Free Agency Haiku
Jeff and Jake, couldn’t
handle the truth; hey Chucky,
the joke is on you.
handle the truth; hey Chucky,
the joke is on you.
posted by Raider Take at 6:50 PM
Monday, March 05, 2007
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69 Comments:
Waiting for something
Everyday nothing
Just like last year
Aaron Brooks !!!!
Hah! That's pretty funny. Scary, too.
great receivers are
totally useless without
a true quarterback
Perfect haiku form, I'm impressed! Good point, too.
Brad Johnson signed with the Cowboys tonight.
Our QB roster: Walter, a rookie and an ice cream cone to be named later.
How old is Howie Long's son? Is ready to become a Raider?
Clearly, this year is ALL about the draft. Addition by subtraction. Dump Moss! Gain draft picks!
The Browns are meeting with Tui. The Browns are coming to Oakland this year.
Can anyone please explain how the Raiders, no matter how bad their record, always have to play the previous year's Super Bowl contenstents (yes, the Bears and Colts are on tap this year, just as the Seahawks and Steelers were on tap last year, and the Patriots and Eagles were on top in 2005). How is this even possible when none of these teams are even in the AFC West?
Also, why do we have to see the Browns and Texans at home for the second straight year?
RT:
The answers to your questions? The league doesn't like Al Davis. But that's okay. Personally, I'd rather be playing the best.
Beyond that, I'd like to point out to folks generally, that it's not a good idea to listen to rumors about what the Raiders are doing, because the rumors are most often wrong. For instance, how often have we heard that Lombardi's on his way out the door? Yet it's been Lombardi who has been restructuring all of the contracts.
I know Lombardi has fans here, but according to Tim Brown, the reason players and coaches don't want to come to Oakland has nothing to do with Al Davis, it's Lombardi they don't want to deal with. So, personally, I don't know that Lombardi still being around is a good thing or a bad thing.
But I do know that we still need a TE, an OT, and a veteran QB. What (who) will we have to settle for?
The reason we're playing the Super Bowl participants for the second year in a row isn't maliciousness (as we Raider-paranoid would like to believe), but actually just due to the rotating schedule. We always play 6 games against the AFC West, and the rest of the schedule breaks down so that we play 1 entire NFC division (rotating every year), and 1 entire AFC division (rotating every year). This year, we get the AFC South (with Indy) and the NFC North (with Chicago). That equates to another 8 games. The final 2 games are against the same-position teams in the other conferences of the AFC (AFC East - Miami, AFC South - Houston).
On to the Haiku:
Few quarterbacks left:
Patrick Ramsey or retread
Joey Harrington?
Personally, I'd be willing to take a shot at Ramsey. We could probably pick him up cheap, he'd probably fit in our new west-coasty scheme, and then (hoping!) we could go with Calvin Johnson or Adrian Peterson with the #1 pick.
This is a good article, and I agree with it for the most part.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_5365430
I'd ask that folks remember back to Gruden's first year with the Silver & Black. Gru didn't make a lot of roster changes. He went through his first year taking note of the types of players he lacked to make his sytsem effective. He started the big moves in his second year. I wouldn't be surprised if Gruden has personally advised Kiffin to do the same. At some point we have to know the cause of last year's fiasco. Was it because of a lack of talent, or bad coaching in a bad system? Can the same players achieve better results?
My feeling is that the ultimate problem with the Raiders last year was a combination of a lack of real NFL talent, and a coaching staff that expected results without including the players in their plans. Without the communication problems from last year, I feel the same group can get at least 6 wins - maybe 8, maybe.
But this year there are no long term solutions on the free agent market, and the short term solutions who exist are asking and getting far too much money. It's better for the Raiders to go with what they have and the draft this year, then explore the FA market in seriousness next year.
Being in the best draft position that we've ever been in, we need to maximize that at the expense of putting 2008 money into a questionable 2007 group of free agents. The Raiders are being pennywise this year, so they can bust out next year.
from steve corkran:
The Raiders returned from the NFL Scouting Combine less convinced that Louisiana State QB JaMarcus Russell is their man for the top pick and with more questions than before after taking a long look at him during the process. Publicly, the Raiders said nothing about Russell or any of the other players who attended the Combine. Privately, several Raider officials questioned Russell's work ethic, said they are concerned about his weight as a long-term issue, and cautioned against making Russell a lead-pipe cinch as the top pick. It now appears just as likely that the Raiders will target Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson in light of his posting a 4.31-second 40-yard dash and saying all the right things during an interview.
anybody but jabba-the-russell!!!!!
Put the paranoia to rest, fellas. The league is not out to get the Raiders. It is pure chance that we have had to play the superbowl bowl teams for 3 years in a row. The is a very simple formula for determining the schedule.
Obviously each team plays their 3 divisional foes twice, at home and away. In addition to that, each division gets matched up with a division in their own conferance and a division in the other conferance. The determination of which division matches up against which is based on a 4 year cycle. That cycle has been turning steadily for several years now, since the divisions were restructured when the Seahawks were moved to the NFC West, I believe. So it is pure coincidence that the divisions which the AFC West has had to play against just happen to be the divisions from which the last 6 superbowl contestants have come from. Crazy, I know, but really it is just dumb bad luck. This year the AFC West is matched up with the NFC North and the AFC South. So everyone in our division will play everyone in those 2 divisions. That accounts for 14 games out of the 16 game schedule. The other 2 games are also determined by the following of a formula. Each team at this point will have played 2 complete divisions from their own conferance. The other 2 divisions within the same conferance are now matched up, but each team only plays one team from each of the opposing divisions based on divisional standings. We get the last place team from the AFC East and North divisions which explains why we keep playing the Browns. We also get the Bills? or is it the Fins? The Texans we have played alot recently because we both keep finishing last in our divisions, but this year we will play that whole division anyways. Well, I hope this helps clear things up for those of you who think that the league is trying to sabatoge us. It isn't. We have been hurting ourselves by not valuing good coaching and overspending on free agents. I am glad to see that we aren't doing that this year. We need to build through the draft and make certain that we have the money available when we need it to deliver good and fair contracts to our young talented players when the time comes to extend their contracts or draw up new ones when they become free agents. Chemistry and continuity are important for the locker room and a winning record.
-Ryan C. AKA: No Quarter
Jeez, Ryan, you had to go and ruin a good conspiracy theory with your damned logic and mathematics!
Actually, I never said there was a conspiracy. I'm just expressing frustration with having to play both Super Bowl teams for the THIRD (not second) year in a row, and having to play the freaking Browns at home for the THIRD straight year. I'm sick of looking at them.
Remember 2005, when we opened on the road agains the Super Bowl champion Patriots, then, two weeks later, we had to take another 3,000-mile trip to play the Eagles? Now THAT was a conspiracy.
Here's what Jerry McDonald had to say on the subject of Russell's size:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_5296718
There's another large athlete who had weight issues, but it didn't stop him from winning. You might have heard of him...Shaq.
As I said before, be careful about those "Raiders sources who refuse to be identified." If Davis picks a fast WR with the first pick in the draft, I'll have to start believing what people say about him. This off season, while we're attempting to improve incrementally, we don't need another WR! We need a QB who can get the ball to the ones we have.
Yes, Johnson is fast. So was James Jett. WRs are mercenaries, and we're trying to build a team. We need leadership. We don't need a new Moss/Porter. Russell may show some baby fat, but his baby fat can shed DLs as though they were DBs throw the ball on the money 80 yards.
Hey Raider Take, it is not just the Raiders playing the Super Bowl participants for the third year in a row, it is the ENTIRE AFC West playing the Super Bowl Participants for the third year in a row. That is just the way things are, due to the scheduling rotation, it is not because of anything against Al Davis, although the consipracy theorists would have you believe that (convientely they always forget that the entire AFC West plays just about the same schedule). At least we get both Indy and Chicago at our place this year. Denver and Kansas City have to travel to both Indy and Chicago. San Diego and Oakland get to play hosts to the Super Bowl participants.
And by the way we are playing the Browns for the 2nd year in a row, because the last place AFC West team in 2006 (us) is scheduled to host the last place AFC North team in 2006 (The Browns). Last year we played them because the entire AFC West played the entire AFC North, and we hosted them due to the flip flop of the schedules from when we visited Cleveland in 2003.
Can someonme please explain the current salary cap situation to me ?
How is it that the Denver Donkey's, already a playoff team, with lots of high priced players, are able to make numerous trades for big ticket players, AND, sign free agents to big money deals as if the money will never run out ?
Meanwhile. the Raiders, not exactly a star filled team, have to watch their pennies, count every dime, and MAYBE, just MAYBE, we can sign a backup tight end, or running back ??
How is this sh*t possible ???
I'll say it again: This will be the THIRD year in a row we've hosted the Browns at home. I don't care about the reasons or the formula. I'm sick of the f**** Browns!
Please just let me vent. It may not be logical but it sure feels good.
Now you're telling me we played the Browns in 2003, too? Jeez, enough already!
Raider Take, I think you are sick of the Browns, because the damn Browns keep beating us. They beat us in 2003 at their place, and they have beaten us in 2005 and 2006 at our place. There is absolutely no excuse in the freakin world why this team could not have beaten the lowly freakin Browns the past two seasons. Cleveland went 4-12 last year for God's sake, and you mean to tell me that we could not hang on to beat them after a 21-0 lead? That is probably the real reason why we are all sick of the Browns, because they keep beating us. If they beat us for the third straight year at our place and fourth straight time overall, they will offically own us!!!! :( And if that is not enough to make you sick, Houston has a two game winning streak against us!! The lowly, expansion Texans have beaten the Raiders two straight times!! Want to know how I am measuring our progress made in 2007? If we can beat Houston, Cleveland, and win at least one divisional game, I think a parade ought to be thrown in the streets of Oakland. Isnt it sad how little will make Raider fans happy these days? never ever in my life thought I would ever live to see the Raiders in this state :(
All that...and those crappy helmets, too!
Good points, I can't argue with them.
Peter King is a good football writer, but I think this is a case where you can see that a journalist hasn't watched a player as much as the fans have. Check this out on what he has to say about why the Raiders should keep Moss:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/03/06/free.agency.roundup/index.html
Remember the Cardinals game last year when Moss had his best game of the year? One TD and 129yds. I remember Michael Irvin saying Moss was back, but he made no mention of Moss' FOUR drops, one in the end zone.
We knew that because we as fans watch every game the Raiders play. I realize that national sports reporters can't watch every game, but anybody that has looked at film of Moss could see that he hasn't been the same since that game against the Chargers in '05 when he got mugged, injured, and no flag on the play.
Moss doesn't get the separation he once did, and he has never been big on route running. So what is supposed to make us believe that Moss will be reborn for the Raiders in '07?
That reminds me of the Sports Illustrated writer who, last offseason, said that the Raiders had better re-sign Kerry Collins before it's too late (as if there was some huge competition for his services).
These SI folks seem to have some vested interest in lobbying us to keep underperformers on our roster. If you look in their archives, you'll probably find some dire warning about how we'd better not let Philip Buchanon slip out of Oakland.
I would like to repeat raider00's question about the salary cap situation, and how our current cap situation will affect the ability to sign the #1 pick (not to mention all the cash we need to give Nmadi next year) to a long-term contract while continuing to address the team's numerous needs. Who's responsible for this mess and how can it be rectified in the most judicious manner?
"rectified" and "judicious" in the same sentence--proving once again that Raider Take is home to some of the best and brightest fans in the world!
RT-
Sarcasm NY-style! But seriously, who on the current roster is eating up most of the cap? Lamont restructured saving his hide, but how soon can we expect to have enough $$ to go after the big guns? I agree with the best and brightest fans as I learn quite a bit from the takes (still trying to digest No Quarter's scheduling breakdown).
r2g, no sarcasm intended, to be honest. I just thought it was cool. But now I know that not only are you smart, you have a sense of humor, too.
Janfran, I love it! perfect haiku form, legitimately finishing with the exotic five-syllable word. That's like the triple play of haiku: rare and always wondrous to behold.
Fine, RT you win!
Salary cap woes
Befuddle this Raider fan
Praying for new blood
r2g: "sarcasm NY-style"? What does that mean?
The Raiders are reportedly about $9 million under the cap. That’s not much considering the NFL’s significant increase in cap space this year... without which we would be in deep S%#.
I don’t have the exact numbers, but the following players represent some of the biggest cap numbers for 2007: Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, LaMont Jordan, Derick Burgess, Robert Gallery, Barry Sims, Warren Sapp, Seabass.
Sims and Jordan have restructured their contracts. Assuming we will need more cap space this year and looking ahead, who would you like to dump? That’s all I can offer on short notice, and without any sarcasm. Well, almost.
NYRaider,
Don't forget that the release of Brooks was also a hit to our Salary Cap because we still owed him some guaranteed $$$.
Salary Cap is also based on the total revenue a team makes. Last year the Raiders sold out a lot of games, and died out toward the end. That was a first since being in Oakland because the Raiders were finally able to manage their own ticket sales. I think the Doncos are over the cap, especially after signing Daniel Graham. So they will be paying some $$$ in good fines.
We did pick up 4 new coaches too, and that is huge, as it sets the tone for Kiffin. James Cregg is our new Assistant O-Line Coach. He's coached the defensive line in Idaho the last 3 years.
John DeFilippo is our new QB guy. He worked in the Giants camp as Offensive Quality Control Assistant.
Randy Hanson is the new DB Assistant. Coming from the Rams and Vikings as an Offensive Assistant and Assistant QB Coach.
Sanjay Lal is the new Offensive Quality Control Assistant. He has been the Offensive Assistant at Cal the past 2 years.
nyRaider-
Would feel fine just about dumping anyone on that short list you gave except maybe for Sapp and Burgess. The penalties for going over the cap didn't scare off the Doncos, and it seems like this team is going to need to pay the same fines to get competitive in their own division. I wonder if the payday that Jarussel expects will prevent him from wearing the silver and black?
I don't think that the Raiders' failure to participate in FA thus far is out of cap concerns. At least not directly. We all know that when Davis wants to find the money, he finds the way.
What the Raiders are not participating in is the money giveaway. There haven't been any franchise players in this FA market, but the dogs out there are getting franchise money.
The Raiders wouldn't have gotten a worthy deal by dumping Jordan and signing Henry for the money Denver gave him. Denver also gave Graham franchise money, and while Graham may be better than Anderson, he's not THAT MUCH better.
It appears to me that the Raiders are reserving the their big money for the draft, which would indicate that the Raiders are planning on a top heavy draft (using lower picks to trade up, rather than trading down for more picks). That way, if they can fill their needs - great! If they can't, they can trade first day draftees (or the verterans the draftees might replace) for what they need.
Or, stated in Haiku terms:
No money for dogs!
They are not the young tools
needed to rebuild.
Newberry signed.
Has 40-minute treadmill session.
“Knees feel awesome.”
Doc says all system go!
We now have an anchor to our o-line.
HUGE! No pun intended.
How about some speedy DBs in the first, second and third rounds? Just kidding.
RT - Sometimes you are just evil . . . I fall in line with those who aren't dismayed with the lack of free agent signings. It's just crazy the $$$ amounts these guys are getting. If a legit starter had been out there I think we would have bit - just think back a couple of years ago, when we traded for Moss. That was completely unexpected as we had just signed Porter, and were supposedly up against the cap. We might not have much space, but I expect we'll be more active once the late cuts are done, or teams lower their asking price a bit on folks like Carr, etc.
I have an idea that can save the NFL a lot of time.
ALL FUTURE FREE AGENTS, REPORT DIRECTLY TO DENVER !!!!!!!!
It looks like the donks have no salary cap at all !!
What the hell is going on here !!!!!!
RT: don't laugh. If we don't penny up and give Nnamdi a solid contract, we'll need another DB soon. Someone else has the exact numbers I’m sure, but isn’t he scheduled to make under a mil? That's several hundred thousand less than Washington, his corner counterpart, and several million less than Woodson, his predecessor.
Donks sign Qb Patrick Ramsey...
...Wonder who they'll sign tomorrow ???
Well I like the Newberry signing. I say put him at center to stabilize our line and replace Grove.
Does anybody know anything about Jordan Black, the O Tackle from KC? Apparently we're talking with him. I have heard his name before and know KC has had a solid line for years but don't know much specifically about him. Is he a solid, reasonably priced player to pursue? Or are we better off elsewhere?
Bama7
Scorpio, everyone on this board knows you're vehemently against taking Jemarcus Russell. You've made that clear as crystal. Most of us on the other hand think he should be the face of the organization for the next several years. We'll all sit back and see who's right. I'm with Blandarock, we absolutely do not need one more "blazing" WR with no one to throw him the football. Please stop already. Take Russell... he's developing and will be a beast out there. I've watched him play and his upside is tremendous. I like that we're not jumping in on the overpaying free agent frenzy, but I really liked Travis Henry and hate that the donks have him.
We should however jump ALL OVER Randy McMichael TE from the Dolphins. One of the best TE's in the game. I can't believe he's available. We have to sign this guy. He's tough in the red zone... just what we need to free up Moss, Curry and Porter.
The Ravens released G Edwin Mulitalo Wednesday. He was a member of the championship Ravens team. By releasing him as late as they did his price should be a lot lower. Any chance we could sign both he and Randy McMichael, or with our limited funds, should we just go after McMichael since its a very weak TE class this year?
I have no beef taking Calvin Johnson with the first pick if...IF...they can move Moss or Porter before (or during) the draft. I still remain skeptical about Jamarcus as he still seems boom or bust. Ideally, I'd love to see them be able to trade down to the #4 or #5 slot and grab whoever's left in the pool of Jamarcus, Quinn, Peterson, CJohnson and Joe Thomas (even Alan Branch).
Several things to watch in the next few weeks leading up to the draft next month.
First place to watch, KC. Watch what they do with Trent Green. He's not willing to restructure his contract, and they are trying to resign Huard. It is apparent to me that they have more faith in Huard than Green at this point.
Second place, Cleveland. Now that they have signed Jamal Lewis, what are they going to do with Rueben Droughns? Does this mean the Adrian Peterson drops in the draft? And aren't they still looking for a QB? Hmmm, I think they take Quinn if he's there at #3.
I do like Duckett, I was hoping to try and get him last year too. But let's look at the RB's. Stephen Davis (injury prone), Correll Buckhalter (injury prone), Corey Dillon ($$, but the Raiders were looking at him when he went to NE), Dominic Rhodes (injury prone, and slow), Ron Dayne (a power back like Duckett), and Chris Brown.
As far as QB options, Joey Harrington was cut by Miami, Koy Detmer, Patrick Ramsey (I haven't seen anyone reporting he signed with the Doncos R00), but we could all be surprised with the signing of Anthony Wright. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
I wouldn't mind Koy Detmer, under the notion that he will be starting (if he beats out Walter) for a limited amount of time. He seems intelligent enough to handle and manage a game effectively without tossing a huge mistake. Of course, this is just me, I can't even imagine what the Raiders real plans are for a veteran QB.
bama7 - LAST year was the year to get a franchise QB. this is NOT the year. the only way to get a decent QB now is to trade for one. wait a minute - we DO have a QB. his name is andrew walter. this guy broke john elway's college records so he DOES have skills. he just needs a fair shake. but get a vet in there to push him.
rebuild the O-line, get a stud RB, get a stud defensive tackle and BAM! we're all set. of course, if we end up trading moss, then drafting johnson becomes a VERY real possibility.
Peter:
>>>
Where's Chris Chandler or Steve DeBerg when you could us 'em?
>>>>
I was thinking the same thing... if the only reason we need a veteran QB is for added teaching, why not Steve DeBerg? He'd prolly do it for the veteran minimum, and wouldn't expect to play except in an emergency. Hell, Blanda played QB until he was in his 60's it seemed.
Scorpio:
Repeat after me...
J Russ
J Russ
J Russ
lol.
I think if we trade Moss, sign or trade for a decent vet QB (Detmer, Harrington, Carr, Bledsoe, Green, etc) then we should draft a WR or a RB.
I still want Will Buchanon up in the starting corp of WR's we have. He was a stud last year, in a crap system; and was shafted. He has more talent than Whitted.
The bottom line is this, we need some QB's on the roster. I'm fine with giving Walter a chance. I have some concerns with him in the "long haul." But we can't have him as the only QB on the roster, and then all of a sudden give Curry the ball to throw around (remember he was a QB in College). Brooks is gone, and Tui is a Free Agent. So, we need some depth at the Q; some quality depth. That is why I like the draft of JRuss.
coachella
that's fine. then start the kid from day 1 and let's see what he's got. tell you what, if i were an owner of an nfl team, there's no way my 30 MILLION dollar face of the franchise investment's sittin on the bench.
but since we would be putting all our eggs into that one basket, he'll be spending the same amount if not more time on his back as the other QB's if we don't fix that line and get a stud running back to take pressure off him.
BUT - if you absolutely MUST take a QB, why not take quinn instead? after all, he's more ready than jaba-the-russell. with the proper coaching, he just might not be another rick mirer. i'm not saying that russell without the right coaching won't do good. i'm just not impressed with his lack of "physical" preparation for the combine coming in and looking like that. a SJ Merc forum poster said it best "this guy in 5 years is going to have knee and ankle problems with all the weight he'll be carrying".
trade for a veteran QB, carr or shaub maybe. then we're all set for the QB position "for now". build the O-line etc. etc. etc.
al davis for all the bashing i do on him, is a smart guy. i think he will see through the russell hype and do the right thing. that is, avoid picking russell.
scorpio-
Just what veteran QB is still available out there that you'd want to bring in? Ramsey signed with Denver. The Falcons want a 1st & a 3rd round pick for Schaub. Or would you prefer Trent Green or Drew Bledsoe? If you thought it was bad last year, bring one of those two in here. BTW, you can bet they'll want more money than we are willing or perhaps even able to pay. Why don't you just come on out and say you want Colt Brennan next year. There's just one small problem...If we better our 2-14 record how will we be in position to take him:
1) If he's as good as you think, somebody else will want him too.
2) We'd have to trade a lot of those picks we'd gain by trading down this year and give them to someone else next year.
Which would leave us back at square one with a QB and a bunch of holes left to fill. We'd have to pony up the same big money you don't want to spend on Russell because you think its putting all our eggs in one basket. How is that different if it were Colt Brennan? You can't have your cake and eat it too. Either way we have to pay to improve this team.
Here's what Porter has to say about last year:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6547776
Hmmmm. He's still gotta show it to me on the field this year.
realist - oh there's a couple of vet QB's on the trading block that could be had with the right deal. re: next year's draft, i'm not specifically saying i want brennan, but he is better than russell. there's a couple of other good ones out there next year. but whatever is there next year is surely better than what's available this year.
there is a way to draft safe if davis plays his cards right. trade the pick to cleveland or detroit for either of their '07 1's AND next year's 1st rounder ala sd and ny and eli. with our 1st next year and their '08 1st via trade, we can manuever to get any QB in next year's draft when the lot is BETTER!
why is there such a rush to get a QB? one that in my mind is not ready and is a big fat risk. no pun intended :o) why not build around him FIRST.
kevin said
great receivers are
totally useless without
a true quarterback
that IS true enough but what good is that true QB if his so-called great receivers quit on him? if his o-line doesn't show up? if the RB sucks?
fix these and i think walter and a vet will be just fine. walter deserves a chance.
Even if it means taking a RB and drafting nothing but linemen and a DT for the whole draft?
Not that I want the guy, but from another website-
The chefs will entertain trade talks for Trent Green but only with teams outside the AFC West....
It sounds as if most of my fellow Raiders fans, if they could only have one player in round one, would be happy with Jruss.
I must admit I am not totally sold on the guy.
But what if, by trading down, and possible trading Moss, we could accumulate 3 picks in the first round, but not the top pick ?
Who would you want than ?
My wish list would be:
1) Alan Branch DT
2) Levi Brown LT
3) Marshawn Lynch RB
I know it can never happen. It's just a dream, but it's better, I think, then only Jruss.
thank you raider00. i agree with your 2nd and 3rd sentences.
realist - yep. we have soooooo many other needs.
walter was basically in his first year of starting. i'm not into stats but he DID do better than alex smith in his first year didn't he? people expected walter to come in here and light it up like he did at ASU. but with that line, receivers who quit on the team and no threat at RB. then he gets benched because because of shell's double standards??? who'd succeed under those conditions?
if al davis wanted a QB he could have pulled the trigger last year. my point is he passed on 2 franchise QB's because they see something in walter. shouldn't he be given the benefit of the doubt? then to get max performance from him, bring in a vet.
and speaking of al davis' QB draft history? with the exception of stabler, marijuanavich (1st) comes to mind, wilson (1st) too. oh how about that rusty hilger (well... 6th round)? tui was a 2nd rounder, walter a 3rd. how many high round picks are we gonna waste on QB's? i think the old man is a tad gun shy.
ok here's a trade suggestion.... you guys want a QB? trade the 1st overall pick to the patriots for..... tom brady. why not go for one of the best?
if we trade down a spot or 2, who knows? your jruss just might be there anyway!
Assuming that the Raiders go against history and DO draft a QB with the #1 overall pick, is everyone so sure that it will be Jamarcus Russell?
I'll admit it, I'm also jaundiced by the fact that Russell has a big time arm, and we all know that Al Davis in particular is infatuated with that talent in a QB.
But we've talked in the recent past that maybe...just maybe...Al's giving Lane Kiffin a little more authority than he's given to other coaches in the past. The true testament to that is how he cleaned house with coaching staff. Hell, even Biletnikoff called it a career.
That being said, Lane Kiffin seems to be a little more west-coasty than recent Raiders coaches not named Gruden (or his cheap knockoff replacement Callahan). We know Al probably likes his big arm, but are we so sure that Jamarcus Russell will fit into Kiffin's plans?
So it may come down into who has the final say come draft day. If Al's still calling most of the shots in the war room, history dictates that it may NOT be a QB taken with the first pick.
However, if Kiffin's been given enough trust, who's to say that it's not Brady Quinn...a seemingly better schooled QB that might fit better in Kiffin's system...that'll be taken 1st overall?
ive also said that before and i agree with doobie now - that quinn is a better fit in kiffen's system than russell. if the raiders were to get a QB in this year's draft, then quinn is more ready to play right now. kiffin is a usc guy and quinn fits the mold and pro style of a usc QB. i still say trade down because there's a good possibility that he'll be there at #2, assuming we make an agreement with detroit for more picks and for their assurance they won't take quinn. that'll satisfy the QB fix and we can move on and patch the other holes on offense.
Bama7
We lost out on McMichael. It's starting to look more and more like our brass thinks everything last year was coaching, and while a lot of it was, we still have talent issues:
-No TE
-No FB
-Fargas sucks
-Jordan isn't physical
-And Walter is just plain weak. And all the noise about breaking Elways records... didn't walter go down during college and the back-up came in and tore it up too? Could it have been the system and lack of good defenses in the PAC 10? The guy never audibled last year. Never. I remember the Seattle game... the lamest damn thing I have ever sat through.
What we need is a big, physical leader that becomes the face of the organization. Russell has a quiet, competitive cool about him and the scouts say what he does best is when eluding the rush he is always focused down field, not on the short dump off targets. They say it's rare. And he can fling it damn mile, accurately. He keeps his eyes downfield... doesn't take off running. Eludes and looks downfield. Helllloooo everyone... we have curry, moss and porter... has there ever been a such a gift waiting the silver and black? Get a physical RB and a fullback and we could be downright tough on offense with Russell. It's so obvious the scouts are having to make up cons about the guy... uh, he looked a little soft. Uh... we think he might not have a good work ethic. Please, the guy's gonna be good.
I'm not sure why Quinn is a "better fit" than Russell, as some suggest. The scouting I've read on Russell is that he’s very accurate with good touch on short to intermediate passing. Isn't that what you guys expect from Quinn?
Yeah, Quinn is in great shape. But for him to be successful in the NFL, he'll have to do something he couldn't do in college... WIN a big Game!
So I like Russell, but I have no problem with trading down for more picks, provided we have a QB solution. Based on what I've seen in eight games, I have doubts about Walter. I'm not prepared to anoint him the starter, however, I expect he will get every fair chance in training camp to be the starter. Nobody can ask for more. The bottom line: we only have one QB on our roster and something needs to be done!
JaMarcus Russell?
Forget Daunte Culpepper,
Think of John Elway
Sound Crazy? Probably is, but those of you who can remember Elway at Stanford will remember a raw strong athlete with a big arm. Elway was probably a better overall athlete coming out but he was not real accurate. Russell is a little less of a scrambler but is more accurate at the same stage of their careers...and might have a better arm. Who knows--but this is not Ryan Leaf or Jeff George [or Culpepper for that matter] coming out
sixptstar-
Rhodes is a plus--probably means TE or DL with pick number 2. What have you seen that tells you Quinn has fire and Russell is laid back?
I don't see Rhodes as a cure-all to our RB depth woes. It will take more than one RB signing to bring us out of the AFC West RB abyss. I still expect the Raiders to look long and hard at the board during each round (after the first pick) and pick another solid back, should the opportunity arise.
lk,
I don't get the Jruss, Elway comparison.
There was no chance that Elway might weigh 280 lbs by the time he was 26 yrs old.
Is Dominic Rhodes this years Larry Brown ??
Hope not.
I think the signing of Rhodes is a good thing. The only thing is that you have to wonder where Jordan fits in with all this. The two back committee has been the hottest trend in the NFL, but those have been more of the thunder/lightning variety. Rhodes and Jordan seems more of a thunder/thunder rotation. This could either be an insurance policy for Jordan's MCL injury, or it could mean that Jordan will be dangled as trade bait.
One more thing to chew on in the Quinn/Russell discussion. Assuming that it's brains (Quinn) vs. brawns (Russell)...how often has a "brawns" QB won a Super Bowl in the new century? ex. a QB known more for his arm than his ability to consistently drive a team down a field.
2006: Colts - Manning (brains)
2005: Steelers - Roethlisberger (brawns)
2004: Patriots - Brady (brains)
2003: Patriots - Brady (brains)
2002: Bucs - B. Johnson (brains)
2001: Patriots - Brady (brains)
2000: Ravens - Dilfer (brains)
Actually, this kind of trend continues throughout the nineties too where, aside from Warner, Rypien and Hostetler, the champions have been regularly led by QBs known more for their game management than for their arm (Young, Aikman, Elway). Note: this doesn't mean they didn't have strong arms, just that they were known more for their mental acuity on the field.
Then I'll take Russell with his brains and brawns.
raider00:
I was trying to point out that a HOF QB had flaws coming out of college [inaccuracy], even though he had way above average skills in other areas, and overcame them.
I look at Russell as having surpassing skills in most areas and being a little heavy. Something he can address with work like Elway did with his accuracy.
Is it possible Russell will be 280 in 5 years? Sure, but I think it's no more likely than the people that thought Elway would be the right-handed Bobby Douglass [cannon but doesn't know where it's going]
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