Bleacher Report - Articles by Gil Becerra

Derrick Burgess Holding Out and Two Oakland Raiders Players Waived

Gil Becerra — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:42:53 -0400

We've all heard the rumors. We've written the articles. Derrick Burgess is going to get traded.

The one thing that was never brought up was this:

Burgess is officially a hold out.

This coming from David White's Twitter Page.

We know New England has been offering the Raiders crumbs for Burgess to try and duplicate the Randy Moss trade, but the Raiders aren't having it.

Prior to this happening, rumors were out there about Burgess for a second- or third-round pick to New England. With a hold out and less value, not likely.

There was a slim possibility that with a strong and healthy year, that Al Davis might offer Burgess a contract to stay. I guess Burgess doesn't want that or his last year in a Raiders’ uniform.

What will the Raiders do? How will they handle this? I'm sure more information will leak out during the week.

Trevor Scott's goal of starting on the RDE spot along with gathering double-digit sacks seems very, very likely.

The two other men released today are Arman Shields and Tony Southwick. Shields was a speedy guy who we were able to draft last year in the fifth round that never made it on to the field. We all had high hopes for him but never saw him play. Good luck to Arman.

Position Battles Around The Corner For The Oakland Raiders

Gil Becerra — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:03:50 -0400

Training Camp is literally days away for the Oakland Raiders. Players are going to start arriving on Tuesday and Wednesday to the Napa facility.

Gone is the music that Lane Kiffin used to play. Gone is the late 7 p.m. second practice during OTA's—coach Cable has moved that up to 4:20 p.m. Gone is the one practice the day after the two-a-day practice. Cable is going to go heavy from the beginning, especially week one as they'll go at least four straight days of two-a-days as of July 31. Let's hope this doesn't push guys too hard that they'll get injured.

Position battles are the best thing about Training Camp. You have guys fighting for their jobs. Whether it's going to be their first season or 10th season, they're going to fight to get their spot and earn a check.

As of now here's the squad.....

(BOLD= Lock at the position and Italics= Position Battle)

QB: JaMarcus Russell FB: Lorenzo Neal RB: Darren McFadden

WR: Chaz Schilens, Javon Walker, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Louis Murphy (only two can start)

TE: Zach Miller

LT: Mario Henderson/Khalif Barnes

LG: Robert Gallery

C: Samson Satele

RG: Cooper Carlisle

RT: Khalif Barnes/Mario Henderson/Erik Pears

Three spots need to be determined on offense: WR, LT, RT

With the wide receiver position, the only thing that's assured is Chaz Schilens starting at No. 1. His improved route running and excellent run blocking has earned him this spot. Chaz has the speed to get down the field, a good combination with him would be the possession receiver, Javon Walker. Will Walker be healthy? Johnnie Lee Higgins should remain as just a slot WR so he can continue to kill teams with his returning. For the four receiver sets, you bring out the wheels—Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy. They will be very dangerous dealing with nickel/dime cornerbacks.

With the tackle position, 24-year-old Mario Henderson's play will settle this. If he plays well, which he has, he should remain at left tackle while the more polished, yet a bit older, Khalif Barnes should play at right tackle. We can't forget about the beast known as Erik Pears. Pears is a monster at six-foot-eight, 305 pounds. His a nimble guy that has the experience in a zone-blocking scheme needed to be effective. Pears could possibly transition to right guard behind Cooper Carlisle. With both Pears and Barnes 27-years old, the winner can hold that post down for years to come. Bring on the battle!

Now, let's take a look at the defense.

DE: Derrick Burgess & Greg Ellis

DT: Tommy Kelly & Terdell Sands/Gerard Warren

OLB: Thomas Howard

MLB: Kirk Morrison

OLB: Ricky Brown/Jon Alston

CB: Nnamdi Asomugha, Chris Johnson, Stanford Routt, Justin Miller, Michael Huff

FS: Tyvon Branch/Michael Huff

SS: Hiram Eugene/Michael Mitchell

K: Sebastian Janikowski

P: Shane Lechler

KR(s): Justin Miller & Johnnie Lee Higgins

PR(s): Johnnie Lee Higgins & Justin Miller

Five spots need to be determined on defense: DT, OLB, CB, FS and SS.

At the defensive tackle position, Tommy Kelly needs help. He played well last year as he returned from his knee injury but his help didn't show up. Terdell Sands is a huge man that should be taking up two blockers and doesn't. Hopefully his weight loss that he showed coming into OTA's will help him out. He has been mentioned in trade 'rumors' recently, maybe that might've sparked something in him to play harder this year.

Gerard Warren has never lived up to his third overall pick status from the 2001 Draft. Last year was his first year since 2005 that he actually played all 16 games. Can he remain healthy again this year to contribute? He was in rotation with Sands all year which helped. A wild card that might crack the line-up during the middle of the year would be Ryan Boschetti. Sure he doesn't have a big name but if plays as hard as advertised with his 'non-stop' motor, he'd be perfect to put alongside Kelly.

At the outside linebacker spot, it's a toss up.

Rumors have been thrown around about Kirk Morrison moving to OLB. I was able to ask Kirk a question regarding him moving to OLB during a chat he held for NFL.com. He said he's always played middle linebacker and hasn't played or looked at the outside and said it was just a rumor.

With that being said, Jon Alston came in ready this year to make a huge impact. He added 20 pounds of muscle to his frame which is now at six-foot, 235 pounds. Take that into consideration with the fact that he didn't lose the speed that the team loved. Now, Ricky Brown was our guy at this position last year prior to his injury. He has gotten snaps with the second team during OTA's but at the middle spot. Coach Cable said that they know what he can do at the outside spot and wanted to see what he can do at middle. Where will he go with this?

At the cornerback position, our starters aren't going anywhere.

Asomugha and Johnson have these spots locked down. Now, the nickel/dime spot's are open. Will Stanford Routt finally breakout? This track star and second round pick hasn't exactly impressed anyone. He had more snaps during the 2007 season then in 2008 and it worked for him, he recorded three interceptions that year. Another former second round pick that can step up would be special teams star, Justin Miller.

He still hasn't recorded an interception in his career. The Jets used him occasionally his first two seasons but after his injury during the 2007 season, things changed and his use at cornerback slowly faded away. Will Michael Huff get a chance to resurrect his career as a corner? Nnamdi predicted that Huff would have a breakout season, so we'll see. Asomugha and Johnson are both very skilled man on man corners and I'd hope that they can teach these guys a thing or three.

At the free safety position, they tried Huff last year and it just didn't work. He'd be a step late, that ball would hit him in the chest, he'd just look confused. It's sad to see from a No. 7 pick that looked so promising. Hiram Eugune stepped in and played well enough to hold the spot for the second half of the year. Tyvon Branch showed a lot of heart playing hard this past season with a cast on. He showed the instincts of being in right area during plays not like Huff. Either Huff is reborn at this position or Branch gets a chance to gain some on-field chemistry with the linebackers, corners and strong safety.

At the strong safety position, Michael Mitchell is who we all want to see.

Sure the Raiders get beat up for picking him in the second round but look as his highlights! They speak for themselves. The Raiders haven't had a hard hitting presence at strong safety for years. Now that that pads come on and he can hit, we'll see what he has. As long as he isn't a step slow and can digest the faster NFL game, they found a hard-hitting gem. Hiram Eugene was service-able player last year. Could this 28-year-old player blossom like Chris Johnson did last year?

His play next week will show how hard he worked during the off-season.

I can't wait for these battles to begin so that we can see the strong survive!

Why Johnnie Lee Higgins and Justin Miller Are the Most Underrated NFL Returners

Gil Becerra — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:59:21 -0400

Friday I caught some NFL Total Access and noticed they were going to list the top five returners in the NFL on Monday. I am thinking that, "Johnnie Lee Higgins got snubbed from the Pro-Bowl; the guys over at the Network will notice his skills.” That was not the case.

Jamie Dukes, a former offensive lineman, was the one given the task to put a list together. Here are his top five return men...

(pr = punt return; kr = kick return)

5. Devin Hester: 32 pr/198 yds= 6.2avg yds 0 TDs; 31 kr/ 679 yds = 8.8 avg yds 0 TDs

4. DeSean Jackson: 50 pr/440 yds= 8.8avg yds 1 TDs; 1 kr/ 12 yds = 12 avg yds 0 TDs

3. Darren Sproles: 22 pr/249 yds= 11.3avg yds 0 TDs; 53 kr/ 1376 yds = 26 avg yds 1 TD

2. Leon Washington: 29 pr/303 yds= 10.4avg yds 0 TDs; 48 kr/ 1243 yds = 25.6 avg yds 1 TD

1. Josh Cribbs: 28 pr/228 yds= 8.1avg yds 0 TDs; 44 kr/ 1110 yds = 25.2 avg yds 1 TD

When you hear those names, you know these guys can return. Look at those stats. That is five "stud" returners and COMBINED they had four touchdowns via return last year.

What about Johnnie Lee Higgins?

JLH: 44 pr/570 yds= 12.9 avg yds 3 TDs; 36 kr/ 842 yds= 23.4 avg yds 0 TDs

He could have had some more yards/TDs but due to our receiver issue, this past year the Raiders added Justin Miller halfway through the year to contribute, and he did.

What about Justin Miller?

Justin Miller: 0 pr/0 yds= 0 avg yds 0 TDs; 32kr/ 794 yds= 24.8 avg yds 2 TDs

Both Darren Sproles and Leon Washington are mainly two running backs in their offense (to LT and Thomas Jones, respectively) yet maintain solid return averages. With all those hits, they take carrying the football; an injury is bound to handcuff these guys from doing both consistently.

DeSean Jackson was a solid returner in college and that leaked over to the NFL some. The Eagles kept him from returning kickoffs so he can concentrate on punts. I am sure they will keep him in that role since his receiving role should slowly expand.

Both Devin Hester and Josh Cribbs were pushed to play more at RECEIVER this past year, more than asked in 2007.

Hester went from a low-impact 2007 line as a receiver (20rec/229yds and 2 TDs) to an even better one in 2008 (51rec/665yds and three TDs). His average per catch dropped from 15.0 to 13.0, and had ZERO returns for TDs. Were those extra 31 catches and one receiving touchdown worth giving up awesome field position with an occasional TD? I do not think so.

Josh Cribbs has played very little on offense in both 2007 (3rec/37yds and zero TDs) and 2008 (2rec/18yards and one TD). That is one catch in two games all year...ouch; and he wants wide receiver money? Right … his return production went from 2,204 combined yards and 3 touchdowns in 2007 to 1,338 combined yards with one score.

We have seen what will happen when teams ask return specialists to concentrate more on receiving than returning. The outcome is not good. Their specialty is handicapped due to a lack of attention to detail.

Having Higgins and Miller returning kicks for the Raiders is HUGE. Getting the ball on the 40-50-yard line on kickoffs is awesome, getting the ball on your opponent’s side of the field off a punt is awesome, and the occasional touchdowns are even better.

When you have an offense like the Raiders that will feature Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, the field position game is huge. We are asking them to get 20-25 yards to get into Sebastian Janikowski's kicking range.

I want to keep JLH as a returner and occasional receiver. Look at Hester; he had a higher receiving average when he would carry over the momentum from returns to his route running to returning. He showed the explosiveness last year doing both. His 84-yard slant to the house vs. Buffalo was a preview of what he had.

Having the taller guys out there in Darrius Heyward-Bey, Chaz Schilens, Javon Walker, and Louis Murphy with the occasional sprinkle of Johnnie "home run" Higgins will keep-up defensive coordinators late.

Justin Miller will hold on as our dime cornerback. His speed is very valuable. I hope that working alongside Nnamdi Asomugha and late bloomer Chris Johnson will help Miller improve his skills at the position.

Those players fitting in and contributing at those positions would be a plus, but, regardless, they are VERY valuable as returners and easily make up the best duo in the NFL. The numbers do not lie. They deserve some credit that they will receive as soon as the Raiders win; we all know winning solves everything.

Is Rookie Receiver Louis Murphy a Possible Starter For The Oakland Raiders?

Gil Becerra — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:20:54 -0400

The Selection of Louis Murphy:

The Oakland Raiders selected Louis Murphy with the 124th pick (fourth Round) of the 2009 NFL Draft. The Raiders had already chosen a receiver the day prior as they picked Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh overall pick, but could not pass on Murphy.

At that Draft point, the Raiders still needed an offensive lineman, a defensive-tackle, a cornerback, and a blocking tight end.

Murphy is a receiver from a spread offense, which contributed to why the Raiders chose him, rather than Jeremy Maclin and Michael Crabtree. Things change however, when a team selects at #124 instead of #7 in the Draft, because value is the priority at selection #124.

The Raiders sure added value with this pick, because analysts projected Murphy as a third round pick. The Raiders now have themselves a two time National Champion with a demeanor on how to win, and what it takes to win through adversity.

Murphy's College Years:

Scouts.com had ranked Murphy as the 37th overall receiver in 2005 as a high school senior. Murphy decided to enroll with Florida -- good choice. At Florida, Murphy slowly went from no snaps in and an occasional special team’s player to a starting receiver and leader for the Gators.

As a freshman and sophomore, Murphy only played special teams with few snaps at receiver, but Murphy caught his first career college TD as a sophomore.

Percy Harvin would get all the attention in 2006, but Murphy finally started with Harvin in the 2007 season. That year, Murphy had 37 receptions for 548 yards and five touchdowns, but that year ended in disappointment though, as the Gators went 9-4 and would ultimately lose to the Michigan Wolverines in the Capitol One Bowl.

Murphy and the Gators would rebound in 2008 after a loss at home vs. Ole Miss. The Gators would then run the table and win the National Title.

In that title run, Murphy had 38 receptions for 655 yards and 5 touchdowns, and his YAC (yards after catch) increased from 14.8 (2007) to 17.2 (2008).

Measured Tools:

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 203lbs

40-yard Dash Time: 4.43 (ran 4.25 while at Florida)

Bench Reps: 12

Vertical Jump: 34.5

Hand Width: 10"

Wide Receivers on Team

As of now, the Raiders have 12 signed receivers. You head that, you count 'em – 12 receivers when Training Camp will begin.

They are, Javon Walker, Chaz Schilens, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Arman Shields, Johnathan Holland, Todd Watkins, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Nick Miller, Sammie Parker, Shawn Bayes, Will Franklin and of course, Louis Murphy. Whew!

Out of everyone mentioned, only Schilens, Heyward-Bey, and Higgins seem assured of a roster spot.

Schilens has cemented the no. 1 spot on this team with his off-season improvement and hard work shown during OTA's. The Raiders are a run first team that needs a receiver with size and can block, Chaz can do that just fine.

Now, with the no. 2 spot: Higgins should still have a prominent role as a kick-returner with an expanded role at receiver, and that role should become occasional slot duty.

Heyward-Bey and Walker are both nursing injuries and have everyone wondering as to whether they will be ready.

Out of the other guys involved, no one has played enough nor shown anything to break the starting line-up -- not Shields, Holland, Watkins, Miller, Parker, Bayes or Franklin. The Raiders will likely cut a majority of those receivers throughout the next six weeks.

Coach Approved

Reports have quoted Coach Tom Cable that Murphy has been the most impressive out of the rookies these past OTA's, because he has loved Murphy's meticulousness and hard work.

Urban Meyer loved this kid, and commented that Murphy is very coach-able and liked by both coaches and staff. Murphy has not had any 'off-field' issues even after winning frequently in college.

Murphy has always has had a team first attitude, and is known for his hard work and film study. Murphy is a fast receiver that can help immediately as a down field threat. That set would be nice, would it not?

QB: JaMarcus Russell

RB: Darren McFadden/Michael Bush

TE: Zach Miller

WR: Chaz Schilens

WR: Murphy, Johnnie Lee Higgins or Darrius Heyward-Bey

Murphy has the frame of a sprinter who can add a few pounds to survive the bump and run coverage in the NFL, but as soon as he hits that second gear you must watch out because, he's gone.

There are several knocks about Murphy's game. Murphy's blocking is not anywhere near NFL ready, but that is something that will eventually develop. Murphy’s hands have been inconsistent, and Murphy has backed down from going across the middle of the field. Murphy's route running is still raw, and he is still mastering the timing for snatching balls in the air.

Nevertheless, with the attitude and work ethic that Murphy has, do not be surprised if he makes the starting line-up, because he is what the team needs from a young receiver. Moreover, due to the injuries bothering both Heyward-Bey and Walker, the door of opportunity has opened. Will Murphy walk through that door?

Greg Ellis Left Out To Dry In His Last Year As A Cowboy

Gil Becerra — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:16:11 -0400

Greg Ellis was on the Michael Irvin Show and let out some details about how his last year went in Dallas.

He went over many subjects. He talked about not being used in games as much as he'd like. He was put in to fall back in coverage alot.

He mentioned how guys wouldn't go all out for games or practice. They assumed that they'd be able to win games due to their talent. He had to remind them that they haven't won a Super Bowl let alone a playoff game since he's been there.

Guys would approach him and ask him why wouldn't he do more and he'd respond by telling them, "I can't do anything if they won't allow me to do anything".

He went on to make comments like, "How can I be a leader when you won't allow me to play? How can I be a leader when guys on the field come up to me and say, 'Why aren't you on the field?"

He talked about going up to Wade Phillips in a game week eight vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he asked him if he could rush the QB some instead of falling back into coverage. Phillips let him rush more and even though he wasn't able to come up with a sack, he had bunch of QB rushes that helped out. Phillips even told him that was the best defensive performance he'd seen. How'd it work out for Dallas? They won that game, 13-9, holding the Buccaneers to nothing but field goals.

The next game they go out to play the Giants. He asks Phillips to speak to the team and motivate them and he does. How does Phillips handle it this time? Ellis gets ten snaps. Ellis went on to say, "Guys aren't going to receive what I'm saying when I'm stuck on the bench."

He went on to talk about DeMarcus Ware dissapearing during games so that he (Ellis) could get snaps. Ware later responded to those comments saying he was just dehydrated and needed to get some rest. Ware mentioned he still got to play about 95 percent of the snaps.

He is obviously respected by Terell Owens, DeMarcus Ware, Michael Irvin, and many Cowboy fans. It's too bad his tenure had to end the way it did. For those who were wondering why he wanted out of Dallas, that's why.

As for him coming to Oakland, he mentioned how he wanted to be apart of something that got turned around. That's great. The Raiders have young DE's (Trevor Scott, Jay Richardson and Matt Shaughnessy) on the roster that need guidance from a vocal veteran. That's what he'll provide.

You have to love that fact that the Raiders implement a four man pass rush and he'll thrive here because he won't be asked to drop back. He was able to squeeze out eight sacks during a year where he was limited on the snaps he played. Not just limited in snaps, but also in what he could do on the field.

Greg Ellis has a chip on his shoulder from the way Dallas treated him last year and the Raiders will benifit from this. He'll make them regret their actions. Watch out Cowboy fans because the Raiders defensive front led by Greg Ellis will see you personally, Nov. 26, 2009 on Thanksgiving in your pretty new stadium. Beware.

The interview can be heard here Greg Ellis Interview.

Oakland Raiders Madden 2010 Ratings Out

Gil Becerra — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:33:31 -0400

After hearing that the Madden franchise would make the ratings more realistic this year I knew what was coming. By the way we all know that the picture shown above is not the actual cover of the game, just another version of the cover.

I'm not a gamer, I just play Madden football, I love it.

I was surprised at the ratings I saw on our guys. I mean, they're young, some have contributed and showed tons of promise, yet they gets no love.

Here's the ratings:

Oakland Raiders

Position	Name	OVR
QB	J. Garcia	75
QB	J. Russell	72
QB	A. Walter	57

RB	J. Fargas	79
RB	D. McFadden	79
RB	M. Bush	75

FB	L. Neal	91
FB	O. O’Neal	74

WR	D. Heyward-Bey	76
WR	L. Murphy	71
WR	J. Walker	71
WR	J. Lee Higgins	69
WR	C. Schilens	64
WR	A. Shields	50

TE	Z. Miller	86
TE	T. Stewart	69

OL	S. Satele	82
OL	C. Carlisle	81
OL	J. Wade	81
OL	K. Barnes	80
OL	R. Gallery	79
OL	C. Green	74
OL	M. Henderson	74
OL	P. McQuistan	72
OL	M. Johnson	67
OL	C. Morris	61

DL	D. Burgess	87
DL	T. Kelley	80
DL	J. Richardson	69
DL	G. Warren	68
DL	M. Shaughnessy	67
DL	W. Joseph	66
DL	T. Sands	64
DL	T. Scott	64
DL	R. Boschetti	59
DL	G. Gunheim	57

LB	K. Morrison	87
LB	T. Howard	85
LB	R. Brown	65
LB	S. Williams	58
LB	T. Ekejiuba	48
LB	J. Alston	45

CB	N. Asomugha	99
CB	C. Johnson	80
CB	S. Routt	72
CB	J. Miller	57
CB	D. Brown	47
CB	J. Bowie	39

S	H. Eugene	71
S	M. Huff	71
S	M. Mitchell	68
S	T. Branch	61

K	S. Janikowski	73

P	S. Lechler	98

JaMarcus Russell a 72? Ouch. I understand he's had some accuracy issues but this is harsh.

DHB was given some love at 76. That's considering Jeremy Maclin got a 78, Michael Crabtree got a 78 and Kenny Britt got a 76 also.

JLH at 69? C'mon! He had little playing time yet shined when he played. What about his return skills? He got no love. Speaking of no love, Chaz Schilens at 64 is just horrible. I guess we can expect that since he wasn't known to others last year and he was hurt often.

Somehow, Cooper Carlisle, Khalif Barnes and John Wade are better then Robert Gallery. Go figure. How's about seeing that Mario Henderson and Cornell Green are 'equally' talented with their 74 rating? Horrible.

I have to keep in mind that they're using last years stats/information to come up with this stuff but man, it's tough. Trevor Scott a 64? Five sacks as a rookie should get him some kind of love.

They just restated what we all know about John Bowie, 39 rating, he isn't too good.

As for our safeties, none of them have produced so I understand why they got their ratings. Mike Mitchell will definately fix that during the year.

Ah well, good thing for roster updates throughout the season, if the team wins and performs that will show in the ratings.

Damn, not only does that media hate the Raiders but now that hate has slowly reached EA Sports over in Redwood City, Ca. We have to keep in mind, they're all 49er fans on the Peninsula.

All kidding aside, even though the Raiders were screwed some in the ratings, I love what EA did. They really made huge gaps in ratings between superstar players and pedestrian players. A dominant player at his position shoud be just that, dominant.

How do you feel about the ratings we got?

Here's a link if you want to know another teams/players ratings Madden Team/Player Ratings .

Oakland Raiders Add a Linebacker Without Signing a New Body

Gil Becerra — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:44:48 -0400

With voluntary OTAs out of the way, it's dead time in the NFL. Besides the NFL Rookie Symposium (and, of course, Terrell Suggs and Julius Peppers working on extensions), there isn't much news.

A story came along today that Al Davis and Tom Cable made a phone call to a current player. They called undrafted rookie free-agent, Chris O'Neill, to let him know they had a "wild" idea.

What was this idea? Switch O'Neill over to middle linebacker.

Al and Tom came up with the idea after liking how he looked while running his routes and his special teams coverage.

Keep in mind, O'Neill has never played linebacker ever. He wasn't even considered a "part-time" defensive player in HS while at Miramonte High School in Orinda, Ca. He would occasionally put his hand in the ground for a pass-rush from the end, but not too often.

Boise State is where he landed after being a stand-out tight end in Northern California. He red-shirted in 2004, and was a back-up the next two years before he finally had a chance to play in 2007.

According to what the Raiders told O'Neill, they're only planning on keeping two tight ends and nine linebackers on the roster. Currently, the Raiders have five tight ends and 11 linebackers battling for the positions.

They must really like him, since most guys that are on the edge of not making a team wouldn't get a chance to transition.

This would make sense—if he can stay on as a linebacker, he would be able to play tight end if something were to come up during the year. He originally bulked up this off-season to 260lbs and has been asked to go back down to 250lbs.

This is a wild idea. I wonder how it will pan out. Rookies report to training camp one week earlier then the veterans, on July 20.

Golden State Warriors Draft Strategy: Post Crawford Deal

Gil Becerra — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:05:21 -0400

Now that the Warriors have gotten rid of Jamal Crawford, what will their draft strategy be? They acquired two point guards. A veteran making his second stop in the Bay, Speedy Claxton and Acie Law.

Speedy Claxton got the most playing time of his career here as a Warrior in 2004-2005, 32.6mpg, along with being able to get 13.1ppg and 6.2apg. That was during a short four and half month stay with the team. He was traded mid-season with Dale Davis for Baron Davis. I wonder who came up in that deal?

Acie Law, eleventh pick in the first round pick in the 2007 Draft. He hasn't gotten much playing time in Atlanta. He was slowly getting minutes until Mike Bibby stepped into the picture and took his time. Coming out of school as a senior he showed that he had a nice touch and could make some passes. Don Nelson might be able to get him going in the right direction.

Now, after this trade was made the Warriors have a veteran back-up PG in Speedy and a young back-up in Acie Law. From the looks of things, barring a trade, the Warriors are set at PG.

As of now the roster looks like this: (assuming CJ Watson isn't re-signed)

PG: Monta Ellis (starter), Speedy Claxton, Acie Law

SG: Stephan Jackson (starter), Anthony Morrow, Marco Belineli

SF: Kellena Azubuike (starter), Corey Magette (sixth-man), Anthony Randolph

PF: Brandon Wright (starter), Jermario Davidson, Rob Kurz

C: Andris Biedrins (starter), Ronny Turiaf

The Warriors have the depth they need at the Guard position. They have 3 solid Small Forwards with Randolph being the hybrid Power-Foward for Nellies style.

Now, when it comes to the bigs, the Dubs are lacking. Once one of those key guys goes down the Dubs are screwed. They can't afford to have Biedrins, Wright or Randolph to be out for any long periods without crippling the team.

I see the Warriors going after yet another 'potential' filled Power Foward in the draft. This year, it will be Jordan Hill of Arizona.

Jordan Hill was recruited in to Arizona by Coach Olsen, he had to be good. Keep in mind, he didn't play basketball until his Sophomore season in HS. To not play the sport and then be recruited to play at Arizona with only three years of experience is impressive!

He's had to deal with coaching changes in Arizona but that hasn't stopped him from slowly improving. At 6' 10", 235lbs with over a 7' wing-span, he can take up room!

My thing with Hill is that he seems like a quick learner. That combined with his ability to run the court and play with his back to the basket will have Don Nelson drooling when he slides to #7. Question for Warrior fans, do you see this as another Ike Diogu or Todd Fuller experiment? I don't think so.

Could the drafting of Jordan Hill be a piece needed for the Dubs to acquire a Chris Bosh from the Raptors? We'll find out in the next 24 hours what they have planned.

JaMarcus Russell Is Slowly Developing into a Leader

Gil Becerra — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:21:18 -0400

Finally, Oakland Raider fans get to hear something we haven't heard in Oakland since Rich Gannon left: JaMarcus Russell is gathering his teammates (wide receivers and tight ends) for a week of private workouts.

Here's two links that repeat the information.

http://www.ibabuzz.com/raidersblog/2009/06/17/ota-news-and-notes/

http://www.contracostatimes.com/raiders/ci_12615729?nclick_check=1

We all know how well he handled the media and criticism last year: He did a great job. He never blamed teammates for missing assignments or the coaching staff for being unstable and having three play callers in one season. That's where it slowly began.

Once mini-camps and OTAs began this year, it was highly noted that JaMarcus was off with his throws. He was seen hitting guys in the shoes, missing them by five yards, or getting deflections. It was May and early June though, so you can expect rust from most players.

He slowly began to show his displeasure when making mistakes. He'd yell out four-letter words when he'd fumble a snap. You would be able to see the frustration in his body language when he'd make bad throws.

JaMarcus is a calm, laid-back guy. He would never show any emotion when things were going bad. People took his laid-back attitude as him not caring, which is not true. He doesn't have to be the "rah rah" guy like Phillip Rivers is in San Diego.

Tom Cable has asked JaMarcus to start working harder by coming in earlier and staying later. He went as far as to make comments at the owners' meetings in March trying to encourage the hard work.

This is a question Cable was asked at those meetings:

Q: What kind of person is he? Does he want to be good?

A: "Oh yeah. He's very driven. I think he's a very passionate guy. He's certainly very motivated to not be a failure, to not be the kid from Mobile that couldn't get it done. All the hoopla, all the this and that, he doesn't want to be that. He wants to be the guy, and he's very driven."

Paul Hackett was brought in to help JaMarcus with his footwork and teach him how to be a better QB. Jon Gruden has praised Hackett as a great teacher, and we'll find out if that is true during the year.

Fast forward to April, a couple of weeks later, to find out the Raiders signed veteran QB Jeff Garcia. It was always mentioned that he was here to mentor JaMarcus. Garcia is from Gilroy, CA, and this would be a perfect place for him to finish his career—close to home. He's an insurance policy in case of injury.

With Garcia breathing down his neck during mini-camp and OTAs, we've seen JaMarcus answer back.

Time and time again fans write about how Garcia would be our best option to win. He's 39, JaMarcus is 23; our future is JaMarcus. Heck, even a recently signed veteran safety (May 21, 2009) from the Dallas Cowboys said Garcia would be the team's best option.

It doesn't really matter if one or all of these things combined were what caused JaMarcus to change, but it did. I'm excited—very excited.

They have a month to work things out and a week to work with each other before the finished product is seen in July at training camp.

Beware Raider haters: JaMarcus is ready to show you why he was the No. 1 overall pick.

What Does Addition of Greg Ellis Mean to Oakland Raiders?

Gil Becerra — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:01:44 -0400

After a long weekend of not much news, I wake up this morning to see Greg Ellis met with the Oakland Raiders on Sunday night. Not only did they meet, but they came to a handshake agreement with a contract to be finalized today.

It's being said the deal is for three years with the financials yet to come. The New England Patriots looked at him to be a 3-4 OLB in their system, but nothing ever came of that. Perhaps they're hoping to land Julius Peppers or Derrick Burgess via trade.

My first thought is, "Good signing." He's a veteran that's lasted in this league for a while. He's been durable, playing 11 years in the league. Seven of those years, he played 16 games, once played 15 games, and twice played 13 games, with his only "short" season coming in 2006. That year, he only played nine games due to a torn Achilles tendon.

After that Achilles injury, you'd figure, "This guy hasn't been hurt, so he won't know how to deal with it," but that wasn't the case. He rehabbed and came back a beast, earning 12.5 sacks in 13 games along with the tag, "NFL Comeback Player of the Year."

OK, so we know he can grind out a whole football season, no problem. Since 2002, he's gotten at least 7.5 sacks a year, not counting 2006. He's consistent.

So we now have added a 34-year-old (he'll turn 34 in August) to add to our line. He played OLB in Dallas, but that was in a 3-4 scheme. He should get plugged in at DE here.

Our defensive ends now look like this: Derrick Burgess, Greg Ellis, Jay Richardson, Trevor Scott, Derrick Grey, and Greyson Gunheim, along with rookies Matt Shaughnessy (third round), Stryker Sulak (sixth round) and Desmond Bryant (rookie free agent).

Burgess seems to be getting closer and closer to getting traded.

Richardson/Scott should start opposite Ellis. That'd leave Scott/Richardson, Gunheim, Shaughnessy, Sulak, Grey, and Bryant for situational pass rushing.

I do not mind rolling with that. Richardson/Scott should make some plays this year. If the younger guys learn from Ellis about what it takes to play 10+ years at a position where you get beat up constantly, I'm on board.

Here's the thing: Will the Raiders keep Burgess? If they do, how'd you feel about having Ellis and Burgess holding down the DE spots while the young guys sit back and watch?

I think the Raiders would be hand-cuffing themselves if they keep Scott as a situational pass rusher this year. Regardless, this move will help out the defense contain the edges better. A durable veteran who's had a consistent career can only help a bunch of young guys.

NFL Draft '06 and '07: Who'll Be the Best QBs?

Gil Becerra — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:28:26 -0400

We can pretty much see what the QBs in these draft classes will turn out to be. Raider haters out there love to throw dirt on JaMarcus Russell. It's not fair.

We'll glance through the QBs available and selected during the first two rounds in the 2006 and 2007 draft. This will show you why JaMarcus Russell will end up being the best out of these nine guys.

2006 NFL Draft
No.3 Vince Young
2006: 15 games, 2,199 yards, 51.5 pct, 12 TDs, 13 INTs..... (552 rush yards, seven TDs) QB Rating: 66.7
2007: 15 games, 2,546 yards, 62.3 pct, 9 TDs, 17 INTs..... (395 rush yards, 3 TDs) QB Rating: 71.1
2008: 3 games, 219 yards, 61.1pct, 1 TD, 2 INTs..... QB Rating: 64.5

This man has had to deal with an offensive coordinator change going from Norm Chow to Mike Heimerdinger. That hasn't been his issue, the issue has been the much older (36) and experienced Kerry Collins taking control of the spot.

What direction are they headed in? Collins just got a two-year, $15 million deal with Young watching. This can be considered a wasted pick, since they're doing more than holding VY's hand, they're holding him back.

No. 10 Matt Leinart
2006: 12 games, 2,547 yards, 56.8 pct, 11 TDs, 12 INTs..... QB Rating: 74.0
2007 & 2008: 9 games, 911 yards, 53 pct, 3 TDs, 5 INTs.... QB Rating: 61.9/80.2

Kurt Warner was basically ran out of NY so Eli Manning could play, decided to go to Arizona to play the same role for Leinart, but it turned out Leinart isn't half as good as Eli.

Leinart has been pictured partying a lot, enjoying the lime light a bit too much and hasn't put fourth the work needed to start. How else do you explain having two stud WRs, a rising third WR, and letting a 35-year-old QB at the time take his spot?

Warner is now 37 and still the starter in Arizona.

No. 11 Jay Cutler
2006: 5 games, 1,001 yards, 59.1 pct, 9 TDs, 5 INTs..... QB Rating: 88.5 (playing behind Jake Plummer)
2007: 16 games, 3,497 yards, 63.6 pct, 20 TDs, 14 INTs..... QB Rating: 88.1
2008: 16 games, 4,526 yards, 62.3 pct, 25 TDs, 18 INTs..... QB Rating: 86.0

This man has so far shown to be the most talented of the bunch, due to the stability in the Broncos offensive system. He's got a cannon, he can throw on the run while being accurate and makes good decisions at times. The only issue hovering over him would be his attitude.

He had an offensive type of coach come in, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Ryan Clady at LT, along with picks to upgrade the defense, and he bitched his way off the team. He should still do well in Chicago, but his numbers will be nowhere near what they could've been in Denver.

No. 64 Travaris Jackson
2006: 4 games, 475 yards, 58.0 pct, 2 tds, 4 ints..... QB Rating: 62.5
2007: 12 games, 1,911 yards, 58.2 pct, 9 tds, 12 ints..... QB Rating: 70.8
2008: 9 games, 1,056 yards, 59.1 pct, 9 tds, 2 ints..... QB Rating: 95.4

Travaris was hand picked by Coach Childress to be their QB. He's shown flash while mainly struggling. The running game is set due to Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. They've got a solid offensive line, and yet that's not enough. They have Berrian, Rice, Shiancoe as reasonable weapons and he couldn't use them.

He instead lost the job last year and had that followed by the Vikings trading for Sage Rosenfels. For the No. 64 pick, they shouldn't have expected much from him. Now he gets to sit behind Rosenfels or Favre.

2007 NFL Draft
No. 1 JaMarcus Russell
2007: 4 games, 373 yards, 54.5 pct, 2 tds, 4 ints..... QB Rating: 55.9
2008: 15 games, 2,423 yards, 53.8 pct, 13 tds, 8 ints..... QB Rating: 77.1

JaMarcus has had to deal with missing all camps and the preseason his rookie year (his fault) and the play-calling shuffle with three different play callers during his 2008 year. His throwing percentage isn't nice due, to a crappy line and a lot of throwaways. He had no receivers and no time to throw.

With Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, and Lorenzo Neal leading the running game, that'll take pressure off him. The improved offensive line, beginning with Mario Henderson watching his blindside, along Chaz Schillens, Javon Walker, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy, and Johnnie Lee Higgins competing for snaps, this should be a coming-out party for JaMarcus.

No. 22 Brady Quinn
07 & 08: 4 games, 563 yards, 49.5 pct, 2 TDs, 2 INTs..... QB Rating: 65.8

Quinn had bad luck with Derek Anderson blowing up his rookie year and thus taking his job. Instead of trading Anderson after his good year they decided to keep him and sit Brady Quinn another year.

With Mangini coming in, both QB's are supposed to get a chance to compete for the job. Quinn should beat Anderson out and play good. His decision-making is pretty damn good, and with guys like Alex Mack coming in, WR's like Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi to join Braylon Edwards will only help Brady make a name for himself.

No. 36 Kevin Kolb
2007: Played in one game and didn't make a throw
2008: 6 games, 144 yards, 50 pct, 0 TDs, 4 INTs..... QB Rating: 21.8

In an interesting move, the Eagles made Kolb as the third QB taken. Even with McNabb at the helm and other positions needing to get filled. He got his one chance to replace McNabb and fell on his face.

Now that the Eagles have improved their offensive line with Jason Peters and the additions of Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy and Cornelious Ingram—along with talks of an extension for McNabb—Kolb will remain irrelevant.

No. 40 John Beck
2007: 5 games, 559 yards, 56.1 pct, 1 TD, 3 INTs..... QB Rating: 62.0
2008: Didn't take a snap

Selected while Cam Cameron was their head coach, Beck didn't impress. He was beat out for playing time by an old Trent Green and Cleo Lemon. In 2008, when Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells have took over, he never had a chance. The trade for Chad Pennington was made and in the 2009 Draft, they selected Pat White to run the wildcat.

Beck has now been released and signed on to compete as a back-up in Baltimore.

No. 43 Drew Stanton
2008: 3 games, 119 yards, 52.9 pct, 1 TD, 0 INTs..... QB Rating: 95.0

It doesn't matter how well Stanton does, because unfortunately for him, all attention is on No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford. While Stafford gets ready, Culpepper will be taking the snaps. Stanton might look for a new home in the future if he wants a fair chance at starting.

Besides Jay Cutler's success (he had the same system, coach, and stability during those years), no one has shown that they can or will be better than JaMarcus Russell.

Vince Young had an outstanding defense with Albert Haynesworth that would keep him from having to do too much and just manage the game but nothing.

Matt Leinart couldn't use his 'accuracy' to get the ball to three stud WRs.

Travaris Jackson is SLOWLY progressing, but can be serviceable due to his agility and speed. Now that he's got some weapons this year, we'll see if he'll be that.

Brady Quinn has been talked about in trade rumors for awhile, along with only getting involved in four games in two years. Are the Browns sold on him?

Kolb, Beck and Stanton have back-ups written all over them due to their situations and talent shown. Only time will tell if they'll be successful. If they remain where they are, they won't.

These are the two years we needed to go QB. If you ask me, the Raiders made the right choice. They could've traded up to get a Vince Young. They could've gotten Leinart instead of Huff (anything over Huff would've worked if you look at it now).

They could've taken Calvin Johnson No. 1 and looked for a QB in the second Round and so far, those guys have shown why they weren't considered first rounders. Brady Quinn would've been a reach at No. 1 in that case also.

If you saw the way JaMarcus handled all the crap thrown his way, you'd understand why the Raider Nation feels we got the best QB available during those years. He never complained about the lack of time to throw. He never blamed the different play callers.

He never called out the lineman for holding or false starts. He has handled this pressure in a way you'd want your leader to handle it: calmly and letting it roll off your back

Watch out for 2009, Russell will show that he's the top of this class!

Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard Need Help

Gil Becerra — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:44:15 -0400

These two Raider linebackers have busted their tail ever since they've put a jersey on. The third linebacker spot has suffered injuries no matter whose name was on the back of the jersey, which has resulted in a lack of production.

Everyone knows that in order for linebackers to be effective in football that the defensive front needs to produce. Produce in terms of causing havoc, pushing the line back and clogging holes. For the past few years, the Oakland Raiders have had major issues stopping the run due to the lack of help upfront. Due to the lack of help, you'd see Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison making tackles five yards past the line of scrimmage.

Howard showed that he's as steady as can be with 80 solo tackles (97 total), 1 int, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles and 5 pass deflections. Howard has been solid averaging 100.2 tackles the past three seasons.

Morrison was the most productive LB on the roster again with 99 solo tackles (135 total), 1 int, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles and 1 pass deflection. Morrison has also been able to contain the middle by averaging 127.7 tackles the past three seasons.

The lack of sacks is mainly due to the fact that the Raiders haven't blitzed too much under Rob Ryan.

The third wheel to our 4-3 linebacker set has changed often—too often. Last year that spot was filled in by Sam Williams, Jon Alston, Ricky Brown and Robert Thomas.

Sam Williams was a third-rounder (No. 83 overall) in 2003 that the Raiders traded up to get. Even though he was supposed to fall to the fifth/sixth round, Al wanted him and traded up to get him. He hasn't been able to play through one full season so far in his short career.

In three of his six years as a pro he's missed 12+ games. His numbers last year were five tackles, one forced fumble along with a pass deflection in 2 starts. The one year he was able to stay healthy, he didn't produce. He was mainly a special teams guy.

Jon Alston, a third-round pick (No. 77 overall) in 2006 from the St. Louis Rams made it here when he was cut by the Ram after his rookie campaign. He managed to start four games this past year. Alston appeared in 14 games and started in four. All Alston was able to do was get 15 tackles, one forced fumble and one pass deflection.

Ricky Brown was a undrafted free agent in the 2006 draft. He was invited to camp and able to make the squad due to his hard work and a combination of injuries to Kirk Morrison, Sam Williams, and Grant Irons (season ending for Irons). He's been slowly moved from special teams to a back-up LB to a spot starter. In 2008, he was able to get 28 solo tackles (37 total), one forced fumble and one pass deflected.

Robert Thomas, was the former first rounder (31st overall) from St. Louis. After three years with the Rams he was traded to the Green Bay Packers for our very own Chris Johnson. After only one year in Green Bay he was a UFA and the Raiders signed him.

He had two good years as a spot starter here. He suffered a season-ending injury against the Falcons this past year. He's out of the picture now after signing with the Washington Redskins.

The new possibilities are two of our rookie additions.

Slade Norris, was our sixth round (No. 199 overall) pick this year. He was originally a walk-on DE at the University of Oregon. He's supposed to be a helluva a pass rusher that should challenge for the open LB spot. He stands at 6'5" 251lbs. He ran a 4.77 40 that shows he's got Raiders speed. He's looked well during mini-camps and OTA's.

Frantz Joseph, was signed as an un-drafted free agent. Joseph was supposed to go to Boston College but ended up going to Florida Atlantic University. He decided to play close to home so that he can help support his mother.

He produced while at FAU as he had 154 tackles in 2008 which was second in the nation. Even with that production he wasn't invited to the scouting combine. He's barely been able to keep up with everyone during the first mini-camp, but with OTAs coming this month he can show what he has.

From the look of things, the coaching staff is trying Brown at MLB with the second unit. Jon Alston has been getting reps as a OLB opposite Howard with the first stringers. If Ricky Brown shows he can play that spot, don't be surprised to see Brown starting at MLB which would result in Morrison moving over to OLB.

Norris will get an opportunity to step up along with Joseph during OTAs so we'll have to wait and see. Norris has looked sharp while Joseph is looking abit slow.

Howard has averaged 100.2 tackles, Morrison has averaged 127.7 tackles while their third counterpart has averaged (combined between all other LB's on roster) 76 tackles. That'd include all OLB's and back-up middle linebackers so the number is actually a bit smaller.

Who do you see stepping up to start along with Morrison and Howard?

Sack Machine in The Making, Trevor Scott

Gil Becerra — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:05:00 -0400

Thought I'd give Trevor Scott some love since he's going to run through offensive lines all year. Here's a some information on the soon to be sack leader of the Oakland Raiders.

Trevor Scott was originally a tightend when he got to the University of Buffalo. He had to red-shirt in 2003. He was only considered a reserve tight end and got very little playing time. As a sophmore in 2005 he was able to actually play in seven games allowing him to make eight catches for 55 yards on the season. He would've been able to contribute abit more but two broke bones in his back ended his season.

That offseason he began the switch over to defensive end. He could'nt really find a spot in the offense so coach Turner Gill made the suggestion of trying defensive end due to the lack of depth.

Well, it worked out fine for Trevor Scott. He led the team in sacks and tackles behind the line of scrimmage. In 2006 he had nine sacks and 45 tackles. In 2007 as a senior, he led the team again with 10 sacks, 46 tackles and 15 for a loss.

Keep in mind that Scott lettered in Football, Basketball and Track and Field as a high school athlete. He was very versatile for a man with his size.

Coming into the draft Scott was projected as a undrafted free agent. That was due to the fact that he was a bit inexperienced at DE/OLB. With reason, it was pointed out that he had trouble shedding blocks, releasing from tight ends and keeping his angle when hit.

If you were to notice the positives, like Al Davis did, you'd realize how good he could be. He was praised for having a quick first step, having very high intensity, fast off the edge, he can re-direct himself down field along with the obvious thing, his speed. At 6'5" and 249 lbs he ran a 4.63 40 yard dash. It was noted by several scouts that his frame was perfect to be able to add 10 pounds of muscle/bulk without effecting his quickness.

Al Davis took a chance with the pick No. 169 in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. Scott came in being praised for his high motor. He was VERY excited to be a Oakland Raider and thrived at the oppertunity to shine. I remember seeing him on Behind the Shield on Raiders.com and he seemed ready compete.

He was used sporadically as mainly a pass rush guy. He got a chance to shine during the Raiders overtime victory vs. the New York Jets. There he sacked Bret Farve, twice. From that moment on most of the Nation began to take more notice. He was able to finish the season with five sacks. That was tied for the team lead with Kalimba Edwards.

He did an awesome job last year while only getting little playing time. He realized he needed to put on some bulk to help him stop the run and stay on the field more and he did. He showed up last year a 249 lbs. He now weighs in at 258 lbs. He did what he said and began hitting the weights this offseason. So far the scouts were right on with his skills and frame. According to reports from mimi-camps and OTAs, Scott is looking smooth even with the added weight.

We've got ourselves a GEM in Trevor Scott that the rest of the league will be forced to notice this year. He will get more playing time this year whether it's taking Jay Richardson's place, splitting snaps with Richardson or even taking over for Derrick Burgess in case he leaves. Yet, Al Davis doesn't know how to draft according to writers that don't follow the Raiders.

Derrick Burgess to New England?

Gil Becerra — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:54:46 -0400

WEEI.com reports that the Patriots are interested in getting Burgess.

ESPN has it on their rumors page and Profootballtalk.com has reported this also.

Burgess is going into the last year of his deal. He has had injury problems the last couple years and hasn't been as effective. He still has something in the tank.

The thing is, it's very unlikely that he'd stay with the Raiders. He's due $2 million this year.

I wrote an article yesterday regarding the R aiders eliminating a cancer in DeAngelo Hall this past year.

Looks like there might be a piece that wasn't attended to. During the teams first mini-camps, Derrick Burgess was suffering from "stomach flu."

That kept him from competing with the other guys. He'd been seen from a distance. He didn't really interact with the younger guys and just watched.

I know we gave the Patriots Randy Moss, but this deal looks much better for the Raiders. They're rumored to receive a second or third round pick for Burgess.

If Burgess isn't going to help the youngsters improve, get him out of here. There's a new feel in Oakland.

Burgess got here in 2005 and did damn well. He holds the Raiders record for most sacks in a season with 16. Keep in mind, he had Warren Sapp and Ted Washington literally clogging up space next to him. We had Kerry Collins at the QB spot with Norv Turner as our head coach.

Lets move up another year, 2006.

Aaron Brooks getting killed on Monday Night Football to start the year against the Chargers. Brooks was then replaced by Andrew Walter during our horrid Art Shell year. Burgess was able to get 11 sacks with Tommy Kelly and Warren Sapp clogging up the middle.

The next year, 2007, Lane Kiffin comes through the door with JaMarcus Russell having his hold out. Josh McCown started, only to get replaced with Daunte Culpepper and the finally our current starter, JaMarcus Russell. This year he only record eight sacks in 14 games played.

What's my point?

Derrick Burgess has seen a lot of crap happen during his stay in Oakland.

We've shredded through head coaches, had over half a dozen starting QB's, veterans released along with crazy signings. This man saw everyone weasel their way out of town to get into better situations. He feels he can do the same thing. He can get the job done but doesn't want to.

The Raiders have a young stud in Trevor Scott who should start so he can develop.

On the other side we have Jay Richardson who has the "H-W-S" Al Davis loves. Richardson has been a little slow at developing.

The Raiders were able to draft Matt Shaughnessy (third rounder) and Stryker Sulak (sixth rounder) to compete at the DE spot. Derrick Grey and Greyson Gunheim are second year players who'll get more snaps slowly.

That along with our four DT's on the roster and UFA Desmond Bryant would make up for the slack. Nothing like game snaps to help these young guys improve.

That second/third round pick in next years draft will be huge since it's been said across the board that 2010 will be a deep draft.

I hope this deal goes down, let the Raiders finish the house cleaning going into OTA's this week.

The Oakland Raiders Removed a Cancer

Gil Becerra — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:01:42 -0400

I was one of the many people extremely excited when the Oakland Raiders traded for DeAngelo Hall last year. The Raiders only gave up a second round and a fifth round draft pick for a two time Pro Bowler. Hall was a solid cornerback who did well mainly in zone coverage. Which allowed him to move around and make plays.

However, the Raiders rarely ever played in zone coverage. The Raiders defense has always established itself to play Man to Man on the corners with our pressure coming from the defensive front.

Hall mentioned that himself and Nnamdi Asomugha are the best duo in Football. On paper that may have been case. Nnamdi held his end of the bargain, though Hall did not.

Interview: http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2009/05/18/deangelo-hall-agrees-hes-had-one-charmed-nfl-career/

Hall repeatedly got burned. He let Eddie Royal, a rookie receiver for the Bronco's, just beat him during Monday Night Football opener at home. Royal made a name for himself by collecting nine receptions for a 146 yards with a one touchdown in first game.

The occurrence during that game was only the beginning to shameless display of his continuous poor defense.

The man hosted a bunch of his former teammates from the Falcons the night prior to the Raiders home game against Atlanta on November 2.

Michael Jenkins burned him down the sideline for a easy touchdown in the 1st quarter. All Hall did was throw his hands up as if he were bumped, when he was not. Leaving a question. Was Hall trying to help his former teammates improve their stats? This was one of the moments that made Raider fans think. WTF?

Al Davis must have thought the same thing and gave this man his walking papers. A year into his six year $70 million dollar deal, scratch that in eight games into this deal. Something that is hardly ever done.

Davis was right on the same boat as Lane Kiffin. He mentioned they were close. They both just didn't care. Guys like Kiffin, Hall and Gibril Wilson all didn't want to be here and are no longer here. Kiffin and Hall were taken out early with Wilson getting his walking papers at the after the season when he refused to restructure his deal.

When people want to know what Al Davis did in order to improve the team this year, it started last year. Removing DeAngelo Hall and his "I don't care" attitude was huge. love along with Kiffin. Forget the $8 million he received, that will be replaced.

What would have hurt more is infecting the other minds of talented players on the team like Chris Johnson, Stanford Routt, Michael Huff, Hiram Eugene, Tyvon Branch, Justin Miller and others. These defense players are still around want to be in Oakland and play for the silver and black.

Nnamdi Asomugha and Shane Lechler, who are "gigantic" pieces, decided to stay. Sure they were paid a nice sum but they see what's going on. Guys like Hall are the reason this off-season was different. This team has hung their hat on getting high character guys withgood work ethic along with a team attitude.

When people bash the Raiders for taking young talented player like Darrius Heyward-Bey (DHB) and Michael Mitchell, they need to think twice. We were burned by Charles Woodson, Randy Moss, and DeAngelo Hall during these past few years. All talented players that for various reasons did not work here. Actually mainly due to attitude.

DHB and Mitchell will never be in that class due to their character. They have received talent players that will work will great values minus the attitudes. Hence, Michael Crabtree not getting selected in the draft.

Hall also mentions that Al Davis had no information on Tom Cable at the Press Conference when he was named the interim head coach. I figure that if this were to be true, there were a few dozen people in the room and someone would have reported this.

What does Raider Nation think Hall punk attitude and recent remarks?

Oakland Raiders Mini-Camp Recap: Improvement?

Gil Becerra — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:05:25 -0400

The Oakland Raiders three day, five practice mini-camp is now complete. The Raiders will be back in a month for OTA's. The mini-camp provided a little taste of where the current players are. There are only a few guys showing us what they will be during the season while others have plenty of rust to take off prior to preseason games.

Starting Quarterback JaMarcus Russell was all over the place. The Raiders kept the routes short. In general passes were to running backs from the backfield or tight ends in the middle of the field. Whenever he tried to throw the ball somewhat deep he missed, badly. Russell over throw, under throw and threw towards the receivers feet.

I know it's only May, but that has to be a bit worry for some. The point of having that cannon arm is to put it to use. Russell at this point cannot hit anyone in stride 20+ yards down the field.

Garcia showed some of the same errant throws, again, it is only May. Brad Gradkowski fumbled snaps from center often along with making bad throws. Andrew Walter is officially in the dog-house as he didn't get any play. Not going to quarterback school is coming back to bite him in the ass because he's way better then Gradkowski.

Darrius Heyward Bay (DHB), was taken to school on Friday by Nnamdi Asomugha. He showed he can catch on Friday by making adjustments in the air, only have to bad showing on Saturday dropping two passes in a row.

He had one bounce off of both hands also. Bay, cramped up on Saturday missing the PM practice along with Sundays practice. Maybe it was possible due to fatigue. He made a few good catches on Friday when Nnamdi was not covering him.

Chaz Schilens looked good making good blocks down field. Looks to be our best blocking WR. If he remains healthy and keeps up the blocking, I would not be surprised if Schilens gets the nod as the Raiders number one receiver.

Louis Murphy was dealing with cramp issues on this weekend as well. Murphy played at Florida. The conditions in Alameda, Ca are not bad in May. Especially this past weekend.

Javon Walker took it upon himself to have surgery on his knee and not tell anyone. He made comments that he's been about 65 percent with his knee since in Denver. Ouch! He contemplatedretirement because of pain in his knee, not the Vegas beating.

I don't know how this will play out. Arman Shields, did not participate as well. He is dealing with a undisclosed injury.

Todd Watkins, Jonathan Holland, Sammie Parker and Drison James got some reps in. Parker is in for a tryout along with James. We have 10 wide receivers listed on raiders.com including two undrafted Free Agents. Johnnie Lee Higgins was not mentioned as one of the WR's catching passes.

All three Running-backs split carries with the first team. Darren McFadden was the only mentioned on the notes and the news is he is looking good. Lorenzo Neal and Luke Lawton split reps with them also. Neal showing he can catch out of the backfield.

Zach Miller was out due to his sports hernia surgery he had. There is no need to be worried about him. Unrestricted Free Agent Chris O'Neill from Boise State impressed with his catching ability. He will compete with Tony Stewart, Darrel Strong and Brandon Myers for PT.

Mario Henderson got the his share of reps with the first team at Left Tackle. He looked good and looks to be the Left Tackel at the moment. Cornell Green was given first Team reps at Right Tackle. I don't know why?

Khalif Barnes got second Team reps at Left Tackle. He was asked about playing Right Tackle and mentioned he's never come out of that stance from the right side. If he were to play Right Tackle, it will be a learning process for him. Robert Gallery and Samson Satele sat out the Mini-Camp while rehabbing from their injuries.

Tommy Kelly, jumped offsides acouple of times but made up for it by constantly being in the backfield. For these being non-contact drills, he knocked over Carlisle a few times to get to the Quarterback.

Terdell Sands is said to have shaved off some pounds. He is back to his weight from 2006 when he was a force in middle taking up space. He might have figured it's time to earn that money. Anyway, good to hear he's ready for the fall.

There was not too much mentioned regarding the Defense ends other then Derrick Burgess not practicing due to his "stomach flu." Trevor Scott replaced Burgess at defense end with the first team.

Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard took up their normal spots with Jon Alston joining them as the other Outside Linebacker. Ricky Brown was used as a back-up Middle Linebacker for Kirk. Slade Norris played Outside Linebacker.

While undrafted Outside Line backer David Nixon impressed the staff. Howard mentioned how Rob Ryan would blitz during camps but it would stop come the regular season.

Will Al Davis let John Marshall use some of the fancy Linebacker blitz packages from the mini-camp in September?

Nnamdi Asomugha showed the rookie what it takes. By taking advantage of the hints given. He took some of the later practices off, he is the best corner in the NFL, no need to worry whatsoever.

Chris Johnson looked sharp breaking on routes. Maybe his time at Prime-U working with Deion Sanders, Michael Crabtree and Antonio Cromartie has been helping. He is Raiders-style of play corner. He will get tested alot this upcoming year.

Tyvon Branch and Hirman Eugene got to play with first Team while Michael Huff and Michael Mitchell ran with the second Team. Mitchell had to be reminded by Coach Cable to not hit anyone during these non-contact drills. He can't wait for contact drills, after watching his high-light reel, I can't blame him.

Frantz Joseph and Desmond Bryant were reportedly having issues just keeping up with everyone. Then again its still only May, lets hope that's the issue.

No news on Matt Shaughnessy through all my reading.

From the look of things, Schilens looks to be the #1 Wide Receiver, Mario Henderson looks to be our Left Tackle and the safety spot might be for Hiram Eugene to lose. McFadden should get the starting knod, Russell needs some WD-40 for his arm and our Defense Tackles are looking good.

Let's see what next month goes...

2007-2008 Raiders Draft: Loaded Young Roster

Gil Becerra — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:29:28 -0400

The experts on ESPN/NFL Network love to bash Al Davis...Let's not forget various beat writers and anyone else who can get in front of a mic.

They look for anything to pick on the Raiders about, especially come draft time.

Everyone expects the Raiders go after nothing but DB’s along with speedy skill positions players. We’re two weeks past the 2009 draft, and I thought I’d show these experts what Al Davis has done for this team during the 2007 and 2008 draft..

Lets start with the 2007 Draft...

1st Round: (1) QB: JaMarcus Russell 2nd Round: (38) TE: Zach Miller

3rd Round: (64) DE: Quentin Moses 3rd Round: (91) OT: Mario Henderson

3rd Round: (99) WR: Johnnie Lee Higgins 4th Round: (100) RB: Michael Bush

4th Round: (110) CB: John Bowie 5th Round: (138) DB: Erick Frampton

6th Round: (175) FB: Oren O’Neal 7th Round: (254) WR: Johnathan Holland

JaMarcus Russell is our starting Franchise QB.

Zach Miller is our starting TE and future Pro-Bowler.

Quentin Moses didn’t make it out of Training Camp and since then has hung on with the Dolphins. He’s recorded 11 tackles in his short career.

Mario Henderson started at LT and held down Richard Seymour, Mario Williams, and Gaines Adams to ONE sack total.

Johnnie Lee Higgins is a home run hitter on special teams and with explosive YAC potential (watch his TD vs. Buffalo).

Michael Bush produced big time when asked to do so. This man can easily start for a number of teams.

John Bowie was on IR last year and has done nothing and will always be known as the "pick/guy" traded for Randy Moss.

Eric Frampton was released, and is now a part of the Vikings. We’re not missing much as he has not been able to get an INT or FF in his time there and in Detroit.

Oren O’Neal has shown promise behind Justin Griffith. Now that Griffith is gone and O’Neal has begun to heal from his season ending injury last year, we have a starter at the FB position.

Johnathan Holland has stuck around as a special teams player this past year.

2007 Draft has produced: Five Starters with one guy who should start (Bush).

Now the 2008 Draft...

1st Round: (4) RB: Darren McFadden 4th Round: (100) S: Tyvon Branch

4th Round: (125) WR: Arman Shields 6th Round: (169) DE: Trevor Scott

7th Round: (226) WR: Chaz Schilens

Darren McFadden was the best "playmaker" available this year and Al snatched him up over Glen Dorsey and Vernon Gholston. Turf toe hampered him all year after we got a big game from him vs. Kansas City.

Tyvon Branch did a good job with a cast on this past year. He showed us he can catch the ball and cover some room.

Arman Shields had a solid combine after being injured in college only to be put on IR this past year. We’re all anxiously waiting to see what he can do.

Trevor Scott came in as a pass rusher on passing downs, and he got the job done!

Five sacks for the 6th Round rookie, outstanding!

Chaz Schilens battled injuries throughout the year, but still managed to beat out veteran Ronald Curry for the starting job alongside Javon Walker. He’s got the size and skills to get the job done; let’s see if he can stay healthy.

2008 Draft has produced a future stud in McFadden and three tweeners who will compete for starting jobs this upcoming year (Branch, Scott and Schilens). That isn’t too shabby considering no second or third round picks.

The DeAngelo Hall experiment burned this squad by acquiring Hall and dumping a second and fifth in this draft.

I'd say it was a "good" draft considering the Hall trade sucked...

We’ve gotten eight starters and two guys who can start when needed out of 15 picks in two years.

Not too bad when you sit back and look at teams who don’t have picks from certain draft classes no longer on their team. That's 10 positions addressed with guys in their first and second year in the NFL.

They can only get better!

And with our six picks in the 2009 Draft, we should get two starters and key role-players that should develop under our coaching staff. One thing is evident Nation, the future is bright in Oakland...

Oakland Raiders Improved Offense for 2009

Gil Becerra — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:41:49 -0400

The Oakland Raiders have improved their weakest point headed into the draft: Their passing game/weapons. They needed to get a player to stretch the field and they got that in the form of Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy.

They also needed to 'marry' Zach Miller with another tight-end so he can run more routes instead of blocking so they drafted Brandon Myer. Our offense is improved going into the 2009 season.

Our Offensive Line saw big improvement. Big? We got rid of Kwame Harris! Yea! Besides that move, we picked up Khalif Barnes and Samson Satele to come in and start. They're replacing the often hurt Jake Grove and the worst tackle EVER in the NFL, Kwame Harris.

That's an upgrade. Not to mention Mario Henderson will now be a full time starter. This is our new improved Offensive Line...

LT: Khalif Barnes/Mario Henderson LG: Robert Gallery C: Samson Satele

RG: Cooper Carlisle RT: Mario Henderson/Khalif Barnes

Now, when it comes to the skill positions. We've lost Ashlie Lelie, Drew Carter(who was lost in the Pre-Season with an ACL injury) and Ronald Curry. That was addressed by drafting Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy.

All three of our running backs are back and healthy. Justin Fargas has something to prove to those that want him cut.

Darren McFadden has had plenty of time to heal his turf toe injury and is ready to prove that he was the best RB to come into the league this past year. Michael Bushtook full advantage of his opportunities this past year and is ready to do that again this year to earn split carries with DMC along with red-zone carries.

We're stocked and ready to pound the ball this year. Our starting fullback should be 100 percent once the season kicks off. Oren O'Neal was on IR this past year as he was hurt during the same home preseason game as Drew Carter. That sucked, two guys got hurt for the year on consecutive plays.

Zach Miller continued improving from his rookie campaign making tough grabs. Now that the Raiders have drafted a 'blocking' tight-end, Miller can now concentrate on getting open instead of chip blocking DE's for Kwame Harris and Cornell Green.

JaMarcus Russell has to be more confident then ever after his first FULL year as a starter which ended with him being more accurate and productive. He finally got the confidence to scramble out of the pocket and scare the living sh_t out of DB's, which was awesome to see. No 6' 200lb DB wants to see a 6'6" 206lb train running towards them!

QB: JaMarcus Russell FB: Oren O'Neal TE: Zach Miller

RB:Darren McFadden/Justin Fargas/Michael Bush

WR:Javon Walker, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Chaz Schillens, Louis Murphy

Our skill positions are still improving and should have an increase in production. They've played together for a year and added two guys to stretch the field. That'll open the middle of the field for our TE's and RB's to do damage. To outsiders that don't follow the Raiders, they don't understand nor see what's going on. Trust us, they'll find out in 2009...One Nation, the Raider Nation...

Draft Overview: Just RUN Baby!

Gil Becerra — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:17:44 -0400

It's Monday. Draft weekend is past us and now its time to access what the Raiders have done to improve their team.

Coming into the draft, the Raiders needed to address the following positions:

OT, DT, WR, S, OLB, TE

The WR position was covered by drafting Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy in the fourth round. DHB has been brought here to stretch the field for our underneath guys (Walker, Shillens, Miller and Higgins). Louis Murphy came from a spread system in Florida, but as Tom Cable would want you to know, he played on the outside which would help him convert to a pro system easier.

We picked up two SPEEDY guys to stretch the field. As of now we have….

Walker, Shillens, Watkins and Miller to make the possession grabs. Johnnie Lee Higgins running slants across the field and our two young guys with Arman Shields going deep.

The safety position was covered by REACHING for Michael Mitchell. Every analyst, pick a network, went nuts when this pick was made. He was a stretch but not that much of a stretch. Various teams showed interest in him along with the Bears who were going to take him two picks later at No. 49.

After seeing some clips, since I don’t know where to find "tape," this guy can HIT. We have NOT had a hard hitting safety in the longest time. Lining Mitchell up next to Huff/Branch deep on Safety island will be a good combination.

A ball hawk hopefully at the FS spot with Mitchell knocking heads off coming across the middle. He wants to be here, he’s got A LOT to prove with a HUGE chip on his shoulder after Kiper, McShay, Mayock and Co. just killed him.

The DE/OLB position was addressed by drafting Matt Saughnessy in the third round, Slade Norris in the fourth, and Stryker Sulak with their sixth round pick.

Saughnessy is a big guy who is considered to have excellent size and strength. He battled injuries during his time at Wisconsin, which might attribute to his lack of explosion on the end. We might have found a diamond in the rough if he gets fully healthy.

As for Norris, he was an OLB at Oregon State. He started as a safety and moved to OLB during his time there along with occasionally putting his hand in the ground as a DE. He’s small at 6’ 2” 232 lbs to come in as a DE, so I’ll assume with that size and his 4.65 40 time that he’ll be put in at OLB.

Stryker Sulak played Hybrid DE/OLB in college, but will be used as a OLB in Oakland according to Coach Cable. This guy is going to do very well! He got sacks (10.5) and TFL (15.5) as a senior. He’s known as a guy that plays full throttle from whistle to whistle. A late pick with a motor that can produce, hopefully along the lines of T. Scott this past year. Helluva pick up.

The TE position was one that needed to get addressed so that Zach Miller can use his hands to catch not block. Brandon Myer was the pick from Iowa. He wasn’t too effective when he was forced to block for Shonnn Greene when teams stacked the box. That’s what’s going to happen here but him catching isn’t why he’s here, it’s blocking.

Looks like we addressed all positions of need minus the trenches. No defensive tackles or offensive lineman were chosen. We’ll have to live with what we have.

According to the experts we’re getting a D grade on our draft with a F (McShay and Kiper) going to Heyward-Bey. The guys that were chosen don’t have huge names or huge egos. I’ve heard Heyward-Bey on the conference call posted on the Raiders.com site along with his interview on the Murph & Mac Show on KNBR 680 this morning. He sounds like he has his head on right and is ready to work.

He knows he has people doubting him but he’s ready to work, which is what you want to hear. Coming from a pro-style system, he should be somewhat ready. On the contrary, Michael Crabtree was interviewed one hour later and boy are they on opposite sides of the spectrum.

When he first talked to Coach Singletary and was asked what he likes to do, his answer was "Fashion." He can sit infront of a computer for hours looking into fashion. You should hear the tone in which Singletary responded. He seemed a bit shocked.

Crabtree went on to havea non-exciting interview with no goodies to listen to. FYI, according to Crabtree his main issue daily is what to wear because he doesn’t wear the same thing twice. Can we say DIVA? I'm glad we didn't choose this clown. No wonder St. Louis, Seattle, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Oakland and Jacksonville said NO even though they all needed him.

The character or work ethic of the guys selected is NOT in question at all. No one can say we didn't get our guys because the Raiders did. We didn't "settle" for any picks. We got our guys. The blame/praise is to fall fully on Al Davis and Coach Cable because of this.

They began the offseason by weeding out guys who don’t like it here nor have the attitudes to work. By looking at the draft, they continued that philosophy in the Raider way—speed!

The team has added a lot of speed with this draft. Mr. Davis apparently has faith in Coach Cable coaching up our current offensive line, and in John Marshall using our current and new defensive pieces in creative ways to get to the QB. Lets see how it turns out. I'm on board!

CableVision: NFL Draft Coming in Fuzzy

Gil Becerra — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:33:42 -0400

Yesterday, Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable addressed the media at the team's training facility in Alameda, California, and spoke about the draft.

He left us with little information, but enough to make some speculations.

As a sports fan, you expect that lack of information because you know the Raiders don't want to tip their hand to any other teams who may be looking to draft the same players.

So what information did Tom Cable give?

When asked about the team's focus on the No. 7 pick, he replied, "Four spots. I’m not going to share them with you, either. But I know we need one of four guys."

Jerry McDonald, of InsideBayArea.com, guessed the four men Cable was talking about were most likely wide receiver Michael Crabtree, left tackle Andre Smith, offensive tackle Michael Oher, and defensive tackle B.J. Raji.

David White, of SFGate.com guessed Cable might have been referring Crabtree, Smith, Raji, and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

The players Cable was actually referring to up for debate, but coming from two Raiders bloggers who really know their stuff, Crabtree, Smith, and Raji are likely to be in the mix.

Who can that fourth guy the Raiders are looking at be? I'd hope it isn't Oher, unless we we're trading back.

Smith may go as high as sixth to Cincinnati, but it is likely he'll be available by the time Oakland picks at No. 7.

Crabtree could go as high as fourth to Seattle (unlikely), fifth Cleveland, or even sixth to Cincinnati. It's unlikely he'll be there by the time the Raiders pick. He's too talented for teams to let him slide.

Raji could go fourth to Seattle or fifth to Cleveland. Cincinnati made attempts to get defensive lineman Sedrick Ellis last year, but this year they have many other holes to fill. Raji will likely still be around.

My guess on the fourth prospect would be Maclin.

When Cable was asked about comparing Johnnie Lee Higgins to Maclin, he said, "I don’t know. I haven’t really looked at it that way. I haven’t compared them like that yet. Now, I’m going to do that next week, okay, as we get closer. But it’s not time to do that.

"It’s really time just to prioritize where they’re at by position, who you think the best player is down to whatever and then we’ll get down to what we need specifically next week and do the comparison."

I guess this is me finding something to pick at, but I call b.s. on this one.

How do you not compare the two when Maclin had 2,626 total return yards (Kickoff/Punt) and five touchdowns in two years, along with the explosive yards-after-catch ability he showed?

I think they're leaning towards Maclin. What do you guys think?

Raiders Draft: Receiver More Important Than Defensive Front?

Gil Becerra — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:59:38 -0400

I was sitting back thinking, defensive front or wide receiver? Which one need will be more pressing come draft day. What are the odds of getting a stud Pro-Bowl/All-Pro wide receiver on the second day of the draft? Just off looking at the last six years, those odds are SLIM.

The WR spot is a "home-run" spot where playmakers are needed. From looking at this list below, you’ll notice that a huge portion of Pro-Bowlers are first round talents. 10 of the following 21 players came out of the first round! The other 11 were spread out through Rounds 2-7 (Undrafted). Is it our turn to hit it big again?

Since 2004 here's the list of Pro Bowl Receivers and where they were drafted:

First Rounders

Randy Moss, six time Pro Bowl, 21st overall pick *four time All-Pro

Reggie Wayne, three time Pro Bowl 30th overall pick *one time All-Pro

Braylon Edwards. once, second overall pick

Larry Fitzgerald, three time Pro Bowl, 3rd overall pick

Torry Holt, seven time Pro Bowl, sixth overall pick *one time All-Pro

Andre Johnson, three time Pro Bowl, third overall pick *two time All-Pro

Roddy White, one Pro Bowl, 27th overall pick

Roy Williams, one Pro Bowl, seventh overall pick

Santana Moss, one Pro Bowl, 16th overall pick *two time All-Pro

Javon Walker, two time Pro Bowl, 20th overall pick

Second Rounders

Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson , five time Pro Bowl, 36th overall *two time All-Pro

Anquan Boldin, three time ProB owl, 54th overall

Chris Chambers, one time Pro Bowl, 52nd overall

Third Rounders

Terrell Owens, six time Pro Bowl, 89th overall *four time All-Pro

Steve Smith, four time Pro Bowl, 74th overall *two time All-Pro

Hines Ward, four time Pro Bowl, 92nd overall *three time All-Pro

Laveranues Coles, one time Pro Bowl, 78th overall

Fourth Rounders and Later

Donald Driver, three time Pro Bowl, 213th overall/seventh round *one time All-Pro

Brandon Marshall, one time Pro Bowl, 119th overall/fourth round

Joe Horn, four time Pro Bowl, 135th overall/fifth round

Rod Smith, three time Pro Bowl, UNDRAFTED *two time All-Pro

I will continue to say that our offensive line is fine with the recent upgrades. Guys keep yelling about Eugene Monroe, he won’t make it to us so leave it alone. Our o line options would be A.Smith and M.Oher, which would not be upgrades to Khalif Barnes, who was a four year starter at LT in Jacksonville. He faced the likes of Mario Williams (Texans), Dwight Freeney (Colts) and the Titans Defensive Line two times a year during his tenure. Mario Henderson did his thing, we saw the last couple of games so we’ll leave him alone.

There’s no sugar coating the fact that our defensive front needs help bad. We already have an anchor in Tommy Kelly who needs help. That help can come in the form of any of these guys in the secondround: Ron Brace, Fili Moala, Sen'Derrick Marks, or Jarron Gilbert. These are big guys to put next to Kelly so they can take up space.

I'll finish with...

Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, or Darrius Heyward-Bey...pick your poison.

Oakland Raiders' Current Offensive Line Situation

Gil Becerra — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:58:00 -0400

Raider Nation is divided on what the Oakland Raiders should do in the NFL Draft. The team has a lot of depth on their offensive line. I believe in head coach Tom Cable and his abilities to get something out of young linemen.

Why would the Raiders take a tackle with the No. 7 overall pick? It’s not needed as of now. There are two “franchise” tackles the Raiders wouldn't be able to pass on because of talent alone, but due to that talent they won't be available. They are Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe.

Check out the depth the Raiders have on their offensive line and then tell me, seriously, the team needs a offensive tackle like Andre Smith or Michael Oher with the pick when they can use it elsewhere to get an immediate impact. The age used is their age during the season.

Tackles

Mario Henderson-24 years old, Three-year pro—Untapped potential and late bloomer this past year. In Lane Kiffin’s doghouse, then let loose by Cable. He's shown he can shut big time pass rushers down for a couple of games, not just one. He should take the left tackle spot.

Cornell Green-33 years old, 11-year pro—Backup, arrested last month for domestic violence, likely to get released

Erik Pears-27 years old, Four-year pro—Brought in to compete, young big guy looking for a chance. He should end up backing up the left or right tackle position when needed.

Khalif Barnes-27 years old, Five-year pro—Addition from Jacksonville. Helped the Jaguars lead the league in rushing a couple years back. With a one-year contract, he'll go all out to get a big deal. Should compete for left tackle spot against Henderson with the other guy taking right tackle duties.

Mark Wilson-28 years old, Four-year pro—Practice squad player who hasn't seen any time in a Raiders uniform since he signed in December 2006 from the practice squad.

Guards

Cooper Carlisle-32 years old, 10-year pro—Very serviceable veteran holding down the starting right guard spot. He's durable, only missing one game during his three-year stint as a Raider.

Paul McQuistan-26 years old, three-year pro—Versatile big man who's started at right tackle and right guard for the team. He was put on IR in early September this past year and fans have forgotten about him. You can't forget about a former third-rounder because of a recent injury. He can still turn into a solid lineman—if he can stay healthy.

Robert Gallery-29 years old, five-year pro —The once left tackle has found a home at left guard. He's basically eliminated his penalties and continued being more dominant at the position. The team doesn’t even have to worry or think about him in Oakland because he's got it locked down.

Centers

John Wade-34 years old, 12-year pro—Veteran center who will now fill in as a backup center/guard when injuries come up.

Samson Satele-24 years old, three-year pro—This guy has not missed a start, being a battery ram against 3-4 defenses in the AFC East. With his agility and durability he should shine in the Raiders’ ZBS scheme. Satele is the team’s current center

Tackle/Guard/Center Backups

Chris Morris-26 years old, four-year pro—Chris is mainly used for spot duty here and there and should be a backup/practice squad player for the Raiders.

Marcus Johnson-27 years old, four-year pro—Was a second round pick of the Vikings in 2005 and couldn't see daylight behind that beast line in Minnesota. They had to think highly of him to pick him that high. He's a swing guy that can play guard/tackle. Let’s see how he does here under Cable.

BJ Raji, Brian Orakpo, and Michael Crabtree need close consideration. It’s just a bit nerve-racking to know that no information has leaked out about these guys visiting Alameda.

News has come out about the Raiders looking at second/third/fourth round talent, but not one in the Top 10.

Jeff Garcia Signs With Oakland Raiders

Gil Becerra — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:21:09 -0400

An article was posted by "Greg Peterson" over the weekend about the talks of the Oakland Raiders signing QB Jeff Garcia, and now this has been confirmed by the Associated Press, along with KNBR 680, in the Bay Area.

Garcia met with former coach Lane Kiffin two years ago about coming to Oakland. Garcia didn't want to come here to back up then No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell. Two years later, he's back and willing to deal with the backup role.

This is a awesome move. Why? Garcia should be able to school JaMarcus Russell on how to be successful. Garcia is the opposite of JaMarcus when it comes to size, talent, arm strength, and expectations. JaMarcus has had the non-pleasure of having Marcus Tuiasosopo, Andrew Walter, and Josh McCown. The issue with those guys is that they've never had success as starters/winners in the NFL.

Tuia is a lifelong backup. Andrew is someone we had hopes for that hasn't been put in the best positions to succeed. Josh McCown (last year) showed some skill last year yet is another journeyman.

With Garcia in the door with past success, this can only benefit JaMarcus. I hope Garcia will be open enough to teach Russell to be the man. At 39, after playing with the 49ers, Browns, Lions, Eagles, and Bucs, he might be ready to sit back some. His decision-making abilities have remained solid no matter the situation (except in Detroit, but what else do you expect there?).

This off-season continues to impress with small yet important roster moves. The financial numbers haven't been mentioned, but whatever it is, he's worth it. Great move by the front office.

Raiders Draft: Wide Reciever Debate

Gil Becerra — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:55:54 -0400

After looking at many Mock Drafts showing the Raiders picking Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, and even Darrius Heyward-Bey I began to think about the possibilities.

There's been mention of possibly trading down. Even though Al Davis hasn't done it before, this year has been different.

News has surfaced about the Raiders not having any visits planned by any of the top-10 guys we've been projected to get. If they have been, its been tight lipped.

For a while, Crabtree was the hands down pick for us, according to draft experts. Crabtree has then been picked on due to his lack of speed.

Maclin, the speed guy Al Davis would "love", was the sure pick next. Then Friday, April 3rd comes along, and another name is mentioned by Matt Mayock. That name being Darrius Heyward-Bey.

What if we trade down? What if we decide to get a wide receiver with our second or third round pick?

Lets take a look at what's exactly out there, no matter what we choose to do:

Michael Crabtree—6' 1"; 215 lbs.; Texas Tech; Projected top-10 pick

OUTSTANDING hands with good size. Great downhill blocker, needs to be appreciated. His lack of speed and foot injury has him slipping.

Jeremy Maclin—6' 0"; 198 lbs.; Missouri; Projected top-10 pick

This guy is flat out EXPLOSIVE. His YAC potential is off the chart. Game breaking return skills. His hands still need to improve along with his route-running. His 4.48 40-yard dash wasn't "blazing," but he's more of a game speed guy.

Darrius Heyward-Bey—6' 2"; 215 lbs.; Maryland; Projected top 20 pick

Here is this year's Mr. 40, with his 4.30 run at the combine. He's explosive because of the speed and size. He has trouble getting off the line when he's bumped along with not being a "go up and get it" kind of guy even though the size is there.

There's all kinds of potential with Heyward-Bey, a team with a veteran to help him sharpen his skills would be best for him. Can Javon Walker teach this guy?

Percy Harvin—5' 11"; 192 lbs.; Florida; Projected late first round (20-32)

He ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the combine, and did a decent job at catching the ball. He shined at his pro day and ran crisp routes. He's small, and did most of his damage getting the ball quickly and breaking loose.

He's very strong for his size, getting 19 Reps of 225 lbs. at the combine. The only knocks on him are his size, and the question of whether or not he'll be able to shake coverage in the NFL when he doesn't have an open field in front of him.

He' battled injuries in school, but since the end of the season, his strength has improved, so he should hold up.

Hakeem Nicks—6' 1"; 226 lbs.; North Carolina; Projected late first round (20-32)

Hakeem is not going to dazzle you with his 4.63 40-yard dash, but he will out skill you. He can get off the line if he gets bumped, he's got awesome hands, solid size, along with great field presence.

The only knock he's got is the lack of speed. But if you have a guy this size who can run a route, catch the ball in traffic/the air and beat bump-and-run coverage, then who cares about the 40?

Kenny Britt—6' 3"; 218 lbs.; Rutgers; Projected late first round (20-32)

Kenny is big and agile. He can read coverages pretty good and find seams. Surprisingly quick feet for a big guy. Known for being a good downhill blocker (will open HUGE runs for running backs in the NFL). The only negative I saw on this man was the fact that he wasn't tough enough, and his hands are inconsistent.

Brian Robiskie—6' 3"; 209 lbs.; Ohio State; Projected second/third round pick

Robiskie has solid size and skill. He knows how to use his size accordingly. He can get up in the air to make the tough catches. He can line up at the ends or in the slot. He comes from a football family (his dad, Terry Robiskie, is a current recievers coach in the NFL). He's known for getting into it with defenders a bit too much, and his lack of game breaking speed is also a concern.

Juaquin Iglesias—6' 1"; 210 lbs.; Oklahoma; Projected second/third round pick

This guy is tough, and will take the hits down the middle of the field. He knows how to get open, his hands are consistent along with being able to be used as a returner. Even though he doesn't have top flight speed, he'll get his YAC. The only knock on him is his speed. Regardless, he'll be a sure hands guy in the NFL.

Ramses Barden—6' 6"; 229 lbs.; Cal Poly; Projected second/third round pick

At 6' 6" this is a HUGE target. He's got good hands while on the ground, he can get off a jam at the line of scrimmage, and thanks to his size, he's a dangerous red zone weapon.

He needs to develop his hands some more so he can hold on to those balls thrown up for grabs. Lots of potential, but how will he hold up in the NFL after playing at a small college, against lesser competition?

Louis Murphy— 6' 2"; 203 lbs.; Florida; Projected second/third round pick

This man ran a 4.43 40-yard dash, which does not hurt. He can get off the line fast, and is dangerous after the catch. He's not that physical, so press coverage might be an issue for him.

Even though he'll go down the middle of the field, he drops ALOT of those passes. He has a bad habit of body catching, which is an NFL no-no, so he'll get rocked and lose the ball.

Derrick Williams—6' 0"; 194 lbs.; Penn State; Projected third round pick

This guy is tough. He can get open, run nice routes, catch the ball with his hands, and has moves to get free of press coverage. He took some snaps direct from center in college, so he's versatile. He got dinged up due to him not being the main 'go to guy' at Penn State.

He did not deal with the best defender at all times, so his production can be via second/third defensive backs on a team. He can be good with some work.

These are some viable options that will all be available to the Raiders. We will need help at this position. As of today, our WRs are:

1. Javon Walker—Declining in talent, but can be a serviceable possession catch guy.

2. Johnnie Lee Higgins—Explosive down field speed; he can break it (as we all saw).

3. Chaz Shillens- Solid size; If he stays healthy, we'll see what he has.

4. Jonathan Holland—6' 1", 195 lbs. with a 4.4 40-yard dash; 0 catches in 2008.

5. Todd Watkins—6' 3", 195 lbs. with a 4.45 40-yard dash; 0 catches in 2008.

6. Arman Shields- 6' 1", 195 lbs. with a 4.44 40-yard dash; on IR last year.

How does the NATION feel about our current WRs and potential rookie pick ups?

Raiders Draft Strategy After Cutler Trade

Gil Becerra — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:51:52 -0400

Yesterday we were all bombarded with Jay Cutler news from every news outlet. Now that all that hype has calmed down some, lets analyze what this has done to the draft.

The Lions have all signs pointing towards Stafford. With that 20th Pick, Sanchez will be gone and Freeman isn't exactly a 'Franchise' QB.

Speaking of Sanchez, he had an outstanding Pro Day and has gained room on Stafford along with interest from many teams.

The Detroit Lions

They were involved in talks but didn't pull the trigger. What does this mean? They still need a quarterback. Should be Stafford with the No. 1 Pick.

The New York Jets

They were involved in talks and didn't pull the trigger. Whats does this mean? They still need a quarterback.

The Tampa Bay Bucs

They were involved in talks and didn't pull the trigger. What does this mean? They still need a quarterback.

The Washington Redskins

There were involved in talks and didn't pull the trigger. What does this mean? They need to make sure Jason Campbell's feelings weren't hurt by the news of a trade.

The Jacksonville Jaguars

They weren't reported to be involved in talks, yet they've been rumoured to be in the market for Mark Sanchez if he were to drop to them.

The San Francisco 49ers

They were involved in talks and didn't pull the trigger. What does this mean? They aren't hanging their hopes on Sean Hill and Alex Smith. Mark Sanchez, according to many mock drafts, is in their sights.

The Minnesota Vikings

They were involved in talks but nothing came of it. They still have Travaris Jackson and just traded for Sage Rosenfels so they might stick with them. Their team is solid so don't be surprised to see them package picks to move up for a Sanchez.

So, the possible suitors for Mark Sanchez would be the following teams:

Jacksonville, San Francisco, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Minnesota Vikings.

You've got five teams that need a stud at the QB position. How does this effect us?

From a Draft Point of View:

1. Detroit Lions

2. St. Louis Rams

3. Kansas City Chiefs

4. Seattle Seahawks

Pick your order, but with these past four picks, these guys should be gone. Stafford, Monroe, Smith, and Curry.

5. Cleveland Browns

With Stallworth facing jail time, Braylon Edwards on the block, and Kellen Winslow gone, they need some kind of offensive weapon. Beanie Wells or Michael Crabtree would fit.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

They drafted WR's last year and Chris Henry is back so they should be OK at WR. Andre Smith should be the pick with an outside chance for Orakpo or even Raji (remember how they were involved in talks last year to move up to get Sedrick Ellis)

7. Oakland Raiders

Here's our pick—Crabtree should be gone. Orakpo should be gone. Our choices would be BJ 'Marley' Raji, Michael Oher, Robert Ayers, Aaron Maybin, Michael Johnson, Jeremy Maclin.

BJ Raji: I've wanted him the whole time but after the failed drug test at the scouting combine, and the news of a prior failed drug test, I wouldn't be comfortable taking him at No. 7.

Michael Oher:With the signings we've made, I'm comfortable letting those guys play it out. Unless Monroe falls to us, we shouldn't consider Oher.

Robert Ayers: Has the tag of a one-year wonder who's been rumored to fall all the way down to the bottom of the first round.

Aaron Maybin: Is projected mid 10's and is a tweener OLB/DE.

Michael Johnson: He scares me. He's an Al Davis type of player with his potential and freakish skills. Big potential star/bust. Our DE's are full of young guys that need to play with "potential" so he wouldn't be needed.

Jeremy Maclin: He looks real good but he's a taller version of Johnnie Lee Higgins. If you were to draft Maclin, you'd take away from our current roster. Maclin's value is in his receiving and returning. JLH did an awesome job after Justin Miller was signed. They both had multiple runs for TDs this past year so we wouldn't get full value for Maclin.

This sets up the Raiders for all kinds of offers from the aforementioned teams. We're the gateway between Sanchez, two teams who've been rumored to look at him (the Jaguars and 49ers) and the teams who NEED him.

By looking at our possible choices, it looks like it would be in our best interest to trade down. Our opening occurred when Sanchez kicked butt at his Pro Day and Detroit didn't chase Cutler.

NFL Draft-Pick Value Chart Potential Deals

Just by looking at the chart and seeing the picks available to the teams that need QB's, I've come up with three possibilities:

NY Jets: First round pick (17th), second round pick (52nd) and third round pick (76th)

Bucs: first round pick (19th), third round pick (81nd) and first/second round pick (next year)

Vikings: First round pick (22nd), second round pick (54th), third round pick (86th) and third Round (next year)

I know this is wishful thinking and Al Davis doesn't trade down, but if you were to analyze the situation, there are many options.

We'll soon find out which teams are drooling over Mark Sanchez to lift their franchise. There will be a buzz and there will be demand, the question is, will the Raiders benefit from this? Hope so.

B.J. Raji FAILS Drug Test at NFL Combine

Gil Becerra — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:04:51 -0400

The actual drug he tested positive for has not been mentioned, but the fact is that BJ Raji, FAILED a drug test at the NFL Combine according to a SI.com article and a report from ESPN.com.

One of the guys I've been wanting the Raiders to shoot for has run into what I'd call a 'Warren Sapp' or 'Randy Moss' type problem prior to the draft. Warren Sapp ended up slipping to the 12th Pick and had a outstanding career.

Randy Moss fell all the way down to the Vikings as the 22nd Pick. Those guys produced their whole time in college and still feel in the draft.

BJ Raji, missed the 2007 Season due to Academic Issues. Hum...That's interesting because he was reported to have tested positive for marijuanawhile playing at BC. He came back strong enough in 2008 to be the top DT prospect out this year.

This has got to be a concern at the No. 7 pick for us Raider fans that wanted him. It's one thing to be dirty during college but for him to fail a test at the Combine is stupid of him.

This might be me panicking but I'd feel a lot better trying to get Orakpo/Carbtree with the No. 7 pick and crossing our fingers to get Moala/Brace in the second Round.

Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears!

Gil Becerra — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:42:47 -0400

According to ESPN.com, it's being reported that the Chicago Bears have won the battle for Jay Cutler. They've reported that the Broncos already confirmed the deal. NFL.com is also reporting this story.

Earlier today, the Broncos were looking for two first round draft picks. Washington, Tampa Bay, and Detroit were all involved in talks with Denver.

I want to see how Jason Campbell of Washington handles this, as the Redskins were openly going for Cutler. Campbell is just as young and going into the final year in his contract with them.

Tampa Bay and Detroit had bad QB situations anyway, so who cares about their feelings? This means there should be a nice demand of teams looking to go after Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford.

Details are sure to follow as the day goes on. Great move by Da-Bears!

Oakland Raiders Add Depth to Defense??

Gil Becerra — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:21:09 -0400

... Ryan Boschetti, a Defensive Tackle from the Washington Redskins! Along with the re-signing of Sam Williams. Both under the 'Transactions Section' on Raiders.com.

Who is Ryan Boschetti?

That's the same question I've asked myself, so here's a little information on him.

He was a 2004 undrafted rookie signing by the Washington Redskins from UCLA. He's 6'4" and 289 pounds at the age of 27 (he'll be 28 in October). He's from the Bay Area (big up's to Belmont), a five-year pro (who missed 2007) and has—get ready for this, people,—19 tackles (14 solo) and ZERO sacks in a back-up role during the four seasons he actually played!

Please, someone, explain the reasoning behind this? This can't be a competition thing to help motivate T. Sands, G.Warren, and T.Kelly.

As of today, this is what our defensive front looks like ,according to the team website.

DT's: Gerrard Warren, Terdell Sands, Tommy Kelly, Ryan Boschetti and William Joseph.

Tommy Kelly was able to get his contract restructured, so we can't really get on him about being so overpaid. He did well if you consider the circumstances around him.

He needed guys like Warren and Sands to take up space, which they didn't. William Joseph was a late addition last year after a early visit with the team in training camp and reminded us why the New York Giants didn't want to keep him around as a backup. Terdell Sands had two sacks all year, and Gerard Warren had four sacks—a little better year than Sands, still not too good, though.

And let's not forget the newest addition and his combined ZERO sacks for four years of play.

DE's: Derrick Burgess (nine-year pro), Trevor Scott (two-year pro), Jay Richardson (three-year pro), Derrick Gray (two-year pro) and Greyson Gunheim (two-year pro).

This being a contract year for Burgess should enable the Raiders to get MAXIMUM production out of him, all in effort to earn his last 'NICE' contract. I hope he helps Scott and Richardson to continue improving. Gunheim only got to play in two games, with very little snaps, yet managed a sack in the last game versus Tampa. He ran a 4.69 in the 40 at the combine this past year, and was supposed to be a DE/OLB conversion. He's got promise and Al Davis-speed to be a solid third down pass rusher.

The linebackers are a story for another day, but I do like them better with Morrison, Howard, and Brown starting along with Williams and Ekejiuba in backup roles.

An addition would be nice, but Williams needs a chance, since we moved up to get him in 2004 and he's been injury prone so far. Brown looks to have some promise, but we'll see.

We need help. It can come in the form of BJ Raji with the No. 7 Pick. If we were to trade down in the first round, it can come in the form of Ziggy Hood, Fili Moala, or even with our second round pick, Ron Brace (which would be SWEET).

After reading up on Peria Jerry, we don't need a converted DE/Nose Guard that has stamina issues and no mean streak. He's no Raider. We have four top prospects available within those first 40 Picks of the draft to be able to get an IMPACT DT to help us out.

Raider Nation: After looking at our defensive front, isn't it a sure thing that we NEED a huge guy in the middle to help out Tommy Kelly?!?!?!

This is my first article, any feedback would be appreciated.