Three Keys That Will Take The Oakland Raiders To The Next Level

The genie lamp has been rubbed and three wishes have been offered to the Oakland Raiders. Mark Davis makes his three wishes, and wish number 1: Coach.

With so many good coaching options still out there, where do they proceed? Do they take a coach with an offensive mind like, Mike McCoy or a defensive mind, like Dom Capers? With the relationships that general manger Reggie McKenzie has built with Green Bay; don’t be surprised to see a name come from that organization. However, let’s throw a name out from that organization that gets mentioned every year during the firing squads reign of power, Steve Mariucci.

This may sound far-fetched but there is always the possibility and always the hope that John Madden would come back too! Oakland needs stability, with four head coaches in the past five years, give or take a few months; this team needs someone who can take them through the next few years. The players need something stable to depend on.

Wish number 2 for Oakland and company: Higher draft picks.

The Raiders do not have any high draft picks for 2012 but will probably get third and fourth round compensatory picks. Oakland has done well with mid-range draft picks but if they are looking for a superstar trading up should be an option.

We know there are teams that are always stock-piling the later rounds so let’s make a deal. Devon Still, Defensive Tackle, Penn State, would be a great addition and for him to learn behind Richard Seymour could be an amazing opportunity for any rookie. If that cost seems too high, maybe Jayron Hosley, cornerback, Virginia Tech, could be a possibility. Building that position up could secure the parts of the defense and start rounding out old, new, and players yet to be announced to the team.

Wish number 3: Discipline!

Discipline could come from a head coach that may be around more than a season. For a team that was penalized most in the NFL, the wish for discipline should be a good one. Team needs for players are always there but if no one has control of this team, than the talent of these players is being wasted. 1,300+ yards of penalties must be embarrassing. The amount of penalties this team commits is disturbing and the lack of confidence shows. A team that is confident in its skills would not have to commit so many penalties.

It seems the wishes have come to an end. Let’s recap: A head coach, higher draft picks, and discipline. These three wishes could go hand in hand; the stability of a head coach, the possibility or marquee players from the draft and discipline could make “just win, baby” the mantra in Oakland again. If the genie grants these wishes Raiders fans could have many more wishes granted next year.

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