So I'm noticing everyone here seems to be in agreement with Tom Cable (!!!) about taking Mike Iupati with the #8 pick. I agree on paper this would be the best first round pick we've had in ages. But then I stop and think for a moment. Cable has shown any idiot lineman with the exception of Erik Pears can be a guard. We need a right tackle. We need a nose tackle. We need a middle linebacker. We need a quarterback. The list goes on and on. I'm not disagreeing with picking up this beast. It would improve us immensely. Our o-line would be much better. But is this the right choice? This draft will determine our future for the next 4 years. We must think carefully.

Poll

Should we take Mike Iupati with the #8 pick?

• Hellyeah!!!
• No we have other, more pressing needs than guard

  19 votes | Results

 So this is my first post here on S&BP though I've been reading the opinions for some time. Its nice to know that Raider Nation is still alive and well even though we've been getting it handed to us since Barrett Robbins took a soiree to TJ over 8 years ago. I grew up with my dad being a Raider fan, and I am the only son of 3 who took up the mantle of following them. One of my earliest memories was a Raider game on TV versus the chiefs, Shell was coaching and Bo fumbled the football , it was reviewed on instant replay but i cant recall which way it went. I saw Napoleon McCallum get his knee bent backwards by the niners on monday night. My favorite player as a kid was Mervyn Fernandez (I was a kid, gimme a break).

But I am hopeful about this new season. My goals are simple for this year. BEAT THE CHARGERS. I don't care if we win or lose 10 games, if J-whatuwantmetothrowittoourteamnow becomes the starting QB or the main course on Thanksgiving day. Beat the flippin chargers. And the seahawks so i can gloat to their fans (heard we play them this year).

As for the draft here are my thoughts

1. Iupati is a good choice here. If Suh falls grab him so we can have a husker duo (kudos if you caught it). But I expect we will hear Bruce Campbell's name called. I guess I'm okay with it.

2. Pat Angerer should be drafted here. He will not be around in the third. And I'm hoping against hope that Cableguy can convince Al that Taylor Mays will be around in the third (he'll be there in the seventh for all I care)

3. Jahvid Best. A guy who reminds me of Fargas in that he possesses speed and guts. The injury will scare some people off but as i saw how he got it (getting a td)  and Al getting guys from Cal lately it makes sense. The guy from SC who was injured in the weightroom, Stafon Johnson, would be acceptable

4. Myron Rolle. A Rhodes scholar, he will be a good addition to a secondary that I expect to see dismantled because of a trade or free agency. Plus he will get Routt off the roster.

At this point on I don't know much. Trindon Holliday might be a good pickup to give J-Lard a LSU guy to throw to and a potential JLH replacement. Cody in the 7th so we can have even more fat guys wasting roster space. Pick a fullback that can A) stay healthy and B) stay off the roids. Ah the hell with it. Pick the 7 meanest bastards you can find and slap the pads on.

Ideal opening roster

QB. Mad Dog Gradkowski

RB D-Mac/Best or Johnson (Bush is getting traded. Just a gut feeling)

WR DHB/Murphy/Schillens/Holliday

LINE LEFT TO RIGHT Henderson/Gallery/Morris/Walker/Campbell

D-LINE Seymour/Bryant/Kelly/Wimbley or Shaughnessy

LB Morrison/Scott/Howard

CB Nnamdi/Mitchell/CJ/Rolle

Safeties Branch and Huff

Poll

Who should the Raiders take in the draft?

• Bruce Campbell
• Rolando Mclain
• Trade up for Ndamukong Suh
• Dr James Andrews, to find JR's guts
• other

  34 votes | Results

I just felt like posting two quick mock drafts. Hope you enjoy. However, in both I have Morrison being signed by another team, thus giving us a third rounder as a result. This seems to be what everyone is thinking will happen

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I can see we are all not in agreement when it comes to the Raiders off season progress.  According to Saints article, there are fans that give the Raiders an "A" so far, and and some that give them an "F".  Now I think these grades may be a little based on anger and/or blind faith and hope, and the true "grade" lies somewhere in the middle.  While our team has been making moves by trading for a good player in Wimbley, and cutting a lot of dead weight at the same time, our rivals have been trying to improve themselves as well. 

Let us start with the Denver Broncos. 

Josh McDaniels came into Denver last year and made waves immediately by trading away the franchise in Jay Cutler and distancing himself from the other main star player Brandon Marshall (soon to be wearing a Seahawks uniform).  The trade of Cutler to the Bears made the football world stare blankly at the television in shock.  McDaniels swaggered into town, younger than a lot of the fans and even some players, and shipped out the next John Elway.  This guy looked like a total jackass, the team was gutted, and the future looked bleak.  Most predictions put these guys at 2-4 wins, and a last place finish in the AFC west.  Instead, they shot off to an astounding start after one miracle (and madden like move) by Brandon Stokley vs the Bungles.  Only to collapse in the second half of the season and return this ship to earth where it belonged.  The D was good, but the offense was all over the place and lacked constancy.  The Jekyll and Hyde syndrome, aka, the Kyle Orton Effect.   

Now, the Broncos have done little so far in the off season.  They resigned players like Josh Barrett SS, and Brandon Lloyd WR, but have cut some dead weight as well.  Casualties include Chris Simms, Andra Davis LB, J'Von Parker DT, Mitch Erikson G, and Kenny Peterson DE (there are more, but not worth noting).  They also trade away Peyton Hillis, a RB whose future looked bright from time to time.  In this trade, they bring in a QB that could have just as well been sporting the silver and black.  He was crowned the most NFL ready QB coming out of the Notre Dame offense (Clausen fans beware), and we passed on him and CALVIN FREAKING JOHNSON to take none other than Jamarcus Russel.  Now we will get to see Brady Quinn two times a year as he rocks that putrid orange and blue jersey.  I hope this does not come back to haunt us (I'm sure it will).  The other key acquisitions for the Broncos are Jamal Williams, Jarvis Green, and JJ Arrington.  Nothing too noteworthy or shocking. 

I give the Broncos a solid C so far.  Nothing has been done that will return this team to a contender, but nothing too insane or crippling has been done either (see this time last year).  Moves or no moves, we need to keep this team directly in our sights, Josh McDaniels is a crafty guy, and can make a dollar out of fifteen cents.

Next - The San Diego Chargers

Poll

Rate the Broncos off season so far

• A
• B
• C
• D
• F
• Who Cares, F the Broncos

  59 votes | Results

 

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Source-Richmond-working-out-for-Raiders-on-Monday.html

TCU offensive tackle Nic Richmond will participate in a private workout for the Oakland Raiders on Monday, according to a league source. 

Here is an assessment of Nic:

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/front-office-total-access-stats.html&position=ot&startrow=20

A massive right tackle prospect with a huge wingspan and a thick upper body but a thin-looking lower half, Richmond lacks ideal awareness off the snap and struggles to get off the ball on time. He exhibits above-average flexibility for his size and can coil up surprisingly well in his stance. But he displays long, lumbering footwork and struggles to reach the edge in the pass game and to redirect with any kind of fluidity in space. He demonstrates some natural power in the run game to seal and stick to blocks, but struggles to keep his base down and get into blocks quickly as an in-line guy.

 

Some stats:

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=72837&draftyear=2010&genpos=OT

Nic Richmond, DS #45 OT, TCU  

Name: Nic Richmond  College: TCU     Number: 79 Height: 6-7   Weight: 307 Position: OT  Pos2: Class/Draft Year: rSr/2010 40 Time: 5.34      40 Low: 5.20   40 High: 5.53 Projected Round:   Stock:   High: 6-7  Low: PFA Rated number 45 out of 147 OT's     569 / 2653 TOTAL

The guy is educated:

http://gofrogs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/richmond_nic00.html

...earned a degree in communications from TCU in the spring of 2008 ... currently working on a master's degree in liberal arts...

 

 

 

One Oakland Raider said ,"That's a horror show." Another starter said "don't hold your breath." These were a few quotes bandied about in the Raiders offices when quarterback JaMarcus Russell failed to show up for the first day of voluntary work-outs.

He showed up the second day 11 pounds over his listed playing weight of 260, but was reportedly still in good shape. It is almost hard to believe the 24 year old Russell is already entering his fourth year of a career. Critics are trying to label him a bust after being the first overall pick in the 2007 draft.

While his rookie year was mostly riding the bench, starting once in four appearances, he was handed the starting job his sophomore year and the strong armed youngster threw 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions.Though it was a positive year for a 23 year old kid, fans wanted more. Unfortunately this was not the case his third year, as he tossed 13 interceptions against 3 touchdowns in a year he lost his starting job to journeyman Bruce Gradkowski.

Now there is a growing sentiment in Raiders Nation that Russell is a failure and Gradkowski should stay atop the depth chart. Yet there is other fears that Russell was perhaps thrown into the fray before he was mentally ready, retarding his growth as a NFL quarterback.

There was a time in the NFL it almost seemed mandatory a quarterback sat a few years before playing. Raiders fans know this from maybe the franchises greatest quarterback, Ken "Snake" Stabler, who rode the pine four years before getting his shot. Stabler responded with the first of his four Pro Bowl years in that 1973 season, and led the Raiders to a Super Bowl win by 1976.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is full of quarterbacks who had to ride the bench for several years, learning the game before given their chance to display their progress. Len Dawson floated from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Cleveland Browns to the Dallas Texans/ Kansas City Chiefs before starting full time in his sixth season. Sonny Jurgensen rode the bench for the Philadelphia Eagles before earning the starting job in his fifth year.

The list goes on. In 1973, Roger Staubach entered his fifth year named the full time starter for the first time. He did start ten games in 1971, alternating plays with Craig Morton over half of the season, and led them to a Super Bowl title.Men like Tom Brady and Joe Montana spent most of their first two seasons as reserves.

Perhaps Russell will follow the path of Pittsburgh Steeler legend Terry Bradshaw? Both are noted for having exceptionally strong throwing arms. Bradshaw's first three years saw him toss 58 interceptions and 31 touchdowns. He lost his starting job just past the halfway point of the season into his fourth year and again in his fifth year before claiming it for good. His replacements did not play particularly well either year, but the Steelers did win the Super Bowl in 1974. Bradshaw retired with four Super Bowl titles in his reign.

Sometimes a change of scenery helps. Hall of Famer Bobby Layne was the Chicago Bears first round draft pick in 1948, the third overall pick. He was buried behind Hall of Famer Sid Luckman and Pro Bowler Johnny Lujack on the depth chart, so he was traded to the New York Bulldogs after the season. After starting all year in the Bulldog's 1-11 season, he was traded to the Detroit Lions and had an excellent career. Luckman himself spent his first two season as a part-time starter at quarterback and halfback.

Other quarterbacks like Hall of Famer Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, and Joe Theismann went to the Canadian Football League to learn how to play quarterback before joining the NFL. Theismann even played special teams as a gunner before securing the starting job full time in his fifth NFL season. Flutie left the NFL after his fourth season in 1989, and did not return from the CFL until 1998 to enjoy his lone Pro Bowl year for the Buffalo Bills.

Not every quarterback needs a few years of schooling. Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Joe Namath, John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, and Johnny Unitas jumped right in and took over, though Unitas spent a year out of football after being cut in his rookie year.

Peyton Manning is one day headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame .He is another example of a guy starting day one, as are other modern day quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco. Other quarterbacks like Tavaris Jackson, Alex Smith, and Vince Young were sat back down to learn more.

Some say Russell is a victim of having a porous offensive line in front of him. Exposing him to frequent hits to where he may now flinch at the nearest hint of defensive pressure on him. He has been sacked 64 times in the last 27 games he has played.

Fans may recall three other quarterbacks who took a pounding. Jim Plunkett was the first player chosen in the 1971 draft with the Boston Patriots. He was dropped 146 times in 61 games over five years, even though he lost his starting job in his fifth year. Plunkett would persevere, however, becoming a two time Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Oakland Raiders.

The greatest Manning to ever play in the NFL, Archie, was drafted one pick behind Plunkett by the New Orleans Saints in 1971. He joined a team struggling so much, they were called the "Aint's" by league followers. Archie was sacked an incredible 340 times in 134 games with New Orleans. His first two years in the NFL saw him lead the league in being sacked, despite being extremely mobile. He led the league again in the category in his fifth year.

Archie Manning, like Plunkett, also persevered. Despite playing on some of the worst teams in modern NFL history that saw him endure savage beatings each Sunday. Things got so bad, sport writers were writing tongue in cheek articles asking defenses to take it easy on the affable quarterback. This included beat writers who covered teams the Saints were opposing.

He got to see the team eventually improve somewhat by his seventh season in 1978. He made the Pro Bowl and was named the NFC Player Of The Year. His 1979 season saw the Saints have their first non-losing season in franchise history, going 8-8. Archie's teams won 35 of the 139 games he started, the worst winning percentage in NFL history amongst quarterbacks with at least 100 starts.

Despite all of this, Manning has his number hanging in the Saints Superdome by a banner, joined only by recent Canton inductee Ricky Jackson, is a member of the Saints 40th Anniversary Team, was inducted into the teams Hall of Fame in 1988, and is the Chairman of Saints Hall of Famers.

Another case to remember is that of David Carr, the first pick in the 2002 draft by the Houston Texans. He got creamed a league leading 76 times his rookie year, and 249 times in 76 games. His confidence was so shaken, he looked like a deer staring into headlights every time the ball was snapped, though he did lead the league in completion percentage during his last year as a Texan in 2006. He is now a free agent after playing with two teams the past three years, so it remains to be seen if he will join Plunkett and Manning in toughening out a respectable career.

The journey Russell will eventually take will probably not be decided in 2010, but it could have significant impact on his future as a Raider. Oakland could help him out by drafting a few blockers, and hope they are ready to contribute immediately. The running back duo of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush is expected to be more effective than last season as well. The current starters on the offensive line last year thoroughly showed an upgrade is needed. Oakland cannot afford to score just 12.3 points per game like last year, second worst in the NFL, because their defense has yet to show they can stop anyone consistently.

Russell was drafted to lead the team, not be called an inconsistent horror show. There are rumblings that he is immature and doesn't work as hard as he should. He now enters his second year with quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett and Passing Game Coordinator Ted Tollner. Both men have been coaching since the 1960's and have long resumes filled with successes. Hue Jackson enters his first year as Offensive Coordinator, after just leaving the Baltimore Ravens. He was the quarterbacks coach there, overseeing the development of Joe Flacco.

Head coach Tom Cable's area of expertise is coaching the offensive line. He learned under such offensive minds like Dennis Erickson and Kevin Gilbertson. It is up to him and Offensive Line coach John Michalczik to get improved quality of play from this unit in the trenches. The coaches Russell has are proven, but more repetitive hits could take Russell on a longer than expected journey in learning his position.

Perhaps Cable could get owner Al Davis call in Plunkett, Stabler, and even Hall of Famer George Blanda to talk with Russell about diligence, hard work, and patience. Blanda did not earn the permanent starting job at quarterback until his fifth year, starting out his career at linebacker. He lost the job after that year and would not again be a full time starter until his tenth season. The Raiders Family is long known for their close knit ties. Having three on the silver and blacks legends in his ear with advice can be a lesson from a school like no other, and one sorely needed by a youngster who appears to now be wandering aimlessly along the NFL highway in need of direction.

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Moving away from the official 2010 free agency thread, I've decided to just let that one go since no one can find anything over there anyway with the amount of comments. Instead, with the majority of the free agents signed and the draft approaching even closer, I've decided that a whole offseason thread is more appropriate. Please recommend this thread so people can get the latest news.

Continue reading this post »

 
     Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison have formed a bond together. The 2 LB's have been together for almost 5 years and have earned the name. "The Law Firm of Howard and Morrison" So I think its obvious that they shuold play their careers together in Oakland.

 

    Thomas Howard has been one of our Top Defensive Players and has the potential to be even better. Oakland drafted Thomas in '06 and he's contributed greatly since. There is not question about it, Oakland needs to resign him to the extensive contract that he deserves.

 

     At the young age of 26, Thomas had showed his dominance on the field consistently, racking up nearly 100 Tackles a year since entering the league. Despite his career low of 79 this year, He is a leader on the field and a true presence in run and pass game. In 2007, he intercepted 6 passes, returing 2 for touchdowns.

 

 

     Kirk Morrison has lead the team in tackles since hios rookie year in '05. Kirk had his best year yet in '09 with 133 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. He's only 28 Years old and grew up in Oakland. He's stated before that hes been a fan for his whole life and playing for Oakland has been a dream.

 

 

     Although Kirk isn't the hard hitting LB you would want at the MLB posistion. He may get pushed back at times but I have realized that the LB can only be as good as his DL. And without a presence up front, Kirk will continue to have blockers in his face. It is my opinion that he will have a terrific year with a better DL, and may even make the Pro Bowl.

    

 

      Keeping these two guyus together would provide stability and would mean that Oakland doesnt have to waste a pick on a unproven rookie. Plus, There are numerous Linebackers that can play next to these guys tht are available in the later rounds. Im gonna be the 1st to say it. I want the Law Firm for another 5-6 Years! Go Raiders!

 

 

I really wish that the media didn't hype Russell up like he really lost a noticeable amount of weight. Willie Brown was making it seem like he was going to look totally different. Brown said that people won't even recognize him and that he looks way different from the last time we saw him. Yeah right. The guy is reportedly 271 pounds when he checked into voluntary workouts. JaMarcus are you serious? You only got down to 271 pounds? Sounds like he really didn't work that hard Arizona. The media report gave me a tiny tiny little glimmer of hope that he actually got in shape, but nothing changed and he is still FAT. I don't know why ssome of his teammates said that he is in much better shape because 271 pounds is not good shape at all, and it is probably just slightly lighter than his weight last year. Come on Russell you are a dang quarterback and you had to go on a "diet" to get down to 271 pounds. That is just sad.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id=4154&line=170077&spln=1