Bleacher Report - Articles by M VH

Raiders-Denver: Raiders Lament

M VH — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:03:09 -0400

www.raidernationstation.com

Lane Kiffin is an honest man.

Oakland's lack of performance against division rival Denver demonstrated what he’s alluded to all along.

This is no team, and the Raiders are not very good.

After an "impressive" practice this weekend, Javon Walker was an inexplicable last-minute no show.

More about him and Al Davis later.

Ashley Lelie made a decent showing, snagging passes and scoring a jump ball TD, but fellow receiver Ronald Curry set the tone for the night, whiffing on two well-placed long balls from Russell.

On one deep slant over the middle, Curry inexplicably broke his stride and awkwardly lept at a pass that deflected off his hands.

The other deep ball that might’ve changed the complexion of the game early hit him in the hands and was dropped. Curry demonstrated terrible hand positioning when trying to make the catch.

Rookie Chaz Schillens made two nice catches for 29 yards.

TE Zach Miller, usually a favorite target of Russell’s, was non-existent as a receiver in the first half and ended the night with four token grabs for 34 yards.

FB Justin Griffith led the team in receiving yardage with 39 measly yards. 24 of it came on one play late in the fourth when the game was out of reach.

McFadden had one catch for 11 yards and Fargas snagged two for 12.

Russell made mistakes, like eating a sack he shouldn’t have and letting the ball slip out of his hand on a simple screen pass in the red zone for a drive-killing fumble.

Pressure after a putrid chip attempt on a blitzing Bronco by left tackle Kwame Harris, who pulled second level too soon, allowed the muff.

Harris even managed to blow that block, too.

Harris suffered a leg injury when a rushing Bronco slid into him awkwardly.

Second-year backup tackle Mario Henderson immediately drew a crushing and stupid roughing penalty after a scrambling Russell fumbled the ball.

At least Henderson has an excuse.

Oakland drew nine flags for 97 yards in the first half alone.

Missed assignments by the usually reliable Cooper Carlisle and the never reliable and always-awful right tackle Cornell Green. Harris’ flags and spotty play rounded out a sad outing by the Raiders' O-line.

Oakland looked ok early on the ground, but the aforementioned fumble by Russell, misses by Curry, penalties and sacks crushed any momentum Oakland might’ve gained in the first half.

The Broncos torched the Raiders' secondary, with Michael Huff a non-factor. Fellow safety Girbril Wilson helped a few times against the run, but could not cover up for DeAngelo Hall’s terrible coverage of Eddie Royal.

Rookie VT wideout Royal owned the former Hall of Fame cornerback, whom Al Davis brought over from at Atlanta at a pretty penny and a second-round pick.

Hall accounted for back-to-back personal fouls that were ticky-tac flags that could’ve gone either way, but they still showed error in judgment on Hall’s part.

His play and Walker's absence gave fuel to critics who think Davis made some lousy signings this offseason.

It's early, but if tonight's an indicator...

The penalties extended a drive that put points on the board and seemed to break Oakland's spirit, while bolstering Denver's.

The Raiders' defense looked slow and confused, as QB Jay Cutler deftly tore them apart, distributing the ball evenly and giving lots of attention to Royal, who finished with nine catches for 149 yards and a TD to lead all NFL receivers this week.

I had predicted earlier that he might have a "Plaxico Burress type opening night." (Burress caught 10 for 133 yards, but no TD.)

This is horrible news for a defense supposedly predicated on superior coverage.

The Broncos didn’t even have their No. 1 receiver, Brandon Marshall.

Part of the blame can be placed at the Hobbit-like feet of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who’s "vanilla defense," sans blitzes, got torched and applied virtually no pressure from their front four.

Former All Pro DE Derrick Burgess left the game late with an undisclosed injury that might involve his chest. (Later determined to be a shoulder injury.)

Replacement scrub Trevor Scott was just as ineffective.

Jay Richardson, on the other end, offered a lone bright spot with improved run defense. Unfortunately, that only forced the Broncos to throw, and once they did successfully, they kept throwing. Cutler was 16-for-24 for 299 yards and two TDs.

Oakland's fat and out of shape DTs did absolutely nothing to generate a rush and only stopped the run on occasion, due to the lack of depth in Denver’s "running back by committee" approach.

Anthony Alridge is out for the year with a foot, and rookie RB Ryan Torain broke an elbow in training camp.

They didn’t need them.

Young looked good later in the game, but it was clear, midway through the third that the Raiders' defense had given up.

Howard was a non-factor and Morrison was burned on a deep pass to TE Tony Schefler, which helped break Oakland's back.

They did look better against the run, but again, that was in part because they were so bad against the pass, and Denver didn’t need to eat up the clock and finish the game until late.

Oakland's D looked listless, confused and reactionary as Denver’s play calling befuddled them and the increasingly unlikable Ryan.

With some very talented players and a gameplan by the Broncos catered to his unit's strengths, his defense was lackluster and embarrassingly awful.

One wonders if he isn’t merely an obedient minion catering to ancient Al Davis’ dated and flawed philosophy or is simply incompetent at getting his players to understand or perform.

Probably a little from column A, a little from column B.

With massive penalties, sloppy play, stupid mistakes—by coaches and players—poor performance, and key injuries piling up, the hapless Oakland Raiders could be just the thing an awful and banged up Chiefs team needs to boost their confidence this Sunday.

This mess had Raider fans praying for the end.

Russell ended the night with a token touchdown drive, and his passing was one of the few offensive bright spots.

He threw 189 yards on 17 completions and two TDs, with no picks, but as expected, he made some "rookie" mistakes.

With WR Drew Carter and FB Oren O’Neal gone for the year with knee injuries, Javon Walker’s mystery hamstring (personally, I think it’s a mental issue), McFadden’s game-ending injury, and the possible loss of pass rusher Derrick Burgess, the lack of depth Kiffin whined about recently seems to have come home to roost sooner than even he imagined.

The Raiders could come back and put something together; the season's young, but this Monday night opener could not have been more unsettling, disturbing, and disappointing.

They better learn to talk to each other, because whether they realize it or not, football IS a team sport.

Final score: 41-14.

And it wasn't even that close.

JaMarcus Russell Is Ready as Oakland Raiders Promise To Pass

M VH — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:08:03 -0400

orig posted at: http://raidernationstation.com/2008_pre_season

The Raiders will take a page from the Tennessee Titans this Saturday and use the opportunity to test their passing game against the Cardinals. Hopefully with much better results.

The Titans' Vince Young looked bad against a dinged-up Raiders secondary and a D-line that couldn’t generate a pass rush without the blitz, even thought the Titans were without their starting left tackle.

As it stands, the Raiders are ranked No. 2 overall in rushing so far this preseason and fans hope that that's a sign of things to come during the regular season.

With Darren McFadden and Michael Bush on the roster, that's a distinct possibility.

Today's practice emphasized the Raiders' plan against the Cards, with JaMarcus and Andrew Walter throwing the ball effectively, completing 22 of 25 at one point in defenderless route drills.

The only drops came from Johnnie Lee Higgins (two) and Javon Walker (one).

Things looked better in practice, but game day will be more of a test, especially since the Cards know it's coming. Still, Coach Kiffin wants to see where the Raiders' passing game is.

"I want to see how much we can do with our first unit throwing the ball so it will be a good test for us."

There were drops later in the afternoon by TEs Zach Miller and John Madsen, but more troubling was WR Drew Carter, who shined early on in camp, but has been erratic of late.

Receiver Todd Watkins will be one to watch, as he vies for a roster slot. He has also looked good in practice, but the live-fire test will show if it translates to game day.

Rookie Chaz Schillens has been breathing down his neck though, and it could be a toss-up as to who gets one of the precious roster spots.

Both should have a chance to prove their meddle this weekend.

About the Raiders' pass-heavy practice Kiffin stated:

"It was better. Early on it was a little bit shaky again, but not as many plays today either. We’ll see. I’ve got a positive outlook on this week, and I think they’re going to perform really well."

Wideout Ronald Curry has struggled of late in practice but looked better today, making several good grabs from Russell.

He’s likely to play third receiver against Arizona.

Walker has publicly struggled since donning the Silver and Black, and Coach Kiffin thinks this game could be big for him and the Raiders' hopes for the passing game this season.

"Javon hasn’t had a very good week. It’s going to be a big game for him," Kiffin said. "It’s preseason, but it’s the most important game, the game being the third, he’ll play a lot, and hopefully we’ll get him the ball a number of times and he’ll make some plays for us."

As for a reunion with former USC and current Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, who got the nod for the starter spot earlier this week, Kiffin said he planned a big welcome.

"We’re going to go old school Buddy Ryan, as they call it around here, and we’ll come after him every snap and put a bounty in the locker room on him,"

Totally kidding of course, but it will be interesting to see if the blitzes Oakland has been throwing at "rookie" JaMarcus Russell to prepare him carry over to the regular season.

Fans lamented Rob Ryan’s vanilla defense last year, and Oakland did send some LB and DB blitzes against the Titans' Vince Young to great effect.

The Raiders practiced, despite the passing of an NFL and Raider legend on Wednesday night.

Executive director of the NFLPA, Hall of Famer, and father Gene Upshaw passed away quietly at his Lake Tahoe home of pancreatic cancer.

No word if the Raiders will honor him with a ceremony or with the traditional player number sticker on their helmets, but they should.

In fact, ALL NFL players should since Upshaw was a major player in brokering a deal that gave players nearly 60 percent of all revenue generated.

That figure was nearly $4.6 billion paid out to players last year alone.

Kansas City Chiefs' 2008 Preseason Run Down

M VH — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:01:55 -0400

Brodie Croyle, frankly, has looked appalling at times this preseason, and yet the third year, third rounder will likely be "the man" when the season starts.

Croyle seems to take one step forward and two steps back. You can actually see his brain shut off on occasion, as he wings one up for grabs or dances comically with a running back after blowing an ill-advised audible.

Chief fans should thank their lucky stars for Larry Johnson.

The big man can rumble, and he looks to be back in fighting trim. The 6'1", 230-lb. sixth-year man from Papa Joe’s Penn State could be looking at another 1,000-yd+ season.

That sounds peculiar to those familiar with KC’s offensive-line woes, but if rookie first-round draft pick (15th overall) Brandon Albert is anything like analysts figured him to be before the draft, the Chiefs could have a serious left side to run to.

Right now, former sixth-round pick Herb Taylor is filling for Albert, who rolled his ankle earlier in camp.

Missing invaluable snaps in camp will hurt him, but his power and quickness in the run game could be a major threat when coupled with All Pro guard Brian Waters.

With Taylor at his side, Waters has helped create massive running lanes for Johnson. Granted, it's the preseason, but when Albert settles in, it's not hard to imagine Johnson reeling off big gainers.

And that would be music to Croyle and Coach Herm Edwards.

Center Rudy Niswanger is looking like a serviceable starter, but the man working next to him, five-year vet Adrian Jones looks terrible. He’s listed as a tackle, but with Albert out, the line is all over the place.

The right side looks quite the opposite of the left, with right tackle Damion McIntosh missing a lot of practice time with injuries.

With the way KC’s line is, it's not difficult to imagine that whoever starts at QB could get injured at some point. The Chiefs have stalwart backup and 12-year veteran Damon Huard, but if the run game falters or Johnson gets injured, KC could be sunk.

As insurance against this, the Chiefs drafted 6'1", 205-lb. Jamaal Charles out of Texas with their 2008 third-round pick.

Charles is lightning fast, and despite a slow start and some inconsistencies in college, he exploded in the back half of his junior year, running for 997 yards and scoring 10 TDs in his final five games.

One knock on the former track sprinter is his tendency to put the ball on the ground. They’re working on it, to be sure, but it will be a concern if he starts seeing a lot of reps.

Kolby Smith put in time last year at RB and will likely see reps, too.

6'1", 215-lb. wideout Devard Darling could develop this year, if anyone can throw the ball to him.

Former LSU star Dwayne Bowe turned heads last year and could have a breakout year, again, if there is anyone who can throw it to him.

Of course, at TE, the Chiefs have a HOF shoo-in—Tony Gonzales—and a surprising rookie, Brad Cottam, who has shown some decent hands in the early going.

After the spectacular failure of kicker Justin Medlock last season, and the subsequent failure of replacement Dave Rayner, the Chiefs are not much closer to finding a solid starter.

You can bet they'll be watching closely to see what happens to current Raider fill-in kicker Aaron Elling when roster cut downs begin.

Competing for the roster slot are kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth.

Novak has the edge with 16 games of NFL experience since 2005, and rookie Barth, out of NC has none, but Novak has done little to separate himself.

Barth nailed a 37 yarder that tied last week's game with Chicago, but Coach Edwards isn’t happy with their kickoffs.

He stated Tuesday: "It’s a 50-50 shot for both guys."

As all kickers know, that's not a very good percentage, but based solely on the offense, the odds of KC making a postseason trip this year seem a lot higher.

Oakland Raider Corner backs: In 08', the secret is Routt

M VH — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:14:17 -0400

In 08', It's All About Routt

orig. published RNS. June 2nd, 2008 by Mykle Van Hausen www.raidernationstation.com

With the addition of CB DeAngelo Hall from the Atlanta Falcons via an offseason trade, some figure the role of the former University of Houston track star to be diminished in 2008.

That may not be entirely accurate.

Though franchised corner back Nnamdi Asomugha has yet to sign his tender or sign a long-term contract, most feel he will be on the field in Silver and Black at least through next year.

With two of the league's best corners, Aso and Hall, holding down the starting spots, Routt would seem relegated to nickelback duties or specialty defenses in '08. This may be true, but, with his vaunted teammates reputations preceding them, look for opponents to line up in more three-receiver sets to try and create more favorable matchups.

Easier said than done.

Drafted by the Raiders after a blazing 40-yard time at the 2005 NFL combine, the 6'1", 195-lb Routt was snatched up by Oakland in the second round with the 38th selection overall.

Dismissed as a reach or a conversion project by those unaware of his football production in college, he was not only durable, he had potential. Routt played well for the Cougars, tallying 47 game appearances (starting 27 of them), racking up 136 tackles (111 solo), 23 deflections, seven interceptions, and a fumble recovery.

Now, within a few short years at the pro level, Routt has done a lot to prove to naysayers that he is much more than an award-winning track star.

He'll have more opportunities again in '08 as teams look to avoid his more well-know counterparts and try to pick on the lightning-fast Routt.

He may not be a household name to everyday fans, but that will likely change as next year goes on. It's my guesstimation Routt is poised to have an outstanding year, whether in reserve or filling as a starter.

This isn't simple fan appreciation or wishful thinking. By his actions on and off the field, Stanford has proven it. With the Raiders, Routt is part of a system predicated on solid play from its secondary. Probably more than any other NFL team, the Raiders rely on man-to-man coverage and the ability of their corners to get the job done, often with very little help.

Recently released DB Fabian Washington lamented defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the Raider reliance on the "Cover-O" defense that "...most teams use as a gimmick".

Washington didn't fair well last year in Oakland, losing his spot as soon as Routt recovered from a sore knee. The injury kept him out of preseason play and seemed to expose the undersized (at least for this system) 5'11", 185-lb Washington, who looked at times overwhelmed and outmatched by bigger receivers.

It's my belief that he'll go on to a decent career in Baltimore, because he's not a bad corner, just not ideal for the unusual Raider scheme.

At 6'1", 185lbs, Routt does have the size, speed, and skills to not only compete, but excel, no matter the defense called.

He is not only a very good tackler in open space, he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, often snagging picks some have called "gimmes".

The fact remains, to those who would diminish the accomplishment, that Routt got himself in position to make those plays, and just because all of his picks weren't spectacular one-handed stabs while falling out of bounds, they still counted on the stat sheet, stopped opponents, and handed the ball back to the offense.

Routt's progression into a fine cover-corner was evident several times last year as he consistently helped change games and shutdown opponents.

Sept. 9, against Detroit, his interception set up a four-play Raider scoring drive. Against Miami on Sept. 30, he picked off Trent Green to halt a Dolphin scoring drive at the two-yard line. Another pick in October against division rival Kansas City, again halted a drive.

More than a back who can keep up with fast receivers, Routt's famous speed allows him to run down plays that break contain, and he is able to take advantage of some of the best make-up speed (like chasing down the play while the balls in flight) in the entire league.

Combined with his experience and last year's addition of DB coach Darren Perry, Routt's excellent skill-set may have gone unnoticed or been under-appreciated by many fans and teams, but if I'm right (and I am), that will change in '08.

Routt may be underrated by some, and that's just fine, as far as most Raider fans are concerned because teams who think he's the easier of the Raiders' corners to exploit will be in for a rude awakening.

His teammate the last few years, Nnamdi Asomugha, had his breakout year in '06, but look for 2008 to be Routt's.

In limited action, he has proven himself time and again as an excellent athlete with skills and a knack for game-changing plays.

That will become more and more evident as next season goes on. Then, they'll be no more hiding from the league what some in Oakland wish would remain quiet, but the fact is, for those in the know, the secret is already Routt.

* UPDATE: Since writing this article I have had the opportunity to speak with Stan several times. He is an amazingly kind and focused man, dedicated to playing his best for the Oakland Raiders and its fans.

And he's pretty funny too!~

Spider-Man Signs: Richmond Wideout Arman Shields a Raider

M VH — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:46:51 -0400

A personal favorite, Arman Shields garnered attention earlier at this year's combine, posting good numbers and impressing the Oakland Raiders enough to select him in the fourth round (125th overall).

Oakland pulled the trigger despite the former Richmond Spider missing preliminary work with the team this off season due to nagging lower body injuries, including three straight with sore knee, and then again with a hamstring.

Not a surprise considering his time away from football.

Although Shields missed all but one game his senior year after tearing a knee ligament, he signed a contract today to officially make him a Raider.

With what seems like a lot of depth at the position (especially compared to last year), why would the Raiders waste time and money on a guy who seems to have so many durability issues?

Granted, he’ll likely be a project and a contributor on special teams, but Shields has serious potential to be an invaluable "move the chains" type of guy.

Like Ronald Curry.

A little too much like Ronald Curry, for some.

Both players have a history of injuries, and though Shields is strong, has decent speed, can run great routes, and has excellent hands, he doesn’t have Curry’s burst of explosiveness.

He’s not likely to run away from faster defensive backs, isn’t a great leaper, and needs to learn to fight for the ball more.

So, again, why bother?

Shields may never be the "X" man, but his production at Richmond showed he has the potential to be a solid contributor at the NFL level.

In 2005, Shields was part of an explosive Spider offense that racked up nearly 5,000 yards, averaging 381.3 a game, and 349 points.

Including five 100-plus-yard games, Shields hauled in an impressive 62 grabs for 842 yards and four touchdowns to finish that season.

He started 10 games in '06, but missed the finale with an injury.

Despite this, he ranked 29th in the country with an average of 5.4 catches per contest, including eight passes per game in the last three in which he participated.

Then came the knee injury the first game of his senior year.

It seemed the one teammates called "Spider-Man" would fall off teams radars completely.

Enter the combine.

Shields showed he was in good enough shape for the event in a big way, posting in the top-10 of all seven categories for receivers.

With serious skills already and the potential to add muscle with new strength coach Brad Roll (like Curry has this offseason), Shields seems a gamble worth taking.

Shields fits the mold not only at wideout this year, but for most of the Raiders team in '08.

Boom or bust.

If he stays healthy and isn’t forced into heavy rotation right away, I see not only boom, but "KA-BOOM!"

Shields has the potential to help out if the Raiders run game stalls on third down and, more importantly, in the red zone.

There's a lot of work to do before anointing Shields with superhero status, but he has the potential to become a valuable cog, but, like most of Oakland's receiving corps, only if he can stay healthy.

Originally posted on www.raidernationstation.com 07-23-08

Arman Shields Signs with the Oakland Raiders

M VH — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:32:34 -0400

The former Richmond Spider, Armand Shields, a personal favorite, garnered some attention earlier at this years combine, posting good numbers and impressing the Oakland Raiders enough to make them select him in the fourth round (125th overall).

Oakland pulled the trigger, despite Shields missing preliminary work with the Raiders this offseason due to nagging lower-body injuries, including three straight weeks with a sore knee and then again with a hamstring.

Not a surprise considering his time away from football.

Although Shields missed all but one game his senior year after tearing a knee ligament, he signed a contract today, officially making him a Raider.

With what seems like a lot of depth at the position (especially compared to last year), why would the Raiders waste time and money on a guy who would seem to have so many durability issues?

Granted, he’ll likely be a project and a contributor on special teams, but Shields has serious potential to be an invaluable "move the chains" type of guy.

Like Ronald Curry.

A little TOO much like Ronald Curry for some.

Both players have a history of injuries, and though Shields is strong, has decent speed, can run great routes, and has excellent hands, he doesn’t have Curry’s burst and isn’t very explosive.

He’s not likely to run away from faster DBs, isn’t a great leaper, and he needs to learn to fight for the ball more.

So again, why bother?

Shields may never be the "X" man, but his production at Richmond showed that he has the potential to be a solid contributor at the NFL level.

In 2005, Shields was part of an explosive Spider offense that racked up nearly 5,000 yds, averaged 381.3 yds a game, and scored 349 points.

Including five 100+-yard games, Shields hauled in an impressive 62 grabs for 842 yds and four TDs to finish the year.

In '06, he started 10 games, but missed the finale with an injury.

Despite this, he ranked 29th in the country with an average of 5.4 catches per contest, including eight passes per game in the last 3 in which he participated.

Then came the knee injury during game one of his senior year.

It seemed the one teammates called "Spiderman" would fall off teams' radars completely.

But then came the combine.

Shields showed he was in good enough shape for the event in a big way, posting in the top 10 of all seven categories for receivers.

With serious skills already, and the potential to add muscle with new strength coach Brad Roll (like Curry has this offseason), Shields seems a gamble worth taking.

Shields fits the mold for not only at wideout this year, but for most of the Raiders team in '08.

Boom or bust.

If he stays healthy and isn’t forced into heavy rotation right away, I see not only boom, but "KA-BOOM"!

Shields has the potential to help out if the Raiders' run-game stalls on third downs and, more importantly, in the red zone.

There's a lot of work to do before anointing Shields super-hero status, but he has the potential to become a valuable cog. But, like most of Oakland's receiving corps, only if he can stay healthy.

Compelling Reasons Why the Raiders' Lamont Jordan Might Stay

M VH — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:33:46 -0400

Orig. posted 06-03-2008 at 07:19 PM www.raidernationstation.com

Most think he's already got one foot out the door sighting his under production, injury history, and hefty contract, but there are compelling reasons and signs Jordan might stay in Silver and Black.

Jordan missed most of last year and in 2006, but has been in 97 regular season games over the past seven years. Its only in the last two he's been MIA, but his production in 2005 seems a long time ago.

Jordan signed as a free agent from the Jets in 2005, snagging a five year deal worth $27.5 million. His agent, Alvin Keels stated at the time Jordan would receive $11 million guaranteed and $17.8 million over the first three years.

Immediately Jordan showed production in 05', finishing his first year in with 1,025 yds, 11 TD's and 70 catches for another 500+, all in just 14 games.

Not earth shattering, but a vast improvement over 2004's rushing attack which garnered only 1,295 on 328 during their entire 5-11 season.

Their leading back that year was Amos Zereoue gaining only 425 yds on 112 carries and scoring three TD's.

Though Jordan saw limited action in the four years behind Jets super star Curtis Martin, he managed a 4.9 yd average over that time with 93 carries for 479 yds and two TD's.

After 2005, Jordan seemed like a definite upgrade.

He ran into trouble week nine on November 19th 2006, tearing his medial collateral ligament in a game against Kansas City, and missed the remainder of the season. Some fans point to his average yards per carry at 3.9 as a knock on Jordan, but honestly, if you look at Oakland's line woes in 06', it wasn't just the passing game that suffered.

Many fans weren't expecting much from Lamont in 2007 and that seemed reinforced by Oakland's signing of former Colt running back Dominic Rhodes, even though Rhodes would sit out the first four games of the season for a DUI conviction.

The addition of Rhodes seemed to fire up Jordan and despite voicing displeasure about the implementation of Tom Cable's stretch and cut blocking scheme, he started the year with a some solid numbers.

Posting 350 yds on 69 hand offs and two TD's Jordan also contributed 12 grabs for 121 yds all in the first three games of the year.

Then against Miami, Jordan seemed to throw his back out on a run late in the 2nd quarter. Up till that point Jordan had gained 74 yds on 15 carries.

Most people don't acknowledge or realize Jordan threw his back out in camp during pre season in an ill advised Home run derby, but played and played well those first three games despite the pain.

Unfortunate for him, but Oakland none the less enjoyed the 1,000 yds rushing success of his replacement Justin Fargas and lead many to speculate Jordan's demise.

To most, the selection of Darren Mcfadden with the 4th overall pick in the 2008 draft all but sealed it, yet, Jordan remains. For now...

Rumors swirling about football forums indicate some feel the Denver Broncos may be interested in Jordan, and those posters are just about equally divided as to whether Jordan playing there would help or hurt the division rival Raiders.

Preliminarily it looks as if he can run the ball and have success in the ZBS Denver also employs. With Denver, the 5-11, 230 lb Jordan could possibly again be effective even in a part time roll.

Factor in Jordan's production when healthy and he's not a bad back. In fact if he's healthy, he could have a good year.

Jordan wouldn't be asked to carry the entire load in 08'. With the addition of Arkansas phenom McFadden, Fargas' new contract and potential contributor Michael Bush coming on line, Oakland could have some good depth in the back field.

Some would say that's too many backs and the roster space could be used elsewhere, but with an offense most assume is looking to improve upon and exploit its 6th overall rushing performance in 2007, a spare back at the right price would help keep pressure off rookie starting quarterback Jamarcus Russell by providing insurance the ground game would keep going even with inevitable injuries.

Fargas hasn't played an entire season at the pro level yet, McFadden has earned a reputation for off field issues that could see him in trouble with the league at some point, and Bush hasn't taken a game snap in two years.

Lamont has had trouble staying healthy too, but in a rotation, his, and everyone elses odds of doing that, would likely improve.

If Oakland keeps Jordan, its backfield would likely consist of two big backs, Jordan and Bush, and two faster backs in Fargas and Mcfadden.

The benefit would of course be having a spare in case of injury, but it would also allow the Raiders to rest each back if it chose to not only during a game, but for halves or entire games allowing players to heal, reduce wear and tear and theoretically, be more productive.

At issue with some is the $9.7 million due Jordan through out 2009, which includes a $4.75 million dollar roster bonus this year.

There is a very real possibility Jordan could re work his contract to remain with the Raiders not only because he's here and familiar with the team, but because of Shaun Alexander.

Whether Alexander has priced himself out of the market is for others to decide, but the fact he's not signed already bodes poorly for Jordan. Teams don't appear to be in such desperate need of a running back to crack wide the vaults, and now with today's news of another 1,000 yd back on the market in troubled Travis Henry, Jordan has more competition not simply for a contract, but a roster spot with teams.

Whether Jordan would be able to land a similarly large contract is anyone's guess, but considering his last two years in Oakland, probably not, begging the question, if he's going to take a pay cut, why not do it in Oakland?

Fans have posted concern over the Broncos release of Henry today, feeling Jordan may go on to success at division rival Denver who, despite the recent signing of running back Michael Pittman, may still be in need of another back. Whether they are desperate to pay big money for Jordan is another matter.

Keeping Jordan with Oakland takes the burden off him to be an every down back, might let him showcase his wares for potential suitors next year, all the while revaluing his stock and keeping him more than likely healthier for interested parties in 09. It could also give Oakland two sets of backs. Jordan / Fargas and Mike Bush / DMC, or any combination.

With an offense likely predicated on the run this year, considering three of the current backs injury history, and the fact Oaklands O coordinator Gregg Knapp has recently stated "You can't have too many running backs," there is a case for Jordan re-working and staying through '08.

For now, like most of Oakland's reloaded team, his status continues to be a mystery.

To answer the question, "Do we want Lamont?" the answer is probably "Yes," but only at a reduced price.

For the time being, Lamont is with Oakland and his imminent departure may not be as foregone a conclusion as many seem to think.

Despite the past two seasons injuries, most who run the numbers agree, when healthy, Jordan can still play. The larger question as of this moment for Lamont and Raider fans is, will he be doing it in Silver and Black?