Is our Offensive Line good enough to pass on Smith or Monroe if need be?

by mont8ellis on Apr 2, 2009 12:15 PM PDT Comment 22 comments

If Crabtree is on the board at 7, we take him REGUARDLESS. BUT, if he IS taken before us, that leaves us with either Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe, or Andre Smith. Other possible options include BJ. Raji and Brian Orakpo. But i'm here about the hypothetical chance of passing on the 3 talented linemen on the board.

Detroit, if you are reading this, help US out as we helped you acquire such a talented reciever in Calvin Johnson. Now all you guys have to do is draft Matthew Stafford. (If they pass on Stafford, Jason Smith will be the pick)

If the Lions do not draft Stafford, Michael Crabtree will not slip to us. Reason why is the St. Louis Rams. I see the Rams big board like this.

1. Jason Smith

2. Michael Crabtree

We have talent on the O-Line with the addition of Khalif, Erik, and Samson. All were starters on their previous teams, so I guess that helps a little bit? Even though, we now know that the O-Line was the main focus of this offseason. That's a good enough sign to ensure the fans that the Raiders are focusing on improving the O-Line signifacantly.

That said, are we confident that our new additions plus last seasons linemen will provide enough protection for Russell and block off defenders trying to pursue our tri-acular running backs.

In my opinion, we pass on Monroe and Andre Smith, but take Jason Smith. If Jason or Michael are off the board, we take Raji or Orakpo in that order.

1. Curry

2. Crabtree

3. J. Smith

4. Raji

5. Orakpo

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I think if stafford is picked in the top 6, we have a great chance of getting crabtree

But as for the o line, we have brought in 2 core guys, not necessarily super starts but adequate for our zone blocking scheme. And the ZBS has been proven to make average o lineman look very good. I feel we will go either D front or receiver at the no. 7 pick.

by posey440 on Apr 2, 2009 12:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed

but if I was drafting for Detroit, I’d wait till next year to get a QB. I’d try to build up the offense around the future QB, mainly at O-Line. The QB’s in this year’s draft have too many question marks. I’m hoping the first 7 picks go like this

1. Lions= Monroe
2. Rams= J. Smith
3. Chiefs= Curry
4. Seahawks= Raji
5. Browns= Crabtree (could very well happen)
6. bengals= ???
7. Raiders= orakpo

But to the matter of the O-Line. yes I think the O-line’s very solid this year, especially at tackle. We have four solid guys in Henderson, Barnes, Green, and Pears. The starters should be henderson at left and barnes at right. if either slips up, there’s quality players behind them with starting experience. The OG depth is fairly questionable. C is secure with both Satele and Wade on board. Both could be starters on any team in the league. his is the most confident I’ve been about the O-Line in years.

V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."

by KA1Z3R on Apr 2, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I Don't think we need a Offensive linemen in the draft

I Feel that we have addressed our OL position by Free Agency and Trades.

"We want to Win. The Raider fans deserve it. The Raider players deserve it,even my organization deserves it. You have to Win and Win with a vision of the Super Bowl. That's our passion here"- Mr. Davis

by nishal26 on Apr 2, 2009 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seahawks

will take a QB, Browns will take Orakpo, Bengals-Smith, Raiders, Crabtree/Raji.

Your team is your child...You love it no matter what.

by TheRaiderWay on Apr 2, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ay

Raji tested Positive for drugs (Marijuana) at the 2009 Scouting combine he might drop.

by nishal26 on Apr 2, 2009 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Snap

I ain’t having that. Rak is the first priority now.

Police Fucking Hate Me, Trying To Relocate Me To LA, But Like The Raiders, I' ma Bring It Back To The Bay! - Nump

by Rayder K on Apr 2, 2009 5:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just a suggestion but the bengals need another tackle, and andre smith was a potential no. 1 pick before the combine

by posey440 on Apr 3, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

ah yes true

and we’re all hearing that the Seahawks could be looking for a new QB.

V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."

by KA1Z3R on Apr 4, 2009 7:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still don't think so

Hassleback is only 32 or 33 and still has some years left. I know they want to get someone in there to play under him for awhile but this years QB class is pretty weak.

Just HIT somebody.

by SBcitizen on Apr 4, 2009 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Common misconception

Next years class is weaker than this years. tebow is not an elite quarterback, however is is a great college player. Mccoy is tiny. He is listed at 6’3, but he looks like 6’0’’ and he probably weighs 185. The only player in next years draft that would be a step up from any of these players is bradford. Stafford is a stud. He is not ready to come in and play right away like matt ryan or joe flacco did. He is very immature. Not as a person but as a quarterback. Matt ryan was 23 when he started his first game and joe flacco turned 24 midway through last season, while stafford just turned 21. If he were to sit for 3 years like aaron rodgers did, he has twice the tools aaron did and will work on his footwork and anticipation as these are his only weaknesses besides his age. The seahawks are a contender right now, but so were the packers when they picked rodgers at 24. Jim Mora know QB stability is the hardest thng to find in this league, and with the resigning of ray willis and seasn locklear and walter jones already on the team, the aquisition of colin cole and cory redding, and the signing of Tj houshmanzadeh, they will probably not be lookinf gor a WR, Tackle, Or defensive line at the no. 4 pick. Although it looks like stafford will be going to the lions right now, they might be open to bringing in one of the remaining 2 players after stafford goes no. 1 and jason smith goes no. 2, they would get aaron curry or eugene monroe.

But if stafford was there and aaron curry wasnt, then they would pull the trigger on stafford.

by posey440 on Apr 4, 2009 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yup..

They just lost Stacy Andrews in free agency and really do need a OT.
They also need a DT because the ones they have suck.

by L.A. Raiders on Apr 4, 2009 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

QB must go in top 6....

for us to stand a chance at getting Crabtree. If detroit passes on stafford, there is a chance that Seattle may grab him.

I dont think st louis grabs crabtree. The need an OL, even if smith is gone. I am more worried about cleveland or cincy. cleveland needs d help as well as a pass catcher.

I dont really think cincy needs a wr that bad as they have ocho and just signed some ex jet. coles? They have bigger needs elsewhere.

Please, oh please bring crabtree home to oakland.

As for your O-line, we did improve via free agency, but we still wont be a top 10 ol. One of the monster OT, w gallery, and the rest of the crew definately would not hurt.

by gl12ox05 on Apr 2, 2009 4:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Could Be 2 QB's Gone in Top 5 Now

With Stafford and Sanchez both impressing teams in their pre-draft workouts both the Lions and the Seahawks may decide that they want to lock these guys up and make their teams’ respective futures brighter.

Crabtree may not fall past Cleveland, who, like us, probably grades him higher than Orakpo, Everette Brown, or any of the secondary players the Browns may have been interested in.

The Rams and Bengals will still target J. Smith and E. Monroe, so that doesn’t really change for us.

The pick is probably still between Maclin and Orakpo. Raji can’t be in the picture anymore after his positive drug test – Cable won’t stand for it.

Take Orakpo to fill the impending RDE hole, let Burgess rack up huge numbers as a nickel rusher, and target a WR in the 2nd round.

Dream Drafts:
Michael Crabtree, Ron Brace?, Chip Vaughn, Lawrence Sidbury
Brian Orakpo, Brian Robiskie, Jasper Brinkley, DT

by LiveAdam on Apr 2, 2009 6:03 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

I Agree

Raji’s behavior is really having a bad impact with me and the rest of the NFL. I mean, why smoke when you are about to go to the combine. Dumb, just dumb.

Police Fucking Hate Me, Trying To Relocate Me To LA, But Like The Raiders, I' ma Bring It Back To The Bay! - Nump

by Rayder K on Apr 2, 2009 6:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

major props bro

but I have a question, who would you rather have, Everette Brown or Orakpo? I ask you to think long and hard before answering right away.

V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."

by KA1Z3R on Apr 3, 2009 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Close Call, but Orakpo

Both players are excellent pass rushers, and even though Orakpo ran .03 faster than Brown in the 40, the general consensus is that Brown gets around the edge on pass rushes slightly better than Orakpo. Give Orakpo credit though, he’s obviously no slouch. I give the edge to Orakpo because I believe he is better against the run than Brown. Orakpo’s massive upper body and strength allows him to take on opposing O-lineman and shed blocks much better than Brown to make more tackles.

Overall, I believe that Brown grades out higher as a 3-4 OLB and Orakpo grades out higher as a 4-3 DE, making him the better fit for our team.

Check out this article for more information on Orakpo v. Brown.

Dream Drafts:
Michael Crabtree, Ron Brace, Chip Vaughn, Lawrence Sidbury
Brian Orakpo, Brian Robiskie, Chip Vaughn, Sammie Lee Hill
I still love Jasper Brinkley

by LiveAdam on Apr 3, 2009 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

good speculation and thank you for the link

That’s the same thing i was thinking, but i didn’t know if you thought that Orakpo’s injury history outweighs his abilities against the run vs. Brown’s.

V- "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."

by KA1Z3R on Apr 4, 2009 7:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Work Ethic

The one thing about Orakpo too is that he puts in a lot of time at the gym. He’s got really strong work ethic and that is a plus. There are some guys in the NFL that have natural talent and don’t put in the work cause they don’t think they have too (Russel). Those are the guys that usually end up as average or bust. Then there are guys like Orakpo who might not have the natural talent but put a lot of work in; these are the guys that usually succeed.

I haven’t heard much about Orakpo’s injuries. Do you have a link or do you know what they are?

Just HIT somebody.

by SBcitizen on Apr 4, 2009 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes...

I really like Brian Orakpo as a person, a player, and a worker. He is going to be great and I think he can make a great impact to the Raider if they grab him. He will probably be at the level of Justin Tuck or Robert Mathis when he comes into the NFL.
I say we grab him in the 1st round and grab a WR in the 2nd like Mike Thomas or Demetrius Byrd or Darrius Heyward-Bey(if he is still there).

by L.A. Raiders on Apr 4, 2009 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

B.J. is a bust in the NFL....

I like Monroe actually way more than Smith. But I’m not worried about Linemen right now, I would want for the Raiders to draft either Michael Crabtree or Brian Orakpo. B.J. Raji is not for us, he can wait, plus we only have like 5 or 6 DT’s. As for Curry, I really really doubt that he will fall to us.

by L.A. Raiders on Apr 3, 2009 1:35 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Thank you for seeing the writting on the wall

We have done nothing but resign or bring in DT position and we have nothing nothing as for brining in receivers except we asked walker to take a pay cut. I dont feel al wants a Dt at 7 one bit. Im not even sure if he picks one at all in this draft. Defensive end isnt a pure need as we have some adequate players, but the saying goes “if you can take a hotter girl to the prom you do it.” And that hotter girl is brian orakpo. I do believe we have about a 50/50 crabtree lands at 7 and about a 60percent chance orakpo does because i read on SI that the browns are not high on orakpo and they are high on bringng in a pass rusher,….say an everrette brown.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/04/02/mock1/index.html

by posey440 on Apr 3, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs