Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

It doesn’t feel like Stefen Wisniewski is going into his second year as a Raider. Hasn’t he always been playing on the O-line for the silver and black? I mean, I know he’s got a familiar name but his game is so developed it’s easy to forget he was just a rookie last season.

From day one the New Wiz looked like a seasoned vet. Drafted as a center out of Penn State, Wisniewski slid over to guard but did manage to get a couple of starts at center. He also managed to start every game as a rookie playing so well that now he’ll get his rightful position at center.

What is truly amazing is how seamless Wisniewski transitioned from college to the pros without the benefit of a full offseason no thanks to the lockout. What is unbelievable is that Wisniewski played his entire rookie year with a torn labrum suffered during his first NFL training camp.

Words just don’t do justice to how well Wisniewski performed in 2011. So the expectations are sky high in 2012. With Samson Satele off to Indy it’s all on Wisniewski to hold it down at center. There’s also the added pressure of having to remain healthy or play through pain once again. Since the Raiders are still trying to get into a better financial position there isn’t much depth on the O-line. Whereas Wisniewski and Satele could trade off last year that won’t be the case this time around.

But given the tough nature of Wisniewski it wouldn’t be shocking to see him play all 16 games once again only to learn later that he did so with a broken leg. Maybe I’m exaggerating his toughness but his talent is real and the great news is he’s only getting started.

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?

Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

If Samson Satele were actually a Raider then this would be Reggie McKenzie’s first taste of dealing with all those ridiculous silver and black stereotypes (for the record the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings are the current leaders in NFL arrests). Instead, free agent center Satele’s arrest in his native Hawaii on charges of disorderly conduct is news only because of his career in pro football, not so much because of the team he plays for.

Once the Raiders selected Stefen Wisniewski it was pretty evident that Satele’s days in the Bay were numbered. The former Dolphin arrived via trade just over three years ago and was a fixture in the middle of Oakland’s line.

His athletic ability always impressed but Satele’s strength came into question often when he faced quality nose tackles.

Now he’s got to be more concerned with finding work in light of this incident.

Satele hasn’t generated much interest on the open market and the Raiders have already added Mike Brisiel to the roster. Wisniewski appears poised to take over as the fulltime center leaving Satele out of work in Oakland.

Of course nothing is official as of yet. The charge is a “petty misdemeanor”, it’s not like Satele is going to face a Ray Lewis court trial here. Still, any team that might decide to sign Satele will have to await the final decision of the NFL’s judge, jury and executioner – Roger Goodell.

Satele is due back in court on April 18^th.