The Raiders decided it was better to bite the bullet and get rid of Randy Moss as all they got in return was a 4th round pick (John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati) for him.  In two seasons with the Raiders Moss played in 29 games (28 starts) and he caught 102 passes for 1,558 yards (15.3 avg) with 11 TD grabs.  This will probably be addition by subtraction for the Raiders as they get rid of Moss’ cancerous attitude.

The Raiders have acquired QB Josh McCown and WR Mike Williams from the Detroit Lions for the 105th overall pick (4th round) in the NFL Draft.  McCown will battle JaMarcus Russell and Andrew Walter for the starting job at quarterback on the Oakland Raiders.  McCown has played 5 seasons in the NFL and he’s completed 498 of 862 passes (57.8%) for 5,431 yards with 25 TD passes and 29 interceptions (72.1 QB Rating).  McCown has also run the football 94 times for 429 yards (4.6 ypc) with 3 TD runs. 

Mike Williams was a first round pick just two years ago by the Detroit Lions who are giving up on him.  Lane Kiffin coached him at USC and he believes that he can get a lot out of him.  Williams has impressive size at 6′4″, 229 but his speed has been a little below par for an NFL WR.  In 8 games last season for the Lions, Williams only caught 8 passes for 99 yards (12.4 avg) with 1 TD grab.  In his 2 year in Detroit he played in 22 games (6 starts) and he caught 37 passes for 449 yards (12.1 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  This was a good trade for the Raiders as all they gave up was a 4th for two players that have a chance to contribute to their team’s success.

The Raiders traded their 2nd round draft pick (#33 overall) to the Cardinals for the #38 overall pick and the #105 (4th round) pick.  The Raiders made a nice move here moving down a couple of spots and picking up a 4th round selection.

The Oakland Raiders have drafted what they really need, a franchise quarterback with the #1 pick in the NFL Draft.  Russell definately has the best skill set of any QB coming into the league this season.  Russell is 6′6″, 260 pounds and he can run a 4.75 40 yard dash which is pretty impressive for a man his size.  He has a rocket launcher attached to his shoulder as he’s completed 493 of 797 passes (61.9%) for 6,625 yards with 52 TD passes and only 21 interceptions in three seasons at LSU.  It might take a while for Russell to adjust to the NFL game, but he had a 25-4 record as a starter at LSU so it might not take as long as most people think it will.

1. (1)  JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU   

2. (38)  Zach Miller, TE, Arizona State 

3. (65)  Quentin Moses, DE, Georgia

3. (91)  Mario Henderson, OT, Florida State  

3. (99)  Johnnie Lee Higgins, WR, UTEP

4. (100)  Michael Bush, RB, Louisville

4. (110)  John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati

5. (138)  Jay Richardson, DE, Ohio State

5. (165)  Eric Frampton, S, Washington State

6. (175)  Oren O’Neal, FB, Arkansas State

7. (254)  Johnathan Holland, WR, Louisiana Tech