All Aboard The Crazy Train
The Raiders have deactivated Michael Bush, making him ineligible to participate in full-squad practices and any of
There are only two possible explanations for this: (1) the team has determined that Bush is not as good as we thought, and therefore not worthy of the most meager roster sacrifice (such going with three quarterbacks instead of four); or (2) the Raiders are truly scared of LaMont Jordan or Dominic Rhodes signing with another AFC West team.
Neither of these scenarios is remotely palatable. It’s hard to believe that Bush could already be that much of a disappointment, and no one has stated as much. As for the other scenario, well, that’s just sheer lunacy (and cowardice). Alas, that’s all we’re left with.
Try as I might, I can’t locate the method in this latest bit of madness.
According to one report:
Kiffin conceded Bush was ready to play and that the experience would have helped him.
“We just really didn’t have a spot for him right now,” Kiffin said.
Wow, we don't have a spot for him on this roster? The one with four quarterbacks? The one with two disgruntled running backs who want to be released? The one with more deadwood than a lumber mill?
From another report:
To activate Bush, someone would have needed to be cut - most likely Jordan or Rhodes. Coach Lane Kiffin decided against that, in part, because he doesn't want either running back signing with a division opponent and coming back to haunt him.
"Like the team we're playing Sunday?" Kiffin said, pointing to the game at
"
We apparently won't play Jordan and Rhodes because of their poor performance and/or bad attitudes, and because they're clearly not a part of our future, but we keep them on the roster for...what exactly? Because we’re worried that they’ll come back to haunt us, even though they've been deemed not good enough to start on the anemic offense of our 2-8 football club?
And we are, in fact, so worried about this that we would rather opt to stunt the growth of our future running back?
After making Ron Dayne and Chester Taylor look like the second comings of Jim Brown and Barry Sanders, shouldn’t we be more worried about stopping runners in general, as opposed to the names sewn on the backs of their jerseys?
The Raiders used to instill fear. Now we're playing scared. Unbelievable.
And we wonder why our locker room continues to resemble the Lord of The Flies. Why we always have enough cap room to subsidize a multimillion-dollar doghouse (Porter last year, Jordan and Rhodes this year). Why the fans are so restless for tangible signs that we are ready to fully commit to the future as opposed to coddling our mistakes.
Hopefully, I'm just out to lunch, and this is all part of some brilliant master plan. But from my vantage, it feels like just another trip on the crazy train.
posted by Raider Take at 8:49 PM
42 Comments:
RT-
Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and hope you have a great rest of the weekend.
As for this move with Bush, I too am flabbergasted. Who in the devil made this decision? It reminds me too much of when we picked up Larry Brown after he was named SuperBowl MVP. At least we actually played him. We got Rhodes and are basically paying him to sit on the bench. Makes no sense at all.
By putting Bush on the IR now we are putting him in the same boat as JRuss with the "Lost Season." Now we'll have a question mark going into next year's draft as to whether or not Bush can play when we could have found that out this season. If this was Kiffin's decision it could be the first bit of tarnish on his record as HC.
all aboard, destination To The Lost Nation!! yup this is insane, im dumbfounded on this latest logic of not activating Bush. You mean to tell me (Al or Kiffin) couldnt find the purpose in trying out Bush for next season but having Jordan and Rhodes ride the bench because that gives us ahhhh a better outlook for next years run attack????? what the fucccckkkk!! I tell you Kiffin reasoning since the start I have not liked (i.e. letting go Moss) or Al again up to his bizarre lampoon progress... I tell ya Randy Moss said it all along "some weird stuff going around in this organization." hey Blanda how are you going to spin this one buddy??
Can anyone Rate talent on this football team? Mr. College Recruiter himself (Kiffin) has not proven it with the moves he made to pick up McClown and Williams. Now this thing with Bush??? I have no faith in the Raiders Brass anymore when it comes to drafting and rating NFL talent. I am fully aware that Nobody wants to come and play football here because of the Ridiculous way this organization operates under a Man who is still living in the 60's. I am sorry Al...The game of football has changed since then..its a whole different game now and you either have to step up and understand that or you will continue to run this franchise into the ground. The Team of the Decades does not hold any water anymore considering the 90's. Commitment To Excellence doesn't work and Obviously Just Win Baby is embarrassing for me to even repeat at this point. There was not a coach in the NFL that wanted Kiffins job, not even Most college coaches...we had to settle.
All aboard?
Take, I've been riding this crazy train far too long. When is it ever going to stop? Even a pit stop would be nice for a change, you know, a chance to get off the train, stretch your legs, take in a breath of fresh air and just enjoy the thrill of victory. In the last two years, we've only had 4 of them. ONLY FOUR! Now, that's not nearly enough for this gal. Geez, at least last year's train crew offered up a good breakfast....
What's the old saying? 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?' And here I thought 'A Bush in the hand was worth two on the bench'. Silly me.
We need, among other things, a franchise running back.
And his name ain't Fargas...
This move is far too shortsighted for a 2-8 team. We have intentionally sabotaged our long-term growth for one or two games in a dead season. Very sad! Now, we actually have to win one or both of the upcoming games (Chefs - Donkeys) for this to remotely make sense.
At what point does winning one game in a lost season become more important than preparing for our future? Sure, we want to win a division game and stop the 17-game bleeding. Sure, we want to beat the Chefs at Arrowhead, and we’d like to wipe that sh*t-eating grin off ShanRat’s face, but this season was a writeoff two weeks ago.
How many games are we now sacrificing in 2008 by not preparing the players we know are going to be here, and/or the ones that we still need to evaluate for next year.
Maybe we’re just trying to scratch a couple wins so we don’t have to penny up for another 1st or 2nd pick in the upcoming draft. We’ve already mortgaged our future on this year’s bench-warming QB.
Personally, I’d much prefer to watch the Raiders lose if I know they’re doing everything at their disposal to prepare and field a better product next year, than to watch them field the same product that has cost us all the last 4 years of our collective football lives.
I love the word mystified and it is certainly appropriate here.
As much as I love Raider Take, we only guess at what is going on inside the team. But one would think that at some point in discussions about the team's future many fo the things I have read at RT would have been brought up.
Is there no voice of reason? Knapp has 10+ years in the nfl, does he not? This O is his responsibility as much as Kiffin's. The opportunity to change things with Bush and Russell would have been on my resignation letter at this point had I been Knapp.
One would think that with nothing to loose this org. would be trying everything possible to look for help. I am certainly with NYRaider on that. Does this smack of AD?
What really gets me is this Bush think sees to have been motivated by fear. Fear of the chefs or donks getting jordan? Fear of herm edwards? Fear of the rat that was beaten once already?
So the autumn wind is a chicken.
Perhaps our elder statesmen can weigh in with some insight?
Blanda? Calico?
GOING off the rails on a crazy trainnnn!
With this logic i guess we wont see Jamarcus play this year either.
ekgraider
I am a little dissapointed in you RT. To me the obvious reason for keeping Jordan and Rhodes is that they can probably get something pretty palatable for either one of them after the season is over. Why cut a player and get nothing when you can get potentially a draft pick, a O-lineman or a d-tackle. We're all anxious to see Bush play and get a look at the future, but to me this move makes perfect sense. The reality is this turnaround is gonna take some time and like you and everyone else my patients have worn thin.However either they do this the right way or we become the Jets or the Lions or the Vikings, locked into decades of mediocrity at best.
Keep the faith.
Raidermike
RaiderMike, I wish it were true, but it's not. At the huge salaries Jordan and Rhodes are owed in 2008, they are not tradeable.
The rest of the league knows that we will not pay these salaries to a couple of guys who can't crack our lineup, so they'll just wait for them to be released, rather than trading for them (and their overvalued contracts).
Even if they could command good trade value, however, I wouldn't be sold on keeping Jordan on the roster at the expense of Bush. At some point, we need to stop being cute and just get on with the future. Quit tipping our toes in the water and dive in. Give Kiffin his players now, not later.
Playing devil's advocate, the only possibility that makes any bit of sense is that Bush is still not physically up to par or up to the pre-injury standards that merited his high draft selection. I don't buy it especially when it means having two malcontents riding bench. If you want to save Bush for next year so be it. DON'T make statements alluding to fear of being burnt by personnel decisions, as a) you are conceding that the Moss move may have been a mistake and b)it only contributes to the current culture of losing by keeping unhappy players around.
It kind of sucks when the only logical explanation is equally disturbing.
Let me offer this tidbit from Steve Corkran today, and take it for whatever it's worth:
"Kiffin questioned Bush's approach early on and, at times, through training camp.
He said he noticed "Michael took a more serious approach" once the season started in September."
If it's true that Bush is underperforming expectations, that's quite troubling, as I know that more than a few folks around here have pinned our future hopes on this guy along with Russell. If Bush is a bust, then it's Russell or Bust, and that's rather scary, considering the state of our roster.
Nobodys contract was more over-valued than Moss last year and we got a 4th round pick. I hate to use this as an example because of the year Moss is having, but atleast we got something for him. Based on the fact that Jordan was the #2 rusher in football going into week 5 wouldn't you think somebody would have interest in him. And like Moss I'm sure he'd be willing to take a pay cut and restructure to get the hell out of a place that doesn't want him. If you package him with Walter or one of the invalid statues on our o-line, you might be able to get a couple of medium draft picks. Point is to cut these guys to get a look at a guy who has been inactive all year comming into a losing situation would be impetuous so say the least. I'm not saying it's definitely the right thing to do but I see where Kiffin is going (or trying to go).
RaiderMike
RT-
I concur with you on Rhodes and Jordan not being tradeable. Moss had shown production before he came to Oakland and the Patriots remembered that. What had Jordan done before he came to the Raiders? Back up to Curtis Martin. One good year under Norv Turner.
As for Rhodes, just how many teams lined up for his services besides us? He didn't even average 4 YPC in Indy. So I can't see anybody offering us picks for either of those two.
Look at the difference between how the Patriots handled a player that didn't work out for them. Remember last year when we traded them Doug Gabriel? When he didn't work out they cut him. They weren't worried about him going to the Bills, the Jets, or the Dolphins, were they? The most telling thing is that after they cut him, we picked him back up. The rest is history.
The difference is that Moss was never benched, and as long as he was on our team and healthy, he was going to be on the field. Not so with Jordan (and, apparently, Rhodes). Jordan and Rhodes can't be considered hot commodities at this point.
The league will just call our bluff (as it did with the Dolphins and Culpepper this year). Does anyone think that at this point we're going to pay Jordan and Rhodes about $5 million each to ride the pine for another year?
A trade with restructuring? Perhaps. But look at what Moss proved to be worth in a trade: not much. Jordan will be worth a lot less than that, and whatever it is, it can't be worth keeping a malcontent on the roster while stunting Bush's growth, can it?
RaiderMike, I do hear what you're saying...
But when you say you see where Kiffin is going with this, my concern is that this wasn't really Kiffin's decision in the first place.
That's the rub. Was it really Kiffin's choice to keep Jordan and Rhodes on the roster (I mean, bench) and put Bush on ice? The guy whose stated mission is to end the scholarships and change the culture one player at a time?
As Moss once famously said, something smells fishy here.
We need alot of players in the off seaon. Right now to say look at the Patriots and how they handled Gabriel is a ridiculous comparison.2 different teams with 2 totally differnt circumstances.To start cutting loose players who are not in the future plans without attemping to get anything in return is only going to make a difficult task more improbable. I really don't think Al has got a hand in any of this. But that being said this is a 32 y/o coach who's gonna make some mistakes that we're all gonna have to live with. Hopefully when the smoke clears we'll be pointed in the right direction.
RaiderMike
No that is not a ridiculous comparison. They had a player who didn't not meet their expectations and they cut him. We've got a guy who did not meet our expectations and we relegate him to the bench. Are we getting our $7.5 million worth?
As I stated in my earlier post, who else was in line for the services of Dominic Rhodes after the Super Bowl? History repeated itself, a la Larry Brown. Remember him?
That's a glaring comparison between the philosophy of a winning team and a losing team.
From NFL.com-
“The Chiefs are mired in a three-game losing streak, and their first-string quarterback and running back have one NFL start between them. A home game against the lowly Raiders appears to have come along at just the right time.”
Something needs to be done! If the Raiders can’t get up for this game, they shouldn’t even make the trip. They should just stay home a file their nails or something.
It’s time to leave EVERYTHING on the field! Play to maim if necessary.
idiocracy...
Bama7
Part of the quotes & RT's take:
#1 [Kiffin conceded Bush was ready to play and that the experience would have helped him...“We just really didn’t have a spot for him right now,” Kiffin said.]
Translation: Kiffen thought the experience would have helped Bush, But Al wouldfn't make a roster spot for him.
#2["Like the team we're playing Sunday?" Kiffin said, pointing to the game at Kansas City. "Sure, yeah, everything counts. You've got to look at everything, and I'm sure that's a part of it.
Translation: Kiffen says he's SURE that was part of it (?)... sounds like he's guessing or, rather, second guessing Al's decision here.
Al makes all of the roster decisions. Period.
Bama7
Just watched McFadden and Arkansas end LSU's championship run. McFadden will be one of the top 5 players in the NFL by the end of 2008. If we end up 2-14 we might have a shot at him.
Hey Bama-
Wouldn't it have been nice to have some of these question marks(Bush) answered before the draft?
Raider Mike-
Unfortunately Rhodes and Jordan are among many player on this roster that would fetch nothing in a trade. The cheats had nothing to loose on the moss trade.
I think they just took a shot.
If Kif is doing this based on Bush not working hard enough we have 1) a clear message by Kif that I agree with or 2)Kif has nothing to do with this and it is AD. To which I say things will then never change.
I railed during many takes last year for the glimpse of a plan. A year later, with all the changes this team has made, I am still looking for said plan.
Are we building for the future? Are we trying to win games? What?
I plan on going to a bar that is owned by a guy from KC to watch the game this Sunday. The place will be lousy with chef fans. I can't wait to tell them;
"Russell is our future and he is really throwing well in practice."
"Bush was a steal in the draft. Wait until you see him next pre-season."
"We have so many good RBs that Rhodes can only return kicks to get playing time."
"We kept jordan because if you got him our D would make even him look like a future hall of fame rusher."
"jarrod alen looks like a 1980's porn star with that mustache."
I'll wear my #37 Lester Hayes jersey. Same number of years since the chefs were in the SB!
"Bama7
Just watched McFadden and Arkansas end LSU's championship run. McFadden will be one of the top 5 players in the NFL by the end of 2008. If we end up 2-14 we might have a shot at him."
Wouldn't THAT be a nice 1-2 punch? Get our opponents weary by rolling Bush all day and then spring McFadden on them--THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!
If we're able to get McFadden in the 1st, we have 2nd-7th rds and all of FA to get our needs filled. I'm thinking someone fiery like Albert Haynsworth for our DL.
That would be beyond sick. Which means I'm probably WAY off base...
---Jeff
why couldnt they have cut someone OTHER than jordan or rhodes (and activated bush)? we have PLENTY of dead wood on this sorry azz team...
Bama7
Raiderrealist, heck yes on seeing what Bush has. What a waste. Either a dumbass move or he still hasn't recovered. Unfortunately it's surely the former since they didn't mention the leg bothering him.
Arkansan Raider- that was quite a game. Was that Casey Dick's best performance? McFadden has everything you want in a RB. And he throws the damn ball too!
-We’ve lost 17 straight division games.
-We’ve lost 9 straight against the chefs (4+ years).
-Jared Allen had nine tackles, with two sacks playing against Barry Sims in the last meeting (a 10-12 loss).
-KC is the loudest stadium in the NFL (nightmare for a team struggling with false starts).
-we may get our chance to see the D without Schweigert (questionable for Sunday's game). Of course, the fact we have no depth at FS doesn’t mean we should keep Stu.
-Gallery to stay at LG, McNasty at RT.
-Russell to be listed #3 QB (can only come in 4th Qtr w/out risk of non-replacement).
Did I mention we’ve lost 9 straight to the Chefs? This isn’t just a game!
I say we forfeit the KC game. Why put us all through the embarrassment of watching a bunch of players that dont want to be here underachieve for one more week. Is it possible to forfeit the game and not take the flight to KC??
The season was over before it began so why not prepare our future players and sit the underachieving players that dont want to be here????
Bama7:
No, that wasn't Casey Dick's best performance. But he's kinda' like Kerry Collins in that his stats always look better than his performance.
Here's his profile on ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=170906
---Jeff
Personally, I'd like to see us take Chris Long. It would be great to have a DE to tighten up our D. Plus, he's Howie's kid. Which you got to love.
That being said, we need someone to catch all these balls that J-Russ is going to throw. Porter and Curry aren't doing the trick (although Curry is more valuable than Porter at this point).
So I see 2008 as
J-Russ at QB,
Bush and Fargas at RB (despite the decision not to play Bush this year, which is a bit inexplicable - maybe we are trying to keep him away from the poison that is the Raiders),
Miller and Madsen at TE
We get rid of Porter, grab a wide receiver in the later rounds,pick another up in FA, plus maybe keep Curry and Johnnie Lee Higgens if he can get his act together
Get rid of Jordan, Rhodes (for likely absolute zilch).\
Spend the next nine months explaining to Robert Gallery and the offensive line how to avoid penalties.
Raider Roger
Hey Take, I haven't posted much this year, but I'm still reading. Just wanted to note that your dwindling optimism is as disturbing as what I see on the field. And of course i don't blame you. I tend to be an optimistic fan myself, and you are my "canary in a coal mine" of optimism for commentators on all things Raiders.
Every time I think we've hit bottom enough to convince Davis that he needs to hire a coach and let him have the reins, you see personnel moves made out of spite, and Davis refusing accountability (see his comments to the writer in Minnesota last week), and I realize we're a long way from turning things around. I hope I'm wrong.
Thanks, Mad Stork, I appreciate your take, and I'm honored to be your canary!
As noted, I really make an effort to be optimistic. I am always eager to suspend my disbelief when it comes to the Raiders. I hate writing negative takes. But at some point, reality and logic must force my hand.
I almost didn't publish this Crazy Train take. I figured it might be mere piling on. But this running back news is just too important to ignore, not just as it pertains to Bush and our future at the position, but also as a window into our organizational mindset and priorities (and perhaps power structure).
I was really hoping for a positive take this week. Something like: The Raiders granted LaMont Jordan his wish today, releasing him to make room on the roster for Michael Bush. Kiffin said that Bush needs to be groomed for the starting role now, not later, especially considering his long layoff. Asked if he was concerned that Jordan might sign with the Chiefs in advance of Sunday's game, Kiffin said, "That's of no concern to me. He wasn't a starter here. If he starts somewhere else against us, then we'll just have to stop him like any other back. Our guys should be worried about stopping the run, period, not who's doing the running."
Wow, I would have loved to write about that. Maybe I should write takes about fictional news of my own creation? I could call it Fantasy Football for the Raider Nation.
I like the fantasy take. Ahh! A backbone and the wherewithal to expedite development.
The reality is, how can we possibly be worried about KC or Denver picking up Jordan? Does Kiffin and Davis even realize we're 2-8?
I could understand the thought process if we were 5-5, even 4-6, with a remote shot at the division. But since we can't win a division game, how does winning one game become bigger than long-term development?
I'm as sick of losing as the next Raider fan, but I could stomach it a lot better if I thought there was a larger purpose at hand.
"Fantasy Raider Nation", "fictional Raider news", "suspending my disbelief" ... where do I sign up? Does that come with a Sunday dose of prozac?
I know this will seem very far fetched but here's how we begin to climb Mount Everest and change the dynamic of the 2007 season & expectations for 2008:
Get the divisional gorilla off our back by playing solid, sound football and beating KC.
(Raiders 20 KC 17)
Follow up the KC win with another win at home vs. Denver where Russell makes his 1st appearance and plays either an entire quarter or a series or two.
Back to back divsional wins. A glimpe of the future with Russell. Some positive momentum to finish off the 2007 campaign.
The final cherry on top ... beat SD at home in the last game of the year to knock the Bolts & Norvell out of the playoffs.
I know. Calico Jack is delusional. Well I'm just trying to write my own fantasy chapter to the fictional tale "Raiders 2007. High Noon". :)
Random thought, trying to puts things into perspective. Isn't it funny how we always look up to players who are not currently on the field? As if things "will be different" if so & so were playing?
We couldn't win with McCown and we called for Culpepper. We couldn't win with Culpepper and we generally didn't mind going back to McCown, and now back to Culpepper. I even heard some people calling for Walter. Hey, anything but THIS.
The same was also true as far as QB's go when we had KFC and Brooks taking turns stinking up the field. Now we have millions of people calling for Russell to come and save the day. He's not going to save the day. He might do as good as any QB can do but it won't fix our problems.
The same can be said for Michael Bush. We all wanted to see the guy get some action but a single move isn't changing anything in the long run. I was as pissed as anyone when I heard we didn't cut a player (preferably Jordan) to make room for Bush. And it really does suck that we can't give him some work. But as far as winning THIS year it wasn't going to do anything. Bush is just another guy who we all look up to because he is uncorrupted by whatever the hell is wrong with our team, and he is one of the few players associated with the Raiders who has not been a disappointment on some level.....yet.
I figured out our problem. Nobody has found a cure for cancer yet. I have no other explaination for such a dysfunctional effort by a seemingly diecent group of players and coaches, over virtual generations of new, seemingly diecent groups of diecent players and coaches.
Well, maybe Moss found a cure. But I don't like the prospect of QUITTING on the Raiders, so we have to come up with an alternate cure for our remaining roster to whatever the hell is killing us. My biggest fear is that diecent players like Russell and Bush will be corrupted. Kiifin strikes me as being the guy who I think gives us the best shot at avoiding the spread of corruption. I'm still in. Whatever players are not with me, shut up, sit on the bench for a few more weeks, and I guarantee you'll get your shot somewhere else. Oh, and get yourself checked out for cancer, I'm worried.
Psycho
The thing that bothers me about not placing Bush on the roster is that he had an opportunity to gain valuable experience... Kiffin said so himself (and Jordan will likely remain inactive and a cancer in the locker room).
The Raiders need to stop pretending this season means something more than preparing for next year. It’s sickening how we consciously and perpetually continue to stall our own development.
IMO, an opportunity to evaluate Bush now would have been more valuable than any remaining game against the division. It lets us know before the draft and free agency if Bush is our guy. The same could be said of other players on the roster. Let’s start evaluating our talent (or lack of) now, not later.
The status quo seems to be that veteran players on the field do not need to demonstrate discipline or talent to stay on the field, but young players on the bench need to be able to split an atom before they can get onto the field.
Kiffin has no problem cutting Williams, then benching Jordan, but neglects to make perhaps the most obvious move this year. This smells of a roster tug-of-war between Davis and Kiffin.
I envy most of you being able to go to the games on a regular basis.....I haven't been able to since I escaped from Calif. in 1993.
But...every year I go to either Denver or K C to see the Raider game. Today it's off to Arrowhead.....Might even win too.
Game starts with an INT by Huff....let's all hope it continues....
PantyRaider....Watchin-n-Hopen!!!!!
PantyRaider, ahoy! Great to hear from you.
RT....I just want a win...why can't we ply "D"....they are passing and running on us....100yds in the first half rushing and 3 passes equal our 8 pass compleations....this sucks....and now we fumble the damn ball....
PantyRaider...Come On Raiders!!!!!
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