Silver And Black Pride: FanPosts

Camp Notes Day 14: PM

Raider76 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:04:36 -0000

Notes on Wednesday night's practice:

– Virtually everyone who missed the morning session returned for the evening, meaning the Raiders should be near full strength to face the 49ers Friday night.

Those who returned after missing the morning session were defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, wide receiver Drew Carter, wide receiver Javon Walker, wide receiver Ronald Curry, guard Cooper Carlisle, center Jake Grove, guard-tackle Fred Wakefield, linebacker Ricky Brown and quarterback Andrew Walter.

Those who did not practice and aren’t likely to face the 49ers are linebacker Grant Irons, safety Greg Wesley and cornerback John Bowie. The Raiders have yet to make a move with the roster spot of lineman Mark Wilson, who suffered a broken leg early in camp.

– During the evening practice, the Raiders put together “service” teams to simulate the offense and defense of the 49ers.

With Raiders reserves running a defenses they were unfamiliar with, the Raiders offensive units had their cleanest passing practice in days.

During one seven-on-seven session, starting quarterback JaMarcus Russell, Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo all went through their six-pass sessions without an incomplete pass.

Walker, who missed the morning session looked crisp during evening drills and caught one slant from Russell during a team session that he ran all the way into the end zone, bluffing a goal-post dunk at the end.

Carter also looked fresh after missing his previous two workouts. Walker and Carter were running with the first team offense, Curry and Johnnie Lee Higgins with the first team defense.

The only drops during the practice were one by Todd Watkins on a deep pass from Russell, and another by Drisan James.

– A special teams session included the terrifying sight of Mario Henderson being asked to fair catch a pooch kickoff at the 30-yard line. Henderson made the catch rather awkardly, even leaving the ground to get the ball.

“Why did you jump in the air?,” screeched defensive end Jay Richardson.

Moments later, Richardson was asked to do the same thing, but forgot to call for the fair catch.

– Look for Johnnie Lee Higgins (punts) and Tyvon Branch (kickoffs) to get a long look as return specialists.

– The 80-man roster limit with no World League exemptions means space is at a premium and carrying more than four quarterbacks is a luxury.

Wide receivers coach James Lofton throws his own passes during drills with the touch and accuracy of a quarterback. Lofton threw fades, comebacks and fly patterns, and at one point completed at a good 15 passes in a row before misfiring _ and that one was to assistant coach John Fassel, who jumped into a drill and couldn’t hang on to a pass.

– Missed a presentation from NFL officials during the afternoon to participate in an on-line chat, but was told the film put together to demonstrate some rules issues had Raiders representation.

An item on taunting included film of Stuart Schweigert standing and glowering over Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez (yes, it actually happened) after a big hit.

When discussing personal conduct, there was the image of Warren Sapp, melting down and getting ejected in Jacksonville.

Jay Richardson was shown giving a throat slash during the portion on “menacing gestures.”

check this out

asdf666 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:07:49 -0000

check out http://www.gridironexperts.com/

cool 100% free site! great fantasy and sportsbetting advice

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Let's Start A Tradition

Rayder K — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:15:24 -0000

Hey my Raidermates, I wanted to start a new tradition today.

We have been sort of doing it already, evident by the constant "fighting" with the Bronco fans.

Well, here's what I wanted to start. I want to "Raid" each team we are about to play each week and just piss them off. It would be fun and exciting and it will make watching the games worth a little more too.

We'll just talk about why we are so good and why our players will kill the other team. It kind of has a Raider mindset/mentality and sort of represents what a real Raider would do.

Who's with me?

Camp Notes Day 14: AM

Raider76 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:52:54 -0000

Some notes on Wednesday's morning practice:

– Lots of people out of the padded workout, with a lighter session to follow this evening. Those who didn’t participate included quarterback Andrew Walter, wide receivers Ronald Curry, Javon Walker and Drew Carter, center Jake Grove, guard Cooper Carlisle, tackle Mark Wilson, guard-tackle Fred Wakefield, safety Greg Wesley, linebacker Grant Irons, linebacker Ricky Brown and cornerback John Bowie.

“We’re going to push as many as we can to get out here here tonight,” Kiffin said, noting they would be preparing specifically for Friday night’s game against the 49ers.

– It was the second straight absence for Walter, Walker and Carter _ none of whom have serious injuries but are simply sore.

The Raiders had originally hoped to get Walker back on a two-a-day program starting Monday, but instead, Walker practiced twice Saturday, took Sunday off with the rest of the team, and has made two of four practices since.

“We’re still monitoring,” Kiffin said. “He did the one day of two-a-days and then felt a little sore. He’ll work tonight and I’d really like for after this game to get him to a two-a-day format. I believe he really needs it.”

Said Kiffin of Walter’s second straight absence: “We can’t figure out anything except that he’s tired from too much throwing.”

– Keeping in mind the Raiders were without the three men expected to be their top receivers _ Curry, Walker and Carter _ wideouts found it difficult to find open spaces against the defense, even during seven-on-seven drills.

On two passes Russell made throws a good 50 yards downfield. The first, a perfect rainbow, was dropped by Jonathan Holland with Stanford Routt trailing in coverage. The second was an underthrown wobbler toward Drisan James which was batted down by Hiram Eugene.

Russell continued his practice of checking down, flooding the field with short passes to running backs and tight ends when his outside reads were closed off by defenders.

“Chaz, you’re open _ break on the ball,” Kiffin yelled at one point on a play in which Russell instead threw short to tight end Zach Miller.

During one seven-on-seven sequence, Russell and Tuiasosopo combined to throw eight passes before one was caught by a wide receiver, with the others going to running backs and tight ends or falling incomplete.

Kiffin said he was pleased with the competition at wide receiver and thought the reduced workload heading into the 49ers game would be beneficial.

“I’ll be interested to see them get their legs back for this game,”’ Kiffin said. “Going light tonight and obviously tomorrow being light. They’re so worn down now and it’ll be good to see them get their juice back.”

– Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and safety Jarrod Cooper were back after being ill. Asomugha, who needed IVs and missed two days of practice, said he was still subsisting on bananas and yogurt. His work was limited.

“I wanted to go out and get a couple of plays in,” Asomugha said.

– Defensive end Greg Spires showed some spring at age 34 when he made a tackle from behind against Darren McFadden as the rookie was picking his way through the first line of defense.

– Kiffin continues to talk up running back Michael Bush, who flattened a blitzing Gibril Wilson and also stood up Spires. Included in the assessment was a message _ bring it to practice every day.

“Boy, if he could practice like that every day, we’d really have something,” Kiffin said. “Gibril Wilson came on a blitz . . .he picked him up as good as you pick a guy up, put him to the ground. A couple of physical runs. If we can get him to continue to grow and continue to be that guy, we’ll have a pretty special backfield.”

– An example of what the Raiders may face if defenses close down on their check down routes and they can’t get receivers downfield: McFadden circled out of the backfield to his right, Russell threw it his way, and the rookie was met with a perfectly timed hit by linebacker Thomas Howard.

McFadden went sprawling, and the only reason it wasn’t a knockout hit was that Howard didn’t accelerate into the tackle, keeping with training camp protocol.

“You’d best stop running that (bleep), man,” Howard said.

Howard later had a nasty lick on running back Louis Rankin.

– Defensive tackle William Joseph stuffed Justin Griffith in the backfield on a running play.

– Included Wednesday was a drill as close to a legitimate tackling drill as you’ll see in an NFL practice. Runners attempted to get past defenders through a lane marked by cones about five yards wide.

Defenders attempted to square up and strike runners before disengaging.

Cornerback Michael Waddell whiffed on a spin move by wide receiver Arman Shields, while Malik Jackson was critiqued for not coming hard enough on Schilens.

“Run your feet and then explode,” linebackers coach Don Martindale said.

Jackson was much more sudden in a subsequent hit on tight end Chris Wagner.

“Much better,” Martindale said.

– Tight end Tony Stewart, not exactly an elusive target, managed to get by Derrick Burgess with very little contact.

– Lap runners for pre-snap violations included Burgess, Gerard Warren and Robert Gallery.

– With Grove and Carlisle sitting it out, John Wade worked with the first team at center and Chris Morris at right guard.

Camp Notes Day 13:

Raider76 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:59:34 -0000

Notes from yesterdays practice: Nothing real big to note but Hall getting beat again on a pass.

– Whatever is ailing Nnamdi Asomugha is also ailing Jarrod Cooper, as both missed practice. Asomugha, according to Lane Kiffin, has been treated with IVs and is expected back Wednesday morning.

– JaMarcus Russell continued to spend much of his time in seven-on-sevens and team sessions playing it safe, throwing to backs swinging out of the backfield or over the middle.

He may be making Rich Gannon seem like a mad bomber, but it is what Kiffin and the offensive staff want as part of Russell’s development. Still, it is at least a little disturbing that few wide receivers seem to be breaking into the clear.

There doesn’t appear to be a clear No. 1 receiver on the roster after 13 days of camp, meaning the Raiders _ and big-bucks free agent signee Javon Walker in particular _ have time to get better with the first preseason game coming up Friday night against San Francisco.

When asked about the dearth of open receivers, Kiffin noted that the Raiders have a good coverage secondary as well as Walker’s one-practice-a-day schedule. It didn’t help that Drew Carter, who looked terrific in early practices but seems to have slowed lately, was given practice off to get his legs back under him.

“I think the quarterback is doing exactly what we want and we’d like to get open more often for him,” Kiffin said.

The Raiders secondary was without Asomugha, Cooper and starting strong safety Gibril Wilson, who is resting a sore knee which Kiffin said is not serious. Wilson probably won’t see much time against San Francisco, Kiffin said.

– When Russell plays, Kiffin said he would be careful to make sure he has the best possible supporting cast in terms of pass protection. The best pass blockers are likely to play as long as Russell does.

– Wide receivers coach James Lofton continued to school his young receivers, hoping to get more consistency. A drop by Drisan James, who turned late and let a Marques Tuiasosopo pass glance off his hands, caused Lofton to bellow, “Make the play, make the play, make the play!”

When cornerback Darrick Brown made a more aggressive play on a corner route than wide receiver Chaz Schilens, with Brown knocking it away, Lofton yelled, “Be aggressive! You have to go up and get it. You wait for it, you get nothing.”

Arman Shields was lectured for catching a pass and leaving the ball where it could be knocked loose by a defender.

“You’ve got no chance with that ball in the inside arm. No chance,” Lofton said.

Shields also dropped one of Russell’s few deep throws after getting behind Stanford Routt.

– Defensive end Greg Spires has come on of late and made a nice play when he blew up a pitch to Louis Rankin the backfield.

– Some of the day’s best intermediate throws were not made by Russell, but by Tuiasosopo, particularly a sharp, perfectly-timed 20-yard out to Todd Watkins in front of DeAngelo Hall.

– Watkins later dropped a pass _ on a Tuiasosopo throw which as slightly behind him. It was one of his few drops since camp opened.

– Quarterback Andrew Walter rested a sore arm again but Kiffin said he expected him to play against San Francisco.

– Kiffin said running back Darren McFadden will get enough preseason time to determine how well he takes a hit and to prove his ball-security issues while at Arkansas are behind him. He will not return kickoffs against the 49ers.

– The mission for Michael Bush Friday night couldn’t be more clear. Kiffin wants a hammer.

“Run physical, run hard,” Kiffin said. “He’s 246 pounds _ don’t run like a 200-pounder . . . he’s the one big guy we have, and if he can what we hope he can do I think we’re in a real good position there.”

– Robert Thomas has been running with the first team at strong side linebacker for three days, but apparently that has more to do with a previously undisclosed injury to Ricky Brown than it does with Brown moving on to the first team.

“Ricky being banged up and not out there is a big reason for that,” Kiffin said. “Robert is playing `Mike’ and `Sam’ for us. Robert’s got to play special teams and I’ve talked to him about that, and he’s going to have to do it all to make the team.”

Kiffin said of the linebacker position: “There are only two guys that I know are going to make this team and the rest of the guys had better play special teams and contribute.”

Brown, Kiffin said, has knee and back issues but should play against the 49ers.

– NFL officials are on hand at practice and will go over rules changes with players, coaches and the media. It was amusing to watch an official throw a flag on Hall for pass interference against Arman Shields, only to get an earful from Hall of Fame corner and secondary coach Willie Brown.

“He doesn’t have the right of way. Don’t let him tell you that `right of way’ stuff,” Brown said to Sheilds before a brief debate with the official about what constitutes legal and illegal contact.

– Jack Tatum attended his first practice of the season and was signing autographs for fans who were invited guests, as the Raiders hosted radio advertisers. Tatum said he hadn’t yet seen Wilson play at safety with the Giants but was encouraged to hear about his hitting and tackling with the Giants.

“Good, that’s what we need,” Tatum said.

– All eyes were in the south end zone when Russell was stretched out on the ground, with trainer Rod Martin working on his knee. No worries. Russell got back up and rejoined drills.

Raiders Depth Chart

Raider76 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:21:55 -0000

This is a quick look at the depth chart so far for the Raiders. Remember this is still preseason so this might change but not much.

OFFENSE

WR–Javon Walker, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Chaz Schilens
LT–Kwame Harris, Mario Henderson
LG–Robert Gallery, Paul McQuistan, Brandon Rodd
C–Jake Grove/John Wade, Chris Morris
RG–Cooper Carlisle, Fred Wakefield, Jesse Boone
RT–Cornell Green, Seth Wand
TE–Zach Miller, John Madsen, Tony Stewart
WR–Drew Carter/Ronald Curry, Todd Watkins, Arman Sheilds
QB–JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Walter, Marques Tuiasosopo
FB–Justin Griffith, Oren O’Neal, Marcel Reece
RB–Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden, Michael Bush

DEFENSE

DE–Derrick Burgess, Greg Spires, Trevor Scott
DT–Tommy Kelly, Josh Shaw, Derrick Gray
DT–Gerard Warren, Terdell Sands, William Joseph
DE–Jay Richardson, Kalimba Edwards, Greyson Gunheim
OLB–Ricky Brown, Robert Thomas, Sam Williams
MLB–Kirk Morrison, Edgerton Hartwell
OLB–Thomas Howard, Jon Alston, Isaiah Ekejiuba
CB–DeAngelo Hall, Stanford Routt, John Bowie
CB–Nnamdi Asomugha, Chris Johnson, Michael Waddell
FS–Michael Huff, Hiram Eugene, Rashad Baker
SS–Gibril Wilson, Jarrod Cooper, Tyvon Branch

SPECIALISTS

P–Shane Lechler
K–Sebastian Janikowski
H–Shane Lechler
LS–Jon Condo, Jake Grove
KR–Tyvon Branch, Johnnie Lee Higgins
PR–Johnnie Lee Higgins

Among those not listed–S Greg Wesley, QB Jeff Otis, WR Jonathan Holland, WR Drisan James, WR Chris McFoy, RB Adimchinobe Echemandu, CB Darrick Brown, RB Louis Rankin, TE Chris Wagner, LB Grant Irons, LB Malik Jackson, T Mark Wilson, DT Mauricio Lopez, TE Darrell Strong.

So it is really becoming a battle for that OLB spot with Ricky Brown taking the starting nod. Looks like Sands and Warren are battling for the other DT spot. I think whoever stays healthier of the 2 will win that spot.

Friday Night Preview

KA1Z3R — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:48:03 -0000

Well the 49ers-Raiders practice is over and I can't wait for Friday to roll around. So, how will this game go?

49ers run offense vs. Raiders run defense: The Raiders were alert against the run in the joint-practice. If they were aloud to tackle more, they could have played very well. However, Gore's limited action doesn't really give you a good feel. If Scott plays like he did in the joint-practice, he'll continue to get in the backfield and close off running lanes. The linebackers were the heart and soul of Monday's performance. Look for them to make some plays. Raiders 1; 49ers 0

49ers pass offense vs. Raider pass defense: You have to remember that Asomugha didn't practice and burgess was out in the evening. But there was no excuse for Hall's demise yesterday. He was beat for two touchdowns. Hall needs to step up some. Thomas showed that the linebackers will play the pass as well as they did the run. If there's going to be any picks, they'll belong to the linebackers. Burgess is expected to play (he came down with the same symptoms as Asomugha) so forcing pressure shouldn't be too hard. It's hard to judge our pass rush from yesterday's news, as quarterbacks were not to be tackled/sacked. If Scott, Burgess, and Spires do as well as yesterday, we'll get plenty of pressure. This will be the most interesting matchup. Raiders 1.5; 49ers .5

Raiders run offense vs. 49ers run defense: McFadden, Fargas, and Bush all ran very well with a lot of help from the O-Line. We all know that pathetic backs could perform well with this line, but add great backs with different run styles, and you have a dominating unit. McFadden matched up well against pro bowl linebacker Pat Willis. I think everyone needs to watch our run game. Take careful looks at Bush and McFadden. Raiders 2.5; 49ers .5

Raiders pass offense vs. 49ers pass defense: Our O-line has frequent troubles pass blocking. They were dazed and confused trying to figure out who was blitzing and who wasn't. I think that now that we have some knowledge of San Francisco's scheme, we won't have as many problems, but expect frequent pressure. Miller was regarded as "uncoverable" as long as he wasn't pass blocking. The RB need to register the blitz better and the line has to keep with their man. Raiders 2.5; 49ers 1.5

So by my count we should win this game. It's pretty meaningless seeing as how it's an exhibition game, but there's some important things to watch for.

What to Watch for:

McFadden: Keep a close eye on McFadden in this game. He played well in the joint-practice, but we'll see how he does in real action. Also, pay attention to his receiving skills. He's had difficulty in this area and we'll have to see how he does in a game environment.

Kwame Harris in the passing game: You may be wondering why I put pass game specifically. We all know he plays the run nicely, but pass blocking is his main concern. He's been getting better with each practice, this will show how much better he's gotten. Our success this year relies on his ability.

Hoping for a win,

KA1Z3R

Make yourself a Raider

bluedoogs — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:33:44 -0000

A buddy sent me a link to a site where you can put a Raider eye patch on a photo. I think they are even doing a contest to put on a billboard in the east bay. I think you can even upload the photo and put it on mugs, shirts and other stuff.

Something fun to do before camp kicks off.

Check it out: www.raidercreator.com

My friend did one with a picture of his dog that was hysterical!

GO RAIDERS!!

Camp Notes Day 12: PM

Raider76 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:14:11 -0000

Here are some quick notes on the second practice with the Niners:

– Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha missed the second practice and coach Lane Kiffin said the cornerback was getting IVs and having trouble keeping down food. His status for Tuesday’s single session at 3 p.m. is uncertain.

– Stayed with the defense for most of the evening session, with the general consensus being they didn’t do quite as well under the lights as they did in the morning.

One player who did have a coming out party of sorts was defensive end Trevor Scott, the sixth-round draft pick out of Buffalo. While it’s sometimes difficult to tell because linemen must pull up before they get to a quarterback, Scott tortured 49ers reserve left tackle Joe Toledo.

With a quick first step, Scott twice got past Toledo while barely being touched for what could have been sacks of quarterbacks J.T. O’Sullivan and Alex Smith and also had a pressure which resulted in an incomplete pass.

Scott earned himself a hug from line coach Keith Millard and a pat on the back of the helmet.

Together with outside linebacker Jon Alston, Scott later forced Toledo into false start with a line stunt.

– Linebacker Robert Thomas, getting his turn for the third straight day as the first-team strong side linebacker, intercepted an O’Sullivan pass intended for Dominique Zeigler.

– Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was scorched for a pair of touchdown passes by Smith to Jason Hill, one on a corner route to the left and another on a fade pattern to the right. Later, wide receiver Robert Ortiz got open over the middle against Hall but Smith’s pass sailed high.

– Safety Tyvon Branch delivered what may have been the hit of the day, laying out De La Salle High School product Cameron Colvin at the goal line _ probably a bigger hit than coaches for both teams had in mind but one that gave a hint of the hitting ability Branch was reputed to have at UConn.

Branch also broke up a pass.

– Defensive tackle Gerard Warren came up with a juggling interception after Thomas Howard deflected a Smith pass over the middle by Smith intended for Josh Morgan. Howard also pounced on a poor throw from a pressured O’Sullivan for what was close to being a lateral.

– Wide receiver Javon Walker did not practice in the second session. Kiffin said the Raiders changed their original plan to have him practice twice Monday since he had practiced twice on Saturday. Also sitting it out were Derrick Burgess, who is having stomach issues. Others who didn’t participate were Terdell Sands, who was scheduled to be off, quarterback Andrew Walter (tired arm), cornerback John Bowie (knee), safety Greg Wesley (back) and defensive tackle Tommy Kelly (scheduled day off).

– Forty-Niners tight end Vernon Davis and Raiders defensive end Kalimba Edwards got into a brief scuffle that was broken quickly broken up.

– Strong side linebacker Sam Williams collapsed his side of the 49ers line in making a stop on an attempted sweep by 49ers running back Thomas Clayton. The 49ers rested Frank Gore, their feature back, during team sessions.

Williams was running with the second team along with Edgerton Hartwell in the middle and Alston on the weak side, with Ricky Brown, who was getting first-team reps last week, running No. 3.

– Cornerback Michael Huff, who has been making more plays as a free safety than he did as as strong safety, seemed to be arriving a step late on most plays against the 49ers offense.

– Left tackle Kwame Harris pancaked former teammate Ray McDonald during team drills, while Robert Gallery was worked over on his turn by Justin Smith.

– Running back Darren McFadden broke free and pulled away from 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis on his most impressive run.

– What some sideline observers say has been a relatively calm camp for caustic offensive coordinator Mike Martz changed Tuesday night, with Martz railing at receivers who were incorrect on their reads while running their routes.

“It’s a corner (bleeping) blitz, what do you do,” Martz shrieked at Morgan.

– Wide receiver Arman Shields, who had a rough early session, caught a deep play-action pass from JaMarcus Russell over cornerback Tarrell Brown.

– Gallery, who has been virtually penalty free through training camp, was whistled for a false start. With the 49ers in town, the Raiders temporarily suspended their policy of having players run for penalties.

Is The Defense Ready?

Rayder K — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:59:34 -0000

There is a question I keep hearing about the Raiders. Did we do enough?

Defensive Backs - Nnamdi Asomugha was hands down the best cornerback in the entire NFL. In my opinion, better than Champ Bailey. Even with the best cornerback in the NFL, our pass defense was still bad.

To fix this problem, we picked up another great cornerback, Deangelo Hall. When he and Nnamdi are on the same field together, there is no better set of cornerbacks.

So at the DB position, we have done enough.

Linebackers - The most productive part of the team last year. Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard are one of the best together. I felt we needed another person to fill up the Left Outside Linebacker position. We got Ed Hartwell, but I don't feel like he fits in with the quickness of the other two. I think we need players like Manny Lawson of the 49ers. Quickness is his best attribute.

So at the LB position, we haven't done enough.

Safeties - Last year, we had a lot of trouble in this area. I mean, a lot of trouble. This year, we grabbed hard-hitting Gibril Wilson and switched over speedy Michael Huff from Strong Safety to Free Safety, where he truly belongs. This part of our defense looks absolutely mind-blowing.

So at the S position, we have done enough.

Defensive Line - Last year, our D-Line was okay. Not too good , but not too bad. We signed Kelly to a crazy contract and hopefully he turns out to be crazy-good. Derrick Burguess is the best D-End we have and one of the best in the league. Terdell Sands is at a breakthrough stage in his career so our D-Tackles are set. We also brought in Kalimba Edwards from the Lions and he is also a great pass rusher. So, he D-End is set. we also have great back-ups like Gerard Warren and William Joseph for DT's and Jay Richardson for DE's.

So at the DL position, we have done enough.

Offense Coming Soon...

Camp Notes Day 12:AM

Raider76 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:01:24 -0000

Notes from our joint practice with the 49'ers:

– There was a scuffle here and there and the kind of intensity that comes from unfamiliarity, but the meeting of the Raiders and 49ers was pretty much as Lane Kiffin promised it would be.

It was simply practice, with the same team sessions (11-on-11), drills and seven-on-seven activity that took place the first 10 days of camp. Defenses from both sides ruled the day, with the Raiders getting the better of the 49ers’ fledgling Mike Martz offense and the 49ers’ 3-4 defense leaving Oakland wondering where they next pass rusher was coming from.

“I think any time you come together for the first time, not knowing what they’re going to do, that’s the advantage for the defense,” coach Lane Kiffin said.

(I spent the session walking the Raiders offense against the 49ers defense, so I’ll take the word of Kiffin as well as some colleagues who were watching the 49ers offense struggle on the other field).

Practices were scripted only in terms of the personnel used, so defensive calls came as a surprise.

– Linebacker Hartwell Brown got into a fight with 49ers running back Moran Norris and defensive tackle William Joseph tussled with 49ers rookie guard Chilo Raschal, with neither of the altercations getting very far before they were broken up.

“`I wasn’t trying to take him to the ground,” Hartwell said of the blow which preceeded his dust-up with Norris. “It was just that when I hit him it kind of lifted him up. I guess it was kind of too hard for him. I didn’t really hit him that hard but he got kind of upset. I can understand that if you don’t like contact.”

One of the first people to get to Hartwell was Nolan, his former defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens.

“That’s my buddy right there. We were just talking,” Hartwell said. “Mike was like, ‘Come on Ed’ and I said, ‘Come on Mike, you know how we do it.’ We were in Baltimore together, you know how we thud up.’ . . . He knows in practice back in Baltimore that’s how we do it. You catch the ball across the middle we give you a nice tap just letting you know we’re there.”

– The best part of JaMarcus Russell’s practice may have been getting to chat with Daryle “The Mad Bomber” Lamonica. The Raiders had some running plays which looked as if they would get somewhere in a real game, but for the most part the passing completions came on the type of dumpoffs and screen passes Lamonica seldom threw in when Oakland made the vertical game famous in the AFL.

“They’re pretty good. They had some good schemes today,” Russelll said. “As a whole, as far as out there on offense we just remained focused on our plays.”

During one sequence, 49ers linebackers came free unblocked and were on Russell before he could react, politely backing away and letting him throw the pass. The first was Jay Moore, the second Tully Banta-Cain.

A screen pass from Russell to Justin Fargas was poorly executed and his throw sailed well past the running back with 49ers pressure ruining the play.

– The only Raiders deep strike during 11-on-11 sessions came when Andrew Walter found Jonathan Holland down the right sideline against Donald Strickland.

– The good news is Russell’s elbow, injured six days ago when it hit the helmet of teammate Darren McFadden, is becoming less and less of an issue.

“I think he’s very close. I think (Saturday) he made some throws that looked like he did at the beginning of camp,” Kiffin said. “I think he’ll be fine by game time.”

– Center Jake Grove liked playing against something completely different.

“It’s a totally different defense, different angles, different blocks, against people you don’t know,” Grove said. “It’s like the first preseason game, you don’t really see film on the guys and they’ve got some new people. It’s kind of a challenge, especially the first few plays bedcause you don’t know what the guy is going to do.”

– Another tough day for fourth-round draft pick Arman Shields, ordered off the field by Kiffin for not knowing the formation, and later dropping two passes against 49ers defenders during drills.

“That’s why you’ve got two hands _ catch the ball,” wide receivers coach James Lofton said. On the second one, Lofton said, “Finish with a catch!”

– Javon Walker got open twice and quick slants and made receptions _ two of the better plays he has made in days. His situation bears watching, because Kiffin doesn’t sound as if he has any intention using a patient and understanding approach. He wants production and effort.

When asked if he wanted to see how Walker responded to the double session, Kiffin said, “I’m more concerned to see just to push him as hard as we can, make him work as long as he’s physically ready to go. From a training-room standpoint, we need to continue to push him. I’m not into the whole `Well, when the lights go on, they play well.’ That’s not my deal. I’m trying to work him out of that mentality.”

Kiffin also questioned Walker’s effort level Saturday night when talking about the receiver’s thoughts of retirement.

– Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha missed practice due to illness. Kiffin said Asomugha was sick to his stomach when he awoke and will be checked by a doctor. Others who missed practice were Greg Wesley (back), John Bowie (knee) and Grant Irons (hamstring). Mark Wilson remains on the roster with a broken leg.

– For those interested in hearing about all the hatred between two bitter rivals, sorry. For the most part, players and coaches renewed acquaintances and engaged in friendly competition. Al Davis made it to his first morning session of camp _ his other appearances have been at either 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. _ and chatted with Nolan before practice began.

Barry Sims and Kwame Harris, who switched sides in the offseason to play across the bay, spent a good amount of time following the practice shaking hands and catching up on news with old friends.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect seeing my old teammates. As soon as I walked in the gate I saw everybody and it was like I never left, guys coming up and saying, ‘What’s up?,” Sims said. “That was cool. It’s good to see those guys and see what they’re about. I still stay in touch with a lot of them and so it’s good to see them in person.”

Said Harris: “I was with most of those guys for five years, so there’s history, those are the guys that brought me into this league, like family in a sense. There wasn’t a sense of vindictiveness as much as it’s like playing against your sibling, you know? If you’ve had a sibling that compete against you kind of bring it a little more. In that sense, it was exciting.”

In other news Stuart Schweigert got cut by the Redskins. Bad mouth the Raiders all you want but the fact is he is not good enough.

Dumb Donkey

thepunisher00187 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:25:47 -0000

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall likely to be suspended this week.

NFL sources said Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be suspended this week for three games for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy.

The suspension could be dropped to two games if Marshall agrees to undergo counseling during his suspension.

Marshall is due in court in September for a trial on a drunken driving arrest from October 2007. He as been arrested three times in the past year.

Ahahaha I love what is happening to the Donkeys so far this year. Now no Donkey fan can say Walker was a bad pickup for us because their star receiver that "replaced" him won't even be playing in the season opener against us or possibly in weeks 2 and 3. Thank you Brandon Marshall for making my day better!

Camp Notes Day 10: PM

Raider76 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:49:03 -0000

Here is a quick update on Saturdays night practice. KA1Z3R gave you a brief update but I thought I would put up the notes from camp anyway.

– Visual evidence suggests JaMarcus Russell will be back to normal as far as arm strength by Monday when the 49ers arrive for two practice sessions.

The passing game was again erratic, but Russell launched one with seemingly little effort that sailed a good 50 to 55 yards in the air, with Todd Watkins catching it over DeAngelo Hall.

– One sideline observer with NFL experience was unimpressed with the Raiders passing game, particularly with the amount of balls hitting the ground in seven-on-seven drills. Exceptional passing teams can go entire sessions without an incomplete pass, given that the quarterback is not rushed and has time to wait for receivers to come free.

It’s worth noting, however, that there were sessions even worse last year with Josh McCown, Walter and Daunte Culpepper and the season before with Aaron Brooks and Walter.

– Rookie Arman Shields missed practice again and was joined on the sidelines by Ronald Curry, who practiced in the morning session and practices only once on two-a-days. Jake Grove, another one-a-day performer, also sat out. Guard Robert Gallery was given the evening off and cornerback John Bowie (knee) and linebacker Grant Irons (hamstring) did not practice.

– With Grove and Gallery out, John Wade started at center and Paul McQuistan worked at left guard.

– Marques Tuiasosopo connected on a deep throw to Jonathan Holland over Rashad Baker and Darrick Brown, but later had a pass stolen by Hall in the end zone.

– Defensive end Trevor Scott was sent jogging because of an offsides call.

– Andrew Walter fumbled a center snap, causing Kiffin to call for a new quarterback.

– The Raiders evening practice was shorter than usual, with the families of many players and coaches arriving for the yearly “Family Day.” Families were invited to join players for dinner at the facility after practice, with some leaving to go to local restaurants.

Camp Notes Day 10: AM

Raider76 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:47:14 -0000

Here is a quick update on Saturdays morning practice. KA1Z3R gave you a brief update but I thought I would put up the notes from camp anyway.

– Not a particularly sharp practice for JaMarcus Russell, who failed to get his team in the end zone during red zone team sessions. But there was only one major mistake _ another interception by cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha which would have been taken back the other way for a touchdown.

Russell would have had one touchdown pass, making a nice reverse pivot to avoid defensive end Jay Richardson and hitting Drisan James in the back of the end zone _ but James dropped the ball.

The one turnover aside, and Asomugha has been doing it to all Raiders quarterbacks, Kiffin likes what he sees in terms of Russell’s ability to avoid mistakes.

“Yeah we’re seeing great production out of him in the checkdowns. You saw a bunch of them today in 7-on-7 red zone which is hard to do because there’s the touchdowns,” Kiffin said. “You see that little window and you want to stick it in there and you want to throw a touchdown to the guy. That’s the hardest place to be a disciplined quarterback. He had a great day of it today. He continues to
improve.”

– Asomugha has been the dominant player in camp since the moment he arrived.

“He’s made so many plays, more than anybody else, maybe everybody else combined in the passing game,” Kiffin said. “Part of that is he does know our offense, he knows our audibles. He studies really hard. That’s part of that. He’s come out and hasn’t missed a beat. It doesn’t say much for really needing minicamps and OTA days really.”

It’s worth nothing that the other Raiders player who has been nearly as dominant is defensive end Derrick Burgess, who missed all voluntary sessions in the offseason to work out on his own, coming only to the mandatory minicamp.

At one point, as Johnnie Lee Higgins lined opposite Asomugha, safety Jarrod Cooper told the receiver, “He hasn’t been here all offseason, don’t be afraid of him.”

– Wide receiver Javon Walker, reportedly talked out of quitting by owner Al Davis, was a non-factor. During one route late in practice, he failed to gain separation on rookie free agent corner Darrick Brown on a pass that fell incomplete.

If the ESPN report of Walker offering to give back his signing bonus is true, and the Raiders didn’t take him up on the offer, it could be a big mistake. Walker has not shown even remotely the kind of big-play skill the Raiders expected when they signed him as a free agent.

(UPDATE: When asked by reporters if he had a minute to talk in a Marriott hallway, Walker said, “No, I can’t.”)

– Wide receiver Ronald Curry made a nice catch of a Russell pass with DeAngelo Hall in coverage. Curry got up slowly but returned to action.

– Defensive tackle Gerard Warren missed practice with a thigh injury, Arman Shields was out for the second straight day with a sore knee. Also sitting it out were offensive lineman Fred Wakefield, cornerback John Bowie and linebacker Grant Irons.

– Defensive tackle Terdell Sands, who missed practice Friday after having his knee drained, returned to practice Saturday morning. He left the field house with an ice bag on his left knee.

– Sebastian Janikowski converted all three of his 38-yard field goal attempts during red zone drills.

– Safety Greg Wesley intercepted a Marques Tuiasosopo pass that glanced off the hands of tight end Darrell Strong.

– Right guard Cooper Carlisle joined Kelly as lap-runners for pre-snap violations.

– Incumbent starter Robert Thomas has been running ahead of Ricky Brown and Sam Williams at strong side linebacker for the past two practices.

– Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly ran the 100 in 47 seconds. While taking a lap after jumping offsides, I counted off the amount of time it took for Kelly to make it from goal line to goal line.

Kiffin left players on the field for 10 straight plays without a substitution, and Kelly, who the coach said weighs 330 pounds, was still feeling the strain.

“All these guys played 10 plays in a row so they could come out and say, `Boy, I’m a long ways away, or, `I’m right there,’ ” Kiffin said. “I think guys got a real good feeling for where they’re at, and for how far some guys have to go. As far as Tommy, it is a concern. He’s one of the main reasons that we’re doing that drill today.”

– Number changes: Chaz Schilens went from No. 82 to No. 81, Marcel Reece from No. 81 to No. 45 and Darrell Strong from No. 45 to No. 82. Reece has been moved from wide receiver to fullback, actually playing more in motion as an H-back.

“He’s going to be there for now, we moved him a little bit around and stuff because he does bring a lot to us and he’s a guy that, you know may have a future with us because he can do so many things,” Kiffin said.

Guessing that “future” in Reece’s case would probably be as a member of the practice squad.

Javon Walker Update

Raider76 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:42:15 -0000

What have we gotten into this year. It is being reported that Javon Walker wanted to retire at the end of Thursdays camp. It took Al Davis himself to talk him back into playing this year. This is disheartening news considering we paid soo much money for this guy to put on the Silver & Black. I normally don't listen to alot of these reports about the Raiders situation but this one I actually believe. Now the question is gonna be are we getting 100% from Javon or is he the next Randy Moss for us. Is his heart gonna be in the game for us? We were expecting big things from him this year and now it looks like this is gonna blow up in our faces.

Here is the report from yahoo:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AomLJM2MuqkzZK5kAb.7DVA5nYcB?slug=ap-raiders-walker&prov=ap&type=lgns

Camp Notes Day 9

Raider76 — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:02:18 -0000

Here is what went down in Fridays practice: Looks like we have our #2 Quarterback.

– Quarterback JaMarcus Russell is practicing and getting the strength back in his elbow, receiving the majority of the work as the undisputed No. 1 quarterback.

Meanwhile, Andrew Walter returned after missing practice with a tired arm the previous evening and finished off practice with a 99-yard drive culimnated in a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Schilens on a fade route over Darrick Brown.

Walter got the offense out of trouble with a 38-yard strike down the left sideline, with Ronald Curry making a leaping circus catch despite decent coverage by Michael Waddell. A few gainers by Michael Bush and Darren McFadden set up a 29-yard jump-and-catch to Todd Watkins, putting the ball at the 5.

McFadden eventually got inside the 2 _ but here’s how practice works _ Kiffin didn’t want a short-yardage call, having covered that the previous evening.

“Move it back to the 3, I don’t want goal line,” he said.

Walter then finished it off with the flip to Schilens for the score.

For the first time, Kiffin conceded a clear-cut advantage for Walter over Marques Tuiasosopo as the backup quarterback.

“Andrew does everything you can out here. He continues to complete balls, and continues to have a high completion percentage,” Kiffin said. “I’d say right now he’s ahead of Tui. He’s making more plays and throwing the ball better downfield. Preseason will be big for those two.”

– Gerard Warren (thigh) missed his third practice and was joined by Terdell Sands, who had his knee drained. Sands, Kiffin said, will be reduced to one practice per day on double days. Warren remains day to day.

Also missing practice were John Bowie (knee) and Arman Shields (knee).

Shields, a fourth-round draft pick, has had some impressive moments but has it slowed by missing sessions as he works his surgically-repaired knee into shape.

– With Warren and Sands out, William Joseph got in work with the first string defense alongside Tommy Kelly. He broke into the backfield on one play and stopped Justin Fargas by latching on to his shirt. Joseph also showed up on several plays during the Thursday night session.

“He made a number of plays last night and it was good to see too because we had pads on when he was doing it and that’s what matters in the end,” Kiffin said. “He’s got to be more consistent in his play. He is powerful and big but he gets reached and cut off too much right now for us and that’s where we really need to improve him. He needs to be a more consistent player. He’s not played a lot of football since he’s been in the NFL.”

Joseph is a former first-round draft pick with the New York Giants who never reached his potential.

– Two plays served as a snapshot of what the Raiders hope to get from Kwame Harris at left tackle. On one play, he walled off Kalimba Edwards as Russell rolled out and found McFadden for a gain. On the next play, a counter with the action flowing to the right, Adimchinobe Echemandu cut back to his left and found Harris in front of him at the second level.

– The day’s most conspicuous drop came from Drisan James, as a Walter pass over the middle thudded off his hands and chest and to the ground.

– Only one jogger for a false start Friday _ center Jesse Boone.

– Training camp receiving stars come and go _ remember Alex Van Dyke and Will Buchanon? _ but it’s hard to escape the conclusion that Watkins isn’t making a serious run at a roster spot.

Kiffin said he was going over lists with staff members which rank players and that Watkins was showing up there as well as on the field.

“A number of guys on the staff had him extremely high on their list,” Kiffin said.

– Kiffin said Kelly weighs 330 pounds and is still rounding into game shape, but expressed hope that his presence at the “three technique” would shore up the NFL’s 31st ranked rushing defense. Kiffin liked what he saw of Kelly’s limited time inside as a Raider.

“He was extremely hard for guards to reach, more of knock-back player, kind of a two-gap scheme player in that sense even though that’s not what we play,” Kiffin said. “He’s an old-fashioned, head up and knock the guy straight backwards guy.”

– Tackle Mario Henderson took Kiffin’s criticisms of his development in stride, acknowledging he has a ways to go to be the player he wants to be. Kiffin said Thursday Henderson was not challenging for a starting spot on the right side and needed to develop in every area.

“I’m sure he’s probably trying to fire me up because that’s his job,” Henderson said. “I’m just coming out here to work every day. They’re the coaches, they know a lot better than I do. I still do have a lot to work on. So, that’s the one thing I got to do is just work hard.”

– One of the pitfalls of covering practice _ no official stats. I reported last night during a goal line drill about a ferocious collision in which Michael Bush came up short. Turns out, according to Kiffin, that Bush scored despite a perfect run fit from Kirk Morrison.

(Local officials hired for the practiced never raised their hands, not that I saw, anyway).

“The highlight of the drill to me was Michael Bush, him and Morrison were unblocked in the hole and that was our first chance to see what we’ve all hoped that Mike’s going to be,”’ Kiffin said. “He lowered his pads and ran over him and got us in the end zone.”

Bush, not surprisingly, was even more excited than Kiffin, given it was the closest thing to being in a real game he has had in nearly two years.

“It was the first time I strapped on top to bottom in pads and took contact like that,” Bush said. “It was a big collision, and I just enjoyed it. It was fun.”

Was Bush sure he had scored?

“I knew I got in. He met me right on the line,” Bush said. “I weigh more than him, a little bigger, and you could tell, and I got kind of got under him, so I knew I was in the end zone.”

– The Raiders got a lot of grief for deals which promised $18.125 million for Tommy Kelly and $16 million for Javon Walker, but at least those two figure to suit up this year.

Camp Progress-UPDATED WITH 49ER PRACTICE NEWS

KA1Z3R — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:21:25 -0000

Hey Silver and Black boys. I know it's been a while since my last post (or should I say my last full post) but I'm back in business. I've noticed you guys are caught up with camp, but I have a few thoughts to share on training camp thus far.

- 49ers practice: I can't believe we got the 49ers to have a joint practice with us. Last time I checked we had bad relations with them, but I'm glad to hear we'll be practicing against a team other than our own. Playing, or should I say practicing, with the niners is supposed to be uncompetitive. There's a laugh. In all reality, both Oakland and San Fran-sissy-co are going to be "practicing" with intensity out there. They're teams with a beef against each other which will lead to some hard contact, trash talk, and some mild swinging of the fists. Everyone will be treating this like it's a game.

But to the positives of the "practice". It'll give us (and the niners) some insight on the preseason game. I'd be more excited about this if it was a better team. I have no doubt that our defense will dismantle their offense. Whether Smith or Hill plays our starting D doesn't matter. They lack receiver talent (even with Isacc Bruce) which will give Asomugha some more camp interceptions. This will however give our run D a test against frank Gore. We also get to see how our offense fairs against one of the more highly rated defenses in the league. I guarantee Kiffin will be keeping an imaginary score in his head for which team is doing better.

-Ricky Brown: Ricky Brown has been opening eyes around camp. No one expected special teams man Ricky brown to be outperforming Williams, Thomas, and Hartwell. He's beating them not only in the pass game, but in the run game. He's been playing outside runs well and has even clogged some inside runs. What's even more astonishing, he's doing it with the first team defense. Could Brown be the missing third member of the Law Firm. To me the Law Firm is a speedy group of coverage savvy LB. Williams wasn't the third member because of injury and Thomas wasn't because of lack luster performance. Brown is looking more and more like the third man. We'll get to see how Brown performs in a real game against the niners on the 6th.

-Dual position defender: Probably the third most astonishing piece of camp news is that Burgess is playing both end and outside LB. I know he's very capable of being a DE/LB hybrid, but he's always been a DE and is elite at it. Rob Ryan may be trying to work in trickery just like the offense is. The defense can do this in certain situations this year. With pass rushers Edwards and Spires (though he's having a weak camp) playing end, you can throw Burgess in at LB to add an effective blitz to a play. With three pass rushers coming at the QB, expect rushed throws to our pass heavy defense. Burgess has also been working in coverage. I'm not crossing my fingers, but if he does well enough in coverage, Burgess could throw offenses off. They may use an extra blocker if he lines up at LB. Meaning there's one less receiver and an extra defender to play the pass.

Since I'm talking about Burgess, I may as well talk about his progress as an end. Burgess is still having one of the best camps of anybody on this roster. He's been consistently getting through the blockers (even though one of them is Harris) and is doing well against the run. If Burgess stays healthy, he'll be a top-10 end this year.

-Offensive line: Don't worry this section will get to Grove, but not now. For now, I have to talk about the poor play of our tackles in camp. Harris is a consistent blocker. As in he consistently gets pushed away. If Isaiah Ekejiuba can push him two yards back, we're in trouble. He's been getting better in the pass, but Edwards and Burgess are still gliding past him. What's worse is that his backup Henderson is getting demolished. Kiffin is very disappointed in him. He lacks passion and conviction, has poor form, and needs to work on his footing. Maybe we shouldn't be asking McQuistan to take Green's job, but take Harris's job.

Now for the good news about our O-line. Grove is finally proving why the Raiders drafted him. He actually should beat out Wade. But, how long will his excellent play last? Grove is injury prone, and i don't expect him to go a whole year. Wade will be kept on roster for when the day he goes down. Morris will also stay on roster because he's the leading long-snapper and can play both guard and center. The inside of the O-Line will be just fine, but we'll be torn apart by outside rushes.

-Wide Receiver upsets: You know the receivers are working hard when Jonathan Holland is outperforming Schilens and Shields. You know they're working hard when Todd Watkins has been credited for being able to "catch everything thrown his way". You know they're working hard when Carter is outperforming Walker. You know they're working hard when Higgins is being kept around for more than punt returns. Point is, Russell is surrounded by weapons. Kiffin will have a hard time cutting any of the receivers mentioned. Shields's injury hasn't hampered him any in camp. There was word that he might not make roster because of Schilens's performance. But it seems both Shields and Schilens will be around. The receiving corps for Oakland is easily the most interesting position battle. I can't even really tell you to expect to make the roster other than the obvious Walker, Curry, Carter, and Higgins.

-Terdell Sands: Sands is the team favorite. Everyone cheered him when he passed his physical. People are giving him encouragement every time he does something good. Sands has been working hard to bring down his weight and bring up his muscle tone. He's been doing a good job getting some push on the O-Line. Sands has addressed the media on his work ethic and of his problems last season. I'm sorry about the short section about him, but I just feel he deserves mention.

-William Joesph: I've always thought the Joesph move seemed a bit fishy. After all he never saw much action with the Giants, and he was labeled a first-round bust. But hey, that's what they said about Robert Gallery. In Day 9 of camp (as I'm sure you've heard from raider76's consistent posts on training camp) Joesph showed some potential. He got behind the line to break up a run play. Kiffin was very excited about his performance on Day 9.

So, what can we expect of Joesph this season? Well, don't expect much. Joesph is a backup, nothing more. If one of the DT's needs a break, he could come in as part of the rotation. If you rotate Sands with him, you won't lose much of a beat. William can play the run just because he has some strength. Don't expect sacks from him, he's just not a pass rusher. We'll just have to watch preseason to see what he can really do.

-Nnamdi Asomugha: I have to mention Asomugha's amazing camp. It's Day 10 and I think he's had at least 1 INT per day. That's very impressive. Most of them would have went back for TD. So, maybe Hall isn't the only def. TD threat. Nnamdi's guaranteed to see more pass attempts his way this year. If his cap prowess holds up, he'll be getting a lot of INT on those few extra attempts.

-What to grasp from the niners joint-practice: Well the niners-raiders practice is over. Like I said there would be, there were a few scuffles. I counted three. Overall, we have some work to do. Hall was being beaten often by 49er receivers. He got beaten for two touchdowns. We can't have that happen come regular season. Otherwise, we'll have a new Fabian Washington. If he doesn't step it up, Nnamdi won't see any passes thrown to him.

Gerard Warren got a pick off a tipped Thomas Howard ball. Sam Williams showed some success against the run even though Robert Thomas is back to working with the first team. Huff seemed a little slow but is, nevertheless, having a good camp. Wilson didn't get much mention. Trevor Scott had a good practice. There were several times where he would have gotten sacks. Unfortunately, they were against a reserve tackle.

I'd like to speak of some offensive woes. The O-line continues to struggle. The line had trouble reading the blitzes of the 3-4 defense. Russell was under constant pressure and threw some bad passes because of it. I'd be willing to say that we could have another 06 line on hand this year.

There was some good offensive news. Javon played better getting open frequently. The problem was that Russell was under so much pressure, he never got many passes to him. McFadden tore away from Patrick Willis (defensive rookie of the year) on a very impressive run.

So what should we take from this joint practice session? The o-line needs a lot of work especially against aggressive 3-4's. Hall needs to work on his technique. Russell quickly needs to learn how to play under pressure.

Just some interesting news from camp. Expect some occasional updates and stuff.

This KA1Z3R saying it's great to be back and rocking the blog.

Camp Notes Day 8: PM

Raider76 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:22:19 -0000

Quick hits from Thursday night’s practice:

– Lane Kiffin isn’t a stickler regarding practice wardrobe. He usually has no problem with players wearing shorts even in padded sessions.

He deviated from the norm for the second practice, with players donning full uniform pants in a physical padded practice featuring short yardage and goal line sessions.

All the contact helped instigate the first training training camp fight, with center Jesse Boone and defensive tackle Josh Shaw squaring off at 8:27 p.m. The two scuffled inside, with Shaw then taking a second run at Boone before it was broken up.

Neither is a stranger to scuffles. Boone got into it with Warren Sapp on his first day as a Raider last training camp, and Shaw once exchanged physical unpleasantries with Justin Fargas.

– Quarterback Andrew Walter took the evening practice arm to rest a tired arm, the result of all the extra throws necessary the previous two days because of the JaMarcus Russell’s bruised elbow. Russell threw with more velocity in the evening practice than in the morning session, including some deep rainbows during drills with receivers.

Wide receiver Javon Walker, working to regain his burst, was excited enough to catch one of those deep balls during a routine drill that he spiked it out of bounds.

He wasn’t as enthusiastic earlier in the practice when he and Drew Carter lined up inproperly.

“Give me a new X and a new Z,” Kiffin barked. “Go learn the formation.”

Johnnie Lee Higgins and Arman Sheilds jumped in as the replacements.

– Another practice, another interception from Nnamdi Asomugha, this one a perfect read on a rollout pass by Tuiasosopo intended for Jonathan Holland.

– Moments after chastizing Tuiasosopo for taking too long in the huddle, Jarrod Cooper sent Chris McFoy sprawling with a high hit along the sideline. McFoy caught Tuiasosopo’s rollout pass and was headed upfield and was nearly sent into the hydraulic lift the Raiders use to elevate practice cameras.

– Strong side linebacker Sam Williams closed off at least two running plays, by holding his edge and not letting runners get outside.

– Defensive tackle William Joseph, a free agent and former first-round pick of the New York Giants, made his most impressive play of camp when he blew up what was supposed to be an outside run to the left by McFadden, getting to the running back three yards deep.

“That’s good (bleep), Joseph,” yelled defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

– During a third-and-short drill midfield, the offense converted four of seven opportunities. The wins came on an inside run by Michael Bush, a pitch to the left to Darren McFadden, a pass from Russell to Oren O’Neal and an inside run by McFadden.

Defensive wins came when a Russell-to-Carter completion came up short, another Russell-to-Carter attempt was broken up by Michael Huff, and a nice play-fake by Tuiasosopo resulted in a deep pass just out of the reach of Higgins.

– During the goal line session, the offense won five of eight snaps, with the ultimate indignity coming when the score was 5-2 and Kiffin sceamed out to the defense, “Hey, they’re going to run the ball!”

Armed with the call, the middle of the defense stopped McFadden short of the goal line. Another stop came when Bush was stopped with a thunderous hit in a mass of humanity in the middle of the line (sorry, didn’t see who actually made the tackle).

Offensive scores came on a run by Fargas, a run by McFadden, another run by Fargas to the right in which O’Neal caved in the right side of the line, and a pass from Tuiasosopo to tight end Darrell Strong.

– Defensive tackle Gerard Warren missed his second practice and was day-to-day. Center Jake Grove and guard-tackle Fred Wakefield sat out as scheduled. Tommy Kelly practiced after missing the morning session, and Greg Wesley practiced twice in a row for the first time.

– The Raiders will practice once Friday at 3 p.m., twice Saturday at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. and will take Sunday off before practicing with the San Francisco 49ers twice on Monday at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

I think this year we are going to see alot of Russell to Carter plays. Javon hasn't really stood out in camp yet. I really hope for the Raiders sake he steps it up and gets back to playing the way he can. Greg Wesley will probably be another Donovin Darius always injured.

Camp Notes Day 8: AM

Raider76 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:09:54 -0000

Notes from Thursday's practice. Looks like Harris had a good day today. Henderson on the other hand might be on his way out.

– He may not have had his best fastball, but JaMarcus Russell was felt good enough to rejoin practice and make due with off-speed stuff, choosing to simply flick his wrist rather than unleash the full power of his $60 million right arm.

In his first team session, Russell completed two of five passes, one a short pass to Johnnie Lee Higgins and a dump-off to fullback Oren O’Neal. Michael Huff broke up a sideline pass intended for tight end Darrell Strong, a screen to Louis Rankin fell incomplete and Derrick Burgess pressured him into an incomplete pass.

In Russell’s second team session, there were two more short completions.

During seven-on-seven drills, Russell was the victim of a perfectly-played pick by Nnamdi Asomugha, who stole a pass intended for Arman Shields in stride and ran the other for what would have been a touchdown.

“You can see a little bit of a velocity issue with him right now, different from normal,” Kiffin said. “I think that will go away here pretty soon.”

Kiffin said the staff watched Russell closely and that trainer Rod Martin gave the go-ahead to continue.

Russell acknowledged he wasn’t 100 percent but wasn’t comfortable watching from the sidelines.

“I just wanted to get out here today just so I could get back in practice,” Russell said. “I don’t really like sitting out and watching guys bust their behinds when I can be out there doing something. Just anything out there I can help.”

– Right guard Cooper Carlisle and right tackle Cornell Green were given the morning session off, with the Raiders reshuffling their line to accomodate the absence of two starters. Seth Wand got some work at right tackle, Chris Morris at right guard, and Mario Henderson has been working on both sides.

– Speaking of Henderson, it sounds as if Kiffin’s patience has about run out on the first of three third-round picks in the 2007 draft. During the offseason, Kiffin said the Raiders were working on Henderson’s lack of aggression and his passion for football.

It sounds like Kiffin and line coach Tom Cable haven’t made much headway. Rather than shift into coach-speak when asked if Henderson was challenging Green at right tackle, Kiffin was blunt and to the point.

“No, he’s not pushing him. We’ll continue to move Mario around to both sides,” Kiffin said. “Mario is not improving the way we’d like him to so we’ll just continue to push him. But it’s not close right now.”

When asked if Henderson needed to shore up a particular area, Kiffin said, “No, it’s everything right now. Unfortunately.”

– Sounds like Javon Walker, the free agent aquisition whose salary suggests he is the No. 1 receiver but whose practice play has been so-so, will begin getting some extra work starting Monday.

Kiffin said Walker and Fred Wakefield, rehabbing from a knee injury, would begin working twice per day Sunday when the 49ers visit Napa.

When asked if Walker was making progress, Kiffin said, “There’s progress being made. I wouldn’t say as much as I’d like at this point so we’re going to continue to push them. I think pushing him back into two-a-days will help him.”

– Defensive tackle Gerard Warren missed with a thigh injury sustained Wednesday night. Kiffin said he didn’t think the injury was as serious as one that hampered Warren last year and said he was day-to-day. Tommy Kelly sat out as scheduled and should practice tonight. Cornerback John Bowie (knee) did not practice.

Safety Greg Wesley (back spasms) was back at practice but did little of note.

– Defensive tackle Terdell Sands, who has avoided speaking with reporters for the first week of camp for reasons that ranged from a team meal to a team meeting to a doctor’s visit, stopped and chatted for a few minutes.

He conceded to being in better condition this year and was affected last season by the death of his mother.

“I lost my mother last year, so that was very big,” Sands said. “You lose anything like that, some things take tolls on you. You lose things that are aspects of life right there. That’s behind me. I’ve got to push on this year.”

Sands said he takes responsibility for the Raiders’ run defense in 2008.

“I take it all, because they look for me to be a big part of it,” Sands said. “And like I say, I wasn’t mentally in it, so I did some gap responsibility and all my true effort wasn’t out there. I thought I was. But when I watch film, it really wasn’t like I was the year before. So I take responsibility and put it on myself.”

Sands declined to specify how much he weighed last year and how much he weighs now.

– Kiffin has taken to visiting with members of the Raiders’ personnel department occasionally during practice sessions. Wednesday it was Bruce Kebric, Thursday it was Kent McCloughan.

– Defensive tackle William Joseph was worked over by Chris Morris and Jesse Boone on consecutive plays during a blocking drill. Kwame Harris buried Kalimba Edwards on another.

– McFadden was fielding kickoffs along with Hiram Eugene, Rankin, Adimchinobe Echemandu and Tyvon Branch, prompting Kiffin to be asked whether the Raiders’ biggest off-season investment might be utilized on that role.

“He’s such an explosive player that it’s something we have to look at,” Kiffin said. “Part of that will be determined by how the other returners do. Let’s say Branch in preseason is returning great. Then it’s not worth it. If you have a great return situation to put Darren out there that may not be worth it. If we’re struggling, then it becomes more valuable to us.”

Said McFadden, who has been in camp eight days and has had a sunny and agreeable disposition for every one of them: “I don’t know if they’re going to use me back there or not but I’m always prepared for it.”

– Practice joggers for pre-snap violations included Harris, Robert Gallery, tight end Chris Wagner and defensive end Greyson Gunheim.

Gunheim, an undrafted free agent from Washington, actually protested his lap, telling Kiffin that Henderson had first moved his leg, drawing him offsides. Gunheim was right, by the way.

Camp Notes Day 7

Raider76 — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:11:28 -0000

Notes from Wednesdays practice: Keep an eye on what they are doing with D-burg and McFadden. I am interested to see how we will run our defense. Man Sept. 9th can't come soon enough!

– The Raiders spent the latter part of practice in teams sessions working on specific situations.

Two that were included: offense is down by two points with 1:19 left and one time out, trying to work for a field goal from its own 36. Offense gets one play from the 12-yard-line. Score or lose.

The drills were largely dominated by the defense, although a medium-deep pass from Marques Tuiasosopo to Zach Miller set up a 54-yard field goal attempt, which Sebastian Janikowski hammered dead center at least halfway up the uprights.

In a later drill, Janikowski connected from 37 yards to the south end zone _ one that struck a pine tree and bounced back onto the grounds of Redwood Middle School when it looked as if it would travel over a senior center and on to Redwood Road.

Janikowski missed wide right from 48 yards after Walter connected on three consecutive passes to McFadden, bringing the offense from its own 32 to the 33 of the defense. The completions came after a McFadden drop, with the rookie starting to run before securing the ball.

– DeAngelo Hall intercepted an Andrew Walter pass intended for Tony Stewart during a drill which the offense had no time outs and needed to throw to the sideline, which was followed in close order by Gibril Wilson’s interception off Walter.

– McFadden and Derrick Burgess are getting double duty. McFadden worked during some seven-on-seven drills as a receiver, Burgess in pass coverage as a linebacker.

With McFadden, it is all part of the crash course he is getting in as many areas of the offense as possible.

“That’s probably close to unheard of for a guy to be at two different positions in individual that’s a rookie, to go to running back individual, then receiver individual and go back to running back.,” Kiffin said. “He’s handling it great.”

Burgess said he is fine with flopping sides and working as a linebacker on occasion if it can reduce the amont of double-team and chip blocking he receivers rushing the passer. Playing without his hand down is more of an adjustment.

“That (bleep) makes me tired man,” Burgess said. “No, it’s cool. The only thing different about that is it’s all these different sets and everything. But it’s cool. It’s nothing. I’m an athlete man. ‘

– Steve Wisniewski ran a marathon once. Paul McQuistan may be next, or so it seems. He was forced to run another lap for a false star, something that seems to happen at least once every practice.

– During one drill with the offense inside the 20 and out of time outs, Tuiasosopo threw to Chaz Schilens, who stayed inbounds rather than immediately step out, drawing a swift rebuke from the quarterback.

Schilens later jumped offsides and was sent running by Kiffin. Schilens took it upon himself to run around both fields, rather than just one.

– Some rough moments for Ronald Curry and Javon Walker during a routine drill with James Lofton throwing passes into the corner of the end zone from 30 yards away.

Curry dropped two balls, while Walker dropped one, then turned the wrong way and whiffed an other. Lofton by the way, throws a nice ball.

– Drew Carter came down with a difficult catch along the sideline in which he tumbled to the ground with Nnamdi Asomugha. Carter briefly went to the sideline to be checked but was fine; Asomugha came out briefly and returned.

– Jake Grove continues to take reps as the starting center, and has taken to being the first to arrive, leading the rest of the linemen, when the unit moves from their drill area to the team area.

– Ricky Brown continues to work with the first team at strong side linebacker, and even stayed fairly even with McFadden on one pass that fell incomplete, moments after Sam Williams failed to turn around in pass coverage in a play which would have resulted in pass interference.

– Wide receiver Arman Shields missed practice with a sore knee.

“We probably could’ve pushed him, but he’s been working really hard,” Kiffin said. “He goes through all the special teams stuff, too, and it’s just wearing him down a little bit.”

– Cornerback John Bowie, who injured a knee Tuesday night, missed practice and Kiffin termed him “day-to-day.” Safety Greg Wesley (back) and linebacker Grant Irons (hamstring) missed practice.

– Word is the defensive line ran up a bill of more than $2,500 on dinner and drinks at a local steak house Monday night when freed for an evening from the “healthy” diet instituted by Kiffin and strength coach Brad Roll.