Raiders Blog and Q&A: The latest I've heard

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Raiders Blog and Q&A

News, observations and reader questions about the Oakland Raiders

April 25, 2008

The latest I've heard

Darren McFadden is (or should be) the pick for the Raiders.

Lane Kiffin repeatedly called McFadden "dynamic" and that's what he said his offense lacked last year, a dynamic player.

Of course no one knows for sure, but one scout said the team would be "dumb" to pass on McFadden, rated either the first or second player on almost every team's draft board (the other being Glenn Dorsey).

Of course, as the draft approaches, the rumors and guessing grows. Some Raiders staffers love Chris Long and believe he would start right away and help against the run, as Kiffin indicated.

But isn't the fourth pick a bit high for a run-stopping defensive end that might not have as much upside as Vernon Gholston?

And don't overlook this scenario: the Raiders trading down and drafting USC linebacker Keith Rivers, which would give the Raiders the best linebacking trio around. It's a position the Raiders could use some help at some point.

Instead of using an extra linebacker, throwing Rivers in the mix wouldn't be a bad idea to help against the run.

Who knows what will happen? But the more I hear, I'll pass it along.

--Jason Jones

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Paul was born in Barstow and attended Barstow Community College before transferring to UNLV, sadly, after Ickey Woods, Randall Cunningham, Keenan McCardell and Suge Knight had made the Rebels a football, um, powerhouse. Paul has worked for Sports Illustrated, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Los Angeles Times and The Bee. While stringing for the Barstow Desert Dispatch, Paul was about 10 yards away from Bo Jackson when he suffered his career-ending hip injury in a 1991 playoff game at the L.A. Coliseum against the Cincinnati Bengals.