Oakland Raiders After a few fits and starts
to begin free agency, Oakland Raiders the Raiders rebuilt their offensive and
defensive lines and addressed the secondary and offensive backfield while
adding veterans with championship pedigrees. Oakland
Raiders In the draft, Oakland scooped up the best player available
in linebacker Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders who has been nothing short of
impressive in the offseason workouts, Oakland Raiders while picking up the
franchise's quarterback of the future in Derek Carr (who has been
elevated to second string) and a potential starter at left guard in Gabe
Jackson. Oakland
Raiders But if you think the Raiders are
done tinkering with the 90-man roster, think again. General manager Reggie
McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen have said all along they expect to make moves
that, in their estimation, make the Raiders a better football team. Plus, they have money to play with when
entertaining such ideas. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Raiders
still have more than $10.7 million in salary-cap space. But again, to
paraphrase McKenzie's refrain, just because he has money in his pocket does not
mean he's going to spend it on junk. Sure, $10 million may sound like a lot, and
the Raiders are far from a perfect unit Allen himself equated his roster
situation to a kid sitting on Santa's lap and not getting everything he
asked for but Oakland's
cap surplus pales in comparison to the likes of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who
have more than $27 million in cap space. Yet it's enough to make the New
Orleans Saints and their relatively meager $1.9 million in cap space
squint with jealousy. Still, are
there any free agents still out there who would put the Raiders coming off
consecutive 4-12 seasons and with the NFL's toughest strength of schedule in
2014 over the top? Yes, the Raiders could still use a true No. 1
receiver. They could also use some veteran help at tight end. And sure, Oakland
Raiders with D.J. Hayden's injury, another tried and tested cornerback
would seemingly fit the bill, Oakland Raiders which is why the Raiders non-pursuit
of Brandon Flowers was a head-scratcher of sorts. Instead, Oakland
Raiders Flowers went from one division rival (the Kansas City Chiefs) to
another (the San Diego Chargers). Oakland Raiders McKenzie has
already made an assortment of minor roster moves this offseason, Oakland
Raiders and with more than $10 million still at his disposal, Oakland Raiders what
he decides to do with it will tell you all you need to know about how he feels
about the current roster. Oakland Raiders Should McKenzie stand pat, or
are there players out there he should target? Oakland Raiders Would it be more
prudent to possibly use that salary-cap space on camp cut, Oakland Raiders.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Doug Williams in Raider
Oakland Raiders I caught part of a replay
of Super Bowl XXII the other day on NFL Network, Oakland Raiders and it was the
start of the third quarter between the Washington Redskins and the Denver
Broncos when announcer Al Michaels said something that caught my
attention. Oakland Raiders It actually made me pause the DVR, hit rewind and
play again so I could hear Michaels one more time. And then another. Oakland
Raiders Sure, there had been rumors that Al Davis had been enamored with
quarterback Doug Williams. Oakland Raiders But in the third quarter of that
Super Bowl, Oakland Raiders after Williams had essentially won the game for Washington with an epic
second quarter that featured five touchdowns, Michaels told the tale. He
reported that Williams had been ticketed to the then-Los Angeles Raiders the
Monday before the NFL’s 1987 regular season was to begin. Then-Washington coach
Joe Gibbs had even told Williams he was on his way to the Raiders. But then,
according to Michaels, the Raiders balked at Washington’s price a
first-round draft pick, or a very good player. Now, we’ve already heard the
tales of John Elway coming so close to being a Raider, and how the Raiders should
have drafted Dan Marino in that same 1983 draft after the purported draft-day
trade to land Elway fell through. And while the Williams-to-the-Raiders story
might not have that same intrigue as either Elway or Marino wearing Silver and
Black, it is interesting nonetheless. Especially when you consider what
Williams accomplished later that strike-torn season, and when you realize who
the Raiders instead used that first-round pick on in the 1983 draft. Williams,
who had been the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback from 1978 through
1982 and had helped author three playoff appearances for them, was also a
pioneer as an African American quarterback, following in the footsteps of James
Harris and Joe Gilliam. And we know that Davis looked beyond skin tone when it
came to players he believed could play Davis
selected QB Eldridge Dickey in the first round of the 1968 draft and
Williams had the big arm Davis was always in search of. But after a contract
dispute ended his time in Tampa Bay, Williams played two seasons in the USFL before
resurfacing in Washington
in 1986 as Jay Schroeder's backup. Williams had not started an NFL game since
Jan. 9, 1983, a playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, so yeah, you could
imagine the Raiders not wanting to give up a first-rounder for him less than a
week before the 1987 season. Still, the Raiders were relatively unsettled under
center entering that season as Jim Plunkett had retired and Marc Wilson and
Rusty Hilger were the returners. But even as the Raiders got off to a 3-0
start, the wheels quickly fell off, thanks in part to the strike, which
cancelled one week of games and led to three weeks of replacement player games.
The Raiders finished 5-10, their worst record since going 1-13 in 1962, the
year before Davis arrived in Oakland. And two-time Super Bowl-winning
coach Tom Flores resigned following the season. Would Williams have saved the
season and steadied the Raiders' ship? Meanwhile, in Washington, Williams still had to bide his
time. Sure, he relieved Schroeder a few times in 1987 and even started two
regular-season games, but he did not become Washington’s
starter for good until there was 6:51 remaining in the third quarter of its
regular-season finale against Minnesota.
Williams, a huge team favorite, led Washington
on its playoff run, upsetting the Chicago Bears in the divisional
round and then upending the Vikings in the NFC title game. Then came Super
Sunday, in which he threw all four of his touchdown passes in the historic
second quarter and passed for a then-Super Bowl record 340 yards in
Washington’s 42-10 victory over Elway’s Broncos as Williams became the first
African-American starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl, a feat not matched
until Russell Wilson did it with theSeattle Seahawks this past
February. The trade that never happened between Oakland
and Washington seemed to work out best for Washington, at least on
the surface. But if the Raiders had given up their first-rounder in 1988, they
probably would have missed out on Tim Brown, Oakland Raiders though the Raiders
did do some wheeling and dealing later to acquire three first-rounders, which
they used on Brown, Terry McDaniel and Scott Davis. So, with hindsight always
being 20/20, Oakland Raiders do you essentially trade Doug Williams for Tim
Brown if you’re the Raiders? Oakland Raiders Whatever your answer, remember
this, Oakland Raiders the Raiders and Washington would get together for a trade
in 1988, a deal that would haunt the Raiders as they sent offensive tackle Jim
Lachey to Washington
for… wait for it . Schroeder. Oakland Raiders Williams would only play 15 more
games over the next two seasons before retiring, while Schroeder could not
fully win over the hearts and minds of the Raiders' locker room in five seasons,
Oakland Raiders.
Labels:
Al Davis,
Chicago Bears,
Dallas Cowboys,
Dan Marino,
Denver Broncos,
Doug Williams,
Jim Plunkett,
Joe Gibbs,
John Elway,
Los Angeles Raiders,
Michaels,
Russell Wilson,
Washington Redskins
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
A poker game and good food in the Raiders
Oakland Raiders When the Raiders are
playing, this is a good excuse to make a night of it and invite your friends
around for the whole evening. Oakland
Raiders Make sure that you know what time the game will start and that you are
able to watch it on your television. If you live outside of the United States, Oakland
Raiders perhaps somewhere like France, Oakland Raiders then make sure that you
will be able to watch the game, by subscribing to the right passes online or
finding the right channels on your television. Also, take into account the time
difference between where the Raiders are playing and where you are in
France.
Oakland Raiders Have everyone arrive a little earlier than the game begins, so
that you can all catch up on each other’s lives before the action kicks off.
Then get comfortable, make sure that everyone else has somewhere to sit, and
enjoy supporting your team. Prepare some food that you can all eat either
before or during the game and then have a plan for what to do once the game has
finished. One thing that you could do to keep the evening going, is to start up
a game of poker. This is always an entertaining game and you can vary it
depending on the skill-level of the players. For example, if you are all used
to playing the game on the here, then you will all know the rules and can play
for higher stakes. However, if you or others in your group are new to the game
of poker, then you can play for low stakes and take the game slowly. Whichever
way you are playing, you will need some good quality, poker-sized playing cards
and poker chips, as well as a good, comfortable table that everyone can sit
around during play. With regards to the food that you will be serving on the
night, there are many different things that you could choose from. If you are
indeed in France,
then why not take advantage of being there and delve into some great French
food. French cheeses are great served with crackers and chutney and are easily
eaten as finger food. Something that is both easy to prepare and easy to eat is
ideal, Oakland Raiders as your guests will most likely want to focus on the
other entertainment that is going on. You could also serve a variety of other
nibbles, like chips and dip, Oakland Raiders cocktail sausages or chips. Finger
food is the best choice, as you won’t want to be bothering with a sit-down
meal. Oakland Raiders However, as long as you are eating before the game of
poker, Oakland Raiders you could always order food like pizza or noodles, Oakland
Raiders so that everyone can have what they want and you don’t have to prepare
anything, Oakland Raiders.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Oakland Raiders’s offseason
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders'
offseason workouts began on April 22. Oakland Raiders They concluded Thursday
with the end of a mandatory three-day minicamp. Oakland Raiders So what did Dennis
Allen, entering his third season as the Raiders' head coach, glean from nearly
two months of being around his team as it begins its reconstruction in earnest,
especially with training camp about five weeks away? Oakland Raiders Consider Every
Raiders draft pick is signed and every Raiders player under contract was in
attendance for the minicamp. No contract haggling, squabbling or unnecessary
drama. "I like the direction we're headed as a football team," Allen
said. Oakland Raiders "I think we've got a group of guys that are committed
to winning. I think they're committed to this organization, and I think we have
a lot of guys who have a lot to prove. That's an exciting thing for a football
coach. That's an exciting thing for these football players. "So I like our
direction, I like our commitment and we've just got to keep working. Oakland
Raiders " An infusion of veteran talent with past success, especially on
the defensive side of the ball, such as Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley and Antonio
Smith as well as Oakland taking linebacker Khalil
Mack with the No. 5 overall draft pick has given the team a new identity. And on
offense, the Raiders have a seasoned, new quarterback in Matt Schaub and
a hot prospect in second-round draft pick Derek Carr, who has overtaken Matt
McGloin as Oakland's
second-string signal-caller. Injury-wise, guard Lucas Nix (knee) is
the only player Allen sees as potentially missing the start of training camp,
even though cornerback D.J. Hayden (foot) participated in just one
organized team activities (OTAs) session and linebacker Kevin Burnett (ankle)
and Smith (undisclosed) missed them all while recovering from injuries. Allen
was asked if there was a palpable feel on the practice field that this was,
indeed, a better team than he had the previous two years. "I don't think
there's any question you can feel that," Allen said. "You guys have
been around here too, Oakland Raiders so I think you've seen these practices
around here for a while. " Oakland Raiders I think we've had an
outstanding offseason and I think our team from the day that we started the
offseason program to where we're at now, we've improved tremendously. But we've
still got to go out there and do it when we get to training camp and do it when
we get to the regular season," Oakland Raiders the end.
Monday, June 16, 2014
JaMarcus Russe Top 1
A large
number of people like the Auburn staff did
with Jason Campbell, LSU coaches patiently waited for Russell to develop. Their
patience paid off in 2005, as Russell wrested the starting job away from Matt
Flynn. Most experts now regard Russell as the most physically gifted
quarterback to wear the LSU uniform. The talented junior has what many believe
is the strongest arm in college football. He can throw the ball the length of
the field and put on an impressive performance prior to the 2006 Sugar Bowl. while
seated on the turf, he threw the ball 40 yards. Under the guidance of offensive
coordinator Jimbo Fisher, Russell developed a keen understanding of the game
and clock management. He went on to compile a 25-4 record as a starter, the
third-best record by a starting quarterback in school history. Russell and his
favorite target, receiver Dwayne Bowe, combined to become the most prolific
pass-catch scoring tandem in school history. The duo connected on 23
touchdowns. Russell leaves LSU as the school's second-ranked passer with a
61.86 completion percentage and 52 touchdown passes. He is just the third
player in school history to throw for more than 6,000 yards in his career and
the first to lead the team to at least 10 victories in consecutive seasons. Russell
also proved to be a heroic passer; he rallied the team to eight victories after
trailing in the fourth quarter or overtime. Russell was regarded as one of the
nation's top-rated quarterbacks while playing at Williamson High School.
He was a consensus top-five ranked, pro-style quarterback by every major
recruiting publication and was named to the prestigious Parade All-American
team. In 2002, he was rated the fourth-best quarterback prospect in the country
by College Football News, named Alabama's
Mr. Football and Super Prep Dixie Offensive Player of the Year. Russell
was a member of SuperPrep's All-American team, FSN South's Countdown to
Signing Day "All-South" first-team, the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution's Super Southern 100 and the Orlando Sentinel's
All-Southern teams. The all-time leading passer in Alabama
prep history, Russell threw for 10,744 yards during his career, eclipsing the
record set by former Alabama
and current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle. The two-time Class 5A
All-State selection also rewrote the state record books with 84 touchdown
passes. He connected on 219 of 372 passes for 3,332 yards and 22 touchdowns as
a senior, adding 400 yards and five rushing TDs in 2002. Russell passed for
1,850 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior. Russell also excelled on the
school's basketball team as a small forward, averaging around 15 points, 10
rebounds and four assists per game as a junior. Russell enrolled at Louisiana State in 2003, spending the season on
the scout team. He played in 11 games and shared quarterback duties with Marcus
Randall in 2004, earning five starts. He completed 73 of 144 passes for 1,053
yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions. But, despite his 4.7 speed, he
was sacked 13 times and lost 41 yards on 26 carries, finishing with 1,012 yards
in total offense. Russell became the full-time starter for the Tigers in 2005
and led the team to a 10-2 record in the Tigers' first 12 games. He suffered a
left shoulder separation and ligament damage in his right wrist vs. Georgia in the
SEC Championship Game, forcing him to miss the Peach Bowl and 2005 spring
practice after undergoing wrist surgery. His '05 season totals -- 188-of-311
attempts for 2,443 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He scored twice
on 61 carries, but lost 22 yards, as he was sacked 21 times and lost four
fumbles. Russell changed his jersey number in 2006 -- he wore No. 4 during his
first two seasons, but went to No. 2 as a junior. The first-team
All-Southeastern Conference choice led the Tigers to an 11-3 record in his
final campaign. He amassed 3,271 yards in total offense, gaining 3,129 passing
yards with 28 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He completed 232-of-342 passes
and rushed for 142 yards and a score on 52 carries. In 36 games at Louisiana State, Russell started 30 games and
threw for 6,625 yards, 52 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He completed
493-of-797 passes and rushed 139 times for 79 yards with four scores. On 936
total plays, Russell piled up 6,704 yards in total offense, an average of
186.22 yards per game. This is a very good results.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
The Raiders Beat Philadelphia Eagles 13-9
the Raiders Stun Football Nation; Beat Philadelphia Eagles 13-9 After
an extremely disappointing 3-game stretch where the Raiders were
outscored 96 to 16, where Jamarcus Russell had failed to show any inkling of
being an NFL quarterback, the Raiders were the easy target and prey of sports
writers and broadcasters everywhere. Coming into Week 6, Mike Ditka threw
Jamarcus Russell in his dog house on ESPN’s NFL preview show.
Fantasy
sports writers ranked Jamarcus Russell as 129th when rating the top 32 fantasy
starters. Hell, Raider Nation even booed Russell as he trotted on the
field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. And despite everything, what
happened? Jamarcus Russell came out and showed a glimpse of what much of the
Raider faithful had hoped the former #1 pick would be. Russell found an open
Zach Miller down the middle for an 86-yard touchdown (thanks to key blocks from
rookie receiver Louis Murphy). And in the final minutes of the game, converted
a big 3rd and long play to FB Gary Russell. Numbers wise, Russell finished the
game with his 6th sub-100 QB-rating. But in terms of showing a few flashes of
some caliber plays? This was the biggest game of the season for
Russell. Although much due respect goes to the defense, after losing Asomugha
early in the game, the Raiders held the then 3rd highest scoring offense in the
NFL to three field goals while sacking McNabb six times. For once, after all
that seemed to be lost for the 2009 Raiders’ Season, the Raiders came out and
surprised football nation. …I’m sorry for ever doubting you. Silver and Black
for life! thanks Raiders.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Oakland Raiders sign Jones to extension
Oakland
Raiders special teams ace Taiwan Jones, who has made the transition from
running back to cornerback and back again, signed a three-year contract
extension to keep him with the Raiders through 2017, the team announced Monday.
Jones
Jones,
a Raiders fourth-round pick (No. 125 overall) in 2011 out of Eastern Washington, went to Deer Valley High in nearby Antioch.
“I was excited when they came to me about the extension,” Jones said in the release. “It is definitely a blessing for a local kid to be part of the Raiders’ turnaround. I’ve been an underdog all my life, so I think it’s very fitting for me to remain here. I’m definitely excited about it.”
Jones was being promoted for the Pro Bowl by the Raiders last year as a “gunner” and, after making the switch to cornerback last year, went back to running back when Darren McFadden, Rashad Jennings and Jeremy Stewart were all injured.
In his career, Jones has 117 yards rushing on 27 carries with six catches for 91 yards and 810 yards on 36 kickoff returns. He also has 32 special teams tackles and has recovered two fumbles.
“It’s rare to see and to know that my local team wants me to stay home, and it’s just a blessing,” Jones added. “I’m glad to be a part of it, happy to remain here and there are big things coming that I am happy to be part of it. I feel good about next year. Obviously, I was able to do a lot of good things on special teams last year. Unfortunately, I didn't make the Pro Bowl last year, but that is something I’m shooting for this year.”
“I was excited when they came to me about the extension,” Jones said in the release. “It is definitely a blessing for a local kid to be part of the Raiders’ turnaround. I’ve been an underdog all my life, so I think it’s very fitting for me to remain here. I’m definitely excited about it.”
Jones was being promoted for the Pro Bowl by the Raiders last year as a “gunner” and, after making the switch to cornerback last year, went back to running back when Darren McFadden, Rashad Jennings and Jeremy Stewart were all injured.
In his career, Jones has 117 yards rushing on 27 carries with six catches for 91 yards and 810 yards on 36 kickoff returns. He also has 32 special teams tackles and has recovered two fumbles.
“It’s rare to see and to know that my local team wants me to stay home, and it’s just a blessing,” Jones added. “I’m glad to be a part of it, happy to remain here and there are big things coming that I am happy to be part of it. I feel good about next year. Obviously, I was able to do a lot of good things on special teams last year. Unfortunately, I didn't make the Pro Bowl last year, but that is something I’m shooting for this year.”
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