Bleacher Report - Articles by Sonny

The Oakland Raiders Are Soft

Sonny — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:56:45 -0500

The Oakland Raiders could not beat a team in which every QB to face them over the past four or five games burned them in the passing game.

The Oakland Raiders WRs are a joke, causing a couple picks because they do not know how to catch. In the few times that they managed to hold onto the ball, the O Line with the penalties blew the drives.

The Raiders have three No. 1 picks in J-Russ, D-Mac and DHB that look like total busts. I am so tired of listening to Cable every week after being crushed talk about how close they are.

This team is not only not close but as sad as it is to say, the Oakland Raiders over the past seven years, that's right seven years have played some of the worst football that I have ever witnessed.

They make me as a Fan physically ill to watch, as they have become the laughing stock of the NFL. I feel bad for my children that when walking through a Supermarket have to watch and listen to other shoppers rolling around on the floor in laughter as they see the Raiders shirt or cap on my kids.

I am an old time Raider Fan who is tired of the whole mess. Al Davis needs to contact Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen and do what ever it takes including giving Gruden a small stake in the team, to have them step in and bring this joke of a ball club into this century.

To all the fans still on board and telling me to get lost and walk, I say wake up and smell the stench. In seven years of having top picks and after going through a bunch of coaches, this team is still a laughing stock.

The day Davis cut Gruden will go down as one of his biggest blunders of all time, just for the stability factor alone and for the foundation of the team.

Maybe years ago it was 90 percent players and 10 percent coaching, but in today's NFL, it has become a 60/40 split with all the substitutions and match ups.

I will always be a Raider Fan and it looks like I will just have to back off for awhile. If the players do not give two #####, who in the hell am I to have to live this crap for 16 games a year for what will be going on eight years next year.

What a sad, sad day for Raider Nation, a joke of a team with what looks to be no hope in sight. How far Mr. Davis has fallen is just stunning.

I use to believe that "Just Win Baby" crap. As stubborn as Mr. Davis is in making the changes that will really help this team win again, it makes me wonder if ego is more important to the man than his Raiders and winning.

Is the NFL Using the Ref's to Fix NFL Games?

Sonny — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:47:25 -0400

As the NFL has changed the rules through the years, what has been the outcome?

Many plays witnessed by NFL fans were pretty cut and dry.

Fans knew, for the most part, when they witnessed a touchdown or a fumble. Fans knew a great percentage of the time, when witnessing a catch or non-catch.

Not in today's NFL.

What is a touchdown catch for one team one week is not a touchdown catch for another team the same week. A fumble, a catch, and now roughing the passer calls, seem to change at the whim of a ref and this has changed the game for good.

What I find so odd is how these calls seem to go for some teams, many with a select group of owners against another group. Is this being done for a reason?

Could all these rules have been put in place to allow the NFL to control a few select games here and there with a call made or not made on a few key plays per game?

After all, the NFL is all about money and you know that the NFL just loves something like a team shooting for an undefeated season. Were the Pats given a little helping hand against the Ravens in that big game a year or two ago where the Pats were outplayed by the Ravens?

We all know the outcome. The Ravens lost a game that they really would have won if not for the refs helping out the Pats. Looks like it kind of happened again today to the Ravens with the Pats being helped to 14 points in the game by calls by the refs

They say when it walks like a duck and talks like a duck it is a duck. Why are some teams always ending up with calls going their way?

Year after year the same teams get the benefit and the same teams do not. Does the NFL really want to see a Detroit-Seattle Super Bowl or would they rather have a New England-Dallas Super Bowl?

Intended or not the refs today have become a much bigger part of the game than the players. They are also using a call here or there on key plays and end up deciding many of these games against the flow of the game being played.

The NFL is now telling us that the fumble that we witnessed was not a fumble. They are now telling us that we did not see what we had seen.

Then the next week we see the exact same play and it now becomes a fumble. Now the NFL has included the catch and the touchdown as well.

It has become so bad that the NFL has to use its own Network and send out its con-man to explain to us on Monday why these calls were made or not made. I have watched football for many years and there were some bad calls, but never to the extent where the NFL has to send out damage control.

Congress should tell the NFL that fixing games is against the law and take away the NFL's Anti-Trust exemption. The players on the teams can see it and most, if honest, will tell you off-the-record what they see.

These rich non-football owners that have come into the NFL are all about the money and to hell with the game.

Oakland Raiders Take Football to New Lows

Sonny — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:49:16 -0400

Over the Oakland Raiders' last 100 games, there has been no NFL team in the history of the game to have played as badly and lost more games during a 100-game stretch.

I am writing this with 6:00 minutes left in the Raiders game against the Texans with the score at 29-6 Texans. The Raiders are getting better, though, scoring three whole more points on offense than they had the week earlier against Denver.

Jeff Garcia has stated what I have thought for a long time, Garcia stated that the Raiders do have some young players who want to win but have too many others that just want to show up and pick up a pay check.

The once-proud Oakland Raiders have become nothing more than a punchline and a laughing stock throughout the NFL. When you have fans that show more heart and courage than many of the players, it is a sad day in Raiderland.

I was a die-hard fan for many many years and have raised Raider fans who are now in their 30s and have (for the most part) watched nothing but very bad Raiders football during their life.

They had a few good years in the early 2000s, but let's face it; prior to that, the Raiders were bad for many years and now, going into a seven-year run of playing some of the worst football ever played in the history of the NFL, I am done.

I will make a prediction that the Raiders walk out of Texas today with no more than the six points they now have on the scoreboard. The offense during a game gains as many yards as an average team scores in a half.

Let's face it; the Oakland Raiders are the modern-day New Orleans Saints. At least the old Saints played well enough to have fans show up for the games wearing bags over their heads. These Raiders are so bad that fans do not even care to watch the games anymore.

Until the Raiders cut the punks, no matter who they may be, and start bringing in football players, nothing will change. With a loss today and the Raiders' schedule, a 1-7 or 1-8 start is looking like a good bet.

What was it, one of the old coaches fired a few years ago who said about his team, I think is was he had the dumbest team in the NFL.

The Oakland Raiders have become nothing more than a big joke and have been nothing but a joke for seven years now.

I love quality football, and to sit and watch this garbage that the Raiders put on the field and try to pass off as football, I wish them well now and in the future but I will waste no more of my time and or money watching this bunch of players who have little pride and very little heart.

The Raiders do have a few great players that do not belong in the following statement, but the Oakland Raiders have far too many punks wearing the Silver and Black than they do real football players.

The poor few players they have that are the real deal, to have to take the field with the other heartless punks week in and week out, year in and year out must eat them alive.

No more Raiders win or lose until I die, start playing something other than Bush League football and maybe I will take the time to watch again, until than see ya later.

Punt, Punt, Punt, Fumble, Safety, Punt, Fumble.

Incomplete, dropped pass, run for a loss, incomplete, incomplete, pick.

3 points, 0 points, 6 points, 13 points, 3 points.

That is what Raiders football has become game in and game out, and I am done.

Oakland Raiders Punked at Home By Denver Broncos

Sonny — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:29:38 -0400

Everytime you give the Oakland Raiders a chance to make a statement they fall flat on their face.

It all started in pre-game warm-ups as both teams players started to meet at midfield with the trash talk. It became heated and coaches had to step in to cool things down.

The Denver Broncos started the game much like the Raiders did in their first game against the Chargers on Monday Night Football showing great intensity that the Raiders would never match.

As a fan, I can take a loss when the Raiders show up to play. But on this day the Oakland Raiders were not prepared to play against this Bronco team. They were not only outplayed but they were also outcoached.

The Raiders looked soft from the start of the game and became softer as the game went on. The Raiders were not just beat, but they allowed the Denver Broncos to punk them on their home field and in front of their fans.

The Raiders offense or lack of it did nothing all day long and they were lucky to come away with the three points they ended the day with. The Denver team ran at will and dominated the Raiders defense from the start of the game to the final whistle.

Most of the Denver passing game was working under the linebackers with short passes that the Raiders never did figure out an anwser to. What I thought would be the strength of the Raiders team, their defense, was manhandled through the entire game.

The Raiders offense could do nothing all day and JaMarcus Russell had another bad day and looked nothing like a starting quarterback in the National Football League. With Denver double covering the tight end Zach Miller most of the game, the two rookie wide receivers still were nowhere to be found.

Enough is enough. With the turn around Denver has seemed to make in one off season as well as many other teams over the past few years. I will be making no more excuses for the Oakland Raiders bush league play.

They all need to look in the mirror and look to see if they have a pair. For not winning a game is one thing. Going out on your home field and being punked as men by a AFC West rival is another.

I know that it is early in the season and there is a bunch of football left. I just do not know if I want to go through another year like so many years past and watch it.

Man up as men or clear the hell out of town because you are doing nothing but disrespecting ALL THE GREAT OAKLAND RAIDERS PLAYERS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU.

And you have been doing it for a long, long, long time. And this 30-something-year die hard fan is getting sick and tired of it.

Oakland Raiders Dominate San Diego Chargers, Need to Learn to Finish

Sonny — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:56:58 -0400

The Oakland Raiders dominated the San Diego Chargers for most of the night on both sides of the ball but could not come away with the win.

The Raider defense looked as good as I can remember and were totally dominating the San Diego Chargers on both sides of the ball.

San Diego could not run and San Diego could not pass period. The Raiders man handled the Charger offense play after play and the Charger players were dropping like flies.

At the end of the first half of play the Raiders defense allowed the high powered Charger offense only 74 total yards in the first half of play.

Richard Seymour had two sacks in the first half of play and Greg Ellis had 1 sack on Rivers. The Chargers offensive line looked overmatched by the physical Raider defense.

The Raiders offense line in the first half was destroying the Chargers defensive line and the Raiders were running at will, rotating both Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. And this was before the Chargers lost two of their starting lineman.

This game should not have been close. The Raiders offense left a bunch of points out on the field with J Russ missing a wide open wide receiver down the sideline which would have been a easy touchdown.

Jamarcus Russell also missed some other passes to wide open receivers I bet he wishes he could take back. The fumble on a promising looking drive by Darren McFadden and a pick from Russell on another promising drive was also part of the Raiders undoing.

This game should not have even been close going into the fourth quarter and by letting the Chargers hang around way to long it cost the Raiders the game.

With Jamarcus Russell hitting rookie wide receiver Louis Murphy for a 57-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter looked to have done in the Chargers with the Raiders taking the lead.

With just a little over two minutes left, the defense that had dominated the Chargers offense for much of the night started to play soft. Dropping their linebackers to deep allowing Rivers and Sproles to kill them underneath.

My take on the game is that the Chargers are a veteran team and are about as good as they are going to get. Many in the media already have them playing in the 2009 Super Bowl.

The Oakland Raiders are a very young team and are just starting to find themselves and should only get better game in and game out. And it looks like they gave the Chargers a look at their identity which is a very physical football team on both sides of the ball.

As heartbreaking as this loss was for the Raiders they told the AFC West and the rest of the NFL you better come to play when playing this young Raider team. Coach Cable looks to be making good on his promise of putting the Raider back into Raider Football.

I will not tell you what I think about the Raider reviews the Raiders get like the Louis Murphy Touchdown taken down—tuck rule anyone?

Richard Seymour Speaks, Makes Fools Of Many in the Media

Sonny — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:50:29 -0400

Richard Seymour, an Oakland Raiders Fan since his childhood, finally broke his silence about the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first-round draft pick.

Richard stated that the New England Pats blindsided him with the deal. When his old coach called him, Belichik spoke only five words: "You have been traded to Oakland."

What a way to treat a player that has meant so much to your organization through so many years. It was not New England trading Seymour, but the way they did it that was low down and let the world see just how "classy" this organization really is.

Richard Seymour made many in the media, who show what seems to be outright hatred of the Oakland Raiders and Al Davis, to be nothing more than a bunch of clowns who just made news up as they went. Some in the media even went as far as to call coach Cable an outright liar.

My earlier article on Bleacher Report was dead on about what was really going down with Richard Seymour during this trade.

Al Davis and the Raiders knew all along what would be coming out once Richard Seymour finished the business of taking care of his family and had a little time to shake off the sucker punch he had just received from his coach.

The Raiders just sat back and never said a word, all the while letting many in the media make fools of themselves day after day. Where do they find some of these people, do they advertise for them on the street corner?

Richard Seymour stated he never made any demands to the Raiders about not franchise-tagging him at the end of the year, or that he wanted a new contract before he would show up in Oakland.

They have been talking about a long-term contract, but by choice—not by threat.

The last big trade that Al Davis made with New England with a player coming our way involved Davis gaving up two No. 1 draft picks. That player now is in the Hall of Fame. His name is Mike Haynes, the best corner to ever play in the NFL.

Great move, Davis, and welcome to the Black Hole, Richard Seymour—it is always great to meet another Oakland Raiders Fan.

New England lost on this one as their D already had questions in the secondary and at the linebacker position. DEs/DTs like Richard Seymour do not grow on trees. How many Richard Seymours have been drafted in the first round during the past decade? Not many.

New England Tells Richard Seymour: "It Is Payback Time."

Sonny — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:49:12 -0400

Richard Seymour is not mad at the Raiders; Richard Seymour is mad at New England, and here's why...

When coach Cable said there was some issues that Seymour had to work out with New England, coach Cable was telling the truth.

Despite what all the media would like you to believe, New England did want Richard Seymour to sign an extension, and had been working with Seymour's agent on an extension.

Richard Seymour was given the impression by his agent that talks were going well. And Richard was expecting a new deal to finish his time in the NFL with the team that had drafted him. A trade was the last thing that he saw coming.

What Richard Seymour did not know is that New England, after talks with Seymour's agent over an extension, had decided that it was more than they wanted to pay.

New England also remembered the two times that Seymour had held out on them, forcing New England to cough up more money. At the time, Richard Seymour had stated on a TV show that it was "just business."

New England worked out a trade with Oakland without ever giving Richard Seymour or his agent the slightest hint it was going to happen.

Richard Seymour was under the impression that the extension talks were going well with New England, an impression no doubt given to him by his agent.

The end result is that New England traded Seymour and said goodbye. It is, after all, just business.

Richard Seymour had been blindsided by his team and his coach, and he's told coach Cable as much.

Richard Seymour wanted to take some time to talk to New England and his agent because he was under the impression, given to him from both New England and his agent, that he was getting an extension in New England.

That is what coach Cable was talking about when he stated that there were issues Richard Seymour had to take care of with New England.

Many in the media are coming up with all this speculation and know very little of what they are talking about.

For the Raiders' part, once Richard Seymour gets over the shock of New England blindsiding him—in what was pure payback—he has to move on.

So yes, Richard Seymour is not happy with being traded, and the media can and will twist that anyway they like.

Facts are that, because of the way it was done, Richard was not going to be happy no matter where he was traded, period.

My guess is that he realized he was played by both New England and his agent and was initially upset. But now he has settled down, and his agent has been talking with the Raiders on a long-term deal.

Either way, it does not really matter for the Raiders. If he shows up and plays, they win. If he decides to stay and not come out and play, the Raiders just call back in their No. 1 pick.

So no matter the anti-Raider spin the media wants to put out there, it is New England that has the most to lose if Seymour decides not to play in Oakland, not the Raiders.

My guess is that he will be at the Thursday practice. He has had plenty of time to let New England and his agent know just how much he feels they have screwed him.

But I guess that was just the New England way of saying goodbye to one of their great players, with the explanation that "it is just business."

But what a cold, cold business it is. I guess that is part of the reason it pays so well.

As for New England, you do not want to tick them off—team legend or not—because they never forget, and payback is a bitch.

Raiders Insist Disrespected Rookie Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey Will Catch On

Sonny — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:58:57 -0400

Maryland's offensive coordinator, James Franklin has the following to say to anyone who did not like the Oakland Raiders 2009 first round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey.

"Just wait, you"ll see. He's still very raw, and probablly could have used one more year, but his potential is limitless," Franklin said. "I think Al Davis understands that, sometimes in life, you've got to take an educated, calculated risk. You don't get where you want to go all the time taking the safe bet. Sometimes you've got to put yourself out there."

"I think they have a chance to look like genuises down the road."

That has always been the Al Davis and Raider way, the NFL Hall of Fame is loaded with players that Al Davis has taken a calculated risk on. As Mr. Davis has stated, "I would rather be right than consistant."

And History, not the media of today, that to compete with the internet has lowered their standards of reporting fact to an all time low. History will record that through Mr. Davis's life he has been right much more than he has not, in regards to players.

When Mr. Davis does hit on a player, many become not just good players in the NFL, but they become some of the best to ever play a position. NFL Films "Top Ten Corner's ever to play", and so on is littered with players drafted by Mr. Davis.

Back to what Darrius Heyward-Bey's coach had to say.

On the subject of DHB's production and his 13 career TD's Franklin stated, that had more to do with Maryland's pro-style offense than Darrius Heyward Bey's ability.

DHB was double teamed by a corner and a safety all season long and their Quarterback did not have the arm strength to hook up with the vertical threat DHB.

Franklin stated that over the next few years Darrius Heyward Bey has a chance to be special in the NFL.

Watching the way the Crabtree mess is playing out with the Niners I do believe Al Davis got this one right. With the threat by Crabtree to sit out the complete 2009 season and re-enter the draft in 2010. Shows he is not only slow on the field but he is also not the sharpest tool in the shed.

The Raiders Chad Shilens is the Oakland Raiders Crabtree and has already proven that he can play in the NFL. He is just a taller, faster and bigger version of Crabtree and I think will turn out to be better than Crabtree.

One of the problems with the Raiders WR's over the past few years was nobody respected their speed. DHB at practice ran a deep route drawing double coverage opening up a huge whole in the middle of the field.

Murphy which just might be the steal of the 2009 draft at WR caught a pass for a huge gain. All because of DHB clearing out the field and that is why the Raiders drafted this young speedster.

Nnamdi has stated that lining up against Darrius Heyward-Bey and looking into his eyes that the kid looks at you and you feel he is telling you he is going to run right by you and can run by anyone. Nnamdi also stated that corners will be afraid to press DHB much and that he is the type of WR that will put fear into DB's around the league.

I believe that the future is going to show that the Raiders drafted the number one WR in the 2009 draft and the sky is the limit for this young, smart, hard working and level headed talent.

What is so great about the whole DHB talk is that many so called draft experts and media people went all in. There is no pulling back to try and cover their rear.

Time will tell on DHB and someone is going to look very foolish down the road, many of which work for ESPN.

Raiders Offensive Left Tackle Mario Henderson a Star in the Making

Sonny — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:52:38 -0400

Mario Henderson, the 24-year-old offensive left tackle of the Oakland Raiders, attended school at Florida State. Mario was used early at Florida State as a TE and a RT, was a redshirt junior, starting only two games his junior year at the left tackle position.

It was not until Mario's senior year at Florida State he would start 13 games at left tackle. This was one of the major reasons teams in the NFL did not have Mario high on the Draft Boards. The young left tackle did not have enough work in College.

Al Davis along with one of the best player personnel men in the NFL, the Raiders Jon Kingdon saw something in Mario Hederson that could not be taught. At 6'7", 310 lbs this big man had something Al Davis and the Raiders have always put a premium on, size and athletisism.

Mario was smart, had good feet and flexibility, size and posessed a terrific upside with a few years of development. The Raiders saw that Mario was quick to get his hands into a defender. He adjusted in pass protection and controlled opponents at the point.

Always keeping his feet moving and blocked with leverage, he showed the ability to slide laterally and was very quick out of his stance to help him with fast pass rushers. Mario had all the tools to become a very good left tackle.

Al Davis traded the Raiders' 2007 seventh round pick and the next year's third round pick to New England for the Patriots' 2007 third round pick, the 91st pick in the draft.

This did not make much sense for New England per the value chart used in the NFL, and in my opinion the Raiders came out on top on this one. The pick received from New England was used to draft Mario Henderson.

It has not been easy for Mario, with coach Kiffin all over him in 2008 over his play at practice. But Mario used all the crap being put on him as motivation to make himself better. Mario is a film nut and has all the games he plays in on DVD and carries them with him to review his play and make himself better.

Mario started five games for the Raiders at left tackle late last year and showed that he is starting to reach his potential. Going up against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL during those five games. You did not hear their names all game long with Mario not giving up a sack.

In this, Mario's third year with the Raiders, all indications from camp are that Mario Henderson will be the Raiders left tackle in 2009. If Mario starts this year at left tackle it will be a very important year for him and the Raiders.

I believe that this will be Mario's break out year as he settles in at a position that has been a problem for the Raiders for a few years now.

In today's microwave, have to have it now, and cookie cutter world, Al Davis still operates his team as the pure football man that he has always been. Finding and identifying talent others may not see or might miss is his forte. He also gives that talent the time to develop to its full potential.

Many will laugh over the above statement as bad as the Raiders have been the last few years. But make no mistake about it, this Raiders team is loaded with a bunch of young talent. And they all have the size and speed that the Raiders are always looking for.

Mario Henderson has all the tools he needs to become a very good left tackle. And I believe that Mario is going to be a fixture on the Raider line for years to come.

J Russ and Mario came into the NFL together and have been developing together as players. People tend to forget that this is a very young Oakland Raiders team with J Russ only 23-years old. This team is loaded with lots of young talent at many positions.

I love the games but watching this young team being put together. Watching the players grow and develop into the positions and become a team is exciting for me to watch.

In my profile I list I am a huge Raider fan, and many will say that I am drinking the kool aid. But this young Raider team as being built is going to do some damage in the NFL in years to come.

It took awhile for the Raiders to develop Nnamdi and look at the type player he has become. Mario Henderson has everything he needs to become the same type quality player for the Raiders and 2009 is going to be Mario Henderson's coming out party.

Many laughed when I wrote my article (prior to the 2009 Draft) on the Raiders needing to Draft Michael Mitchell at safety. Many laughed when I had Nnamdi's back early on as he was developed and people questioned the draft pick.

Down the road as Mario Henderson reaches his Pro Bowl potential at left tackle for the Raiders. Just like the Michael Mitchell scoop, remember you read about it here first. The main media writes on the Raiders just to right. They focus on anything and everything negative and never see the cream before it's time.

They are and have been doing this with Russell, Henderson and now DHB and Mike Mitchell. They are as blind men, not knowing when the sun will shine but they can give you the time once it comes up. With me, I will try and put you on to a new potential Raider star before they become stars.

Will I be right about Mario?, we will find out in short order as the young man is coming into his own. And with regards to my article on why the Raiders needed to draft Michael Mitchell that I wrote the day prior to the draft?

You are all about to see the why over the next few years as Mike Mitchell as well as Mario Henderson help to put the Raider back into Oakland Raiders football.

The Oakland Raiders a Truly Global Franchise

Sonny — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:50:54 -0400

The Oakland Raiders and and AirAsia have announced on Friday that they have entered a new sponsorship deal. AirAsia's A340 airliner Xcellance has been painted with the Raider colors of Silver & Black.

The airliner has the Raiders shield on the tailfin and an eye patch on the noise of the plane. Raiders is painted on both sides of the airliner in large silver letter and large images of Raider players have also been painted on the plane.

The airline will host a 1000 seat web based contest with people able to win tickets to Raider home games. It is rumored that the AirAsia Xcellence will even be flying into Oakland for one of the home games in 2009. Details will be given on both AirAsia and the Raiders websites in the future.

The shocking part of this deal is that AirAsia does not service the United States. AirAsia fly 122 routes in Asia and has the largest network in Asia. AirAsia has carried 70 million passengers and has a fleet of 80 aircraft.

The Raiders have a relationship with Hawaiian Airlines that handle all the Raider Team flying needs for away games. But Amy Trask stated that the two airlines service different parts of the world so there was no problem.

Amy Trask in a release by the Raiders stated "We are absolutely thrilled with our new relationship with AirAsia. It is a unique and audacious relationship between two truly global organizations".

The Oakland Raiders have websites translated in six different languages throughout the world, German, Japanese, Chinese, Tagalog, Spanish and English. The Oakland Raider are also the first and only team in the NFL that produces a full content independent Spanish language website.

AirAsia CEO Dato' Sri Tony Fernandes stated "This is a very meaningful moment for all of us at AirAsia. We are excited to associate ourselves with a great iconic team like the Oakland Raiders as they reflect are own endeavor for excellence".

When John Gruden on ESPN Draft day coverage used his hands and arms to make the shape of the glob while stating "the Oakland Raiders are global with fans all over the world", he was not kidding.

Setting aside the past few rough years for the Raiders. An NFL record (12) AFC/AFL Championship Games played in to date. Playing in (5) Super Bowls winning (3). And being a Liddel Fumble or a play away from playing in another (5) Super Bowls.

That is almost 25% of ever Super Bowl played to date that the Raiders have played in or were knocking on the door to play in. And that is the AirAsia planes name, "Xcellence".

Who Is Oakland Raiders Defensive Coordinator John Marshall?

Sonny — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:17:19 -0400

John Marshall is the new defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. This will be Marshall's 30th season as an NFL coach.

Marshall entered the NFL ranks in 1980 and has served as defensive coordinator for, Atlanta 1983-85, San Francisco 1997-98, Carolina 1999-01, and Seattle 2005-08

What I have found in researching the Raider's new DC was hit right on the head in an article I had read in The Seattle Times by writer Jose Miguel Romero in which he writes, "Toughness is Marshall's trade mark. Its a character trait Marshall has taken with him everywhere he has been."

Mike Homgren once stated, "He requires his player's to be tough guys and accepts nothing less"

No matter where Marshall has been, the one constant that I find is that his player's respect him and held him in high regard. While Marshall was the LB coach with San Francisco his player's held him in such high regard that they recommended him for the 49ers defensive coordinator job in 1997.

And in his first year as defensive coordinator the 49ers were the NFL's No. 1 defense.

As taken from the Seattle Times article mentioned above, while linebacker coach with the 49ers. Gary Plummer, Rickey Jackson and Ken Norton and I am paraphrasing, would act as ring leader's of the LBers. They would threaten to throw Marshall into the pool if he would not let them out of their meeting.

"If he didn't let us out, we'd throw him in the pool," Plummer said. "It would take all seven of us to get him into the pool. He was fighting us the whole way. He'd grab onto anything. Eventually we would get him in."

Marshall would still have the last laugh and get them to their meeting.

So besides learning that John Marshall has been very successful and respected in his time coaching in the NFL what might we expect to see from his defense in Oakland?

Marshall, from what I have learned, always runs a very aggressive defense and does not have his unit sit back and react but attacks an offense.

His defenses are all fundamentally sound and he teaches his player's where they must be in terms of the scheme so that the unit plays as a unit. He does not want his player's doing more then their job and getting out of position.

From all that I have read coming from his players is that the one thing that will get the hair up on his back the most is a defensive player not being where they are supposed to be on a play.

Watching Seattle while he was there I noticed that he does not play much of the standard nickle defense. He plays a 3-3-5 formation a lot instead. Out of this formation he would run a lot of exotic blitzes on third down using line stunts and delayed LBer blitzes.

You do not see him using the strong safety in the box much and his LBers account for many sacks. Julian Peterson had 10 sacks his first year with Marshall and 9.5 sacks his second year. The other outside LBer Hill had 7.5 sacks.

In 2005 John Marshall'sdefense lead the NFL with 50 sacks and allowed only (1) 100 yard rusher. Finishing second in the NFL in Red Zone defense 40.4 percent and rushing touchdowns allowed (five) in route to Super Bowl XL with Seattle.

This off season has seen much attention being given to the LBer position. In the draft the Raiders drafted very fast pass rushing type player's that have played both LBer and DE in College.

Does this tell us anything? Well looking at what Marshall has done in the past it just might and we will just have to wait and see. I for one cannot wait to see what Marshall will bring to our defense this year.

So welcome to the Silver and Black, Mr. Marshall; I, for one, am hoping you and head coach Tom Cable will be putting the Raider back in the Raider defense and get the team back to thumping the offenses it will face this coming year.

Oakland Raiders Need JaMarcus Russell, Not Jeff Garcia

Sonny — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:50:56 -0400

The Oakland Raiders in my opinion made a great move in bringing in Jeff Garcia as a back up QB to JaMarcus Russell. And you can take it from the only person in the world that had the Oakland Raiders taking Michael Mitchell in the 2009 NFL Draft, Jeff Garcia was brought to Oakland to back up Russell and nothing more.

There is a reason that Jeff Garcia has played for four NFL Teams over the past five seasons. Garcia had played one year for the Browns, one year for the Lions, one year for the Eagles and his last two years in Tampa. Garcia's best days are behind him while Russell's are all in front of him.

The Raiders by signing Jeff Garcia now have an experienced starter behind JaMarcus Russell. In case of injury, Garcia will be able to step in and play for the Raiders and play well. And just having Garcia in training camp will be good for JaMarcus Russell.

But make no mistake about it, there is no way that JaMarcus Russell will not be the starter for the Raiders on opening day. J. Russell will also stay the Raiders starter for all sixteen games in 2009 unless he would not be able to start because of injury.

Even if camp was going to be an open competition for the starting QB spot and it is not. I do not believe that Jeff Garcia would be able to beat out J. Russell for the position.

And lets get over the three-day meet and greet mini-camp that so many are making such a big deal over.

Last year in Tampa Jeff Garcia threw 12 TD's and six picks winning six games and loosing seven games. That is not many touchdowns for a QB that has been in the NFL as long as Garcia has been and just one more win then Russell had with Oakland.

When you consider that JaMarcus Russell in only his first full year as a starter threw 13 TD's to eight picks while having no wide receivers for much of the year, what does that say, not to mention the Kiffin circus.

People want to look past just how much better JaMarcus Russell became towards the end of last season. Russell went 3-3 over his last six games with the Raiders having nothing to play for. Jeff Garcia went 3-3 over his last six games in Tampa with them playing for a Playoff spot while dropping their last four games of the year.

J. Russell threw 7 TD's and four picks over his last six games with a completion percentage of 64.6 percent and a QB Rating of 92.55 showing a lot of progress from his early part of the season. These numbers were better then Jeff Garcia's over the same time period.

Jeff Garcia over his last six games with Tampa had a lower completion percentage 60.75 percent as well as a lower QB Rating then Russell, 90.2 QB Rating. Garcia threw the same amount of TD's over the last six games as Russell, (7) with one less pick then Russell (3).

Now when you consider that Jeff Garcia has been in the NFL for over 10 years and that his team in Tampa was counting on him getting them into the playoffs last year. All he needed to do was win one of Tampa's last four games and Tampa was in and Garcia could not do it.

As a matter of fact it was JaMarcus Russell that schooled Jeff Garcia in the last game of the season in 2008. All Tampa had to do was beat JaMarcus Russell's Raiders and Tampa was in the Playoffs. But Jeff Garcia could not make the passes when they counted and that was with Tampa having a leading NFL receiver on their team.

Russell made the throws when they counted and lead the Raiders to a win and knocked Jeff Garcia and Tampa out of the Playoffs. Forget the running game the Raiders had against Tampa, J Russell made all the passes when they were needed and Jeff Garcia did not.

The Oakland Raiders are JaMarcus Russell's team, not only in 2009 but 2010 as well. Al Davis know's full well what he has in Russell and Mr. Davis is smart enough to let Russell develop into the QB they know he will become.

I expect the stick from SI and ESPN but when you have a site that calls itself RaiderBeatthat continues to spout all this garbage about Russell and the Raiders it makes you wonder. Everyone is in-titled to an opinion but some facts would be nice rather then all the garbage they put out.

The Oakland Raiders are JaMarcus Russell's team now and in the future. And as I have wrote, even if the QB competition was open there is no way that Garcia would be able to beat out JaMarcus Russell.

JaMarcus knows this and so do the Oakland Raiders and deep down Jeff Garcia know's it as well. This will be the year that Russell starts to become more consistent and shut up many of his critics. And I am sure that Russell will feel good that he has a back up like Garcia playing behind him should he become injured.

It Is Pin the Tail on JaMarcus Russell Time Again

Sonny — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:23:19 -0400

I will start by writing that all players taken with the first pick of the NFL Draft are held to a very high standard. Much is expected from the player when a Team drafts a player so high and spends the kind of money required to get them under contract.

Lets take a closer look at number one draft picks at QB that became pretty good in the NFL and what their first couple years looked like.

J Elway 1983, 11 Games, 47.5 Cmp%, 7 TD - 14 Int, 54.9 QB Rtg

1984, 15 Games, 56.3 Cmp%, 18 TD - 15 Int, 76.8 QB Rtg

T Aikman 1989, 11 Games, 52.9 Cmp%, 9 TD - 18 Int, 55.7 QB Rtg

1990, 15 Games, 56.6 Cmp%, 11 TD - 18 Int, 66.6 QB Rtg

P Manning 1998, 16 Games, 56.7 Cmp%, 26 TD - 28 Int, 71.2 QB Rtg

1999, 16 Games, 62.1 Cmp%, 26 TD - 15 Int, 90.7 QB Rtg

E Manning 2004, 9 Games, 48.2 Cmp%, 6 TD - 9 Int, 55.4 QB Rtg

2005, 16 Games, 52.8 Cmp%, 24 TD - 17 Int, 75.9 QB Rtg

And now let us take a look at how JaMarcus Russell's first 16 Game starts stacks up against the Quarterbacks listed above.

J Russell 2007, 1 Games, 54.5 Cmp%, 2 TD - 4 Int, 55.9 QB Rtg

2008, 15 Games, 53.8 Cmp%, 13 TD - 8 Int, 77.1 QB Rtg

J. Russell has a higher QB Rating over his first and second years then John Elway, Troy Aikman, Ely Manning and only P. Manning had a QB Rating higher then Russell's in his second year.

As far as being able to make the proper decisions on throwing and protecting the ball. J. Russell's has most of the QB's listed above beat on TD's made to INT's thrown as well.

Many people in the Media have tried to imply that J. Russell and his play has been so far below other number one picks. That have went on to become Franchise Quarterbacks in the NFL which could not be further from the truth.

They would have you believe that J. Garcia was brought in to replace Russell which also could not be further from the truth. To me there is nothing worse then to have people writing about the NFL that try to portray themselves as some sort of expert that are anything but.

I have just read a post on ProFootballTalk where an Ambulance Chaser turned wannabe NFL expert wrote the following about J Russell. I am paraphrasing but he implies that Russell is a bust and Garcia was brought in to replace Russell and will do so by the third game of the season.

The reason I go to the site above is that they take the time to go around and repost NFL information from all the media sources. It saves me a lot of time finding most of the information in one place. It is when the owner puts up his youtube video, and plays ESPN Sports Desk and trying to come off as an NFL expert that I have to laugh.

A blind man can see from what the Raiders have been doing both in Free Agency and the Draft. By the assistant coaches brought in as well as the type of players. And that includes Jeff Garcia. The offense that is being installed. Everything the Raiders are doing is revolving around their young Franchise QB, a blind man should be able to see it.

And mark my words, JaMarcus Russell will become a very good NFL Quarterback. Sure the Raiders and coach Cable want Russell to get better and become a top flight leader and QB and it is coach Cables job to push his young stud.

But do not let anyone kid you, the Raiders know what they have in Russell and are doing everything they can to put him in a position to succeed.

You have a clown like Trent Dilfer that threw 1 TD to 6 INT's with a QB Rating of 36.3 his first year. In Dilfers second year playing 16 games he threw 4 TD's TO 18 INT's with a QB Rating of 60.1 and the guy talks about Russell's tools?, are you kidding me.

This will be J. Russells 2nd year as the Raiders full time starter and I am expecting to see JaMarcus start to take his place along side the better QB's in the NFL.

Chicago Bears Run for Cover on Safety Michael Mitchell

Sonny — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:40:55 -0400

I will start this article by writing that Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders are leaders of men and do not follow. The only opinion that matters with Oakland bringing in a player is their own evaluation, period.

As reported by Adam Rank at NFL.com, "Chicago Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo told the Chicago Tribune that after Brian Robiskie WR from Ohio State was taken (14) spots before the Bears were to pick in round two at 49. And Michael Mitchell was taken at pick 47 in round two by the Raiders it was time to trade back."

Considering that wide receiver and safety were two of the Bears biggest needs to try and handle on draft day the above comment made by Jerry Angelo to the Chicago Tribune makes a lot of sense.

It is also easy to reason that since Brian Robiskie was taken very early in round two a full (14) spots before the Bears were to pick at 49. And with the Bears not trading out of round two until much later and right after the Raiders picked at 47. The Bears were sitting waiting on another player like Mitchell to be there at 49.

As reported by Bradd Briggs, "The Bears liked Mitchell an awful lot but the Bears missed." Secondary Coach for the Bears Jon Hoke visited Mitchell on Campus and the Bears had Mitchell in for a visit to Chicago where he meet with Head Coach Lovie Smith for forty five minutes.

That happens a lot in the NFL where the Head Coach will hold a 45 minute meeting with a player they are thinking of picking in round seven. That was my try at humor, it does not happen, ever.

It has also been reported and verified by both safety Michael Mitchell and the Chicago Bears that Mitchell received a call from the Chicago Bears on day one early in the second round, with the Bears telling Mitchell to stay by the phone that he was going to be a Chicago Bear.

After the Oakland Raiders were handed a bunch of insults for taking Mitchell so high in the draft it now seems that the Bears are trying to use the local media to run from the claim that they wanted Mitchell so early in the draft. They are now claiming that they wanted Mitchell but later and on day two.

Per a question and answer with Brad Briggs in the Chicago Sun Times he reported the following and I am paraphrasing.

The Bears told Briggs that they did call Mitchell early in round two and told him to stay by the phone and that he was going to become a Chicago Bear. But they were not going to pick him until late in day two.

Now let me get this straight, the Bears that did not have a pick in round one of the draft. And early in round two with what amounted to the Bears first pick of the day. With as busy as things must be in a war room just prior to a team making a pick.

The Chicago Bears are going to take the time to place a call to a player that they are considering picking on day two to tell him to stay by the phone because he is going to be picked by them. No other day two pick is afforded this courtesy only Mitchell?

You are kidding me, right? Do you really think people are as stupid to believe something like that.

And why didn't the Chicago Bears make any other calls to players they intended to draft on day two on day one of the draft as they were busy with trades and making picks? No, nadda, not a one received a call in round two like Mitchell.

Why was Michael Mitchell the only player not picked by the Bears on day one of the draft to receive this very unusual courtesy from the Bears? It was because the Bears had intended to take Mitchell in round two prior to the Raiders "raiding the Bears' cupboard" as reported in another article in the Chicago Tribune.

So seeing all the crap that the Raiders were getting on the pick they call their media buddy's to try and stomp out the thought that they were going to pick the kid in round two. And at the same time try and throw a little salt in the Raider Team eyes for stealing their guy.

Do you really believe that the public is that stupid. It has also been reported that the Bears were interested in WR Louis Murphy who the Raiders also picked in the draft.

And as for players being selected in the draft that had not attended the NFL Combine their were an NFL record 42 players drafted this year that did not attend the combine. With the Bears selecting an NFL record (four) players that did not attend the combine.

Not that any of this matters to the Oakland Raiders. I just wanted to point out how some teams in the NFL lead and how some NFL teams follow. And some like the Oakland Raiders carry a pair and stand behind the decisions they make no matter what the heat.

No other players taken in the 2009 Draft by the Chicago Bears on day two of the draft received a call from the Bears early on day one by the Bears except Mitchell. Michael Mitchell was special in that regard and now the Bears media lap dogs have been sent out for damage control.

One final note, I read an article by Jerry McDonald regarding Michael Mitchell where he reported. That when he asked a Coach of a team that played against Mitchell what he thought of Mitchell the Coach stated and I am paraphrasing,

Our best WR was three time all conference and went 6'5" 210 lb and Mitchell knocked the piss out of him, I mean he knocked the piss out of him. We thought Mitchell had killed our receiver with him laid out on the sidelines.

Darrius Heyward-Bey: Welcome to the Black Hole

Sonny — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:31:55 -0400

DHB bypassed scholarships from Boston College, Alabama, Virgina, Pittsburgh, and Michigan State to enroll at Maryland in 2005.

The 6'2" 210 lb wide receiver was red shirted his freshman year in 2006, and started 10 of 13 games, earning freshman All American Honors.

DHB set a school freshman season record with 45 catches for 694 yards with a 15.4 YPC average. DHB was also the fastest player in school history, clocking a 4.23 at 40 yards in 2006.

However, there were troubles at the quarterback position and the school was unable to find a second wide receiver to help take some of the pressure off of DHB. Because of this, DHB was constantly having to fight his way through double coverage.

DHB again lead the team his sophomore year with 51 catches for 768 yards and a 15.4 YPC average. With the trouble at quarterback, DHB was used more as a runner out of the backfield and recorded 25 carries for 314 yards on the ground.

DHB was also used on reverses, and during his junior year he carried the ball 13 times out of the backfield for 202 yards and a gaudy 13.5 yards per attempt, averaging 14.23 yards every time he touched the ball.

The young man has a very high work ethic and his team and winning come before any personal goals to try and pad his stats. He accepted his team's offense for what it was and did whatever was asked of him in the role they had for him.

Maryland rarely ever threw the ball down the field to take full advantage of this young man's talents, and it makes you wonder what type of numbers this young man would have had coming out of college.

Had he played on a high powered offense in college and had a No. 2 wide receiver to play alongside him, one can only imagine the gaudy stats this young and very talented wide receiver could have put up.

Chris Stuber at Scouts.com had this to say pre-draft about this young man's potential coming out of college and into the draft:

"Heyward-Bey is an explosive playmaker who can change the momentum of a game on any play. He gets a quick release off the line, runs good routes, flashes reliable hands and is elusive in the open field. He gets separation on the outside and tracks down deep throws with ease. He’s doesn’t shy away from going over the middle and making tough receptions in traffic."

As for all the folks out there that have already added a "cannot miss" title to any of the wide receivers coming out in this year's draft, history does not bare out your assertions per the very good article regarding top 10 first round wide receivers written by Matt Bowen at NationalFootball Post, which can be read here.

The one thing I learned from reading Matt Bowens' article is what type of wide receiver is most likely to bust and why coming out of college into the NFL.

It also describes what a wide receiver needs to succeed in the NFL. My money is on DHB; his talents and skills transfer over to the NFL level better than a Crabtree, and that includes his team first attitude and top work ethic.

Only time will tell, but I know he should become one of J Russ's best friends on the field.

Welcome to the Black Hole and the Oakland Raiders DHB, welcome.

ESPN Analysts Have No Class; Darrius Heyward-Bey Does

Sonny — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:31:39 -0400

ESPN has never been known for hiring the sharpest tools in the shed as NFL analysts.

It is one thing to hire people lucky enough to make it through 25 percent of the questions on their SAT heading, and quite another to hire people who have no class.

I just finished watching an interview on ESPN with Oakland Raiders first round draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey, and the clowns involved at ESPN should be ashamed of themselves.

The panel included Tom Jackson, the former Denver linebacker who clearly hasn't gotten over all the thumpings the Oakland Raiders used to hand him and his Broncos when he was playing.

Cris Carter, who has never been known as the brightest guy on the block and was an admitted drug addict in his early days in the NFL, was another of the so-called "analysts" during the interview.

Trent Dilfer, the quarterback no NFL team wanted even after winning a Super Bowl, and Suzy Kolber finished out this panel of clowns.

I am not angry with what was said during the interview, but rather with the fact that a classy young man was set up by this panel of buffoons.

The whole interview started out with the members of ESPN doing a stand-up comedy spot where they mocked the classy Heyward-Bey while Jackson dug every minute of it, laughing like a hyena.

That would be low-class enough, but the part that really set me off was that this whole time, ESPN had Heyward-Bey sitting with his family waiting to be interviewed on the program.

I am sure they were watching the panel's shameful routine as it unfolded.

If the analysts had just offered their opinion on DHB, it would be one thing. But it went much further than that.

You could see and feel the panel's hate for the Oakland Raiders, and it just so happened Heyward-Bey was the unlucky fellow that allowed these low-class clowns to spout off.

When he was introduced after all the outright mean banter, he showed nothing but class. It sure is nice to see a wide receiver like him coming out of college.

The young man answered Kolber's questions as she smiled and smirked at his answers, but he withstood it all.

ESPN has gotten so bad with their bias against anything Raiders-related that people from the mainstream media are starting to see it and are calling it for what it is.

The San Francisco Chronicle recently ran an article titled, "ESPN Bias and the Oakland Raiders," where the author went on to list several commentators and the axes they have to grind with the organization.

I always thought the NFL looked out for these young men coming out of college and tried to portray itself as a classy league.

How the NFL can stand by after watching what ESPN did to this young man is beyond me. I will be writing a letter to the NFL and including a copy of the video that I have included with this story below.

This interview and clear setup of this young man not only showed ESPN's lack of class, but was simply mean-spirited and very unprofessional, whether or not they happen to like Heyward-Bey or the Oakland Raiders.

Any person with an ounce of class running through their body should see this for what it was—nothing more than a mean-spirited attempt to try to humiliate the Oakland Raiders and Al Davis.

The sad part is that they tried to humiliate a bright and young very talented wide receiver to do it.

DHB will have plenty of time to show what he can do, and I am sure he will use this as motivation when he enters the NFL.

The Oakland Raiders are bringing not only classy, but very smart players into the organization. You can add DHB to the likes of Nnamdi Asomugha and so many others that make up the Raiders roster.

I hope the people who see this video below will take the time to write the NFL and make sure this never happens to another great young man and his family again.

Contacting ESPN would be a waste. Until they wise up and clean up their act, it would be like talking to a wall.

You can watch the interview by hitting the link below.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4100600

Jon Gruden Shows He's Still a Raider at Heart at the NFL Draft

Sonny — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:30:38 -0400

As I watched the NFL Network Crew on Sunday rehash the Raiders' pick of Michael Mitchell, the safety the Raiders picked with the 47th pick of the second round, I had to laugh. I was thrilled with the pick and had just written an article on Mitchell a day before the draft.

Mike Mayock and the rest of the ESPN Crew did not know much about Mitchell, so no team would consider picking this kid that high in the draft, would they? It would be a crazy man's call without the so-called experts that walk on water's OK.

Never mind Mayock admitted not ever watching any film on the kid. Mayock walks on water and does not need to see the kid play in order to put a grade on the kid.

Never mind that the Chicago Bears had Mitchell targeted with their 49th pick per the story in the Chicago Tribune. Once the Raiders selected Mitchell, the Bears traded out of the 49th pick. Wow, the Bears did not rank any of Mayock's players still available as a value at that spot?

Never mind the Dallas Cowboys wanted Mitchell in round two and traded out after the Raiders took Mitchell. The Cowboys stated that the player they wanted was taken at the Raiders' spot and also traded out.

Never mind that the Green Bay Packers, Colts, Texans, and others had Mitchell in for a visit. The "experts" that did not have a clue on this kid were thrown for a loop, and they did not like it.

The Raiders got the safety that they wanted from the get-go by trading down in round two, two spots before he would have come off the board. Looks like value to me if that is your player.

This whole time you have Jon Gruden just sitting there listening to the debate. But if you looked closely, you can see that Gruden has something on his mind.

Then Gruden speaks, and using his hands and arms for effect, he outlines the shape of the globe as he says, "Let me tell you this—the Oakland Raiders are global and have fans all over the world. I have been to Europe, and you see Oakland Raiders gear all over the world. And I can tell you this, I was a Raider. Al Davis could care less about what any of us think or say up here, and that I can promise you."

You could have heard a pin drop. These men that have always shown the Raider bias did not know what to say. Was this the man that they have all portrayed as someone that hates Al Davis and the Raiders?

If you take the time to read Gruden's book, you will see just what he thought of his time with the Raiders and working for Al Davis, and it is nothing like the media portrays it.

At Gruden's press conference when hired by the Bucs, everyone was expecting him to go off on the Raiders and Al Davis. What they received instead was a thank you to Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders for seeing the talent in this young head coach and giving him his chance at the top.

What I witnessed on the NFL Network that day was, "Once a Raider, always a Raider," and you could see he was proud of his days in Oakland. Gruden also was not about to sit there and listen to these clowns spread their hate for anything Raider.

Gruden never got to answer the question asked of him, which was, "Do you think that deep down Al Davis really cares about what we say but just acts like he does not?"

I can give you that answer: Al Davis worries about what you say and thinks about it as much as I do getting jumped by a two-year-old.

Al Davis knows he made a mistake when he let Gruden go and admitted so at a press conference. Al Davis also knows had he kept Gruden at least another year Al would have more than likely added another Super Bowl trophy to the three he has.

It is a new day in Raiderland, but at least as far as Gruden goes, "Once a Raider, Always a Raider."

Oakland Raiders Need Ohio U Safety Michael Mitchell

Sonny — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:23:53 -0400

The safety from Ohio University Michael Mitchell was watching old clips from the NFL one day when he saw a safety that grabbed his attention. Michael stated in an interview that he just had to find out more about the safety he just watched on film.

The safety was the Oakland Raider's hard hitting Jack Tatum. Michael explained in the interview he looked up everything he could on the Internet to learn more about this safety that had so impressed him.

Michael went on to explain that since that day he wanted to play the safety position as Jack Tatum played the position with the Oakland Raiders.

From watching this young man play I can say he would make Jack Tatum proud.

Michael Mitchell is 6'1" tall and 220 lbs. Although he was not invited to the NFL Combine he decided that he would make scouts take notice at his school's pro day. On Michael's first run at 40 yards he recorded a 4.43 and on another try he ran a 4.49 as he let up at the 35 yard mark because of a tweaked hamstring.

When he tackles someone on the field he knocks their legs right out from under them and delivers a wallop. The young man also has the instincts to play the position and reads and reacts on a play very fast. This guy is all over the field and loves the game of football.

I have included a video clip of some of his highlights in College. Watch him as he sits back and at how fast he diagnoses a play and gets to the ball. He arrives at the ball in a hurry and packs a punch on the poor sole that happens to have the ball.

Michael made 62 tackles, forced a pair of fumbles and picked off three passes in his senior year. This young man is just the type of player the Raiders need to put the Raider back in Raider football.

He sure would look good in Silver and Black and has the potential to give the Raiders the type of safety they have been lacking in recent years. I hope the Raiders do what ever they need to do come draft day to make sure this young man is wearing the Silver and Black in 2009. If they do not it will come back to haunt them some day.

Here is a link to Michael Mitchell's Highlights from College.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8KF2-_OXoA

JaMarcus Russell Has Oakland Raiders Future in His Hands

Sonny — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:01:26 -0400

Many articles have been written since the Oakland Raiders have signed QB Jeff Garcia in Free Agency to back up JaMarcus Russell. Many of the articles have implied that the Raiders are not happy with their young quarterback and that the 2009 season will be a make or break season for the young and talented QB.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Articles have taken Coach Cables remarks when answering a question regarding JaMarcus Russell at the owners meeting, and have twisted his words to fit their conclusions.

And with the Raiders bringing in Jeff Garcia, many are mistakenly reading that the Raiders are hedging their bets with regards to JaMarcus Russell's future as a franchise quarterback. Another pie in the sky assumption.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Does JaMarcus Russell have work to do to become the quarterback the Raiders know that he can be? Sure he does. Do the Raiders want him to mature as the leader of the team and work as hard as he can to become the best he can be? Sure they do.

The Oakland Raiders also realize that they drafted JaMarcus Russell coming out of LSU as a junior. JaMarcus Russell, while at LSU, took the majority of the snaps from the shotgun formation and was very seldom under center.

In other words, the Oakland Raiders knew that even though JaMarcus was the No. 1 pick in the draft, he would need some work to overcome his youth and inexperience.

Mr. Davis and the Raiders have always been a little different then many teams in the NFL through the years. When Mr. Davis believes he sees potential greatness in a young athlete, he has never been afraid to take some time to nurture and develop that talent. Nnamdi Asoumgha is just one small example of Mr. Davis at work in this manner.

Do they all work out? No. But when they do, they can be something special. I am getting off track, back to Russell.

Russell's development has been hindered by the trouble with getting him signed and causing him to miss all of camp and the preseason, the mistake of bringing "Lance" Kiffin in as head coach.

Also, the trouble at the tackle positions and protecting Russell, the lack of production at the wide receiver position and no stability in a play caller have and will add to a delay in the young quarterbacks development.

Once Coach Cable had been made the head coach and had time to get his feet under him, you could start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Over the last six games of the season, you could start to see why the Raiders used their first pick in the draft to take JaMarcus Russell.

Over those last six games JaMarcus lead the Raiders to a 3-3 record finishing the season with two wins to end the season against Houston and Tampa Bay.

As JaMarcus Russell started to have better protection, Coach Cable decided to start some of the younger wide receivers and you could see JaMarcus Russell start to settle in and play better.

Having a coach that was willing to pull the trigger with the play calling and call some plays that let JaMarcus throw the ball helped. The young wide receivers started to make some plays and the Raiders offense started to score some points which had been lacking for some time.

As a matter of fact over those last six games JaMarcus Russell had a higher completion percentage and quarterback rating than many of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. You started to see JaMarcus completing many passes between 15 and 30 yards and he was making it look easy.

One could always see that he had the talent just by the way he would hook up with his tight end, Zack Miller. And that was with every team the Raiders played knowing Russell was going to go to Miller.

My point of this article is that NO, the Raiders will not be pulling JaMarcus Russell a few games into the season and replacing him with Jeff Garcia. All teams would love to have an experienced Pro Bowl quality QB coming towards the twilight of their career as a back up in the NFL.

Especially if they were trying to groom a young franchise QB.

That is why Jeff Garcia was brought in to Oakland to give the team a quality back up quarterback. The Raiders also know that it will only speed up JaMarcus Russell's development to be around a quality Pro Bowl veteran such as Jeff Garcia.

Jeff Garcia is going to do all he can to show the Raiders he can be the starter and the competition in camp can only help Russell. Russell will be able to see the work ethic and the time a quarterback must put in to become the best.

Should Russell become hurt and cannot play, the Raiders will have someone that has shown they can step in on a moments notice and lead the team.

Last year was JaMarcus Russell's first year as the full time starter of the Oakland Raiders. With all the problems I have listed above, JaMarcus has shown that he can handle adversity. What I love about the kid is that when he plays a great game he never gets to high and when he has a rough game he never gets to low.

JaMarcus Russell has everything he needs to not only become a good Quarterback but a great Quarterback. He is very cool under pressure and no matter how bad things may get he just keeps coming back and fighting.

JaMarcus Russell is well aware that he has much more work to do to become the quarterback he wants to be. From all accounts, he is right there putting in that work.

I can only try and guess what Coach Cable has in store for the offense for the 2009 season. We already know that the running game will be a major part of the offense. What I find very interesting is a couple of Coach Cables hires on the offensive side of the ball.

Coach Hackett was brought in to be Russell's QB Coach, I think that will be huge. Coach Hackett is well versed in the West Coast Offense as an Offensive Coordinator and has worked and taught many quarterbacks. Ted Tollner has been brought in as a passing game coordinator and has a history of a more down the field passing attack.

I have to laugh when I read all the pundits write that Al Davis's vertical offensive philosophy is just drop back and throw deep. The Raiders of years gone buy have always utilized all parts of the passing game.

In the Super Bowl against the Washington Redskins, the Raiders used the short passing game to dink and dunk to start the game. Once the opportunity presented itself, they would take their shots down the field.

I think that Coach Hackett and Coach Tollner, as well as the addition of Jeff Garcia, was brought in for that specific purpose.

It looks like Coach Cable has put together a plan to develop an offense that will not only utilize parts of the West Coast Offense, but create a hybrid mixing in passes in the 15-to-30-yard range. They are going to create an offense to fit JaMarcus Russell.

As other writers are writing the death of JaMarcus Russell with some of the moves the Raiders have made of late, I see all the moves as a well thought out plan by the Raiders. This plan is to not only put in the players around JaMarcus Russel that he needs to be successful, but to develop an offensive scheme to best utilize Russell's skill set as well.

No, the Oakland Raiders are well aware of the quarterback they have in JaMarcus Russell and they are going to do everything they can do to make him great. I expect JaMarcus Russell to continue to grow this year and expect to see him leading this young team to many a win in the years to come.

JaMarcus does not have to watch his back. The Oakland Raiders and Coach Cable have JaMarcus Russell's back and you can bet the farm JaMarcus Russell has theirs.

Remember, when you are reading some of these negative articles by many of these so called experts, they are the same ones that were calling Nnamdi a bust early in his career. Many are haters and the thought of the Oakland Raiders ending up with a great young and very talented quarterback just irks the hell out of them.

JaMarcus Russell is going to make the Raiders proud. He has everything he needs to set the standard by which all current day quarterbacks are measured. It is all up to him and how bad he wants it. I am betting he wants it pretty bad. Does he have work to do? Sure he does and so do all the players that wear the silver and black.

The foundation has been laid with a much more talented young team then the record from last year shows. With a young head coach in Coach Cable finally bringing in the stability the Raiders have lacked. And with Coach Cable being smart enough to use Mr. Davis and work with him rather then against him, the sky is the limit.

At the center of that sky and the Raiders future is JaMarcus Russell. This young man knows what he must do and the Raiders know what they must do to give J. Russ the best chance to become all he can be. The plan has been put in motion and I expect to see great things, not only from J. Russ, but from the Raiders for the years to come.

Samson Satele, the Oakland Raiders' New Center

Sonny — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:59:04 -0400

I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at Samson Satele, the Oakland Raiders' new Center. And take a look at how his play has compared to Jake Groves during Samson's first two years in the NFL.

The Raiders did not want to pay Jake Grove, their starting Center what the Miami Dolphins were willing to pay him as a Free Agent. And once Jake Grove signed with the Miami Dolphins the Raiders found themselves looking for a new Center.

I think that things worked out pretty well for the Raiders in finding their new Center.

It has been reported that the Oakland Raiders gave Miami their sixth-round pick in this years draft. And switched positions with Miami in the fourth round to acquire Samson Satele from the Dolphins.

Jake Grove will be 29 years old this year and has had a history of injuries while with the Raiders. In Jake Groves' five years with the Raiders he has only started all 16 games during one season in 2006.

In Jake Groves' five years with the Raiders, he has only started 46 games and has averaged 9.2 starts per year for the Raiders. In the one year that Jake Grove has started all 16 games with the Raiders in 2006, he allowed 7.5 sacks for the year.

Samson Satele, on the other hand, started all 16 games for Miami in his Rookie year at Center in 2007. Allowing only two Sacks on the year as a rookie. In Satele's second year in 2008 he again started all 16 games for the Dolphins and allowed four sacks for the year.

Samson Satele as a starter at Center has only allowed one sack per every five games started. And he has been pretty good in not creating Penalties at his position with only six penalties coming from him in 32 games.

Samson Satele while with Miami use to practice against the 3-4 Defence. He has faced some of the best Nose Tackles in the NFL on a regular basis during the regular season while in Miami.

So, coming to the AFC West with many of the Teams either running or going to run the 3-4 D, he should feel right at home.

I re-watched the games that he played last year against New England, Chargers, Jets and the Ravens and he had some nice games. Satele played in more of a power run blocking scheme with Miami. And during the games that I watched from last year, Miami ran right up the gut much of the time and Samson more then handled his own.

I have read where Coach Cable and the Raiders have had their eye on Satele for a while now. Coach Cable must think that Satele will fit his Zone Blocking Scheme and I am looking for Satele to be an upgrade at Center over Grove.

Samson is young and has a much higher upside to me then Grove and should only get better with this only being his third year in the NFL.

The kid is only going into his third year of play in the NFL and is much younger then Jake Grove. The young Center has proved to be very durable and has started every game at Center both his years in the NFL.

Playing against some very good Defences while in Miami he has given up very few Sacks and has caused very few Penalties.

Samson Satele has done this while playing in a power run blocking scheme while in Miami and has done well. I think that he will become even better in the Raiders zone blocking scheme for he is very athletic as a Center and should be able to use that more to his advantage playing for the Raiders.

I do not think that it could have worked out any better for the Raiders with regards to their need at the Center position. When you consider what Miami had to pay Jake Grove in salary and with Grove being a second-round pick.

The Raiders pick up Satele which was also a second-round pick, by just having to give up their sixth0round pick and switching places with Miami in round four.

When you look at the age difference, the history of injury and the play on the field, as well as the cost. I think that the Raiders made a great move in picking up this young man. I am looking forward to seeing Samson Satele in the Silver and Black this coming year at Center.

Welcome to the Silver and Black, Samson Satele. It is great to have you as a part of the Team.

Kahlif Barnes: A Closer Look

Sonny — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:52:08 -0400

It has been reported that the Oakland Raiders have signed free agent offensive lineman Kahlif Barnes to a one year deal. I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at the Raiders' new lineman.

Drafted in the 2005 NFL Draft as the 52nd player taken by the Jaguars, Kahlif Barnes started the last 12 regular season games as a rookie. Coming out in the 2005 NFL Draft, Scouts.com had the 6'5" 325 lb lineman ranked as the 19th best player in the 2005 Draft and had him rated the second best offensive tackle in the draft, behind Alex Barron.

Scouts.com had this to say about the big tackle's positives coming out of college, where he was considered the best football player on his team:

"Big, athletic lineman soaring up the draft boards. Sets with a wide base, works to bend his knees and keeps his feet moving throughout the action. Quick off of the snap and a solid position blocker who seals the running lanes. Patient, makes good use of blocking angles and powerful at the point. Jolts defenders with hand punch and controls them once engaged in a block. Nasty, engulfs opponents or buries them into the ground. Had a sensational week at Senior Bowl practice when he devastated the opposition."

With the Jaguars, Barnes was a part of an offensive line that blocked for the Jaguars' two highest years rushing in team history. He was also a part of a line that lead the NFL in rushing in both 2005 and 2006.

Over his four years as a starter for the Jaguars, he has averaged 4.75 penalties per season. That includes an average of 1.5 false start penalties per year and 2.25 holding penalties per year. Barnes also gave up an average of five sacks per year.

I have just re-watched the games when Barnes started at left tackle for the Jaguars in 2008 against the Steelers, Ravens, and Colts. Barnes looked very good in both his pass blocking and run blocking against some top flight defensive players. Barnes especially did a nice job in pass blocking and in picking up the blitz.

You very seldom see such a young offensive tackle who plays both left tackle as well as right tackle come on the market. Why then did the Jaguars allow Kahlif Barnes to come to market?

Kahlif Barnes has had some off-field problems that have been documented and I think that was the reason the Jaguars decision not to re-sign him.

The guy is just 26 years old and has made a few mistakes. But Barnes stated that he is betting on himself to right the ship by signing his one-year deal with the Raiders. Barnes stated that Al Davis has a proven history of taking care of his own players and that Mr. Davis has promised him that if he handles his business both on and off the field that the Raiders would take care of him.

This is a young and talented offensive tackle who is looking for a fresh start. He has all the talent and tools he needs to be a very good starting tackle in the NFL. I think this was a huge signing for the Oakland Raiders. With the linemen they have coming back and the new signing of Pears, there should be some good competition in camp this year.

If the Raiders can pick up Mack in the early second round or make a decision to trade up a bit to get him we will also have a center who is big enough to take on all the big nose tackles the Raiders will see playing in a division that plays a lot of 3-4 D.

I for one cannot wait to see how this all is going to play out. Coach Cable and Al Davis have done a great job so far in re-working an offensive line; they are getting bigger and we should see more power on the 2009 Oakland Raiders line and much better pass blocking for our young leader JaMarcus Russell.

JaMarcus Russell Starting to Settle in at Quarterback

Sonny — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:32:16 -0400

2008 was JaMarcus Russell's first full year as the starter for the Oakland Raiders. I thought it would be fun to take a look at how he compared to some of the other starters in the NFL.

Russell came out of college as a junior and had never taken a snap from under center while in college. Add in the wasted Lane Kiffin year during Russell's rookie season, and it was clear that Russell would have his work cut out for him.

During the 2008 year, once coach Tom Cable started to settle in, Russell started to show why the Oakland Raiders drafted him with the first pick overall.

I am going to take a look at the last six regular season games that he played in 2008 to see how he stacked up against other starting quarterbacks around the NFL.

Russell went 3-3 over the last six games that he played and finished the last two games of the season with wins against the Texans and Tampa Bay. Russell had a completion percentage of 64.6 percent over these six games.

Matt Cassel (61.3 percent), Ben Roethlisberger (57.1), Tony Romo (58.5), Brett Favre (60), Drew Brees (63), Eli Manning (60), Kurt Warner (58), Joe Flacco (56.7), Matt Ryan (62), and Jay Cutler (62) are a few of the quarterbacks to have lower completion percentages then Russell during this six-game period.

Russell, during this time, threw seven touchdowns and four picks. Cutler, during his last six games, threw six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Of all the quarterbacks listed above, only four threw for more touchdowns, and six threw more picks.

Russell's quarterback rating over his last six games was a 92.5. It was higher than Roethlisberger (79.5), Cutler (78.1), Favre (63.4), Ryan (86), Flacco (85), Eli Manning (84), and Warner (79.9). Cassel's quarterback rating over his last six games was 94.5, not much better than Russell's.

I know that the NFL is all about wins, and Russell went 3-3 during his last six games. Cutler went 2-4, Romo 3-3, Favre 2-4, Brees 3-3, Eli Manning 3-3, and Warner 2-4 during their last six games.

Time will tell just how good Russell can become as a starting quarterback in the NFL. All I know is that the FACTS show that Russell, at the end of last season, showed great improvement, and he played as well as or better than most quarterbacks in the NFL.

With Russell coming out as a junior, never having taken a snap under center, and all that he has been through with the Raiders until Coach Cable, this young man is anything but a bust. The few misguided (and so-called) experts that implied that he is a bust should be looking for another line of work.

As the Raiders start to put the players in place around this young man, I am looking to see great things. Russell has everything he needs to become not just a good quarterback, but a great quarterback in the NFL.

I, for one, am looking forward to watching this young man next year as he leads the 2009 Oakland Raiders.

Al Davis Does It Again

Sonny — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:14:03 -0500

Year in and year out there are many articles written by reporters regarding what the Oakland Raiders will and will not be able to do during the offseason. Many more articles are written claiming some inside scoop on players and what they may or may not do with regards to signing new contracts and so on.

And every year when all is said and done ,most of the claims in these articles prove to be pure fantasy with many based on WILD speculation. I have watched as year in and year out, the complete opposite of what these reporters claim will happen actually happens.

This year I have read that even if an offer is presented to Nnamdi Asomugha, he would not sign it and wants out of Oakland at all costs. I have read that Shane Lechler will not sign an offer with the Raiders and wants out of town at all costs. These reporters have even gone so far as to claim that the players have had all their belongings sent home.

This year, like so many others, none of these reports have turned out to be true. It had been reported that the Raiders would not even be able to use the franchise tag on Asomugha because of the salary cap. It turns out that they were half right on this one for the Raiders did not use the franchise tag on him. Al Davis signed Asomugha to a three-year contract and the Raiders will have the services of the best corner in the NFL over the next few years.

Lechler, who many already had wearing another team's uniform, has also been signed long term. Davis has locked down the who that may turn out as the greatest at his position in NFL History and Lechler will be wearing the silver and black for years to come. I guess Lechler better contact Mayflower Van Lines and have his belongings shipped back to Oakland.

The corner Chris Johnson was another possible free agent who did not want to test the free agent market and signed a long term contract with the Raiders. And it looks like the Raiders will not be using the franchise tag at all this year. Davis and the Raiders went three-for-three with regards to Asomugha, Lechler, and Johnson and as Mr. Davis always does, he took care of business.

Would you expect less from an owner who has had his Raiders play in a record 15 AFC or AFL Championship games under his watch? I am well aware of the Raiders' play on the field over the past six years. But what Team in the NFL does not go through some down times? As a matter of fact, down times are all some teams have ever had.

The Raiders last year showed over their last six games what kind of team they can be. And as the Raiders have always done in the past, when they have had a few lean years, this young team looks to be finding its way back to playing the type of football that has landed the organization in 15 championship games.

And to all the reporters who have shown to be so good at writing fiction over the past few years, I hear that Disney World is hiring and they are in need of writers who can lay out a good story based on fantasy. You would think that some of these writers would learn to hedge their bets just a little, but hey, if you are going to go down with the ship, you might as well grab on for dear life.

All people and all owners in the NFL make some mistakes over time. What makes the great Mr. Al Davis different from the rest is that if he does make a mistake one year on a free agent he brings in, it does not stop him from trying again the following year. And if you go over this Hall of Fame owners history, the man has been right a much higher percentage of the time than he has been wrong. If not for Mr. Davis' vision and knowledge, there would be no corner in the NFL by the name of Asomugha.

Good luck to Mr. Davis and the whole Raiders organization this coming year. My family and I will be in our seats in the Black Hole this year as we are every year. And thank you, Mr. Davis, for all you have brought me over the years as a Raider fan and for all that is yet to come.

Oakland Raiders Could Surprise Next Year

Sonny — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:40:33 -0400

Under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin, the Raiders were competitive in most of the games they played last season, even with a new system on offense.

They had a revolving door at QB and nobody respected their passing game because they did not have one.

The D had trouble stopping the run on any kind of consistent basis, often doing well for a good part of the game only to allow a few huge runs at critical times. This was due to very poor tackling.

Even with all of this the Raiders could have very easily been an 8-8 club last year, losing more than a few games late in the fourth quarter after holding the lead for most of the game.

This year they will start the second season under Coach Kiffin with Jamarcus Russell at QB. Russell was able to watch and learn from the sidelines last year and got his feet wet toward the end of the season.

A full camp and preseason this year for Russell, along with the knowledge that he will be the starter on opening day, will be huge for Russell.

With the offensive line going into their second year under Coach Cable they should only get better. The running game last year was a bright spot. It is said that the blocking scheme Cable brought in takes a season or so for the linemen to learn, and they picked it up better then anyone could have expected last year.

One of the Raiders' LBs told a reporter that Bush was a monster and was one of the Raiders best kept secrets. With Fargas, the other RBs, and the added players on the O line the running game should only get better.

I expect the passing game to be much improved this year as well. The addition of two new WRs, the rookie TE going into his second season, the running game, and Russell should all contribute to the passing game going up.

I also think Rob Ryan and the D will have something to prove this year. Bringing in a safety who is a great tackler and can play the SS position was huge. Adding D. Hall only made an already good secondary better.

There will be more help coming by way of the fourth pick in the draft and whatever other draft day surprises Mr. Davis might have in store for us.

Through all the laughter and the past five bad seasons the Raiders have been adding some very good young players on both sides of the ball. Even the free agents were young; D. Hall is just 24 years old.

They still have work to do, but once fully built the Raiders will be a force for years to come. Much will be riding on how J Russell settles in. Once this kid gets some games in he has the potential to become great. The 2008 season will go down as the year that the Oakland Raiders started to rise from the ashes and reclaim their heritage.

The Raiders are headed back to doing what they have done in year's past that has caused them to be hated by so many today. Mr. Davis is doing it the way he has done it for more than 40 years—and that is his way.

The Raiders played in

3 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES in the 1960s
6 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES in the 1970s
2 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES in the 1980s
1 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES in the 1990s
2 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES in the 2000s to date
5 SUPER BOWLS WINNING 3 to date.
They were also literally a play or two away from playing in another 5 SUPER BOWLS
Under Al Davis they have played in or had been knocking on the door to play in almost 25 percent of all Super Bowls played to date.

Like all teams in the NFL the Raiders have had their lows, but unlike most NFL Teams the Raiders have rose from the ashes decade in and decade out.

The one constant to all of the above has been the Great Mr. Al Davis

If you want to deal in FACT, put the Raider Organization and what they have accomplished up against other NFL Organizations and you will see that only a select few would not hold their head in shame when stood up next to the OAKLAND RAIDERS.

Raider Analysis: A Closer Look at Nnamdi Asomugha

Sonny — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:30:29 -0400

Nnamdi Asomugha name is Nigerian and means "My Father Lives". Nnamdi is the Oakland Raiders 6'2", 210 lb Cornerback.

Drafted by the Raiders in the 2003 draft he was the 31st player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Many of the analyst on TV questioned the Raiders for taking him so high.

Since Asomugha had played the safety position in collage that is the position he expected to play for the Raiders. The Raiders and Al Davis had a little surprise in store for Nnamdi.

The Raiders asked Nnamdi to play cornerback. When the Raiders had told him of their plans he was not thrilled. He had played safety in college and that is were he felt most comfortable.

In an article by Sean Jenson of AOL Sports posted 10/7/07 Asoughma stated, "I thought cornerback was the toughest position, next to QB. I was apprehensive about playing the CB position".

Nnamdi also stated in the above article, "If it was a zone defense then I might have been a little more receptive. Maybe even if it was cover 2, I might have been a little more comfortable".

Well Nnamdi played his first game at CB in 2004 and earned a starting position at CB in 2005. In 2006 Nnamdi had a break out year and was a Pro Bowl alternate at the position.

2007 was a very lonely year for Asoumgha when even Brett Farve and Payton Manning would not challenge him. He only had 31 passes thrown at him all year and only allowed 10 completions for the entire year.

When you consider that many college cornerbacks have been converted to safety but only a slight few have come from college a safety and converted to a CB. And very few have been as successful.

Most shut down CB's are great against the pass but are terrible against the run. With Nnamdi's size and safety skills he is the complete package and is good against the run

Warren Sapp has stated, "He is a lock down corner in a league where there are not many of those guys still around".

When you consider that the Raiders ask Nnamdi to play corner and do his work in man to man coverage, something that few teams trust their corners to do his transition has been remarkable.

Al Davis has been very successful finding talent through the years and has been known to change a players normal position.

One personnel executive stated "When I first saw him, I saw a tall, lean player and I wondered if he would be able to play the position".

Well wonder no more my friend Nnamdi Asomugha has turned into in my opinion the best cornerback in the NFL. And once Deangelo Hall puts his name on the dotted line the Raiders will not have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL.

Per Rod Woodson of NFL Network the Raiders will have the best pair of cornerbacks in the NFL.

Done Deal: DeAngelo Hall Traded to the Oakland Raiders

Sonny — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:54:43 -0400

At ajc.com they are reporting that D. Hall stated on Tuesday that his deal to be traded to the Raiders will be signed by this coming Thursday.

It has been reported by NFL Network and else where that the Raiders and Atlanta have already agreed on the trade.

The Raiders are reported to be giving up their second-round pick, number 34 overall, and possibly a sixth-round pick.

The Raiders will pair the two time Pro Bowl CB up with Nnamdi Asoumgha to form arguably the best pair of corners in the NFL.

On Monday the deal was reported to almost be completed only to stall on Monday. Although the Raiders and Atlanta had agreed on the trade in principal.

Hall only had two years remaining on his contract and could void the second year. The Raiders had to try and get Hall to sign a new long term deal and apparently mission accomplished.

Raiders Analysis: A Closer Look at Javon Walker

Sonny — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:26:22 -0400

When it became apparent Denver would release Javon Walker and he would become a free agent, Michael Smith of ESPN.com reported that "at least 10 teams," including all four NFC East franchises, were in contact with Walker's agent.

I have read the 49ers, Bills, Panthers, and Vikings also reached out to Walker's agent Kennard McGuire regarding Walker. And that does not include the Oakland Raiders, who ended up signing Walker.

By my count, that is almost half of the teams in the NFL that had showed interest in signing Walker. From reading and listening to many articles and reports regarding Walker by most of the media, Walker is a washed up player with a gimp knee.

Why would all these teams in the NFL jump to sign, and I am paraphrasing, "an injured flash in the pan wide receiver with no better then Jerry Porter talent?"

One reason pointed out by the Pittsburgh Gazette's Gerry Dolac reffered to when Pittsburgh assigned its best CB Ike Taylor to cover Walker during a game. Walker caught six passes for 134 yards including two 10-yard fades for touchdowns against Taylor.

And that does not include Javon Walker's 72-yard touchdown run on a reverse.

This same Steelers CB had covered Randy Moss, Chris Chambers, and Chad Johnson earlier in the season and did not allow a touchdown by any of the receivers.

A quote by Ike Taylor after the game, "Mama said there would be days like this."

When Bill Belichick was asked at a press conference on Sept. 20, 2006, how close the Pats were from receiving a visit from Javon Walker Belichick laughed, "How close? About four plan reservations. He was close to being on the plane to coming here but never made it."

Javon Walker is a big, strong receiver with speed. He is strong enough to get off the line and has the speed to stretch the field.

Javon Walker is a No. 1 receiver and a go-to guy who can run all the routes. Walker goes after the ball in the air and has freakish athletic talent.

Walker is a vertical playmaker who excels with double moves and deep routes off the play action. Javon Walker is an elite wide receiver and that is why so many teams tried to sign him.

The Oakland Raiders have not had a true No. 1 wide receiver for a while, and it was a need. With a QB like JaMarcus Russell, you have to surround him with players he can get the ball to.

Reports are that Walker is fully healthy and has been working out in Arizona getting ready for his first season in the silver and black.

And one thing is almost guaranteed, Walker will at least have two killer games a year when the Raiders play Denver. That I cannot wait to see.