Friday, May 9, 2008

Raiders Rookie Mini-Camp Preview

This weekend the Raiders open their rookie Mini-Camp and of the 35 rookie attempting to make the team there are only two dead locks to make the roster in RB Darren McFadden and RB Michael Bush.

RB Michael is able to participate in the Rookie Mini-Camp due to spending all of last year on the physically unable to perform list. These two appear to be the locks to have a 510 area code four months from now while the other 33 participants hope to join them.

This weekend won't really be a gauge as to how the Raiders will use Darren McFadden or a gauge of how good he will be due to him competing against rookies. The mandatory veteran camp is June 3rd. It is very early but it appears that Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush will be 1,2 & 3 on the running back depth chart.

The rest of the smallest Raider draft class in history CB / S Tyvon Branch (fourth round), WR Arman Shields (fourth round), DE Trevor Scott (sixth round), Chaz Schilens (seventh round) will join McFadden but as we saw last year with Quentin Moses some will not make the 53 man roster. He was the highest drafted player to be cut by the Raiders.

All will be trying to make a good on the field impression, joined by a group of undrafted free agents that look to make the team as Tommy Kelly, Barry Sims and Chris Carr have done in the past.

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