Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

For any rookie starting your career under the lights on Monday Night is a huge deal. Not only are all your family and friends watching but pretty much the entire football universe is tuned-in. Now when you were the 129^th pick in the draft or went undrafted all together then that Monday Night unveiling takes on a whole new perspective…especially if you’re starting.

Both Miles Burris and Rod Streater are going to find themselves in that exact situation in only a few days time as both rookies are slated to start in their NFL debuts. That’s not exactly something the Raiders had in mind when they grabbed Burris in the fourth round out of San Diego State. And it certainly was not even a consideration when they invited a wide receiver from Temple to rookie camp some months ago.

Yet here are Burris and Streater in position to start not only Monday but the foreseeable future.

For Burris, he’s got himself a wide open window to prove his worth. With Aaron Curry out for at least the first half of the season and little depth at linebacker Burris is in prime position to earn a starting job for his entire rookie year if he plays his cards right.

For Streater the situation is similar on the surface yet inherently different in the big picture. While Streater has more than played his way into an expanded role his prospects of future playing time are tied closely to the health of Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore.

Unlike the linebacking corps the Raiders are pretty stacked at receiver with plenty of competition to be found. In fact, another rookie is a threat to Streater’s snaps as 5^th round pick Juron Criner is also going to see plenty of reps on Monday Night.

Still, Streater has a real chance to contribute all year long as a possession receiver on third down or playing in the slot while Moore and Ford heal. Which in turn also means Criner is in the mix for the entire season.

For Dennis Allen it might not be the ideal situation but this is exactly why it’s so important to have a solid draft led by a reliable scouting department. By the end of the season it wouldn’t be too surprising to see a good majority of Oakland’s rookies contributing in some way.

Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

Will Rolando McClain be suspended, in jail or just outright released this season? Can Aaron Curry establish himself as a legit starting linebacker in the NFL? Is Philip Wheeler a temporary solution only? Did the Raiders truly find a “diamond in the rough” in Miles Burris? Does Travis Goethel have a breakout season coming?

We could keep this line of questioning going until Dwight Howard gets traded and odds are there would still be more concerns for Oakland’s linebackers. There isn’t another unit on the team with more uncertainty.

Of course these days just about every position has plenty of questions to be answered and the man playing Alex Trebek in this version of Raiders Jeopardy is Reggie McKenzie.

McKenzie inherited a roster that isn’t exactly tailored to his football philosophy on both talent evaluation and spending. Therefore everyone on the roster not named Darren McFadden or Tyvon Branch is pretty much playing on a one-year contract.

For the Raiders linebackers there’s no guarantee any of them will even make it though the first training camp of the Dennis Allen era never mind the firs year of the McKenzie regime. For all we know McKenzie could opt to simply part ways with McClain if his legal woes and potential suspension lead to a lost season. Curry is already down to his last chance to validate his starting job. McKenzie isn’t the type to keep freakish athletes on scholarship. And Wheeler has the look of a temporary fix for a problem without a long-term solution.

While there are plenty of positions that will create some heated camp battles perhaps nothing will rival the wars waged amongst the linebackers. With a limited budget and unwilling to trade future picks, McKenzie appears prepared to stay the course with his current crop. But beyond 2012 nothing is promised and there is a real possibility we’ll see an entirely new group of linebackers in silver and black one year from now.

Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

The Raiders are 66% of the way to having all of their draft class under contract now that Miles Burris has inked his rookie deal.  The team announced his signing today.

Burris, a 4^th round pick out of San Diego State, is expected to be an immediate contributor on special teams with the chance to compete for reps at outside linebacker as well. There has even been some discussion of Burris moving to the middle as a potential Rolando McClain fill-in. But that will depend on how this whole McClain situation shakes out.

For now Dennis Allen has stated that Burris will be concentrating on learning the ropes playing outside. The high-motor Cali native is sure to be a fan favorite with his aggressive style of play. Burris is precisely the type of player Reggie McKenzie is going to be filling his roster with. Aside from his athletic ability, Burris was also named SDSU’s Student Athlete of the Year so you know he’s got the brains to match his talent.