Fargas led the Raiders in carries, and was tied for most rushing touchdowns. Greg Ellis was the starting defensive end, and was tied for the team lead in sacks. Cornell Green was the starting tackle, and Javon Walker was, well nobody knew where he was.

In most cases when you lose players that contribute that many minutes or lead the team in production, it isn't a good thing. In this case, it is a great thing for the Raiders.

The NFL is a business, more than it is a game, and the reality of the business can be pretty hard to handle for most fans. This offseason is a prime example of just how harsh a business the NFL can be.

Many long time fan favorites of many teams have been released due to financial reasons. Fargas joins running backs, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Thomas Jones, and Chester Taylor in the "30 is too old to carry the load club."

You can add Ellis in the too old to keep on the roster club. Losing Green to the Bills, was like your wife losing her cat Whiskers, you won't miss him too much. Losing Walker, is like losing your favorite remote controlled Sham Wow. Wait, I guess you can't lose what you never really had or ever existed for that matter.

The Raiders have a very young team, and by not having these players on the roster, these young players will gain valuable playing time. The youth movement in Oakland has officially begun.

Darren Mcfadden and Michael Bush will benefit greatly from a two back system. It will be easy for these guys to get in the groove of the season, knowing they will have their carries every game.

Matt Shaughnessy should be very excited, though I'm sure losing Ellis wasn't easy for him. Ellis was a mentor to a lot of the young defensive lineman on the squad, but Shaughnessy's emergence made the Ellis decision a lot easier.

Though Walker didn't play much, he was the veteran guy for a very young receiving corps. Walker shouldn't be embarrassed, or even feel like his career is over. He isn't the first big WR acquisition that didn't work out. Look up some guy named Randy Moss, he did okay in his post-Raider career.

Losing Green does leave a hole on the offensive line, and I'm not talking about the type of holes that were missing during the season either. Will this make the Raiders draft the position that has been ignored for the past several years in the first round?

The smart business moves made by the Raiders will help them improve on the field, not only next season, but for years to come. Can Al Davis continue to make these smart decisions? Only time will tell, and we got plenty of time until opening day.

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The eighth pick in the draft is high enough that it will produce a quality player. However, it is far enough out of the top five that it may not yield a player at a position of need that is worthy of a top 10 pick.

The consensus among fans and experts seems to suggest that the Raiders most urgent needs are offensive tackle, defensive tackle, middle linebacker, and cornerback. There are some good players at these positions that will be available when Oakland gets their turn at the podium, but most of them won't be worthy of a top 10 pick.

So what to do?

Why not sign a few free agents that will provide the depth needed with players that are already experienced? Doing this will free Al Davis up to take the best player available on draft day, regardless of what position they play.

Here are my thoughts on the free agents that could fill a role and can step in and play if the rookies aren't quite ready to contribute:

OT: Mark Tauscher

Mark is a 10-year veteran who has had some success after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 draft. He has started at right tackle most of his career, but is versatile enough to play guard if needed. He has had some injury issues recently, but should be healed and ready to go by training camp.

Mark could also provide leadership for a rookie should Al Davis do what everyone thinks he will and draft Bruce Campbell with the eighth overall pick. I'm fairly sure that the Raiders can get Tauscher with a team-friendly salary, so why not give him a shot?

DT: Tank Johnson

Drafted in the second round of the 2004 draft, Tank has the talent to start. The only question is whether or not he will get out of his own way.

When have "off-the-field" issues like Johnson's stopped Al Davis from signing a guy, or when has it stopped Raider fans from embracing a guy? It hasn't. Not to mention, being surrounded by Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly should help remedy a lot of that.

The fact is that he would not be the long-term answer the Raiders need at defensive tackle, but right now he is a better option than Gerard Warren. Another thing: signing Johnson would provide is another player to compete for the starting job. That just might push Warren enough for him to finally play to his potential.

MLB: Keith Bulluck

A former first-round pick and Pro Bowler that plays with his heart and doesn't settle for mediocrity.

This guy is a leader and a play-maker closing in on the end of his career. If he were to sign today, we would have a starting MLB from day one. Again, he isn't a long-term answer, but a player that can teach and mentor a rookie until he is ready to produce.

I know he has had injury issues, but it's only because he plays as hard as he can on every down. He has proven throughout the years that he is willing to sacrifice his body for the success of the team. This is an attitude that is sorely lacking on the Raider defense.

Plus, he hates the Steelers as much as Raider fans do! You have to love a guy like that.

CB: Deshea Townsend

Drafted in the fourth round of the 1998 draft, this 34-year-old is the prototypical nickel back the Raiders desperately need.

Deshea has been both a starter and a role player for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 12 seasons. He played a key part in two Super Bowl championships and has mentored players like Bryant McFadden and Ike Taylor.

Having Townsend in the nickel package instead of Stanford Routt would be an upgrade in terms of knowledge and consistency. If his physical tools are too degraded to justify playing him ahead of Routt, having him on the sidelines would be a huge resource from which Stanford could draw.

Again, he isn't a long-term answer. What he can provide to Stanford Routt, Chris Johnson, and any rookie that would be brought in would be immeasurable in terms of leadership and overall knowledge of the cornerback position.

Keep in mind, I do not believe any of these players are the only options or the final options. In fact, I only see two of them as potential starters. 

Tauscher and Bulluck would be instant upgrades and would help the team on the field and in the locker room right away.

Townsend should not be considered a starter, but more of a mentor to Routt and the other young cornerbacks. He could produce in the nickel and dime packages all the while teaching and giving the young guys an example to look to as a leader and sort of a "coach in uniform."

Tank Johnson is the one guy on this list that could backfire. He would bring with him a lot of baggage and may not be willing to let it all go and do what's expected of him.

If we sign any or all of these players, the team won't be forced to take any player in the draft based solely on the position he plays. Davis could take the best player on the board at any position.

Summary:

The worst-case scenario is that none of these guys turn out to be as good as I think. OK, so? 

There is no salary cap this year and we should be able to sign them to incentive-laden contracts that don't have a whole lot of guaranteed money. If it came down to it, they could be cut without the team taking a huge hit.

With the exception of Johnson, these players will provide leadership and a winning attitude that the Raiders have needed for several years now. 

Let me reiterate: I'm not suggesting that these players would solve all of the Raiders' problems or that they should definitely be signed. 

I'm only suggesting that they are players that would bring a lot of needed depth at positions of need and should be considered by Al Davis.

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Spring training is the time where hope springs eternal. There's always, "We got a new hitting coach!", or "We added some big bats!", or "Eric Chavez will finally be healthy this year!".  I've been amongst the group of A's fans that have been saying each year, "Well, the offense couldn't be worse than last year!". Ever since 2006, A's fans have consistently been disappointed. The discussions I've heard seem more centered on who they think will hit the DL first.

To combat the injury after injury the A's have endured this past offseason, Billy Beane has gone out and gotten the A's depth, depth, and more depth. Will that help the A's or will they break their DL use record all over again? ...Ummm here's hoping for health?

Whatever it is, the A's need to do something for their anemic offense. Because having Ben Sheets on the mound won't mean a thing if they can't give him more than two runs to work with.

Last season, after all hope was lost...again...the A's got rid of all their big name players (Holliday, Giambi, Cabrera) and just let the kids show what they could do. The A's front office found out that those kids could play! In 2009, the A's were 37-49 before the All-Star break and 38-38 after, a number that could've been more impressive if not for the season ending 7 game losing streak.

Aside from letting Rajai Davis run rampant on the bases, the A's bats improved significantly. Those showing better numbers in the second half included Ryan Sweeney, Rajai Davis, Daric Barton, Mark Ellis, and Jack Cust. Here's hoping they can keep up that hot streak when the 2010 season starts.

Who knows the state of the A's 2010 bench, but that's what spring training is for. A healthy Eric Chavez would be a boon for the bench, but where does that leave Jake Fox? We all know he's out of options so he has to make the team or get traded. I dare say it's critical for him to make the team. The A's need to jump start their offense early, and Fox and catcher Kurt Suzuki are among the very few who performed better in the first half.

The acquisition of Kevin Kouzmanoff was so critical. Not only does it stabilize the hot corner and give the A's offense that they've lacked there since the days of a healthy Chavez, it takes pressure off Chavez and just lets him focus on what the A's really need from him: offense.

I'll be at the Oakland Coliseum this year hoping and cheering them on chanting "O-ffense! O-ffense! O-ffense!"

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DHB has always been a better physical specimen than football player and his production has never matched his talent level. I'm not going to suggest that he's a superstar in waiting. At the same time, I've done a couple dynasty startup drafts in the past month and I'm wondering if his value has slid to the point where he might actually be a good buy low candidate.

I just got him as WR72 (including rookies) in a 14 team PPR startup. He went at WR77 in my other draft. I'll be the first to acknowledge that Heyward-Bey looked dreadful in his rookie year, but isn't it a bit premature to bury his career after one terrible season?

I'm a Bay Area guy. I watched DHB play in the preseason. I watched him play in the regular season. He never showed me any glimmers of potential. On the other hand, that's not entirely unexpected from a rookie WR. Lots of great WRs didn't even see the field in their rookie seasons.

Here are Heyward-Bey's rookie stats: 9 catches, 124 yards

Pretty ugly. These numbers don't offer much hope...or do they? Here are rookie stats for some other now-prominent WRs:

Robert Meachem: 0 catches, 0 yards
Miles Austin: 0 catches, 0 yards
Santana Moss: 2 catches, 40 yards
Donald Driver: 3 catches, 31 yards
Vincent Jackson: 3 catches, 59 yards
Pierre Garcon: 4 catches, 23 yards
Jerricho Cotchery: 6 catches, 60 yards
Steve Smith (NYG): 8 catches, 63 yards
Steve Smith (CAR): 10 catches, 154 yards
Derrick Mason: 14 catches, 186 yards
TJ Houshmandzadeh: 22 catches, 228 yards
Hines Ward: 15 catches, 246 yards
Brandon Marshall: 20 catches, 309 yards
Plaxico Burress: 22 catches, 273 yards
Roddy White: 29 catches, 446 yards

Heyward-Bey had a better rookie season than Miles Austin, Santana Moss, Donald Driver, and Vincent Jackson. That's a pretty stunning truth, but of course it's not that simple.

Many of the players on the above list were low-profile prospects when they entered the league, meaning they weren't handed the opportunities that a first-round pick typically receives.

Austin was undrafted. Driver and TJ Houshmandzadeh were seventh-round picks. Pierre Garcon was a sixth-round pick. Derrick Mason, Jerricho Cotchery, and Brandon Marshall were fourth-round picks. Hines Ward and Steve Smith (CAR) were third-round picks. Chad Ochocinco, Vincent Jackson, and Steve Smith (NYG) were second-round picks.

By and large, these players weren't expected to be contributors on opening day. Many of them had to battle just to make their team's roster as rookies. It shouldn't be a big surprise that they were slow to impact because their respective coaching staffs had no impetus to force them into action before they were ready to play.

But what about the first-round wide receivers on my list?

Robert Meachem, Santana Moss, Plaxico Burress, and Roddy White all had poor rookie years. All of them were considered busts at one point in time. All of them turned it around.

Why did these guys start so slowly? Meachem and Moss struggled with injuries, but both were healthy enough to play at least a little bit. Moss averaged fewer than 10 yards per game in his rookie year and Meachem didn't record a single catch.

Burress played 12 games and averaged 23 yards per game. He was ineffective, he dropped too many passes, and everyone thought he was a huge bust. White fared substantially better than this trio with a respectable 446 yards as a rookie, but his production and results still had fans crying bust early in his career.

None of this proves that Heyward-Bey is likely to become a productive pro player, but the numbers suggest that it's entirely possible for a wideout to emerge as a superstar after humble beginnings. Are we being too quick to write off DHB? Is there any explanation for his poor rookie performance? I think there might be.

The first thing working against Heyward-Bey is something we'll call "The JaMarcus Factor." The Raiders were a terrible football team in 2009. The majority of their passes were thrown by JaMarcus Russell, arguably one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.

Russelll completed less than 50 percent of his passes, averaged 5.2 yards per attempt, and threw just three touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

Oakland's leading receiver was tight end Zach Miller. He had just 805 yards, which is a paltry total compared to the top pass catcher on most NFL teams.

My point here? Oakland's passing game was putrid. Some of the blame probably falls on Heyward-Bey, but I think everyone can agree that his supporting cast didn't put him in position to succeed (as opposed to Percy Harvin in Minnesota or Jeremy Maclin in Philadelphia).

And was it really reasonable to expect a good rookie year from Heyward-Bey in the first place? Even before the Raiders drafted him, DHB was described as a raw project who needed lots of refinement.

In this regard he's similar to Brandon Marshall, Chad Ochocinco, Vincent Jackson, and Robert Meachem. All of them were considered compelling physical specimens who lacked the polish to make an instant impact.

It wasn't a terrible surprise to see them slow out of the gate. No one called Vincent Jackson or Chad Ochocinco a bust after their rookie years.

Yet everyone has already given up on Heyward-Bey.

Why?

Expectations.

DHB was a top-10 draft pick. To make matters worse, he was picked ahead of more polished talents like Michael Crabtree, Percy Harvin, and Hakeem Nicks. As a result, his rookie performance tends to be evaluated in relation to that of his peers.

That's unfortunate because all of the other first-round rookie receivers selected last year had excellent seasons. If we take a step back and realize that DHB was really a late first-/early second-round project who was picked a round too high because one delusional team owner fell in love with his speed, I think his rookie season performance looks more palatable.

While we hope that every rookie will make an immediate impact, we don't panic when second-round project types like Devin Thomas, Vincent Jackson, and Chad Ochocinco fail to become instant stars. In that context, DHB's performance is much more acceptable.

Heyward-Bey had a terrible rookie year, but it's premature to close the book on his NFL career. His situation was terrible last season and unrealistic expectations magnified his poor performance because he was viewed as a high first-round pick when in reality he was a project who had very little hope of making an instant impact even before the Raiders took him.

He's not without talent. In highlight reels like this one you can see glimmers of speed and playmaking ability.

My main concern (aside from the fact that he looked horrible as a rookie) is that Heyward-Bey never dominated in college whereas guys like Santana Moss, Vincent Jackson, and Plaxico Burress were immensely productive at the NCAA level.

It's possible that Heyward-Bey simply doesn't have the football skills to ever become a quality NFL player. Time may justify the current level of skepticism, but his story isn't over yet.

If we view him as a project receiver who was doomed to fail as a rookie because of his toxic situation and his lack of polish, we should be much more forgiving of his early struggles.

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Oakland today made the news pretty clear that, when the Raiders had signed Javon Walker for Randy Moss-like money, they were hoping more than predicting good things.

Javon, who had decent seasons in Green Bay and Denver before his personal demons unraveled his life, was supposed to be our go-to guy in Oakland. Ronald Curry was playing out the string and Jerry Porter was an afterthought. Javon Walker was in the right place at the right time.

Wrong.

Besides the episode in Las Vegas and his conflicting problems with the coaches, Al Davis gave Walker a chance that first year. How did he respond?

With an injury-filled season, until he was unplugged early, missing out on the Raiders two-game winning streak at the end of the 2008 season.

Come the offseason, Walker tried to get some help for his injury, something that surprised his coaches and doctor. Was it authorized? Needed?

You have to wonder, because while Javon was telling stories about him being ready to come back and be better than ever, Oakland seemed to look at him as nothing but an overpaid joke of a player.

So going into free agency, the only question with him was: Why not sooner?

Greg Ellis, meanwhile, is this season's version of head-scratcher, similar to last year's release of Gibril Wilson.

Ellis, coming over to the Raiders from the Cowboys, was shouldered with a difficult task. Anyone coming to Oakland and playing defense had their hands full, in no easy terms. For his work he compiled 29 tackles, seven sacks, and forced two fumbles. Decent numbers out of the defensive end position.

So why did the Raiders do this move? Money is a good guess, with Al Davis trying to trim the payroll. It does cause a few to wonder...and wonder who is going to pick him up in easy fashion.

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Memo to Al: There’s this little thing called “free agency” and it’s passing your team by.

Usually, no news is good news, but not when it comes to the reshaping of a marquee franchise. Yes, I know, the Raiders have been there and done that and they flopped with free agency. Nobody wants to rehash the DeAngelo Hall story, so I understand being a little gun-shy.

But normally, the free agent signing period around Oakland is a time of renewed faith as the team is usually busy trying to fill some gaps, whether they make sense or not.  

My ears might even perk up a little bit if the team were to re-sign Gibril Wilson. 

I kid, I kid.  

But with all due respect to the tagging of Richard Seymour and Janikowski’s’ new four year deal, the Raiders are no-shows at the free agent buffet table.

Perhaps the biggest news around Oakland was Saturday’s departure of veteran running back Justin Fargas. That is until Monday’s release of mega-bust receiver Javon Walker and injury-plauged defensive end Greg Ellis.

Not a surprise by any stretch that the Raiders would release both players. Walker was an over-paid, injury-prone deep threat that had lost a step, and ended up playing just 11 games in roughly two seasons in Oakland.

He was cut by the Broncos in 2007 and then quickly signed with Oakland. The former Packer and Bronco signed a six year, $55 million deal that left most NFL personnel scratching their heads.

It just never panned out for Walker. In 2008, he struggled to produce, catching only 15 passes and in 2009 he hardly ever saw the field. Healthy or not, Walker was a huge mistake and the Raiders will still be on the hook in 2010 for another $2 million. But at least they can put this disaster behind them.

The latest Twitter rumor had Walker’s replacement, Antonio Bryant, maybe paying a visit to Oakland, but there's no word if he ever made it to Alameda. League sources are now saying the former Bucs receiver is headed to Cincinnati, where he could sign as early as Tuesday.

As for Ellis, he was a good signing by the Raiders. And by all accounts, a good player in the locker room, but the 11 year defensive end was just too banged-up to contribute to the team on a consistent basis.

With the departure of Ellis and the upcoming player selection process on the horizon, don’t be surprised if Al Davis uses the eighth pick on a high-risk defensive end.

South Florida’s Jason Pierre-Paul is the top-ranked defensive end in the 2010 NFL Draft. Even though he’s still a raw talent, experts say he’s got all the intangibles of a great pass-rushing end.  

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has compared the 6’6” 260-pound junior to “The Freak”—Javon Kearse. NFL scouts say Pierre-Paul has the size and the strength to battle with just about anybody at any level. He ran a blazing 40 time (4.6) at the NFL Combine and potentially could be a monster-edge rusher. The downside is he’s only played one season of Division I football.

Ravens' quarterback Troy Smith is practically begging for Mike Holmgren to sign him to an offer sheet. According to Smith’s agent Ralph Cindrich, his client is dying to play for the Browns.

Cindrich said this to The (Canton) Repository : “[Smith] would crawl from Baltimore right now to be able to play in Cleveland.

"That's clearly where his heart is. That's where his love is. He has a great relationship in Baltimore and with the fans as long as I don't muck it up too much. He has a great relationship with (Ravens GM) Ozzie Newsome.

"It's just that this is where home is. In the offseason, he tells me, 'Get me home.'"

We’ll that sounds pretty clear.

For those of you unaware, Smith has been a very popular choice to take over in Oakland.

Now that he’s probably out of the discussion Raider Nation, do you have a plan B?

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Since the list is long I decided to partition the 44 potential NFL players into four groups. Here is the first group with some of their statistics:

All of these guys aspire to become wide receivers. I have my preferences.

For example, an ideal wide receiver, in my opinion, should not weigh above 190 lbs to 205 lbs. He should be about 6'1" or 6'2".

Furthermore, I think that he should have a high number of yards, a high number of successful catches, and plenty of touchdowns.

With my criteria in place, we would then focus on the starred players.

Of the starred players, I am undecided on who would make a good Oakland Raider. So, consider this article a "teaser" and I will get back to you after I have done more research.

By the way, you do your research, too, so that we can have a good forum on this topic. The source is posted and the full names of the young players are listed on the webpage.

Source

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Green was a favorite of head coach Tom Cable, but nobody can argue that his knucklehead penalties at the most inopportune times will not be missed.

This is just another step in the Al Davis youth movement. With the recent release of Justin Fargas, Javon Walker, and Greg Ellis, the Raiders roster just got significantly younger.

“I've been in the league 10 years now and one thing they’ve encouraged me to bring here is the leadership I do have," Green told Buffalobills.com. "I’ve been waiting for a long time to get this opportunity to be a leader and be an example for other guys. I’ve been a lot of places in my career. I’ve won a Super Bowl in Tampa so I bring some intangibles that a lot of guys don’t have right now because of their inexperience. I’m just willing to work with the guys and be a part of the team.”

Let me be the first to say good luck to Buffalo. I'll take Langston Walker over Cornell Green any day of the week, and especially on Sundays.

Wasn't their GM the same guy who bashed the Raiders a little while ago?

What kind of drugs is that guy on?

Somebody in Buffalo failed to do their homework.

This move might signify that the Raiders are looking to draft an offensive lineman with their first pick of the draft, or it could mean that the team expects Khalif Barnes to have an increased role on the line this year.

Regardless of what it could mean, it for sure means that the team knows Green was a problematic player.

And I just want to add a big thank you to Justin Fargas for what he brought to our team while he was here. He was the heartbeat of this offense regardless of his production, and he will be missed.

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The big names are coming off the free agency board fast, and Al Davis and the Raiders have yet to make any big signings. Davis has made headlines by signing Sebastian Janikowski to a record deal, and by franchise-tagging Richard Seymour earlier in the offseason.

These were very important to get done and they were the correct moves. Last year, Davis surprised everyone by keeping two other key players, Nnamdi Asomugha and Shane Lechler, on the roster. This shows that Davis' priorities are to keep and take care of his own players on his roster first, before looking to spend elsewhere.

This of course doesn't mean Davis is content with staying behind the scenes and letting every other owner upstage him this offseason. Each of the last two offseasons, Davis has brought in a big name player via trade.

Deangelo Hall and Seymour were guys no one really expected to be Oakland Raiders before Davis acted. Though Davis has some big contracts on the books, there is also some money to be shed from aging or under-performing players.

There are some interesting players available in free agency that the Raiders could use, as well as players from other teams that perhaps Oakland could trade for. Adding a WR, G, DT, or LB wouldn't be a bad idea by any means.

Look for rumors to start flowing about the Raiders and a veteran wideout shortly. Javon Walker should be cut, and this will bring a need for a veteran receiver. Derrick Mason, Terrell Owens, and even Antonio Bryant could be names that are linked to the Raiders.

Arizona DT Bryan Robinson would be a player worth taking a look at as well as guards Chester Pitts and Bobbie Williams to bring depth and competition to the offensive line.

As far as a trade wild card for Davis, I think looking at Packers LB A.J. Hawk for a third rounder wouldn't be a bad deal. Keith Bullock would be an interesting free agent to look at as well, and what about Antonio Pierce?

That would be an interesting move after his comments about the Raiders.

Though the Raiders have been quiet in the free agent market, don't expect Davis to stay quiet too long during this offseason.

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