Rejoice Raider Nation, We have a Center!
by Sons-of-Blanda on Sep 5, 2010 9:19 AM PDT
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Rookie Jared Veldheer, from an obscure DII college, has been designated Raiders starting Center and will unleash his Power and O-line Wits against the Titans next week. I'm very please with this decision by the Cable Committee and Al Davis. Veld will have seasoned veterans on either side of him (Gallery with 7 years experience and Carlisle with 8 years).
This decision excludes Veldheer from assuming Tackle duties. It's rare, however, for a rookie to start at OT in the NFL; so, Veld is going to be used where he can help the team most - right now. A a very strong 315lbs, Jared is the answer to the many NTs on our schedule and one positive response to our sporadic running game.
Gone, as a result of this decision, is Chris Morris for which I am also glad. Samson Satele will be backup C and help our struggling Special Teams to be more effective.
The Offensive Line on Sept. 12th will be:
LT - Mario Henderson (back-up Khalif Barnes)
LG - Robert Gallery (Daniel Loper or Khalif Barnes)
C - Jared Veldheer (back-up Samson Satele)
RG - Cooper Carlise (back-up Bruce "Soup" Campbell)
RT - Langston Walker (back-up Khalif Barnes)
Please pray that nobody gets hurt (this line hasn't much depth) and that we acquire a good OT, A.S.A.P.
FN. Oakland has never been great without a great Center. I believe Veld has a shot and could eventually be named among: Otto, Dalby, Mosebar, Robbins.
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Well..thats cool and all, but this move makes more sence anyway.
Ill be happy when the news pop up that we got a servicable OT.
This is great
I thought he looked great especially in the run game and i definitely agree he has shown he really has the potential to be a great player.
"We want to win. The Raider fans deserve it. The Raider players deserve it, even my organization deserves it. You have to win and you have to win with a vision for the Super Bowl. That's our passion here." - Al Davis
Also just noticed on the Raiders.com depth chart
looks like Rock Cartwright won the return job which i can’t understand surely Figurs was better in preseason.
"We want to win. The Raider fans deserve it. The Raider players deserve it, even my organization deserves it. You have to win and you have to win with a vision for the Super Bowl. That's our passion here." - Al Davis
They probably gave the return job to Cartwright
because he’s bigger than the other guys up for the job. As shitty as our ST blocking has been I’m surprised they didn’t give the job to Alex Daniels.
we're the only team that loves to have slow fullbacks running back ko's
just had an unpleasant gary russell flashback. why can’t jlh do this? nick miller? figurs should have been cut.
by lchristmas on Sep 5, 2010 6:45 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Agree to have Nick returning kicks - Figures is hesitant and Rock is slow
S-O-B: ITS HOW I ROLL, DEAL WITH IT.
by Sons-of-Blanda on Sep 5, 2010 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Nick didnt even get a chance in preseason
i dont get it, special teams other than the kicking game is a real worry imo
"We want to win. The Raider fans deserve it. The Raider players deserve it, even my organization deserves it. You have to win and you have to win with a vision for the Super Bowl. That's our passion here." - Al Davis
I say fix the blocking then I'll worry about the return man.
In the meantime give me someone that can take a hit and not fumble.
Thought is cheap.
by Rich Langford on Sep 5, 2010 11:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Spot on
Everybody gets worried about the KR, when any of them is only as good as his blocking. It’s the rare and unusual RB that is effective behind a crappy line, but it seems that people forget that, especially on ST…
Failure builds character; success reveals it
Fix the blocking?
We’d have to draft e more offensive linemen in next years draft or trade for them or hope Campbell is ready to start. A fullback isn’t going to fix the Raiders problems.
That's right...
All great Raiders teams of the past have had great centers,and from what i have seen of Veldheer so far he will be one of those greats.considering where he played college ball and that he played LT up until he came to Oakland he has been vary impressive at center.the up side on this guy is through the roof!
Can you imagine the middle of the O line once B,Campbell starts at RG?it would look like this,Lg Gallery 6’7" 325,C J,Veldheer 6’8’ 315,Rg B,Campbell 6’6" 315.all of these guys are extremely strong,which will help open big lanes for our RB’s. and they have decent to great speed to help them get to the second and third lvl.
question
is this a positive or negative? I assessed Satele as a bit below average nfl center. I assumed Satele was a lock at center (same w/ mario and gallery) and Veld/Cambell would push the others for their starting spots.
So, is Sateles ankle still gimpy? Is Veld just better than Satele? Does satele just suck in general and we have to plug someone in and Veld was the lesser of 2 evils?
Not sure how I feel about this yet. Informed thoughts?
by rat, el rat, mr. rat, the rat on Sep 5, 2010 10:46 AM PDT reply actions
Not that I'm informed, but it's reasonable that Satele can't handle Nose Tackles and Veldheer can
S-O-B: ITS HOW I ROLL, DEAL WITH IT.
by Sons-of-Blanda on Sep 5, 2010 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Both... lol
The positive is that Veldheer looks to be able to develop into a better C than Satele ever was, or ever will be. The negative is that Satele was the starter, which is indicative of the talent level of the OL.
The biggest problem is not going to be the physical, although there will be mistakes from inexperience at the position, but the mental: there are going to be plenty of blown assignments and missed calls, which, combined with the existing questions about tackle play may well lead to a lot of plays with QB’s being smacked around, and running plays stuffed in the backfield.
We’ll have to wait and see, and hope for the best…
Failure builds character; success reveals it
A positive move I feel
From the way Cable put it, sounds like Veld even with inexperience beat out Satele for the spot. Didn’t sound temporary, and as assessing Satele as below average, we need better than that, it was time for this change.
Veld is better and will just improve as he gains valuable experience I feel.
I would think Satele would be a better guard
but don’t remember him ever playing guard.
Played Spot duty at guard last year
They kicked him to LG and had Morris man the middle when Gallery got hurt.
"God will understand. And if he does not understand, then he is not God, and we need not worry." -Orlando Bloom, Kingdom of Heaven
by angelesoterica on Sep 6, 2010 3:07 AM PDT up reply actions
What about Hartwig at center
then Veldheer at LT and Henderson at RT?
Just a thought since hartwig was released.
He played very poorly last season, he might pull himself together or go into still deeper decline
S-O-B: ITS HOW I ROLL, DEAL WITH IT.
by Sons-of-Blanda on Sep 5, 2010 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions
positives and negatives
this is a great opportunity for Veldheer to prove he belongs as a first teamer. BUT the fact that he is now an NFL center with so little experience and he beat out guys with lots more experience pretty much just says how weak our other guys are. Chris Morris and Satele are scrubs on other teams as well as ours. So a rookie drafted to play tackle is a center because no one else can win the job and there’s no one else on the roster capable of being transitioned.
Pretty much it says that Al Davis is a joke for thinking he can afford not to build an OL. He’s a bigger joke for bringing in Satele to begin with as well as undersized guys like Jake Grove.
Draft a center who actually plays center instead of pretending fatboy fake coach Cable can create one out of thin air.
I don't agree with Oakland never being without a great center.
We had Satele who was beat out by Veldheer, Chris Morris before him and Jeremy Newberry before that. Newberry could run block well especially because of the ZBS but was not a leader or worth a dime in pass protection. I guess Barrett Robbins 7 years ago was the best we’ve had since Mosebar but I wouldn’t go that far to call him great, especially with his off-field crap affecting the team in the Super Bowl. I was hoping Satele would win the center job and have Veldheer win the LT job over Henderson. Seriously we can’t do much worse, then move Henderson to RT but alas either he truly won the job or Cable is trying to get his pick playing time right now.
Cowards die many times before their deaths
The valiant never taste of death but once.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Julius Caesar
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