The Facts:
McFadden is coming off a season in which he averaged 3.27 yards per carry running sideways in since-fired OC's Greg Knapp's zone-blocking scheme, and he has been hard at work at the Raiders' facility. Greg Olson is the new coordinator, and former Dolphins HC Tony Sparano is the new OL coach, as the Raiders are going back to a predominantly straight-ahead power scheme, one in which McFadden averaged 4.75 yards per carry his first four seasons.
Reported by the San Francisco Chronicle
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
McFadden's "most effective years have been in a downhill, power scheme," second-year head coach Dennis Allen said. "That's why Greg Olson and Tony Sparano are here."
McFadden is enthused. "This is very exciting for me," he said. "I am the type of guy who likes to go downhill, make a cut and go; that's my thing. We'll mix it up like we used to, and get some zones in there, but for the most part, I will be keeping my shoulders toward the line of scrimmage. ..." Besides being held to 707 yards on 216 carries last season, McFadden was also stopped by injury again. He missed four games because of an ankle sprain and has missed 23 games in his five seasons -- "just a fluke," he said, "because I am always going hard. ..." And now that he'll be running more north-south than east-west, the Raiders have high expectations. So does McFadden. "I know what I can do," McFadden said. "I do feel like I am still a top-five back."
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