Across the Pond by Dave Wilson
Once Again: Chris Long to Oakland
Well the first pick of the draft is in the books, Jake Long has signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins. The rest of the top five has yet to shake out, but over the last few days we have been given some good indications as to how that will transpire. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, there is a very good chance Chris Long is an Oakland Raider come Saturday evening. This is the way the draft goes with the top 5 picks and why.
St. Louis Rams – There appears to be a split in the Rams orgsanisation over whether to take Chris Long or Glenn Dorsey. They wanted Jake Long, but he’s gone. Long is more of a need, but Dorsey can make more of an immediate impact, and they feel he is the best player in the draft. The twist is that both the Saints and the Jets are looking to move up, and the Rams are likely trade partners. The Saints want their Louisiana boy Glenn Dorsey, and the Jets want Darren McFadden. Prediction –Glenn Dorsey (or trade)
Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons, whatever you have heard, want Matt Ryan. They are desperate for a quarterback, and the only other candidate, Brian Brohm, will be gone by the second round. Questions remain over Chad Henne and Joe Flacco. Flacco is hyped for his size and arm strength, and that is a bad reason to like a quarterback. Quarterback is 75% a mental thing. After his first year at Michigan, Henne never really showed any improvement, and in some areas went backward. To make Ryan an even surer pick, there are no top quarterback prospects for next year’s draft. Prediction – Matt Ryan
Oakland Raiders – We need defensive line help badly. Chris Long is the guy they want, and if St. Louis don’t take him at number two, then he falls to us. If he does, the Raider Nation go wild, McAffee Coliseum won’t have a spare seat all year, and there will be a worldwide shortage of Chris Long game jerseys. We would settle for Dorsey second, but Long is our guy. McFadden won’t happen. If Long and Dorsey are both gone, we might trade down and still get the next guy on our list, Sedrick Ellis. Prediction – Chris Long
Kansas City Chiefs – After the Jared Allen trade, the Chiefs have a need at end, and are armed with a number of picks, meaning they could go various different ways (including trading up). Ryan Clady or Branden Albert are the popular predictions, but if they are seeking to replace Allen, then Vernon Gholston is the player. With the bad blood between the Jets and Patriots (picking 6 & 7), a trade from one of those clubs to jump ahead of the other (especially if McFadden is still on the board) would not be unexpected. Prediction – Vernon Gholston
Strange how things change so quickly on the run up to draft day? A short time ago, Chris Long was the consensus player to go at number one. Now there are possibly four teams looking to trade in the top 10, and none of them are for him.
That can only be good news for the Raiders.
You never know what will happen on draft day, especially as a Raider fan, but I truly believe that if Chris Long is on the board at number 4, Al Davis will have that pick up to Roger Goodell faster than Darren McFadden on speed.
People can get lost in McFadden’s 40 time if they want, or go nuts over Gholston’s combine numbers, but no one in this draft can put it all together like Chris Long. He is so clearly his father’s son, the second coming of the great one. His relentlessness, his intensity and attitude, are what is needed to bring us back to the glory days.
The bloodline, the history, I believe it is just fated. The force is strong in this one.
Raider on brothers,
Keep those e mails coming.
Dave
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