For struggling Raiders, Darren McFadden's a luxury

Arkansas Razorbacks All-America running back Darren McFadden declared Monday that he will bypass his senior season and head straight to the NFL draft. The move was an expected one for the 20-year-old halfback, but the announcement will certainly create more short-term buzz surrounding McFadden and his future in the NFL.In essence, every team with a top-five pick will begin to debate whether he's worth the high draft choice.With the Miami Dolphins, St. Dallas Cowboys jersey
Louis Rams and perhaps the Atlanta Falcons (pending a coin flip) picking ahead of the , fans of the silver and black have a right to feel McFadden will be available when Al Davis's franchise is on the clock.That early in the draft, though, consider McFadden to be a luxury, not a necessity. The Raiders have plenty of options at running back and even more holes to fill elsewhere. Adding another ball carrier to the roster should be a third-round-or-later priority, not a top-five one.Currently on the Raiders' roster at running back are Justin Fargas, Dominic Rhodes, LaMont Jordan and Michael Bush. Of the four, two finished the season on the injured reserve (Fargas and Bush) and one (Jordan) was downgraded to bench-warmer status by midseason.Both Fargas and Bush, however, should be ready to go by next season. It'll be the Raiders' responsibility, though, to make sure Fargas remains on the roster.Despite not starting a single contest prior to Week 9, Fargas managed to rack up over 1,000 yards on the ground on just 222 carries, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt. The 27-year-old running back will become an unrestricted free agent this March, joining other available rushers such as Michael Turner, Julius Jones and Jamal Lewis. Fargas has spent his entire five-year career with Oakland, but he has remained rather silent this offseason regarding his imminent future with the team. For the right price (it shouldn't be overly excessive), however, Davis should be able to bring back the 220-pounder in 2008. In place of Fargas for the final two weeks of the season, Rhodes took over the bulk of the team's carries. The 205-pounder, who was signed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal last offseason, rushed 56 times for 237 yards and one touchdown in Weeks 16 and 17 alone.The odd man out, Jordan, is as good as gone. Oakland likely would have cut him midseason, but injuries to division rival running backs Larry Johnson and Travis Henry discouraged the team from letting him lose. After carrying the ball 125 times in the first eight weeks of the season, Jordan received just 19 reps in the team's final nine contests.The incoming ball carrier to the equation will be soon-to-be second-year player Michael Bush, who spent the entire '07 campaign on the PUP list and injured reserve. Bush was the Raiders' first pick in the fourth round last April, but a broken right tibia that he suffered in the season opener with Louisville in 2006 dropped his draft value dramatically.With such a strong incoming rookie halfback class waiting to be drafted, Bush has quickly become a forgotten man in Oakland. Instead, players such as McFadden have become the center of much debate for high-pick holders like the Raiders.Despite 6 Sanchez Purple AFL50th jersey
the buzz and flashiness surrounding McFadden, Oakland should avoid being sucked into the hype.With plenty of holes to fill and with Fargas, Rhodes and Bush all capable of getting the job done, McFadden would be considered a luxury at this point. The team managed to finish sixth in the NFL in rushing last season, but 22nd in overall defense. It's clear where the extra help is needed.Here's to hoping that Darren McFadden doesn't perform well in the 40-yard dash.