Tom Curran • E-mail

At first, it was just amusing. Step right up and take a gander at “Crazy Al’s Shopping Bonanza!”

But now it might be time to stop smirking about the Raiders moves from the past month and wonder if maybe – against all odds – they might stand a chance of being good. Or at least move away from being bad.

That’s no small feat. Al Davis’ once-proud franchise has won 19 games since appearing in the 2002 Super Bowl (or one more than the Patriots won in 2007) and better days seemed even more remote in January. That’s when the modest momentum built under new head coach Lane Kiffin in 2007 was flushed when it was learned Davis wanted Kiffin gone because Kiffin wanted to, ya know, coach the team.

The Raiders released a “there’s nothing to see here, folks” statement at the time saying there was no issue. But people know better. With Oakland, there’s always an issue. And what free-agent player would elect to be part of that?

Well, one that is paid handsomely. And that’s the strategy Oakland’s following.

Money Raiders have thrown at players with injury issues, attitude issues and light resumes has caused a few spit takes around the NFL.

Six years and $39 million with $16 mil guaranteed for former Giants safety Gibril Wilson?!

Seven years and $50 million with $18 mil guaranteed for dented-up defensive lineman Tommy Kelly?!

Six years and $55 million with $16 mil guaranteed for oft-injured and irascible wideout Javon Walker?!

Seven years and $70 million for newly acquired, sometimes-petulant corner DeAngelo Hall?!

Three years and $14 million for backsliding offensive tackle Kwame Harris?

Screwy? Well, yes and no. If you haven’t yet adjusted to the $116 million salary cap available to all teams, then yeah, it seems out of whack. But if you have realized that average to good players will now make what very, very good players did when the cap was at $85 million, the money makes a little more sense. Not total sense, mind you, but a little more.

Lost in the flood of attention to the big-money moves are some of the other moves Oakland’s made. Specifically, signing free agent wide receiver Drew Carter, re-upping running back Justin Fargas and taking a flier on former first-rounder William Joseph, a massive defensive lineman who was on IR for the Giants last year. And don’t forget, they have the fourth overall pick in the draft with an opportunity to add a tremendous player on either side of the ball (DT Glenn Dorsey, anyone?).

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When you look at the Raiders defense, you see a secondary that could be very good with two top-tier corners in Hall and Nnamdi Asomugha, and two talented safeties in Michael Huff and Stuart Schweigert. The secondary can only be as good as the front-seven allows it to be, however, and the number of question marks – starting with Kelly – gives pause.

Still, what’s most interesting about this offseason is that Oakland’s been able to do its business without being negatively impacted by the rancor between Kiffin and Davis. Kiffin’s been actively involved in additions on both sides of the ball this offseason. And while the defense is always Al’s, Kiffin’s fingerprints are all over the Raiders offensive decisions.

Offensively, the Raiders are not bereft of talent. They have Dominic Rhodes, Fargas, and LaMont Jordan all in the mix at running back. Tight end Zach Miller had 44 catches in his rookie season and could be the kind of crutch a young quarterback needs.

Which brings us to the biggest issue in Oakland, the development of second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Developmentally, Russell could still be considered a rookie this year. He missed all of training camp last year and that’s where the teaching with your teammates goes on. Until he goes through his first one, he’s still raw, unproven and the elephant in the room whenever any optimism about the Raiders is broached. Incompetence at quarterback could harpoon all the moves Oakland’s made.

So how’s he coming? Hard to say. It would have been great to talk to some of the new Raiders about what made them go to Oakland (aside from the dough). Or to talk to Kiffin himself about how things have gone. But the Raiders deflected several interview requests for either players or coaches. No matter. What gets said in the offseason is normally predictable tripe. Everybody’s excited, everybody’s optimistic, can’t wait to get started, blappity, blah.

In the offseason, words don’t matter much. Making moves to get better do, however, and Oakland – surprise, surprise – has done that.

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