Doug Gabriel Ronald Curry

Without a doubt, the possess a tandem of wideouts that few teams in the NFL can match. Marvin Harrison has Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt has Isaac Bruce, Anquan Boldin accompanies Larry Fitzgerald, and finally, Randy Moss has Jerry Porter. But the question for Oakland does not concern either Moss or Porter. What needs to be sorted out this offseason is who the third receiver will be next year for the silver and black.The top candidates: Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel. The best choice: Doug Gabriel.In 12 games in 2004, Ronald Curry displayed the potential of a premier wide receiver in the National Football League. Alongside Porter, Curry hauled in 50 passes for 679 yards and six touchdowns. Considering the circumstances, however, Curry isn't as attractive as his on-field swagger. Despite his breakout season in 2004, recurring injuries to his Achilles tendon have prevented him from making any significant impact on the team. Although he is often considered a slot wide receiver, his single successful season came as the second wideout to Jerry Porter. In 2006, there will certainly be no room for Curry to play other than as a slot wide receiver. In addition, there will also be no room remaining in the Raiders' budget for Curry. Curry's cap figure is expected to approach near $5 million for next season. And for an organization that started the offseason in the neighborhood of $27 million over the cap, releasing Curry seems to be a common-sense move. In one season he accumulated 679 yards, but in his four-year career he has amassed just 722 yards. And as luck would have it, in Curry's standout 2004 season he was receiving a base salary of $305,000. If the learned any lesson from Charles Woodson, it should be to not jump the gun on increasing a player's salaries in hope of an increased future performance.With Doug Gabriel quietly looming in the picture, the decision on Curry should be simple. In Curry's career year, Gabriel also caught 33 balls for 551 yards-yet, compared to Curry, Gabriel saw little recognition from the media. In 2005, Gabriel hauled in 37 passes for 554 yards and three touchdowns-including two 100-yard efforts-despite seeing limited action throughout the season.In stature, Curry and Gabriel are almost identical. Both are listed at 6'2" and range from 210 to 215 pounds. However, in his three seasons in the NFL, Gabriel has proven himself to be much more durable than Curry. In addition to time on offense, Gabriel also has a background on special teams-with 1,850 career kick return yards and one return touchdown. And if you watch Gabriel in action, you'll quickly discover that he plays much larger than he actually is. Save your money Al, move Doug Gabriel up the chart.