With both Justin Fargas and Michael Bush on the roster already, Running Back was certainly not a position of weakness on the team. In fact, it was, along with shutdown cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, one of the only things the team had going for it all. The quarterbacks, wide receiver corps and the run defense were are all major travesties that were desperately in need of help. Despite the fact that doing so would further cripple his team’s chances of making progress in an area that they needed to, Davis just couldn’t resist making a splash...
No, he didn’t need McFadden.
He wanted him.
However, even though the pick seemed to fly in the face of all that is logical, it’s tough to deny why the Raiders decided to ignore what they needed and instead took who they felt was the best player available. McFadden is a truly special breed. He possesses blazing speed (he ran a 4.33 40 yard dash at the Combine) which gives him the ability to turn any play into a highlight-reel touchdown run.&nbp>
However, even though the pick seemed to fly in the face of all that is logical, it’s tough to deny why the Raiders decided to ignore what they needed and instead took who they felt was the best player available. McFadden is a truly special breed. He possesses blazing speed (he ran a 4.33 40 yard dash at the Combine) which gives him the ability to turn any play into a highlight-reel touchdown run. He is quicker than a hiccup and can bounce to the outside in a heartbeat or squeeze through rapidly closing holes in the line. He has soft hands and is an excellent receiving threat out of the backfield. Best of all, he has tremendous football instincts and therefore is able to utilize his physical gifts to their maximum potential.
Fantasy Football owners were excited by McFadden’s potential last season. The conventional wisdom was that, even if he didn’t begin the year as such, it was only a matter of time before he leapfrogged Fargas and became the Raiders feature running back. As anyone who follows football knows, being the guy who gets the majority of carries for Oakland is a pretty sweet gig. If there is one thing Oakland can do, it’s run the ball. Whether this is by choice or out of pure necessity due to the lack of development by Russell and the entire passing game is immaterial. The fact remains that ordinary running backs like Fargas and Lamont Jordan had very productive seasons as the team’s featured running back. Optimism was off the charts when many speculated about how well a guy with the potential of McFadden could do.
Unfortunately, the fates were not so willing to bestow such a favorable situation on McFadden. He battled turf toe injuries on both feet (which greatly impaired his elusiveness) as well as an ankle injury later in the season (which was probably the result of overcompensating for the toe injuries.) The Raiders’ other problems also contributed to his frustrating year as the run defense and passing offense were both brutal once more, meaning that he had even fewer opportunities to shine. Finally, Oakland failed to utilize their prized weapon in ways that could maximize his effectiveness. For a team struggling to find a consistent passing threat, they didn’t throw it to the man who probably would have consistently done the most damage ( he only hauled in 29 passes over 13 games.)
Even in the face of all that negativity and a minor surgical procedure performed on his shoulder in January, McFadden holds just as much promise this year as he did last year.
After all, no matter how good Justin Fargas and Michael Bush may be, neither of them was drafted to be “the shining star” of the organization.
Expect McFadden to be used by the new coaching staff (who hopefully has learned their lesson from last year’s debacle) in a style reminiscent of how New Orleans uses Reggie Bush. They may even line him up in the slot occasionally to attempt to get him the ball in space and let his magic feet do the rest. The Raiders will also be shifting to more of a zone blocking scheme with their excellent offensive line, a situation that ought to increase McFadden’s chances for success even more as his instincts will allow him to exploit the holes that are created. At this point, the only thing that can hold him back would be a recurrence of his injury problems. If he’s healthy, then the sky’s the limit.
McFadden should be, at the very least, a second round pick in any league. However, his value is higher in PPR leagues (where he should be considered a first rounder, in my opinion) and is off the charts in Keeper or Dynasty leagues.
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