When the 2011 season started for the Oakland Raiders, coach Hue Jackson was determined to have his defense be a “bully” on the field. Of course he never wanted to set the single season record in both penalties and penalty yards, but that’s the risk you take when you create a monster of a defense. The defensive line was fantastic at creating pressure on the quarterback, the linebackers could cover sideline to sideline and the secondary could make any open-field tackle.  So why is it that the Raiders had such a hard time maintaining leads? One could easily point out that the combination of Hue Jackson’s and former defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan’s inability to game plan properly as the biggest reason. Or maybe it was the revolving door at starting defensive back opposite of Stanford Routt, mostly due to injuries.

The Raiders secondary showed flashes of being a shut-down unit.  Michael Huff lived up to his 1st round expectations and Stanford Routt showed he can be threat while filling in the void left by Nnamdi Asomugha when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Raiders still seem to be missing a true leader in the secondary. With Richard Seymour clearly leading the front seven, and Rolando McClain taking control of the middle-level, the secondary still seems to be lacking the “bully” mentality Coach Hue Jackson envisioned. That’s where free agency comes into focus. There are numerous players that are going to be testing the free agent market, and although many names come to mind that could instantly improve the Raiders’ secondary, only one name stands out as a “match made in heaven.”  That player is pro-bowl defensive back, Cortland Finnegan.

Many have classified Finnegan as a “dirty” player for his numerous incidents involving some of the best wide receivers in the game. Most notably, his history involving Houston Texans’ Receiver Andre Johnson, and their “fist fight heard around the world”.  At first glance, it would seem that this is a player any GM would want to stay away from, but the true weapon Finnegan possesses is his cerebral toughness. His ability to get inside a receivers head and make the offense make bad decisions, is just the type of leader the Raiders could utilize. Not to mention Finnegan has 4.54 speed, and anyone who knows Raiders’ football, knows that speed is a huge weapon they covet. Although Finnegan isn’t as strong as a of a tackler as the like of Branch, Routt, and Huff, he is just as dominating as a man coverage defensive back.  A one-two punch of Routt and Finnegan could result in opposing quarterbacks holding the football for a second or two longer, and with Seymour and company closing in fast, those are precious seconds offenses won’t  be able to protect.
By adding Finnegan, the Raiders don’t instantly become the Super Bowl favorites, nor are they guaranteed to make the playoffs in 2012.  But what they do become is a team that plays 60 minutes of hard-nosed, true grit football against any team in the NFL.  A team that can not only physically beat you up, but can also win the mental game as well. Finnegan is the type of player who isn’t afraid to push his sleeves up and get dirty as long as it results in a win for his team and that type of leadership is what the Raiders have been looking for since Charles Woodson left the bay area.

Gabriel Rideout is and NFL team writer for The Penalty Flag.  He can be contacted at GRideout@thepenaltyflagblog.com.

Related articles

• Raiders May Make More Moves Than Expected (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
• A Pretty Penny: Raiders Fine Themselves $100 a Penalty (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
• Raider Nation Loses Chester McGlockton (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
• STB’s Hottie of the Week: Rihanna (shatterthebackboard.com)