Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

At this rate it feels like Cooper Carlisle will be playing guard for the Raiders forever. Not that it’s a bad thing. Carlisle has been one of the most durable men to wear silver and black since he arrived way back in 2007. Hard to believe he was once a Denver Bronco. It feels like Carlisle always has been a Raider.

Of course having started every game of his career in Oakland and being a consistent performer has granted Carlisle the Raider-for-life status so few achieve.

It also seems like every year the book is about to be closed on Carlisle yet there he is on opening day, opening holes for the running game and keeping his quarterback’s jersey clean in the passing game.

About the only thing that will be different in 2012 will be where Carlisle plays. He’ll almost certainly retain his starting role however he’ll be moving to the left side of the line thanks to the arrival of Mike Brisiel. None the less the former Florida Gator will be right there in the mix…again.

Already the Raiders are thinking long-term beyond the Carlisle era. It will eventually come to and end after all. For now, it’s just nice to know you can set your clock to Cooper time on Sundays.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

The good news for Joe Barksdale is that he got to play in all 16 games as a rookie. Bouncing between guard and tackle Barksdale collected his fare share of reps after the Raiders took the former LSU Tiger in the third round of the 2011 draft.

The bad news for Barksdale is that he might not see as much action during his sophomore campaign. At not at guard he won’t. Depending on how things shake out Barksdale is either going to be groomed as a full-time tackle where he could compete with Khalif Barnes for the starting gig opposite Jared Veldheer. Or Barksdale will be mired in the shuffle at the guard position.

With Stefen Wisniewski taking over at center it appeared as if an opportunity appeared for Barksdale. That was until the Raiders inked Mike Brisiel, re-signed Cooper Carlisle and then proceeded to draft Tony Bergstrom who is slated to make the conversion from college tackle to NFL guard.

So, where does that leave Barksdale?

Well, if this whole offensive lineman thing doesn’t work out he could always revert to his high school days as a defensive lineman. At 6’4”/325 Barksdale is built like a true nose tackle, a position Dennis Allen is trying to fill with Tommy Kelly. Beyond football Barksdale is also a solid writer as indicated by the musings on his blog.  But it’s way too early to start talking about life after the game.

For now Barksdale figures to be right in the middle of some heated camp battles that will reveal how far he’s come in one year of pro ball. His play was mixed as a rookie, looking very confident and comfortable in some instances and then uncomfortable and over-matched in others. His natural position is tackle and that is likely his best bet to see the most field time in 2012…that is if he makes the 53-man. Can’t imagine the Raiders moving on from him this early in his career but as we know McKenzie is building his team and Barksdale wasn’t one of his picks.

Oakland will be getting a versatile and experienced lineman. Bergstrom was as a three years starter at Utah his final season a sackless campaign in the debut season for the Utes in the PAC 12.  He will likely get a look at guard but the right tackle position is ripe for a good camp battle and it just so happens that’s where Bergstrom spent most of his time in Salt Lake.

The concerns relate to health and age. He’s had some knee surgery and due to a religious commitment he’s a couple years ahead of most of his fellow classmate (not you, Brandon Weeden).

Obviously we won’t be able to properly grade this pick until he puts on some pads but the immediate reaction is that it’s a quality pick at a position of need. McKenzie said all along the Raiders are looking for depth and Bergstrom could give them that at multiple positions on the O-line. The added bonus being he will bolster competition pushing guys like Joe Barksdale for reps as a backup with the high hope being he could go toe to toe with either Khalif Barnes or Cooper Carlisle as a starter.