OAKLAND RAIDERS OFFSEASON THREAD
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To Odell, or not to Odell?
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 1:42 pm in Oakland Raiders.
The representative for unrestricted free agent linebacker Odell Thurman said Friday he expected to have talks with “a half-dozen” teams next week but was not at liberty to disclose which ones.
Safarrah Lawson said Thurman was taking care of some family business before getting down to the business of finding another employer after being waived by the Cincinnati Bengals on May 19.
If the Raiders aren’t at least investigating the possibility of signing Thurman, they should be.
And if they think there is even the slightest chance Thurman can resurrect his career after missing the last two seasons under suspension, there is no downside in bringing him in for a chance to play alongside Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard.
The Raiders obviously have some reservations, or they would have simply claimed him off waivers when the Bengals let him go. Unless they already have some well-founded information that Thurman is not on the straight and narrow, they erred in not doing so.
Claiming Thurman under the terms of his original contract would have cost his new team $520,000 this season and $615,000 next in 2009 _ none of it guaranteed.
The fact that no team put in a claim has already put the rumor mill to work. Thurman has been out for two years for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, and although recently reinstated, must be available at all times for testing. If he slips up again, his career might be over.
Although the program is confidential, it’s possible teams have information that Thurman came up dirty again or are afraid he did, with the test working its way through the appeals process.
Lawson’s claim that talks will begin with some teams next week indicates there is at least a limited level of curiosity.
The Bengals waived Thurman when he failed to show up for “voluntary” organized team activities, citing family issues stemming from the death of his grandmother. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis quipped that Thurman’s grandmother “has been buried for some time,” indicating he wasn’t entirely buying the reason for the absence.
It’s worth noting, however, that Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer, who didn’t go out of his way to support motor-mouth wide receiver Chad Johnson, wasn’t on board with Thurman’s release. Thurman was said to be a well-liked teammate and not a divisive influence.
The Raiders should be in the mix for the following reasons:
– Although Thurman’s presence in the substance abuse program constitutes a risk, it’s not that great a risk considering what he will be paid. Losing him would present no serious cap or financial ramifications, since no team is liable to give him much more than than the NFL minimum.
Thurman at a modest salary with little or no bonus is less of a risk than giving $18.125 millon to a defensive tackle coming off ACL surgery or $16 million to a wide receiver with a history of injury, in a business sense.
– As promising as Morrison and Howard are, neither has played at the level Thurman did as a rookie with the Bengals. You could make the case that Thurman should have won the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award over San Diego’s Shawn Merriman, who had 41 fewer tackles but 10 sacks. Thurman had 98 tackles, five interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and was the centerpiece for a ball-hawking defense which helped lead the Bengals to an 11-5 record and a division title.
– Even though at 6-foot, 235 pounds, Thurman is similar in stature to Morrison and Howard, he is versatile enough to play anywhere. He played in the middle in Cincinnati, even though some consider the weak side to be the best place for him. If Thurman returns to something approximating his 2005 form at age 25, he is an upgrade whether he moves to the middle, with Morrison moving to the strong side, or plays the strong side himself.
The Raiders didn’t hesitate in drafting running back Darren McFadden just because they had good running backs, so it makes no sense to pass on Thurman because you’ve already got two linebackers approximately the same size.
Fred Biletnikoff, the Raiders Hall of Fame wide receiver and former wide receivers coach, said on a Sacramento radio show recently the Raiders problem is “too many backups,” meaning the roster simply hasn’t been talented enough. Thurman is a talent.
– The Raiders used to pride themelves on this sort of thing, bringing in second- or third-chance players and giving them an opportunity other teams would pass up. You wonder if Al Davis is a little gun shy on the substance abuse issue after what happened to Darrell Russell.
At a press conference a few years back, Davis was lamenting afterward about Russell’s talent and his problems with substance abuse. (This was before Russell’s death in an auto accident).
“We just couldn’t win that battle,” Davis said, sounding more hurt than angry that a player with such skill could not conquer his demons.
But in an economical sense, Thurman isn’t going to cost what Russell did, and if he were to recover, the Raiders could add a game-altering talent to a defense that still needs it.
If it didn’t work out, it was still a risk worth taking.
In other developments:
– Bringing in Keith Rowen to the personnel department, given his history as an assistant coach, will add to speculation that the table is being set to keep a complete coaching staff in case Lane Kiffin is an in-season coaching casualty.
The Raiders have not officially confirmed Rowen’s hiring, nor have they announced the hiring of special teams assistant John Fassel (he recently showed up on the team’s official coaching roster on Raiders.com) or the addition of former linebacker William Thomas to the personnel department. Thomas spent the rookie minicamp wearing Raiders gear talking with members of the personnel department and his eventual job may be in advance scouting.
– Morrison is the perfect Raider to put in studio time on the NFL Network’s “Total Access.” He is a not only a genuinely likeable guy, but is incapable of uttering a word that is not optimistic and rosy in outlook. Morrison can look you directly in the face after the Raiders have been trampled by yet another running back and insist the defense is just fine against the run. And mean every word of it.
– The Raiders mandatory minicamp will be open to the media on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with two practices on each of the first two days and one on Thursday.
– Had an interview set up at the facility a couple of years ago and watched a little of the Raiders Youth Skills Camp, sponored by California Police Youth Charities. The players and coaches who were assisting in running the drills, for boys and girls aged 8 through 14, seemed to be enjoying it as much as the kids. This year’s camp is scheduled for June 7-8.
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 1:42 pm in Oakland Raiders.
The representative for unrestricted free agent linebacker Odell Thurman said Friday he expected to have talks with “a half-dozen” teams next week but was not at liberty to disclose which ones.
Safarrah Lawson said Thurman was taking care of some family business before getting down to the business of finding another employer after being waived by the Cincinnati Bengals on May 19.
If the Raiders aren’t at least investigating the possibility of signing Thurman, they should be.
And if they think there is even the slightest chance Thurman can resurrect his career after missing the last two seasons under suspension, there is no downside in bringing him in for a chance to play alongside Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard.
The Raiders obviously have some reservations, or they would have simply claimed him off waivers when the Bengals let him go. Unless they already have some well-founded information that Thurman is not on the straight and narrow, they erred in not doing so.
Claiming Thurman under the terms of his original contract would have cost his new team $520,000 this season and $615,000 next in 2009 _ none of it guaranteed.
The fact that no team put in a claim has already put the rumor mill to work. Thurman has been out for two years for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, and although recently reinstated, must be available at all times for testing. If he slips up again, his career might be over.
Although the program is confidential, it’s possible teams have information that Thurman came up dirty again or are afraid he did, with the test working its way through the appeals process.
Lawson’s claim that talks will begin with some teams next week indicates there is at least a limited level of curiosity.
The Bengals waived Thurman when he failed to show up for “voluntary” organized team activities, citing family issues stemming from the death of his grandmother. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis quipped that Thurman’s grandmother “has been buried for some time,” indicating he wasn’t entirely buying the reason for the absence.
It’s worth noting, however, that Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer, who didn’t go out of his way to support motor-mouth wide receiver Chad Johnson, wasn’t on board with Thurman’s release. Thurman was said to be a well-liked teammate and not a divisive influence.
The Raiders should be in the mix for the following reasons:
– Although Thurman’s presence in the substance abuse program constitutes a risk, it’s not that great a risk considering what he will be paid. Losing him would present no serious cap or financial ramifications, since no team is liable to give him much more than than the NFL minimum.
Thurman at a modest salary with little or no bonus is less of a risk than giving $18.125 millon to a defensive tackle coming off ACL surgery or $16 million to a wide receiver with a history of injury, in a business sense.
– As promising as Morrison and Howard are, neither has played at the level Thurman did as a rookie with the Bengals. You could make the case that Thurman should have won the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award over San Diego’s Shawn Merriman, who had 41 fewer tackles but 10 sacks. Thurman had 98 tackles, five interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and was the centerpiece for a ball-hawking defense which helped lead the Bengals to an 11-5 record and a division title.
– Even though at 6-foot, 235 pounds, Thurman is similar in stature to Morrison and Howard, he is versatile enough to play anywhere. He played in the middle in Cincinnati, even though some consider the weak side to be the best place for him. If Thurman returns to something approximating his 2005 form at age 25, he is an upgrade whether he moves to the middle, with Morrison moving to the strong side, or plays the strong side himself.
The Raiders didn’t hesitate in drafting running back Darren McFadden just because they had good running backs, so it makes no sense to pass on Thurman because you’ve already got two linebackers approximately the same size.
Fred Biletnikoff, the Raiders Hall of Fame wide receiver and former wide receivers coach, said on a Sacramento radio show recently the Raiders problem is “too many backups,” meaning the roster simply hasn’t been talented enough. Thurman is a talent.
– The Raiders used to pride themelves on this sort of thing, bringing in second- or third-chance players and giving them an opportunity other teams would pass up. You wonder if Al Davis is a little gun shy on the substance abuse issue after what happened to Darrell Russell.
At a press conference a few years back, Davis was lamenting afterward about Russell’s talent and his problems with substance abuse. (This was before Russell’s death in an auto accident).
“We just couldn’t win that battle,” Davis said, sounding more hurt than angry that a player with such skill could not conquer his demons.
But in an economical sense, Thurman isn’t going to cost what Russell did, and if he were to recover, the Raiders could add a game-altering talent to a defense that still needs it.
If it didn’t work out, it was still a risk worth taking.
In other developments:
– Bringing in Keith Rowen to the personnel department, given his history as an assistant coach, will add to speculation that the table is being set to keep a complete coaching staff in case Lane Kiffin is an in-season coaching casualty.
The Raiders have not officially confirmed Rowen’s hiring, nor have they announced the hiring of special teams assistant John Fassel (he recently showed up on the team’s official coaching roster on Raiders.com) or the addition of former linebacker William Thomas to the personnel department. Thomas spent the rookie minicamp wearing Raiders gear talking with members of the personnel department and his eventual job may be in advance scouting.
– Morrison is the perfect Raider to put in studio time on the NFL Network’s “Total Access.” He is a not only a genuinely likeable guy, but is incapable of uttering a word that is not optimistic and rosy in outlook. Morrison can look you directly in the face after the Raiders have been trampled by yet another running back and insist the defense is just fine against the run. And mean every word of it.
– The Raiders mandatory minicamp will be open to the media on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with two practices on each of the first two days and one on Thursday.
– Had an interview set up at the facility a couple of years ago and watched a little of the Raiders Youth Skills Camp, sponored by California Police Youth Charities. The players and coaches who were assisting in running the drills, for boys and girls aged 8 through 14, seemed to be enjoying it as much as the kids. This year’s camp is scheduled for June 7-8.
BOLTS ADD NEWBERRY
Posted by Mike Florio on June 2, 2008, 10:30 p.m.
The San Diego Chargers have signed veteran center Jeremy Newberry.
The 10-year veteran started 14 games for the Raiders in 2007. He spent nine years before that with the 49ers.
The two-time Pro Bowler was a member of the Niners during Chargers coach Norv Turner’s one-year stint as offensive coordinator in San Fran, but Newberry was injured the entire season.
Posted by Mike Florio on June 2, 2008, 10:30 p.m.
The San Diego Chargers have signed veteran center Jeremy Newberry.
The 10-year veteran started 14 games for the Raiders in 2007. He spent nine years before that with the 49ers.
The two-time Pro Bowler was a member of the Niners during Chargers coach Norv Turner’s one-year stint as offensive coordinator in San Fran, but Newberry was injured the entire season.
REPORT: ODELL THURMAN FACES INDEFINITE SUSPENSION
Posted by Michael David Smith on June 2, 2008, 7:02 p.m.
Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated is reporting that former Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman is facing an indefinite suspension after another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
The report does not offer any specifics of the nature of the violation. Thurman missed the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons because of suspensions tied to drug and alcohol use. He was reinstated this year, but the Bengals released him last month.
His agent, Safarrah Lawson, told Trotter, “We have not been notified of that at this point. I have no knowledge,” and added that Thurman, whose grandmother recently died, is “still dealing with some family issues.”
Thurman was a 2005 second-round draft pick and was one of the league’s best defensive rookies that season. But his drug and alcohol problems have kept him off the field since then.
u can squash the odell to oakland hopes now
Posted by Michael David Smith on June 2, 2008, 7:02 p.m.
Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated is reporting that former Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman is facing an indefinite suspension after another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
The report does not offer any specifics of the nature of the violation. Thurman missed the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons because of suspensions tied to drug and alcohol use. He was reinstated this year, but the Bengals released him last month.
His agent, Safarrah Lawson, told Trotter, “We have not been notified of that at this point. I have no knowledge,” and added that Thurman, whose grandmother recently died, is “still dealing with some family issues.”
Thurman was a 2005 second-round draft pick and was one of the league’s best defensive rookies that season. But his drug and alcohol problems have kept him off the field since then.
u can squash the odell to oakland hopes now
LAMONT JORDAN’S TIME IN OAKLAND JUST ABOUT UP
Posted by Josh Alper on June 3, 2008, 5:25 p.m. EDT
In this morning’s One-Liners, MDS referenced an article that said Al Davis was the only reason Lamont Jordan was still a Raider. Davis must have had an epiphany over his grapefruit this morning because Jordan’s time in silver and black appears to be over.
Lane Kiffin told the running back that the team was moving forward without him and gave Jordan and his agent the okay to start investigating potential new homes. “We have not had any success at this point in doing so because there are many moving pieces to such a trade” agent Alvin Keels said in an e-mail. “However, with new developments going on around the league, maybe something can be done in the coming days.”
Jordan is currently fourth on the depth chart at tailback and, barring an injury, doesn’t figure to move up the ladder. He was due to make $4.7 million with the Raiders this season but because June 2 has come and gone, if Jordan leaves via trade the Raiders will be able to spread the cap hit over the next two seasons. The same is true if no trade materializes and the Raiders release him.
Posted by Josh Alper on June 3, 2008, 5:25 p.m. EDT
In this morning’s One-Liners, MDS referenced an article that said Al Davis was the only reason Lamont Jordan was still a Raider. Davis must have had an epiphany over his grapefruit this morning because Jordan’s time in silver and black appears to be over.
Lane Kiffin told the running back that the team was moving forward without him and gave Jordan and his agent the okay to start investigating potential new homes. “We have not had any success at this point in doing so because there are many moving pieces to such a trade” agent Alvin Keels said in an e-mail. “However, with new developments going on around the league, maybe something can be done in the coming days.”
Jordan is currently fourth on the depth chart at tailback and, barring an injury, doesn’t figure to move up the ladder. He was due to make $4.7 million with the Raiders this season but because June 2 has come and gone, if Jordan leaves via trade the Raiders will be able to spread the cap hit over the next two seasons. The same is true if no trade materializes and the Raiders release him.
Hall breaks through
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 at 6:50 pm in Oakland Raiders
90 Comments »
At 5:32 p.m. Wednesday, cornerback DeAngelo Hall stepped in front of a JaMarcus Russell pass intended for Johnnie Lee Higgins and ran the other way with an interception.
Not earthshaking news, but a rarity in that it was the first time I’d seen a defender step make a play on the ball and make a clean interception without help from a deflection off the hands of an intended receiver during all the allotted media availability time through rookie minicamp, two organized team activities and three practices at the mandatory minicamp.
Thirteen minutes later, it happened again. This time it was Andrew Walter throwing into double coverage, wtih Thomas Howard stealing the pass. He considered a lateral to Michael Huff, thought better of it, and kept the ball.
More quick hits from the evening session:
– Al Davis made his first appearance on the field at the minicamp.
– Visitors included former Raiders defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, who had a very brief exchange with Davis. McGlockton is working as an assistant coach with Hayward’s Chabot College and was accompanied by a few other members of the Chabot staff.
– JaMarcus Russell made jaw-dropping throw on a broken play, rolling to his right and flicking a pass that traveled 60 yards in teh air to Drew Carter, who got behind Michael Huff for a big game.
– Neither Fred Wakefield (knee) nor Javon Walker participated in the second practice. Neither did fullback Oren O’Neal, who sustained a knee injury in the morning session. That meant a busy practice for the only other fullback on the roster, veteran Justin Griffith.
Arman Shields (hamstring) missed his third straight practice, watching Todd Watkins and Chaz Schilens get plenty of work and have some positive moments.
– Practiced ended with coach Lane Kiffin calling for a two-minute drill, putting 2:28 on the clock, giving the offense two timeouts and the ball at the 31-yard line.
The first team defense responded with Gerard Warren dropping Russell for a 10-yard “sack” on first down. On second down, Russell found Johnnie Lee Higgins for 9 yards to the 30.
Blitz fans will be pleased to note cornerback Stanford Routt got to Russell for a five-yard loss on third down, with Zach Miller failing to hold a short pass far short of the first down marker on fourth-and-long, with Russell under pressure by Kalimba Edwards.
The second team offense fared somewhat better against the second team defense. Andrew Walter hit Griffith against a blitz for a 12-yard gain on first down, with Will Buchanon dropping a Walter pass on second down.
That prompted a rebuke from offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who bsarked, “That’s three drops today! Let’s go!”
The offensive moved past midfield an another pass from Walter to Griffith. Walter had an an opportunity for a deep strike to Drisam James for a score, but Hiram Eugene made up enough ground to deflect a slightly underthrown pass.
An offsides penalty by Jay Richardson and a completion from Walter to Schilens got Sebastian Janikowski in range for a 46-yard field goal attempt. Janikowski missed slightly to the left, then converted when he got another chance, ending practice.
– Defensive tackle Terdell Sands, who has been playing both at the nose and three-technique and been working behind Josh Shaw, drew the eye of at least one sideline observer for playing with fire and emotion.
– Darren McFadden was one of several players working at fielding balls from a JUGS machine to simulate kickoffs.
– Wide receiver James Lofton throws his own passes during drills and was instructing his charges to “see the ball, feel the sidelines,” and was making one perfect pass after another on out patterns.
– The Raiders complete the minicamp with one practice today starting at 12:30 p.m.
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McFadden talks underway? (updated)
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 at 1:37 pm in Oakland Raiders
193 Comments »
Visitors to Wednesday morning’s mandatory minicamp practice included Graylon and Cookie McFadden, the father and step mother of Raiders rookie running back Darren McFadden.
They were accompanied by Ian Greengross, the agent who represents McFadden. While the McFaddens went to the sideline to watch practice, Greengross departed for a meeting with Raiders executive Marc Badain, no doubt getting a head start on getting a contract done.
“You always like them signed right away from my standpoint, the coaching side of it,” Kiffin said. “But you always have to do what’s in the best interest of the future of the organization. Hopefully it’ll get done and it’s something both sides can agree upon. Right now it doesn’t affect anything.
“Would we like to have a holdout? No, we wouldn’t, because there’s so many things we want to do with him right away.”
Some quick hits from Wednesday morning’s practice:
– Team sessions were mostly meat-and-potatoes, with a lot of basic running plays which will be the key to Oakland’s offense this year.
As fast as McFadden looks around the edge, and as imposing as Michael Bush looks when taking a handoff, the most effective runner is Justin Fargas, who takes one cut and then gets his five-plus yards without a moment’s hesitation.
– Wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins followed a sensational practice Tuesday night with a drop-filled session Wednesday morning _ at least four drops, by unofficial count.
Coach Lane Kiffin said the Raiders are “running Higgins into the ground,” giving him plenty of reps and also having him work with returns on special teams.
– Quarterback JaMarcus Russell continued to work at finding checkdown passes, with a favorite target being fullback Justin Griffith for horizontal sideline ropes when he didn’t see a wide receiver open. He appears less comfortable with checkdowns over the middle, passes that require more touch as well as a firm knowledge of where the defenders are.
Griffith sees a different quarterback than the one who got his first extensive playing time in the last two weeks of the season against Jacksonville and San Diego.
“Now he’s more confident. He knows what he’s doing. You can expand the playbook, you aren’t limited to one or two plays here or there, you can throw the whole playbook at him,” Griffith said. `If one guy is covered up, he knows exactly where to go. Last year, you could see where if one route wasn’t open, he wasn’t very sure about two or three. I saw some throws out there today that kind of shocked me.”
– Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, working a ropes drill along with Jarrod Cooper under the direction of athletic trainer Scott Touchet, tripped on a rope and tumbled to the ground. The Raiders $50.5 million investment ($18.125 guaranteed) got up looking more embarrassed than hurt.
Kelly, rehabbing from a torn ACL, looks heavy at the moment, but Kiffin said that is normal for the lineman this time of year and expects him to drop weight before training camp. Kiffin also said Kelly is stronger than ever.
“He is off-the-charts strong right now. His strength in the weight room is higher than it’s ever been, and his explosiveness is in there,” Kiffin said. “Now we’ve got to get him back on the field. He’s doing all kinds of stuff out here for us, but it’s not full speed yet. It’s not something we can put him in with guys around him.”
Kelly is expected to be ready for training camp.
– Defensive tackle Terdell Sands, who was a disappointment last year, is working at both the three techinique and nose tackle spots, even though the latter is his better position. He is seldom working with the first team.
– Not sure if right tackle Mario Henderson got a chance to shake hands with Derrick Burgess after practice. If he did, it was probably the only time the two made contact even though Henderson’s responsibility was to block Burgess on several pass plays. On one play, Russell rolled right into Burgess, who had whizzed past Henderson.
On the next play, tight end Tony Stewart came over to chip Burgess, and Russell was able to get off a medium deep pass to Chaz Schilens.
It’s no secret Burgess would like a contract which better reflects his production over the past three years. The $17.5 million, five-year deal was huge when he signed it, but Burgess has watched as players with fewer sacks have far exceeded his income _ including teammates such as Kelly and Sands.
“Derrick has handled himself with great class,” Kiffin said. “The fact of him being here and working and not saying anything about it, just going to work, it’s not an easy thing to do because there’s a number of players around the league making more than him and on our roster. He’s a Pro Bowl player that has played great here in the past, battled through injuries last year to get back on the field . . . he does have two years left on his contract, (it would be) more difficult with hm if it was his last year.”
– Kiffin’s take on middle linebacker Edgerton Hartwell, attempting to resurrect his career after a serious knee injury in Atlanta:
“We haven’t set expectations, we’re going to give him a chance to make the team,” Kiffin said. “He hasn’t palyed in awhile so we’ll let him take it as far as he can take it.”
– Rookie Arman Sheilds, a fourth-round draft pick, missed his second consecutive practice with a hamstring injury.
– Minicamp rules prohibit bump-and-run coverage and are supposed to be free of full-on blocking which puts players on the ground. But that didn’t stop cornerback Chris Johnson from a healthy chuck right into the face of wide receiver Jonathan Holland, with Johnson saying, “Game over,” after Holland’s route was wrecked and the pass by JaMarcus Russell sailed incomplete.
– During one drill, with cornerback DeAngelo Hall covering Schilens, a pass went out of bounds and to a nearby fence. As Schilens began to trot back to his position group, Hall snapped, “Hey, 82, get the ball!” Schilens, a rookie, listened to the veteran and retrieved the football.
Schilens later got the better of Hall on a corner route, catching a pass for what appeared to be a touchdown. He then dropped it, and it was a close call as to whether he had the ball long enough, although one coach said, “Gotta hold on to that one.”
– Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan continues to preach stripping the football, through three practices not a single offensive player has put the ball on the ground, although Adimchinobe Echemandu came close following a clumsy exhcange with Marques Tuiasosopo. Echemandu held on after a bobble and charged up the middle for a big gain.
– Right end Jay Richardson jumped offsides during one play during team sessions, which is only notable because it has been such an infrequent occurence through three practices.
– It was a mixed day for wide receiver Javon Walker, who made a few plays but failed to separate from defenders on others. When asked about Walker, Kiffin immediately made reference to his weight and said he looked forward to him being lighter.
“Javon’s a little heavy right now so we’re going to cointinue this offseason to get him down by training camp or the regular season, the final thing that counts,” Kiffin said. “He’s picking up the offense fine but we’ve got a long way to go.”
Walker said he feels fast, light on his feet and even invented a new word to sum up his contributions to the cause when asked what he brought to the position.
“Probably a positive attitude, great attitude, work-hard-ability and obviously, coming out here and leading by example,” Walker said. “Whe you’ve got somebody who goes out and makes plays, it only tricles down to every receiver out there wanting to make lays, even if it’s one-on-one or seven-on-seven. I’m my own worst critic, so if I do something wrong or drop a ball, it’s pretty much self-explanatory.”
– Hard to know at this point exactly what the Raiders have planned at center. Chris Morris has taken almost every rep with the first team, although curiously, Kiffin said after practice reps have been split between Morris and free agent acquisition John Wade.
Kiffin says it too early to talk about starters, but Morris is gratified at getting time with the first team.
“I’m just trying to make the most of my opportunity,” Morris said. “We’ve got John, whose been around for 10 years, and Jake (Grove) who has starting experience . . . I agree with Lane, it’s too early to say I’m going to be starting.”
It could be the Raiders already have a good idea of what they have in Wade based on his experience and simply want to see how Morris responds. Last season, Jake Grove worked with the first team more often than Jeremy Newberry, but Newberry ended up the starter once he showed he could hold up physically.
“Nothing assumed by me and nothing’s been said to me,” Wade said. “I’ve been fighting for a job since ‘98, and I assumed no different coming here in ‘08. I just thought there would be an opportunity I’d have a chance to compete. Nothing else. No different than any other year for me.”
– Nnamdi, where are you? Cornerback Stanford Routt was turned around in coverage on more than one occasion, allowing big separation to receivers. Second-year cornerback John Bowie has seldom been in a position to make plays.
– Fullback Oren O’Neal sustained a leg injury of undetermined severity and his status for the second practice is not known.
– Former Raiders assistant coach David Shaw, the offensive coordinator at Stanford, was a guest of the Raiders, as was Stanford line coach Chris Dalman. Dalman worked with Tom Cable in Atlanta, where both learned under zone blocking guru Alex Gibbs, and has implemented a similar system at Stanford.
– The Raiders involvement in the NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation has resulted in two $50,000 grants _ one for new bleachers at Ernie Raimondi Field in Oakland, and one for new lights at Burrell Field in San Leandro.
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 at 6:50 pm in Oakland Raiders
90 Comments »
At 5:32 p.m. Wednesday, cornerback DeAngelo Hall stepped in front of a JaMarcus Russell pass intended for Johnnie Lee Higgins and ran the other way with an interception.
Not earthshaking news, but a rarity in that it was the first time I’d seen a defender step make a play on the ball and make a clean interception without help from a deflection off the hands of an intended receiver during all the allotted media availability time through rookie minicamp, two organized team activities and three practices at the mandatory minicamp.
Thirteen minutes later, it happened again. This time it was Andrew Walter throwing into double coverage, wtih Thomas Howard stealing the pass. He considered a lateral to Michael Huff, thought better of it, and kept the ball.
More quick hits from the evening session:
– Al Davis made his first appearance on the field at the minicamp.
– Visitors included former Raiders defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, who had a very brief exchange with Davis. McGlockton is working as an assistant coach with Hayward’s Chabot College and was accompanied by a few other members of the Chabot staff.
– JaMarcus Russell made jaw-dropping throw on a broken play, rolling to his right and flicking a pass that traveled 60 yards in teh air to Drew Carter, who got behind Michael Huff for a big game.
– Neither Fred Wakefield (knee) nor Javon Walker participated in the second practice. Neither did fullback Oren O’Neal, who sustained a knee injury in the morning session. That meant a busy practice for the only other fullback on the roster, veteran Justin Griffith.
Arman Shields (hamstring) missed his third straight practice, watching Todd Watkins and Chaz Schilens get plenty of work and have some positive moments.
– Practiced ended with coach Lane Kiffin calling for a two-minute drill, putting 2:28 on the clock, giving the offense two timeouts and the ball at the 31-yard line.
The first team defense responded with Gerard Warren dropping Russell for a 10-yard “sack” on first down. On second down, Russell found Johnnie Lee Higgins for 9 yards to the 30.
Blitz fans will be pleased to note cornerback Stanford Routt got to Russell for a five-yard loss on third down, with Zach Miller failing to hold a short pass far short of the first down marker on fourth-and-long, with Russell under pressure by Kalimba Edwards.
The second team offense fared somewhat better against the second team defense. Andrew Walter hit Griffith against a blitz for a 12-yard gain on first down, with Will Buchanon dropping a Walter pass on second down.
That prompted a rebuke from offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who bsarked, “That’s three drops today! Let’s go!”
The offensive moved past midfield an another pass from Walter to Griffith. Walter had an an opportunity for a deep strike to Drisam James for a score, but Hiram Eugene made up enough ground to deflect a slightly underthrown pass.
An offsides penalty by Jay Richardson and a completion from Walter to Schilens got Sebastian Janikowski in range for a 46-yard field goal attempt. Janikowski missed slightly to the left, then converted when he got another chance, ending practice.
– Defensive tackle Terdell Sands, who has been playing both at the nose and three-technique and been working behind Josh Shaw, drew the eye of at least one sideline observer for playing with fire and emotion.
– Darren McFadden was one of several players working at fielding balls from a JUGS machine to simulate kickoffs.
– Wide receiver James Lofton throws his own passes during drills and was instructing his charges to “see the ball, feel the sidelines,” and was making one perfect pass after another on out patterns.
– The Raiders complete the minicamp with one practice today starting at 12:30 p.m.
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McFadden talks underway? (updated)
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 at 1:37 pm in Oakland Raiders
193 Comments »
Visitors to Wednesday morning’s mandatory minicamp practice included Graylon and Cookie McFadden, the father and step mother of Raiders rookie running back Darren McFadden.
They were accompanied by Ian Greengross, the agent who represents McFadden. While the McFaddens went to the sideline to watch practice, Greengross departed for a meeting with Raiders executive Marc Badain, no doubt getting a head start on getting a contract done.
“You always like them signed right away from my standpoint, the coaching side of it,” Kiffin said. “But you always have to do what’s in the best interest of the future of the organization. Hopefully it’ll get done and it’s something both sides can agree upon. Right now it doesn’t affect anything.
“Would we like to have a holdout? No, we wouldn’t, because there’s so many things we want to do with him right away.”
Some quick hits from Wednesday morning’s practice:
– Team sessions were mostly meat-and-potatoes, with a lot of basic running plays which will be the key to Oakland’s offense this year.
As fast as McFadden looks around the edge, and as imposing as Michael Bush looks when taking a handoff, the most effective runner is Justin Fargas, who takes one cut and then gets his five-plus yards without a moment’s hesitation.
– Wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins followed a sensational practice Tuesday night with a drop-filled session Wednesday morning _ at least four drops, by unofficial count.
Coach Lane Kiffin said the Raiders are “running Higgins into the ground,” giving him plenty of reps and also having him work with returns on special teams.
– Quarterback JaMarcus Russell continued to work at finding checkdown passes, with a favorite target being fullback Justin Griffith for horizontal sideline ropes when he didn’t see a wide receiver open. He appears less comfortable with checkdowns over the middle, passes that require more touch as well as a firm knowledge of where the defenders are.
Griffith sees a different quarterback than the one who got his first extensive playing time in the last two weeks of the season against Jacksonville and San Diego.
“Now he’s more confident. He knows what he’s doing. You can expand the playbook, you aren’t limited to one or two plays here or there, you can throw the whole playbook at him,” Griffith said. `If one guy is covered up, he knows exactly where to go. Last year, you could see where if one route wasn’t open, he wasn’t very sure about two or three. I saw some throws out there today that kind of shocked me.”
– Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, working a ropes drill along with Jarrod Cooper under the direction of athletic trainer Scott Touchet, tripped on a rope and tumbled to the ground. The Raiders $50.5 million investment ($18.125 guaranteed) got up looking more embarrassed than hurt.
Kelly, rehabbing from a torn ACL, looks heavy at the moment, but Kiffin said that is normal for the lineman this time of year and expects him to drop weight before training camp. Kiffin also said Kelly is stronger than ever.
“He is off-the-charts strong right now. His strength in the weight room is higher than it’s ever been, and his explosiveness is in there,” Kiffin said. “Now we’ve got to get him back on the field. He’s doing all kinds of stuff out here for us, but it’s not full speed yet. It’s not something we can put him in with guys around him.”
Kelly is expected to be ready for training camp.
– Defensive tackle Terdell Sands, who was a disappointment last year, is working at both the three techinique and nose tackle spots, even though the latter is his better position. He is seldom working with the first team.
– Not sure if right tackle Mario Henderson got a chance to shake hands with Derrick Burgess after practice. If he did, it was probably the only time the two made contact even though Henderson’s responsibility was to block Burgess on several pass plays. On one play, Russell rolled right into Burgess, who had whizzed past Henderson.
On the next play, tight end Tony Stewart came over to chip Burgess, and Russell was able to get off a medium deep pass to Chaz Schilens.
It’s no secret Burgess would like a contract which better reflects his production over the past three years. The $17.5 million, five-year deal was huge when he signed it, but Burgess has watched as players with fewer sacks have far exceeded his income _ including teammates such as Kelly and Sands.
“Derrick has handled himself with great class,” Kiffin said. “The fact of him being here and working and not saying anything about it, just going to work, it’s not an easy thing to do because there’s a number of players around the league making more than him and on our roster. He’s a Pro Bowl player that has played great here in the past, battled through injuries last year to get back on the field . . . he does have two years left on his contract, (it would be) more difficult with hm if it was his last year.”
– Kiffin’s take on middle linebacker Edgerton Hartwell, attempting to resurrect his career after a serious knee injury in Atlanta:
“We haven’t set expectations, we’re going to give him a chance to make the team,” Kiffin said. “He hasn’t palyed in awhile so we’ll let him take it as far as he can take it.”
– Rookie Arman Sheilds, a fourth-round draft pick, missed his second consecutive practice with a hamstring injury.
– Minicamp rules prohibit bump-and-run coverage and are supposed to be free of full-on blocking which puts players on the ground. But that didn’t stop cornerback Chris Johnson from a healthy chuck right into the face of wide receiver Jonathan Holland, with Johnson saying, “Game over,” after Holland’s route was wrecked and the pass by JaMarcus Russell sailed incomplete.
– During one drill, with cornerback DeAngelo Hall covering Schilens, a pass went out of bounds and to a nearby fence. As Schilens began to trot back to his position group, Hall snapped, “Hey, 82, get the ball!” Schilens, a rookie, listened to the veteran and retrieved the football.
Schilens later got the better of Hall on a corner route, catching a pass for what appeared to be a touchdown. He then dropped it, and it was a close call as to whether he had the ball long enough, although one coach said, “Gotta hold on to that one.”
– Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan continues to preach stripping the football, through three practices not a single offensive player has put the ball on the ground, although Adimchinobe Echemandu came close following a clumsy exhcange with Marques Tuiasosopo. Echemandu held on after a bobble and charged up the middle for a big gain.
– Right end Jay Richardson jumped offsides during one play during team sessions, which is only notable because it has been such an infrequent occurence through three practices.
– It was a mixed day for wide receiver Javon Walker, who made a few plays but failed to separate from defenders on others. When asked about Walker, Kiffin immediately made reference to his weight and said he looked forward to him being lighter.
“Javon’s a little heavy right now so we’re going to cointinue this offseason to get him down by training camp or the regular season, the final thing that counts,” Kiffin said. “He’s picking up the offense fine but we’ve got a long way to go.”
Walker said he feels fast, light on his feet and even invented a new word to sum up his contributions to the cause when asked what he brought to the position.
“Probably a positive attitude, great attitude, work-hard-ability and obviously, coming out here and leading by example,” Walker said. “Whe you’ve got somebody who goes out and makes plays, it only tricles down to every receiver out there wanting to make lays, even if it’s one-on-one or seven-on-seven. I’m my own worst critic, so if I do something wrong or drop a ball, it’s pretty much self-explanatory.”
– Hard to know at this point exactly what the Raiders have planned at center. Chris Morris has taken almost every rep with the first team, although curiously, Kiffin said after practice reps have been split between Morris and free agent acquisition John Wade.
Kiffin says it too early to talk about starters, but Morris is gratified at getting time with the first team.
“I’m just trying to make the most of my opportunity,” Morris said. “We’ve got John, whose been around for 10 years, and Jake (Grove) who has starting experience . . . I agree with Lane, it’s too early to say I’m going to be starting.”
It could be the Raiders already have a good idea of what they have in Wade based on his experience and simply want to see how Morris responds. Last season, Jake Grove worked with the first team more often than Jeremy Newberry, but Newberry ended up the starter once he showed he could hold up physically.
“Nothing assumed by me and nothing’s been said to me,” Wade said. “I’ve been fighting for a job since ‘98, and I assumed no different coming here in ‘08. I just thought there would be an opportunity I’d have a chance to compete. Nothing else. No different than any other year for me.”
– Nnamdi, where are you? Cornerback Stanford Routt was turned around in coverage on more than one occasion, allowing big separation to receivers. Second-year cornerback John Bowie has seldom been in a position to make plays.
– Fullback Oren O’Neal sustained a leg injury of undetermined severity and his status for the second practice is not known.
– Former Raiders assistant coach David Shaw, the offensive coordinator at Stanford, was a guest of the Raiders, as was Stanford line coach Chris Dalman. Dalman worked with Tom Cable in Atlanta, where both learned under zone blocking guru Alex Gibbs, and has implemented a similar system at Stanford.
– The Raiders involvement in the NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation has resulted in two $50,000 grants _ one for new bleachers at Ernie Raimondi Field in Oakland, and one for new lights at Burrell Field in San Leandro.
