OAKLAND RAIDERS
Movin' On Up

You have to crawl before you can walk, particularly in the NFL, where overnight turnarounds are the stuff of fantasy leagues, not real leagues.

The Oakland Raiders are definitely still in the crawling stage of their much-desired return to glory as they continue their 2010 season. They opened the year 2-4, and garnering that first playoff berth since they reached the Super Bowl in January 2003 looked like an iffy proposition at best.

But at the very least, abject despair has been replaced by wonder and intrigue. There are definite signs of future promise for the Raiders after seven years of futility, as they seek to walk tall again as one of the league's signature franchises. While fans may be weary and impatient for a winner, several building blocks of success are showing themselves to be in place for seasons to come. Oakland simply may need a few more of them to achieve a breakthrough.

Think about where they've come in just one year. The Raiders have finally purged themselves of the unfortunate JaMarcus Russell era. At long last, they've addressed key areas of their porous defense. They have a head coach in Tom Cable who now has the longest tenure of any Oakland head coach since Jon Gruden.

They have a solid new offensive coordinator in Baltimore Ravens import Hue Jackson, a more experienced quarterback in former Washington Redskins starter Jason Campbell and a promising corps of young players bent on making a break from the Raiders' rough recent past.

Aside from a difficult opening challenge at Tennessee, the 2010 Raiders were competitive in every game through their first six. In fact, save for a missed chip-shot field goal by veteran placekicker Sebastian Janikowski in a tough 24-23 loss at Arizona, the Raiders could have been 3-2 through their first five games.

Even with that, they won two of their first three home games at the Oakland Coliseum, including a 35-27 victory over AFC West rival San Diego that ended a 13-game losing streak to the Chargers. To be sure, that was a significant achievement in the team's crawl back to respectability.

A barometer for the rest of this season may not be how many games the Raiders win or lose, but how competitively they play in victory or defeat. Obviously, they would love to end their record streak of seven consecutive seasons of 11 losses or more, but that looks doable based on what we've seen so far, and a .500 record is not out of the question. Either one would be a dramatic clue of what could be in store.

Clearly, the Raiders' defense is better with two quality rookies, linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive end Lamarr Houston, quickly establishing themselves as fixtures for the future alongside standout veterans Richard Seymour and Nnamdi Asomugha. After several years at the bottom of the league defensively, the Raiders are now in the upper half of the NFL statistically, and it's not a mirage.

Offensively, the Raiders possess an improving corps of young skill players. Receivers Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey have made strides in their second seasons. Tight end Zach Miller has become one of the top tight ends in the league, perhaps a Pro Bowl candidate by year's end. While they have not been healthy enough to be on the field together in the same game, the Raiders are blessed with two talented and versatile young running backs in Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.

The next step for the Raiders — and they know it — will be rebuilding an offensive line that can maximize the potential of these young skill players and also better protect the quarterback, whether it be Campbell or fan favorite Bruce Gradkowski. Oakland did draft two linemen this past offseason and tackle Jason Veldheer and guard Bruce Campbell have received some playing time in their rookie seasons. They should see more as the season progresses as they learn the league and better understand their roles.

If the Raiders can add another piece or two to that line in the next offseason, the transformation they so desperately crave could reach fruition.

In short, some of the moves the Raiders have made over the past couple of seasons are starting to bear significant fruit. But it's a tough league and growth can be difficult and measured. Progress may not necessarily be reflected in the win-loss record right away, but whether they're playing the game right and making a competitive showing week in, week out. On that count, there's no doubt Oakland has taken some necessary strides.

A number of educated observers, including their old coach Gruden, have recognized that the Raiders are taking these important baby steps in 2010 to begin their crawl back to the top. It's reflected in their on-field talent upgrades, their improved organizational stability and their unwavering commitment to excellence.

Whether the breakthrough occurs this year, next year or in 2012, more components are in place to spot a light at the end of a dark seven-year tunnel. That's all Raiders fans should expect right now, but at the point a breakthrough occurs, they would be advised to be quickly grab a seat.