We have seen the offensive side, now lets look at the defense.

Defensive Tackle:

Tommy Kelly & Gerard Warren.  When you give a guy a record breaking contract, he had better be the guy to make your starting lineup. Kelly was a defensive end, and he has been moved to tackle, where the Raiders feel they can get the most out of him. Which, banking on the contract, is a heak of a lot. Warren has been solid at mini camp, and he has the talent to be the starter. This is his second year in the Raiders system, so he should be fully prepared.

Backups: William Joseph, Terdell Sands. Joseph was signed this offseason, and will get some time on the field. He may crack the starting lineup, but for now he will be next in line. Sands was given a big contract last year with the expectations of being ready to be the go to guy, but he struggled and made his way out of favor. He has the size and talent, but maybe he is not ready yet. He should be a good one some day.

Others on the roster: Josh Shaw

Defensive end:

Derrick Burgess & Kalimba Edwards. Burgess is a past probowl player, and if fully healthy is one of the most dynamic in the game. Edwards had 3 sacks against Oakland last year, as he shows signs of being a great end. He then struggled with injurys and inconsistancy for most of the rest of last season, but the prospect is there.

Backup: Jay Richardson. He looked great in the preseason last year, and did ok in the regular season. He is only in his second year, which is why he doesn’t crack the lineup this year, but he may very well be a great DE. By the end of the year, he could crack the starting lineup.

Others on the roster: Trevor Scott. Late drafted rookie, with a good upside. Was a TE transfered to DE only 2 years ago. He will take time, but the heart and drive is there, so who knows.

Outside Linebacker:

Thomas Howard, Sam Williams. Howard was dominating last year, as he showed how he can be one of the greats at this level. Williams spent the season injured last year, but was the go to guy 2 years ago. Solid OLB core.

Backups: Robert Thomas, Isaiah Ekejiuba, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. All three backups have starting potential, and are good players to have in the lineup.

Inside Linebacker:

Kirk Morrison. This guy may very well be my favorite player on this team. He is a workhorse, and he is one of the best in the league. Easily the number 1 guy in the middle.

Backup: Ricky Brown. Showed good potential last year, but will only play 3-4 sets, with Morrison in the lineup.

Other LB’s on the roster: Jon Alston, Malik Jackson.

Cornerback:

Nnamdi Asomugha & DeAngelo Hall. One is a probowl corner, and the other will be a probowl corner. This is possibly the best combo in the NFL.

Backups: Stanford Routt, Duane Starks, Chris Johnson, John Bowie, Tyvon Shields. Routt is a great 3rd corner, and will be used a lot in nickle packages. Shields was Oaklands second draft pick this year, and he has the speed to play in the NFL, but does he have the insight?

Strong Safety:

Michael Huff. It is now time for Huff to reach his full potential. He was drafted 4th overall in 2006, so he should be ready to go.

Backup: Jarrod Cooper. Great special teams guy.

Free Safety:

Gibril Wilson. Came over from the superbowl champs, and should make the starting lineup. Solid safety.

Backups: Stuart Schweigert, Hiram Eugene. Schweigert was the starter last year and did well, but Wilson is better.

Other S on the roster: Michael Waddell, Rashad Baker, Darrick Brown.

This is a great defense, and if Ryan can get the most out of them they could be the best in the league. The backfield will be solid, and the linbackers core is great, but the big concern is still on the line. I believe that they will be vastly improved, but will still need some work. I would have to imagine that they will not give up many 200 yard rushing games this year, as I will guess that Huff will be doing a lot more moving around, which will include being at the line a lot.

Tremblay

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