Trading, scouting and potential
by Sons-of-Blanda on Oct 26, 2009 11:39 AM PDT
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PrintOnce upon a time, the Raiders drafted last. Despite the handicap, the team always brought in and retained talented football players. This uncanny skill, to both recognize football talent in passed-over college players and to recycle seemingly exhausted veterans, amazed the league. Oakland thrived doing this for 30+ years and this was considered to be Al Davis' special genius. But what would you say now passes for scouting? What do you think of our trade (defict) over nearly a decade of decline? What criteria now determines who is chosen to wear the Silver & Black? ... Statistics and professional and vulgar opinion polls! A player's statistics and generic athletic prowess - 40-yard speed, throwing distance, size, strength - bench press and squat totals - have deceived leadership. When will the decision makers awaken and realize that a true football player is first and foremost a warrior, with the heart of a gladiator? I don't think much of the science of psychology but I know that certain personality types are better suited for football. Our guardians became blind to that important truth to such an extent that if Raider management were to begin wearing helmets, as umpires might next year, theirs should have one modification (to the greatest logo of all) theirs should have patches over both eyes.
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The problem is that a poor QB
reflects on the team as a whole. The Raiders have drafted many talented players, and have many talented players on the team but if the QB is bad and in Oakland that has been the case since 2003 then the franchise looks like it is in disarray.
The offense in Oakland has been a catastrophe for 7 years, they can’t score, they cannot control the clock, so everybody looks terrible, but that is not the case.
Russell is a complete flop and guard help this team if they don’t draft another QB, a QB that cares, that can read a defense, that can inspire a team. And it is not Bradford or McCoy.
True
A bad quarterback can just destroy a team. We’re seeing it firsthand this year. Against Denver and against the Jets, JaMarcus took all the life out of the team early. Especially yesterday.
It was an awful day for our defense, but I have no idea how they would have performed if they’d ever felt they were playing for anything.
Are you saying the Raiders are only a QB away from contention?
Because this team stinks from the top all the way to the bottom. They may have drafted some talented players in recent years, but they don’t develop them at all. Nnamdi is an exception and probably developed despite playing here, not because of it. What other draft choice in recent years has developed into a long term good player? Under the Raiders’ current ownership, players come in promising, maybe show early success and promise, then quickly deteriorate from bad coaching and instability. And those are the ones who deserved to be drafted in the first place. How many players have the Raiders drafted that ended up not having a career either here or for any other team? None of these problems would be solved even if the Raiders had Tom Brady and Peyton Manning battling for the starter’s role here. No, this team is an owner and a stable organization away from respectability.
A perfect storm
Kenny Stabller was a warrior but he also had pass protection from HOF linemen who consistently gave him 6-7 seconds to throw; same with Lamonica. Unless a QB is also a gifted ball carrier and elude the rush, the receivers cannot get down field far enough for what Al longs to do – throw deep. So, while I agree with you that Russell is deficient, I point out that the offensive line is not providing more than the NFL minimum ~3 seconds of protection, which, if they did, might compensate for Russell’s slowness of wit. .
Now, Cable is a lineman himself, and I suspect that the line’s marginal pass protection is a reason he is so patient with “the young QB” – that given more time in the pocket, these stunniing mistakes could be reduced.
Son-of-Blanda
by Sons-of-Blanda on Oct 26, 2009 12:28 PM PDT reply actions
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