Good write up Kaizer. At S, I think Patrick Chung is the ideal safety. However, his presence is not a huge need, he is the way to go with safeties. He is like a Sean Taylor, but no experience. He is mean, hard hitting and fast.

I’m happy if we draft any of those 2 positions.

Responding to both Kaizer and Bud Light:

WR
The only WR worth taking with a top 10 pick is Crabtree, and even Al Davis wouldn’t reach for Maclin or Harvin with this pick, not with so much other talent available at other positions. If the Raiders sign a free agent center it will open up the potential to draft a WR in the second round, and someone like Robiskie or Heyward-Bay should be there. Those big tall guys like Barden go from being 4th round prospects to being UDFA all the time, so its tough to gauge where they get taken. Greg Carr from Florida State reminds me of Barden, and will probably go undrafted.

OT
I think we have to hold off on claiming that selected an OT is automatic if Crabtree isn’t available. Free agency has changed the landscape somewhat, with the Raiders having already brought in Erik Pears, and have brought in several other tackles for tryouts and discussions. I’m not saying that we won’t take a tackle, I just think we need to wait until closer to the draft to say so.

DT
Arguably our most pressing need, but my ultra-complicated economic-based Tarot card draft system tells me that the Raiders can find a run-stuffing tackle much later in the draft than at #7. Names include Terrance Taylor, Sammie Lee Hill, etc., who should be available in the middle to late rounds. I’m not arguing that they are as good as Raji, but the difference in talent between them is probably smaller than the difference in talent between, say…Aaron Curry and some other linebacker available in the 6th round.

DE
I think this is a position you’ve left out of the 1st round discussion Kaizer. Brian Orakpo is a physical freak, which Al Davis likes, was pretty productive in college, and was recently named the best defensive lineman in college football. With Derrick Burgess going into a contract year and the Raiders unlikely to extend him beyond that point, there is a need for LDE who can both rush the passer and be stout against the run. With so few true 4-3 DEs available in the draft (so many are smaller 3-4 hybrid guys) the Raiders may decide that he’s not only the best player available at #7, but that he’s the necessary pick because they can get value picks for the other positions later in the draft and not at DE.

LB
Obviously its got to be Brinkley in the 3rd or 4th round. LOL

check this one i found at Yahoo! lol

mack with the 7th pick wtf!!!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Aq42xOgpMyGZCe3yhExXj.WR2bYF?slug=mockdraftsanchezontopsta&prov=tsn&type=lgns

Dude everyone im sorry but what makes you guys think raji can do what no one else can?!?!? Look it doesnt matter who we put at dt as long as we keep going 3 and out on offense. Has anyone here ever really watched Tommy Kelly play by play? he is a terror. Sands and warren are great from time to time, but thats only because they are on the field way more than they have to be. Another fatty in the middle isnt going to help. We need crabtree. if you have been watching, the pieces have been falling in place for the raiders to get the 2nd best player in the whole draft(crabs). Coles signed with the bengals, and the seahawks signed housh. if crabs gets by cleveland, al davis would be insane to not take him. I think that with cable developing the o line some more and a legit wr on the outside to go along with chilens on the other side and higgins in the slot. throw in a stud tight end and out recievers are set. and by the way the youngest starting qb in the league next year (as long as no rookies start) will be our 23 year old jmarc. he will breakout if we get crabs. and with our offense being on the field more means our d will be on the field less, which means everyone here will realize that kelly and warren and sands can handle a normal amount of plays for a dt. PLEASE GOD NO RAJI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on the Raiders page. Can I get a w00t!!!!!

dude you even supported my case up above on your post. dts are available later on. there are only 3 receivers worth taking with our first 2 picks. crabtree, maclin, and heyward bey. after that it really drops off. all im saying is trust jim marshall the new d coordinator, trust cable to work his magic with the o line, and please god dont be satisfied giving jamarcus russel 3rd and 7th round receivers to work with. chilens and higgins are good, but crabtree has future first team all nfl written all over him. dont overlook that.

ok at least we can agree a little. i think just we are better up front than what the media plays us out to be. our o line is not like the giants, but with harris’ crappy ass out the door, cornell green looking like a back up, next year with the addition of erik pears and hopefully khalif barnes(knock on wood), and cooper carl resigning we have a core o line that will gel under cable’s expertise in coaching o lineman. and as for the d line, i think another huge reason why they didnt play up to their ability(and contracts) is because of our scheme. with heavy man coverage like we did, the dbs would mostly paying attention to the receivers and not be able to read the plays as well if they were in zone. i think the real key for our defense is better support from both safeties and maybe the corners some more, not just the strong safety like last season. and i know al davis wont be happy with us running more zone, but i think the run support will be addressed with jim marshall. he has made some great defenses, and we have alot of good parts. and no raji isnt a slouch, he looks like a future vince wilfork, but as a joke dude cmon hes got his fair share of belly. lol.
as for naterodderick i like the thought process taking a center with 2nd rounder, but as for brinkley he doesnt project well into the 4-3 lb. he is a beast of a human being 6’2’’ 270 lbs and not an ounce of fat on him, but he doesnt cover well and has very tight hips, which doesnt translate well in our man heavy defense. he is a 3-4 lb but i wouldnt mind seeing him tried out at de. another idea for everyone on this post is with the second round pick is clay matthews at strong side lb.
All i want to come away from this post is the mindset that i think the fanbase should have. we need to upgrade our tackle position, true, and we need to address the run defense, true, but if a legit top wr is there for the taking in the top 10 (like calvin johnson, larry fitzgerald, braylon edwards-and dont worry about that comparison crabtree has amazing hands) we should pull the trigger. crabtree would cover alot of our holes on o and d by making big plays. we have a home run kick returner(higgins), a home run rb(mcfadden), and if we had a home run receiver like crabtree who can go up and make the leaping catch AND break plenty of arm tackles with his strength AND be great running after the catch AND have the best hands in the draft, our offense could rise to the top. no joke.

Getting cushing and heyward bey would fill 2 spots well. im not in the ricky brown fan club, but they resigned him for a reason. they think he can play just fine, which hes decent at best. the only thing with heyward bey is he is a boom or bust kind of wr prospect, which with our team on the fringe of division contention isnt really what i think we need to do. i think there are 2 for-sure-superstar prospects in this draft, curry and crabtree. after the combine, there is no logical way curry will fall to no. 7 overall. however, with those dumba** scouts out there way overhyping crabtrees ankle injury and him not running the forty have him within a realistic chance to fall to the raiders at 7. ive been hammering and hammering the point on this post that crabs is too much to overlook. other people might not think this, but i will politely tell you that youre crazy. watching him run after the catch and catch the ball with his hands better than some nfl receivers leaves me convinced that he is going to fit great with any of the teams who draft him, especially the raiders. GET CRABTREE!!!!!!!!!!!

and as for brinkley, we might be able to play him at strong side lb. i think morrison is a smart active mlb who is the qb for the defense. howard is the weak side lb that roams are attacks and is great in pursuit. with brinkley in there at strong side, he could be the one taking on blocks and blowing up fullbacks and wrecking havoc at the line of scrimmage to free up the other lbs. i could see him do that. ok now ive listened to your idea and it isnt too bad. here are a couple prospects im intrigued by…

Eric wood(center from louisville)-watch him in the senior bowl. he blew up bj raji pretty good. he is a tall center at 6’4’’ and looks like he can move pretty well.

Lawrence Sidbury(de from richmond)-my brother goes to the university of montana, and he came away from that game convinced that he was a legit nfl de. looking at more than just that game(which he had 4 sacks in) i saw that he is a terror with a great spin move. “Starbury” as my bro called him is bulky enough at 266 lbs. and has a fantastic first step.

Sean Smith(corner/safety from utah)-watch the pick that he had against wyoming. awesome. he is in the exact same mold as nmandi, he is 6’2’’-6’3’’ and 210 lbs with great hips and ball skills. he is a project, but in round 2 or 3 he would be a steal for what he could turn into.

connor barwin(de/lb/te from cincy)-hustler at the de position who is an amazing athlete. a former cincy b ball star was tops in the combine in nearly every event. combine that with a non-stop motor and double digit sacks his senior year and he looks like he will be a player at the next level. and he has already worked out with the raiders.

austin collie(wr from byu)-a little old at 23 for being a rookie, but made up for in route running and natural athleticism. doesnt have great timed speed, but plays faster than most he plays against, even when facing higher division foes like notre dame and ucla. 6’1’’ and 200lbs. with a solid work ethic and one of the best route runners in the upcoming draft. made plays in big games. the kind of player the raiders need to start drafting to compete with the colts and the steelers and patriots of the world. works hard and is a solid football player and isnt just another height weight speed guy that we have been drafting for the past 6 years.

oh yeah there is more……lol…..

jamon meredith(ot from south carolina-you should know this dude nateroddick20)- athletic as hell and has prototype starting lt build with speed and agility to match. long arms and an excellent cut blocker would fit great with oakland. a bit of a project, but could pick up in the 5th round.

jarret dillard(wr from rice)-yet another player who is more football player than athlete. only about 5’11’’ but has a 42’’ vertical and runs awesome routes as well. has a crap ton of catches and bailed out his qb many times with the spectacular catch. not known for his speed, but by no means slow.

draftcountdown.com

raji is a first rounder, but not top 10 and wont fix what our dts have done with the situation they were put in

curry is an animal, and with the combine, didnt elevate his stock, it solidified it.

with all that said, crabtree is our man. We need him, and wr isnt a huge team need. thats how good crabtree is. Done deal.

but the fact that Crabtree is falling from the seattle at 4 to oakland at 7 is nothing short of a miracle. the o line is not a strong point, but if we have hendereson(who played well down the stretch) and pears (who stated 26 games the last 3 years for the broncos who run the same ZBS) and cornell green(who still kinda sucks, but could buy time for a young guy to come in) and maybe khalif barnes or ray willis who both can move and are pretty good in their own right. o line is about talent, but it is also about teamwork. we cant just expect monroe to come in and automatically work great with our guys. id rather we brought in an nfl vet at o line and a young stud at receiver than the other way around. and above this comment is a comment that says the patriot dbs locked down the raider receivers. crabtree is one of only 2 cant miss prospects in this years draft (along with curry). and dont bring up bringing TO in as the nfl vet receiver because we all know the cancer he is. crabtree is too much to ignore. another huge huge HUGE mistake many bloggers make is drafting for need over value. monroe is a top 10 talent, but crabtree in a top 2 talent. we restructered walkers deal to decrease his cap, which to me means al wont feel as ba dif he doesnt play. with chilens on one side and crabtree on the other, with higgins in the slot and miller at tight end with dmac in the backfield and jmarc sliggin it, we have the most explosive young offense in the league. screw denver!!! and i mean the o line isnt perfect, but cable will get them right, whether it is with a first round pick or an nfl free agent.

AGAIN CRABTREE IS TOOOO MUCH TO OVERLOOK!!!! STOP PICKING FOR NEED AND PICK THE BEST PLAYER IN THE DRAFT!!!!

and rick i am on the same page with you and jmarc. he is alot better than people give him credit for. give him another huge weapon along with another year of development and his production skyrockets!!!!

I think I’m off the Orakpo kick, the team needs of OL and WR exceed the DE need, and there’s talent available in the later rounds to try and fill it. The only way he’d be back in the discussion for the 7th pick would be if Monroe, J. Smith, Crabtree, and Raji were all gone by #7.

My mock(s) for now:

1. OT/WR – This has been the battle amongst S&BP for the past week or so. Most want Crabtree, while others aren’t so sure that an elite OT would do the Raiders more good. For now, I’ll concede that if Crabtree is available at #7 it will be extremely tough for Davis to pass on him, but if Monroe and/or J. Smith are still available somehow, they still have to be in the discussion and give Davis a moment of pause in making a decision. I think we can all agree that Davis would select Crabtree over Oher or A. Smith.

2. C/WR – Depends on what happens in the first round. If the Raiders select Crabtree, they’ll target one of the 3 centers (Mack/Unger/Wood) that have all graded out as fringe 1st/solid 2nd round picks. If the Raiders select a tackle in the 1st, they’ll target a WR like Robiskie, Heyward-Bey, or Nicks.

3. LB/DB – My personal pick here would be Jasper Brinkley to fill what I perceive to be a team need at MLB. Draft sites vary on where Brinkley would go, and I’ve seen anywhere from 3rd to 6th round. I think he had a fantastic Combine and will be at the upper range. If for whatever reason the Raiders aren’t interested in a LB, they’ll target safety prospects such as Chip Vaughn, Patrick Chung, or Sean Smith.

4. DT/DE – There is a lot of second tier talent for DT and DE in this draft. Look for the Raiders to build depth for the DL much like they’ve done previously with guys like Richardson (5th) and Scott (6th). Players to watch include Terrance Taylor, Sammie Lee Hill, Chris Baker, Dorell Scott for DTs; Lawrence Sidbury and others…but mostly Sidbury for DE.

6 and 7. BPA – Just find that talent, wherever it is.

Sign-
Marvin Harrison – perfect guy to give Russell a reliable target and confidence in his ability
Darren Sharper – perfect guy to teach Huff and Branch how to play the line of scrimmage and at the same time be a ball hawk, Sharper at FS and Huff at SS.

1. Raji NT Boston College- he would be a flat out monster in the 4-3 NT position, him and Kelly would be able to dominate for years like Henderson and Stroud did for Jax. Huge upside as a pass rusher and his ability to take on multiple blocks.
2. Michael Johnson DE Georgia Tech- We all know Davis is going to hunt him down given the chance, he is an absolute freak and his ability to deflect passes at the line is incredible. Burgess is in a contract year and I believe he’ll be back to 10+sacks this coming season, but he is going to ask for some UBER cash from Mr. Davis. Given the low chance MJ has of making it here, my second choice would be Robert Ayers who is my Strahan Jr at LE.
3. trade down for a late 3rd and 5th
3. Antoine Caldwell C Alabama – perfect C for facing 3-4 NT’s and fits the ZBS. I have been really high on Caldwell from the get go, his arm span is incredible and he has a great initial punch and is a furious competitor and leader. I would even dare to say he is a day 1 starter.
4. Ramses Barden WR Cal Poly – He is the most ideal WR prospect imaginable, he brings everything to the table that you look for in a WR, he will just take a good couple seasons to develop and Mr. Davis loves drafting WR’s around this spot.
5. Mark Parson CB Ohio- Man to Man STUD! He doesn’t have the size but he has everything else you look for in a man to man corner. Routt is in a contract year and even if he does sign again with us this Parson’s kid is worth the pick. 27 passes defended last season at Ohio. And he is one of the fastest corners in the draft, didn’t get invited to the combine but has spent the offseason training with Deon Sanders.
6. Worrell Williams OLB CAL – Williams is a flat out thumper at LB’er and could even come inside for us behind Morrison. He has a tendency to play with too much passion but that is a strength when you are a Raider. He would be excellent in special teams also.
7. Louis Vasquez RG Texas Tech – Super strong Guard and with the Broncos and Chiefs switching to 3-4 we need less mobility on the inside and more power. I doubt he would start but would certainly provide some depth.

Where’s the transaction blog? Make a new one for Rated-R Superstar