With Russell's arm, plus the explosive playmaking skills of top draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey and 2008 first-round pick Darren McFadden, there is the potential for touchdowns from many positions.

Unless, of course, McFadden has no room to run and Russell has no time to throw.

The Raiders had a chance to add a bodyguard for Russell in the draft when Virginia tackle Eugene Monroe was available at No. 7.

That did nothing to deter the Raiders from their pre-draft plan of taking Heyward-Bey, regardless of the fact that most analysts had the speedy Maryland receiver ranked in the mid- to late first round.

As for coach Tom Cable's pre-draft gushing about the ability of the four left-tackle possibilities -- Baylor's Jason Smith, Alabama's Andre Smith, Monroe and Mississippi's Michael Oher -- well, that was a bit of misdirection on the part of the coach.

"We kind of went into it talking about the offensive line for a purpose, really, because we had signed Khalif Barnes and Erik Pears at tackle," Cable said. "Then there was the trade for (Miami center) Samson (Satele), which was huge."

Cable and the Raiders believe Barnes, Pears and Satele will mesh with Oakland's zone-blocking system and help create a unit more formidable than it might appear.

Barnes had a difficult season in Jacksonville as a starter last season. He was criticized for repeated pre-snap violations as well as surrendering 9.5 sacks. The Jaguars made no attempt to re-sign him, and then happily snapped up Monroe when the Raiders passed in the draft.

He will compete with Mario Henderson at left tackle. Henderson, who got the tough-love treatment from Cable and predecessor Lane Kiffin, was criticized by his coaches repeatedly in the press but had three strong games when the Raiders finally benched ineffective left tackle Kwame Harris.

Chances are the one who doesn't start at left tackle will move to the right side. There, the competition will be Pears, who was a 16-game starter for Denver in 2007 and missed 2008 due to injury.

All the Broncos had to do to retain Pears was give him a qualifying offer. Instead, they let him walk, with the Raiders looking at his angular 6-foot-8, 305-pound frame and taking into his account his experience as a zone blocker.

At center, the Raiders swapped fourth-round picks with the Dolphins and also dispatched a sixth-round pick to sign a two-year starter. Miami had already signed Jake Grove, a 12-game starter for the Raiders last season, in free agency.

It is this crew, along with starting guards Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle, plus reserves Paul McQuistan and veteran Cornell Green (tackle), which had Oakland confident enough to bypass drafting a lineman in the draft.

Also signing on was Marcus Johnson, a former second-round pick by Minnesota who will be tried as a guard by Cable.

The only college free agent appearing at the first minicamp was Jonathan Compas, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound guard from UC-Davis.