The Oakland Raiders have been residing in the bottom of the AFC West for so long it sometimes hard to remember the glory days of AFC dominance and the Super Bowl. In 2007 they began to dig themselves out. The first step was the drafting of LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first pick in the draft. To give Russell some breathing room Oakland brought in veteran Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper to help groom the youngster. More importantly, the Oakland Raiders found a solid young running back in Justin Fargas, who topped 1,000 yards on the season and helped the Raiders to a 4-12 record, doubling their wins from 2006. A closer look reveals just how close the Raiders were to a much better season. Five of their losses came by a touchdown or less and Oakland managed to beat their hated rival Denver Broncos twice. JaMarcus Russel saw limited action but displayed flashes of huge potential. The young Oakland defense gave up yards grudgingly despite missing a big time pass rusher. As Monte Kiffins grooms his young team, expect the Oakland Coliseum to become the palace of bruises it was so many years ago.