Silver And Black Pride: FanPosts

You Better Stay Healthy, Darren

2013-06-18T21:22:13Z

I feel compelled to write up a Fanpost in address to Raiders fans with high expectations of this upcoming season in order to deliver one simple message: lower your expectations of this season.

Raiders fans are a notoriously passionate and rambunctious bunch of optimists. Probably every single season since 2003, I've bragged to my friends and coworkers about the up-and-coming Raiders squad with lines such as "yeah but this year we signed Javon Walker and Deangelo Hall," "yeah but Jamarcus is finally going to produce in his third year," and "yeah but McFadden is due for a healthy season." I won't do it anymore. I have to set aside my homerism and look at this team for what it is...a massive question mark. Now when I talk football with my friends, my line is "it's anyone's guess." You know what? I'm right. We have absolutely no idea how this team will perform. I can't remember a more renovated Raiders team in the 15 years I've been following them. It's not all bad, though. Our offense might be an embarrassing, sucking chest wound of a unit, but our defense and special teams have surely both improved.

I will pick a fight with anyone who challenges me on whether or not our defense has improved this year. I look at our defense and I see improvement at every single one of those eight turned-over starting positions except defensive tackle. At FS, we go from the one-step-slow but generally all around good guy Matt Giordano to future HoF Charles Woodson. You can debate about how much Charles has left in the tank, how injury prone he is, or how many snaps he'll play on Sundays, but you cannot argue that he isn't a MAJOR upgrade over Giordano. Even if Woodson doesn't play a single snap of football, even his backup Usama Young would be a major upgrade over Giodano. Fuhgettabouddit. I don't even need to address our CB unit because last season's arguable best CB (Huff had some moments), Philip Adams, is now our distant fourth best. Opposing QB's will not torch us this year like they did last year. What was perhaps the weakest single unit in the entire NFL is likely to be above average this upcoming season. Look out! Dennis Allen, formerly highly touted secondary coach now has a talented group to work with. I like where this defense is headed on the whole and our secondary is a big reason for that.

So our defense will be better (and I don't think there is even an argument to be had), but our offense could legitimately vie for one of the bottom five in the league. Matt Flynn is wholly unproven as an NFL QB. His detractors might say that he was pathetically beaten our by an undersized third round rookie after a disappointing training camp, and his defendants, that Wilson was no ordinary rookie who would've beaten out even much better QB's than Flynn. Maybe we should just take the word of a Seahawk blogger who clearly tracked last offseason's developments with great attention:

"What we do know is that Flynn was this close to starting for Seattle. He did not lay an egg in training camp. He was not outclassed by a rookie. A coaching staff and front office that knew their legacy would be defined by the decision they made at quarterback chose to put their weight behind the player they had targeted for more than a year. They chose the player whose tireless work ethic gave them confidence he would overcome the challenges he was certain to face.

The simple story that will be told is that a high-priced free agent was beaten out by an upstart rookie. There is certainly some truth to that simplicity. I see a hard luck player that partially misread the situation he was entering, and was partially misled about what he was being brought in to do. He was the guy the front office expected to win the starting job, but was never the guy they wanted to win it. He was a player that handled devastating professional news privately, and without incident."

While you could consider this is a somewhat uplifting summary of the Seahawks camp decision to start Wilson over Flynn, it is far from a glowing endorsement of the guy. When you consider the ridiculously young supporting cast around Flynn, what kind of production would it be fair to expect of him? 15-20 touchdowns and 10-15 interceptions? 3,250 yards? I'm sorry, but if you're expecting anything too different from that, you're just setting yourself up for a major disappointment. View Flynn as a rookie. View him as the inexperienced, youth-surrounded QB he is. The statistical trends are crystal clear; the NFL offense is increasingly becoming pass-heavy and we have a player who is likely to be very mediocre under center.

Maybe you're more optimistic on Flynn than I am. After all, he did put up some gridiron-crumbling numbers in his last and just second start in Green Bay, but Flynn is simply not complimented by the offensive weapons necessary to launch an impressive passing attack. In a league where a lot of teams pay good money and spend high draft picks (see Bengals and Cowboys this draft) on even second Tight Ends, the Raiders will most likely make do with a pair of sixth round draft picks and a completely unproven recently converted Wide Receiver, David Ausberry. To most of our opponents and the national media, the Raiders might as well not have any Tight Ends. Maybe we're planning to go against the grain and seldom integrate a TE into our passing game - I can't see any way around it because the Raiders have a total dearth of talent at that position. Where our secondary was a massive liability last season, our Tight End position will be a massive liability this season, much to Flynn's detriment.

So take the position you want. "This team needs to win 10 games!" or "Eh, 4 is fine as long as we all have fun." Those who claim that the Raiders have an easy schedule forget that their schedule could look a hell of a lot harder halfway through the season after you see how teams have remade themselves in the offseason. I will, personally, set my sights on slight, incremental improvement over last season and consider 6 or 7 wins about right. Next season, all bets are off!

I feel compelled to write up a Fanpost in address to Raiders fans with high expectations of this upcoming season in order to deliver one simple message: lower your expectations of this season.

"What we do know is that Flynn was this close to starting for Seattle. He did not lay an egg in training camp. He was not outclassed by a rookie. A coaching staff and front office that knew their legacy would be defined by the decision they made at quarterback chose to put their weight behind the player they had targeted for more than a year. They chose the player whose tireless work ethic gave them confidence he would overcome the challenges he was certain to face.

The simple story that will be told is that a high-priced free agent was beaten out by an upstart rookie. There is certainly some truth to that simplicity. I see a hard luck player that partially misread the situation he was entering, and was partially misled about what he was being brought in to do. He was the guy the front office expected to win the starting job, but was never the guy they wanted to win it. He was a player that handled devastating professional news privately, and without incident."

Poll

Does the Raiders' success in 2013 hinge on the performance of Matt Flynn?

Life

2013-06-18T07:09:02Z

I found this website because I was use to reading raidersfan dot something or other. They just stopped posting! Well a little about my old ass. (kid has my vitamins marked old man pills so i'm old) Well I'm 37 Military for 20 years (no not a lifer) Married since I was 17 she was 16 quick wedding. Been together for it all. Been blown up, been shot, had rockets come into my truck, and yet lived through all that shit and every time I ask my boy, my girls, my dad, my mom, my tio's, my brothers, my lil sis, my primos, and I say "what the Raiders doing?" They all say "what the hell" I guess they do not like my humor when they visit. (bullets to my neck and back easy peachy, I.E.D., right arm back in no time with my unit. literally blown up Iraq convoy was hit I walked out. I must have someone watching over me. Whoever it is Thank you as well. My first love is my wife, my 2nd the kids (fuck glad we had em young 20 San Jose State, 12, 10 home 3rd is a tie RAIDER NATION & U.S. ARMY RANGERS. Well now I have a pesky little shit called cancer. (holding me back) The reason I write this is you guys all of you I read this now every day and you are like my team that does not give up and just want to say thank you! So Thank You. Marcus, Levi, Brent, DarthR8er, RaiderKilluminati, LakeMerrittSon, RG PIRATES, LOVEITHATEIT.. Once again Thanks for making my day a bit better.

Life

2013-06-18T07:07:50Z

I found this website because I use to reading raidersfan dot something or other. They just stopped posting! Well a little about my old ass. (kid has my vitamins marked old man pills so i'm old) Well I'm 37 Military for 20 years (no not a lifer) Married since I was 17 she was 16 quick wedding. Been together for it all. Been blown up, been shot, had rockets come into my truck, and yet lived through all that shit and every time I ask my boy, my girls, my dad, my mom, my tio's, my brothers, my lil sis, my primos, and I say "what the Raiders doing?" They all say "what the hell" My first love is my wife, my 2nd the kids (fuck glad we had em young 20 San Jose State, 12 home schooled, 10 home schooled) 3rd U.S.A. ARMY RANGER. Well now I have a pesky little shit called cancer. (holding me back) The reason I write this is you guys all of you I read this now every day and you are like my team that does not give up and just want to say thank you! So Thank You. Marcus, Levi, Brent, DarthR8er, RaiderKilluminati, LakeMerrittSon, RG PIRATES, LOVEITHATEIT.. Once again Thanks for making my day a bit better.

The Article I Would Like To See

2013-06-18T03:59:45Z

Levi & Marcus, the article I would love to see from you guys write is one that is talking about Matt Flynn, Tyler Wilson and/or Terrelle Pryor working out with the wide receivers and tight ends for a week or two during the next six weeks before training camp. So far our QBs have been average at best during the OTAs & minicamp. The best way to improve that is working out with the guys you will be throwing to. We always hear about the Mannings, Rodgers & Bradys of the league working out in the offseason with their receivers. Well, whoever is going to step up and is going to organize a week or two of passing drills with his WRs & TEs. Timing means everything and although Palmer threw for over 4,000 yards last year, many times his WRs weren't in practice the whole week, then timing was off during the game. Additionally, Moore, Streater & Criner had a bad case of the drops last year. We as fans wanted to blame Carson Palmer. I, like many of you, played both high school & college ball and every coach I ever had said the same thing, if you touch it, you catch it - if you get your hands on it, its catchable. Of course we know that doesn't always apply, but I watched every game last year and many of the drops were catchable and it wasn't the QB's fault. How do we fix this, by these guys getting together over the next six weeks for a week or two and doing passing drills. Get the timing down, get used to each other. That's the above & beyond that improves teams. So that's the article I hope you guys get a chance to write because one or all of the QBs stepped up and got their receivers to sacrifice another week or two of time to improve. If it's written, then it means it happened.

Breaking down Raiders wide receivers

2013-06-17T19:19:13Z

With youth and newcomers all across the Oakland Raiders' roster this season, there's sure to be a number of new faces along the sideline when the 2013 season kicks off.

Of all the positions infiltrated by youth, however, perhaps none is younger than wide receiver.

Of the 13 receivers currently on the roster, only one has been in the league for more than four seasons — Josh Cribbs — and six of them are either in their first or second season in the league.

Despite the youth, however, it's interesting to note that the wide receiver position probably has the most familiar faces of any position on the roster.

At the top of the projected depth chart are returners Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford, Rod Streater, and Juron Criner — four guys who figure to see plenty of playing time this season.

The question, is where those guys will shake out and whether any of them can make the jump to becoming a legitimate No. 1 receiver.

At the moment, according to Head Coach Dennis Allen, Moore is the guy expected to be atop the list in Week 1:

I’d say he’s the guy that’s got the most experience out there right now. He’s a guy that we’re counting on being our No. 1 receiver.

Moore, the fifth-round pick from Tennessee in 2011, burst onto the scene as a rookie with over 600 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games as a rookie.

Unfortunately, he didn't quite make the jump to consistency and dependability that Allen and the Raiders were hoping in his sophomore season, tallying 741 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.

So is 2013 the season that Moore breaks the 1,000-yard barrier?

While only time will tell in answering that question, it's clear that Moore has the speed and hands necessary to do so, it's just a matter of when he puts everything together.

So with Moore projected atop the depth chart, the question then shifts to who stands to lineup alongside him.

In my mind, the most intriguing member of the group is Jacoby Ford, the four-year veteran out of Clemson.

In 2010, Ford showed similar promise to that of Moore — proving to be an elusive pass-catcher with reliable hands, but Ford has played in just eight games since 2010 and tallied just 19 catches.

If Ford can build upon the potential he showed as a rookie, Oakland could have one of the league's fastest wideout tandems.

Two other guys competing for starting spots are second-year guys Juron Criner and Rod Streater.

Criner, the fifth-round pick from Arizona, turned a lot of heads in mini camp last season but never saw that talent translate on the field. One thing Criner does have going for him, however, is his size.

At 6'3", Criner is three inches taller than Moore and six inches taller than Ford, which could make him the perfect compliment to the two speedsters.

Like Moore, Allen has high expectations for Criner this season:

A guy like Juron Criner is a guy that needs to become more involved. He’s a guy that we’re looking for to kind of step up and fill a role for us.

The last returner on the roster was the surprise of 2012, Rod Streater.

After going undrafted, Streater became one of Oakland's most reliable receivers with 39 catches for 584 yards. One downside to Streater, however, is that he doesn't have the athletic upside that the other three guys mentioned do.

The last item to discuss among receivers is the crop of rookies coming in — and perhaps no team more than Oakland has hope for rookie receivers.

In the past two seasons, Oakland has struck gold with under-the-radar receivers like Moore and Streater, and many around Oakland are wondering: could Brice Butler be this year's surprise?

While mini-camp can be misleading considering the rustiness, the reports on Butler have been mostly positive — highlighted by a number of impressive catches over the week.

Other guys to keep an eye on are rookie Conner Vernon — the ACC all-time leading receiver (yards and receptions) — and Cribbs — the special teams specialist.

But where does all of this leave Oakland heading into training camp? Is the wide receiver position one of strength or weakness?

Ultimately, it all comes down to perspective.

On one hand, the sky is the limit for this group of youngsters, but on the other, there isn't a guy here who has proven himself to be a consistent receiver at this level.

At the very least, I guess, this group should be exciting. Whether that leads to more wins or losses, though, remains to be seen.