Camp Tour: Raiders aren't messin' with the kid
By Pat Kirwan | NFL.com
OVERVIEW: The Oakland Raiders are in a transformation from a team in disarray to a team with a single purpose and a group of players actually learning how to become a team again under the guidance of their 32-year-old head coach, Lane Kiffin. It's not an easy journey for any coach, let alone a young man in his first situation as the leader of a franchise. There are old players, old habits, and some old ways of doing things that have to be overhauled before winning and a return to the glory days can ever become a reality. The Raiders are pointed in the right direction, but I know the key ingredient in this project is patience.
I spent a good amount of time alone with Al Davis, the owner and visionary of the Raiders organization. He could not have been nicer or more open with me as we watched practice together while talking about his young coach, the players on the field, and most of the topics surrounding the 2007 Raiders. Sure, Davis is the owner, but he will always be a football man at heart.
Greg Trott / Getty Images
While the Raiders brought in Daunte Culpepper and are trying to sign top overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell, it is Josh McCown who looks to be the opening day starter at quarterback for Oakland.
He watches every play of practice every day. When practice was over, he headed right inside for a workout and then to study the practice tapes. He knows things about every one of the players in uniform competing for spots on the '07 roster. He amazed me about the littlest details of a receiver's route running, the back pedal of a rookie corner, the stance and "get off" of a young defensive lineman. He may differ with Kiffin in an assessment of a particular player, but Davis is working closer with Kiffin than he has in years past with other head coaches.
Sure, it's early and the real games have not started yet, but I believe Kiffin can walk into Davis' office, sit down and disagree on a player and the owner will defer to the coach when he is presented with logic in a straightforward way. While Davis and I stood alone discussing everything from his days growing up in Brooklyn, New York, to a contract I did 10 years ago for a player with the Jets to a rookie free agent trying to make this team, he mentioned a player or two he would like to see make the team but didn't think his head coach liked -- and probably wouldn't make the final cut. To me the most important thing going on in Oakland is the ever-growing relationship between Davis and Kiffin. These guys are on the same course and working like a team. I have been to Raiders camp in years past but I was never called over by Davis to talk football and given every opportunity to see for myself what is going on with the Silver and Black.
HOT TOPICS
1. The 2007 OFFENSE. The offense was so bad in 2006 that the only way to go is up. The defensive players tell me, "Now there's a plan and the offense is moving so much faster than they ever did before." The move to get Daunte Culpepper has added leverage to the JaMarcus Russell negotiations, and I didn't talk to one veteran who felt they needed Russell in camp to jumpstart this offense. Jerry Porter returns to the 75 reception area, Ronald Curry tops his 62 receptions of last year and the running back by committee puts up close to 1,900 yards by season's end.
2. JaMARCUS RUSSELL. I'm sure Davis and the entire organization wants Russell in camp, but at what price? Calvin Johnson got $27 million in guaranteed money at the No. 2 spot and the club is not headed towards anything higher than $31 million in guarantees. Even when he eventually signs his six-year deal, the first year is a total throwaway at this point.
3. A 32-YEAR-OLD HEAD COACH. He is wise beyond his years and he has the respect of the team. I sat in on the team meetings and Kiffin blends humor and toughness to lead the team. A large number of players told me they understand they all can be replaced. It's not a scare tactic; it's reality.
NEWCOMERS
1. JEREMY NEWBERRY: Newberry may be an injury risk at this point in his career, but he brings veteran depth and he is clearly pushing the other interior linemen in camp.
2. ZACK MILLER: He may have run a pedestrian 4.85 in the 40 in college and is not the kind of tight end the old Raiders would have drafted, but believe me, he plays faster than his 40 time and he's dropped one pass since camp has started.
3. DOMINIC RHODES: He has the speed and power to really run the outside zone play the Raiders want to develop. It's a shame he will miss the first four weeks with a suspension. When he returns the run game will pick up.
4. JOHNNIE LEE HIGGINS: This kid has the speed the offense needs and he should make the team on that dimension alone. He has made some nice catches in practice and is going to push some older established Raiders off the roster.
NFL.com's 2007 training camp tour:
Raiders aren't messin' with the kid
Young 49ers seeking respect
Lions look to make big move
Jags poised for playoff run
Worst to first for Bucs?
Panthers on the prowl
Falcons dealing with issues
Browns hit a crossroad
Tomlin aims to continue on tradition
Bills' hopes rest on Losman
High expectations in New England
Giants show signs of life
More camp coverage:
Complete coverage of training camp
Photos: Best from training camp
52 games in 27 days on NFL Network
SCOUTING REPORT
OFFENSE: The offense is best described as a combination of the Alex Gibbs running game (Denver Broncos) and the USC passing attack. Rhodes and LaMont Jordan will share the workload in the downhill run scheme. With Robert Gallery now at guard it will be a much-improved aspect of the game under the direction of line coach Tom Cable. Until the offensive line gels as a pass-blocking unit, expect to see lots of bootleg passes from Josh McCown and a quick three-step passing game to get the ball out of the hand of the quarterback before the pass rush gets to the him. No one gave up more sacks than the Raiders in 2006 with 72, but it would appear that number is going to be drastically reduced with a different scheme and a quicker decision-maker under center. Don't expect to see Russell under center in 2007. Ninety percent of the offense has already been installed and the quarterbacks in camp are already up to getting good repetitions. Russell is too far behind to be a factor this year. Culpepper, on the other hand, is benefiting greatly from the absence of Russell getting lots of extra repetitions. Culpepper is handling the Raiders situation with class. He runs to every drill, he's keeping a low profile and waiting his turn to show Kiffin what he can do.
DEFENSE: This group has character and characters. They are fun to watch at practice, they have playmakers in Warren Sapp, who led all defensive tackles in the NFL with 10.0 sacks last year, and Michael Huff, a ball-hawking safety who seemed to be in the right place at the right time every time I watched the defense.
Coach Rob Ryan really motivates his guys every practice of every day. They believe they can win a game on defense and I must say after sitting down with linebackers Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison, it's easy to see what makes this defense tick. If the offense does their job it could place extra pressure on the defense by forcing teams to throw more. Last year, the Raiders defense saw the fewest number of passes thrown at them of any defense in the NFL. The league average was just over 512 pass attempts. Oakland saw 102 less than the NFL average. As one opposing offensive coach said, "When we played Oakland we didn't need to take chances in the pass game last year."
SPECIAL TEAMS: Sebastian Janikowski had the worst field goal percentage in the AFC last year (.720), but he only attempted 25 field goals. The punt return and kick return differentials were both at the very bottom of the league and there is work to be done. The addition of young players on the roster, the reality that this coaching staff will cut players who don't perform and the watchful eye of Kiffin should bring some improvement.
BEST INTERVIEWS
1.WARREN SAPP: There aren't many interviewees that can top Sapp if he's in the mood to talk. When he saw me coming on the practice field, he was in the mood. Sapp looks like a guy who just entered the league. In fact, he's down to his college weight of 285 pounds. He's eager to keep his career moving along and when he had to sit and think about life without football it motivated him to get up off the couch and get to work.
2. JOSH McCOWN: He has Culpepper and Andrew Walter to compete with on the practice field, and Russell was the first pick in the draft -- yet McCown is preparing to start the season. The new offense really does fit his skill set. The Raiders want a guy who can move around, and McCown a great fit for the short term. It's clear he knows Russell should become the foundation of the Raiders but he also knows that for the 2007 season it should be his job to lose. Confidence and a good bit of humility best describe this quarterback.
3. LANE KIFFIN: Kiffin ran a 103.7 fever days before my arrival and spent two days in the hospital right up to my arrival. He still found lots of time to sit down and talk about his team. When it came to guys who have been on the roster a long time he said, "There are no more scholarships here." On the topic of Russell, he said, "I have to protect the team I have right now and get them ready to play." When I asked him about setting up daily competitions with the defense, which is clearly ahead of the offense, he said, "Our offense can't get better until we learn to compete and I welcome the daily challenge." He also added that he loves when the defense does the unexpected at practice trying to foil the offense. As he said if you really want to get better, you learn to deal with your weaknesses.
WEAKNESSES
I haven't left an NFL camp without seeing a few weaknesses, and the Raiders certainly are no exception. The offensive line has to be overhauled and make a significant jump or this team is in trouble. Right now, Cornell Green is the starting right offensive tackle. He's a kid from Central Florida with no starts in 2006; he will struggle. He looks athletic enough to run block on the linebacker level and hold his own against defensive ends in the run game, but he will need help in his pass blocking. The next area of concern might be the lack of great speed on the offense. I think Porter and the rest of the passing game could really use a pure speed receiver on the field to stretch the field and open up the underneath passing lanes.
PREDICTION: Turning around a franchise with all the problems the 2006 Raiders had is no easy task, especially in the AFC West. Oakland didn't win a game in the division and only managed 52 points in six division games. Beyond that, the Raiders gave up 26 sacks, turned the ball over 13 times, and had 340 yard in penalties against Kansas City, San Diego and Denver. But this is 2007 and Oakland is not going to roll over and play dead for its division foes or anyone else on the schedule. I'll consider this season a success if they keep the right 53-man roster, reduce all the mental errors, double their average points a game and double their wins from two to four. Could they win six games if they average 20 points per game? Sure they could, because the Raiders defense did hold six teams under 20 points last year. I think Raiders fans are excited and realistic about what lies ahead for their Silver & Black.
By Pat Kirwan | NFL.com
OVERVIEW: The Oakland Raiders are in a transformation from a team in disarray to a team with a single purpose and a group of players actually learning how to become a team again under the guidance of their 32-year-old head coach, Lane Kiffin. It's not an easy journey for any coach, let alone a young man in his first situation as the leader of a franchise. There are old players, old habits, and some old ways of doing things that have to be overhauled before winning and a return to the glory days can ever become a reality. The Raiders are pointed in the right direction, but I know the key ingredient in this project is patience.
I spent a good amount of time alone with Al Davis, the owner and visionary of the Raiders organization. He could not have been nicer or more open with me as we watched practice together while talking about his young coach, the players on the field, and most of the topics surrounding the 2007 Raiders. Sure, Davis is the owner, but he will always be a football man at heart.
Greg Trott / Getty Images
While the Raiders brought in Daunte Culpepper and are trying to sign top overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell, it is Josh McCown who looks to be the opening day starter at quarterback for Oakland.
He watches every play of practice every day. When practice was over, he headed right inside for a workout and then to study the practice tapes. He knows things about every one of the players in uniform competing for spots on the '07 roster. He amazed me about the littlest details of a receiver's route running, the back pedal of a rookie corner, the stance and "get off" of a young defensive lineman. He may differ with Kiffin in an assessment of a particular player, but Davis is working closer with Kiffin than he has in years past with other head coaches.
Sure, it's early and the real games have not started yet, but I believe Kiffin can walk into Davis' office, sit down and disagree on a player and the owner will defer to the coach when he is presented with logic in a straightforward way. While Davis and I stood alone discussing everything from his days growing up in Brooklyn, New York, to a contract I did 10 years ago for a player with the Jets to a rookie free agent trying to make this team, he mentioned a player or two he would like to see make the team but didn't think his head coach liked -- and probably wouldn't make the final cut. To me the most important thing going on in Oakland is the ever-growing relationship between Davis and Kiffin. These guys are on the same course and working like a team. I have been to Raiders camp in years past but I was never called over by Davis to talk football and given every opportunity to see for myself what is going on with the Silver and Black.
HOT TOPICS
1. The 2007 OFFENSE. The offense was so bad in 2006 that the only way to go is up. The defensive players tell me, "Now there's a plan and the offense is moving so much faster than they ever did before." The move to get Daunte Culpepper has added leverage to the JaMarcus Russell negotiations, and I didn't talk to one veteran who felt they needed Russell in camp to jumpstart this offense. Jerry Porter returns to the 75 reception area, Ronald Curry tops his 62 receptions of last year and the running back by committee puts up close to 1,900 yards by season's end.
2. JaMARCUS RUSSELL. I'm sure Davis and the entire organization wants Russell in camp, but at what price? Calvin Johnson got $27 million in guaranteed money at the No. 2 spot and the club is not headed towards anything higher than $31 million in guarantees. Even when he eventually signs his six-year deal, the first year is a total throwaway at this point.
3. A 32-YEAR-OLD HEAD COACH. He is wise beyond his years and he has the respect of the team. I sat in on the team meetings and Kiffin blends humor and toughness to lead the team. A large number of players told me they understand they all can be replaced. It's not a scare tactic; it's reality.
NEWCOMERS
1. JEREMY NEWBERRY: Newberry may be an injury risk at this point in his career, but he brings veteran depth and he is clearly pushing the other interior linemen in camp.
2. ZACK MILLER: He may have run a pedestrian 4.85 in the 40 in college and is not the kind of tight end the old Raiders would have drafted, but believe me, he plays faster than his 40 time and he's dropped one pass since camp has started.
3. DOMINIC RHODES: He has the speed and power to really run the outside zone play the Raiders want to develop. It's a shame he will miss the first four weeks with a suspension. When he returns the run game will pick up.
4. JOHNNIE LEE HIGGINS: This kid has the speed the offense needs and he should make the team on that dimension alone. He has made some nice catches in practice and is going to push some older established Raiders off the roster.
NFL.com's 2007 training camp tour:
Raiders aren't messin' with the kid
Young 49ers seeking respect
Lions look to make big move
Jags poised for playoff run
Worst to first for Bucs?
Panthers on the prowl
Falcons dealing with issues
Browns hit a crossroad
Tomlin aims to continue on tradition
Bills' hopes rest on Losman
High expectations in New England
Giants show signs of life
More camp coverage:
Complete coverage of training camp
Photos: Best from training camp
52 games in 27 days on NFL Network
SCOUTING REPORT
OFFENSE: The offense is best described as a combination of the Alex Gibbs running game (Denver Broncos) and the USC passing attack. Rhodes and LaMont Jordan will share the workload in the downhill run scheme. With Robert Gallery now at guard it will be a much-improved aspect of the game under the direction of line coach Tom Cable. Until the offensive line gels as a pass-blocking unit, expect to see lots of bootleg passes from Josh McCown and a quick three-step passing game to get the ball out of the hand of the quarterback before the pass rush gets to the him. No one gave up more sacks than the Raiders in 2006 with 72, but it would appear that number is going to be drastically reduced with a different scheme and a quicker decision-maker under center. Don't expect to see Russell under center in 2007. Ninety percent of the offense has already been installed and the quarterbacks in camp are already up to getting good repetitions. Russell is too far behind to be a factor this year. Culpepper, on the other hand, is benefiting greatly from the absence of Russell getting lots of extra repetitions. Culpepper is handling the Raiders situation with class. He runs to every drill, he's keeping a low profile and waiting his turn to show Kiffin what he can do.
DEFENSE: This group has character and characters. They are fun to watch at practice, they have playmakers in Warren Sapp, who led all defensive tackles in the NFL with 10.0 sacks last year, and Michael Huff, a ball-hawking safety who seemed to be in the right place at the right time every time I watched the defense.
Coach Rob Ryan really motivates his guys every practice of every day. They believe they can win a game on defense and I must say after sitting down with linebackers Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison, it's easy to see what makes this defense tick. If the offense does their job it could place extra pressure on the defense by forcing teams to throw more. Last year, the Raiders defense saw the fewest number of passes thrown at them of any defense in the NFL. The league average was just over 512 pass attempts. Oakland saw 102 less than the NFL average. As one opposing offensive coach said, "When we played Oakland we didn't need to take chances in the pass game last year."
SPECIAL TEAMS: Sebastian Janikowski had the worst field goal percentage in the AFC last year (.720), but he only attempted 25 field goals. The punt return and kick return differentials were both at the very bottom of the league and there is work to be done. The addition of young players on the roster, the reality that this coaching staff will cut players who don't perform and the watchful eye of Kiffin should bring some improvement.
BEST INTERVIEWS
1.WARREN SAPP: There aren't many interviewees that can top Sapp if he's in the mood to talk. When he saw me coming on the practice field, he was in the mood. Sapp looks like a guy who just entered the league. In fact, he's down to his college weight of 285 pounds. He's eager to keep his career moving along and when he had to sit and think about life without football it motivated him to get up off the couch and get to work.
2. JOSH McCOWN: He has Culpepper and Andrew Walter to compete with on the practice field, and Russell was the first pick in the draft -- yet McCown is preparing to start the season. The new offense really does fit his skill set. The Raiders want a guy who can move around, and McCown a great fit for the short term. It's clear he knows Russell should become the foundation of the Raiders but he also knows that for the 2007 season it should be his job to lose. Confidence and a good bit of humility best describe this quarterback.
3. LANE KIFFIN: Kiffin ran a 103.7 fever days before my arrival and spent two days in the hospital right up to my arrival. He still found lots of time to sit down and talk about his team. When it came to guys who have been on the roster a long time he said, "There are no more scholarships here." On the topic of Russell, he said, "I have to protect the team I have right now and get them ready to play." When I asked him about setting up daily competitions with the defense, which is clearly ahead of the offense, he said, "Our offense can't get better until we learn to compete and I welcome the daily challenge." He also added that he loves when the defense does the unexpected at practice trying to foil the offense. As he said if you really want to get better, you learn to deal with your weaknesses.
WEAKNESSES
I haven't left an NFL camp without seeing a few weaknesses, and the Raiders certainly are no exception. The offensive line has to be overhauled and make a significant jump or this team is in trouble. Right now, Cornell Green is the starting right offensive tackle. He's a kid from Central Florida with no starts in 2006; he will struggle. He looks athletic enough to run block on the linebacker level and hold his own against defensive ends in the run game, but he will need help in his pass blocking. The next area of concern might be the lack of great speed on the offense. I think Porter and the rest of the passing game could really use a pure speed receiver on the field to stretch the field and open up the underneath passing lanes.
PREDICTION: Turning around a franchise with all the problems the 2006 Raiders had is no easy task, especially in the AFC West. Oakland didn't win a game in the division and only managed 52 points in six division games. Beyond that, the Raiders gave up 26 sacks, turned the ball over 13 times, and had 340 yard in penalties against Kansas City, San Diego and Denver. But this is 2007 and Oakland is not going to roll over and play dead for its division foes or anyone else on the schedule. I'll consider this season a success if they keep the right 53-man roster, reduce all the mental errors, double their average points a game and double their wins from two to four. Could they win six games if they average 20 points per game? Sure they could, because the Raiders defense did hold six teams under 20 points last year. I think Raiders fans are excited and realistic about what lies ahead for their Silver & Black.
