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Raiders To Tackle 49ers
Published: August 18, 2009
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Besides the report(s) of Raiders head coach Tom Cable punching assistant coach Randy Hanson, there are other things going on in Raider land.
That would be a two-day joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers today and tomorrow in Napa. Cable felt the need to extend the practice with the 49ers from one day to two, being that he felt is was very beneficial for the Raiders last year. Going up against someone other then your own team tends to help development too, instead of having guys like Nnamdi Asomugha anticipating a certain route….
Raiders Ready To Play: Players to Watch
Published: August 12, 2009
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The Raiders will finally be taking the field in Oakland for the first time since December.
Fans and players alike are hungry to have the answers to various questions:
Who will get the most reps at running back? Who will take the starting job at middle linebacker? And who will be the two starting safeties come September?
Tonight we can start to piece together the puzzle for how the Raiders have come together and build off of their strong 2-0 finish to last season.
Here is AJ DeMello’s list of players and positions to keep an eye on this pre-season:
Heyward-Bey The Better Choice After All?
Published: August 6, 2009
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Although the top two receivers taken in this year’s NFL Draft have yet to take part in a pro football game yet, one of them has at least been signed and practicing with his team.
That player is the seventh overall pick in April, former Maryland, 4.3, 40, wide-out Darrius Heyward-Bey. Many media news outlets were in disbelief of the Raiders selection , with Michael Crabtree considered possibly the overal best player in the ’09 draft…
Burgess’ Urges and the Raiders’ Options
Published: August 2, 2009
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So things seem to have calmed down a little bit in practice today as the players settled in and prepared for the full contact on Monday.
The only thing still unsettled is the situation with the Derrick Burgess holdout.
It seemed like an inevitability that he would hold out eventually considering he has asked for three straight seasons about getting a richer contract and has been turned down every time.
Either the Raiders are waiting to see him play a full healthy season, or the intention from the start was to rent him for a few years.
Either way he is not happy, and he is not in camp.
So what do the Raiders do about it?
I mentioned in an article a few weeks ago, before anyone knew that Burgess was going to hold out of training camp, that the situation is a win all-around. AJ DeMello has some ideas of his own complete with a few wrinkles thrown in that could cause some good chin stroking…
Not a Make Or Break Season For Russell, Yet
Published: July 18, 2009
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With ESPN’s NFL Live reserving a spot in just about every telecast for a “Will JaMarcus Russell be replaced” segment and every Raider fan in the country wondering about the same thing, it is a hot topic of discussion.
But AJ DeMello doesn’t think it should be such an issue. He thinks everyone should just take a breath and give JaMarcus a bit of breathing room himself. To be exact, an entire season of breathing room.
But enough of me trying to tell you what he thinks about the situation, I will let him tell you. Take it away AJ.
Can Javon Walker Return to Relevance?
Published: July 15, 2009
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The title of this article is a question that Raider fans have been wondering for a while now. And while hope springs eternal, that hope has never been gratified with the kind of talents that Javon Walker has been known for in the past.
So, A.J. is the latest to ask the big, lingering question about the mysterious Mr. Walker. Has the answer become any more clear since the season ended or camps have begun? You be the judge…
Can Javon Walker Return to Relevance?
Published: July 15, 2009
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The title of this article is a question that Raider fans have been wondering for a while now. And while hope springs eternal, that hope has never been gratified with the kind of talents that Javon Walker has been known for in the past.
So, A.J. is the latest to ask the big, lingering question about the mysterious Mr. Walker. Has the answer become any more clear since the season ended or camps have begun? You be the judge…
Raiders’ Linebacker Kirk Morrison Needs To Step It Up
Published: July 2, 2009
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One of the most overrated players I’ve seen in Oakland from build up of Raider fans over the course of the past few years is Kirk Morrison.
A lot of fans love him, no matter how bad his instincts and tackling on the football field have been. Morrison has been a Raider fan his whole life and acts professional off the field when talking with the media or being brought in studio for an interview.
He did well the other day when he was egged on by Keshawn Johnson on Rome is Burning, (filling in) to say the Raiders’ draft picks were bad, but Morrison kept his cool and reminded “Meshawn” that a guy such as himself who was a former third round pick has proved his worth in the NFL, so guys like Darrius Heyward-Bey and Mike Mitchell can do the same.
Really?
Three New Coaches Will Help Cable and Raiders Offense Significantly
Published: June 30, 2009
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Three new significant hires were made by Tom Cable and company on the offensive side of the ball in order to lift the Raiders offense past mediocrity and into dynamic.
With potential play-makers waiting to break out like Darren Mcfadden and JaMarcus Russell, let’s take a look at what these new coaches will bring to the table for the Raiders offense…
Quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett (who has worked with Joe Montana, Chad Pennington, and Rich Gannon) will be invaluable to coach Tom Cable, who will be calling the plays this year for the Raiders as he did last year after relieving former offensive coordinator Greg Knapp of play-calling.
Oakland Raiders’ Defensive Backs Wait in Anticipation
Published: June 22, 2009
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In 2006, the Raiders had the second worst year in the history of the franchise (1-13 in 1962) with an awful 2-14 regular season record.
However, there were a couple of bright spots in that season. Nnamdi Asomugha, who is now regarded by many as the best cover corner in the NFL, broke out onto the scene with eight interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Good enough for Asomugha to earn his first pro-bowl invite.
Former Raiders corner back Fabian Washington even had four picks that season, and that says a lot since he has only registered two since then.
The Raiders middle linebacker Kirk Morrison had two picks that year as well.
Overall, the Raiders were first in the league defending the pass, giving up only 150.8 yards a game through the air. On the ground—well that’s a different story.
What to make of it?
The Raiders garnered 34 sacks that season, only reaching 27 in 2007 and 32 in 2008. A once promising pass rush let the Raiders secondary down the past two years.
It’s very possible that can change now. The Raiders had 32 sacks last year with two players trying to shake injuries, Tommy Kelly (4.5 sacks) and Derrick Burgess (3.5).
Not to mention, the Raiders’ defensive line rotation had been shaky at best as they had more pass rushers than power ends making their way into the starting lineup.
You can’t win in the trenches if all you have is pass rushers. Now, that might change a little with the addition of Greg Ellis. Jay Richardson, Greg Ellis, and 2009 third-round pick Matt Shaugnessey look to change that up as they are better-molded to handle the run than the other ends.
All are expected to compete to be one of the Raiders’ starting defensive ends. Derrick Burgess has proven to be a force coming off the bench on passing downs, and second year player Trevor Scott looks to do the same if he does not crack the starting lineup as well.
Either way, the Raiders should have their best defensive end core since 2005. At least on paper that is. It’s all speculation now as to what they, as well as the Raiders secondary, can achieve.
If your defensive line can collapse the pocket, stop the run, and force the pass, then your secondary will reap the benefits.
Asomugha was thrown at less than 30 times this year, giving up only eight catches with one registered interception. Chris Johnson had three picks taking over for Hall, showing that he can be just as good in terms of tackling and run support as he occasionally made plays at the line of scrimmage, also forcing one fumble.
The Raiders have a great core of corners, but their safeties are still suspect at best (if their defensive line generates a pass rush then they can benefit just as well in due time).
With the NFL’s best cover corner in Nnamdi Asomugha, and second-year starter Chris Johnson (who did very well as the opposite corner last year nearly shutting down receivers with his bump and run skill) waiting in anticipation for foolish decision making and forced throws, they look to get back to the best pass defense in the league, if the defensive line can step it up a notch.
