No matter how good Darren McFadden was in college, he's got some things to work on now that he's hit the NFL.
Chief among the concerns of Oakland Raiders coaches was Mcadden's tendency to fumble. He had 23 fumbles over three seasons with Arkansas, so the Raiders are looking to remedy that in mini-camp, the Sacremento Bee reports.
Coach Lane Kiffin did tell reporters that McFadden's ball security issues aren't as bad as they look on paper. McFadden fumbled more often on kickoff returns (where he never looked comfortable in college) and when lined up at quarterback, taking a snap from the Shotgun.
"Ball security, it's the heartbeat of our offense," Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said. "We turn the ball over and we're not going to win any games. It's very important with (McFadden), but as you look at his fumbles, over half were at quarterback or on kickoff returns. There aren't as many as it looks right away when you look purely at a running back, but it's something we're looking at."
Running backs coach Tom Rathman has seen one area that should be instantly correctable. McFadden's running style lends itself to less than "four points of pressure" on the football because McFadden's elbow is loose.
"I told him he's got to lock his elbow down," Rathman said. "A lot of times his elbow wasn't locked to the side, and obviously if you don't have that point, which is the most critical point in my opinion, as far as the four points of pressure, you're going to have some issues."
Trouble with that is, McFadden has been carrying the football a certain way since he began playing football.
"It's something you just got to get used to because I've been carrying the ball my way of carrying it forever," McFadden said. "Seems like 14, 15 years and now they add a different twist to it. It's something you just have to get used to."
Other bad habits have been identified. McFadden often carried the ball in the wrong hand and that's another thing Rathman wants to see corrected.
It's all designed to make McFadden better. How scary is that thought for opposing defenses?
