Who should the Raiders draft? Crabtree? Maclin? Orakpo? Raji? I have the answer.
by raiderrocker18 on Mar 29, 2009 9:26 PM PDT
52 comments
Being a Raider fan, for the past six years, the most exciting time for the Raiders is the offseason, where we look forward to the draft, and don't have to worry about losing just about every single game. All the fans think they know who to draft. Some say Crabtree is a can't-pass-up-on-this-guy type of prospect. Others say Maclin is a burner the Raiders truly need. Some guys think Orakpo is perfect to get our defense to be more explosive. While none of these are horrible picks, i would almost HAVE to say that B.J. Raji out of Boston College is the guy for the silver and black.
Since the Raider's superbowl year, there has been one stat that has been consistently bad: Rushing defense. We have been in the bottom 7 every year since the superbowl. We had the number 1 pass defense a couple of years ago, a top 5 rushing offense one year ago, and with Collins and Moss (though not great), we had a formidable passing offense. Our run defense, however, has NEVER been good. Warren Sapp got pressure on the qb, but wasn't a factor against the run. Even Sam Adams and Ted Washington didn't help because they were too old.
I know its a cliche, but its also true: the game is won on the trenches. The best running back would struggle without the O-line opening up holes, and even the best secondary is exposed if there is no pressure on the qb. An average running back can look great when playing against a weak o-line. Any football fan knows the most annoying thing is when the opponent is slowly driving down the field at will, with a series of 4,5, and 6 yard runs. If you can stuff their running back on first down, it will force them to start passing, and thats when you can blitz. The best way to stop the run is NOT by signing an elite tackling safety (Gibril Wilson had a lot of tackels, but the run defense still sucked), or even having talented linebackers (Morrison/howard). Its the defensive line. The Titans dont exactly have 3 amazing all-pro linebackers, but Albert Haynseworth made that defense great. The one exception to this rule is the Baltimore Ravens of last year, but I dont think the raiders have Ray Lewis, Terrell Sugs, and Bart Scott. Oh, wait, the Ravens also had pro-bowl nose tackle haloti ngata. Kris Jenkins, Marcus Stroud, Vince Wilfork, and Jamal Williams are examples of defensive tackles that single handedly stop the run.
BJ Raji is that kind of guy. His weight varies from time to time, but he is a big boy. His weight has gone from 330 to 343, or anywhere in that range. He can clog up the middle and occupy two blockers without being pushed back. If you single team him, he'll bull rush any lineman and get a tackle for a loss. He is also a slightly above average interior pass rusher, in the mold of Albert Haynesworth (rather than warren sapp). The raiders have good D-tackles in Tommy Kelly and Gerrard Warren (sands sucks), but neither of those guys can play nose tackle. Both of these guys are 3-techinque (meaning passrushers/disruptors) defensive tackles, meaning neither can really clog up running lanes consistently. Pair up Kelly with Raji on the inside, and you have the best of both worlds. The one (and only) knock on Raji is that he is short (6-1) and therefore cannot bat down passes. Honestly, if we have a DT like Raji who can basically control the run by himself at times, I think it is worth it. We have great corners, and our backers are great against the pass as well. Trevor Scott and Derrick Burgess both have 10-sack potential, so we can apply pressure without Orakpo. New defensive Coordinator John Marshall is more likely to blitz than Rob Ryan, so pressure will come more easily than the past fewf years.
I know Crabtree and Maclin (particularly Crabtree) are top-notch prospects, but taking a receiver like Heyward-Bay in the second round would be much more productive than ANY defensive tackle in the second round. Orakpo would be a nice draftee, but he doesn't fill as big a need as Raji does.
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Nope
Crabtree then Brace is a way better combination than raji and heyward bey (who i think will be a bust). The raiders if we were to get a DT we would get a run stuffer, a nose tackle who would play 1st and second downs, the running downs. Raji has added value in the passing game being that he is very quick, but brace has just as much run stuff ability, which is what everyone here is talking about. I think raji has little potential being that he looks like a vince wilfork, a good run stuffer who can give you a sack or 2 a season, and that is it. I dont want a 2 down player with the no. 7 pick. And Heyward bey is a work out warrior, just like troy williamson and reggie williams and mike williams.
Im also still not convinced that we need a DT. I think SS has no true starter right now, and strong side linebacker needs to be beefed up, and sands and warren (although the media will tell you other wise) are adequate at holding down their gap and being active in the run game. They just need some rest, which is where our offense comes in with hopefully michael crabtree.
So Many Options
I can’t disagree with anyone. I am still for Raji because he is truly a specimen that is rare. Crabtree is a great specimen also, but there are others who can be found in later rounds. Yes, I know they aren’t as good, but such a big problem has to be address and that problem is the run defense.
Police Fucking Hate Me, Trying To Relocate Me To LA, But Like The Raiders, I' ma Bring It Back To The Bay! - Nump
yup
you said “despite what the media says, sands and warren are adequate at holding their own gaps and being active in the running game”. that sounds fine and dandy, but to say our 2 defensive tackles are good against the run makes NO sense when we consistently have one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL. raji can intantly fix that. in addition, he can bring more than adequate pass rushing ability to the table, and can easily rack up anywhere between 4-7 sacks a year. at least.
dont get me wrong, i love crabtree, but we only have 1 first round pick, and raji can probably make a bigger instant impact. even if they dont necessarily take heyward bey, they can take kenny britt or hakeem nicks, both of whom are projected to go in the second round. the fact of the matter is, the d-line has sucked the past few years. sure, our safeties are aweful, but there really is nobody worthy in the first round, and i think receiver is more urgent going into the second round.
by raiderrocker18 on Mar 29, 2009 11:51 PM PDT up reply actions
"our 2 defensive tackles are good against the run makes NO sense when we consitently have one of the worst rushing defenses"
Look at our 1st half rushing defense and our second half rushing defense. Totally different. For example the first time we play the chargers we gave up 10 rushing yards in the first half and 130 in the second. Why? Defense broke down from all the plays they had to play, not from lack of ability up front. The rushing defense is actually not as bad as the numbers tell you. The reason why it was so bad was because A. all the plays our defense had to play while the offense led the league in 3 and outs and B. the fact that the raiders were down often in the 4th quarter and that they had to go against alot of teams rushing the ball to end the game in the 4th.
We need offense to start winning games before we can even think about the defense that is better than our offense as a whole.
I agree with you
Everybody tries to use stats and isolate an area when in fact what one side of the ball does affects the other side. Case in point, the Raiders lost to Carolina despite the fact the defense intercepted 4 passes in that game. That is almost impossible to do, lose a game where the defense picks off 4 passes. I think the Raider defense is better than the Cards, but they went to the Super Bowl, why? Simply stated their offense kept the ball, moved the ball and scored TD’s whereas the Raiders almost never scored during the first 14 games. Finally when they put 3 TD’s each the last two games, they won, and nobody was ragging about the woeful defense. They beat TB because the offense held onto the ball the last 6 minutes, not because of the defense. I am not saying that the defense doesn’t need to improve, just repeating what you said, the defense is not the blame for every ill on the Raiders record.
If you asked every team we face what their plan is going into a game
It would be run the ball down their throats and capitalize of our mistakes. The Awesome One is the Face of the Raiders and is literally disrespected every year because teams do not have to throw on us unless they really really want to. We need to stop the run and force third and longs. Our Pass Rush was great last year but couldn’t capitalize due to teams not needing to force the pass when they can run on us all day long. Even if it is a late game problem we have a UT at NT in Warren who will eventually get pushed around and a no effort fat ass in Sands. The problem doesnt go away with Crab-Man and we will continually fall short in the AFC West until we can stop the Run. If we can successfully force the pass this team will be more improved then adding another BPA pick like Crab-Man (I really don’t care anymore because all I hear from the Crab-Man fan Club is Crab-Man and how he will be there, you guys have no sense of the draft and are missing out on the bigger picture).
1. Matt Stafford
2. Jason Smith
3. Curry
4. Monroe
5. Crab-Man
6. RAK
7. ?? I am not saying this is how it goes but it is a definite possibility what do you Crab-Man Cult Members suggest then. You really provide nothing by constantly saying Crab-Man will be there and he will make our Offense glorious and our Run D unstoppable. Tell me what you do if Crab-Man isn’t there which he shouldn’t be anyway!
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
If thats your case than
the recievers are not to blame for the Raiders record. The reason why the Raiders played well the last two games was because of the play of the o-line. Most of our problems dealt with the O-line and their inability to pass protect. We addressed it this offseason so we’ll see if they were good pickups or if we’ll be looking for linemen next draft.
Just like
when we took Huff at SS instead of Ngata at NT that worked out real well. Technically Raji at your projected 2 out of 3 downs (which is unheard of when considering the top NT’s and Raji has excellent conditioning) would still see more action then a WR. Sorry dude Crab-Man at best would produce 700 yards and 5 td’s which I can see coming from Chaz, Javon, JLH, The Indestructible Zach Miller, and our RB’s can combine for over 1,000 yards receiving and 5 td’s.
Brian Robiskie will have a better rookie year then the Crab-Man, not career but your main stay argument is not how Crab-Man will be fantastic 3 years from now, its how incredible he will make our passing offense next year. Do you understand the Raiders current roster is a pound the rock ball club? There is no better compliment to a pound the rock ball club then a Run D. Further there is no better compliment to J-Russ then a pound the rock ball club. I really think you don’t believe in J-Russ (I know its unfair for me to put that on you, but sorry dude I smell a bust believer who thinks the guy will fail without a top draft pick WR next year and that is sad!)
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
Darth
You know who I like in the draft, but we can’t take anything away from Crabman. His hands are pretty amazing. It just like glue.
Police Fucking Hate Me, Trying To Relocate Me To LA, But Like The Raiders, I' ma Bring It Back To The Bay! - Nump
Unheard of?
This is amazing. Ask the patriots and steelers how often casey hampton and vince wilfork are in on a 3rd down. They will tell you “they are not”. Raji is a short sighted pick, helping our our run D but not addressing the bigger need on this team. Our offense was 2nd worst in the league. And our 70 million dollar QB has no go to guy like all the rest of the no. 1 overall Qbs.
And yes i understand the raiders current squad is a pound the rock club, and you know how many wins that gets us? 5. And yes there is a better compliment to a power running team nd that is a game breaker on the outside to keep the defense honest(plaxico burress/santonio holmes/bernard berrian/randy moss/steve smith) All those guys were receivers on 5 of the top 6 rushing teams.
Jamarcus is the face of our offense, and the last thing we need to do is have a donovan mcnabb situation and continually not surround him with great talent at receiver.
Dude you have no clue what you are talking about with the 3rd down stuff
That Patriots are considering this year pulling Wilfork out on 3rd downs so he can focus simply on run stopping, because he has no pass rush ability. Whereas Raji does. Dude, you seriously think they pull Hampton also I am going to go and ask steeler fans and will be back with a response on that one.
Our offense was hampered by injuries the whole year dude, c’mon don’t pretend like our players can’t do it because they can and did when healthy. And how long did it take those guys above you mentioned to command the attention they deserve 3 years at least.
Actually J-Russ is the future face of the team, The Awesome One is the face of the Raiders there is no greater example of a Raiders player on and off the field then Nnamdi. You cannot tell me just because a guy is a #1 draft pick he is the face of the team. Is Jake Long the face of the Dolphins. And I know it is a positional thing but the biggest dividends will be paid by improving our defense and giving J-Russ more time and opportunity on the field to do his KING-like thing.
You go too much off of what happened last year with no regard for the reasons why it is the case, injuries, young players, coaching figuring out players roles etc. The defense does not have that excuse due to the problem has been persistent for the last 6 years. Warren and Sands are excuses in and of themselves as NT’s.
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
Alright the Steelers fans are supporting your statement that they do pull Hampton
But they are offering more reasons then that is what they HAVE to do. They give reasons as their exotic blitz packages, Hampton’s age (and they didn’t always pull him until recently out on 3rd downs), and to keep him fresh for what he does best and that is stop the run. His value to the team is still magnified by him staying as a primarily run stopper. So say we did that with Raji, remember we were 5th in Pass Rush Ability 13th in results, so we pull Raji and rest hm for the run and then send in Warren and our pass rush is still improved by the fact we would be forcing 3rd and longs and begin closing the door on our joke of a Run D. Your argument is going to get you no where. And you still did not address how Raji would see more playing time then Crab-Man (as at best he will provide on average career wise 6 touches a game and 1/3 of the running plays won’t even require his blocking. I am telling you man, Raji will pay the biggest immediate dividends in a year where the AFC West is seemingly wide open.
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
If we get Raji, I am gonna cry my eyes out
Im a grown ass man and I dont care how feminine that makes me look. Raji is dumb, benefitted from not being double teamed with brace along side him, and would be an awful value pick for the no. 7 spot.
The great one is not the face of the franchise. Doesnt matter that he is the best player at his position in the league because we arent building this team around a corner. We have the no. 1 overall quarterback, not o tackle or d tackle or receiver or corner or linebacker, a QB, the most important position on any team in the league. We need to put him in the best possible situation to succeed so he doesnt flutter in his development like david carr did or tim couch did.
The Raiders have made steps to putting
JaMarcus in the best possible position. They brought in Paul Hackett to teach him and they have addressed the O-line. Those were key moves towards his development. If he can’t do it with an improved O-line and the number 10th ranked rushing offense than we need to look at a new QB. David Carr or Tim Couch were basically products of bad O-lines. That is what stunted their development.
A good defense gives your offense good field position. This needs to be addressed in the draft.
Have some faith in the KING
Trust in J-Russ brother he is the truth. Don’t let these analysts fool you with their Raider and Black QB hate. You’ve seen him throw and now you know there is a coach behind him that is one of the best in league in game preparation. He is just a different breed of QB thats all.
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
Bad analogy!
The Eagles made it to the playoffs without any recievers plus they have a good defense. With a good playaction JLH, Arman Shields and Chaz Schilens can easily stretch the field. Who’s to say that these guys can’t be the next burress, smith or moss. Give them time. The sky is not falling yet!
Who did they lose to in the playoffs?
The Cardinals who have 2 true go to receivers. What i am tryin to say is that when it all comes down to it a playmaker receiver can get you to the promised land because sometimes he is coverand and he makes the play any way. Look if we get raji or orakpo or everrette brown or somebody he may get us to the playoffs faster, but a go to receiver will get you farther in the playoffs. Recent history has shown that.
Did it do that with
Timmy Brown, Chris Carter, Randy Moss (before he was on one of the best offenses in history), TO (before his dream pairing of McNabb and him). The point is it takes a lot more then a stud WR to get there and a consistent running game is the best way to win in the W column, especially when you stop the run defensively, That creates the biggest dividends in the Time Of Possession and forces the most turnovers possible. Look at Minny, Pitt, and Baltimore their run D = Crazy turnovers and I think our Pass D may be better then 2 of the 3 mentioned.
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
The only team that has won the super bowl out of those teams has that go to dude along wiht a great QB
There are plenty of teams that get to the playoffs with the same type of scheme. The whole “run the ball and play great defense” philosophy. The dolphins did it and they went 11 and 5 and had a huge turn around. But are they really a strong team or did they just win 11 times in one season? I think miami had 11 games where they were put into good situations by their running and defense, but when it came down to it and they needed a play by pennington or devone bess, they didnt make the play. We need to make this team a superbowl team and stop just trying to be satisfied with getting to the playoffs. We already have the great QB, we need his right hand man on the outside and we need some big plays from our receivers and not turn jamarcus into donovan mcnabb and conisistently give him average receivers and expect him to carry the load every week.
I strongly agree that we need somebody at WR
but I don’t think we need to use our pick on Crabtree or Maclin. Personally I think Crabtree will be gone. If he goes to Cleveland (which I now strongly believe may happen) then we should end up with Orakpo. If we don’t obtain Orakpo then we must trade down where we may get either nicks or Heyward-Bey (both are fine with me) and a D-Lineman.
If we do obtain Orakpo, then I don’t think we should take a WR until the third where we get Barden or Dillard. The second should go to a DT or DE.
V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."
If we keep the 7th pick
i would like Brian Orakpo, Texas/ DE then at #40 Evander Hood, Missouri/ DT and with a strong feeling that Ramses Barden, Cal Poly-SLO/ WR will be there for us at pick #71 (this guy is the one people should look out for i like this receiver better than anyone availiable.)
The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He’ll knock you ’round and upside down
And laugh when he’s conquered and won.
Yup
I think we need to go like that too
1. Brian Orakpo
2. Ziggy Hood or Juaquin Iglesias
3. Ramses Barden if we pick Hood
3. Dorell Scott if we pick Iglesias
Orakpo and Crabs are not going to be there
If they are indeed gone then Michael Johnson or Rey at #7
"May the wind be at our back, here comes the Silver and Black "
I think we would be wasting way to high a pick for Rey Maluaga or Michael johnson at #7 I honestly think either Crabs or Orakpo will be there cuz say there is a chance Detroit goes with Curry then Seattle wont pass up on Stafford gauranteed with Hasselbeck having a year or two left in him, KC needs a Receiver but they have way bigger needs so that wont happen but if they do take Crabs we get Orakpo, if they take any one else we get Crabs cuz cleveland will take Orakpo at # 5. but whatever we do we are in a win win situation at #7 as long as we dont pick Raji i am just not sold on that guy at all.
The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He’ll knock you ’round and upside down
And laugh when he’s conquered and won.
Why get Stafford
when you can wait til next year to get better QB’s?
Police Fucking Hate Me, Trying To Relocate Me To LA, But Like The Raiders, I' ma Bring It Back To The Bay! - Nump
You make a very good case for Raji
but I’m hesitant to draft a DT after seeing how Dorsey and Ellis turned out. However i wouldn’t mind using a second round pick on a DT. Such as brace or Hood. Maybe Taylor with a third round pick. Or Sammie Lee Hill in the third or fourth. Plenty of big DT’s.
I’m not saying draft Crabtree either as I’m in favor of Orakpo or trade down.
V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."
I’ve posted this elsewhere, but here’s the top nine on my big board (not my overall rankings, just who I think the Raiders should take if he’s available):
1.) WR — Michael Crabtree — Texas Tech
2.) OLB — Aaron Curry — Wake Forest
3.) DE — Brian Orakpo — Texas
4.) DT — B.J. Raji — Boston College
5.) OT — Jason Smith — Baylor
6.) OT — Eugene Monroe — Virginia
7.) DE — Aaron Maybin — Penn State
8.) WR – Jeremy Maclin — Missouri
9.) OT — Andre Smith — Alabama
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Mar 30, 2009 2:56 PM PDT reply actions
Maybe Not.....
i dont like the pick of crabtree because that foot really scares me…….. i just cant see us drafting a player that doesnt even have a 40 time…… i think a safe way to go is draft what we need such as OT or Defensive line……
Here is how it really has to go...
I’m just going to put it simple as can be.
In my opinion we hve to go for either Orakpo or Crabtree, so if Orakpo is gone and Crabtree is still there at #7 then we take Michael Crabtree, but if Orakpo is there and Crabtree is gone we take Orakpo. One of them will be gone before #7 so we have to pick up the one that is still available.
Important News!
It looks like Shaun Rogers will stay with the Browns this season. He showed up to the off-season workouts and also praised his coach, Mangini.
I guess this means they will not grab Raji and that leaves us with a shot at him.
Police Fucking Hate Me, Trying To Relocate Me To LA, But Like The Raiders, I' ma Bring It Back To The Bay! - Nump
I KNOW CRABTREE IS GREAT
nobody is a “lock” to be a great nfl player. this includes raji, and it also includes crabtree. the raiders passed on haloti ngata and took michael huff. now ngata is a pro bowler and huff is in jeapordy of losing his job. thats not to say all DT’s do great in the pros. what im trying to say is, if the raiders had ngata, their run defense would be stellar, and i dont think the pass defense would be that much worse without michael huff.
now, we have a ngata-esque player in raji again. i dont want to miss this again. the second round will have tons of great receiver prospects like hakeem nicks, darrius heyward-bey, or even kenny britt.
lets say raji and crabtree are equally talented prospects at their respective positions. i doubt we can guarantee any DT in the second round that compare to the skill level of the wide receivers that will be available. rather than taking crabtree first, we can still take an excellent receiver prospect in round 2 and wind up with THE elite defensive tackle of the draft.
orakpo is great too, but burgess is in a contract year and will be motivated, and trevor scott led all rookies in sacks with 5 and barely even played. our pass defense is fine. we need help on passing offense (receivers) and run defense (DT). taking raji first is the best way to go. if he’s not available, take crabtree
by raiderrocker18 on Mar 31, 2009 12:26 AM PDT reply actions
+1
I think people are starting to think about our needs and the value of where our picks are. Also ESPN is reporting that the Raiders are in love with Ramses Barden as they should be. I personally would rather have Brian Robiskie if we were to take a WR, his game is soo polished and pro ready and has a Raider sideline childhood.
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
Confused
So i thought i knew who we should draft and where our biggest needs were (big fan of RAK). After reading all these comments i can honestly say i have absolutely no idea who we should pick or which direction we should go. I can see and understand the legitimacy of each argument and that leaves me floating in the middle with no definitive answer anymore. I would like to go defensive but i can understand out adding Crab-man and ending those 3-and-outs will help…
Just HIT somebody.
This draft
is WIDEEEE open…which gets me even more psyched!! last year we all knew it was gonna be Mcfadden and the year before that it was either Jruss or Quinn… Only one month away!!
Stang PRIDE!!!!!!!!!
Orakpo
Like I’ve said before, Brian Orakpo cannot only DE, but can also be switched to OLB and play there. So if we were to draft him we would be getting a 2 for 1 since he can play DE and OLB.
true he can, in a 3-4
in a 4-3, not so much
V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."
orakpo doesn't fill as big a need as either raji or crabtree
if we were drafting next year, orakpo would be my pick. why? because derrick burgess is on his contract year. that means he’s going to play his heart out this year (not for the team’s sake, but for moneys sake). i dont care what his motivation is, if he plays better, im happy. on the other end, trevor scott led all rookies in sacks with 5 even though he barely played. scott and burgess both have 10 sack potential, though scott might fall short burgess should easily top it.
orakpo would be great, but he’s not exactly a need, yet. we have to go either crabtree or raji. im pretty sure one will be available.
crabtree is awesome, and so is raji. i dont think javon walker will ever go back to hsi 1300 yard form, but i do believe that if healhy, he can basically be a better version of amani toomer: good hands, reliable target, gets enough separation. with a healthy walker, an improving johnnie lee higgins, and big, fast guys like chilenz and shields, our receiving cor isn’t AS desperate as our dt’s, not to mention nicks, bey, robiskie, and barden will all be available in the later rounds.
burners like chilenz, shields, and higginsi complementing potentially walker and barden/nicks/robiskie would be good enough.
thank you for pointing out that there are still very good receivers later on
hear that posey?
But I do think DE is a serious need. We don’t know if burgess will manage to stay injury-free. If he doesn’t, then there’s no pass rushers behind Scott. There’s also no run stopper to play with richardson. Orakpo does both to a high level and would be better than any DE’s we have on roster. As it stands we have 3 DE, and only one of which is a run stopper.
V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."
crabtree or raji
someone posted that raji benefited from brace taking on blockers enabling raji to penetrate. if that’s true and boston college had the best or top five run defenses in all of college football,why not take both in their suspected rounds.raji is a consensus top 12 pick,going anywhere from #5 to #12.brace could land the 1st pick of the second round to mid-second.the raiders would not be reaching for either pick.imagine sewing up the run defense,for years to come, all in one years draft! ziggy hood would work also in this scenario,Sen’derrick Marks could work,too. i can hear kiper and mcshay saying holy crap,they are set for years on run defense-look out NFL here comes the raiders. as far as the WR position,it usually takes a WR a couple years to get their game down in the NFL. i believe, if there is a way to lock down part of a team,you do it! i don’t believe crabtree or maclin are that much better than the other WR’S in round 1 or even the other rounds. with WR’S there is alway’s diamond’s in the rough-and this year is loaded with them throughout the draft. just to name a few in later rounds-Tate/Barden/Williams/Stroughter/Butler/Norwood/Carr-plus many more that will not even get drafted at all.
I echo your thoughts completely
But because of Kelly and his seemingly infinite potential given a proper NT like Raji. Raji played the NT position with Brace next to him at UT from most of what I have seen on him. The draft guys say he saw the majority of double teams, sounds like he is a perfect fit next to the Intimidator T.K. I have been suggesting Jarron Gilbert 6’5" 280lbs and ran a 4.8 most recently at his pro day. If we can get him to play LE with Burgess spelling him and staying fresh in passing downs you will see a totally different defense. We (the fans) put so much focus on the SLB like that is going to change it seeing how they come out on passing downs, and a real tough LE would change the ace of the Run D and allow the Raji to pick to capitalize even more.
Seriously if we came out of this draft with BJ Raji, Jarron Gilbert, Ramses Barden, Chris Clemons, Bear Pascoe, and some nice OL UDFA’s we would be set and would warrrant a big fat A in the draft books.
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
wow we really need an edit option sorry guys
"I need a couple A's for Q's, I'm not an Asshole I'm just a little confused"
-Aesop Rock
Raiders #1 pick
There are a few ways to go and most arguments I have heard have validity to them. In my opinion they have to get better on both lines first and foremost. Khalif Barnes although not a franchise LT has shown with JAC that in a run oriented offense he can be an effective player. I also like the Satele move at C, a proven 2 yr starter with potential. Now RT is a need area but there are several players who will be available in round 2 or 3 like Loadholt or even Herman Johnson. I think either of those players would be an improvement on the right side from last year. I think you have to target Crabtree at that spot because JRuss doesn’t have a #1 receiver and it showed last year. There were so many 3 and outs because everybody loaded up on the run and there wasn’t the threat to warrant taking anyone out of the box. At the very least Crabtree would be a top flight possesion receiver in the Michael Irvin mold, and he is also an outstanding run blocker from the WR position. I think we can get a guy like Roy Miller at DT in the later rounds. He’s got a great motor, outstanding character, and he always seems to be in the backfield. I also think we really need a 2 down MLB, then we could move Morrison back outside and he could be the MLB on passing downs. The defense will get better with a little more rest and some players that can rotate in on the front 7. I know everybody hasn’t forgotten how bad the offense was 2 yrs ago, and even though there was improvement it wasn’t anything to write home about last year. If, and this is a big if, Javon Walker gets back to where he can stay off of IR I think we would have an underrated and young group of WR’s that could grow with JRuss. I also like Orakpo and Raji, but I just think the offense is needs more help right now even though the DEF was pretty terrible last year.
by STX on Apr 2, 2009 4:27 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
crabtree or raji?
I think i have the raiders motives for this offseason figured out.In al davis’ GREAT PRESS CONFRENCES,he acknowleged that he has been making some bad decisions lately. Be it on coaching decisions and/or free agency.In short what he means, is that when a team allows(leaks) the media to scrutinize the contracts/money given to high profile players it will sometimes hurt the teams mentality.IF YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED,THE RAIDERS ARE NOT CONFIRMING OR DENYING MOST SIGNINGS.It is almost as though the upper management doesn’t even have a clue what/who is being signed.This being said,the team is tight lipped with regards to the media.Davis and Cable said they are going to give the NATION back it’s winning team:with the same nasty,dirty team mentality that made them great in the 1970’s and 1980’s.They also said they were going to get bigger and meaner along the offensive line.What this says to me is that they will draft/sign players with an attitude or known as bada**es.But there is a SMART twist in doing this.Free Agent players that they have been signing for the last couple years have been former high round draft picks,examples of this are:Kalimba Edwards/Javon Walker/Ashley Lelie/G.Warren/William Joseph/Justin Miller/Mike Bush(should have been a first rounder)/Kwame Harris/Marcus Johnson/Khalif Barnes…In the ZBS,you need players with that nasty seek and destroy attitude:Gallery has it/Carlisle has it/Satele has it/Barnes has it(domestically).I’m waiting to see if their recent signings have it.The Garcia signing(in a backup role) shows me that they want attitude,now! RAJI DOES NOT HAVE THAT ATTITUDE.For a WR, CRABTREE HAS IT?MACLIN DOES NOT HAVE IT!ORAKPO DOES NOT HAVE IT!ANDRE SMITH I’M NOT SURE ABOUT!EVRETTE BROWN HAS IT! In short the raiders need that beat you down attitude.The defensive line needs to club the hell out of the other teams lineman,if that means personal fouls for going upside the head,then that’s what it means.This year is all about depth.RAIDERNATION IS GOING TO BE ON TOP AGAIN,LIKE AL SAID!
texas toasters
vince young,cedric benson,michael huff,ricky williams,selvin young,david thomas…TEXAS players that got drafted with hype that have not made it the NFL. Next on the list are Brian Orakpo,Roy Miller,Quan Cosby,pretty much any draftable player from TEXAS.
raji or crabtree
Boston College puts out good players,but they are usually career depth chart players.Raji could not handle it academically at BC.He comes to the NFL with a boat load of drama,just like SAPP did. I am not saying he is SAPP.But i am saying in about two or three years he will be good,but not SAPP. Keep in mind that he had a solid 2nd rounder in Ron Brace that made his job much easier,and still couldn’t put up enough SACKS.Especially to warrant the #7 pick.Some mock drafts have him going from #5 all the way to #12.Within these mocks,teams that need DT/NT are Detroit/St.Louis/Cincy/Oakland/Jacksonville/Green Bay/Denver.To me that range is too drastic to be sure he is the #7 pick. If you know the RAIDERS,they draft speed first.Raji has the speed and the power.But what makes him different is his motor.I believe he will go to the Green Bay Packers.Makes no sense,right?Crabtree is a possesion receiver.The Raiders don’t draft 1st round possesion receivers,they acquire them.Crabtree will be an excellent pro bowler for years.It’s a shame he won’t fall to us.Seattle will take him.So Crabtree is out.This is my projected mock: #1-Stafford,#2-J.Smith,#3-Curry,#4-Crabtree,#5-Orakpo,#6-Monroe,#7-Raji(TRADED TO GREEN BAY-raiders get GB’s#9 and 3rd and 6th or 7th round picks)#8-A.Smith,#9-Sanchez(TRADED TO WASHINGTON-raiders get WASH’s #13 and 2010-2nd round and this years 2nd and 3rd),#10-Oher,#11-E.Brown,#12-Maulauga,#13-RAIDERS draft PERCY HARVIN,#14-A.Maybin,#15-M.Jenkins,#16-Dar.Brown,#17-J.Maclin,#18-H.Nicks,#19-M.Freeman,#20-E.Britton,#21-K.Moreno,#22-J.Laurinitis,#23-C.Barwin,#24-B.Pettigrew,#25-K.Britt(TRADED TO CINCY FOR PHILADELPHIA’s #28 and 4th rounders apiece/phila. gets ochocinco and cincy 2nd round),#26-W.Beatty,#27-P.Jerry,#28-(ACQUIRED BY MIAMI)-C.Wells,#29-DHB,#30-V.Davis,#31-L.McCoy,#32-Alp.Smith.
traders-up and down
1*detroit- would love to trade down,no team ever wants the overall #1
2*st.louis- has already said they will entertain offers-the team is for sale and need to get better in a hurry to be sold.
3*one name-Scott Pioli(Mr.NewEngland)-notorious for trading down in the first round
4*seattle-this is where Sanchez comes into play
5*cleveland-has two quarterbacks;possibly will trade B.Edwards;will need WR’s badly
6*cincy-who knows?anything is possible here
7*oakland-this position is the worst if you have multiple needs(AL says speed over need,9 out of 10 times),does that change this year
8*jax-this position usually has the same team needs as #7
9*GB-team is better than their draft position 10*-this position will usually draft up
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