With DE Greg Spires on his way, all that’s missing is a veteran quarterback to complete the Raiders’ offseason shopping.
Daunte Culpepper is still without a team. Trent Dilfer might be cheaper. Byron Leftwich is without a team.
Dilfer would appear to be the easiest to sign.
Culpepper and Leftwich aren’t too far removed from being starters. They aren't as likely to be content sitting behind a second-year QB.
Dilfer could be a solid option as a No. 3 quarterback behind JaMarcus Russell and Andrew Walter.
Culpepper and Leftwich would probably be best served to wait until training camp and see what team loses a quarterback to injury or realizes a young QB isn’t ready to lead the way.
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In case you don’t read Peter King every Monday at Si.com, here’s what he wrote about the Spires signing:
“ I think, of all the signings the Raiders made this offseason, the one that will be most worth the money is defensive end Greg Spires, who signed a one-year deal close to the NFL minimum Saturday. Spires, one of the five best players on the field in the Bucs' Super Bowl win over Oakland five years ago (a sack, two pass deflections), will be in the rotation at end for the Raiders and should be able to be a five- or seven-sack guy playing 20 snaps a game.”
See, not all the press about the Raiders’ offseason has been negative.
And in more positive pub, ESPN’s John Clayton lists the Raiders as his No. 2 “surprise team” of 2008:
“They go from having a .516 strength of schedule to a projected .438, giving them optimism for a four-game improvement. The only team with a 2007 winning record that the Raiders will play in the first 12 games is the Chargers, in a Sept. 28 home game. Until December, they play a .395 strength of schedule. How can they not "Just win, baby"? They should have a winning record going into their final four games.”
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The Raiders also signed defensive tackle rookie Tranell Morant. He participated in the team’s rookie minicamp over the weekend.
The Raiders released rookie offensive lineman Adam Spieker, who was signed after the draft.
--Jason Jones
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