Fargas out; Bush or McFadden in?
In three consecutive years, the Raiders have drafted a quarterback (JaMarcus Russell - first overall), a running back (Darren McFadden - fourth overall) and a wide receiver (Darrius Heyward-Bey - seventh overall). Drafting those three positions that highly in three consecutive years should mean that the Raiders have laid a solid foundation for their offense for years to come.
It should. But it doesn't.
It's an understatement to say that all three of those three high draft picks have underperformed and underwhelmed in the brief tenure in Oakland.
Last year, the Raiders ranked second-to-last in the NFL in scoring offense (12.3 points per game) and total offense (266.1 yards per game).
They will try to build on that (lack of) success without the services of one of their best offensive players, who was released Saturday.
As expected, the Oakland Raiders have parted ways with running back Justin Fargas, who was due a roster bonus of $1.7 million tomorrow.
"Justin Fargas was a beloved Raider who performed at a high level throughout his seven seasons with the team and his contributions to the Silver and Black will always be remembered," the team said in a statement announcing the move. "We wish Justin all the best."
With Fargas sent packing, both Bush and McFadden will both get an increased role and workload within the Raiders' low-powered offense.
Of the three running backs, Bush, who led the team in rushing yards (589), was the only one to play in all 16 games. Both Fargas, who led the team in rushing yards per game (40.9), and McFadden played in only 12 games.
Provided McFadden can stay healthy, which is a big if, I would expect him to get more of the split in 2010. McFadden has played in only 25 games over two seasons with an average of only 3.9 yards per carry on 217 carries.
In the last three games of the season, however, Bush had 38 carries for 203 yards compared to 24 carries for 106 yards for McFadden.
