Raiders did a good move by trading with the Cards earlier.. this alone makes it a successful draft day for us
After Further Review: The Raiders get their men from the Lions
Oakland swaps fourth-rounder for Williams, McCown
April 28, 2007
By Eric “Ace” Strauss, Raiderfans.net Staff Columnist
NEW YORK — The Raiders made their move halfway through the second round… by trading a fourth-round pick.
That pick, the 105th overall acquired from the Arizona Cardinals earlier in the round, was sent to the Detroit Lions for a pair of players the Raiders coveted: quarterback Josh McCown and former USC receiver Mike Williams.
The Raiders had been trying to acquire both all offseason, but seemed unwilling to meet Matt Millen’s asking price — an early second-day pick.
However, by dealing down in the second round — and still getting their man, tight end Zach Miller, 38th overall — Oakland got an extra fourth-round pick, and that was the pick the team used as bait.
The Raiders were interested in signing McCown last year, but the former Cardinals quarterback chose the Lions instead. However, he was beaten out by fellow free-agent signee John Kitna, and this deal gives him a chance to start for a season before returning to unrestricted free agency.
Williams, meanwhile, was one of Millen’s many first-round receivers, and he struggled in his two years in the league after sitting out a college season in the Maurice Clarett-related draft eligibility controversy.
However, he’s being reunited with new Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, the former offensive coordinator and receivers coach at USC, and Kiffin may know how to bring out the best in the 6-foot-4, 230-pound wideout. After all, he’s still only 23 years old.
He caught 81 passes in 2002 and 95 in 2003 for the Trojans, but caught only 37 balls as a Lion, 29 as a rookie and only eight last year. He played in only 22 games with six starts, since being picked in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
McCown, meanwhile, did not throw a pass in 2006 after starting 22 games in four years in the desert. The sixth-year man out of Sam Houston State, who turns 28 this summer, actually caught two passes in his two games last year, and is known for his mobility despite prototypical 6-foot-4, 213-pound size.
(Sources: ESPN and NFL Network television coverage, NFL media releases, Oakland Raiders 2006 media guide, Pro Football Weekly 2007 Draft Preview, Ourlads Scouting Services Guide to the NFL Draft: 2007 Professional Edition, Lindy’s Pro Football Draft, The Sporting News Pro Football Draft No. 1 Guide, ESPN NFL Draft Guide 2007, NFL.com, Raiders.com, Ourlads.com, ProFootballWeekly.com, media reports)
hell yeah! McCown is sarting material IMO, he'll be a good backup to Russel.. Now Andrew Walter hm....