Silver And Black Pride

Caveat Raiders: Deep South Players Fail in Oakland

2010-02-04T20:25:07Z

Though the cause remains uncertain, the effects of acquiring players from the Deep South are typically disastrous for the Oakland Raiders. A brief review of the current Raider roster and player salaries reveals two significant facts: first, most of our weakest starters are the highest (>$1M/yr) paid and, second, those same players (without exception) came out of the Deep South.

2009 Oakland Raiders Salaries

Player	Position	Total Salary	Cap #	College
Nnamdi Asomugha	CB	$12,001,560	$6,001,560	California
JaMarcus Russell	QB	$11,255,440	$13,618,215	LSU
Tommy Kelly	DT	$7,001,560	$6,337,826	Mississippi
Shane Lechler	P/K	$6,401,560	$3,101,560	Texas A&M
Gerard Warren	DT	$6,130,000	$2,422,000	Florida
Chris Johnson	CB	$6,006,760	$3,006,760	Louisville (from East Texas)
Robert Gallery	OL	$5,999,260	$5,263,928	Iowa
Darren McFadden	RB	$5,391,760	$4,664,760	Arkansas
Richard Seymour	DE	$3,787,860	$3,685,000	Georgia
Cooper Carlisle	OL	$3,506,760	$2,306,760	Florida
Justin Fargas	RB	$3,506,760	$3,185,093	USC
Greg Ellis	LB	$3,000,000	$2,499,999	North Carolina
Isaiah Ekejiuba	LB	$2,456,760	$1,623,426	Virginia
Darrius Heyward-Bey	WR	$2,420,000	$2,420,000	Maryland
Kirk Morrison	LB	$2,301,760	$2,479,360	San Diego State
Cornell Green	OL	$2,006,760	$3,016,760	Central Florida
Javon Walker	WR	$2,002,600	$3,835,933	Florida State
Sebastian Janikowski	P/K	$2,001,560	$2,636,560	Florida State (He's from Poland)
Mike Mitchell	S	$1,910,000	$710,000	Ohio
Ricky Brown	LB	$1,551,760	$1,551,760	Boston College
Erik Pears	OL	$1,506,760	$1,276,760	Colorado State
Khalif Barnes	OL	$1,200,000	$1,200,000	Washington
Matt Shaughnessy	DE	$1,162,250	$523,062	Wisconsin
Jon Alston	LB	$1,016,760	$1,016,760	Stanford
Tony Stewart	TE	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	Penn State
Michael Huff	S	$951,760	$3,091,760	Texas
Langston Walker	OL	$900,000	$339,706	California
Louis Murphy	WR	$760,000	$422,500	Florida
William Joseph	DT	$630,000	$470,000	Miami
Sam Williams	LB	$625,200	$465,200	Fresno
Stanford Routt	CB	$621,560	$1,103,210	Houston
Charlie Frye	QB	$620,000	$460,000	Akron
Jon Condo	LB	$541,760	$541,760	Maryland
Bruce Gradkowski	QB	$541,760	$541,760	Toledo
Thomas Howard	LB	$541,760	$1,091,760	Texas El Paso
Luke Lawton	RB	$541,760	$541,760	McNeese
Chris Morris	OL	$541,760	$541,760	Michigan State
Michael Bush	RB	$466,760	$591,735	Louisville
Hiram Eugene	CB	$466,760	$466,760	Louisiana Tech
Mario Henderson	OL	$466,760	$625,260	Florida State
Johnnie Lee Higgins	WR	$466,760	$611,760	Texas El Paso
Zach Miller	TE	$466,760	$708,010	Arizona State
Oren O'Neal	RB	$466,760	$495,760	Arkansas State
Jay Richardson	DE	$466,760	$515,260	Ohio State
Samson Satele	OL	$465,720	$465,720	Hawaii
Gary Russell	RB	$462,600	$462,600	Minnesota
Brandon Myers	TE	$401,000	$332,750	Iowa
Tyvon Branch	CB	$391,760	$520,716	Connecticut
Chaz Schilens	WR	$391,760	$404,596	San Diego State
Trevor Scott	DE	$391,760	$420,510	Buffalo
Todd Watkins	WR	$391,760	$391,760	BYU
Jonathan Holland	WR	$385,000	$339,706	Louisiana Tech
Desmond Bryant	DT	$320,000	$315,000	Harvard
Nick Miller	WR	$315,000	$312,500	Southern Utah
Total		$111,527,250	$96,975,421

The Deep South is comprised of 5 states [Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina] - they are marked in deep red on the map below. Northern Florida (the panhandle across) and Eastern Texas are also considered to be in the Deep South because those regions share the same distinct cultural characteristics.

A tree is known by its fruits and a cause can be known by its effects. What is certain is this, the performance of those starters who came from the Deep South is consistently rotten. These players comprise about 33% of our first team rosters and the positions they play correspond uncannily to our vulnerabilities. The noble efforts of the rest of the team is diluted by their rotten play. Any hope of winning more than 5-6 games with them on the team is unwarranted. Bad trees don't produce good fruit.

Many might respond: But the Deep South produces players who often do well in college football and go on to the NFL. True, but once the Raiders pay these players a lot of money their play drops off, their motivation to play even remotely close to their potential evaporates. I believe the Deep South's distinct, unique and relatively monolithic culture is responsible for producing players whose performance is not driven by the right motive. The Great Raiders were always motivated by the desire to be great, to distinguish themselves and the Raiders - of which they are a part. Whoever does not already have "commitment to excellence" as his primary motive for playing football will never do anything significant here. With those whose motivation is money: football is merely the means to acquire it; but once money is gotten (and Al is rarely stingy) a comfort-zone of complacency sets in and these same players immediately decline and fail to to reach anywhere near their potential. JaMarcus Russell is a paradigm example of someone playing the game for the wrong reason, pragmatic, crass - money. It is impossible that money can drive performances such as we witnessed in the SB contenders this season. Except for occasional poor tackling, the players on those two teams played with the spirit and will to conquer that money can never provide.

So, from its effects, I believe the Deep South's sickness is essentially a perversion of motivation - an apathy for excellence. The pure desire to be a great player - for its own sake - just isn't one of the attributes imbued into Dixie's young men - as proven by, at least, Oakland's experience.

Finally, I realize there are exceptions, such as HOF CB Willie Brown who grew up in Mississippi and played for Grambling. But if you look at all the data, specifically Raiders who went to Pro Bowls, you'll discover that most did not grow up in the Deep South or go to college there. Those who were drafted from the Deep South and amounted to something were usually from somewhere else and were recruited by Deep South colleges.

NB. This investigation is based on the Raiders' rosters going back to the beginning and no other NFL teams.

Poll

Should we avoid drafting from the deep south?

Open Thread: Super Bowl Weekend

2010-02-06T05:23:06Z

Originally Posted: Feb 5, 2010 9:23 PM PST in Events

Quick, locate the teams that are participating! [via iphone-jungle.com]

After all of the games played by the 32 teams in the NFL, it comes down to just a pair with the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. The Colts, champions of the AFC for the second time in four years, previously won their second Super Bowl as a franchise in Miami. You may realize that this years Super Bowl, the 44th edition, is also in Miami. As for the Saints, they're playing in their first Super Bowl in franchise history. The last team to win the title in their Super Bowl debut were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I don't remember who they beat, though. Anyway, the Buccaneers are tied into this more than you'd realize. The Saints, for example, are the first team in NFL history to get defeated by the Buccaneers and still able to make it to the big one in the same season.

Hit the jump for some more interesting stuff and take a gander at the predictable poll.

Which team's fans will have bragging rights? [via www.sun-sentinel.com]

I look at Indianapolis and notice that they're the team really flying under the radar in all of this in my opinion. I don't know why that is other than that the Saints are a unique story. They're trying to basically reinvent the city after the Hurricane Katrina devastation. New Orleans also has the somewhat catchy "Who dat?" slogan. They're fresh and new being that this is their first Super Bowl appearance. As for the Colts, they're sort of the "blah" team. They don't have exotic colors. Basically, in a nutshell, they lack sex appeal. Peyton Manning is actually funny if you ask me even if he is all business most of the time, even at a recent press conference. With all of that said, the Colts are still the favorites. We all know that everyone loves a great underdog story especially on the grand stage.

Marvelous. [via irritatedtulsan.files.wordpress.com]

The Super Bowl isn't just a football game. Let's not forget about the economic impact. Food sales go through the roof, especially pizza places. Dominos is expected to deliver 1.1 million pizzas on Sunday. Anyway, I don't want to bore you with economic impact unless it's about gambling. We've already had a post about prop bets on here, but man, some of these things are crazy. That stuff ranges from our nation's national anthem being sung by Carrie Underwood to Kim Kardashian to Gatorade flavors to one-handed catches. We're talking about pregame events, famous girlfriends, drinks and even some in-game stuff. Last but not least, what about those funny commercials?

I think that just about does it for me "jibber-jabber." I guess you can use this thread to discuss your plans and what not for the big game on Sunday. Of course, there are some "Super Bowl appetizers" in the sports world this weekend before our main course on Sunday late afternoon stretching into the early evening. I'm particularly talking about hoops at the college and pro level. That's what I'll be tuning into before the Colts and Saints finally do battle.

I hope you cop another one on Sunday, big guy. [via www.kaushik.net]

In conclusion, I'll leave you with my prediction. I'll take Indianapolis over New Orleans in a high-scoring affair, 38-31, behind a four-touchdown performance by the man that will eventually take home MVP honors and that would be Peyton Manning. I'm a huge fan of Peyton's. I think he's the greatest quarterback of all time. I'm rooting for him to get his second ring. Enjoy your weekend and the game, everyone!

Poll

Which team will win Super Bowl XLIV?

Indianapolis Colts

116 votes

New Orleans Saints

115 votes

231 votes | Poll has closed

Official Announcement: Sons of Blanda Has Agreed To Be An Author on Silver and Black Pride:

2010-02-07T21:53:39Z

For those of you that have enjoyed his discourse and especially those of us who have enjoyed his company, in person, I am sure that you will agree that he is as passionate about the Oakland Raiders as anyone you have met.

It is with great honor and pride that I welcome him into the fold and I am sure that I am with all of you in waiting, with near baited breath, to see how he develops as a writer and contributor in our Community.

I know that anything in life that he chooses to embrace, he envelopes himself in, and we are quite fortunate to have that passion on board as we grow as a Community throughout the years.

Welcome Sons of Blanda, now get to work and write something!!! ;)

The Power Of Sports Blog Nation at the Super Bowl:

2010-02-07T17:37:03Z

Sports Blog Nation, the Mothership of Silver and Black Pride, has made incredible strides with the NFL and has gained acceptance from the top as being an actual news outlet, from a fan's perspective.

In an effort to get our communities more interlinked we are trying a blogging experiment. SBN has created a site for sports in general and has an open Super Bowl Thread for fans of any team to come together and share their ideas. This is a SBN First and I encourage all of you to check it out.

HERE is the Open Thread

Of Course we also have Rated R's outstanding write-up for our own Open Thread, so do not ignore that!!! Good job rated R, it is a great read!

Here is a break-down of what happened over Super Bowl Week: There is NO coverage like this anywhere on the web.

(From Trei Brundrett)

HAPPY SUPER BOWL SUNDAY EVERYONE! I hope you followed Jon's advice and
got started on your guacamole early:

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/2/5/1297630/how-to-make-guacamole-avocado-super-bowl-food

1) SB Nation Colts blogger, BigBlueShoe from Stampede Blue, was
credentialed by the NFL and has been on the ground in Miami for the
media days providing incredible coverage and interviews from a Colts
fan perspective. He has setup a special section on his blog that
gathers all his reports together:

http://www.stampedeblue.com/section/stampede-blue-at-super-bowl

2) SB Nation Saints blogger, Saintsational at Canal Street Chronicles,
was also credentialed by the NFL and just landed in Miami to cover the
Super Bowl for the Who Dat Nation. Check out his coverage:

http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com

3) For you stat heads, mgrex03 on Stampede Blue has a stats preview
series:

I: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/2/2/1288192/super-bowl-statistical-preview
II: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/2/4/1291893/super-bowl-statistical-preview
III: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/2/7/1299171/super-bowl-statistical-preview

4) BigBlueShoe got a really interesting interview with Peter King
including some back + forth about sports blogs:

Part I: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/2/5/1296896/stampede-blue-has-a-beer-with
Part II: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/2/5/1297717/stampede-blue-has-a-beer-with

5) We also have Joel Thorman from Arrowhead Pride credentialed at the
Super Bowl and covering it for SBNation.com. He has been updating an
epic Super Bowl StoryStream from the ground + Dave Halprin has been
adding the best content from around network. This is an excellent
single big PREVIEW link that pulls everything together:

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/2/1/1287184/super-bowl-colts-saints-coverage

8) As an experiment SBNation.com as a big central community gathering
spot, they will be opening a big SUPER BOWL OPEN THREAD for all SB
Nation communities to participate in together. I don't have a link
yet, but remember that it's one click for your community to join
SBNation.com and start commenting. It will be a fun place for them to
follow and join the chatter during the game. I don't have the link
yet, but watch SBNation.com and I'll post it here as well.

9) Here is the basic SB Nation event page for the Super Bowl that
automatically pulls together all posts that are tagged with the Super
Bowl event:

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/events/56641/

10) If you have interesting, unique Super Bowl related posts that
you're making, why not drop those links into this thread.

Now it's me again,

So, you can see that SBN is growing by leaps and bounds and soon we will be the new media, but from a fan's perspective. I mean, who wants to sit next to Art Spander and Nancy Gay all game, when you can be drinking beer in the stands and posting from your PDA of choice and be as loud as you want!?!?!?

Cheers and MANY Beers on this Super Sunday,

Saint

P.S. Do NOT drink and Drive!!!

Raiders hire Clancy Pendergast as defensive backs coach

2010-02-07T00:14:19Z

Raiders hire Clancy Pendergast as defensive backs coach

Clancy Pendergast, the former defensive coordinator of the Chiefs, has been hired as the defensive backs coach of the Raiders.

Jerry Rice Is A 2010 Hall Of Famer: He Has Also Not Mentioned One Raider:

2010-02-06T23:04:17Z

In a tearful moment of humility and humanity Jerry Rice took his place among the legends of the NFL as he reacted to the news that he would be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.. He spoke of the many men who helped him get there with one glaring omission. He did not mention one Raider player, coach, organizational member or the Raider Nation.

Jerry Rice was a Hall of Famer with the 49ers long before he came to Oakland, but he was supported by our fanbase and was a large part of our teams that went to two AFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl, yet he did not mention Rich Gannon when he spoke of the great quarterbacks that he played with, nor did he mention Al Davis when he spoke of the great owners he played for, then to top it all off he left Gruden out of his Best Coaches statement.

I will never expect Jerry to speak of the Raiders as ofetn or AS glowingly as he does the Niners, BUT, I have a JR #80 Silver and Black jersey that I bought in 2001 and I would like him to at least mention us because his time with the Oakland Raiders did matter.

What do you all think?

Former Oakland Raider Tim Brown Is Denied First Ballot Hall of Fame Status:

2010-02-06T22:41:23Z

Wow!!! No Tim Brown...No Shannon Sharpe...No Chris Carter...No Richard Dent...No Charles Hailey!!!

John Randle, Ricky Jackson, Russ Grimm, Emmit Smith and Jerry Rice are the 2010 Hall of Fame Class.

As a Raider fan, I am most saddened by the omission of Tim Brown. "Touch Down Timmy" was one of the best football players of All-Time!!! He was not only one of the best receivers, but one of the best punt returners as well. Can you imagine what his numbers would have been if he had Montana and Steve Young throwing him the ball instead of Hilger, Hostetler and Marinovich?

I have NOTHING against Randle, Grimm or Jackson, BUT, how is it that Tim Brown did not even crack the Top 10?

I applaud Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, as well as the rest of the class, but Tim Brown deserved recognition for his A-Mazing career and he deserved to be the 3rd best entry, in my opinion.

Actually, Shannon Sharpe deserved it as well. Oh well, next year we will need to make a BIG push for Tim Brown.

The conspiracy theorist in me says that the selection committee (whoever they are) wanted the focus to be on Jerry Rice "The Niner" and NOT Jerry Rice the Raider. Had Timmy made it in, then there would have been some Rice on the Raiders talk.

Silver and Black Pride: 2010 NFL Draft Day Party: Ideas

2010-02-06T19:54:37Z

With the NFL Draft right around the corner, I figure that this year I will get together a definite plan. As some of you will recall, last year I assumed that we would just all go to Ricky's, only to find out that they get rented out for a private event every year, so at the last minute I called the Warehouse and he moved it there.

I had a great time with those of you who made it and will never forget the feeling of tequila warming my body while my heart was sinking as the name, Darius Heyward Bey, was read aloud. I will also never forget you guys for trying to comfort me.

According to wikipedia, the NFL Draft wil have a new format this year:

On July 23, 2009, the NFL announced that the 2010 Draft would adopt a three-day format, with the first three rounds held during prime time. The first round will be held on Thursday, April 22; the second and third rounds will take place on Friday, April 23; and the last four rounds are scheduled for Saturday, April 24

So, here are some ideas, off of the top of my head:

I think that it should be a 3 day affair.

Thursday Night: 1st Round Cocktail Party in San Francisco at The AT&T Park Sports Bar with Fooch and Niners Nation.

Friday: La Estrellita/Warehouse/Pacific Coast Brewery

Saturday: BBQ @ my house/local park, Pacific Coast Brewery or Luka's in Oakland.

SBN is setting up a T-Shirt store where we can design our own shirts, buy and sell them. I want to take advantage of this for the Draft.

We can make shirts for each person we want to draft in the first round. Plug the Middle DRAFT McClainl!!! Dam the Line DRAFT Campbell!!! Stuff like that.

I also want to see if we can get any former or current players/members of the organization to attend. I like the idea of moving it around so that we can experience different places and also develop relations for future events.

Next year I want to get a traveling road circus together for away games. Thoughts?

This Should be Gradkowski's Team...But, JaMarcus Russell MAY Be Putting In Work:

2010-02-06T18:00:21Z

More photos » Ben Margot - AP

about 1 month ago: Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski (5) wipes his head during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. Gradkowski was injured in the second quarter and did not return. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Browse more photos »

I know, it sickens me to say the BUT part because even IF JaMarcus is at the Sports Training Complex in Scottsdale or Betty Ford/Jenny Craig for that matter it is NEARLY too little too late. BUT, is it too late?

It is no secret that the Oakland Raiders were a MUCH better team under Bruce Gradkowski. Just look at the results:

Game 1 - He entered for an injured JaMarcus Russell and went 2-2 for 17 yards. Russell then came back from the injury and he was sent to the bench.

Game 7 - He entered into the game, when it was already decided and racked up some decent numbers. He went 10-19 for 97 yards and ran the ball twice for 25 yards. If it weren't for Darius Heyward-Bey, DHB, letting an easy touchdown bounce off of his face mask he would have had a shut-out stopping TD and would have at least saved us the humiliation of being shut out at home in the worst home loss in history.

Against that same defense, JaMarcus Russell went 6-11for 61 yards and two picks

Game 9 - This was his worst game statistically, but those numbers can be tricky at times. he came in to relieve JaMarcus and went 5-9 for 49 yards with 2 picks. But, as I said, numbers can be tricky, he led the team on a final drive that could have won the game had the afore mentioned DHB not dropped a pass in his bread basket on the 5 yard line that ended up being picked by the Chiefs for the game sealer.

Fortunately, the Raider had seen enough in that final drive to start him next week against Cincy.

Game 10 - In Bruce's first start for the Raiders his numbers were average, but, his performance in the clutch was anything but average. He went 17-34 for 183 yards, a pair of touchdowns ( The same number that JaMarcus Russell had accumulated all season) and led a game tying drive in the final minutes that allowed the team to be in position, after a special teams fumble recovery to win on a Seabastian Janikowski FG.

( I just had an odd though about Sea-Bass and DHB, I wonder if Sebastian got all pumped up when he thought they drafted GHB, then was deflated to learn that it was actually DHB)

Game 11 - Coming off of a big win and playing on a very short week, a Thursday game, the team admitted that they weren't ready for the Cowboys, and it showed. Then again, Bruce was alright, going 18-35 for 200 yards and a TD.

Game 12 - His performance against the Steelers has gone down as one of the best in Oakland Raider History. It was NOT retribution for the Franco Harris "Trap", but it did feel good to beat the Steelers and be a thorn in their playoff hopes after their coach promised to "Unleash Hell" on the Raiders.

Bruce finished with 305 yards, 3 TDs and a QB rating of 121.8. His game winning touch down pass still send shivers down my spine. On THAT day, he became, MY quarterback. Unfortunately it would only last one more week.

Game 12 - Bruce fought admirably against a Redskin defense that came out roaring from bell to bell. he managed 18 completions and 153 yards before having his season ended on a high low hit that left him barely able to stand. After suffering rips in both knees and the score, 17-10 , Bruce could not start the 2nd Half and JaMarcus Russell came in.

The entire stadium knew that the game was over and even when JaMarcus Russell drove the ball to the Washington 28, he was promptly sacked and the team never got closer than the Washington 28 for the rest of the game.

Inside of me, given Bruce's game winning and near game winning performances, I know that we would have won that game if he was didn't leave with the injury.

When JaMarcus entered the game to boos, you could feel the energy leave the fans and the team itself. Can this team really be going back to JaMarcus? Is a trip to Jenny/Ford/Sanders going to be enough for him to become the player that we all (most of us) envisioned when he was selected #1 over all out of LSU? I mean, how can you argue with Gradkowski's success?

I guess that leads me to a question for this community:

IF JaMarcus puts in the work, mentally and physically, is he your quarterback, over Gradkowski?

Gridiron Gauntlet III: Original Oakland Raider Eddie Macon

2010-02-04T18:48:12Z

Eddie Macon should be a local legend, but many of us do not even know who he is. Not only did he have 9 interceptions in the Oakland Raider's inaugural season, he also led the University of Pacific's 1949 football team to an undefeated season in which they finished #10 in the National Polls.

Macon was born and raised in Stockton CA, where he attended Stockton High and UOP.

His life seemed to be destined for cruelty. He lost his father to a black widow bite when he was only a year and a half old, then he lost his mother when he was only 14 years old. His 1949 UOP team was not allowed to play in a Bowl Game because they had him on the team and the games were played in the South. Then, in the NFL, he was black-balled by noneother than George Halas for leaving the Bears and playing for more money in Canada.

Here is a quote which I found to be quite poignant: From Andy Piascik's Gridiron Gauntlet

"Every day when I wake up. I know that I'm black. I knew that when I was a young kid and I know it today. I wake up and I say to myself, "Good morning, cruel world, how are you going to screw me today?" Hardly a day has gone by in my life where something has not happened to let me know that I am black."

After being drafted in the 2nd Round by the Chicago Bears he saw very little action in his first two seasons. he amassed 70 attempts and 324 yards rushing while catching 14 passes for 49 yards.

His early days with the Bears were really tough. At 5'11" and only 150 lbs soaking wet, he looked like an easy target, but, as they say, he played bigger than his size and was a tough hombre. In reality it was not his size that made it tough on him in his first training camp, it was the other players. They constantly badgered him for being black and even wrote messages in the locker room like "Macon Go Home" and "Macon We Don't Want You"

In what is supposed to be a band of brothers, I don't know that I could take this. I guess that after all that Eddie had already been through in his life, this was much easier to deal with, though not easy at all.

It should have come as no surprise that when the Calgary Stampeders offered Eddie more money that he would leave this team, but that did NOT sit well with George Halas. he blackballed Eddie and then sued him for $100,000.

Halas' grudge toward Macon never did die down, in fact, to this day the Bears have not even acknowledged his presence.

His last hoorah was with the AFL, as an Oakland Raider in 1960. His 9 picks led him to the All-Pro team, but after Oakland told him that they were going with younger guys he decided to hang them up for good.

It really is a shame that Halas blackballed him the way he did because we will never know just how great Eddie Macon could have been if he were allowed to sign with the 49ers or Browns after his first season in Canada.

To this day, Eddie still works 3 days a week as a dock worker in SF and Oakland. In fact, we may have even met him at the NFL Draft party last year, we just didn't know who he was. I guarantee that we will know him next time and I will invite him to join us if he'd like. He deserves it.

Oakland Raiders Positional Breakdown and Draft Possibilities: The Offense

2010-02-02T19:36:21Z

Quarterbacks:

Currently under contract: JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye, JP Losman

Analysis: For now, forget anything you may have heard about Al Davis using the uncapped year to rid himself of JaMarcus Russell. Davis is committed to giving Russell at least one more year and the recent signing of Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator only reinforces that belief. There's some speculation that Davis may cut Russell at the end of training camp if he shows up fat and out of shape again and stinks up the practices.

Gradkowski is an RFA and it's hard to imagine the Raiders not taking advantage of that fact to keep him around, given how effective he was when Cable finally got fed up and benched Russell.

Charlie Frye started as the 3rd stringer and ended up starting due to the ineptness of Russell and injuries to Gradkowski. He did well enough, I suppose, though his play seemed to indicate he'll never be anything other than a backup in the league. He is a UFA, but will be an RFA if the uncapped year happens.

JP Losman was signed as emergency third stringer and threw 1 incomplete pass against Denver.

It's not a hard thing to imagine the Raiders standing pat on quarterbacks. Russell isn't going anywhere (for now) and with Gradkowski and Frye having a year in the system and played anywhere from adequately to good, it should be a simple matter to put an RFA tender on both of them. It is difficult to imagine other teams beating a path to their door in any case. Losman may be kept around to provide camp competition for Frye, with the winner getting the 3rd string position.

Will the Raiders draft a QB? I don't see it, though Davis may take a flyer on someone like Fordham's John Skelton or Troy's Levi Brown in the 7th round if Losman isn't kept for camp.

Running back

Currently under contract: Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, Michael Bush

Analysis: One of the main disappointments of the Raiders 2009 season was the inability to make proper use of their talented triumverate of runners. Each has complimentary strengths and weaknesses. Each of these guys have concerns: McFadden doesn't fight through tackles enough, Bush has problems with conditioning and Fargas is injury prone. However, given that all are under contract through the 2011 season, it's hard to imagine any of them going anywhere. Instead the Raiders will hope Hue Jackson can use them more effectively. There's an outside chance Michael Bush may be dangled as trade bait on draft day.

Will the Raiders draft a RB? Extremely unlikely, unless Al falls in love with someone at the Combine. Then you may see Bush or Fargas shopped.

Fullback:

Currently under contract: Oren O'Neal, Luke Lawton, Marcel Reese, Gary Russell

Analysis: The organization loves Oren O'Neal, but he has sustained two major, season-ending injuries in as many years. Luke Lawton was ineffective, suspended for violating the league substance abuse policy and is a free agent in any case. He's almost certainly gone. Reese was promoted from the practice squad after Lawton's suspension and Gary Russell is a converted running back who is an average blocker, but talented at catching passes out of the backfield. Part of the reason the running game fell short of expectations was the fact that the lead blocking was at times absolutely woeful.

Oren O'Neal has potential, but who knows if he can ever stay healthy. Marcel Reese is uninspiring and Gary Russell is not a natural fullback. The position is a need.

Will the Raiders draft a fullback? It's virtually certain a new one will be picked up. Rashawn Jackson, John Conner and Cory Jackson are all possibilities in rounds 5-7. At the least, I predict someone signed as a UDFA.

Offensive tackle:

Currently under contract: Mario Henderson, Khalif Barnes, Cornell Green, Langston Walker, Erik Pears

Analysis: Up and down year for this group. Mario Henderson started off the year incredibly strong, just as he had finished 2008. Unfortunately, he faded as the year went on and by the end was struggling. I tend to blame a lot of this on the injury to Robert Gallery as Henderson suddenly wasn't feeling as comfortable that the blocking assignment to his right was taken care of. Still, he has to learn to manage on his own.

Cornell Green is an unmitigated disaster at right tackle and his contract is expiring. He is a good run blocker, but is a liability in pass protection and is a false start machine. To the delight of Raider Nation, his time in Oakland is probably coming to a close.

Khalif Barnes was signed to great fanfare to compete with Henderson for the left tackle spot. Instead, he got injured and was terrible when plugged in at right tackle when Cornell Green was hurt. He's a UFA and probably not returning.

Erik Pears was signed as depth and didn't do much to inspire. Again, he was unimpressive when given a shot at right tackle, but was surprisingly competent as guard and as an extra tight end in "jumbo" sets. He may be kept around as depth.

Langston Walker was signed during the season as depth tackle. Can't remember if he even played the position, but did step in at guard and was shockingly good. Again, he may be kept around as depth tackle/guard.

Will the Raiders draft a tackle? It's as close to a lock as you can get. Right tackle is maybe the single biggest need on the team. They need a reliable pass protector and mauling run blocker at that position. Anthony Davis and Trent Williams are the likeliest possibilities. In addition, Bruce Campbell or Bryan Bulaga may be selected with the thought of moving Henderson to the right side.

Guard:

Currently under contract: Robert Gallery, Cooper Carlisle, Chris Morris

Analysis: The single best thing Tom Cable has done for the Raiders organization was to rescue Robert Gallery's career. A bust at left tackle and mediocre right tackle, the shift to guard has converted Gallery into a dominant mauler and made left guard the one position on the offensive line the Raiders have zero concerns at. Problem: That's when he's healthy. Gallery underwent a siege of injuries this year. If he can stay healthy an entire season, I firmly believe he'll receive serious Pro Bowl consideration. He's that good at guard.

Cooper Carlisle was once one of the game's best guards. Time has taken its toll, however and he showed a marked and disturbing decline in 2009. He'll need replacing soon, though he's under contract for several more years. Gotta love Davis and his contracts.

Chris Morris is a versatile backup who can play both center and guard. He struggled with full time starting duties, however and seemed overwhelmed at times. He's an RFA and a Cable favorite, so you'll probably see him retained.

As mentioned above, both Langston Walker and Erik Pears were serviceable when plugged into guard at various times during the season.

Will the Raiders draft a Guard? Odds are very good, considering the depth of this year's guard class, which is one of the best in years. Cable was reportedly enamored of Mike Lupati (no surprise there), though to get him the Raiders will either have to reach or trade back into the mid-first or up again into the late-first to get him. As we all know, though, this is one organization that says "reaches be damned, this is who we want." Lupati's a natural left guard and Robert Gallery isn't going anywhere, but I have a hunch Cable thinks he could teach Lupati to play right guard or even right tackle.

Cable and Davis also like versatile linemen who can play multiple positions. It's not out of the realm of possibility they might snatch up a guy like Maurkice Pouncey in round 2. In addition, keep your eyes on guys like Mike Johnson, Marshall Newhouse, Brandon Carter or Jon Asamoah in rounds 3 or 4. (Like I said, this is a deep guard class)

Center:

Currently under contract: Samson Satele

Analysis: Satele was brought in from the Dolphins in a trade that saw former Raiders center Jake Grove shipped off to Miami. Sadly, Satele struggled to learn the nuances of the center position in the zone-blocking system. The center is perhaps the most important position in the ZBS, as he is required to diagnose the defense at the line and call out any blocking corrections. Satele was so bad at this, that Chris Morris actually won the starting job as center out of camp.

Happily, Satele improved by leaps and bounds as the season went on and was a perfectly adequate starter by the end. However, "adequate" doesn't really cut it in the NFL and it's likely the Raiders will be on the lookout for someone to push Satele and maybe even win the starting job.

Will the Raiders draft a center? Odds are good that at the least, someone will be signed as a UDFA, though a center will probably be drafted. As I said above, Maurkice Pouncey's versatility and athleticism (potentially might run a 5.1 at almost 320 pounds) could have him squarely on Oakland's radar in round 2. J.D. Walton from Baylor and Eric Olsen out of Notre Dame could be snapped up with one of Oakland's round 3 picks. Finally, Kenny Alfred, Erik Cook, Jacob Hickman and Chris Fisher are all possibilties at the tail end of the draft or as UDFAs. (Have I mentioned this is a great year for teams with offensive line problems?)

Wide Receivers:

Currently under contract: Darrius Heyward-Bey, Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy, Javon Walker, Todd Watkins, Johnnie Lee Higgins

Analysis: This is a group with a bright future, though you wouldn't much know it from their performance last year. They and JaMarcus Russell were caught in a sort of mutual cycle of destruction as the struggles of each fed off each other.

Darrius Heyward-Bey is almost too much of a cipher to even evaluate. To call him massively disappointing is perhaps the understatement of the year. Like so many Davis draft picks, he's a raw project full of potential the organization seems forever unable to develop. Can't call him a bust yet, no matter how bad he seemed. We'll know more after this season. In any event, he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Chaz Schilens is the Raiders' no. 1 receiver. That may sound like a bad thing since he was a 7th round pick out of a small school. But if you think that, you haven't seen Schilens play. He's a great route runner who catches just about everything thrown his way. He missed much of last year with a nagging foot injury, but if he can stay healthy in 2010, he's poised for a breakout season.

Louis Murphy impressed most observers this season, including me. As the season went on and his confidence improved, he began to assume the position of the Raiders #2 receiver. Look for him to continue the strong upward trend.

Javon Walker. What a sad disappointment. Was inactive for almost every game this year and I have to think Davis will honor his request for a release sometime over the summer.

Johnnie Lee Higgins was struck with a crisis of confidence after week 1 when Russell hung him out to dry on a crossing route and Eric Weddle nearly killed him with a hellacious hit. He was hesitant and tenative from then on and his punt returning ability also suffered. He needs to pick it up. There's an outside chance he'll be a camp casualty if he doesn't improve, though I suspect he'll be around for 2010.

Todd Watkins is your classic 4th or 5th receiver--pretty uninspiring, but could be worse. Guys like him come and go. He could be gone, he could be back.

Will the Raiders draft a receiver? Not in the first 3 rounds and probably not in the 4th either. A lot depends on if guys like Javon Walker, JLH and Watkins are cut. If you're looking for possible names in late rounds: Riley Cooper, Marcus Easley, Taylor Price and Antonio Brown are the ones I'd consider most likely

Tight ends:

Currently under contract: Zach Miller, Brandon Myers, Tony Stewart

Analysis: Zach Miller is the best tight end you've probably never heard of. An outstanding blocker, he truly excels in the passing game. He's one of two receivers (the other is Schilens) that JaMarcus Russell ever developed any chemistry with and has acted as his security blanket for 3 seasons now.

The organization likes Brandon Myers so much that they actually moved up last year to make sure they got him. Drafted primarily as a blocker, he showed a surprising talent for catching during camp.

Tony Stewart is a decent enough "jack of all trades, master of none" option.

Will the Raiders draft a tight end? Doubtful, since Miller is the clear #1 and I don't see who they'd get that would be any better than Myers or Stewart.

Coming soon: Part 2....the defense!

Exploring Nnamdi Asomugha Trade Possibilities

2010-02-01T23:42:22Z

Could Nnamdi Asomugha's days in Oakland be over? [via a.espncdn.com]

Is Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on the trading block? I don't think so; however, based on his comments at the Pro Bowl, maybe his days in the silver and black colors are numbered. ESPN's Tim Graham had some interesting Pro Bowl tidbits and what not. A bit of a story had some quotes concerning Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrelle Revis, the NFL's two top cornerbacks in the league. New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan was even involved and it didn't include him giving the middle finger. Here are some quotes collected by Graham:

Oakland Raiders star Asomugha was smiling when he brought up the dream scenario, but insisted he was "dead serious" and has spoken to New York Jets coach Rex Ryan about it.

"Me and Revis have been talking to Rex to try to do something," Asomugha said. "You may see us in the future. There's a little bit of talk going on. Either he's coming to Oakland or something else will happen."

Said Revis: "Me and him have talked about it, but I can't really control that situation. I don't know if he can either.

On a team with so many needs, I have thought about the possibility of trading Asomugha. He's the best cornerback in the league. He's young, humble and willing to do anything to help the team win. With those traits and his obvious skills, he obviously has value.

With all of that said, what let's just see what we could possibly get for Nnamdi Asomugha.

Rex Ryan was probably foaming at the mouth at this news. [via media.nj.com]

Since Asomugha was reportedly talking to Revis and coach Ryan about playing for the Jets, it only makes sense that we start there first. We need an upgrade on the offensive line and that team from New York has the best line in the league. At cornerback, Dwight Lowery is young and talented and a much better option than veteran Lito Sheppard who struggled this past season. Being in contention for the playoffs and expecting to go back to the AFC title game, the Jets are probably willing to part with draft picks.

Julius Peppers, an elite pass rusher, is unlikely to be brought back. [via www.boston.com]

The Jets aren't the only possible destination. The Carolina Panthers, who have their own decision to make with their defensive star by the name of Julius Peppers. Unwilling to slap the franchise tag on him since it's too pricey, the Panthers could get some value back for Peppers with the addition of Asomugha. Peppers, one of the premier defensive ends in football, would be a welcomed addition to this team.

The former Steeler has struggled some since leaving Pittsburgh. [via cache.boston.com]

Just recently, Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter made headlines. As a matter of fact, it was today when he said that he wanted a trade. Although Porter still plays a pretty good outside linebacker, he's not the player he used to be back in his younger days. Also, outside linebacker isn't really a position of need. Miami seems like an unlikely destination for Asomugha should there be a trade involved at all involving Joey Porter for those reasons.

Ponder and then imagine that in silver and black. [via assets.nydailynews.com]

While some teams may not be facing financial problems or disgruntled defensive players, they could be looking for a cornerback. It doesn't really get any better than Nnamdi Asomugha. Our neighbors from across the Bay Area, the San Francisco 49ers, need cornerback help. The 49ers are also possessing a pair of first-round picks in the 2010 draft. An interesting team in all of this are the Philadelphia Eagles. Donovan McNabb has been rumored to be leaving Philadelphia for years, and his struggles of late with the emergence of Kevin Kolb has added fuel to the fire. While the Eagles may or may not be looking to add a cornerback, getting something of great value for McNabb could be huge if they're looking to deal the Pro Bowl quarterback.

This is just speculation, of course, for some good trade discussion. While he reportedly isn't on the trading block, this is something to get our minds churning since the Jets are allegedly tampering with Asomugha. Thanks to birds'n'raiders for the initial post.

Poll

Are you at least open to trading Nnamdi Asomugha?

New York Jets "Allegedly" Tamper with Nnamdi Asomugha

2010-02-01T20:39:02Z

Via Profootballtalk:

"C'mon, I'm fiesty! You can't punish me."

The good news is that Jets coach Rex Ryan possibly has come up with a way to get people to quit talking about his middle finger misadventures. The bad news is that the diversion could get him in a lot more trouble than the flipping of a bird.

Per Tim Graham of ESPN.com, Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha wants to be a Jet. And Asomugha says that he has spoken not only to Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis regarding the possibility, but also to Ryan himself.

Uh-oh.

The problem is that Ryan can't talk to Asomugha about acquiring the shut-down cornerback's rights. Even if Asomugha intiated the contact, Ryan has an absolute obligation to refrain from speaking to the player, and to immediately report the contact from Asomugha to the league office.

Here's the relevant language of the Anti-Tampering Policy: "If a club is contacted by a player (or his representative) who is under contract to or whose negotiating rights are held by another club, and such player had not been given permission to deal with other clubs, or such player is not in a permissible negotiating period under the terms of an operative collective bargaining agreement, then the contacted club is prohibited from talking or otherwise dealing with the player or his representative, and the contacted club must immediately report such contact to the owner or operating head of the club which holds the player's rights."

And consider the Berkeley-educated Asomugha's comment -- "Me and Revis have been talking to Rex to try to do something." The choice of words implies multiple direct communications between Asomugha, who has two years remaining on his deal with the Raiders, and Ryan.

Of course, Asomugha likely would invoke the Lawyer Milloy defense, claiming after letting the cat out of the bag that he was misquoted and/or that he misspoke. But at a time when Ryan is proving that he's as reckless and unpredictable as a dog driving a Dodge, the league has no choice but to deal with the situation, with or without a tampering claim being made by the Raiders.

Then again, if anyone thinks that the Raiders will be bashful about bashing the Jets over this one, consider the beliefs of owner Al Davis that the Patriots tampered with receiver Randy Moss prior to the trade that sent him to New England.

Oh god...well, on the bright side, we might get the Jets' 1st round pick if the NFL deems it tampering.

Open Thread: NFL Pro Bowl Weekend

2010-01-30T17:55:39Z

[via www.todofutbolamericano.com]

It's that time of year again. It's time for the Pro Bowl, the NFL's glorified exhibition game that gathers the game's best of the best. Only this time, there are a few catches. First, this year's game isn't in Hawaii. Instead, it's at the site of Super Bowl XLIV and that's Miami. Many people have had varied opinions about that very change. I must say that I disagree with holding the event before the Super Bowl. With a record number of replacements, the game will be featuring even less of its brightest stars. With Peyton Manning and Drew Brees sitting out among other stars, we're getting guys like David Garrard and Tony Romo. It's not quite the same. Nonetheless, a game will be played featuring NFL players on Sunday evening. Will you be watching?

After the jump, let's check out the Pro Bowl roste rs.

That link just before the jump will take you to the players that will be participating in the Pro Bowl game. It also lists the players not playing due to injury or Super Bowl involvement. It's quite long and impressive:

The following players will not play in the Pro Bowl because of injury: Philip Rivers, Chargers; Tom Brady, Patriots; Wes Welker, Patriots; Jake Long, Dolphins; Brian Cushing, Texans; Jairus Byrd, Bills; Nate Kaeding, Chargers; Brett Favre, Vikings; Steven Jackson, Rams; Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; Sidney Rice, Vikings; Andre Gurode, Cowboys; Kevin Williams, Vikings; Lance Briggs, Bears; Charles Woodson, Packers; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cardinals; Patrick Willis, 49ers.

Super Bowl participants who won't play in the Pro Bowl: Peyton Manning, Colts; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Dallas Clark, Colts; Jeff Saturday, Colts; Dwight Freeney, Colts; Robert Mathis, Colts; Antoine Bethea, Colts; Drew Brees, Saints; Jonathan Stinchcomb, Saints; Jahri Evans, Saints; Jonathan Goodwin, Saints; Jonathan Vilma, Saints; Darren Sharper, Saints; Roman Harper, Saints.

I can't insert a fancy something to show the players that will be playing and I don't want to bore you with a list, so there's that link again.

The best two cornerbacks in the NFL belong to the AFC. [via cdn0.sbnation.com]

I want to shed some light on one of our own Oakland Raiders, Nnamdi Asomugha, my favorite athlete in all of professional sports. Playing with Darrelle Revis is probably going to be really fun for Nnamdi, as he may even be thrown against. I'll save the debate between the two great cornerbacks for another time. Revis allowed 40 receptions in his starts this year, while Asomugha allowed 13. With that said, how will NFC quarterbacks be able to complete a pass the two best cornerbacks since Deion Sanders?

That's it for me. I'm going to be watching the Duke-Georgetown college basketball game on CBS in about five minutes. This is your open thread for the game and, well, whatever else you want to talk about. It's on Sunday, January 31 at 4:20 p.m. on ESPN.

Poll

Will you watch the Pro Bowl this year?

Raider Report: Hue Jackson is here for the whole offense, not just Russell

2010-01-29T15:14:09Z

Raider Report: Hue Jackson is here for the whole offense, not just Russell

Further to Rated-R Superstar's post on the Hue Jackson hiring, we have finally an official position from the Raiders (John Herrera) regarding Jackson's position in relation to JaMarcus Russell. I also include a quote from Tom Cable who is definitely acting like he is the head coach:

From Paul Gutierrez of the SacBee:
Received a pleasant call from Raiders senior executive John Herrera, who was reaching out in response to today's column on new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Herrera wanted to "set the record straight" on the thinking that Jackson was brought in to "only" work with JaMarcus Russell.

"Hue Jackson was hired to work with the entire offense," Herrera said, "regardless of who the quarterback might be."

Reading between the lines, that means nothing is guaranteed Russell, though he will have the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback position.

"[JaMarcus] is just one man on this football team," Tom Cable said KHTK's Mike Lamb Thursday. "He knows he's got to better, we know he's got to get better, but everyone on this team, coaching staff and players alike, has got to get better."

Open Thread: Stock Market Crashing, Oracle Buying The Warriors, Senior Bowl:

2010-01-28T17:56:34Z

There are many things that we can talk about as a Community today, so I'll start:

Stock Market Correction:

My portfolio is down 30% over the last week and I am holding steady. How about you. I have invested in Tech and shipping and my stocks, ZHNE, DRAM, NLST (Tech) and OCNF are getting pummeled. It hurts, but, it will only STING if I sell.

Larry Ellison Buying the Warriors:

Please God, let this happen. Larry Ellison will single handedly bring respect to this organization. Just look at what happened in Dallas when an Internet "Maverick" took the reigns. Suddenly, it was no problem getting big name free agents and respected vets to come to Dallas, of all places. One can only hope that being in the 4th Largest Media Market with an owner who likes to show off his pieces will cure what has ailed us for 15 years under Chris Cohan. Godspeed Larry!!!

Who is going to watch the Senior Bowl?:

I usually take a couple of days off to watch the Senior Bowl practices on the NFL Network, and unfortunately I have not even seen one drill this year. Can any of you fill me in on what you've seen? The MSM is doing a terrible job of reporting on it. It seems like once Tim Tebow looked like a DUD, their interest has waned.

Those are my takes and pleas, feel free to talk about anything you wish in the thread and link anything that you wish, as long as it is appropriate.

Go Raiders!!!

49ers interested in sharing stadium with Raiders

2010-01-27T23:02:47Z

49ers interested in sharing stadium with Raiders

"Sharing a stadium at a very high level makes a lot of sense," said Jed York, the president of the 49ers, on KNBR.

"We've carved out in our deal that we can potentially have two stadiums in Santa Clara."

This really isn't the worst idea if you ask me.

What Hiring Hue Jackson Could Mean

2010-01-27T00:22:31Z

Bald is beautiful! [via citythatreeds.files.wordpress.com]

Our Oakland Raiders made a few headlines today with the hiring of Hue Jackson, the former quarterbacks coach of the Baltimore Ravens from 2008-09. Jackson, who has been coaching in the NFL since 2001, has coached many facets of the offense. With the Washington Redskins from 2001-02, he coached the running backs while performing both that duty and the offensive coordinator job in 2003. Jackson coached Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Chad Ochocinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh from 2004-06 prior to becoming the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. As previously stated, Jackson spent the last two years with the Ravens. Now, he's coming to Oakland to coordinate the offense.

Now that we've gotten past the boring stuff, let's see what hiring Hue Jackson could mean for the team.

Put away the play sheet for good, Tom. [via imgs.sfgate.com]

First, hiring Hue Jackson means that Tom Cable no longer controls the offense. Could it mean much more than that, though? Cable doesn't run neither the offense nor the defense, so what purpose does he serve? Could he now be fired? Although ESPN reported that Cable was being retained, the Raiders have denied that any decision made has been a final one despite it being widely suspected. With Jackson being hired and Al Davis denying the reported final decision on Cable, one's mind starts to wonder.

Could this be JaMarcus Russell's last chance? [via media.al.com]

Secondly, moving past the coaching staff, this could be a move made by Al Davis to help his project JaMarcus Russell out. Jackson has had success developing Joe Flacco, a fine quarterback from the University of Delaware that has played for the Ravens for both of Jackson's two seasons in Baltimore. Whether or not Davis still wants Russell as a starter is unclear to me since Davis is supposedly bringing back someone that benched "his guy." The hiring of Jackson, though, reaffirms those people's speculation of Russell being the starter for the upcoming season.

Utilizing Darren McFadden correctly would give the offense a new weapon. [via a.espncdn.com]

Next, will we finally start seeing some personnel being used correctly? Two things are pretty obvious that didn't really get done last year offensively. For one, Darren McFadden needs the ball in space. He needs to be lined up in all sorts of different positions to be successful. Get him in the ball in space and let's see what happens. Jackson's Ravens last year had a lot of success with running back Ray Rice, the man who led the team in receptions. McFadden was lined up as a receiver, yes, but it was too late in the season. Hopefully we build on that moving forward this season. Michael Bush, another young running back, needs to get the ball often between the tackles and more often than Justin Fargas or even McFadden. Bush was clearly our most effective rusher last year and didn't get the ball nearly as much as he should have. Hand him in the rock, Hue!

The leader of the Alabama defense, Rolando McClain, is still my pick. [via www.realclearsports.com]

Lastly, this hiring actually could very well impact the NFL draft in April. This whole offseason could be about Russell. Davis could be thinking, "I'll hire someone to help develop Russell and then I'll draft someone to protect him." There are some pretty damn good offensive tackle prospects available around the Raiders' picking slot at number eight. The name we're all familiar with, Bruce Campbell, and then Anthony Davis are potential targets now more than ever before. Other needs could be pressing like middle linebacker if Kirk Morrison isn't re-signed, but offensive tackle obviously caters toward Russell more. This could spell the end for a potential drafting of Rolando McClain.

Hue Jackson's arrival to Oakland brings about hope for the offense this upcoming season. Jackson, by working with three different positions in his coaching staff, can bring the best out of our talented young players at different positions. If nothing else, he can't be as bad as Tom Cable was at calling plays, right? Overall, I am pretty enthusiastic about this hiring. What do you guys think the hiring of Hue Jackson means?

Report: Hue Jackson heading to Raiders

2010-01-26T17:46:51Z

Report: Hue Jackson heading to Raiders

While the Raiders have still not officially acknowledged that Tom Cable has been retained as the head coach, the Raiders have at least acknowledged that Cable will no longer be call the plays.
Hue Jackson has left the Ravens as QB coach to take the offensive coordinator position with the Raiders:

ESPN's Michael Smith reports that Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson has accepted a position with the Raiders to be their next offensive coordinator.

Jackson met with Al Davis last week, and likely sold the Raiders owner that he can help JaMarcus Russell improve. It's unclear at this stage whether Jackson will call plays, a role Cable had last year. The Raider say no decision has officially been made yet on Cable's future.

With that said, it appears Davis is building a staff for Cable. Jackson worked with Cable in 1990 at Cal State Fullerton and then at Cal in 1996. New defensive line coach Mike Waufle also worked on Steve Mariucci's Cal staff in '96.

UPDATE: Jackson has canceled his interview with the Bears to be their offensive coordinator.

My First Oakland Raiders Complete Mock Draft

2010-01-26T00:24:13Z

<Editor'sNote: I promoted this to the front page because it is the most thought out Oakland Raider Mock Draft that I've seen. Good Job!!!>

Okay, Raiders fans, let’s step away from the coaching drama where absolutely nothing is happening and get into a little bit of premature draft talk while our media comrades discuss how much they want the current staff, including Al Davis to be out of Oakland as soon as possible.

Just one question folks…Are you ready to talk some football?

In here, there are a few All-Americans covering some much needed positions for the Oakland Raiders.

It is s a list of very talented athletes that it took a lot of research and effort to come up with so please try to be kind with your criticisms. ;-)

While we all will be on the lookout for the most recent Oakland coaching news this afternoon, I hope we can all take some time to enjoy this article and let it give us some hope for the future.

In beginning my research on the topic, I was surprised to learn that Oakland had such a good number of draft choices. It includes a 3rd and a 5th round draft choice that was received from the Patriots in the trade for Derrick Burgess. That turned out to be a really good deal, because very few of us missed Burgess.

Fortunately for Raiders fans, the Patriots didn’t do as well as some people expected and the picks are going to give us good balance in positioning to make some nice moves in the 2010 draft.

They could also give us some trade bait if, I don’t know, we really wanted to move up and get a guy like…say…Ndamukong Suh…or somebody like that.

Obviously I know the draft will not go this way. It will likely not go anywhere near this prediction. Perhaps I can get one pick right?

However, many things stand in my way. The basis of my article, however, is to give some insight into the direction that I think the team should go when they do start selecting in late April. Keeping in mind that I believe in the idea of drafting an OT with our first pick is admitting that Mario Henderson is not the answer at Left Tackle. I do not agree that Mario is not left tackle material, he was much better with Gallery to the right of him.

The positions are the ones I think the team needs to draft. The players I selected are players who I believe are some of the best talent available for the draft positions.

So without further lecture, let’s get started!

P.S. if you wish to look up some college players for your own mock draft, I would highly recommend this site: http://www.nfldraftscout.com/

Round One Pick 8

Rolando McClain, MLB Alabama 6’4” 258 lbs.

• Midseason Sporting News All-American
• Buktus Award winner
• Lombardi Award winner
• Bednarik Award winner
• SEC Defensive Player of the Week (UK)
• Lead team with over 100 tackles -Five straight games with at least seven tackles

I’m a firm believer that if McClain is still on the board when Oakland picks, it would be a very stupid move not to grab him. Middle linebackers like this guy do not grow on trees, and I’m not sure anyone like him has ever laced up a set of shoes at the position in the NFL. He is the Ray Lewis that the Oakland Raiders need.

Rolando McClain anchors and deep and talented linebacker corps that has helped the Crimson Tide rank fourth nationally in total defense (242.22 ypg) and second in rush defense (68.22). Alabama held their opponents to under one hundred yards rushing eight times in 2009 with McClain in the middle of the defense.

McClain was responsible for all on-field audibles and defensive calls. He was proclaimed a midseason All-American by Sporting News. With 32 starts over his three seasons at the Capstone, McClain has a team-best 66 tackles in his nine starts in 2009.

Third on the team with seven tackles for loss and had two sacks with two interceptions. He was named the defensive player of the week by the UA coaching staff six times in the first nine games last season. McClain was named the Bronko Nagurski Award National Defensive Player of the Week following the Kentucky game.

Round Two Pick No. 39

Jon Asamoah, G, Illinois 6’5” 315 lbs.

Asamoah was named second-team All-Big Ten by both coaches and media. The Illinois' rushing offense ranked 18th in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten this season. Jon was named to the National Football Foundation's 16-man Scholar-Athlete team. He earned CoSIDA first-team Academic All-District honors. Asamoah was named first-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele Magazine and Academic All-Big Ten.

He started 37 consecutive games at guard on an offense that rushed for 300 or more yards on three occasions this year. Jon helped the Illini to 331 rushing yards and 548 total yards in the season finale against Fresno State. Aided the Illini offense in racking up 476 yards of total offense and Juice Williams' 282-yard passing performance at No. 5 Cincinnati. He was part of an offense that lead a 250-yard passing and four offensive touchdown performance in win over Minnesota.

In addition, he is rumored to have the fastest 40- yard dash time among all the offensive lineman and with a name like Asamoah, he’s got to have some game. That name is too close to Asomugha to not come with some game.

Round Three Pick No. 69

Kyle Wilson, CB, 5’10” 186 lbs. Boise State

Kyle was named first-team All-WAC cornerback and second-team all-conference punt returner. He was named Boise State’s co-Special Teams Player of the Year by vote of teammates. He was named to Phil Steele Publications’ All-WAC first team on defense and was a second-team selection as punt returner.

Kyle led Boise State with five interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 15 passes defended which tied for 18th best in nation. The five picks also tied for second in WAC and tied for 28th in nation. Wilson had two key interceptions in win at Oregon.

He recorded 35 tackles, 26 of which were unassisted, while returning 33 punts for 470 yards and three touchdowns. His 14.2 average yards per return was second in WAC and 12th in nation. He had a ninety-yard return against Fresno State was fourth-longest in Boise State history and a 79-yard return against Idaho that was fifth-longest. The other TD return was for 71 yards against New Mexico State. All three TD returns were in November. That means he gets better as the season goes on.

Wilson finished the season with the most punt returns for touchdowns in the nation and was named WAC Special Teams Player of Week in final week of season after piling up 136 yards on three punt returns against Fresno State. His current streak of 31 consecutive starts is longest active streak on team. He was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.

Round Three Pick No. 85 (From New England)

Vladimir Ducasse UMASS OT 6’5” 330 lbs.

• Senior captain left tackle
• 2009 Consensus Preseason First-Team All-American.
• 2009 Preseason All-CAA pick by Coaches and Phil Steele.
• In his 35 career starts, UMass has had a 100-yard rusher in 23 of those games. In his 35 games, UMass has allowed just 39 sacks.
• UMass allowed 17 sacks (1.4 per game), 38th in the NCAA, and third in CAA.
• UMass had a 100-yard rusher in seven games this season

A native of Haiti, Vladimir is an incredibly hard-working player who comes to work every day with a purpose to get better individually to make the overall team better according to Coach Morris. He has improved to become an offensive leader and a high-level player with a big upside.

Ducasse is a true senior who was a starter as a freshman. He is diverse and can also play guard, where he played early in his career. He was the team's top offensive line recruit in 2006. Vladimir is a large offensive lineman and great athlete who has done extensive work with Offensive Coordinator Brian Picucci to improve his game and has reportedly reached that next level.

Round Four Pick No. 103

Torrell Troup, DT, Central Florida, 6’3” 314 lbs.

Troup was voted onto the All-Conference USA 2nd team in 2009. “Coaches look at stats instead of looking at everything else on tape, and I think Torrell got caught up in that,” UCF head coach George O'Leary said. "I think he's the reason those other guys that made first team made it. There were two guys on him all the time.”

He had 12.5 tackles for loss, totaling 52 tackles with 30 of them coming solo. Troup started his college career at 345 lbs., but slimmed down to his current playing weight of 314 lbs. over his four seasons. Troup is considered to be the heart of the UCF football team and could be their hardest player to replace in the off-season.

“I think he is a very unselfish player that works at the game and has a great sense of responsibility and accountability to do what needs to be done to win,” said coach O’Leary.

He is a strong student, football player, and leader with a bright NFL future.

Round 5 pick No. 134

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (DII), 6’1” 205 lbs.

Born in Ghana, Africa, Akwasi suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder in the final game of the season. In spite of the injury, however, Owusu-Ansah has a four year body of work that has garnered him some national attention.
Various websites rank him as a 2nd to 4th round draft choice this year, but I’m reaching out and saying that teams will pass on him, as he is unlikely to be able to lace up his cleats at the NFL combine in February.

But that hasn’t stopped Al Davis from knowing a steal when he sees one before. Take the ’07 4th round pick Michael Bush for an example. If Akwasi is here early in the fifth round Al Davis may trade up to get him.

He is one of those underrated players from a small school who could do big things as a pro. Davis could see him as a potential shut-down cornerback to play opposite of Nnmadi Asomugha in his man-to-man defense.

In addition to his coverage skills, he has scored nine return touchdowns in his college career, including three kickoffs and four punts. “Nobody can argue about his height, nobody can argue about his weight, and nobody can argue about his speed,” said IUP head coach Lou Tepper.

Round 5 pick No. 156 (From New England)

Chris Hall, Center, Texas, 6’4” 298 lbs.

Hall was named a 2009 third-team All-American by the associated Press. He is a 2009 AFCA coaches All-American as well. Chris is a four-time Academic All-Big 12. He is a four-time member of the Texas Athletic Director’s honor roll and an active member in the school’s community service program.

The fifth year senior started 35 games for the Longhorns in his college career. He was a finalist for the Remington Award (NCAA’s Best Center) for the second straight season. Hall is the offensive line’s signal caller in the nation’s third ranked scoring offense.

Hall started at all five positions on the O-Line for Texas during his sophomore year at Texas until finding a home at center late in that same year.

Hall has issues in one-on-one situations, like when he faced Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy and even against other defensive tackles. Quicker tackles are said to be able to shed him quickly and get to the next level. But in Oakland, there are a lot of 3-4 defenses in the division, so he could be a value pick for the Raiders late in the fifth round.

Round Seven Pick No. 200

QB Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic, 6’5” 230 Lbs.

• 2008 Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year
• Two time SBC Player of the Week.
• Palm Beach County Amateur Athlete of the Year • 2007 Sun Belt Player of the Year
• Mid-Season Phil Steele's Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference Selection
• Four-Time SBC Offensive Player of the Week
• New Orleans Bowl MVP (2008)
• 21st nationally in passing efficiency (141.63, 2007)
• 29th nationally in total offense (274.77, 2007) • Team was No. 16 in passing offense

Rusty Smith is three year starter and, in my opinion, a highly underrated quarterback who could become the next guy talked about as that guy who was drafted late and showed up big time for his NFL team.

He suffered a sprained AC joint in his non-throwing shoulder in November, but his coach, Howard Schellenberger intends on bringing the big quarterback with him when he coaches in the Texas versus the Nation game in February so that attending NFL scouts can get a look at the quarterback.

Smith is the most decorated player in the history of the FAU program. It is the same program that produced fan-favorite MLB Frantz Joseph. Smith started 36 consecutive games for FAU and is the Sun Belt conferences all-time leader in career and single season passing yardage as well as touchdown passes, throwing for over 10,000 yards and 76 touchdowns in his career.

Al Davis should draft Smith to be his quarterback of the future and give him a chance to work with the great offensive coaches Ted Tollner and Paul Hackett.