Oakland Raiders

The Raiders most glaring defenisve weakness has been against the run. Much has been made of the issues with the defensive line, but linebackers do share in that responsibility as well.

The "Law Firm" of Morrison and Howard are fan favorites, and have been spectacular at times in pass coverage. The sdtrong side linebacker position has been a revolving door of late featuring Ricky Brown, Jon Alston, and Robert Thomas among others.

PROJECTED STARTERS:

* WLB Thomas Howard
* MLB Kirk Morrison
* SLB Jon Alston

For all the talk coming from training camp about Ricky Brown pushing Kirk Morrison at the starting mike linebacker position, there is no way that Brown will take that spot. Morrison has started every game for the last three seasons at that position, after starting fifteen games his rookie year as an outside backer, and for all of the criticism he has taken, he has led the Raiders in tackling for each of the last four years.

Thomas Howard is probably the fastest linebacker in the NFL, and there is no one in camp who will challenge his starting position. Howard has shown a knack for the ball, and is one of the best pass defending linebackers in the league.

The battle to watch here will be Jon Alston versus Ricky Brown for the strong side linebacker position. Brown broke camp last year as the starting SLB, however when he went down Alston took over and played well in relief. Despite the old adage that "you don't lose your job to injury," Alston has taken the majorty of snaps at SLB during camps, and looks to have the inside track.

Projected depth:

The loser of the Ricky Brown v Jon Alston scrum for strong side linebacker will be the primary depth. This is an area that is full of special teams standouts who may not be the best on the field as linebackers. Sam Williams has proven himself to be astrong special teams player, but may be nearing the end of his time on the Al Davis scholarship program. He never materialized into the pass rusher he was expected to become when he was drafted in 2003. He will have to defend his roster spot from the challenge of Slade Norris.

The ink has not yet dried on Isaiah Ekejiuba's three year contract. He was a Pro Bowl alternate as a special teams player in 2008, and he is raring to take that next step come 2009. However, he is not a player who should be on the field much as a defender. He is strictly a special teams guy.

On the bubble:

Undrafted free agent David Nixon has a long way to go to earn a slot on the final 53. However, he is a prime candidate to be put on the practice squad.

In Memoriam:

Linebacker Marquis Cooper was lost at sea last March. He is still listed on the roster.







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