Ghosts of Seasons Past: 5 players who have haunted the Oakland Raiders

OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 03: JaMarcus Russell #2 of the Oakland Raiders walks off the field against the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 3, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 03: JaMarcus Russell #2 of the Oakland Raiders walks off the field against the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 3, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 28: Quarterback Brady Quinn #9 of the Kansas City Chiefs is sacked by middle linebacker Rolando McClain #55 of the Oakland Raiders during the game at Arrowhead Stadium on October 28, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 28: Quarterback Brady Quinn #9 of the Kansas City Chiefs is sacked by middle linebacker Rolando McClain #55 of the Oakland Raiders during the game at Arrowhead Stadium on October 28, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

5. Rolando McClain

Starting off our Top-5 we have linebacker Rolando McClain. McClain was drafted 8th overall by the Raiders in the 2010 NFL draft.  The pick was highly praised among draft analyst and for good reason.  During his time at Alabama, McClain racked up numerous awards including being voted a unanimous All-American, 2x First-team All-SEC, Alabama Defensive MVP, Butkus Award, and both an SEC and BCS champion.

He was easily regarded as the best middle linebacker in the draft that year and was supposed to help bolster a run defense that was ranked among the worst in the NFL years prior.

After signing his 5 year/$40 million rookie contract, he didnt really blow up on the scene right away like many expected him to. In his first season with the Raiders he recorded 85 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 6 passes defended. He did however take a large leap in year two, posting 99 tackles, 5 sacks, and 14 passes defended. It looked as if he was progressing into being the player they drafted him to be. Unfortunately 2012 is when the train came off the rails.

Rolando saw a lot his playing time decrease due to repeatedly making bad decisions on the field and not being able to adjust on the fly. He also found himself in multiple off the field legal issues including third-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and discharging a firearm in December of 2011.  After being arrested for providing officers with a false name in January of 2013, the Raiders parted ways with their former first round pick that following April.

Assets Invested: 1st round pick (8th overall)/$26.87 million