round pick who had started every game of his career dating back to his rookie season in 2014. He appeared in one game for the Raiders, seeing 17 snaps and was waived two days later. Compton had started five games combined for two different teams and hadn’t been on a roster in 2019.

Despite all the background to suggest Compton wasn’t long for the Raiders, he was the one who was put on the field four days after they signed him, appeared in every game the second half of the season, and named a starter for the final four games.

When he was given more snaps, they always translated to tackles, including putting up 12 combined tackles in the Week 16 win over the Chargers. The last time he was a full-time starter was 2016 in Washington for Jon’s brother Jay and he put up 106 tackles that year. He kept earning his roster spot over five seasons for Jay, maybe he can do the same for Jon.

See other Raiders 2019 awards:

Breakout players on offense, defense

Top newcomer on offense, defense

Most disappointing addition on offense, defense

Season Ballers & Busters

Offensive, defensive Rookie of the Year

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Raiders 2019 season awards: Breakout player on offense, defense

Each offseason, there are those players who you say to yourself that their development or ability to step up could hold the key to the success of the team. Every team needs players who can take a step forward and outplay their previous performances or their previous role. It can’t all just be the same players playing the same level with upgrades coming from free agency and the draft.

Here are the players who broke out for the Raiders on each side of the ball:

Breakout player: Offense

LT Kolton Miller

Many people wanted to give Kolton Miller a pass for his performance as a rookie because he was playing through a knee injury. He gave up 16.0 sacks and has some serious issues in run blocking as well. I can understand the wait-and-see approach, but the fact of the matter was there was no proof to suggest Miller would play at an NFL starter level once he was healthy. All we’d seen from him was poor play, regardless of whether the injury was to blame or not.

In his second season, he proved it. He was a solid left tackle against the rush and even showed improvement as a run blocker. He would routinely get downfield to make big blocks on screen plays and seal the edge at the line to create lanes for Josh Jacobs to run through.

Miller needed to live up to the potential he showed in his raw physical gifts as a 6-8, 1-year starter out of UCLA and this season he appears to have done that.

Breakout player: Defense

S Erik Harris

Late last season, Harris stepped into the starting safety role as an injury replacement. He played well, but the Raiders still went out and drafted Johnathan Abram and before minicamps, Abram had supplanted Harris as the starter.

Harris kept doing his thing and preparing as if he was the starter and by week two, he was. Abram tore his Achilles in the season opener and was lost for the season. Harris would have three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. The Raiders won both games.

Harris is fast and he’s an intimidating hitter, probably from all his experience as a special teams maven. Now he is looking like he is in the Raiders’ plans as a starting safety, probably alongside Abrams, instead of sitting behind him.

Next up: Surprise player on offense, defense

See other Raiders 2019 awards:

Top newcomer on offense, defense

Most disappointing addition on offense, defense

Season Ballers & Busters

Offensive, defensive Rookie of the Year

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Raiders RT Trent Brown named team’s ‘most overpaid player’ by Bleacher Report

Every team has a bad contract or two on their books. Such is life in the NFL. But the key to success in the NFL is limiting the number of bad contracts.

Luckily for the Raiders, there aren’t many “bad” deals on the roster. You can make a case that players such as Lamarcus Joyner or Tyrell Williams are slightly over-paid given their recent production, but it’s nothing too concerning. However, not everyone agrees with that statement.

In a recent piece by Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report, he named each team’s most overpaid player heading into the 2020 offseason. For the Raiders, he selected right tackle Trent Brown, who the team made the highest-paid tackle in the league last offseason. Take a look at Gagnon’s reasoning for the selection below:

Brown inexplicably made the Pro Bowl despite missing five games and struggling as a run-blocker at right tackle in 2019, but he’s not a good player. He’s a decent pass-blocker who excelled with tremendous support for one year in New England and leveraged that into a blockbuster free-agent deal in the 2019 offseason.

He’s a massive man (6’8″, 380 lbs) who could still grow from a skill standpoint at age 26, but it’s silly that he’s due a $21.5 million salary-cap hit and won’t even protect the blind side in 2020.

While it’s fair to be concerned about Brown’s injury history, being a highly-paid right tackle is no longer a problem in today’s NFL. Many teams move their best pass-rusher around to exploit matchups, so knocking him for where he plays doesn’t make a ton of sense.

There is also no such thing as overpaying to protect your quarterback. In 2018, Derek Carr was sacked 51 times. In 2019, that number improved to just 29 sacks. Brown was a big reason for that improvement and that’s why it’s tough to consider him as a “bad” contract. As Brown gets healthy, look for him to be even better in the 2020 season.

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Raiders Film Room: 3rd and Renfrow

Raiders Wire takes a deep dive into Hunter Renfrow and why he was a standout on third down.

Hunter Renfrow has been underrated for most of his life. One of the unsung heroes of Clemson’s rise to prominence, you rarely hear his name when it comes to being apart of one of the best teams of the decade. The former walk-on scored the game-winning touchdown for Clemson for their first national championship and was on the roster for the second.

Renfrow went on to have a great senior bowl displaying how tough he is to guard in one on one matchups. His combine was much to desired with his hand size being 7 inches, and this led to him falling all the way down to the fifth round, where the Raiders scooped up the wide receiver prospect.

The fifth-round pick was a pleasant surprise for the Raiders offense and exhibited his value when he injured his ribs week 12. Renfrow finished with 49 catches for 605 yards and four touchdowns. His last two games of the season were his first 100 yard games at any level of football.

Where Renfrow truly shines is on third-down.

35 percent of Renfrow’s catches were third-down conversions where he finished 17^th in the league. All four of his touchdowns are on third down with him being a safety valve for the Raiders offense in critical situations.

What makes Renfrow great on third down? I dug into the film and saw a savvy route runner and unexpected playmaker.

Playmaking ability

One area fans did not expect to see from the young slot machine was his ability to create big plays. Renfrow was never asked to do this in college, but in the NFL has displayed he can take a quick slant all the way to the house.

The first time we saw this was against the Houston Texans. It was third and six, and the Raiders come out in 11 personnel with a 2×2 set out of the shotgun. Renfrow will be running a slant route to Carr’s left with Zay Jones running a drag from the slot position.

Renfrew does a great job of stemming from the perfect angle for breaking inside on the slant. He exhibits his quickness at the top of his route to create separation and a good window for Carr. The quarterback hits him right in between the numbers, and Renfrow breaks two tackle on the way to a 65-yard touchdown.

Downfield Threat

Renfrow didn’t win downfield much when he was at Clemson where he was mostly used on underneath routes. During his rookie season, Renfrow was able to win downfield on multiple occasions.

Against the Cincinnati Bengals, Renfrow’s number was called on this third and six early in the second quarter. The Raiders offense is in an 11 personnel 3×1 bunch set out of the shotgun. Renfrow is the inside receiver on the bunch and will be running a delayed corner against the Bengals man to man coverage.

The former Clemson Tiger does a fantastic job on the delayed route allowing the other receivers to cross before he stems, causing confusion between the defensive backs. Once he stems out, he immediately wins and has separation from William Jackson. Carr throws a little off, but Renfrow shows off his tracking skills and can find the football with a terrific catch for the first down.

While this next play didn’t work out, it still displays Renfrow’s ability to get open on third down. Against the Broncos Week 17, the Raiders are facing a third and one on their first drive of the game.

Raiders are in a 2×2 set with Renfrow to the left of Carr. Renfrow will be running an out and up and wins easily on the outside with plenty of room for completion. Carr puts too much air into the throw, and Renfrow can’t find a way to get under it.

Mental Processing Versus Zone

The best area Renfrow adds to the Raiders offense is his ability to find the holes in the zone defense. Teams ran zone coverages against the Raiders 80 percent of the time according to sports info solutions the last six weeks. Renfrow missed three of those games, and his presence was felt against the zone right away.

This play against the Chargers in the ultimate example of how Renfrow uses his football intelligence. The Raiders are in a 3×1 set running the Ohio concept with Renfrow running the out route from the slot position. The Chargers are in cover 2, which will allow the boundary corner to play the underneath routes that come his way.

After the snap, Renfrow recognizes the zone coverage, and when he runs his out route turns his body towards Carr to give him an open window. This way, Carr can put the pass right on him instead of leading him right into the corner who is coming back down to his zone. This adjustment by Renfrow allows for the Raiders to earn first down on third and five.

It’s crazy to think about, but Renfrow has a chance to be a star player in the slot. He even displayed the ability to possibly play outside the numbers with his route running and ability to get open on double moves.

The chemistry between him a Carr is healthy, and you can tell by the way they connect on the field the quarterback trust him on third down. Renfrow got better as the season went along, and his year two might be a more substantial jump than many will be expecting.

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Raiders 2019 season awards: Most disappointing addition on offense, defense

Now that we’ve celebrated the top newcomers to the Raiders, let’s look at the flip side – the most disappointing additions on each side of the ball. After all, they can’t all be winners. This isn’t just about players who played poorly or didn’t play at all. This is about hopes and expectations. And those who fell the farthest from the visions we had of them when they arrived.

Most disappointing addition: Offense

WR Antonio Brown

Brown was considered arguably the most talented wide receiver in football when the Raiders traded a third and fifth-round pick for him. He forced his way out of Pittsburgh, but that alone wasn’t enough for people to lower their expectations of him as a player. Plenty of players force trades. That doesn’t automatically mean they will continue to be a problem elsewhere. Usually, it means the opposite. Usually, they just need a change of scenery and new teammates and coaches. Their talent is still there.

Well, Brown was still talented. We saw that in limited action in the offseason and in camp. But he was not right in the head and before the season even arrived, the list of problems with his behavior had mounted and he was released.

Merely not being available was bad enough. He was supposed to be the bonafide number one receiver Derek Carr needed and they no longer had that. But it was worse than that. Firstly, the Raiders lost two draft picks getting him. Secondly, had he not been acquired, the team would very likely have used one of their four picks in the top 35 on a wide receiver who could fill that role. Someone like AJ Brown, perhaps.

Thirdly, Antonio Brown was released just prior to the season, so all the plans they had for Brown in this offense were down the drain with no backup plan. It was full speed ahead with a ramshackle wide receiver corps and the result of that was predictable.

Most disappointing addition: Defense

LB Vontaze Burfict

The Bengals parted ways with Burfict and Paul Guenther got his guy. Burfict’s dirty play was well documented as was his many league disciplinary actions – 13 instances, including three suspensions. Everyone knew he was on very thin ice. Everyone except apparently Paul Guenther.

Even still, Burfict is a talented player, who knew Guenther’s defense inside and out and we all kind of figured if there was any place he could thrive and stay out of trouble it was with his old ball coach.

All through camp, Burfict seemed like he was going to be on his best behavior and his teammates raved about how smart he was and how he was keeping the level of communication open so the defense could function at a high level. There was reason to be excited and it was enough to make you forget Burfict was one personal foul away from a substantial suspension.

Burfict made it through just three games before that personal foul came. He lowered the crown of his helmet into another player’s helmet and was ejected from a game. He ran off the field seemingly laughing at the penalty and that was probably the last we will ever see from him in an NFL uniform. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely by the league.

Many thought that punishment was too harsh, and perhaps it was, but consider this; His last suspension was for five games, reduced to three games on appeal. So, his next suspension was going to be at very least 8 games and he wouldn’t win an appeal this time. That would have had him out until week 13.

He would return for the final four games and after the season probably still never play another game because everyone would know the next personal foul would certainly end his career. The Raiders signed Will Compton with four games left in the season and he was outstanding for them. I wouldn’t have chosen Burfict over Compton.

The moral here is Guenther and Burfict teased everyone into thinking we would get all the good aspects of his game and none of the drawbacks, at least for one full season. They got three games out of him and the defense suddenly was back to having to make a change at middle linebacker midstream, just as they had the three previous seasons and the results were equally detrimental to the play of the defense.

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