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To the loser may go the spoils
Either Raiders or 49ers might be able to get a head start on 2007 draft
Column by Monte Poole
Inside Bay Area
Article Last Updated:10/04/2006 07:31:05 AM PDT
THE COMMON perception is that Sunday's tussle between the Raiders and the 49ers is about pride, that the Battle of the Bay is nothing more than a slow race to avoid disgrace.
While this contention is not inaccurate, it misses the greater significance of this clash of the absurdly flawed.
It is a game in which the loser stands to receive the greatest long-term benefit.
The winners get to call itself the Bay Area's better NFL team, which is like bragging about having the best rotary phone on the block. It's the kind of pointless compensation any real competitor would consider no more fulfilling than a big bite of cardboard.
The losers, however, achieve clarity. Having received a bright red note informing them this is not their year, they can immediately begin shifting time, energy and resources toward the 2007 NFL draft.
The No.1 overall choice, unwanted yet coveted, is theirs to have.
And while the 49ers know the feeling from being in that exact position only 20 monthsago, when they took quarterback Alex Smith, the Raiders have spent 36 years in the NFL without having the privilege of spending six months "on the clock."
Not that Oakland would know what to do with it. The Raiders, once masters of the draft, accurately judging top talent while uncovering hidden gems in the faraway places, have developed a habit of fumbling on draft day.
While it's much too soon to give up on anyone taken in the last two drafts, their 2004 draft, with offensive linemen Robert Gallery and Jack Grove taken in the first two rounds, has been underwhelming. The No.1 picks from 2003, Nnamdi Asomugha and Tyler Brayton, are starters but remain light years away from the Pro Bowl.
Indeed, Oakland's last eight drafts have produced only two players, cornerback Charles Woodson and punter Shane Lechler, who earned the right to represent the team in Hawaii.
Having a 61/2 months to prepare, though, might give the Raiders enough time to nail it on draft day. Maybe. It surely would leave them with no excuses.
If they aren't convinced Andrew Walter is their quarterback of the future, they can look at Notre Dame's Brady Quinn or Ohio State's Troy Smith. They need linemen, so they'd have to consider Wisconsin's Joe Thomas and Penn State's Levi Brown. Other skill players include juniors like Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson and Ohio State blur Ted Ginn Jr. Georgia lineman Quentin Moses is among the best defensive players available.
Such a dismal track record in the draft helps explain Oakland's recent troubles. They are not as talented as they used to be, certainly not along the offensive line and in the secondary. The road to rectifying this begins Sunday. A loss to San Francisco would leave Oakland at 0-4, among several teams tied for the league's worst record one-quarter of the way through the season.
Then again, there may be a better idea for the Raiders, should they finish with the league's worst record: Trade the pick. That they can discover a player like Derrick Burgess suggests they might be better at assessing players within the league.
Dealing is precisely what the 49ers should do if they stumble into the No.1 overall pick. They're building around mediocre players on defense when they need a star. An impact pass rusher or defensive back. Swapping the pick would get them an established presence — and probably additional mid-to late-round draft pick.
Early returns indicate the 49ers have a clue about drafting. Player personnel chief Scot McCloughan is finding guys who seem capable of playing at NFL level, and he's finding them throughout the draft. If Smith is the 49ers' quarterback, as he should be, their best use of the draft is to find players who don't cost as much. Players who don't require first-player-taken money.
Look, neither team is willing to accept it isn't winning anything anytime soon. They both talk of fixing themselves, same as was said last year. But to know where they stand within the league, there can't be a stronger clue than being on the wrong end of the score Sunday.
There is plenty of season left, but not enough to go from brutal to beautiful. When a team's needs far exceed its haves, what can be more valuable than the chance to make the first overall pick?
The team that scores more points Sunday will sleep better that night, might even bring temporary peace of mind to its fans.
But the team that loses greets the truth about itself. It is hapless for the immediate future, perhaps best served by thinking beyond 2006. If it makes the right calls in the coming months, it just might have the last laugh.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_4439285
Either Raiders or 49ers might be able to get a head start on 2007 draft
Column by Monte Poole
Inside Bay Area
Article Last Updated:10/04/2006 07:31:05 AM PDT
THE COMMON perception is that Sunday's tussle between the Raiders and the 49ers is about pride, that the Battle of the Bay is nothing more than a slow race to avoid disgrace.
While this contention is not inaccurate, it misses the greater significance of this clash of the absurdly flawed.
It is a game in which the loser stands to receive the greatest long-term benefit.
The winners get to call itself the Bay Area's better NFL team, which is like bragging about having the best rotary phone on the block. It's the kind of pointless compensation any real competitor would consider no more fulfilling than a big bite of cardboard.
The losers, however, achieve clarity. Having received a bright red note informing them this is not their year, they can immediately begin shifting time, energy and resources toward the 2007 NFL draft.
The No.1 overall choice, unwanted yet coveted, is theirs to have.
And while the 49ers know the feeling from being in that exact position only 20 monthsago, when they took quarterback Alex Smith, the Raiders have spent 36 years in the NFL without having the privilege of spending six months "on the clock."
Not that Oakland would know what to do with it. The Raiders, once masters of the draft, accurately judging top talent while uncovering hidden gems in the faraway places, have developed a habit of fumbling on draft day.
While it's much too soon to give up on anyone taken in the last two drafts, their 2004 draft, with offensive linemen Robert Gallery and Jack Grove taken in the first two rounds, has been underwhelming. The No.1 picks from 2003, Nnamdi Asomugha and Tyler Brayton, are starters but remain light years away from the Pro Bowl.
Indeed, Oakland's last eight drafts have produced only two players, cornerback Charles Woodson and punter Shane Lechler, who earned the right to represent the team in Hawaii.
Having a 61/2 months to prepare, though, might give the Raiders enough time to nail it on draft day. Maybe. It surely would leave them with no excuses.
If they aren't convinced Andrew Walter is their quarterback of the future, they can look at Notre Dame's Brady Quinn or Ohio State's Troy Smith. They need linemen, so they'd have to consider Wisconsin's Joe Thomas and Penn State's Levi Brown. Other skill players include juniors like Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson and Ohio State blur Ted Ginn Jr. Georgia lineman Quentin Moses is among the best defensive players available.
Such a dismal track record in the draft helps explain Oakland's recent troubles. They are not as talented as they used to be, certainly not along the offensive line and in the secondary. The road to rectifying this begins Sunday. A loss to San Francisco would leave Oakland at 0-4, among several teams tied for the league's worst record one-quarter of the way through the season.
Then again, there may be a better idea for the Raiders, should they finish with the league's worst record: Trade the pick. That they can discover a player like Derrick Burgess suggests they might be better at assessing players within the league.
Dealing is precisely what the 49ers should do if they stumble into the No.1 overall pick. They're building around mediocre players on defense when they need a star. An impact pass rusher or defensive back. Swapping the pick would get them an established presence — and probably additional mid-to late-round draft pick.
Early returns indicate the 49ers have a clue about drafting. Player personnel chief Scot McCloughan is finding guys who seem capable of playing at NFL level, and he's finding them throughout the draft. If Smith is the 49ers' quarterback, as he should be, their best use of the draft is to find players who don't cost as much. Players who don't require first-player-taken money.
Look, neither team is willing to accept it isn't winning anything anytime soon. They both talk of fixing themselves, same as was said last year. But to know where they stand within the league, there can't be a stronger clue than being on the wrong end of the score Sunday.
There is plenty of season left, but not enough to go from brutal to beautiful. When a team's needs far exceed its haves, what can be more valuable than the chance to make the first overall pick?
The team that scores more points Sunday will sleep better that night, might even bring temporary peace of mind to its fans.
But the team that loses greets the truth about itself. It is hapless for the immediate future, perhaps best served by thinking beyond 2006. If it makes the right calls in the coming months, it just might have the last laugh.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_4439285