Coach Allen seems to be less than impressed with what he saw from the Oakland defense last year , and seems to be moving toward a serious overhaul of the beleaguered unit . Don't expect the axe to stop with Stanford Routt . The team is aggressively pursuing linebackers which does not bode well for linebackers Aaron Curry and Kamerion Wimbley .

The news that the Raiders have met with the troubled Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick makes you wonder what suprises Reggie Mckenzie may have in store on draft day . Kirkpatrick's stock has begun to slide since an arrest just days after declaring for the draft ( the charges have since been dropped ) but never the less , character issues , or the perception of character issues seem to have the young Alabama cornerback beginning to slide .


Once thought to be the second defensive back off the board , rumors have him sliding toward the 2ndhalf of the first round. First round talent does not usually meet with teams that are not on the clock until the fifth round ( late third if Oakland scores a compensatory pick ) , unless there is something in the works that leads his management to believe Oakland may be in the game .

Coach Allen seems to be poised to revamp the defensive unit . Most likely moving to a 3/4 , leaving Oakland with too many defensive linemen . Houston is too good to be a back up , and Kelly is too expensive to be a back up . Could there be a surprise waiting for Raider Nation on draft day ?