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The Raiders' 50th exhibition season begins tonight at the Coliseum against the Dallas Cowboys, and here are the top 10 things on my mind:

1. JaMarcus Russell. This is the start to a huge season for the third-year quarterback. Will he look more at ease under new offensive assistants Paul Hackett and Ted Tollner? Will he show more leadership in the huddle, on the sidelines and, oh yeah, on the field? Will his oversized frame look more oversized or more Nutrisystemed?

2. Darren McFadden. He's been Oakland's most electrifying player all offseason, so let's see how that translates to game action. More important, let's hope he doesn't get hurt once again. He's worth the price of admission (even if exhibition games are still a costly rip-off).

3. Dallas Cowboys. No team in the league is under more pressure. They have rid themselves of scapegoats/stars Terrell Owens, Roy Williams (the safety, who can't cover), Pacman Jones and Greg Ellis, their long-time defensive end who now is vital to the Raiders' pass rush (No. 99 in your program). Plus, the Cowboys are breaking in a new $1 billion stadium, though tonight they'll be playing in one of the NFL's worst venues. Tony Romo, Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett have their work cut out for them this season.

4. Defensive line. Will the Raiders finally have one? New defensive coordinator John Marshall has been a vocal presence and we get a peak at whether any of his instruction is taking hold. I'm most curious to see if Terdell Sands can actually do something. Put the over/under line on Tommy Kelly offside penalties at three. Keep an eye on No. 73, defensive tackle Ryan Boschetti.

5. Super Mario. Always vital to any offense is how the left tackle protects the quarterback, especially one as young as Russell. Mario Henderson (No. 75) played well at the end of last season. How will he handle a top-notch defensive scheme like the Cowboys'?

6. Faster Than A Speeding DHBullet. First-round draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey will introduce himself to the Black Hole. A couple nice catches, preferably of at least 25 yards, will boost his confidence and perhaps quell his critics.

7. Here's Nnnnnnnnamdi. Nnamdi Asomugha returns for another season with the Raiders, and he does so as the highest-paid cornerback. He rarely gets any passes thrown his way in meaningful games (unless he's covering Randy Moss), so perhaps he can use the exhibition season to find a way to make plays elsewhere in the secondary. How does he do that? Hey, he's the one getting paid a lot to find a way. But here's a suggestion: Send him in on blitzes if the quarterback refuses to look his way.

8. Paging, Michael Huff. With only one interception in three seasons, the Raiders' 2006 first-round draft pick better step his game up or else he should be dumped. Maybe he'll pipe up like fellow Texas product Vince Young and declare himself the next black cornerback to win a Super Bowl en route to the Hall of Fame. Nah, Huff is a cool guy who, well, simply hasn't shown NFL tools.

9. Coach Tom Cable. His interim role cast aside, will Cable's in-game demeanor change? How will he juggle play-calling duties and oversee a club coming off its sixth straight losing season.

10. Backup quarterbacks. Let's end this list with a bang. Jeff Garcia has a calf strain, and I'm wondering if his roster spot is in jeopardy. It would be foolish to release him. He likely would be an upgrade when Russell gets hurt, and his decade-long service in the NFL offers invaluable on-field experience. But the Raiders are committed to giving Russell a full opportunity this season, and perhaps they're willing to cut costs with Garcia and gamble with Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski (both have starting experience) as the backups. Frye and Gradkowski face big-time auditions this exhibition season.

P.S. DId you know Oakland's first exhibition game 50 years ago was a 20-13 loss to the Dallas Texans at Kezar Stadium?

P.P.S. Keep an eye on how linebacker Kirk Morrison plays. He's had to battle for his starting spot. True, he's racked up lots of tackles in his career, but he's done so on one of the league's weakest run defense. I expect him to step forward and kick his game up a notch.

By Cam Inman
Staff columnist
Posted: 08/13/2009 09:15:27 AM PDT
Updated: 08/13/2009 11:20:27 AM PDT
http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_13052890

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