Teams Las Vegas Raiders - The Black Hole

[Oakland Raider]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

That depends on your intelligence level.

Refreshing from the Raider leader, makes the press look like amateurs

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

The HOF inductees will be coming soon.

From Jerry McDonald's blog...

Bay Area News group columnist Monte Poole makes the case in today’s publications that former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown is no lock to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

I’ll go Monte one better and say Brown shouldn’t make it.

Brown may deserve to go in one day, but not until Cliff Branch gets there first.

And Branch, who didn’t make the cut list, isn’t going in any time soon.

Al Davis makes yearly pleas for Jim Plunkett, and to a lesser extent Tom Flores.

Many of you can’t imagine why Ken Stabler hasn’t made the grade.

Branch seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle of great Raiders despite being a vertical threat into his 30s and posting numbers (501 receptions, 8,685 yards, 67 touchdowns) that dwarfed those of Lynn Swann (336 receptions, 5,462 yards, 51 touchdowns). He was the essence of the Raiders’ vertical passing game that Davis is to this day still trying to recapture.

For those who don’t think Branch had the kind of huge, career-capturing moment which Swann did during his NFL Films Super Bowl highlight reel, you weren’t in attendance the day he made a diving catch of an underthrown Ken Stabler bomb, then got up and completed an 72-yard touchdown play in the Sea of Hands game. He had three touchdowns in three Super Bowl wins _ the same number Swann scored in four Super Bowl wins.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

WTF, bizarre...

Rumsfeld calls the Raiders "evil"

We'll know the Raiders have truly returned when defense secretary Robert Gates calls the Raiders "evil."

By now the end-of-interview comment from former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld has made the rounds. Talking with the Financial Times on Super Bowl Sunday, Rumsfeld asked interviewer Gideon Rachman if he was rooting for the Steelers or the Packers.

Rachman said he was picking Pittsburgh "because of the epic games against the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s."

Rumsfeld's response?

"Nobody could support the Raiders. They're evil."

Nice isn't it? Any outrage in Raider Nation is misplaced.

"Evil" sure beats "dysfunctional," "inept" or "incompetent." It harkens back to a time when the Raiders were feared instead of mocked.

The Raiders got some of that fear factor back last year in going 8-8 and looking dominant in some instances while doing it.

The next step?

Get rid of all the pre-snap penalties and don't worry about the fouls of aggression. If Richard Seymour deems it appropriate to deck Ben Roethlisberger, make sure it happens in a win instead of a one-sided loss.

Where the Raiders are concerned, evil is good.

 

[sherrinorburley]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

So glad the "former defense secretary" is of that opinion.

 

[GeeCats07]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

I know it's form last week, but wanted to see everyones thoughts. I don't mind it, personally. A fair bit of money, but we needed to lock down a CB to take over from Asomugha and Routt did improve alot this past season. Not amazingly or anything, but is no slouch.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6159813

 

[Pied Piper]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

I know it's form last week, but wanted to see everyones thoughts. I don't mind it, personally. A fair bit of money, but we needed to lock down a CB to take over from Asomugha and Routt did improve alot this past season. Not amazingly or anything, but is no slouch.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6159813

He's definately no slouch, but I still hold out hope we can resign Aso. He may be over 30, but he' still good a CB for a year or two, then he can move to S, like Rod did. I would throw the money at him.

But Routt is ok and getting better. Anyway, now that the over-priced, under-performed Gallery has walked, I reckon we need to focus on the OL in the draft. With pick 48 we might get something there.

What positions do you all think we should focus on with our picks? I definately think our OL...G, C and T.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

OL for sure.
WR/CB wont go astray either.

 

[DB10]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Marcel Reece on the Footy Show tonight.

Bit awkward when they forgot his name though ...

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Lol...

JaMarcus Russell’s Life Coach Tells Him To Get Lost
Corey Nachman | Apr. 14, 2011, 5:49 PM | 1 | comment

JaMarcus Russell has disappointed his life coach for the last time.

John Lucas, the life coach that took on the task of reigniting the fire inside of JaMarcus Russell to finally reach his potential has given up, and has asked the former #1 pick to go home.

After Russell’s July 2010 arrest for possession of codeine, Lucas (the former NBA star) attempted to help the quarterback get his life in order.

The initial reports were that Russell was working hard at getting back into game shape, and that things were going well.

Something clearly went awry between then and November when he showed up to a workout with the Washington Redskins weighing 288 pounds, and then 292 pounds to a Miami Dolphins workout a week later. Whatever happened since has squashed all of Lucas’ desire to help the troubled athlete out.

John Lucas has had an excellent track record with reforming maligned athletes in the past, including Darryl Strawberry, but this is the first time he has given up on somebody.

Click to read more

Nearly four years after JaMarcus Russell(notes) became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, his playing career may have completely bottomed out after “life coach” John Lucas asked Russell to leave Houston recently, two sources close to the quarterback told Yahoo! Sports.

Russell, 25, and Lucas had been working together since September in hopes of getting Russell into shape for a return to the NFL. The aforementioned sources say Russell, released by the Oakland Raiders last May, initially worked hard, but quickly lost motivation. Recently Lucas tired of trying to get Russell, the top pick in 2007, to respond to instruction and assistance.

Lucas did not return several phone messages left for him, and agents Eric Metz and Ethan Locke did not want to discuss Russell’s condition. However, the sources said Russell’s lack of effort had driven even Lucas, who has made a career of helping athletes and others with drug and addiction problems, to the point of frustration.

In addition to Lucas, TNT analyst and former NBA star Charles Barkley tried to motivate Russell, according to one of the sources. Both Barkley and Russell are from Alabama, prompting the Hall of Famer to take an interest in Russell.

“The title of your article should be, ‘It’s Over,’ ” the same source said. “It’s just amazing that you could say that about somebody who is 25 years old and just got drafted four years ago. But it’s been almost a year since he got cut and there’s no interest. Even before the lockout, nobody wanted to get near the kid.”

The most telling moment may have come in January when, according to the source, Baltimore Ravens president Ozzie Newsome, also an Alabama native, refused a request to meet with Russell. Newsome was in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. Russell grew up in Mobile and was there at the time. The hope of the meeting was to find a way to motivate Russell by meeting Newsome, one of the top executives in the NFL and a Hall of Famer as a player.

Russell, who lost his starting job in Oakland prior to his release and was arrested in July for possession of a controlled substance, cemented his reputation for poor work habits with two unimpressive showings at workouts with the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins in November. Russell showed up for the Redskins workout on Nov. 2 weighing 288 pounds. Two weeks later, Russell showed up for the workout with the Dolphins weighing 292 pounds.

Lucas became increasingly frustrated with Russell starting in December, when Russell’s work habits continued to deteriorate.

After being the top pick, Russell missed all of training camp as a rookie in a contract dispute before signing a six-year, $62 million contract including $31 million guaranteed money.

“It’s such a waste of talent,” the source said. “It’s hard to believe a guy with that much ability could let it just waste. It’s sad. … It’s like they say, you can’t coach desire.”

Click to read full article

 

[GeeCats07]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

What are we hoping for on Friday?
If Mallett drops then I think we will draft him. But if he doesn't then CB or OL would be the best choice. Johnny Patrick or Ras-I Dowling at CB would be great if they dropped to us. Haven't read up enough on the OL prospects yet. Anyone got any good tackles for us?

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

After day one of the draft, Hue Jackson speaks about the Raiders war-room during that...

Click to read full article

The Raiders did not have a selection in the first round of the NFL draft for the first time since 1989 and are scheduled to pick at No. 48 Friday.

Raiders coach Hue Jackson said he and owner Al Davis considered several opportunities, but none of them was the right fit. He reiterated the Raiders already have their first round pick _ Richard Seymour, who cost Oakland the No. 17 selection the Patriots used to pick offensive tackle Nate Solder out of Colorado.

Some of the things addressed by Jackson regarding the first round and players beginning to return to work Friday:

The scene in the draft room

“There was so much phone-calling going on in that room like you wouldn’t believe. There were a lot of opportunities but nothing that really fit for us . . . obviously the player has to be there when you want to trade with somebody, and there were several phone calls made but it just didn’t fit for us at this time.’’

The experience of running a draft with Davis

“Just seeing the different dynamics that happen, getting a phone call, talking to him saying, `Hey, what do you think about this? What do you think about that? `No.’ Then we talk about a few more things. `Maybe.’ Then we talk about a few more things. `No way.’

The position in the draft of teams that called

“Oh you’d be surprised. A little bit of everywhere. I think a lot of people wanted to get out of the first round.
“ It’s a different type of draft obviously because of what’s been going on so I think a lot of teams wanted to make sure that value of a player was very important, so I think from everywhere there was about every team really truly discussing trying to move out of it and some teams were trying to move in.’’

The confluence of the draft and return of players to work

“I love chaos. Bring it on. That’s probably when I’m at my best. I love it. All kinds of stuff was flying around today, right? We get our players back. All of a sudden they say ‘Hey you get to talk to them now,’ and that’s what we did. We tried to talk to every last one of them or text them. We did it all today.
“I tried to call every last one of them. I called them. I texted them. I got calls back. We did it today.’’

Whether he’s confident about getting the player they’ve targeted at No. 48

“I feel pretty good. I mean, there’s still a lot of good players on that board, a lot of guys that we evaluated and are sitting there for us. This is a process, it can change, you can wake up in the morning and after our first pick the whole board can go upside down or it can stay consistent and just keep on flowing. But there’s a lot of good players from the Raiders to choose from starting tomorrow.’’

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

http://www.ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders/2011/04/29/mallett-and-other-day-2-notes/

Figures I obtained recently reveal the Raiders have spent or committed $164,105,636 to 13 first-round draft picks since the year 2000.

The five drafts in which Oakland picked in the top eight _ covering Rolando McClain, Darrius Heyward-Bey, JaMarcus Russell, Michael Huff and Robert Gallery, account for $136,686,636 _ or $22,781.106 per player.

Here’s how it breaks down in terms of guaranteed compensation for all first-round picks since 2000:

2010 LB Rolando McClain, No. 8 overall, $22,825,000.
2009 WR Darrrius Heyward Bey, No. 7 overall, $23,500,000
2008 RB Darren McFadden, No. 4 overall, $26,042,500.
2007 QB JaMarcus Russell, No. 1 overall, $32,019,120
2006 S Michael Huff, No. 7 overall, $15,000,000
2005 CB Fabian Washington, No. 23 overall, $5,538,000
2004 T Robert Gallery, No. 2 overall, $17,300,016
2003 CB Nnamdi Asomugha, No. 31 overall, $3,575,000
2003 DE Tyler Brayton, No. 32 overall, $3,520,000
2002 CB Phillip Buchanon, No. 17 overall, $4,900,000
2002 LB Napoleon Harris, No. 23 overall, $4,295,000
2001 S Derrick Gibson, No. 28 overall, $2,611,000
2000 K Sebastian Janikowski, No. 17 overall, $2,611,000

 

[Pied Piper]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Wisniewski as first pick? Really? I know he fills the hole left by Gallery, but with a few more OL (G) prospects on the board (Rackley, Boling) surely one of them would still be there at 81! Mind you, we did need some help stuffing blitzes to give Campbell and our wides more time, and his scouting report says he's got the smarts to read defences well.

I would have risked that he'd still be there at 81 and gone for help stopping the run. Shame Ayers was grabbed 9 before our first pick.

 

[Pied Piper]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Happy to trade for picks with the Patriots (to now have 2x2nd and 2x3rd round picks).

Not happy to take Van Dyke at 81. As usual, Davis puts a premium on athleticism.

Pissed off that we missed Bailey (DL). Would have been an instant improvement for our run defence.

What's the next wasted pick?...

 

[Dagless]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

I really liked the Wiz pick.

You traded your second next year for a 3rd and 4th this year by all accounts.

 

[Pied Piper]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Sorry, that's 2 3rd and 2 4th round picks.

 

[manureid]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Al with his annual 40 time pick.....

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Van Dyke has some progress to make, but Rod Woodson coaching good things can come out of W.McFadden, Ware, S.Brown, M.Mitchell, T.Branch, S.Routt, and Van Dyke.

For anyone wondering about Barksdale, here's a good scouting report from last year on him. Bit of a steal. We really needed to address the OL, in particular the right side of the line. We're gonna lose many OL to free agency.

Walterfootball:

Joseph Barksdale Scouting Report
By Matt McGuire

Strengths:
Solid size and frame to add bulk
Long arms
Very light on his feet
Fluid, smooth athlete
Outstanding technician
A natural knee bender and keeps pads low
Love his balance and body control
Patient pass protector; sits in his stance, not over-aggressive
Displays explosiveness
Nice range and can be isolated 1v1
Reacts quickly to counter moves; good instincts
Understands angles
Comfortable in space
Starter in SEC since sophomore year
Terrific hand punch; keeps hands inside
Fantastic agility
Gets solid arm extension
Moves to second level with ease
Heavy hands
Highly consistent in pass protection
Huge upside and potential
Durable
Great skill set for an NFL left tackle

Weaknesses:
Doesn’t always finish his blocks
Not the most powerful run blocker
A little finesse; might lack a mean streak
Could get more push in run game
Occasionally misses assignments
Lacks some vision and awareness

Summary: I don’t understand why Barksdale isn’t more well regarded as a 2011 NFL Draft prospect nationally, but I really don’t care. I have watched a lot of tape on the most lauded 2010 NFL Draft tackle prospects, and Barksdale’s games are easily the best. He has a very high upside and has the raw talent to be an elite left tackle in the NFL with the prototype technique to boot. He needs to prove he can man the blind side as a senior at LSU, but I think when it’s all said and done, he will at least go in the first two rounds.

I have questions with Barksdale (pure speculation on my part) because he seems to miss a block or two per game, and I’m slightly concerned about his intelligence. That said, I’m giving Barksdale a first-round grade to start the 2010 season and he’s my No. 1 offensive tackle prospect for the 2011 NFL Draft.

Player Comparison: Joe Staley. Staley and Barksdale both have the raw athleticism and high level of technique you look for in left tackles, but they are both finesse pass protectors who aren’t very powerful in the run game.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

With a pick left in the 7th....

2011 NFL Draft Individual Grades:

48. Stefen Wisniewski, C/G, Penn State
This makes too much sense. The Raiders have a huge need at center, and Stefen Wisniewski is the best player at that position in this class (I’m counting Mike Pouncey as a guard). Oakland had a great 2010 NFL Draft, and they’re off to a good start this year. (Pick Grade: A)

81. DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami
I’m not going with any “great playa” jokes because I’ve always felt that DeMarcus Van Dyke was an underrated prospect. I’m glad to see him go in Round 3 because he’s very talented. The Raiders needed a corner given that Nnamdi Asomugha probably won’t be back next year. (Pick Grade: B)

92. Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
Let me get this out of the way – Joseph Barksdale fills a need on a pedestrian offensive line and provides decent value at the bottom of Round 3. This pick alone would probably be a B.

However, the Raiders acquired this selection from New England 10 picks ahead of time. What if Barksdale wasn’t on the board? And why do the Raiders continue to trade away future early-round selections? They really need to stop doing this. It’s getting ridiculous. (Pick Grade: Undead Al)

113. Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Ohio State
Another “great playa” for Al Davis! I actually really like this selection. I slotted Chimdi Chekwa to the Raiders in the third round of my 2011 NFL Mock Draft, so Oakland is getting some value with this speedy corner. They really had to address the position. (Pick Grade: A)

125. Taiwan Jones, RB, Eastern Washington
I better not receive another e-mail from a Raider fan telling me that the “great playa” jokes are played out. The only reason I didn’t mock Taiwan Jones to Oakland is because I didn’t think he’d be available past the middle of Round 4. Jones provides great value, but I’m not sure how he fits. He doesn’t project as a great complement for Darren McFadden. (Pick Grade: C)

148. Denarius Moore, WR, Tennessee
It wouldn’t be an NFL Draft if the Raiders didn’t select a speedy receiver. Denarius Moore is really good value pick in the middle of Round 5. He was projected into the third round by some. (Pick Grade: A)

181. Richard Gordon, TE, Miami
University of Miami tight end Richard Gordon has visited the Oakland Raiders, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation. The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.66 seconds and bench pressed 225 pounds at his campus Pro Day workout. He has posted a 32 1/2 inch vertical leap and a 9-1 broad jump. Gordon has dealt with shoulder injuries in the past. He’s known as a strong blocker and special-teams contributor, returning five kickoffs for 104 yards.

 

[GeeCats07]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

I like the Taiwan Jones pick. I had read that we might take him earlier, but we waited another round or so and still got him. Bush is going to go and we need another RB. He has been bulking up and will continue to do so before the season.

I love that we got two players who can come in and start on our O-Line right away. We only have two contracted O-Linemen (i think that's right) so we needed to bring some guys in. I still think we will have a go at a big free agent or two once the league opens up again.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Yeah, free agency is a huge unknown right now for everyone's draft boards. The good thing about this draft is many teams, including Oakland, really found some gems and had some steals in the late rounds. Just to focus on Oakland, Moore is a great find, he could surprise all during the season, emerging as a go-to receiver. Ausberry (not mentioned above) is a big redzone unit. Barksdale has some 1st/2nd round grade/value, and we got him late 3rd. Van Dyke and Chekwa are very good prospects under Ross and Woodson DB coaching they, and Ware/McFadden/Brown/Mitchell should come on strong, and Gordon and those mentioned above also help our Special Teams a lot.

In free agency, including the tons of undrafted players, it's again a promising season to kick on from last seasons effort.

 

[GeeCats07]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Yeah Moore does look quite good. In all his highlights he seems to have good hands and gets separation on a lot of his routes. 16 TD's in his last two seasons shows he can find the endzone as well. We should pick up Tolliver as well. He is a big receiver who did nothing but make plays at LSU.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

The pressure is on DHB to 'get it' i feel. Maybe even Schilens regarding his health only, cos if healthy Schilens is excellent.

We've got like 10 or more receivers currently, and we could even get Chad Johnson, maybe Steve Smith, in FA, we don't know yet. But with the 10 we have, and only about 5 rosterable, it will spell the end for Nick Miller, JLH, and maybe DHB? if Moore especially comes on.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Re: Oakland Raiders: "The Black Hole"

Measuring heart as well as speed, size

By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Sunday, May 1st, 2011 at 10:47 am in Oakland Raiders.

After letting the three-day draft marinate for several hours, here’s what I come up with concerning the Raiders’ Class of 2011:

The most important adjustment Al Davis has made the past two years is in heeding information about a player’s desire and level of commitment to go along with the physical attributes that will always be a big part of the way he selects players.

Davis still wants the Raiders to look good coming off the bus. It’s just that now he wants them to look good while carrying their playbooks.

The Raiders will still miss on occasion, something that happens to every team in the NFL. But at least they’ll miss on someone who appears to care. Say what you want about 2009 first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey and second-round selection Mike Mitchell, but any failure to become a frontline NFL player won’t be because they were lacking in desire.

It seemed to be a common theme among this year’s class, from center Stefen Wisniewski right on through receiver David Ausberry _ the talent to contribute and a willingness to work for it. Cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke, tackle Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones, as well as Wiz II, all had an appealing humbleness about them that indicated they were taking their team and their sport very seriously. The same goes for cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, available by conference call.

It was a trait that ran through last year’s celebrated draft class as well. Middle linebacker Rolando McClain could be a bit quirky, but there seemed to be no doubting his willingness to learn and grow in the mental part of the game. Lemarr Houston, Jared Veldheer, Jacoby Ford, Bruce Campbell, Walter McFadden, Travis Goethel, Jeremy Ware, Stevie Brown . . . all appeared to have a grasp on the challenge ahead as it pertained to work ethic and attitude.

That hasn’t always been the case. Maybe it was the legendary indifference of JaMarcus Russell that caused this shift in philosophy, but there were plenty of examples preceding Russell.

Fabian Washington, the first-round pick in 2005, admitted after being traded to Baltimore he was immature and didn’t grasp the concept of being a professional in Oakland.

Going back to 2002 and 2003, I can think of three players who weren’t bad guys but came to the Raiders and conducted themselves as if they had everything figured out _ tight end Teyo Johnson (2003), cornerback Phillip Buchanon (2002) and linebacker Napoleon Harris (2002), the latter two first-round draft picks.

Second-overall pick Darrell Russell arrived in 1997 with a reputation of taking plays off and not being entirely serious about his profession. They got a couple of Pro Bowl years out of Russell, but if a Russell-like player came out now, you wonder if the Raiders would take a pass.

The Raiders traded up twice in 1996 to take tight end Rickey Dudley, who caught 29 touchdown passes in five seasons but never achieved the stardom his skill set seemed to warrant. Dudley wasn’t a head case or a slacker. But after doing a profile on him dating back to his days in high school, it was clear Dudley’s first love was basketball and he admitted as much.

Dudley liked football and appreciated the opportunity, but he loved basketball. It was his passion.

I asked Hue Jackson if there were players taken off the board regardless of their skill set based on red flags gathered through an interview or research.

“There’s no question,” Jackson said. “Obviously the measureables are important. We want the guy to be as big as he can be, as agile as he can be, as fast as he can be. But at the end of the day, he’s got to want to play football. And that’s what it comes down to.

“You’ve got to like the toughness, the physical nature of this sport, and if you don’t do that, you can’t be successful in this league.”

Is combine flash Van Dyke a reach in the third round? Perhaps. He’s alarmingly thin as well, with legs that look like pencils. Rod Woodson signed off on him, however, and that should count for something.

Taiwan Jones, the fourth-round pick, also comes off as earnest and sincere. He’ll be fine about his role and isn’t going to be demanding the ball any time soon. Considering Darren McFadden’s injury history and Jackson’s love for running the ball, Jones could come along sooner than expected.

As for physical “freaks” such as tight end Richard Gordon and Ausberry, taking a calculated risk on a superior athlete is simply the Raider way. The difference is now they’re taking a closer look at the heart to go along with the body.

source

.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Good to see Jason Campbell getting together with some teammates (receivers) during the lockout doing their own personal workouts etc.

http://yfrog.com/user/Jcampbell8/photos