27-year old QB Bruce Gradkowski tore a pectoral muscle lifting weights this past Wednesday and he will have surgery today.  He played in 7 games for the Raiders last season and he completed 82 of 150 passes (54.7%) for 1,007 yards with 6 TD passes and 3 INTs (80.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 18 times for 108 yards (6.0 ypc) last season.  Gradkowski will miss quite a while but he should be ready for the 2010 season for the Raiders.

The Raiders have placed 22-year old OLB Slade Norris and 22-year old KR Nick Miller on I.R.  Norris was the Raiders’ 4th round pick out of Oregon State last April in the draft.  He played in 4 games  and made a whopping 2 tackles this year.  Miller was injured in the pre-season but the Raiders didn’t know that he had a fractured tibia.

Starting QB Bruce Gradkowski tore his MCL in both knees ending his 2009 season.  Gradkowski played in 7 games this season for the Raiders and he completed 82 of 150 passes (54.7%) for 1,007 yards with 6 TD passes and 3 INTs (80.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 18 times for 108 yards (6.0 ypc).  This is a huge injury for the Raiders as Gradkowski inspired the team to play better when he was on the field.

The Raiders will be without starting guard Robert Gallery indefinitely due to a back injury.  Gallery has played in 6 games (6 starts) for the Raiders this season.  He has now played in 80 games (79 starts) in his six year NFL career.  Gallery will be missed as he has been a good player since moving inside to guard.

UPDATE:  Gallery is now out for the rest of the season for the Raiders and he will need some type of surgery to fix his back.

The Raiders have released 25-year old CB John Bowie with a injury settlement.  Bowie played in 3 games this season for the Raiders and he made 1 tackle.  In three years with the Raiders, Bowie played in 5 games in which he made 2 tackles.  The thing that Bowie will be most remembered for in Oakland though is that he was the return the Raiders got when they traded Randy Moss to the Patriots.  Moss has played in 10 games for the Patriots this season and he has caught 63 passes for 925 yards (14.7 avg) with 8 TD grabs.  In his three years in New England, Moss has played in 42 games in which he has caught 230 passes for 3,426 yards (14.9 avg) with 42 TD grabs.  What a terrible trade that turned out to be as the Raiders could probably use Randy Moss right about now.

The Raiders have placed 26-year old OLB Jon Alston on the Injured Reserve List due to a severe concussion.  He played in 9 games for the Raiders this season and he had 23 tackles including 2 tackles for a loss.  In his four years with the Raiders, Alston has played in 39 games in which he has 66 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 2 forced fumbles.  This will hurt the depth of the defense and the special teams of the Raiders.

The Raiders have placed 25-year old OLB Ricky Brown on the Injured Reserve List with a bum ankle ending his season.  Brown played in 5 games for the Raiders this season and he had 31 tackles, 1 forced fumble and he defensed 2 passes.  He has now played in 41 games in his 4 years with the Raiders and he has made 89 tackles, defensed 3 passes and he forced 2 fumbles.  The Raiders should be able to replace Brown but he was playing pretty decent this year.

The Raiders will be without 34-year old DE Greg Ellis indefinately due to recent arthroscopic knee surgery.  He has played in all 8 games for the Raiders so far this season and he has 18 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 forced fumble and he has defensed 1 pass.  Rookie Matt Schaughnessy and Trevor Scott will try to step up while Ellis is out.  Schaughnessy has played in all 8 games for the Raiders this season and he has 10 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 sack.  Scott has played in all 8 games for the Raiders and he has 15 tackles and 2 sacks.  Ellis is the co-leader in sacks on the Raiders with Richard Seymour, but Schaughnessy and Scott should do a decent job replacing him.

The Oakland Raiders offense needs every weapon they have, but the struggling offense will now be without their starting running back Darren McFadden.  McFadden tore the meniscus in his knee on Sunday and will be out 2-4 weeks.  McFadden has a touchdown and 145 yards rushing on 47 carries (3.1 avg) this year.  He has also caught seven passes for 53 yards.  The entire Raiders offense has been terrible this year, but McFadden has shown some signs of good play and he has a bright future.  The Raiders have also lost right tackle Cornell Green for 2-4 weeks with a strained calf.

The Oakland Raiders have placed cornerback John Bowie on the Injured Reserve List ending his season.  He played in all three games for the Raiders this season but he only made 1 tackle.  In parts of three years with the Raiders, Bowie has played in 5 games in which he has made 2 tackles.  The Raiders hope that maybe next year Bowie can stay healthy.