Bleacher Report - Articles by Jimmy Hal

Oakland Raiders: The Unknown Battles of Training Camp

Jimmy Hal — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:49:46 -0400

As Training Camp practices begin, I wanted to focus on a few unknown battles that have not been given the proper publicity durring the past few weeks. Trust me, there are more than just Russell vs Garcia. Though there are still questions to be answered amongst the Coaching Staff, these are the battles that will define the Raiders production in the 2009 season. Enjoy the Show!!

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Why Does The Raider Nation Like Chaz Schilens?

Jimmy Hal — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:23:37 -0400

Anyone who has read my last two or three articles knows I am a big fan of Chaz Schilens and I expect him to solidify the number one receiver spot for the Oakland Raiders and have a quality year in 2009. Earlier in the week I was watching NFL Total Access on NFL Network as they held a small segment about the Raiders and if the could compete in the AFC West.

Expecting to be bashed against in the media once more, I was pleasantly surprised as Jamie Dukes and Rod Woodson gave their opinions on our football team. Later in the segment they talked about seventh overall pick, Darrius Heyward Bey, and how he is supposed to be a great contributor to the Raiders and quarterback Jamarcus Russell. They voiced their opinions about the pick and Heyward-Bey's questionable hands and how Heyward-Bey would struggle. All I was thinking was "Why do they think we are going to be so dependant on DHB when we have Higgins and Schilens who showed a lot of promise at the end of the year."

Then I remembered to myself, it is because Heyward-Bey is a controversial first round pick and Schilens is a late round pick who some might not even know, let alone know what he can do. So I decided to talk about why I and a lot of my friends who are also Raiders fans like Schilens so much.

Measurables

Let me get the obvious out of the way now. Schilens is the prototypical WR who fits this offense to a tee. At 6'4", 225 lbs, Schilens is going to make his presence known just by stepping on the field. With a big body like that some would think that his speed is not so hot. Well think again as Schilens runs a 4.38 and some believe he has run faster than that. That hot enough for you?

During his time as a starter he showed reliable hands catching balls not only thrown right to him, but also passes outside of his body. This will be a huge asset as Russell grows as a quality passer.

Work Ethic

Usually, seventh round picks have a hard enough time making the football team let alone getting a chance to be a starter whether it is in the beginning or the end of the season. The most recent player I can think of who has done that for their respective team is Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints and he has done well so far. Though not a starter until mid-season, Schilens was given playing time in the early weeks of the season, otherwise known as the end of the Kiffin era.

One of Tom Cable's first noticeable moves was benching WR Ronald Curry in favor of Schilens. Unfortunately injuries would hurt his production as a starter, but as soon as he was healthy he showed his potential as we saw in the last two weeks of 2008.

Professionalism/Selflessness

Though they are hard to find unless you visit Raiders.com often, if you ever get a chance to hear Schilens do an interview you can tell he has a very good head on his shoulders. In a NFL era of flashy wide receivers, Schilens does not give the persona of a T.O. or Chad Johnson. He speaks very clearly and you can see his humility. Though it is early in his career I expect that to be a characteristic of his for a long period of time. The Raiders have had their character issues at the WR position before, lets hope Schilens is a breath of fresh air.

Tom Cable noticed a lot of good things about his young wide-out, one of them being his run blocking. Every time I saw a big run by one of our running backs number 81 was right behind them. In Week Two against Kansas City when Mcfadden ran for a 20-yard Touchdown, Schilens was the closest and the first to congratulate his teammate. In Week 16 against the Texans as Higgins returned a punt for a score, again there was Schilens. Finally in Week 17 as Michael Bush ran for the 67-yard touchdown, it was the seventh round pick there to help along the way.

The "What If" Factor!

Im not the type to play Madden on PS3 and expect what I do on the game to show up on Sundays. But when I played with Schilens I did get to thinking. It was 28-7 in the fourth quarter as I was playing a friend of mine in the famous video game. I threw to Schilens in a curl route as he broke not one but two tackles and broke away for a 63 catch and run for a score. Then the next offensive drive I would pass the ball to number 81 five times each for first downs and a score. Making other big play with Miller and Mcfadden I would win the game 34-28.

There is no reason Schilens can't do those types of things in reality as he has the physical and mental tools to make plays for us. Im not saying he is going to be on SportsCenter every week, but expect some big plays to made.

Last but not least, his number of course. Im not saying he is going to be the next Tim Brown because I say no to drugs. But tell me what you were thinking when you saw the new 81 run in for a touchdown against the Texans. What were you thinking when you read about how Schilens was the best wide-out on the roster in OTA's.

You mean to tell me that the great Timmy B. didn't cross your mind not once?

C'mon we can all dream right?

The Oakland Raiders: A Pro Bowl Offense?

Jimmy Hal — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:22:49 -0400

As it is a slow period in the NFL as we as fans await Training Camp. I figured it would be okay to compare our rosters to other players in the NFL. I was taking a look at the roster and I felt we had so much potential for not only the 2009 season, but for years to come. So I decided to compare our offensive roster other players in the NFL. I hope you enjoy the show.

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Jamarcus Russell: Time To Break Out Of Your Shell!

Jimmy Hal — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:49:37 -0400

There is no doubt that Jamarcus Russell is not the Tom Brady "get in your face" type of quarterback. He's not going to get loud when a receiver drops a pass, or even when he makes a big play of his own.

The most he would do is share in celebration when his teammates score or if his receiver drops a pass he might say, "hey, don't worry about it. You owe us one next time, so make sure you get it right," in a low tone.

What most media figures such as ESPN may think is lack of motivation or lack of love for the game. I would call it a quiet confidence. Actually, a lot like Eli Manning when he first came into the league. Regardless of what you call it, Russell needs to break out in 2009.

The theme of this offseason has, no doubt, been about quarterback Jamarcus Russell.

The Oakland Raiders wisely retained a coach that Russell has shown respect for and in the future he can trust. In return, Tom Cable has made it known that he has faith in Russell, yet has also has shown interest in pushing him to be better mentally and being a leader amongst men.

Though most fans look at the last six weeks of the season when they look at Russell's progression, I believe it was in week seven against the New York Jets that Jamarcus showed his true potential. Not only did he make big plays, but in clutch situations—particularly in overtime.

However it was the last six weeks that Russell's leadership skills manifested themselves. In week 15 against the New England Patriots, the Raiders for lack of a better phrase, were getting blown out. In the second half Jamarcus took command of the huddle and led the team to convincing scoring drives.

Expecting a bad performance from Jamarcus in week 16, he instead turned in an impressive passer rating and two touchdowns.

The next week against Tampa Bay, after throwing an interception and making the touchdown saving tackle, he led the Raiders to a touchdown of his own cutting the lead to three, then using Michael Bush to close out the game. The Raiders would win 31-24.

Now, with minicamp around the corner, Russell has more tools and less drama to deal with. Tom Cable has given Russell a well known quarterback's coach who has worked with Hall of Famer Joe Montana and NFL MVP and former Raider Rich Gannon.

Russell now has a veteran back up who knows he must tutor the young signal caller, yet has the moxie to compete with him in order to push Russell to be better.

Cable Has even improved the receiving corps that could not help Jamarcus at all in '08. The key now is to find one of his young receivers to gel within order to take some of the pressure off of his insurance policy Zach Miller.

Though Johnnie Lee Higgins has improved, it seems the Raiders want to use him in third down situations and take advantage of his yards-after-catch skils. The first round pick in Darrius Heyward-Bey is intriguing, yet being a number one receiver is asking a lot for a young man in year one, especially without a reliable veteran. Even Tory Holt had Isaac Bruce. My favorite to be the number one receiver is Chaz Schillens. He has both the physical tools and work ethic to be a playmaker in the NFL.

If Russell can find at least one receiver he can find chemistry with, expect his progression to sky-rocket. He has the coaches and now the veterans behind him to help be the best he can be.

No time for excuses...it's time to break out your shell!

Raiders Looking for a Cable Upgrade: Can Tom Cable Revive the Franchise?

Jimmy Hal — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:03:54 -0400

It's no secret that Tom Cable has a lot to prove in his first year as a full-time head coach. Taking over for Lane Kiffin couldn't have been easy. In fact, considering he was on Kiffin's staff, I'm sure he had to prove his loyalty to Mr. Davis even more.

Cable had to change the culture of an entire football team, prove to his players that he wanted to be their head coach and that he could be trusted, and also develop the talent of a very young football team. The biggest part of that young talent being quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the future face of the franchise.

Keep in mind that the offensive philosophy was completely different under Kiffin than it is under Cable. Because Kiffin never trusted his quarterback, the term run-oriented is an understatement. Just look at the game against Kansas City in week two for proof.

When Cable took the reins, he at least understood that he had a quarterback to develop, and handing the ball off to Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden wasn't going to cut it. In week six against the New Orleans Saints, Russell had a shaky if not horrid performance. However, with low effort from Javon Walker, plus Ronald Curry having the case of the drops, that was probably Russell's most pass attempts he had in weeks.

In all 12 weeks, Cable made it known that he felt that the Raiders had what it takes to be a playoff team. Thought by the media to be crazy, Tom Cable always stood by his words. In the last six weeks the Raiders went 3-3. That may seem like an average record; however, the Raiders played as if they were a team and laid their hearts out for Cable as if he had been the coach all season.

Not only did Russell's completion percentage and quarterback rating improve, it also looked like the young signal caller took over an offense that relied on his arm, rather than the guy lined up behind him. The defense played like a unit—not just Nnamdi Asomugha shutting down his receiver. They genuinely wanted to get the ball back for their offense.

This brings us to the offseason. Tom Cable again had to prove himself to Al Davis. Even though Cable was not employed by the Raiders, he formally represented them at events such as the Senior Bowl.

Cable even had to form a coaching staff without being guaranteed the job—a staff that everyone would think belonged to Al Davis. Still, Cable never wavered. His coaches may be "seasoned"; however, they have reputations of being teachers of the game. This helps with such a young football team.

Free agency with Cable was completely different from past free agency periods in the past for the Raiders. They passed on the flashy players such as T.O. and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and didn't even make an attempt to trade for Chad OchoCinco. Instead, the Raiders found quality players for bargain prices, such as Khalif Barnes.

Their biggest free agency pickup was veteran Jeff Garcia. His presence not only pushes JaMarcus Russell to be better, but he can mentor him as well.

Now the draft has come and gone, and Cable is considered Davis' puppet now more than ever with speedy players who most believe the Raiders reached on. All of the picks have been considered Davis-like picks. They may be Davis-like players, yet they are Cable-like men—hard workers with a team-first attitude who will play whistle to whistle.

The Raiders are going from analog to digital. Let's hope Cable can give them a Hi-Def upgrade.

Chris Johnson: Part of a Dynamic Duo

Jimmy Hal — Sun, 03 May 2009 22:01:18 -0400

The Oakland Raider have historically have favored big corners with speed and athleticism to match any wide receiver. This has been a trade mark of the Raiders for decades.

In the '70s it was Willie Brown and Skip Thomas. The two of them wrecked havoc on quarterbacks and frustrated receivers to no end. Willie Brown and Skip Thomas revolutionized how the corner position was played.

So much so that Brown's bump-and-run coverage technique caused the NFL to change the way corners covered receivers. Still Brown still managed to have a Hall of Fame career while helping his partner on the other side get some interceptions thrown his way.

In the 80's the Raiders next corner-back tandem would pick up where Brown and Thomas left off. Mike Haynes another Hall of Famer came to the Raiders as a free agent from New England. Haynes was also a tall corner with a impressive vertical who with the help of his partner would lead his defense to a Super Bowl victory in 1983.

Lester Hayes a bit smaller than Haynes, had ball skills that even receivers would envy. However abuse of a system caused controversy to how good he actually was. The abuse of stickum may influence voters from Hayes being a Hall of Famer himself.

The most recent tandem was in the '90s, with first round pick Charles Woodson and veteran Eric Allen. These two tried to live up to the cornerback tradition that the Raiders took so much pride in.

Unfortunately this tandem could not last long as Eric Allen would retire and an enlarged ego from Charles Woodson would separate the two.

In 2006, an unknown corner Nnamdi Asomugha had a breakout year with eight interceptions. Drafted as a Safety, Al Davis saw the makings of a big speedy corner, and encouraged Asomuga to make the transition. Ever since, Nnamdi would be considered to the best at his position and the Raiders have been looking for his partner.

Fabian Washington had the speed, but not the size or instincts to be feared by any QB. On paper the Raiders had the most feared duo when they signed Deangelo Hall. However Hall's lack of man-to-man coverage caused a change to the Raiders secondary as he was cut during mid-season.

The emergence of Chris Johnson arose as Hall's replacement. At 6'1 and 200 pounds, Johnson excelled in man-to-man coverage. A highlight of his season was against Denver in week 11. As Cutler destroyed Hall in week one, Cutler tried to do the same in week 11 yet was denied.

Chris Johnson is now Robin to Asomuga's Batman. With a new Contract, he needs to prove that he can keep up with No. 21 and be that dependable corner that the Raiders have been looking for.

Al Davis has never been satisfied with just one corner, lets hope Johnson can live up to expectations.

Michael Crabtree and Darrius Heyward-Bey...the Next Jerry Rice and Tim Brown?

Jimmy Hal — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:25:24 -0400

Rewind about 15 years. The biggest question amongst football fans in the Bay Area was...Who was better, Jerry Rice or Tim Brown? This was the question that fans constantly would debate.

If you look at the statistics, they would suggest that it would be Jerry Rice. But not by a landslide. Tim Brown as well put up Hall of Fame numbers that are very much respected. What if Tim Brown had better Quarterback play? What if Brown had a hard hitting defense? Would Tim Brown have numbers closer to Rice's? Would Tim Brown have a ring on his finger?

What made the debate so great was that it was between to great players who would eventually play side by side to basically close their Hall of Fame careers.

Now it's 2009 and a new question has presented itself. How will Heyward-Bey and Crabtree co-exist?

Like when the 49ers selected Jerry Rice, a polished receiver with good hands, who may not be that fast, the 49ers selected Michael Crabtree. The Raiders passed on Crabtree to select the speedy Darrius Heyward-Bey out of Maryland.

Though he lost his some of his speed late in his career, Tim Brown also was a speedster out of Notre Dame.

The difference is that Jerry Rice and Tim Brown were separated by draft classes. Crabtree and Heyward-Bey not only in the same draft, but also in the top 10, three picks apart.

As rookies, there is no way to compare them to Hall of Famers. But this is what people in the Bay will be talking about when the Battle of the Bay comes to town. Michael Crabtree and Darrius Heyward-Bey are going to be in almost identical situations.

Both players play for teams who have epic histories who have fallen on tough times. Both will be expected to be immediate play makers for their respected quarterbacks in a run oriented offense. They also will be learning from two formidable corner-backs in Nate Clements and Nnamdi Asomugha.

Both receivers have expressed their admiration for Jerry Rice's work ethic and compare their own work ethic to his legendary effort. This is good for their teams who have great expectations.

Darrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Crabtree should talk to Jerry Rice and Tim Brown both for advice on how to make plays for their teams.

The debate of Brown and Rice has almost officially turned into Bey and Crabtree, whether they have taken a NFL snap or not.

Like it or not Darrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Crabtree are forced to be forever linked.

Time will tell how strong the chain is.

Heyward-Bey And A Deadly Recieving Corps?

Jimmy Hal — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:23:34 -0400

At this point, you have heard the criticism of the Oakland Raiders No. 7 overall pick. As a fan, at this point you are either on board or you're not.

When the commisioner made the announcement of Darrius Heyward-Bey, you can't deny your shock—maybe even anger. Most Raider fans initially were upset—some to the point of tears. It probably went a little something like this.

First is disbelief. You could've sworn that Rodger Goodell had mispronounced the name on the card. Then you realized that Heyward-Bey and Michael Crabtree sounded nothing alike.

A few hours later there was anger. How could Al Davis do this to a team that so far had so much potential?

The next day you watched a few YouTube videos then you realized that maybe this guy can play, but the Raiders still should have traded down.

On the third day you listened to all the critics such as ESPN and NFL Network giving us failing draft grades and then talk bad about our team. Now, it's about a week later and you find yourself not only liking the pick, but wanting him to succeed just to shut up the critics.

Well I expect Hey-Bey to succeed not only because of his physical skill set or even his work ethic, but because of the receivers he has around him.

I know what you're thinking, our receivers were border line horrible. Our leading receiver was Johnnie Lee Higgins with 22 catches for less than 400 yards. Well let me start with Higgins first.

This is a guy who truly struggled in his rookie year. He comes into year two and again struggles at Kick returner, yet shines as a punt returner. Then toward the middle and the end of the season made strides to be a dependable reciever for Jamarcus Russell. With Hey-Bey, Higgins can definitely become a formidable third down receiver.

Speaking of Darrius Heyward-Bey, one criticism of Jamarcus Russell is that he over throws receivers. Well a 4.3 runner could help that problem, but DHB is more than a deep threat.

Though he is considered "Raw," Heyward-Bey is a guy who can run quality routes. He also can take an end around or screen pass the distance. DHB gives the Raiders the ability to score on any down. Fourth round pick Louis Murphy also gives the Raiders this ability.

Next is probably the most intriguing receiver on the roster, Chaz Schillens.

Chaz Schillens truly has Randy Moss like measurables. At 6'4'' and 4.3 speed, he has quality hands and fights for the football. Schillens made an immediate impression to both Kiffin and Tom Cable. He had such a work ethic, he took WR Ronald Curry's spot on the depth chart.

Plagued by injury, Schillens couldn't show his true potential until the last two weeks of the season. Hey-Bey may be the Raider's new first round toy, yet Schillens could be our No. 1 guy come 2009.

Notice I haven't even mentioned Javon Walker. He truly has a lot to prove and a tough road ahead.

Walker is the definition of the wild card of the Raider's receiving corps. Reports say that he is not being seen at the team facility and his health is very much still an issue. Walker is now apart of a receiving corps that is hungry for playing time. Two themes amongst these new receivers is speed and work ethic.

That does'nt look too good for Walker who has bad knees and ankle, and has been openly criticized about his work ethic.

I don't see Walker being a factor in '09. He may be getting a pay check from Big Al, but expect Walker to be faded out.

Oh, and I almost forgot....did I mention Zach Miller?