Mike Goodson was traded to the Silver and Black on March 30th in a deal that sent former Maryland lineman Bruce Campbell in exchange to the Panthers. Most brushed this trade away with time. Since coming out of Texas A&M and being drafted, Goodson was considered an afterthought by most in his short NFL career with the Panthers. Hey, if we each individually were an NFL running back behind a elite two headed monster in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, we'd all be an afterthought as well.

Many don't pay attention to the versatility that Mike Goodson does in fact bring. Not only in the Raiders backfield, but also within the special teams unit along with the receiving corps. Besides the often injured Darren McFadden, the Raiders also currently lack veterans in the backfield to help second year back Taiwan Jones flourish. (Thus, the team also becoming interested in signing Cedric Benson) I certainly think the four-year pro can add many aspects to this Raiders team this season that are often getting overlooked.

Goodson is an outstanding special teams player, whether that's incorporated within the punt or kick returning unit. He can also catch, block, and run HARD down field. Despite his fumbling issues in the past, the skills that he can offer outweigh it.

Think of it this way: Reggie McKenzie traded away a practically unproven player for a versatile fairly young back with more to offer. Growing up in Wisconsin watching McKenzie throughout the Packers organization myself, I can vouch by saying that McKenzie has done a very good job this off season in getting valuable and solid players for very cheap. (ex: Ron Bartell, Shawntae Spencer) With Michael Bush signing with Chicago, I applaud McKenzie for getting rid of Campbell to help fill a positional need.

Monday, August 13th is the date for the Raiders preseason debut against the Cowboys. Dennis Allen most likely won't be looking to give McFadden big carries and the risk of him suffering any type of injury is always prominent. Even if Oakland does sign Cedric Benson, his touches won't be massive right away. Jones will have his limited time in the game as well. Look for Mike Goodson to have a solid preseason under Oakland's zone blocking scheme while contributing in many different ways for the Raiders this season.

Goodson surely will be good and ready.

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