Jason Jones
April 10, 2007 6:10 PM
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
ALAMEDA, Calif. - Players walking from the Oakland Raiders' locker room toward the field at team headquarters see a banner with the words ''I'm In'' leading to the field.
That ''in'' includes Jerry Porter. The Raiders wide receiver was made an outcast last season. But with the ''blessing'' of Tim Brown, Porter wore the former Raider All-Pro's No.81 on the first day of the team's veteran voluntary minicamp Tuesday and in a good mood.
As for last year ...
''Last year?'' a grinning Porter said. ''I don't even know what you're talking about.''
He has forgotten last year already, with good reason.
Porter went from starter to practice squad player under Art Shell in 2006. Under new coach Lane Kiffin, Porter is a key to the new offense.
''It's different,'' Porter said. ''I think it's definitely for the best.''
Porter's smile was big and his enthusiasm for the upcoming season evident. When told he had not been seen smiling so much in a while, Porter said: ''I didn't know I still could.''
Porter's mood was a change from the restraint he tried to use under Shell.
The one time Porter spoke to local media during last season, the week ended with him being suspended four games for insubordination, a penalty that was reduced to two.
Porter caught just one pass for 19 yards in 2006 after leading Oakland in receptions in 2005 with 76, and appeared in only four games. But that was last year, when a coach raising his voice at Porter struck the wrong nerve. That's not the case now
''I tell you, sometimes when Lane yells, I get a chill up my spine,'' Porter said. ''It reminds me of (former Raiders coach Jon) Gruden.''
The pace of Tuesday's practice was fast. The team isn't practicing as long, instead getting in plenty of work at an accelerated rate.
Even that had Porter grinning.
''Wow,'' Porter said. ''I've never run that hard the first 10 minutes of practice in my life.''
Angry runner Running back LaMont Jordan isn't happy about taking a pay cut this season.
Had he not agreed to reduce his roster bonus from $4.75million to $3million, he would have been released. The team also signed Dominic Rhodes in the offseason to compete for carries.
Ever the realist, Jordan isn't exactly jumping on the ''forget 2006'' bandwagon.
''You can't go out and change facts,'' Jordan said. ''I mean, hell, we were the worst team in the NFL last year. It's not something that you can change. I come in with a chip on my shoulder just for the fact that two years in a row, I got hurt. Plus, just the whole pay cut, things like that.''
Jordan said the knee injury that cost him the final five games of last season still lingers and training camp is where he'd know how strong it is.
O-line watch Tackles Robert Gallery and Barry Sims each played left and right tackle Tuesday.
Kiffin is no rush to give either a permanent position.
''If I (knew), that's where they would be,'' he said.
Kevin Boothe (right guard), Jake Grove (center) and Paul McQuistan (left guard) were at the spots they finished last season.
Who's missing Receiver Randy Moss didn't attend the voluntary camp. Neither did defensive linemen Warren Sapp and Derrick Burgess or punter Shane Lechler and kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
---
(c) 2007, The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.).
Visit The Sacramento Bee online at http://www.sacbee.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
-----
AP-NY-04-10-07 2103EDT
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=SPORTS&ID=564996716061130776
April 10, 2007 6:10 PM
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
ALAMEDA, Calif. - Players walking from the Oakland Raiders' locker room toward the field at team headquarters see a banner with the words ''I'm In'' leading to the field.
That ''in'' includes Jerry Porter. The Raiders wide receiver was made an outcast last season. But with the ''blessing'' of Tim Brown, Porter wore the former Raider All-Pro's No.81 on the first day of the team's veteran voluntary minicamp Tuesday and in a good mood.
As for last year ...
''Last year?'' a grinning Porter said. ''I don't even know what you're talking about.''
He has forgotten last year already, with good reason.
Porter went from starter to practice squad player under Art Shell in 2006. Under new coach Lane Kiffin, Porter is a key to the new offense.
''It's different,'' Porter said. ''I think it's definitely for the best.''
Porter's smile was big and his enthusiasm for the upcoming season evident. When told he had not been seen smiling so much in a while, Porter said: ''I didn't know I still could.''
Porter's mood was a change from the restraint he tried to use under Shell.
The one time Porter spoke to local media during last season, the week ended with him being suspended four games for insubordination, a penalty that was reduced to two.
Porter caught just one pass for 19 yards in 2006 after leading Oakland in receptions in 2005 with 76, and appeared in only four games. But that was last year, when a coach raising his voice at Porter struck the wrong nerve. That's not the case now
''I tell you, sometimes when Lane yells, I get a chill up my spine,'' Porter said. ''It reminds me of (former Raiders coach Jon) Gruden.''
The pace of Tuesday's practice was fast. The team isn't practicing as long, instead getting in plenty of work at an accelerated rate.
Even that had Porter grinning.
''Wow,'' Porter said. ''I've never run that hard the first 10 minutes of practice in my life.''
Angry runner Running back LaMont Jordan isn't happy about taking a pay cut this season.
Had he not agreed to reduce his roster bonus from $4.75million to $3million, he would have been released. The team also signed Dominic Rhodes in the offseason to compete for carries.
Ever the realist, Jordan isn't exactly jumping on the ''forget 2006'' bandwagon.
''You can't go out and change facts,'' Jordan said. ''I mean, hell, we were the worst team in the NFL last year. It's not something that you can change. I come in with a chip on my shoulder just for the fact that two years in a row, I got hurt. Plus, just the whole pay cut, things like that.''
Jordan said the knee injury that cost him the final five games of last season still lingers and training camp is where he'd know how strong it is.
O-line watch Tackles Robert Gallery and Barry Sims each played left and right tackle Tuesday.
Kiffin is no rush to give either a permanent position.
''If I (knew), that's where they would be,'' he said.
Kevin Boothe (right guard), Jake Grove (center) and Paul McQuistan (left guard) were at the spots they finished last season.
Who's missing Receiver Randy Moss didn't attend the voluntary camp. Neither did defensive linemen Warren Sapp and Derrick Burgess or punter Shane Lechler and kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
---
(c) 2007, The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.).
Visit The Sacramento Bee online at http://www.sacbee.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
-----
AP-NY-04-10-07 2103EDT
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=SPORTS&ID=564996716061130776
LOL he made Randy Moss look like a team player last year by comparison
