Rankin in, plus 11 others in Raiders signing frenzy

After a draft in which the added $25 million man Darren McFadden and failed to adequately address need at other positions, the silver and black figured to dip heavily into the pool of undrafted free agents.And so they have. Joining the team in the wake of Dominic Rhodes’ release are a dozen for 4 Brett Favre White jersey
whom the bell did not toll last weekend.Most, um, intriguing of all? Easy: former University of Washington running back (that’s right, running back) Louis Rankin.Rankin would appear to be a swell, low-money addition to the Raiders; the Huskies’ official Web site proclaimed Rankin’s dominant performance of 2007 (233 carries for 1,294 yards to go with six TDs) to have been the best for U Dub since Corey Dillon was running the ball there. Rankin even boasts experience on special teams, which is certainly where he’ll be starting off for Oakland.Just one question: Anybody remember Michael Bush? You know, the fourth-round draft choice in 2007? Pegged as the future of the Raider running game? The dude with a four-year contract ... is any of this ringing any bells? Al Davis and company have presumably also forgotten about Bush, another anonymous running back on the merry-go-round to which Rankin just got handed his ticket. In the past five seasons, the inconsistency of depth chart and game plan has rewarded Raider Nation with a running “attack” consistently ranked in the bottom six in scoring and total yardage. Assuming McFadden is Oakland’s leading rusher in 2008, he would be become the fifth RB in six seasons to do so. Perhaps this is why Raider backers were so stoked about the selection of McFadden in the face of so many holes in the starting lineups: At least the halfback position is settled.Welcome to Oakland, Mr. Rankin. This is the bench; please make yourself comfortable while the front office prepares your release papers.Other Raider signees – list provided by SFGate.com, via “a league source who knows about such unannounced things” (really) – include:QB Brian White out of Portland State; FB Matthew Hahn of the Nittany Lions, giving Oakland yet another guy with experience at tailback; TEs Darrell Strong and Chris Wagner; centers Brandon Rodd and Adam Spieker, one of whom should surely make the final roster thanks to thinness on the OL; DEs Derrick Vikings Brett Favre jersey
Gray and the excellently named Greyson Gunheim – now that’s a Raider;LBs Malik Jackson and Shane Simmons, the latter of whom has been poetically described as having “played the game like he was playing for a higher goal”; and CB Derrick Brown of the 0-11 Southern Utah Thunderbirds.Now when does mini-camp start?Dozens and dozens of daily football factoids throughout the year at (37)