As I watch our Oakland Raiders take shape for the upcoming season I see some good and some bad . I see our team getting some much needed toughness which I like . I see us recycling old coaches again which I am less than enthusiastic about , it did not work with Art Shell , Tom Walsh , Chuck Breshnehan etc. . I understand the cap mess that Reggie Mackenzie inherited and the need to clear out the dead wood .

That said , I have always wondered what the Raiders would look like when Al Davis was no longer around to run things . Would new management still invest the money in a small market team for a winner , or if we would end up like some of the other small market teams that did not have an owner like Al , ready to spend what ever it takes for a winner . Or god forbid end up like the A's and be playing money ball while the fans have to watch their favorite players leave after their rookie contacts expire, turning their team into basically a farm team that may enjoy some sucess here and there , but is basically developing talent for other organizations to win championships with.

Now that the dust has settled , I hope we will see things like a long term deal for branch , and maybe a signing or two that leads me to believe we will not end up like the Bengals or Browns whose ownership does not seem willing to invest the money to keep and attract the type of talent it takes to bring championships to a city that has waited patiently for decades .

I like the direction we are headed with Mackenzie , but I have yet to be convinced our ownership will have the same commitment to excelence we enjoyed with Al Davis .