Sorting through the Raiders' issues is like creeping around Facebook looking at exes. There are some nice sights, but at the end of the day, you see the same old issues. The jury is still out on whether Oakland has the right quarterback, and the club still can't stop the bleeding with the refs. But the real conundrum for the franchise -- something that will play itself out over the next few weeks -- is what to do in the backfield.
Darren McFadden is as explosive and productive as any running back in the NFL ... when he's healthy. That's the operative phrase for a player who missed 12 starts the past two years and has never played a full season. Unfortunately, one of the best backups in the league is a free agent. If the Raiders pay Michael Bush to stay, how much money will they have tied up in one position? The answer is around $14 million. That is, if the Raiders don't deal McFadden (Dennis Allen has indicated they won't), and they franchise Bush (at $7.7 million).
If new GM Reggie McKenzie doesn't franchise Bush and lets him walk, then backup Taiwan Jones better have more than just potential, because Run DMC likely will be in a walking boot at some point in 2012. And if Oakland doesn't have a viable alternative in the backfield, that would doom the Raiders' playoff chances.
