Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

While Reggie McKenzie continues to clean the financial mess left by Al Davis and Hue Jackson, Dennis Allen is playing the waiting game. The newest head coach in Oakland is waiting to see who will be left standing once McKenzie’ contract wrecking ball swings through the roster clearing some much needed cap space.

No doubt there have already been plenty of behind the scenes discussion between McKenzie and Allen. After all, a coach can’t do his job unless he knows a little something about the men he’ll be coaching.

In recent weeks there has been plenty of speculation on just who will remain on the Raiders roster once McKenzie gets his franchise in cap compliance. Pretty much any defensive player given a healthy contract by Al Davis is rumored to be going the way of Stanford Routt out of Oakland.

Michael Huff is among those considered to be in McKenzie’s crosshairs. That is why Huff’s recent Tweet about a convo he had with his new head coach could shed some light on his future as a Raider.

According to Huff, he and Allen had a “great talk”. Huff goes on to proclaim that he loves what Allen has planned for “us on D”. Key word being “us”.

Once upon a time Allen played in the last line of defense just like Huff. As a safety at Texas A&M Allen earned the reputation as a hard-nosed defender. A trait most every successful safety must have. Perhaps he sees some untapped potential in Huff and has convinced the former Longhorn to take a pay cut in order to stay in the Bay.

Huff’s career in Oakland as been uneven at best. Early on it looked like he was on his way to being another one of Al’s speedy draft busts (Derrick Gibson, Patrick Bates anyone?). You know they type. They’re careers typically are over in about as little time as took for them to run the 40-yards that caught the eye of Davis.

Huff was an exceptional athlete coming out of Austin that looked like he could become a rangy and opportunistic safety at the next level. Over the years he’s been utilized in a multitude of ways with next to no results until the last couple of seasons. Before the previous coaching staff was sent out the door there was talk of Huff making the full-time conversion to cornerback.

Despite Huff’s increase in production in recent years, his mistakes are glaring and impossible to ignore. If Raider Nation played a drinking game for every open-field tackles whiffed on by Huff then chances are the DUI rate would explode on Sundays.

Still, there is enough talent there that most any coach would be enamored to try and get the most out of Huff Daddy.

If Allen sees untapped potential in Huff then he’d have to fight a battle on two fronts. For one he needs Reggie McKenzie to put away the sword. Secondly he’ll need Huff and his agent to be willing to lose some cash in order to save him from McKenzie’s looming cuts. Either way it would appear that Allen has some sort of plan in place for Huff. The only question is does McKenzie share that same vision?

In order to properly evaluate a draft class, one must wait at least three years. When evaluating a franchise, it takes an even broader scope. Therefore, I’d like to review the past decade of Raider drafts before we see Tom Cable off on his first trip to the war room.

When looking back at the last ten years of drafting, you will see a few patterns emerge.

The most glaring and obvious pattern relates to the number of defensive backs drafted. Since 1998, Al Davis has heard the commissioner call the names of six different defensive backs in round one alone.

Charles Woodson (1998, 4^th), Derrick Gibson (2001, 28^th), Phillip Buchanon (2002, 17^th), Nnamdi Asomugha (2003, 31^st), Fabien Washington (2005, 23^rd) and Michael Huff (2006, 7^th) account for nearly half of the last decade’s worth of first round picks. Asomugha and Huff are the only two still currently on the Raider roster. With the exception of Derrick Gibson, the rest of the defensive backs drafted are still in the NFL.

The Raiders have had 14 first round picks over the last 10 years. Of the 14, only 2 have made the year’s end trip to Hawaii to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl. Surprise! Both are defensive backs: Charles Woodson and Nnamdi Asomugha.

Despite a long list of first round picks that have gone onto mediocre careers at best, the Raiders have been able to find talent in every other round of the draft.

The list of starters, contributors and players that have exceeded their draft status is outstanding: Jon Ritchie (1998, 63^rd), Eric Barton (1999, 146^th), Roderick Coleman (1999, 153^rd), Shane Lechler (2000, 142^nd), Ronald Curry (2002, 235^th), Justin Fargas (2003, 96^th), Jake Grove (2004, 45^th), Kirk Morrison (2005, 78^th), Thomas Howard (2006, 38^th), Johnnie Lee Higgins (2007, 99^th), Michael Bush (2007, 100^th) and Zach Miller (2007, 38^th).

Shane Lechler is the true gem of the past decade. The former Aggie from Texas A&M is, statistically, the NFL’s all-time greatest punter. The Raiders parlayed a 5^th round pick into a punter who is a four time Pro Bowler and has led the NFL in punting average four times in his career and only once has finished outside of the top three.

While most saw Sebastian Janikowski’s selection as 17^thoverall in 2000 as a mockery of the draft by selecting a kicker in round one, Janikowski has quietly lived up to the hype. Despite the occasional inconsistencies, it is hard to argue against a kicker who has become the all time leading scorer in the history of one of pro football’s most storied franchises. In 2008, Janikowski kicked a franchise best 57-yard field goal to defeat the New York Jets in overtime.

The last two drafts could prove to be the most pivotal if the Raiders are to reverse the last six years of misery. JaMarcus Russell (2007, 1^st) and Darren McFadden (2008, 4^th) are regarded as the future of the franchise. Russell is coming off his first year as a full-time starter and McFadden showed flashes of brilliance during his injury plagued rookie season.

Of the last 10 draft classes, 2007 is already looking like the cream of the crop. The Raiders had 11 picks in ’07 and used them all wisely as 6 of those picks started games for the Raiders in 2008.

Perhaps the worst draft was the 2001 class. Marques Tuiasosopo, a second round selection, was the only member of the class still on the roster in 2008. Of the rest of the members, 6^th round pick Chris Cooper is the only one to have played in more than 70 games in the NFL.

If Tom Cable has done his homework, he’s familiar will all of the above mentioned names. The Raiders have just five picks in ’09 and Cable will need to make each one count as there is long list of roster needs.

Most important of all is to make the first round count. Too many of the past 10 drafts have been littered with first round busts and disappointments. Cable and company need to select an player ready to contribute immediately in ’09.

The revolving door of Raider safeties is so large that it stretches from the Coliseum in Los Angeles to the Coliseum in Oakland.

The 2008 season saw the unraveling yarn of the lineage of Raider safeties finally come to its core. Gibril Wilson was brought in from the world champion New York Giants and was expected to be a fixture at safety for the next six years. He lasted but one year having been released this off-season.

Wilson’s inabilities in pass coverage, combined with a vocal discontent for the front office, ultimately led to his departure. His counterparts faired no better. Michael Huff may never live up to his high draft status. The former Longhorn was benched less than half way through the season and hardly saw the field again. Tyvon Branch was drafted as a cornerback but was eventually moved to safety before seeing his rookie year cut short by injuries. Hiram Eugene has spent the past two seasons filling in, yet has never played well enough to be a full-time starter.

Now, the last line of defense is a gaping chasm. Sure, there are men on the roster who are listed as safeties, but history will tell you that their days as a Raider are numbered.

Since 1995, there is but one safety that has stood out as a true franchise caliber talent: Eric Turner.

Turner was a dynamic defensive back formed from the mold of past Raider greats to play his position. After attending UCLA, he was selected as the second pick in the 1991 draft by the Cleveland Browns. Turner became the highest ever drafted defensive back. In 1997 the Raiders brought the California native back home. Turner played just three seasons for the Raiders. His first season would be his lone full season as a Raider. In 1998, Turner took the field just six times yet still managed to intercept three balls, returning one 94 yards for a score. In 1999, he would play in just 10 games, the final 10 games of his career.

Tragically, Turner was privately battling cancer. To the shock and surprise of many, Eric Turner passed away at the young age of 31 on May 28^th, 2000. Ever the warrior, he kept his suffering a secret, never discussing it with anyone other than his family.

The Raiders have tried most every approach to fill the void at safety.

They’ve gone with first round draft picks such as Patrick Bates, Derrick Gibson and Michael Huff. Each of the aforementioned was given the dubious label of “draft bust”, though Huff is still on the roster and could have one last chance in 2009 to prove his worth.

The Raider brass has tried going with veterans such as 34-year old Anthony Newman, 37-year old Rod Woodson and 38 year-old Albert Lewis.

Woodson is now in the Hall of Fame and was a member of the last Raider team to play in the Super Bowl. However, Woodson entered the Halls of Canton as a cornerback and not a safety and as a Steeler and not a Raider.

The rest of the group has been a hodgepodge of draft picks, veteran free agents and journeymen of the NFL. Derrick Hoskins, Lorenzo Lynch, Darren Carrington, James Trapp, Charles Mincy, Marquez Pope, Anthony Dorsett, Johnnie Harris, Marques Anderson, Ray Buchanan, Stuart Schweigert, Jarrod Cooper and Rashad Baker have all played the part but never truly fit the role.

Eddie Anderson was the last Raider safety to hold onto his job for more than three seasons. He was a fixture at free safety from 1990-1995.

With a new coaching staff in place, a locker room filled with harmony and a promising young roster, the 2009 edition of the Silver and Black has the look of a team on the verge of a breakout.

There are still holes to be filled on the roster and the draft is just around the corner.

Perhaps the Raiders will turn to the college ranks again to fill the safety positions. Maybe they will again invite a veteran into the fold. One could argue that there are some unknown talents on the current roster ready to step up.

One thing is for sure. It has been a long winding road for the Raider franchise and its last line of defense. If Tom Cable wants to prove his mettle as a miracle worker, then he’ll pull a rabbit out of his hat and develop a Hall of Fame safety to join past Raiders in Canton.

Then again, just getting this franchise back to the playoffs will be more than enough, but getting a full-timer at safety would be a nice treat as well. 

Chris Shellcroft