We're stuck between a rock and a hard place - writers, fans, and the like - right in between the NFL and the NFL Players Association's ongoing labor dispute. The word "lockout" is the kind of stuff that nightmares are made of, but it's a very real circumstance we find ourselves in. Despite that, the NFL is having many things go on as planned, like the 2011 NFL Draft, which will begin on Thursday, April 28th, even though teams can't negotiate and thus can't sign their draft picks until the impasse is settled. They also released a preseason schedule for every team, which itself was a lackluster occasion due to all that's going on.
Still, we've got some tangible, juicy news coming on April 19th at 4:00 p.m. - the NFL is set to release the entire schedule for 2011, regardless of the lockout and all that's going on. The Oakland Raiders are without a pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and were already fighting an uphill battle in regards to the upcoming season. We'll get a look a better look at just how that battle will play out when the schedule releases.
The list of opponents for the Raiders, excluding AFC West division rivals:
Home: New York Jets, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns
Away: Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans