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