Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

As soon as Bruce Campbell took the crown as the combine’s workout warrior there was no doubt Al Davis would come calling. The only real drama was how high Davis would value the left tackle out of Maryland. After reaching for another Terrapin in wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey there was plenty of reason to think Davis could do the same for Campbell.

In the end Davis didn’t overvalue Campbell to the extent of giving him a first round contract. Instead the Raiders grabbed Campbell in the 4^th round one round after finding their true left tackle in Jared Veldheer.

That the Raiders would draft both Veldheer and Campbell in succession said it all.

Clearly Davis wanted Campbell and the scouts saw Veldheer as the true talent worth investing time, effort and money in. Davis got his man and the Raiders got in Veldheer a guy capable of doing what Robert Gallery never could. In the end it all worked out.

The end, for Campbell, came yesterday.

After two seasons in which he never started a single game, was moved from tackle to guard and only saw meaningful time in the preseason the Bruce Campbell experiment was ended. Reggie McKenzie’s cleansing continues.

Now some might view this as yet another effort to completely remove the Al Davis signature from the franchise. First and foremost that will be impossible. In order to remove the Davis influence from the Raiders you’d have to get rid of the NFL all together. What Davis accomplished was that influential.

However eliminating some bad contracts, freeing roster spots for players that can actually contribute and ridding the Raiders of scholarship athletes is something that was long overdue.

Campbell is just the latest in Davis’ pet projects that needed to be given his walking papers. Even when Davis was calling the shots there was nothing that could be done to get Campbell into an expanded role. Consider the fact that Heyward-Bey was forced into the starting lineup from day one despite a complete inability to play the position right out of college. Yet not even Davis could make a case for Campbell.

Maybe the Carolina Panthers will get more out of Campbell. They’re going to move him back to tackle. Good luck with that.

I was pulling for Campbell. His athletic ability was so enamoring that just like Davis I had visions of grandeur envisioning Campbell leading Al’s army of darkness as a pulling guard. Imagine the imposing figure of Bruce Campbell out in open space and clearing the path for Darren McFadden.

That was never meant to be. Instead of waiting around for Campbell to develop McKenzie is going forward with players that will actually add to the team. The scholarship program is long gone. Stanford Routt was the first to learn this news, Campbell just the latest.

McKenzie isn’t looking to rid the franchise of the Davis touch. If that were the case he wouldn’t have given the franchise tag to Tyvon Branch. Instead McKenzie is simply placing a higher value on production over potential. Mike Goodson won’t make the Raiders Super Bowl contenders but on Sundays he’ll be doing much more to help this team win than Bruce Campbell ever did. In the end not even Davis would argue that.

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Reggie McKenzie continues to tweak the Oakland roster, today making a move to help replace the loss of Michael Bush. PFT confirms that the Raiders have traded Bruce Campbell to the Carolina Panthers for reserve running back Mike Goodson.

In the grand schemed this is a very minor move. However it could prove vital should Darren McFadden suffer though yet another injury plagued season.

Nothing indicates Goodson will be anything close to being as productive as Bush was. A former fourth round pick out of Texas A&M, Goodson was buried on Carolina’s depth chart behind DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. His only real chance to contribute came on special teams where he did occasionally shine as a kick returner.

In 2010 Goodson got a chance to show what he could do as a runner. Injuries to both Williams and Stewart allowed Goodson to take on an expanded role including making a three starts as the Panthers feature back. He did not disappoint, racking up over 700 yards in total offense and three rushing TDs in his best season as a pro.

After that it was back to bench. 2011 saw Williams and Stewart return to full health plus the emergence of Cam Newton meant Goodson was a complete afterthought. He didn’t get a single carry last season and only returned 11 kicks.

This trade gives the Raiders a veteran runner that has the game experience Taiwan Jones lacks. While Jones is an explosive talent he’s not at all ready to be an every down back. Goodson is a solid runner with a good frame (5’11”/212lbs) that can contribute in a multitude of ways. He’s also going to be much more valuable in pass protection than Jones.

As for Campbell it goes without saying his time as a Raider was underwhelming. The freakish athlete out of Maryland arrived with all kinds of hype as an offensive tackle. Always viewed as a project player, Campbell was moved from tackle to guard and saw almost no action during his two years in silver and black. In preseason action Campbell was very inconsistent. He would run hot and cold, dominant on one snap then clueless on the next. Technique was always the issue with Campbell. He routinely played with his pad level much too high allowing him to be pushed around by smaller defenders nowhere near his strength.

The Panthers plan to move Campbell back to tackle as they now take on the task of molding a fantastic athlete into a quality football player. While this move was made with an eye on shoring up depth at running back it is hard to ignore this being yet another attempt to rid the roster of Al Davis’ pet projects.

Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

The relationship shared between Khalif Barnes and the Oakland Raiders can’t be described as dysfunctional. The two seem to get along just fine. Barnes played surprisingly well at right tackle last season so it only makes sense they would welcome him back next year.

What makes this relationship more like a friends-with-benefits type deal is that every year there seems to be a wait and see approach. The Raiders won’t offer Barnes anything more than a one year contract. Barnes doesn’t seem willing to seek secure employment elsewhere. So why not just stick with what you’ve got until something better comes along?

Barnes clearly likes playing for the Raiders. He’s stuck it out despite being pretty much an after thought until the franchise finally moved on from the disasters that were Cornell Green and Mario Henderson. With no other options in sight, Oakland had no choice but to give Barnes a shot at right tackle.

Wouldn’t you know it, the SoCal native went out and had himself an impressive year in 2011. Among the many question marks looming in the wake of the lockout, Oakland’s O-line was thought to be one of their biggest unknowns. Thanks to the efforts of Barnes, the Raiders were among the league’s best at protecting the QB and running the ball.

Though the coaching staff has changed, the offensive line is remaining mostly the same. Stefen Wisniewski will slide into his natural position at center now that Samson Satele is in Indy. Cooper Carlisle looks likely switch to left guard in order to allow newly singed Mike Brisiel to play on the right side. Otherwise Jared Veldheer will still be holding it down at left tackle with Barnes opposite him on the right side.

Khalif Barnes gets respect for going into each of the last three seasons with nothing more than the promise of a one-year contract. However if Bruce Campbell or Joe Barksdale aren’t looking like they’re ready to step up then isn’t it time the Raiders ante-up and give Barnes something more than an open ended audition?