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I have had fun working on this project, and reading your comments as I covered each of the position groups. I enjoyed seeing some of the names that you guys threw out. I would like to think each and every one of you who took the time to read and comment as I worked on this project.
Now, without further ado, the cutdowns have happened and here is my take on the All-50 Oakland Raiders roster.
- Ken Stabler
- Jim Plunkett
- Rich Gannon
Plunkett has the hardware, but when it came to crunch time, there are few who could hold a candle to The Snake. Gannon would be the coach on the sidelines chomping at the bit to prove himself. It would be funny to hear the press conferences considering the differences between Stabler the party animal and Gannon the workaholic.
Halfbacks:
- Marcus Allen
- Clem Daniels
- Pete Banaszak
- Napolean Kaufman
Marcus Allen's tenure with the Raiders ended badly, to say the least, however his contributions on the field make him the clear cut starter for this group. Kaufman was one who I was on the fence on at one point, but was a key player in the Raiders emergence under Gruden. Daniels and Banaszak both were key players during the Raiders domination of the 60s and seventies.
Fullbacks:
- Mark van Eeghen
- Steve Smith
Van Eeghen is a fullback in the classic mode, back before they became almost exclusively blockers. He would be a double threat as a blocker and a runner. Smith could rotate in as a pure blocker. He beats out Jon Ritchie by a nose.
- Fred Belitnikoff
- Cliff Branch
- Tim Brown
- Warren Wells
- Art Powell
With the talent of Branch and Freddie B on the outside, Brown would be devistating as a slot receiver. He has higher numbers, but he also played in a much more pass-happy time in football history.
Tight ends:
- Dave Casper
- Todd Christensen
- Raymond Chester
If I was adding a practice squad to this exercise, then Miller would be on it. He is full of potetial, but he has to do it on the field for a few more years to surpass any of these three.
Offensive tackles:
(Note: rather than denote left v right on the offensive line, there are two starters and the reserves are numbered for guard and tackle)
- Art Shell
- Lincoln Kennedy
- John Vella
Offensive guards:
- Gene Upshaw
- Wayne Hawkins
- Steve Wisnieswki
- Mickey Marvin
Center:
- Jim Otto
- Dave Dalby
This one is obvious.
Defensive Line:
(Note: With the current deliniation between defensive ends and tackles a recent phenomon, all are listed as defensive linemen. * denotes starter and numbered denotes depth.)
- Howie Long
- John Matuszak
- Tom Keating
- Reggie Kinlaw
- Ben Davidson
- Greg Townsend
- Lyle Alzedo
- Otis Sistrunk
- Dan Birdwell
I had no intention of Derrick Burgess making this team, but felt his numbers merited his name mentioned in the original post. Birdwell got the nod over McGlockton to give respect to the 11 angry men defense, who played before sacks were an official stat.
Outside linebacker:
- Ted Hendricks
- Phill Villapiano
- Rod Martin
Inside linebacker:
- Matt Millen
- Monte Johnson
- Greg Biekert
- Willie Brown
- Lester Hayes
- Mike Haynes
- Terry McDaniel
- Charles Woodson
- Skip Thomas
Safeties:
- Jack Tatum
- George Atkinson
- Vann McElroy
- Eric Turner
Kicker: George Blanda
Punter: Ray Guy
Punt Returner: Tim Brown
Kick Returner: Harold Hart
You can also find Patrick Patterson on Thoughts from the Dark Side.
Comments
Nnamdi dosent make the list what the hell he is better then terry mcdaniel
Nnamdi shiuld be right behind Mike Haynes on the depth chart, he is that good. Everything else is pretty dead on. With all due respect to Blanda, Jano would destroy him in distance and he is the most accurate kicker in Raider history. I like Eddie Anderson as a back up safety at least to be on youor origional list.
The most glaring omission from the team....BO JACKSON!! Bo had Banaszak's power with Kaufman's speed. I would take him over anyone except maybe Marcus. Otherwise I agree, thanks for putting this out there, it was fun.
Bo was left off because I felt that only playing half season for four years wasn't enough for inclusion.
Yea, I thought about that too. But he was a guy that could possibly be the best talent ever. It was an honor to have him in silver and black, even for a short time. I would include him. He got hurt. It's not like he left for more money. Thanks for the responce
jerry rice,james lofton,randy moss, some of the nfl's top wr's are not on the list. ok i get no bo jackson but what about kenny king.
dang.. nnamdi shouldve been on the list..(at least as *depth*
Daryl Lamonica over Gannon,
Marv Hubbard over BOTH Van Eeghan and Smith,
Dave Grayson over Eric Turner.
Otherwise, you are right on the money!
I don't care that Bo wasn't able to play "enough"... His run style and overall game puts him here if I was making the team. When healthy, He's the ticket. Also, Nnamdi has to be there too. Nice list
Love this list...Alot of this depends on perspective. What qualifies someone as an all time Raider. For me Bo is the best running back to ever where the silver and black. If you are looking at people who, at some point in their career wore our colors, then you have to talk about guys like rice, dickerson, lott, craig, moss...the list goes on.
Overall though, I love the list.
asomoua, really wasn't tested, albeit due to nobody would throw his way, but mcdaniels proved his talent. wr: somebody mentioned lofton, i would put swervyn mervyn fernandez in before him. also, on special teams, you have to include seabass and lechler as 2nd's. and bo jackson has to be in here as well as ronnie lott.
and another for kicker... chris bahr
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