"Just win, baby" was Al Davis' favorite saying during his nearly 50-year run with the Raiders organization. During that time, Davis, who initially served as the franchise's first successful coach before becoming the club's general manager and part owner, enjoyed a lot of winning while helping the Raiders become one of the NFL's bedrock franchises.
No professional football franchise was more successful than the Raiders from 1963-85. During that span, the Raiders won 12 division championships, an AFL title and three Super Bowl titles. They made the playoffs 15 times while advancing to 10 conference title games. The Raiders suffered only two losing seasons during that span.
The success of the Raiders during that time helped them become one of the NFL's most popular teams. Their physical nature (they led the NFL in personal foul penalties in '76, their first championship season) also resulted in them being one of the league's most polarizing clubs. But regardless of whether or not you cheered for them, the talent the Raiders possessed during those years, and the success they had on the field, was undeniable.
With the start of the 2020 season just around the corner, we decided to create the Raiders' all-time 53-man roster, built the way modern teams create their 53-man rosters. Before we dive into the roster, here's a rundown of some of the tougher decisions that were made for final cuts.
Big-name roster cuts: It was hard leaving George Blanda, Marv Hubbard and Pete Banaszak, three Raiders legends, off the roster. Blanda, an iconic Raider, had already put together a Hall of Fame career by the time he joined the Raiders as a 40-year-old kicker/backup quarterback in 1967. Hubbard, a fullback, was a three-time Pro Bowler who retired with a whopping 4.8 yards per carry average. Banaszak, a halfback, spent 13 seasons in Oakland (leading the league in rushing touchdowns 1975) and was a key member of the Raiders' first Super Bowl team.
Daryle Lamonica over Rich Gannon: There's no denying Gannon's success in Oakland. The 2002 league MVP, Gannon earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections with the Raiders while guiding the franchise to its most recent Super Bowl appearance. But the nod ultimately went to Lamonica, who won two league MVP awards in Oakland while leading the Raiders to their first Super Bowl. Lamonica, who led the league in passing in 1969 and in touchdown passes on two other occasions, posted a 62-16-6 overall record as the Raiders' starting quarterback.
Clem Daniels over Clarence Davis: Davis is firmly entrenched in Raiders lore. His "Sea of Hands" touchdown catch in the '74 playoffs ended the Dolphins' two-year reign atop the NFL. His 137 rushing yards in Super Bowl XI helped the Raiders rush for a then-Super Bowl record 266 yards. But Davis' regular season numbers pale in comparison to what Daniels achieved during his seven seasons in Oakland. A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Daniels, the team's first 1,000-yard rusher, led the AFL in rushing in 1963 while helping Oakland post its first winning season. He also played a significant role in the Raiders' first Super Bowl run in 1967.
Now that we've tackled the roster's toughest decisions, let's take a look at the Raiders' all-time, 53-man roster.
Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame are denoted with *
Offense
| Starter | Backup | Depth | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
QB |
Ken Stalber* |
Jim Plunkett |
Daryle Lamonica |
|
RB |
Marcus Allen* |
Bo Jackson |
Clem Daniels |
|
FB |
Mark van Eaghen |
||
|
WR |
Fred Biletnikoff* |
Jerry Rice* |
|
|
WR |
Tim Brown* |
Art Powell |
|
|
SWR |
Cliff Branch |
James Jett |
|
|
TE |
Dave Casper* |
Todd Christensen |
|
|
LT |
Art Shell* |
Harry Schuh |
|
|
LG |
Gene Upshaw* |
Steve Wisniewski |
|
|
C |
Jim Otto* |
Dan Mosebar |
|
|
RG |
Wayne Hawkins |
George Buehler |
|
|
RT |
Henry Lawrence |
Lincoln Kennedy |
There was no drama as far as selecting the Raiders' starting quarterback. While Plunkett (the MVP of Super Bowl XV) is extremely deserving of his backup spot, making "The Snake" the starter was an obvious choice. The league's MVP during the 1974 season, Stabler earned four Pro Bowl selections in a five-year span from 1973-76. During that span, he led the NFL in touchdown passes and completion percentage on two separate occasions. Stabler also guided Oakland to five straight AFC championship games as well as the franchise's first Super Bowl win at the end of the 1976 season.
Running back was also a pretty easy choice. While the Raiders have had some good ones, the starting job went to Allen, the franchise's all-time career rushing leader. The 1985 NFL MVP, Allen's 191 yards and two touchdowns earned him MVP honors following the Raiders' 38-9 win over Washington in Super Bowl XVIII. Complementing Allen is Jackson, his teammate in Los Angeles from 1987-90. The first athlete to be named an All-Star in two different sports, Jackson posted the NFL's longest run in three of his four seasons with the Raiders.
You'll be hard-pressed to find a better group of tight ends and receivers than the ones on this roster. This unit includes four Hall of Famers in Casper, Brown, Biletnikoff and Rice. Branch, the only member of this group to play in a role in all three of the Raiders' Super Bowl wins, is arguably the best eligible NFL player who is not currently in Canton. Another member of this group that deserves more Hall of Fame consideration is Christensen, a five-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL in receptions on two separate occasions.
The Raiders' offensive line is nearly as loaded as their receiving corps. Leading the way here is the Hall of Fame trio of center Jim "Double O" Otto, left guard Gene Upshaw and left tackle Art Shell. During the trio's seven seasons together, the Raiders' offense led the league in scoring three times while finishing second and third in that department on two other occasions.
Defense
| Starter | Backup | Depth | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
LDE |
Howie Long* |
Ben Davidson |
|
|
DT |
Otis Sistrunk |
Chester McGlockton |
|
|
NT |
Reggie Kinlaw |
||
|
RDE |
Lyle Alzado |
||
|
LOLB |
Phil Villipiano |
||
|
RILB |
Dan Conners |
Gus Otto |
|
|
LILB |
Matt Millen |
Greg Biekert |
|
|
ROLB |
Ted Hendricks* |
Rod Martin |
|
|
LCB |
Mike Haynes* |
Terry McDaniel |
|
|
RCB |
Willie Brown* |
Lester Hayes |
|
|
SS |
|||
|
FS |
Jack Tatum |
Vann McElroy |
Dave Grayson |
The Raiders' defense boasts at least one Hall of Fame player at each level. Starting on the defensive line, the Raiders boast an all-time great in Long, an eight-time Pro Bowler who played a key role in the Raiders' '83 championship team. Long was half of a menacing defensive end duo that also included Alzado, whose 2.5 sacks against the Steelers in the opening round of the '83 playoffs helped jumpstart the Raiders' Super Bowl run.
Hendricks, an eight-time Pro Bowler, headlines the Raiders' linebackers. A menace on special teams due to his penchant for blocking kicks, Hendricks won a Super Bowl with the Colts before winning three more during his time with the Raiders. He spent seven seasons playing alongside Martin, whose three interceptions during the Raiders' 27-10 win over the Eagles in Super Bowl XV remains a Super Bowl record. The Raiders' linebacker room also includes Mack, who earned three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro nods during his four seasons in Oakland.
The Raiders' secondary may be their most talented position group. The unit includes two current members of the Hall of Fame (Hayes and Brown), with Woodson being eligible for induction in 2021. The Raiders' defensive backfield also includes the intimidating duo of Atkinson and Tatum, whose altercations with Steelers Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann helped fuel the NFL's best rivalry during the '70s. Hayes, a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the '80s, won Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the NFL with 13 interceptions during the 1980 season. Three years later he and Haynes helped shut down Washington's prolific passing attack in Super Bowl XVIII. Speaking of Super Bowls, Brown's 75-yard pick-six against the Vikings is one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history.
Special Teams
A former first-round pick, Janikowski, a Pro Bowler in 2011, made the NFL's longest field goal of the season three years in a four-year span. His 63-yard boot in 2011 tied the NFL record, a record that was broken by Matt Prater in 2013. Oakland's kicker for 17 seasons, Janikowski's 1,799 career points as a Raider is a franchise record.
The second pure kicker to earn induction in Canton, Guy, a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, was the Raiders' punter during each of their three Super Bowl wins. In Super Bowl XVIII, Guy's grab of a high snap prevented possible disaster while also showcasing his athletic prowess.
Along with being a prolific receiver, Brown was also an elite returner. As a rookie, Brown was the NFL's best kick returner, returning a kickoff 97 yards for a score. He also returned three punts for scores during his career, leading the league in punt return yardage gained in 1994.
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