Silver And Black Pride

Ruh, Ro': Video surfaces which supports alleged victim in Rolando McClain assault case

2012-05-17T01:24:29Z

Raiders middle linebacker Rolando McClain was not in attendance at Raiders' first OTA practices this week. He had other pressing matters. Those matters were dealing with the legal situation he faces in Decatur Alabama in which he allegedly assaulted a man, put a gun to his head, and fired off a shot by his ear. The incident occurred the last time McClain was absent from practice-- during last season when he was excused to attend his grandfather's funeral.

Well, this legal matter may have just gotten a whole lot more difficult for McClain as the Decatur Daily News has uncovered a video from an anonymous source has surfaced which appears to support much of the story as it was told by the victim, Rishard Tapscott, of the assault. It will at least take the word "alleged" off of it from Tapscott's perspective because it is clear in the video that he was assaulted. The video only shows the other defendant, McClain's friend Jadoriaus Willingham, doing the assaulting.

You can read the whole report HERE.

"It's obvious that McClain has been edited out of parts of it, but it matches up perfectly with (the victim)'s statements of it," attorney Carl Cole said. "I think this shows that there may be cracks in Willingham and McClain's circle of friends. They may not all be willing to hide what happened that night."

This will undoubtedly be used to convict Willingham and could be very damaging to McClain's case as well.

He is due in court this Thursday. Both McClain and Willingham have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Raiders sign fullback Owen Schmitt

2012-05-16T00:05:27Z

The Raiders have bulked up their camp fullback roster by adding free agent Owen Schmitt, the team announced Tuesday. Schmitt is entering his fifth year in the NFL, the last two seasons with the Eagles.

He was drafted in the fifth round out of West Virginia by the Seahawks and spent his first two seasons in the league in Seattle.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Schmitt has played in 51 career games with 12 starts over four NFL seasons. His career totals include nine rushing attempts for 27 yards and 34 receptions for 218 yards with two touchdowns. He caught a career-high 19 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown in 2010.

Schmitt has started just five games the past two seasons for the Eagles and is considered a camp body until further notice. The Raiders currently have five players on the team who can play fullback. Marcel Reece is not practicing because he has yet to sign his restricted free agent tender while he hopes to sign a long term deal.

The other fullbacks on the team are Manase Tonga, Rashawn Jackson, and recent tryout Tre'shawn Robinson. No word yet on cuts to offset the signing although the Raiders had room on the roster.

Terrelle Pryor is "not planning to be the backup"

2012-05-15T23:51:19Z

Second-year quarterback Terrelle Pryor is in his first OTA's for the Raiders. He is out to prove not only that he can play quarterback in the NFL but that he deserves playing time for the Raiders. This is a tough, and could be futile, task for the young quarterback. Carson Palmer is the unquestioned starter and at this point, Pryor is behind Matt Leinart in the depth chart.

Pryor is not letting that dampen his belief that his playing time is directly attributed to how hard to works. He even deflected any discussion about his recent interview with Sports Illustrated, saying "I'm not going to talk about that. That's in the past."

Putting that stuff in the past is a wise move for Pryor. His focus should be on what is happening now and how it affects his future. In the realm of the present and future, Pryor's statement is simply "I'm competing to play."

Most will say that his only role on this team would involve his legs but he insists he is not just a specialty package type quarterback and should be thought of with the same passing skills as Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart... and more.

"I got a big arm too," said an adamant Pryor. "A big arm. I just happen to be able to run and that just adds onto my arsenal. If you go throughout the reads and do the right progression and throw the ball to the right spot where you want it to be, and if nothing's there and I take off, then that's a plus."

But even with the vast skill set Pryor claims to have, he still has an uphill battle.

"Carson is the starter and he's going to be the starter. But I don't put myself as I'm going to be back-up. I mean, I don't sit around saying, 'I want to be a back-up, that's what I want to be.' That's not how I operate. That's not how I want to be. I'm going to work to play. And Carson's always played well and always will. Whenever the opportunity comes for me to play, I'll play. But I'm not planning to be a back-up. Get that correct."

That certainly is the right attitude when it comes to playing. Too many times in the NFL the starter goes down and the backup isn't ready. It happened last season with Kyle Boller and the result was a disaster. Even with Leinart as the projected number two quarterback and is running with the second team, if Pryor can instill some confidence in his coaches that he gives the team a better chance to win, he will be given the chance to prove it.

"You need a quarterback to know what's going on and be able to lead the team," said Pryor. "I'm not discouraged at all that Matt [Leinart] is here. Matt's a great guy and I'm going to go about my business getting better and working hard and no one out-working me. That's how I live and that's how I do things every day, and it won't change."

Pryor got a boost in confidence earlier this week when the team released Rhett Bomar. Head coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday that Bomar was released because he was just not going to see the reps with the Raiders that he had hoped.

So while the team may feel more comfortable with Leinart as the number two, they clearly have laid it out that Pryor is going to be a member of this team. Pryor's outlook seems to improve almost daily and is a far cry from what it was last season. It has been a long hard road for him of which he said has left him "humbled" and now in a far better place.

"Big big huge improvement," said Pryor of the results of his offseason work. "Really just footwork and having a chance to learn the offense. I didn't know anything last year, nothing at all. I knew some of the stuff going into games and stuff like that but starting from Day 1 here right now when the new coaches came in. On the other hand I came in last year at the end of camp and everything was already put in. I couldn't ask the coach, the offensive coordinator. We didn't even have a quarterbacks coach so I couldn't even learn anything from that standpoint.

"I [have] spent a lot of time with Coach DiFilipio and I cleaned up the footwork, taking my feet in my progression and nothing but good results.

"Big time in terms of footwork, confidence, believing in myself. All of that stuff is miles ahead with more great things to come."

Though Pryor had just one unofficial snap in the NFL last season, he is technically a second-year player. And according to him, that is not just a technicality. He doesn't feel like a rookie.

"What I can say about last year is I learned the speed of the corners, I learned what the NFL is, in terms of, you have to get back and get rid of the ball. The rush is between the D-linemen getting to you, nothing else... So I learned the speed of the D-linemen, you've got to get the ball out fast because of them. You've got to throw at different angles.

"I'd say this is my second year. Because I learned an awful lot by taking snaps against the first team in... the practice-role doing the scout team. I learned a lot in terms of physical stuff like that."

As far as Pryor's work in practice, he is much improved from what limited looks we had of him last season, but he has a long way to go.

The "big arm" he touts is fine but it is rarely ever just about how far a quarterback can throw it. It is about touch and accuracy which are both areas he still has much room to improve. His passes still flutter some and it is easy to see that he doesn't trust his short passes. They usually either have nothing behind them or they are ankle biters.

His footwork and stance have improved greatly and it has shown in his passes. While it used to be a case of the rare tight spiral or the rare on-target pass, they are more 50-50 now. And there was one particular long pass that led Juron Criner perfectly for a would-be touchdown.

For now, however, he has impressed his offensive coordinator and head coach enough with his work ethic and improvement to give him sole possession of the number three job with an opportunity to earn more.

That is "competing to play" and that is all he can ask for at this point.

Raiders announce player personnel restructure

2012-05-15T22:55:36Z

The Oakland Raiders have restructured the organization's player personnel department, the team announced Tuesday. The new titles in the restructure include Joey Clinkscales director - player personnel, Tom Delaney director - football administration, Shaun Herock director - college scouting, Teddy Atlas scouting coordinator.

Also joining the scouting department are college scouts Raleigh McKenzie and Trey Scott. Pro scouts will be Von Hutchins, Larry Marmie, and Dane Vandernat.

Returning college scouts include Mickey Marvin, Calvin Branch, Brad Kaplan, David McCloughan, and Zack Crockett.

Clinkscales comes to the Silver and Black after serving 17 seasons with the New York Jets, most recently as vice president - college scouting. With the Jets, Clinkscales oversaw the entire college scouting operation and worked with the football staff annually to prepare for the NFL Draft.

Clinkscales was promoted to national scout by the Jets in 2002 after serving as a southeast region scout. A former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1987) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1988), Clinkscales joined the Jets from the National Football Scouting Combine Service, where he worked as a scout. The Ashville, N.C., native was a part-time scout for the Steelers from 1989-93.

Herock comes to the Raiders after serving 19 years with the Green Bay Packers, the past 11 as the team's assistant director of college scouting. Herock became a full-time scout for the Packers in 1994 and spent 23 years in scouting with Green Bay. He began his career with the Atlanta Falcons from 1989-92 before joining the Packers initially as an intern.

Hutchins enters his first year with the Raiders after serving as a training camp personnel intern with the Green Bay Packers in 2011. The former defensive back played 38 games with 16 starts for the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans from 2004-07. He attended the University of Mississippi and was selected by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

Raleigh McKenzie is Reggie McKenzie's twin brother. He played guard for the Washington Redskins from 1985-94 and was a member of two Super Bowl winning teams. He made starts at all five offensive line positions during his professional career and was named to the All-NFL team in 1991. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers and Green Bay Packers before retiring after the 2000 season. He assisted in the Redskins' personnel department in 2001 and most recently was an assistant coach at Herndon (Va.) High School.

Scott begins his first season with the Silver and Black after working in the Washington Redskins' player personnel department last year. The Kansas City, Kan., native graduated from Kansas State, where he played quarterback and majored in business management.

Atlas enters his second season with the Raiders and first as college scouting coordinator, having joined the organization in February 2011. He interned in the New York Jets football operations department in 2008 and was a football operations assistant with the Cleveland Browns in 2009 before becoming a full-time personnel assistant in 2010. A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Atlas boxed at Northeastern University in Boston.

Branch first joined the Raiders as a sixth-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft out of Colorado State. He played defensive back and was a special teams standout for the Silver and Black from 1997-01. Branch joined the Raiders player personnel department in 2007.

Crockett enters his fourth season on the Raiders' player personnel staff. He played 14 seasons in the NFL, eight as a fullback with the Silver and Black (1999-06). Crockett scored 35 rushing touchdowns with the Raiders, tied for third on the all-time franchise list.

Delaney enters his 13th year with the Raiders and his first as director - football administration. The native of Pleasanton, Calif., holds a math degree from UC Davis and worked in asset management as a financial analyst prior to joining the Raiders.

Kaplan joined the Silver and Black in July 2007, and has worked in both the college and pro personnel departments. A native of Los Angeles, Kaplan graduated with a degree in business administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2007.

Marmie joins the Silver and Black from the coaching ranks, having recently served as an assistant in the United Football League after coaching for three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. Prior to his time in Seattle, Marmie was defensive coordinator with the St. Louis Rams (2004-05) and the Arizona Cardinals (2000-03). Marmie coached at the collegiate level for 28 years including four seasons as the head coach at Arizona State (1988-91).

Marvin has been with the Silver and Black for 35 years as both a player and scout. He played 11 seasons as an offensive lineman for the Silver and Black (1977-87), winning championships in Super Bowls XV and XVIII.

McCloughan re-joined the Raiders' player personnel staff in 2011 after spending five seasons as the director of college scouting for the San Francisco 49ers. A former NFL defensive back, McCloughan previously served on the Raiders' personnel staff from 1996-04.

Vandernat first joined the Raiders in 2008, serving as a training camp intern in the Internet department prior to completing a salary cap and administration internship with the NFLPA. He re-joined the Silver and Black as a football operations intern and joined the player personnel department in 2009. The Upland, Calif., native graduated from Cal Poly and earned a masters degree from the University of San Francisco.

Raiders first OTA report: Standouts and sit-outs

2012-05-15T22:21:47Z

The Raiders are holding their first organized team activities this week. It is the first practices with most of the team in attendance. It is run much like a training camp practice although the players are far less prepared than they will be once training camp starts. At this early stage, there are still some who stood out as positives or negatives and some who simply weren't here.

Sit-outs:

Those not in attendance were Richard Seymour, Rolando McClain, and Mike Mitchell. Dennis Allen explained why the three of them were not at practice:

"Seymour, it's kind of been a tradition for him. He hasn't been to a lot of the offseason conditioning programs. I'm not real concerned, he's a veteran, he was here for the minicamp when we had it earlier and did a nice job and so he's been in touch with us and we're well aware of what he's doing. And obviously McClain's got he legal issue that he's trying to get taken care of back in Alabama this week... Mike Mitchell's got a little bit of a knee deal."

The legal issues McClain is dealing with is a court date later this week stemming from the incident last season in which he allegedly assaulted a man and fired a gun by his head.

Those who were here but still recovering from injury were Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Brisiel, Louis Murphy, and Eddie McGee. Matt Shaughnessy was practicing with his teammates but not wearing a helmet as he is still not completely healthy from the injury that had him out most of last season.

Wisniewski had a procedure in the off season to repair a shoulder injury. Eddie McGee tweaked a hamstring working out and is out as a precaution. No one cared enough to ask about Murphy's injury but he and McGee appeared to be good enough to go through light workouts together after practice.

Standouts:

The story of the OTA is rookie round five pick Juron Criner. He was an acrobatic ball magnet today. Shades of Denarius Moore in 2011 training camp. You can read more about his day here.

David Ausberry looked quite good, confirming Carson Palmer's glowing endorsement of him this off season. He has bulked up considerably from last season and made several great catches in traffic. His technique is sound and he snatches and secures passes well. He has skills and size that can at times have him looking like Vernon Davis. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but it's a good sign. Ausberry is still working with the second team but with his play, I expect he will move to the starter over Myers soon enough.

Aaron Curry was moving around well and making plays. The defenses are still getting used to the new playbook but Curry's hustle was on display. There was a tipped pass that bounced around to about five different players on offense and defense like a game of hot potatoe before Curry secured it for the interception. Later he was covering Darren McFadden on a long pass and stayed with him stride for stride down the sideline to force an incompletion.

Among the receivers in the cone drill, Jacoby Ford looks sharp. His cuts are clean and flawless. No wasted movement or slips. He makes the other receivers look like they are lumbering and heavy footed by comparison. This is really no surprise after what we have seen from him thus far in his career. He is quick and compact.

Those standing out in a bad way include Thomas Mayo who dropped three consecutive passes in a cone drill. He began clutching his hamstring and was asked by one of the coaches if he was hurt and he said he was fine but he clearly was not. He was sidelined after that and didn't return to practice.

Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa had some issues in drills. He had a point blank pass bounce off his hands at one point and later got an earful for not finishing a play and not "running through". He was lining up with the second team in team drills.

Darrius Heyward-Bey was as per usual. He did well with short passes facing the quarterback but when he was sent long, he had a ball bounce off his hands. He left his feet unnecessarily when the pass was put on him in stride. It was a routine pass that most even marginal receivers would have made.

Matt Leinart and Terrelle Pryor both had an up and down day. A good percentage of their passes were off target, most of them thrown at the receiver's ankles. Both also had a couple of nice long balls.

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Early looks are Raiders have uncovered another fifth round WR gem

2012-05-15T19:19:37Z

The talk of last year's training camp for the Raiders was round five pick, Denarius Moore. And it may be early, but if the OTA's are any indication, the Raiders may have done it again this year with wide receiver Juron Criner.

With Denarius, and Jacoby Ford before him, the Raiders grabbed a guy with speed and catching ability. With Criner, they went for a receiver with everything but speed. But the result appears, thus far, to be the same.

In today's practice, he had teammates and media standing in amazement as he caught everything thrown his way... and a few balls that were not quite thrown his way. He caught everything.

The first pass he pulled in was well behind him on a crossing patter and he corrected, twisted his body around to make a fingertip grab. Later he was on a deep slant that the defense appeared to have sniffed out but Criner leapt in the air to pull the ball down with Demarcus Van Dyke and Tyvon Branch also vying for the ball. The result was a 50 yard touchdown.

Criner wasn't done as he showed his concentration when Travis Goethel jumped on a low ball and tipped it and Criner made the adjustment to catch the ball anyway. He finished off the day with a go route in which he got behind cornerback Pat Lee for an over the shoulder grab in stride.

"It's been a learning process for him," said Dennis Allen of Criner. "I think every day he gets a little bit better. He's learning more what to do. I was pleased with the way that he practiced today. It's not a whole lot different than what we saw on tape in college. That's what we expect from him."

These are exactly the type of plays we saw from Denarius Moore in last year's camp and he took that level of play into the season. He is now the Raiders' number one receiver.

The Raiders drafted Criner as the best player available as a guy who, at 6-3, 221 pounds, just so happened to embody the physical presence and talents they need in a receiver. The players are still in shorts so it can be difficult to judge who can perform once pads and contact are introduced. But the plays he has been making are very similar to those for which he was known in college so it would stand to reason he could continue to make plays when the intensity is turned up.

He may not have the speed (4.68 40-yard dash) but his receiving savvy may just be able to make up for that deficiency.

Raiders release QB Bomar, TE Hardy

2012-05-15T06:55:21Z

No sooner did the Raiders hold their first rookie mini camps but two of those rookies have been sent packing. They were quarterback Rhett Bomar and tight end Andre Hardy.

Bomar was signed earlier this off season to a reserv/futures contract. The three days mini camp was the first real chance the team had to get a long look at him. They must not have liked what they saw because they cut him immediately thereafter. His release leaves the team with just three quarterbacks as they to begin OTA's on Monday.

His release may also lend a vote of confidence to Terrelle Pryor whose main competition for the third quarterback position was to be Bomar.

There will be another quarterback signed as it is customary for a team to carry at least four quarterbacks in camp. Although, I wouldn't expect it to be a big name.

The tight end, Andre Hardy, was signed as a free agent just prior to the draft. He was a basketball player at Cal State Fullerton who hadn't played football since high school. His main issue was his health. He has been injured since April and was unavailable for the rookie minicamps. That experiment was over before it began.

The Raiders signed Boise State tight end Kyle Efaw, who tried out for the team during mini camps, to replace Hardy on the roster. He gives the Raiders four tight ends. This is another position the team could be looking to add a proven player for camp.

Raiders sign seven camp tryouts

2012-05-14T16:52:52Z

This past weekend, the Raiders held their rookie minicamps. And along with the drafted rookies, undrafted free agents and those invited back from last year's practice squad, the team held tryouts for several NFL hopefuls. Monday the team announced seven of those hopefuls will be invited back.

The seven newly signed free agents are K/P Eddy Carmona, DE Wayne Dorsey, TE Kyle Efaw, T Kevin Haslam, CB LeQuan Lewis, FB TréShawn Robinson and WR Travionte Session, all of whom participated on a tryout basis in the team's rookie mini-camp this weekend.

Here's a bit more about these guys as laid out in the Raiders official press release:

Eddy Carmona (5-10, 203) P/K - Harding: A native of Monterrey, Mexico, grew up in Arkansas and played at Central Arkansas until transferring to Harding prior to his senior campaign, 2011. Last season, handled both punting (38.3 avg.) and kicking duties for his team, hitting 46-of-49 PATs and 10-of-13 field goals, including 3-for-4 from 50-plus range.

Wayne Dorsey (6-6, 272) DE - Mississippi: Played two years at Mississippi after transferring from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. As a senior, started six games and recorded a team-high three sacks despite having season cut short due to a broken arm sustained against Alabama.

Kyle Efaw (6-4, 247) TE - Boise State: Played four years at Boise State, seeing action in 53 games and recording 103 receptions for 1,269 yards and 13 touchdowns. Played in all 13 games with eight starts as a senior, totaling 31 receptions for 264 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns.

Kevin Haslam (6-5, 304) T - Rutgers: Another former basketball player as a 195-pound senior in high school, saw action at both guard and tackle as a college offensive lineman, and started the final 26 games of his career. Signed with Jacksonville as a non-drafted free agent in 2010, then missed the 2011 NFL campaign with a knee injury.

LeQuan Lewis (5-11, 187) CB - Arizona State: In training camp with the Tennessee Titans last season after signing as an undrafted free agent. Played two years at both cornerback and wide receiver at Arizona State, seeing action in 22 games and recording one interception.

TréShawn Robinson (5-11, 246) FB - Idaho: A four-year letterman as a linebacker, started at least one game each season. Led the Vandals in 2011 with 117 tackles as a 12-game starter, including a career-high 20 stops against Utah State. Also registered a pair of sacks and four forced fumbles as a senior.

Travionte Session (6-2, 191) WR - Nevada: Played in 42 games in four years at Nevada, hauling in 71 passes for 978 yards and six touchdowns. Recorded 23 catches for 291 yards with one touchdown as a senior last season.

Others who tried out for the team not on this list include:

Drew Hubel, QB, Portland State, Austin Signor, K, Eastern Illinois, Jaquan Bryant, CB, Marist, Matt Faulkner, QB, San Jose State, Brandon Rutley, RB, San Jose State, Darius Prelow, S, Louisiana-Monroe, Michael Byrd, TE Winston-Salem, Chris Banjo, S, Southern Methodist, DD Kyles, RB, Middle Tennessee, Corey Gatewood, CB, Stanford, Darius Nall, DE, Central Florida, Devon Lewis-Buchanon, S, Louisiana-Lafayette, Kevin Kroboth, S, Temple, Joey Haynos, TE, Maryland, Larry Hart, OLB/DE, Central Arkansas, Cort Dennison, LB, Washington, Andrew Lanier, OG, Virginia Tech, Ralph Guidry, DT, Kansas State, Davon Allen, C, Rice, Brian Heath, LS, Sacramento, Richard Muldrow, OT, Richmond, Marquis Frazier, DE, Southern Methodist, Mordecai Smith, WR, NC State