After spending months researching 6 players (Both Longs, Gholston, McFadden, Dorsey and Ellis) that I thought would fit in well with the Raiders, I am interested in following these six players all season and here is what I've found about them after their first camps:

Jake Long:

"Just on first impression, I see him go through bag drills, I see him do some of those things," said Sparano, a former offensive line coach. "In individual (drills), you can see some flashes and some power and some of those things, but we have a long way to go here."

Flashes?...Hmmm?...I guess that is fine if you aren't expecting to win for a few more years.

It also looks like he might not even be the Left Tackle:

"It doesn't matter to me," Long said Friday. "I know what I'm capable of. I trust the coaches that they'll coach me to the best of their ability. I'm going to learn from them, and whatever side they want to put me at, I'll play. It doesn't matter."

Chris Long:

For every question about Jake Long, there is nothing but praise for 'Son of Howie", Chris Long.

"I think Chris had a great first day out," Linehan said. "I noticed him a few times. He was doing everything he is supposed to do. I know one time he got a nice rush on the passer, which is good to see. What is funny about Chris is that he just goes. You don't hear him talk a lot, which I like. He just goes 100 miles an hour, which is nice."

And for those that were wondering whether or not he'd wear #75...He isn't:

Long wore No. 72 on his jersey. The No. 91 that he wore in college was already taken by defensive end Leonard Little and he wanted to avoid wearing the No. 75 worn by his famous father.

"I saw the available number and I was like 'Oh that would be cool. Seventy-two sounds good, something different,"' Long said. "You know (New York Giants defensive end) Osi (Umenyiora) wears it so maybe I'll get a little faster."

Darren McFadden:

He is already the best "Football Player" on the team. EVERY Raider fan has got to be excited about seeing him play in 2008.

For those of you who are afraid of McFadden's fumble-itus, Lane Kiffin gives us this perspective:

"...as you look at his fumbles, over half were at quarterback or on kickoff returns. There aren't as many as it looks right away when you look purely at a running back, but it's something we're looking at."

Glen Dorsey:

(To Be Continued)

In the 2008 campaign, the Raiders will go 9-7, and here's how they'll do it:

AFC West: (3-3) First off, I fully expect the Raiders to lose both games to the Chargers.  Last year, the Raiders split with the Broncos and, as we all remember, the loss came on a field goal Janikowski made in the final seconds which was negated by the wiley time out call by Broncos coach, Mike (insert expletives) Shanahan.  Subsequently, Janikowski missed the field goal and we lost the game.  Regardless, there is no reason to fear the Broncos this year.  The Chiefs may or may not have made greater strides than the Raiders this off-season (everyone is praising their draft) but consider:  the Raiders have two former heisman candidates at running back who are, or will essentially be, rookies this year, a safety who will be a rookie this year at his natural position, plus the rest of the actual draft picks the Raiders picked up.  Not a bad "draft class."  Anyway, I can't say for certain where the Raiders will get 3 wins in the division, but I do think they will get 3 of 4 against the Broncos and Chiefs and, therefore, 3-3. 

AFC East. (2-2) A loss to the Pats is expected.  A win against the Dolphins is expected, again this year.  It's hard to imagine the Raiders not beating the Jets and, frankly, I can see them beating the Bills, too.  For arguments sake though, I'll give a split on the Bills and Jets.  2-2. 

NFC South. (3-1) Carolina and Atlanta should be wins.  Tampa Bay and New Orleans are both more than capable of being better than, and beating, the Raiders but, if history has anything to say about it, one of these teams is going to be absolutely terrible this year, despite their talent.  Whichever one happens to be the terrible one loses to the Raiders and, so, 3-1. 

The two worst teams of the other two AFC divisions. (1-1) Come on.  We can beat either the rapidly declining Ravens or the who-knows-what-you're-going-to-get Texans.  We can.  Really.  Split 1-1. 

Total: (9-7)  The main reason I think 9-7 is possible is that, while the above is logical for reasons far beyond what I've gotten into here, there are situations where the above is conservative and others where it's optimistic.  For example, I don't think it would be a huge stretch to go 3-1 in the AFC East.  We could beat everyone but the Patriots.  I don't think it would be impossible to go 4-2 in our division, if we start to gel, and we could also go 2-4.  We might go 2-2 (instead of 3-1) in the NFC South games, but I think we could beat both the Ravens and the Texans instead of splitting them, though we've had little luck with the latter.  If 8-8 is conservative and 10-6 is optimistic, then 9-7 seems realisitic. 

The down side, of course, is that we likely don't make the playoffs at 9-7.  The upside is considerable though.  Al’s (and our) confidence in Lane Kiffin will go up, Nnamdi might be more inclined to come back, and a couple more free agents who want to go to a team on the brink might be willing to join up next off-season.  I don't want to speculate on the future of the Raiders beyond this year (besides winning a whole bunch of Super Bowls), but I think things are on the up and up.  9-7 would be a great start. 

Go Raiders!

Raiders | McFadden's versatility used in practice Saturday
Sat, 10 May 2008 21:35:48 -0700

Josh Dubow, of the Associated Press, reports Oakland Raiders RB Darren McFadden worked primarily at tailback in his first day of practice with the team. He showed off his variety of skills Saturday, May 10, when he lined up as a wide receiver at times, ran the ball out of the I-formation and worked at quarterback in some individual drills.

 

It looks like Lane is already having fun with his new toy!!!

   With the everlasting presence that is Al Davis, I have been push and pulled in different ways since I was a child.  My father, one of 10 children, instilled in us the institution that was being a Raider fan. 

   Growing up, I learned about how Al was such an influence in the merger, about how he hired the first Latino head coach in Tom Flores, the first African American head coach in Art Shell, and the first female executive in Amy Trask: the marks of an innovator. 

   His growing the Raider brand has been most impressive.  He brought many great years to the fans of the Raider Nation, and has acknowledged that by annointing the Raiders as the "team of the decades."  The legacy of great teams, great players, and a slew of timeless games with outrageous endings.  Endings that could only be described with a legendary name like "The Immaculate Reception". 

   The greatness that is Al Davis has been well documented.  Even people that may not be on the best terms with Al, a la Gruden and Kiffin (reportedly), they will only characterize him as a hands on owner with a wealth of knowledge and a legend in the game.  So where are we now, as of today?  Is Al the innovating legend that is unfairly characterized, and misunderstood?  Or has he been the single most destructive force from within the once proud Raider organization?

   If you listened to every available form of media, Al is the latter, and not the former.  He runs the drafts, chooses the free agents, and runs (or tries to run) coaches out of town that aren't loyal "yes" men.  The Raider job is apparently the job that nobody wants, and the cycle plays itself out again and again. 

   I find myself struggling between wanting to believe that the Raiders are a part of a conspiracy, a product of being a Raider fan from birth, and accepting the truth that seems to reveal itself.  The mere mention of dysfunction can send some of the more "faithful" Raider fans into a name calling rant to include, but not limited to, "traitor", while I've read others say that the Raiders will remain irrelevant until he goes away, or dies.  Harsh.

   So I've decided that Al Davis can neither be regarded as a gift or a curse, because he has become equal parts of both.  You can't deny the contributions that he's made to the game, and yet, there is also no denying his influence on the recent history of the franchise.  You can only describe Al as "The Gift and the Curse".   

I know this is relatively pointless, but I'm just trying to liven up the offseason. I decided to see your all's favorite Oakland Super Bowl winning team.

Super Bowl XI: Ah what an amazing Super Bowl. Ken Stabler's excellent performance, Willie Brown's record interception return, and Jack Tatum's leveling of Sammy White. However, this Super Bowl victory almost didn't happen. Ray Guy's blocked punt gave the Vikings the ball on the Raider's one. But the Raiders stood strong forcing a fumble. After that, Dave Casper caught pases to take Oakland far down the field. Then Biletnikoff set up a touchdown on the one. Casper caught it once again. After that, Biletnikoff set up two more touchdowns. The Raiders played the Vikings defense with runs to the left earning over a 100 yards on a variation of one play. Skip Thomas also covered Sammy White so closely, he didn't catch a single pass in the first half. Truly a brilliant Super Bowl. Score: 32-14.

Super Bowl XV: My second fave. Jim Plunkett earned MVP, but the real story for me was Rod Martin. One this day, he earned a Super Bowl record 3 interceptions. Nose Tackle Reggie Kinlaw busted up the run game. This Super Bowl almost didn't go well either. Quick thinking saved an Oakland touchdown. Jim Plunkett was getting pressured and a nearby Eagles linebacker kept him from passing to Cliff Branch. After moving up at the last second, the linebacker was forced to stop a possible run. Plunkett let go of the quick dart and it was an Oakland score. An Eagles touchdown was also negated by a penalty which could have tied the game. There were several more close calls but nevertheless the Raiders won as the first Wild Card team to win a Super Bowl. Score: 27-10

Super Bowl XVIII: A.K.A Black Sunday, this was easily the most stacked Super Bowl roster. Howie Long, Cliff Branch, Marcus Allen, Michael Haynes, Lester Hayes, Rod Martin, and many more. Marcus Allen won MVP honors by earning two Super Bowl rushing records for longest TD run and most yards with 191. The defense was of course an integral part of the victory. Hall of Famer Art Monk didn't catch a pass in the first half. John Riggins couldn't run the ball as he was always swallowed up by LB blitzes and Nose Tackle Reggie Kinlaw. There was also the ingenious HB screen pass interception by Jack Squirek for a TD. The first score was a blocked punt for a TD. Joe Theismann was constantly pressured by a powerful D-Line and a strong blitz from the linbackers. This was the most dominating Super Bowl by the Raiders and a very uncompetitive one. The Redskins, the team which scored more points in the season than any other, was engulfed by the churning storm of the Raider's defense. Score: 38-9.

I now ask for you to vote for your favorite team.

KFFL Breaks Down, Oakland Raider Running Back,  Darren McFadden's Fantasy Value

Despite his status as a high first-round pick and potential franchise back, do not look for McFadden to start initially, which could hurt his 2008 fantasy value somewhat. That job, at least early on, is expected to belong to Fargas.

The news that Fargas is the starting tailback should come as no surprise to any Raider fan. Fargas was a fantastic runner last season and he even went in and ran for a TD on his final play of 2007 with his knee already injured.

 

Don't look, according to Kiffin, for McFadden to be used in many gimmick plays during his rookie campaign. Instead, he is expected to keep it simple with the 20-year-old. Look for McFadden to serve as a change-of-pace back to Fargas, possibly on second-and-long and third-and-long situations. His workload should increase as the season progresses, as was the case with Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson a year ago. However, initially, he likely will not see more than 10-15 touches per game, with his biggest contribution likely to come as a receiver out of the backfield. His prowess as a receiver should aid second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell's development in the passing game.

This is, pretty much, in line with Kiffin's comments that he wants to break him in as a running back in the I-Formation first, and the concentrate on adding to his "package" as the season goes on.

Lane was quick to chastise the Saints for their treatment of Bush in his rookie campaign and does not want to complicate things for his new franchise player.

It should also come as no surprise to all of Raider fans that Lane will slowly break him in because that is exactly what he did with JaMarcus last season.

I, personally love the fact that he is fighting the temptation to WIN NOW and AT ALL COSTS and is willing to let this team grow into a force that will be a wrecking ball in the NFL for 10 years.

I also wonder how long it will be until Al Davis demands to see his prize take the field and get the majority of the snaps. I hope, for Lane's sake, that his plan works early on and that he will be able to do the things that he sees necessary.

McFadden clearly has substantial upside, but he should only be drafted with the expectation of No. 3 fantasy back production. He could emerge as midrange No. 2 over the course of the season, but that is far from a guarantee. Resist the temptation to spend a draft choice on him in the first four rounds as he would represent a better value after that point. If you choose to draft him, be prepared to spend as high as a late second-round pick to acquire this part-time player.

GO Raiders!!!

Raiders | Team contacts Dilfer
Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:38:56 -0700

David White, of the San Francisco Chronicle, reports the Oakland Raiders have contacted free-agent QB Trent Dilfer (49ers) about possibly becoming the team's backup quarterback.

The largest hole that the raiders have on their current roster is the need for a veteran back-up quarterback that, unlike someone like Culpepper, knows that he will NOT be the starter.

I have always been a Trent Dilfer fan, I knew his family pretty well, and I think that he wold be a great locker room presence and he will also be able to run the offense should something happen to J-Rock.

I'd be for this...How about you?

Nnamdi Went Out Of His Way:

Nnamdi Asomugha is not only in a league of his own on the field, he showed that he is in a league of his own off of it as well.

Having traversed various parts of the world -- Africa, Europe, South America -- the Raiders' star cornerback wanted to share the exhilaration of visiting new places, expose some deserving kids to opportunities they wouldn't have otherwise. So he set up a college tour last month to Boston for six underprivileged youth from the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC).

Raiders QB Brian White (Portland State)

6-5, 225 lbs - I really like this pick-up. He is a late bloomer who transfered from Colorado after his Sophomore Season and came into his own in 2007. He will add depth at the QB position and will most likely be on the Scout team, at best.

He showed a penchant for come from behind victories against tough competition in his Senior Season.

WHITE NAMED BIG SKY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
Portland State quarterback Brian White led Portland State to a second-half, come-from-behind road victory over the 21st-ranked Eastern Washington Eagles last Saturday. He completed 29 of 47 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed seven times for 50 yards in leading PSU to the 28-21 win. For his effort, White was named Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week. It marked the second time this season White has led the Vikings to a come-from-behind win and the second time he was named Big Sky Player of the Week for doing so. White, a senior from Mission Viejo, CA, completed 26 of 37 passes for 363 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and rushed for a score, in a Sept. 15 win over Sacramento State.

Raiders TE Darrell Strong (Pittsburgh)

6-5, 260 lbs - Darrell Strong will probably make this team.

Overview

An intriguing athlete with NFL size and speed, Strong struggled until his senior season to make a positive impact for the Panthers. Developed into a legitimate receiving threat and an improved blocker after being known more in the past for his untapped potential and off-field indiscretions. Strong's improved maturity and production as a senior, however, as well as his obvious physical tools should earn him consideration in the middle rounds.

Zach Miller is our starting TE, but Strong should give JaMarcus a tall target and if the Raiders can get this guy to block he may be a valuable addition.

Raiders DE Greyson Gunheim (Washington)

6-5, 260 lbs. - Gunheim was not invited to the combine but he impressed many at his Pro Day by running a 4.58 40 and jumping 36 inches. He is viewed as an underachiever, but I can't wait until Millard gets a chance to work with him.

Greyson Gunheim, DL
Vertical -36"
Broad Jump-10' 3.5"
40-4.58 to 4.72 
Short Shuttle-4.43
Long Shuttle-11.72
3-cone-6.76
Bench-28 reps

Don't be surprised if this kid makes it. He, like White, is from SoCal and was certainly recruited or at least looked at by the USC recruiting team

.

6-5, 266 lbs. - Gray looks like a project and he will, most likely, be competing for a job on the practice squad unless he really blossoms quickly.

Overview

One of the top 40 small-school prospects in this year's draft class, Gray was not really on the radar coming into his senior year. But last fall he showed the potential to become a nice power defensive end with a second-team All-SWAC season: 76 tackles, 24.5 for loss, 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. That sort of production from a larger defensive end got him in the crosshairs of NFL scouts pretty quickly.

Well, that should pretty much do it for UDFAs. While the team didn't land the Jamie Silva or Wesley Woodyards that I was hoping for, I really like this group and they will make this team better.

Once again, Lane Kiffin's Collegiate experience has helped us grab some smaller school players that have great potential.

I found an interesting note on KFFL today:

Raiders | Sapp endorses McFadden selection
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:36:17 -0700

Michael Silver, of Yahoo! Sports, reports retired DL Warren Sapp endorsed the selection of Arkansas RB Darren McFadden by the Oakland Raiders. "I love Darren McFadden to the Raiders," Sapp said Monday, April 28. "I think it's a perfect fit… I understand that (coach) Lane Kiffin and (offensive coordinator) Greg Knapp are supposed to be these guys who make their living by throwing the ball," Sapp added. "But our offense is made for downhill guys. And this kid will make that offense go."

Warren Sapp uses the term, "Our Offense is made for downhill guys".

Here is the entire piece from Michael Silver . Sapp uses "our" twice.

Then There was This From DeAngello Hall a couple of days ago:

Q: Have you been able to see any kind of leadership structure in Oakland?

Hall: A little bit. I actually saw Warren Sapp down in Atlanta a couple weeks ago and I was begging him to try to come back out for one more. I told the big fella, ‘I just need one more out of you.’ This team is young but definitely has some leaders. There’s some older guys here who definitely know how to play football. The offseason isn’t over yet. Hopefully we can bring in a couple more guys and get a couple more pieces solidified. I feel like this team is primed and ready to go. We are young but at the same time just because you’re young it’s not an excuse to lose games.

You can read the entire interview in the Fanshots

When Warren left he was under the impression that Ryan was out the door and the team was nowhere near as talented as is is today.

While he was over matched at his smaller size last year, he can still be a threat on the pass rush and he would also be a good Captain to bridge the gap for our new defense.

I, for one, hope that there is some fire where all of this smoke is because Warren Sapp deserves to go out a winner.

If somehow Warren is reading this, "Come on Back Big Fella, This Promises To Be One Heckuva Ride!!!!".