Sat 26 Apr 2008
Darren McFadden will be compared to Lawrence Phillips on more occasions than Adrian Peterson when his career is over - which will be sooner than later. If that appears to be a bold statement, it was supposed to be. Character issues and off-the-field incidents are expected in Oakland, so McFadden will fit right in. This player had two incidents in college at nightclubs, and is also the subject of three paternity tests. Not exactly the type of guy that I want on my team.Phillips, who fell to the sixth spot to St. Louis in the 1996 NFL Draft, had only one incident in college, which was worse in nature and nearly ended his career at that level. His life after his drafting reads like a script from one of the “Law & Order” series’ and is a proverbial mess.Does any of this mean that McFadden will follow in these footsteps? Certainly not, but the chances are there, and they are quite good. He will be a rich young man in California, one that has already treaded water. With the NFL cracking down on conduct of late, would it really be a surprise if McFadden misses a month with a suspension during his rookie campaign? The bright side? It will not really matter and probably will only cause the Raiders to win one less game than the three or four they are expected to.