Is this how optimism feels?

I'm not 100% certain but I believe I am feeling something close to happiness right now. Happiness regarding the Raiders. It has been so long since I've felt this way about football. You'll have to excuse me if I struggle a bit to convey just how this long lost emotion feels. The fact that optimism feels foreign to me isn't the main issue. The fact that a team can get me excited by simply not doing something retarded, now, that is the issue.

So I went into the '10 draft absolutely sold on the fact that Al Davis was going to draft some workout wonder who sucked at football. Al did just that, however, for ONCE he didn't burn a premium pick to do so. When Roger Goodell made his way to the podium to announce who the Raiders were taking with the #8 pick I had that sinking feeling that I usually get during the draft. That feeling that's usually accompanied by names like "Robert Gallery" or "Darrius Heyward-Bey" or "Jamarcus Russell". So I sat there, remote control in hand, just ready to toss it across the room as soon as the name "Bruce Campbell" or "Taylor Mays" crawled across his lips. When the name "Rolando McClain" came out I wasn't angry so much as I was puzzled.

Middle linebacker wasn't really a position of need, and I am the biggest Kirk Morrison apologist around. Then I watched the 49ers grab both Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, two linemen the Raiders probably should have taken. At that point I was a bit upset, but nothing near the 100 decibel shit storm I spewed out last year when Al took DHB. I soon came to realize that while the selection of McClain may not have made all the sense in the world, it certainly wasn't a bad pick by any means. The bigger fact was that for ONCE the Raiders drafted the best available player and not for need. The very method that has lead to a decade worth of shitty draft picks was finally shelved and replaced with reasoning. Common sense. Basically it went against everything Al Davis has done since shoving Gruden out the door. Further, it pointed to the fact that Al actually values Tom Cable's input, which is an equally astonishing development.

McClain by himself wouldn't make the Raiders defense better. However, on day two the Raiders took a big step towards shoring up their atrocious run defense by adding DT Lamarr Houston from Texas in the second round. In the span of 24 hours their defense went from "god awful" to "meh". For most people this isn't a big deal. When you've been watching this team suck its way into oblivion over the years, it means everything.

A marginally improved defense still can't make up for the lack of a competent QB or pass blocking. Luckily, those deficiencies were also addressed. In round 3 they grabbed unknown OT Jared Veldheer from some tiny ass school called Hillsdale College. He's a big guy, standing a shade over 6'8, but he has short arms. Not really sure what he's capable of, but he can't be any worse than Cornell Green. He's a project, but there's nothing wrong with drafting a project in the 3rd round.

I'm guessing Al finally woke up on Saturday morning. In the 4th round they drafted Bruce Campbell, the man many people thought they'd reach for in the 1st. Bruce Campbell in the 1st round is a shitty, shitty pick. Bruce Campbell in the 4th round is a bargain. Like Veldheer, he's got a lot to work on before he's ready, but again, nothing wrong with drafting a project in this spot. Now we're really going to find out if Cable is the o-line guru he claims to be.

Kirk Morrison, Captain Kirk, the heart of the Raiders defense, was shipped to the Jaguars in exchange for a 4th rounder. That pick was used to select Jacoby Ford, a small receiver who runs fast. Shocking. They plan on using him in the slot and in the return game. Kind of a steep price to pay for a smurf receiver, but you knew Al was going to poke his head in sooner or later.

In the 5th round they grabbed db Walter McFadden. Another good value pick, he'll probably give Stanford Routt stiff competition as the nickle back. Not an absolute steal, but he's a 5th rounder who'll probably make the team. 6th rounder Travis Goethel and 7th rounders Jeremy Ware and Stevie Brown will probably be practice squaders.

Despite all of this, the biggest move they made, the move that got Raider fans talking and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, was trading a 2012 4th rounder to the Redskins for QB Jason Campbell. It's not that Jason Campbell is a world beater or anything. It's the fact that he isn't Jamarcus Russell, and the fact that they not only traded for but also extended his contract, that gives us a little slice of hope. His presence means that of Jamarcus and Kyle Boller, one (and quite possibly BOTH) won't make the roster. It also means that the coaching staff finally came to their goddamned senses and realized that Bruce Gradkowski wasn't the answer. I honestly think Campbell can be a good QB if he's behind a decent o-line. If the Raiders throw some money at Alan Faneca we'll be on the road back.

The Jamarcus Era is finally coming to end. This by itself would have made my day. Add that to a surprisingly decent draft and the trade for a competent QB and all of a sudden you have the beginning of something resembling hope. I know full well that this thing probably can and WILL fall apart, but for today I'm a happy Raider fan. I haven't been able to say that shit in a long time.