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Oakland Raiders Schedule: Browns Giants Ravens @ Chargers Titans @ Denver (MNF) @ Redskins Bye @ Chiefs @ Bengals Dallas Chargers Chiefs Denver @ Philly @ Steelers @ Jets I'm gonna edit this thread and add each game in as I go along, so I can stretch this until I go home and play some more. So check beack each day to see the progress of Al Davis' baby. My goals include winning 3 of the first 4 games, and beating Denver on MNF. Predictions on how many wins for the Raiders? Over under is 10.5 wins. I'll start the season once I return from vacation.

Draft Picks (2010 Draft): 1st 2nd 3rd 3rd (Pitt) 4th (Philly) 5th (Sea) 6th 6th (Wsh) 7th (Ari) 7th (Cle) 7th (Buff) I made two trades; both moving undrafted free agents. I traded Josh Boyd (FS) to Pittsburgh for a 3rd round pick, and Neal Cook (WR) to Philly for a 4th round pick (I really had to negotiate hard for that one). Both would have been trouble to resign and only would have been backups. I signed some bum to backup Huff and added Eddie Royal to my WR core. Royal is pretty shitty at being a WR, but he adds a lot to my return game.

Roster (2009): Offense: QB- Noah Wyoming (77/91) HB- Ozzie Jones (89/95) FB- Dan Kreider (85) WR- Mario Manningham (86/90), Pete Browning (77/93), Edwin Mays (78/93) TE- Zach Miller (81/86) LT- Thurman Bayless (84/90) LG- Raymond McDaniel (81/88) C- Steven Justice (84/85) RG- David Hale (74/87) RT- Mark Wilson (87) Defense (3-4): LE- Calias Campbell (86/88) DT- Dre Moore (89/92) RE- Chris Canty (79) LOLB- Thomas Howard (89/91) MLB- Jeremiah Trottier (85), Kirk Morrison (83) ROLB- Keith Rivers (90/94) CB- Nnamdi Asomugha (93), DeAngelo Hall (87) FS- Michael Huff (85/91) SS- Craig Steltz (85/88) Special Teams (KPA/KAC): K- Serna (97/85) P- Lechler (96/94)

Pre-season Beat Dallas 20-17 (OT) Loss to Philly 38-22 Loss to Washington 13-10 Loss to Giants 23-20 (OT) Yep, two OT games in the pre-season. This was a pretty slow time, I mostly just signed depth guys as they became available. I also trade Tommy Kelly (DT moved to RE) to the Jets for a 2nd rounder in 2011. But now my RE spot is manned by a waiver wire guy (78 OVA), and no one wants to trade their stud to me. The Brees comparison has 87 potential under my new QB coach, who locked my philosophy to "pure passer". Noah Wyoming has 91. Russel's ended going up to 86... I plan to start lots of rookies again, at LT, LG, QB, HB, and all the WRs minus Manningham.

NFL 2009 Draft, Day 2 In the third round I have the 78th pick. I was looking at Thurman Bayless (LT), compared to Walter Jones (although not as good). We get to the pick, and it still looks like we could wait. So I move down 10 spots and pick up a 7th rounder and a 6th next year. At the 88th spot, I decide to take Bayless, and lower my stress level instead of moving down again and hoping for him to be there. I moved Mark Wilson back to RT. I have no picks in the 4th round, so it's a long painful wait until my 5th rounder. Pete Browning (WR) is still there, so I take him. He's compared to Isaac Bruce, so I can't go wrong there. A few picks later, I deal Bryant (WR), the UDFA I resigned and a 7th rounder next year for the 154th pick, and I take Raymond McDaniel (LG). He's pretty solid, I'll move Hale over to RG. So we roll down to the sixth round and I just deal that pick away for 2 7th rounders next year, since I can wait. With my 2 7th rounders, I want to move down, but no one wants them, so I take 2 more WRs. Yeah it's boring, but there is a lot of talent here. Draft Recap 24th- Ozzie Jones (HB) 41st- Noah Wyoming (QB) 88th- Thurman Bayless (LT) 141st- Pete Browning (WR) 154th- Raymond McDaniel (LG) 205th- Edwin Mays (WR) 216th- Dedric Zeller (WR) UDFA's Neal Cook (WR) Senaro Gray (MLB) Colton Boxer (QB) Dane Byrd (CB) Josh Boyd (FS)

NFL 2009 Draft, Day 1 MarQuise Acho (LE) goes 1st overall, which is a bit dissapointing, since he went 6th in the mock and I considered trading up for him. But I had no chance, plus Joe Kain (QB) went second, so I was 95% sure I was going to move down and pick up Ozzie Jones (HB). We get to my pick (13th), and my offers aren't outstanding, so I consider taking the best WR (Fitzgerald comparison), but I convince Seattle to give me a 5th now and a 5th in 2010, and I drop 11 places to 24th overall. The draft goes smoothly, and I take Ozzie Jones (HB) at 24th. My next target was Noah Wyoming (QB), and I wasn't sure if he was going to make it to 45th. Things were moving smoothly, and then Arizona comes up, and looks primed and ready to take him, so I have to make a move. I give up my 2nd round pick, the extra 5th I just got and a 4th in 2010 to move up... 4 spaces (fricken CPUs low ball your ass) and take Noah Wyoming (QB).

Free Agency Free agency started off with a bang, I released Ronald Curry (WR). Oddly enough, he was released in 2009 IRL. Last year the wide receiving core was so weak, that he could start, but with a deep draft at WR, I figured I could get at least 3 guys better than him, maybe even a 4th so I could cut Jonny Lee Higgens. There were no free agents of interest; I was mildly interested in Matt Birk (C, 92 OVA), but he went around 6 M, which was about 1.5 M over my budget, plus I'd have to move Justice to G, and I had no idea if that would work. So I passed, along with the Colston RFA (wanted a 1st and 3rd). Here are my draft picks: 1st 2nd 3rd 5th 6th 7th 7th I have 32 M in cap space. QB and HB are decent draft needs, but not vital. WR is very important, and most of the OL needs an upgrade. I'm pretty much set on the defensive side of the ball, but some DL depth would be nice.

Coaching Staff HC- James Aldridge (15) OC- Jim Caldwell (45, new) DC- Rob Ryan (88) STC- Gary Fanning (20, new) QBC- Dan Henning (45, new) HBC- Tom Rathman (65) WRC- James Lofton (76) OLC- Tom Cable (35) DLC- Keith Millard (38) DBC- Ward Black (63) LBC- Dan Markdale (70) GM- Guy Torrent (63, new) Trainer- Aaron Lee (99, new) I did some scouting to see where I could get better, so I didn't fire my DLC or OLC, even through I kinda wanted to. I didn't get much better at STC, because there wasn't much good out there. However, the other upgrades will help greatly, because the old coaches at those positions were awful. Jim Caldwell was a great poach, but he wanted a promotion from QBC, and Tom Moore isn't going anywhere.

2008 Awards MVP: Peyton Manning (QB) OPOY: Brandon Marshall (WR) DPOY: Lofa Tatapu (MLB) OROY: Mario Manningham (WR) DROY: Aquib Talib (CB) Coach: Tony Dungy Raiders Pro-bowlers: #2 SS- Craig Steltz Returner- Steve Breaston Patriots beat Tampa Bay in the Superbowl 20-10.

Loss to Chargers 17-14 (OT) Loss to Patriots 28-24 Loss to Houston 14-13 Beat Tampa Bay 24-17 I could have lost all four if Tampa didn't put in their backups. Final Record: 7-9

Beat Carolina 23-15 Beat Miami 27-7 Loss to Denver 23-13 Beat KC 28-21 Move to .500!

Loss to Saints 36-35 Beat Jets 28-25 Loss to Ravens 14-7 Beat Atlanta 20-3 I improve to 3-5 (take it however you like ). I resigned Lechler, Asomugha and Mark Wilson (the LT). I also resigned Serna (K), Kreider (FB) and Leman (MLB). Leman was a 7th rounder, but was a mid-season cut, so I brought him in when Trottier was put on IR.

The roster is young, so it'll take a few years before I starting winning a lot. Especially at WR I need more help.

Loss to Denver 31-17 Beat KC 24-21 (OT) Loss to Bills 13-10 Loss to Chargers 17-10 I'm going to do the games in sets of 4. I failed 3 of my goals due to these losses.

2008 NFL Schedule Denver @ Chiefs @ Bills Chargers Bye @ Saints Jets @ Ravens Falcons Panthers @ Miami @ Denver Chiefs @ Chargers Patriots Texans @ Bucs

I'm probably going to plow through the season, because the offseason is more interesting. Here's my roster from the top of my head (with old excel cheat sheet for rookies): QB- Pennington (81) HB- Fargas (74) WR- Manningham (75/90), Curry (70), Bryant (58/80) TE- Miller (81/86) LT- Wilson (86/90) LG- Hale (76/87) C- Justice (75/85) RG- Pitts (72) RT- Star (78) LE- Campbell (82/88) DT- Moore (85/92) RE- Kelly (78/81) LOLB- Howard (88/91) MLB- Trottier (85), Morrison (82/84) ROLB- Rivers (86/94) CB- Asomugha (91), Hall (86) FS- Huff (83/92) SS- Steltz (82/88) K- Serna (78/92) P- Lechler (93) Thoughts: The offense is pretty weak, no denying that. But I think we can score enough points for the defense to hold. Said defense looks pretty solid on paper, and once the youngsters develop and everyone learns their plays, we should be able to lock most teams down. Special teams looks sexy, and will be counted on in short games to give us the win. Week 1 on MNF against Denver will be a tough test, especially considering how dominant the Cutler to Marshall offense is. If we can pull off the upset, we have a good chance of beating the Chiefs and one of the other 2 team in our first 4, and if we can do that, I'll probably be able to go 7-9 and keep my job.

Season Goals Beat the Broncos in week 1 (2 of these, so this is important; it's on MNF) Win 3 of the first 4 games (if I win game 1, things get easier) Resign: Lechler, Asomugha, and Wilson (the LT) Win DROY of the year (I got Moore, Campbell, Steltz and Rivers, got good odds) Hire a new GM (was planning on it) Keep the DC (was planning on it) End the season with 75+ approval (this could be a ball buster if I don't get there) Finally, I got the Ozzie Jones draft path, which is a new one. I don't have a 4th rounder, but otherwise I'll be good.

Pre-season/More Offseason So there were many holes that were addressed through the draft, but there were many places that could not be fixed. So I looked into the post-draft free agents, and started by bringing on Dan Kreider (FB, 83 OVA). He's a damn good blocker, and will help the running game. J.T. Sullivan was signed to compete for the starting QB job, although Al Davis wanted me to trade for Chad Pennington. I said no, because the negotiations came down to the Jets wanting a 2nd rounder, and a 81 OVA QB is not worth a 2nd rounder (he only gets the 81 cause he fits the scheme so well). The offensive line needed work. I signed some depth, but no one worth starting came until after the first pre-season game, where I was able to get Chester Pitts (72 OVA, RG). He's not good, but he's better than what's out there. After the 4th pre-season game, I signed Cameron Star (I think that's his name), to play RT, he's 78 overall. These are both likley stop-gaps on a weak offensive line. I brought in Steve Breaston to play the 4th WR and be the primary returner, since I overvalued Higgens at returner. Breaston isn't very good in this game, but he's fast... I added depth in other places, and Tommy Kelly was moved to RE, as he was my best option (and he has a big contract). The LB core is really deep (although my backup MLBs suck), which is key for the 3-4, but all my defensive starters (minus Kelly) look sexy. I went 1-3 in the preseason, loosing to San Fran 23-8, Tennessee 14-10 and Seattle 35-7. But I pulled out a 34-0 win over Arizona in week, so who knows. Thankfully, the Jets boned themselves, so they had to move Pennington and his 6.9 M a year contract, so I got him for a 5th rounder in 2010. He easily takes over the starting job from JaMarcus Russel. The plan is the dink-and-dunk offense (also called the "check down" offense), with lots of dumping off to the TE and HBs, a healthy dose of running, with the occasional deep throw to Manningham (to please Al Davis).

Don't worry, 1sts are gold in this game (as in any), and I don't think I trade any away. I always try and draft the best player available, and Keith Rivers is probably the best OLB in the game. They gave him such beastly cover skills that he could play safety.

NFL Draft, Day 2 My target for the 3rd round is Dre Moore (DT), but Early Doucet (WR) wouldn't be bad either. DeSean Jackson went mid 2nd (48th), so my options at WR are getting limited. So I keep trying to trade up, hopefully being able to throw a player in there. The main interest is in Stuart Schwegert (SS), with other interest being in Chris Johnson (CB). We get down into the 80s, and I begin to get ants in my pants (gotta clean up those crumbs). I trade Johnson, my 6th and the 5th I got for my backup QB for the 84th pick, and I take Dre Moore. So I have the Raiders 4th round pick, and it makes me happy to take Craig Steltz (SS). He'll likley start at SS. With that, Schwegert became expendable, so I moved him for the 105th overall pick, and took Mario Manningham (WR), since Doucet went 2 picks earlier. I don't have the Raiders 5th round pick (fricken Davis), but I have 2 picks in the 7th. I'm able to take a 7th, and an extra FB and turn it into a 6th rounder, where I take Steven Justice ©, who looks to be a good fit in the zone block scheme (good footwork, his strength is lacking, which is why he dropped). With the Jets 7th rounder, I take David Hale (LG). Both of these guys will likley start. 4th: Keith Rivers (ROLB) 50th: Calaias Campbell (LE) 84th: Dre Moore (DT) 101st: Craig Steltz (SS) 105th: Mario Manningham (WR) 170th: Steven Justice © 211th: David Hale (LG) Well, I started off with a 1st, a 4th, a 6th and 2 7ths, and managed that. I'm pretty happy about that. Undrafted Free Agents Alexis Serna (K) Dorian Bryant (WR) Andrew Harper (RE) Mike Peterson (TE) Kenny Cousins (CB) I plan to start all of my draft picks. After the fact, Harper and Cousins get cut, but Serna is the starting kicker, Peterson is the #2 TE and Bryant is the #3 WR.

For 5-10$ it is worth it IMO. It has one of the most in-depth offseasons in any sports game I've played. It's best to just sim or supersim the games. Between the draft classes, the prodays/workouts/combine, it i the closest to the real thing as you can get.

NFL Draft, Day 1 Jake Long (LT) goes 1st, Chris Long (RE) goes 2nd and Vernon Gholston (ROLB) goes 3rd. I was disappointed to have no shot at a Long, but I have a great consolation prize in Keith Rivers (ROLB), or I could take Darren McFadden (HB) or Matt Ryan (QB). I look to see if I could move down a few spots, but the only offer I get would drop me a lot and only give me a 7th rounder in 2009. Matt Ryan is about as interesting as bran flakes, but not as healthy, and I'm confident that my running backs will get the job done. If not, I'll be slinging the ball a lot since we'll likley be losing a ton. Keith Rivers it is. I have a long wait for the 50th overall pick, and I'm aiming to take Calaias Campbell. So I watch the players fly by, I look at trading up, or back in to the 1st with 2009 picks, but nothing strikes my fancy. So I'm pissing my pants looking at the "pick the pick", and seeing them thinking about taking him. I keep trying to trade up, but the offers are so bad. Eventually, we get to the 50th, and I'm able to take him, who will fill the LE spot nicely. I speed through the rest of the day, and prepare for day 2...

Free Agency Con't The Raiders stay silent in the beginning on free agency. All the big names like Asante Samuel move by, signing for big numbers. The Raiders take a peek at Terrel Suggs, but his cap hit goes over 8 M and the Raiders leave laughing at the gross overpayment. They also laugh at Ken Dorsey getting signed; many QB's will bust because of him... So the Raiders see Jeremiah Trottier going cheap, so they get him at 3.4 M a season, for 5 years. He's 85 overall, and will likley compete with Morrison for the #1 or #2 MLB spot in the 3-4 defense. With only 2 HB's, teams are trying to sell HB's. The Patriots come in need of cap space, and offer Kevin Faulk. The Raiders negotiate, and trade a 4th rounder in 2009 and some guy names Raull for him. Faulk will be the #2 HB, and will be the 3rd down HB. In emergency circumstances, he could be a WR. The teams keep offering for Janikowski, but the return is laughable. However, once all the kickers are gone, teams begin to get more desperate. The Arizona Cardinals offer a 2nd rounder (50th overall), and I can't resist. I know Alexis Serna is in the draft, so I'll have to pick him up. The Broncos, tired of Elvis Dumerville, offered him to me. I was eventually able to get them to take Jay Richardson, a RE that doesn't fit in the scheme. I move Dumerville to ROLB, where he'll be the backup (80 OVA). As the draft approaches, the Raiders roster begins to take shape...

Yeah I was happy to hear Looman was on the staff too. The last few Franchise modes in Madden have been lackluster, especially compared to HC09.

Free Agency So we started FA with a bang; franchising Nnamdi Asomugha. He is just too good to let go, even at a gigantic 1 year deal. I'll have to put in a lot of effort to resign him in the offseason. I entered free agency with 20.5 M open in cap room, but a lot of that will be taken up by cutting garbage players. Lamont Jordan and Gerald Warren highlight the players released, but other players (whose first names escape me) like Grove, Gallory and Thomas were released. Looking to the draft, he have a lot of needs. Here are my thoughts position by position: QB: I traded the backup for a 5th rounder in 2009. So what's left is JaMarcus Russel. He is pretty awful, 66 OVA with a potential of 78. He basically does not fit this West Coast scheme. He'll be the backup heading into the season, and maybe the starter if I can't get a QB. The draft looks poor for QBs (at least short term) and free agency has none. HB: We got Michael Bush and Justin Fargas. Fargas is the better back right now, with a OVA in the 70s. Bush has potential, but he's pretty bad at the time. I have roster space for another HB, I'll likley pick one up who can be a 3rd down HB, as neither of these guys are good out of the backfield. FB: We got 2, neither are very good. WR: We got Johnny Lee Higgens and Ronald Curry. Higgens is a decent returner, but he's terrible otherwise. Curry is 70 OVA, but the lack of draft picks and his large contract bonus makes it unlikley that I move him. There are a lot of options in the draft, like DeSean Jackson, Early Doucet, and Mario Manningham. TE: I got Zach Miller, and he's a solid starter. The thing is, TE's develop slower than molasses in the winter, so I'll be ignoring drafting them (except undrafted), and keep to getting them in free agency. OL: We got 1 good lineman, the rest will be gutted. The draft is not that promising for offensive linemen, so it'll probably be a patchwork of late rounders and post draft free agent pick ups. I don't have the money to drop on a expensive offensive lineman, plus there isn't anyone worth it either. DL: We got Tommy Kelly, who will probably man one of the spots, unless Chris Long falls to me. I moved Derreck Burgess to LOLB (like the Pats IRL), where he'll likley be a backup. LB: Thomas Howard will man one side, Burgess is a backup, and Kirk Morrison is a mediocre starter (82 OVA, 84 POT) at MLB. The draft is thin at MLB and OLB, other than Keith Rivers, who I'll take at 4 if a Long isn't there. DB: Wow the Raiders are deep here. We have Asomugha, De Angleo Hall (who is also a good returner), plus Chris Johnson and someone else whose name escapes me. We got Michael Huff (82 OVA 93 POT), but we need help at SS. K/P: Lechler is a future HOF'er, and Janikowski is decent, but inaccurate. If someone gives up something big for him, I'll bite.