FanPost

Exhibit (DH)B

..or Steve Corkran gets his chops busted in chat. Today was Inside the Oakland Raiders weekly chat session, and in it people got on Corkran's case for his opinion of Darrius Heyward-Bey. It's the not the first time. I'd seen other people get on Jerry McDonald about what they believed were negative comments towards McFadden. But today it was a little more pronounced than usual.

Thursday's Chat

Despite DHB having his best season, Corkran says:

"I still of am the belief that Heyward-Bey is Oakland's sixth-best receiver talent-wise."

Seems strange doesn't it with as reliable as he's been this year, and with the other receivers showing up some games and disappearing others. Granted injuries play a part. But it seems a harsh label to put on somebody who's been our go-to guy this year.

He goes on to say:

"Darrius Heyward-Bey is Oakland's most-productive receiver right now, no doubt. Not sure why other receivers aren't getting as many balls thrown their way as Heyward-Bey."

Could it be that DHB is getting open when other receivers are not?

To this, a person in chat responded: "sounds like you were wrong about DHB like many but you won't admit it..."

Corkran denied having a problem admitting he was wrong, instead simply saying that he was firm in his beliefs.

"6th best receiver? Why so stubborn?" somebody else wanted to know

It was pretty clear a bunch of people were not going to let this go. And I was curious myself.

"Hey, I like Heyward-Bey as a person. I just am pointing out how I feel based on what I see in practice and games. He is closing the gap and getting better all the time. He's just not a natural football player, " was Corkran's response.

"Natural receiver or not, DHBs by far leading our team in stats... is that not how we base who is best??" another poster asked.

"He should have the best stats, though, given he starts and gets far and away more passes thrown his way," Corkran replied.

By now some of the people are just plain outraged:

"Come clean and tell us why you hate DHB so much.....need to be right instead of AL?"

"I do not hate him at all. Just pointing out that the Raiders should be getting a heck of a lot more from a guy who was the No. 7 pick in the 2009 NFL draft. To see what I'm talking about, go check out the Steelers' Mike Wallace, from the same draft, and see his stats. He has six straight games now in which he has caught a pass for 40 yards or more," Corkran answered.

And it goes on from there.

Okay, fair enough, Steve. DHB is probably not going to the Pro Bowl and has been outplayed by Mike Wallace, Hakeem Nicks and Jeremy Maclin from the same draft. But that wasn't the original point. The original point was Corkran saying that DHB is the worst wide receiver the Raiders have. Still seems awfully harsh to me, so what do you say?