Training Camp Limerick
There once was a coach named Lane
Who was "gone," then back again
He stiff-armed LaMont
And evil-eyed Javon
And in Shanarat's a** was a pain.
Who was "gone," then back again
He stiff-armed LaMont
And evil-eyed Javon
And in Shanarat's a** was a pain.
posted by Raider Take at 1:37 PM
94 Comments:
Assuming there is no way in hell we can trade Jordan. I say let him come to camp. Give him reps and wear him out. Run him extra. Make his back nice and sore for when we cut his crybaby ass.
Psycho
awesome reply from nnamdi:
“When I was talking to a lot of the players, that they were surprised that I came,” Asomugha said. “ But at the same time they weren’t because they know it’s not about money for me. I really want to win games. That’s a big part of why I’m here. It’s putting that on the line, that you could get hurt, and those types of things. But it’s in the name of being a cohesive unit and coming together and trying to win football games.”
this is what "team" is all about.
True, four lost fumbles...
3 of them were by Tui and Walter. It's part of why Tui wasn't here last year, and a continuing problem for Walter. But they weren't caused by problems with the blocking. They were all misshandled snaps. Kiffin said another arm might show up in camp. I hope so.
The other lost fumble was Wilson taking Javon's head off. Which is why we got him. This from Jason Jones...
"Wilson said when he signed with the Raiders he asked to play strong safety because he wanted to be near the ball.
"'I like to be physical,' Wilson said. 'I don't like to have guys get extra yards or anything like that. I'm a very physical guy and the other team knows it.'"
I feel like I've just had a long, cool drink of water on a hot day. Wilson sounds like Tatum!
its over... bye bye jordan....
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl
/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=
3505642
Jerry McDonald once again provides great summaries of the Raiders' practices. I usually just check his blog and the Raiders website for video press conferences.
Jordan is gone, finally. It will be interesting to see (1) who picks him up, if anybody, and (2) what trash talk he makes of the Raiders.
JMac said Russell may be the best practice QB since Jeff George. He more or less trashed last year's group... which didn't include Russell.
Awww well, I guess Jordan will just have to re-aggrivate his back somewhere else. :)
Psycho
patriots sign lamont jordan
nate - that's ok. he'll be out with a back injury anyway by then. even if he were healthy, he's no threat. but before all that, he still has to make their team.....
PatriotsDynasty
Jordan sucks, but I am looking forward to seeing him put up about 150 yards and a score or two against the Raiders on December 14. If Ron Dayne and Kolby Smith can have career days against that swiss cheese defensive line, then I know Jordan will have a walk in the park.
Patriots Die Nasty-
Are you kidding? If I were you, I'd be more concerned about how the Pats will recover from the ultimate choke, losing both the Superbowl and a perfect season in one game.
Meanwhile, you're losing players like Samuel and gaining players like Jordan... you'll be lucky to win half your games this year.
In Jordan you get a player with chronic back problems, who usually can't find his way out of the backfield.
Jeez, you'd think one benefit of a six-week layof would be shaking Patriots DieNasty's attention. Raiders fans have been patiently awaiting training camp. Meanwhile, Pats fans have been patiently awaiting opportunities to make comments on Raiders boards (cue the fake story about his cousin being a Raiders fan...).
They say money doesn't buy happiness. For Pats fans, the same can obviously be said about winning.
great article by david white into what makes mcfaden tick. may God bless him with a great career!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/27/SPGJ11VID6.DTL
OK, it seems I say it every year, and I was hoping I didn't have to say it again; what's up with all the fumbled snaps?
Are we freakin' cursed or what?
Anyway, at least everything else looks to be moving along. If we can only get K.Harris to stop hurting and stop pass rushers we might have a shot.
Oh, and we might need Kiffin to give Sands a little motivational speach before each and every game-day snap:
"Defensive tackle Terdell Sands, after some pre-play urging from Kiffin, pushed through the middle of the offensive line and and ruined an offensive play, drawing praise from his defensive teammates when he came off."
Psycho
There once was a team known for cheating,
That took a bad Super bowl beating,
Moss was a smart pickup
But they've run out of luck
'Cause their new running back won't stop eating
ha ha ha that's funny stork!
hmmmm.... i wonder how long it'll take jordan ta start running his pie hole about how unhappy his whole raider experience has been.....
bets anyone?
I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I've got a candidate for this year's first NewsYouCan'tUse:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/27/SP3J11VIBU.DTL
Writer takes the same sound-bites about Russell's circus throws not being as important as the small stuff, and focuses on them with the headline: "Neat tricks, but Russell needs to bone up on basics, too."
I hope Harris does not become a liability (we have so few options). In Cable we must trust, but this guy is starting his Raider employ the same as he left the forty-whiners... weak against speed rushers.
So far, it seems Harris has been camp fodder for guys like Burgess and Edwards. Even J-Mac said he isn't sure if Harris is that bad, or Burgess and Edwards are that good. I'm concerned it's the former, although I know Burgess is solid.
Judging by the latest camp notes, it seems Jay Richardson is giving Harris just as many problems as Burgess & friends. They line up on the same side and apparently Richardson in playing really well.
Psycho
we are consistently seeing trouble woes from the raiders' offense. dropped passes by receivers and running backs, missed blocks by the open hole at left tackle, hurried passes, fumbled snaps, bad reads on the defense, and trying to force plays.
grove maybe the front runner for center on the o-line, but we are still missing that ability to read the d-line. we are still missing blindside protection on j-russ, and we are still missing that receiver that can make consistent plays.
now on top of that, there is concern with michael bush not getting low on his runs; and though he has the size to be short yardage runner, he may lack the ability.
burgess has been an animal not only on passing plays, but on stuffing the run. is it because there is no left tackle, or is it because he's that much healthy again? only time will tell.
i think we need to use the money gained from dropping jordan to sign a left tackle that could actually play left tackle, and cut players that have "potential to play left tackle."
i'm worried about our season. i'm not optimistic, and i'm not expecting a lot of improvement. our offense hasn't changed much, if at all. our special teams on the return side, and with jano kicking field goals; is still questionable. as it stands, i think will be lucky to win 6. time for a left tackle, a receiver/kick returner, and for the love of job; find competition for incosistentkowski.
There once was a hope to win
But now that chance looks thin
We need a left tackle and receiver
To make me a believer
Let's start by signing Terry Glenn
We only win six because of what you hear after less than a week of camp, Nate?
Okee dokee.
Looks like some Raider "fans" are already in mid-season form.
No sense even watching any games this year... all is already lost.
Jordan will prolly do alright with the Pats... that's the thing with players that don't have any leadership abilities... they do pretty good on teams that don't need any leadership.
Jordan talked the talk, but couldn't walk the walk. He's a good backup RB... not someone that can carry a team. And thats what we expected of him.
We'll be OK. The OT's will settle down and we'll do some damage this year.
Psycho
I have a feeling there's a trade in the works for Walter. Kiffin earlier said that there could be another arm coming to camp. He didn't give any details. Additionally, when Walter lost a fumbled snap, and didn't chase after it, none of the coaching staff said anything to him.
As big as an offense as the coaching staff made that last season, it's hard to believe that this year they'd just let it go. However, if Walter were going to be traded, there's a couple of reasons why they wouldn't. The first is the easy one - why bother? The second is - we're trying to trade him, so don't draw attention to it.
David White is now spreading rumors that Al Davis is upset with Jordan's agent, and that he had conditioned Jordan's release on him not signing with the Pats. He cites a "source close to the team" and a "league source" with this camp-shattering newsflash. Let's see, that would be Run Run's grandson and Mike Lombardi, right?
I could understand Davis putting on a condition that he can't sign with another AFC West team, but I wouldn't think Davis would concern himself too much with the Pats.
They'll take everything opportunity they can to rub the Moss thing in our face.
Mediots: {Jordan signed with the Pats? Oh speaking of which, remember Randy Moss? I bet Al must be really pissed now. He probably tried to prevent this from happening.}
And so it is written. Fiction becomes Fact.
Psycho
gary,
i have not made this observation only a week into camps; i've been saying this all offseason.
now that camps have started, and we are allowed to have some contact, my opinion hasn't changed, and it won't change until:
a) we make a move for a left tackle and #1 receiver
or
b) the season comes and who we have prove me wrong.
i just don't feel "minty fresh" this offseason because i see some of the same struggles on offense that we've had the last 3 season:
no pass protection.
inconsistent receivers.
no effectiveness on short yardage runs.
an inconsistent field goal kicker.
these things affect how we put points on the board. putting points on the board affects the "w" column. if we are struggling with this now in practice, how much more are we going to struggle with this in the season? that is what practice tells you, and offensively; we've had our moments, but overall we are not doing well.
Jano is a streaky player. He's capable, but will he step up and make a difference?
Losing Elam in Denver should give us an edge against the donkeys.
It's too early to worry. Besides, it appears that Harris' trouble was largely due to a minor injury. He missed a couple of practice sessions, came back and did well. Additionally, the coaching staff was having the defense blitz on nearly every play so the offense could get a feel for what they felt other teams would try against Russell. In my mind, that's good coaching.
According to Jerry McDonald Curry looks absolutely awesome - and Carter is working terrifically with Russell.
Despite Kiffin saying that McFadden would break in slowly, apparently Kiffin is throwing everything at him because Kiffin feels his attitude can take it. He says at some point he'll back off and allow McFadden to focus a bit more.
And apparently Burgess has come to camp with something to prove. Kalimba Edwards went up against Harris yesterday and didn't fair so well.
As for the David White article, I took a look at that. White says Jordan's agent denied there was any such deal, and White didn't get his information from Davis. Seems like another faux scandal.
In fact, Davis used to do something in the old days that I haven't seen him do in years. He would appear extremely reluctant to let a player go, almost insuring that once the player left he'd be snapped up by a rival. That player would wind up getting cut by his new team before the season was out amid grumbling by that team that they got screwed by Davis.
I've seen a lot of old style Davis this past off season. Maybe that's part of it.
Ok, last season we came within a whisper of sweeping the Chefs and Geldings. We actually played the Dolts closer than people thought we would. Our last four games were against teams that made the playoffs, two of those teams played in their respective conferences championship games. All in all we lined up six times against playoff teams. In other games we held forth quarter leads against Detroit, Chicago and Tennessee.
We had a revolving door at quarterback with McCown starting eight times, Culpepper seven times and Russell once with spot duty along the way.
This year we have upgraded at safety and corner, Cable is now in his second year retooling the offensive line. We actually should be better at running back and we were sixth in the league last year in rushing.
Miller is emerging as a top target for Russell, which is good news. Strong tight end play opens up things for the wide receivers and slows down the rush which makes things easier on the OL. If the tight end catches 5 passes early in a game, we should win 75% of those games. Don’t ask where I came up with that statistic, it’s a long story.
Grove is receiving praise early in camp. Maybe he is finally catching on to Cable’s teaching.
Once this team learns how to play to win and not play to not lose, then the sky is the limit. We are one of the youngest teams in the league.
Maybe it’s just me, but the glass is well over 50% full at the moment. Probably around 77.1%. Especially since we open up with three division games in the first four. Two of which are very winnable.
H
I'm with ya, H. The defense is looking night and day better. The infusion of the energy provided by Wilson is having a great effect on all comers. Richardson is performing well, as is Edwards.
Williams is determined to prove he's not a bust, and the coaches give him a good chance of doing so.
Hall is showing the ability to provide a good deal of run support, and Wilson is taking heads off.
Our main concern is still our offensive line. But the offensive line is typically the last thing to develop in the preseason, because it's five guys who have to work absolutely together. So it's going to take more than the first four days of camp to convince me that our O-line is still as weak as it has been.
I'm picking the Raiders defense for my fantasy football team. I'll try to get "steal" Fargas, McFadden, Miller, Curry and Carter in later rounds. And probably keep an eye on Russell as my backup QB earlier.
My Raiders will back me up.
Psycho
Nate.. what did you expect, the offense would be clicking on all cylinders after one day of practice or something? Sorry bubs.. that's not how things work. The defense is always going to look better than the offense BECAUSE THEY ARENT LEARNING ANY PLAYS. We have lotsa new key guys on offense that are going to look like shit for quite awhile.
Personally I don't like to start writing years off until I watch them play four or five actual RS games ... but you already did it months ago?
Wow... impressive!
And anyone complaining about a frigging kicker needs to check himself. Grow up. Jani is a good/great short distance kicker that is erratic as hell with long kicks. The only reason you see him miss so many of them is he has a stronger leg than any kicker in the history of the NFL. Thats why he gets more chances to miss long kicks. We go through this every frigging year.
I'd add on thing to what Gary has said about Jano. It is repeatedly claimed that we got Jano to hit 50+ yard field goals. That is not the case. We had a kicker when we signed Jano who had shown the ability to hit from 50+ yards out - Nedney. We got Jano to put the ball in the end zone when kicking off. He's done that very well.
Yeah, the D is blitzing the O to simulate game situations for Russell. Maybe the D should learn to blitz for their own sake. That might come in handy during a game.
It just seems like such a fundamental part of the game that Ryan (Davis) refuses to utilize with any regularity. If you're not sure, go back and watch the last D series against the Browns. Ryan dropped the entire D line back in coverage and the Browns converted. It still makes me sick to think about it.
I've never been a fan of any type of prevent D... and I don't care how lopsided the score.
NYRaider, from what I hear they are blitzing like crazy in camp, and it doesn't all have to do with giving JaMarcus practice.
After Howard got a sack on a blitz, I think it was Martindale who said something like "That's what we're bringing this year".
Psycho
I also not that Morrison and Howard are remaining on the field in dime formations. Howard is that fast. It might also slow down rushing attempts on 3rd and 5.
Earlier I mentioned that we didn't get Jano to hit every 50+ yard kick, we got him to hit the endzone on kickoffs. That reminds me of Jano's worst year. That was 2007 under Dashier. Dashier, instead of asking Jano to hit the endzone, was trying to get Jano to pooch it in the corner. That ruined his kickoffs that year, and it made him less accurate on FGs.
However, Jano did very well last year. He was very accurate inside 50 yards, and he did well on kickoffs.
So far, most of the problems with LT seem to have come when Harris was sidelined for a couple of practices. McQuistan was covering the position in Harris' absence.
Even if McQuistan is shakey as a LT, I like giving him work there. McQuistan is starting to develope into one of those rare O-lineman that can be plugged in at any position. Add to this that Grove has had some successful work at G. His upper body strenghth this season is apparently significantly improved. He's determined to win that job.
I like the competition going on on the O-line. I think they'll look a lot better as we get into preseason.
All this talk about Burgess victimizing the O-line is not Harris' fault either. Burgess is going against Henderson & Green most of the time.
Though Burgess is great, it sounds like it's a little one-sided over there and it's too easy for him.
We should be more concerned with RT than LT.
The last thing JaMarcus needs is for his TE to be helping with pass protection instead of giving him a solid reciever on those critical downs where your TE is your best friend.
Psycho
Gary said, "Nate.. what did you expect, the offense would be clicking on all cylinders after one day of practice or something?"
Again, I think you are missing my point gary. This isn't about "one day of practice or something?" This is about not filling our weak areas with capable players for the last 3 YEARS! We have had a void at Left Tackle since Mo Collins, and Langston Walker left. We have had a void of "Captain of the Offensive Line" since the Barret Robbins incident. We have not had a #1 receiver since Tim Brown retired. These are issues that we've had for awhile, and we continue to bring in second rate players, who are injury prone, and expect them to be something different than what they've displayed elsewhere.
To Blanda's point, Harris' problem may be a minor injury. Well guess what, that has been his excuse his whole career, which is a big reason why the 40-whiners let him go. The worst of it is, we are expecting him to be our #1, with nobody behind him; when he is proven in the recent past to be a sub.
My opinion is not based on one practice, it is based on 3 years of doing the same thing, and expecting different results; whether it be practice or during the season. So far, this WEEK of practice has shown that the Raiders still have the same inconsistency issues offensively that we've had for 3 YEARS! So sorry bubs, that is how it has been working in Oakland.
As for Janikowski, sure he's got the leg to kick long field goals, etc; but he does not have the fortitude to hit them under pressure. He's proven that throughout his career. He is not reliable when it comes to kicking when the game is on the line, he's 50-50 at best. The only reason he misses field goals, is not the strength of his leg. That's a bogus argument. He misses field goals because he doesn't work on his mechanics during the week, nor does he maintain his focus during the game. He is easily distracted from his job (which is the reason he missed after Shanarat called a time out; it distracted him).
>>>
BlandaRocked said...
NYRaider, from what I hear they are blitzing like crazy in camp, and it doesn't all have to do with giving JaMarcus practice.
>>>>
Jeesh lets hope not. SOB has the coverage behind him to do anything he wants... might be the best d-backfield int he league. If he chooses not to blitz NOW, the guy has some serious mental problems. I guess it makes sense to practice blitzing this year... they haven't done it in the last three.
Nate.. you are wearing me out already and camp just started. HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS? How do you know we don't have a WR that will step up and be great this season? How do you know that Harris sucks ass? We had a great running attack last year with SIMMS for gawd sake? The sacks were manageable.
Now if you have sidelines passes to all of the Raider practices thus far... by all means bitch and moan all the way to a different team if you wish... my point is THIS IS THE SECOND WEEK OF CAMP... how can anyone write a frigging team off already?
JFC... GROW UP. I'm sick of Raider "fans" like you. You make me ill.
Raider "insider" Nate:
>>>
He misses field goals because he doesn't work on his mechanics during the week, nor does he maintain his focus during the game.
>>>
How do you know this Nate? Name your position with the Raider ADM. or stop making shit up (and grow up.)
He does Nate know that Harris sucks ass? Well for starters how about the fact that he sucked ass in San Francisco? What do you think, he is going to magically be a good offensive lineman now that he plays for the Raiders?
Natoring Nabobs of Negativity Raider Fans:
How to spot:
1. They always make up stuff and state it as fact.
1b. If called on it they say they are only "giving an opinion" as justification. When repeating their made-up-shit as fact later, and asked if they have any new information to back up their made-up-shit, they state "I already told you I am stating an opinion." I ran into this in another forum where a dude kept saying that Kiffin wanted to draft Quinn instead of Russell. It was just his "opinion." I was supposed to already know this even though he didn't preface it with "I'm guessing" or "I am now going to boldly make shit up and act like it is a fact."
2. When predicting the Raiders team as certain losers, they always justify it with "I'll be happy to be wrong." Uhh.. sorry, I'd be EMBARRASSED to be wrong to predict a sports team that I am religiously following for FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT will suck ass ... especially without a single shred of credible evidence to base it on. "EMBARRASSED." Yea, that's the word. Not HAPPY. Embarrassed. Predicting Detroit will suck is something expected. Predicting the Raiders will suck (even now) is a bit more of a stretch. Al kinda has a history of pulling shit out of his ass. DETROIT DOESN'T. If you want to be a gloom and doomer that is always right, root for Detroit or Arizona.
Harumph...
K... back to your regular scheduled gloom and doomers. lol (Actually it hasn't been that bad this year.. it still kinda drives me nuts.)
>>>
Raider "insider" Nate:
>>>
He misses field goals because he doesn't work on his mechanics during the week, nor does he maintain his focus during the game.
>>>
How do you know this Nate? Name your position with the Raider ADM. or stop making shit up (and grow up.)
8:17 PM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
He does Nate know that Harris sucks ass? Well for starters how about the fact that he sucked ass in San Francisco? What do you think, he is going to magically be a good offensive lineman now that he plays for the Raiders?
>>>
Uhh gee Mr. Anonymous. I have yet to see any of the Raiders practices. He may well suck, but our O-line coach seemed to see something in him that made him think we could get by with him. I think I will trust Mr. Cable's opinion over "Mr. Anonymous" and "Mr. Nate's" opinion at this point. If he sucks later on... like after maybe FIVE FUCKING GAMES or something.. I will conclude that you guy's GUESS was right. Until then... I will remain optimistic considering everything Cable has done with our o-line has been top-notch. Sorry bubs... I'm not a soothsayer like you two I guess.
I am not GUESSING he sucks. I am going by FACT. He sucked ass in San Francisco and that my friend is a FACT. He was a good run blocker but an atrocious pass blocker. He committed numerous false starts and had numerous holding penalties. Gee, doesn't that sound like what he is doing in camp so far? Kwame is not a rookie or even a second year guy. He is going into his sixth season and he still has these bad habits. Where is the guessing in that? Sounds like you are just a cheerleader, waving your little pom poms, saying "Go Kwame, Go!" If you open your eyes and examine the facts you will realize this guy sucks and if he doesn't get it by now, then he will never get it. By midseason we will all be wishing we had Barry Sims back.
Now, history has a way of repeating itself. Mostly in bad ways.
Having said that, there was another tackle given up for dead and got a second chance with the Raiders. After a shaky start he eventually made three trips to the pro bowl in seven years. Lincoln Kennedy.
Harris may wind up sucking ass as alluded to earlier, but I will not toss him out with yesterdays trash until he has proven without a doubt that he sucks ass.
We had multiple seasons with Sims leading the league in false starts to work with.
Nate, if Harris is still sucking wind by game six, I fully expect you to remind us of these exchanges.
Blanda,
Be careful about saying good things about Jano. Bama might be lurking out there somewhere and is ready to pounce.
Grove is getting most of the snaps with the first team thus far. However, this is his first work since rehabing his knee. The good news is he is the only center in camp without a botched snap so far.
It seems as part of his off season rehab he worked on his upper body strength which was a criticism the last two seasons.
Part of the problems with offensive lines this time of year, especially in our situation, is finding five guys who mesh together well. There's a lot more team work and coordination on the offensive line than any other segment of the team. Especially with the zone blocking as timing is critical.
That's my story and I'm sticking with it.
H
Yeah, it's a little early to throw anyone under the bus. We knew Harris had problems in San Fran, but we have to trust Cable to bring him up to speed in our ZBS. His known weakness is pass protection, for which we will have to use chip blocking and rollouts to compensate.
As Psycho points out, the right side should be as much of a concern. We need to be able to get the TE free as a receiver.
Basically, we have two guards, and question marks at both tackles and center... not good, but perhaps manageable. Again, too early to tell.
As I've said before, I expect this offense to stumble coming out of the gate. It will be up to the D to pick up the slack.
Gary,
Put the "Kool-Aid" juice down, bro. I'm not saying everything is bad, and I'm not saying that everything is great. I'm noticing areas of weakness that we've had for 3 years, that have not been addressed. Left Tackle is one of them. We had a huge opportunity to address this position with a solid veteran like Max Starks, or even Alan Faneca; but we passed and picked up a guy who has had "great expectations, but hasn't lived up to them" in Kwame Harris. He has been stellar in run-blocking (much like Barry Sims was), but he is atrocious in the passing game. Coming into Training Camp by what he showed in the OTA's, he was capable of improving on his pass blocking.
Remember, OTA's is "no contact", meaning that when the o-line lined up against the d-line, they were practicing foot/hand work (a little pushing for postition), and gaining a better position to the opposition. Kiffin himself said, "He did great, now let's see what he does with contact in camp." (You can find that quote in the archives of J-Mac, and Jason Jones' blogs, btw).
I don't have to "be a coach" for the Raiders to know this. Being someone who has played football, and has been coached; as well as help coaches today; you begin to notice "little things/blurbs" by people who are there reporting on this; and you know what is going on. I would like to see some video of these practices, and I could tell you exactly what he's doing wrong, and why Burgess and Richardson is abusing him.
Let me give you an example. Fred Wakefield came in as a TE. He moved to DE this year, and Kiffin had him playing Guard yesterday. When asked about it, Jerry Mac reports his answer as, "Once you’ve been in a system, you kind of know how it all works, what the concepts are and how things are supposed to go. It’s just a matter of learning terminology more than anything." So is Kwame struggles from "over-thinking" his responsiblity, or learning "new terminology"? Have to see tape on that. But I don't have to see tape to know that he has been a swinging door.
You look at the reports, and the Raiders' WR group is still inconsistent with their routes and catches. Again, look at the blog reports by J-Mac, and J Jones (who are there) and they are constantly reporting sayings like, "You gotta come back to the ball"; or "You gotta make that catch"; or "Where were you on that play?" These phrases are being uttered by James Lofton.
As far as Jano goes, again, I don't have to see him in practice to know that this has been his struggle since he's been a kicker with Flordia State! He's confident in his ability to kick, and he knows he has the leg strength to kick. The problem is not his strength or ability, the problem is his mechanics, focus, and work ethic (or lack thereof). The one thing that I read (I believe it was J-Mac on Sunday) was that he was kicking a 53 yarder, and the coaches were calling time outs before he kicked, and messing with his head; and he missed the field goal. At least they are practicing with him to work on his game day focus. That is telling proof that I'm right, and Kiffin recognizes the problem.
You don't have to be a genius to see the writing on the wall. In this league, you cannot wait until WEEK 5 to figure out if a player is not going to work out for you. That is what Training Camp and Pre-Season is for. And if you have to replace someone, the ideal time to do it is Training Camp. We need to bring in a vet LT that is going to bring "stiff" competition to that position. Anthony Clement, Nat Dorsey, Cory Lekekkerker, Sean Locklear, Stockar McDougle, and Brandon Gorin are still available and would be good competition for this spot. Koren Robinson and Chris Henry could be good pick ups at the WR position too.
My point has been, until these positions are addressed, how do we expect to improve offensively? The running game isn't a problem, but the passing game and pass protection is. Punting isn't a problem, but field goals and kick/punt returns have been. We haven't addressed these positions, and based on these FACTS, my early assessment is 6 wins. The Raiders have to prove me wrong. Yes, I agree, they still have to play the season; but they have to prove to me that these areas have been improved; because by all assessments so far, it hasn't! Just Prove It, Baby!
That's not "hating". Nor is that "making up stuff". That is called making pointed observations from reports (and video if available) by reporters and coaches, observations from their career history (again, done by video, scouting reports that are available to the public, etc), and knowing the game and what to look for.
i'm holding my hands out in balancing scale formation: in my left hand i have kwame harris and in my right i have barry simms. they wabble for a moment tyhen the left kinda out wieghs the right. i shudder at the notion that by mid season we'll all be wishing we had barry simms back. 4why? we have barry simms in kwame. but he's a better run blocker. period. it's a trade up!!! false starts: sounds familar. can't pass block: think last game of the year here. how could it be worse? we've traded up at LT. get used to it. can we do better. hell yes. and i want to. but this is what we have NOW!!!
frkyraider
I take off for vacation in Thailand and lo and behold the spineless rat (Patriot boy) come out of the gutter to rear his ugly head ... enjoy Lamont "Dancin'with the Stars" Jordan.
I left right before camp opened ... does any RT regular have some insight on how JWalker is doing?
From what I've gathered on the net coutesy of JJones, Gibril Wilson is EVERYTHING we wanted and more. Loves playin in the box with his nose near the LOS and gettin' physical. Could be our key FA pickup this offseason.
Will be back August 18 ready to get my silver and black swerve on.
Nice to see RT out of hibernation.
Best Regards,
Calico Jack
Is it just me who can't understand this. But, in all the list for coaches on the "Hot Seat", Kiffin's shows up first, but you can't find Shannarat's name anywhere.
He must have one hell of a collection of photos of people with farm animals.
Just throwing it out there for discussion.
H
Calico, in answer to your question, there is not much to report regarding Javon Walker. He's been used on a limited basis (apparently), to give him a chance to fully heal, much like they did with Curry in '07.
The story, so far, regarding WR, has been Curry, Carter, and Watkins. All three have hardly dropped anything that's touched their hands. Walker's made a couple of plays, but hasn't done anything spectacular.
I think the thing to remember about Harris is that he was actually targeted by Cable. Cable said at the time that he felt that Harris wasn't used according to his talents by SF, and that he was the perfect type of blocker for the ZBS. Plus, Harris hasn't been the biggest problem so far.
There is another facet of this that can't be ignored. Kiffin stressed that the key for the O-Line is that they need full contact in order to really determine their capabilities. At this point in camp, they are just trying to keep everyone healthy while the master the fundamentals. The O-Linemen are still working in shorts with shoulder pads and helmets.
Before we start predicting that they are going to be worse than last year, maybe we ought to wait to see what they look like in full pads.
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Raider Nate 75 said...
Gary,
Put the "Kool-Aid" juice down, bro. I'm not saying everything is bad, and I'm not saying that everything is great. I'm noticing areas of weakness that we've had for 3 years, that have not been addressed
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My point still is... how have you "noticed" this?
Have you been attending practices, or are you simply making shit up? If you are making shit up... just say so.
It's ok. It's what almost all Raider "fans" that write the team off before there has been a RS snap do.
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Nor is that "making up stuff". That is called making pointed observations from reports
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Second hand info... "making shit up."
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(and video if available)
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Which you already admit doesn't exist.. thus "making shit up."
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by reporters and coaches, observations from their career history (again, done by video, scouting reports that are available to the public, etc), and knowing the game and what to look for.
>>>>>
... all done one week into training camp. WTF?
Look bubs... There is no way any of us knows anything about how well the offense is going to perform come Sept.
You are simply making shit up at worse, or GUESSING at best.
>>>>
Nate, if Harris is still sucking wind by game six, I fully expect you to remind us of these exchanges.
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That's kind of how it works... predict doom and gloom. If it comes true, be the first one to pretend you are football genius because you predicted gloom and doom... and if it doesn't happen, either:
1. Disappear.
2. Say you are "happy to be wrong."
Kinda reminds me of all the people that wrote Gallery off as a bust of the century before last season and now are completely silent about him this season.
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Anonymous said...
I am not GUESSING he sucks. I am going by FACT. He sucked ass in San Francisco and that my friend is a FACT.
>>>>
Well ok then... if that is your standard... I know for a FACT that the Raiders were 4-12 last year. Do I get to be considered a football genius like you???
Using information from reports, and seeing video (on the Raiders' site) is not "making shit up"! It's making a knowledgeable observation! It is knowledgeable because of my experience playing/coaching the game! It's an observation made by information I have read or viewed from reliable sources.
Just because my observation is not what you want to hear, doesn't make me a "nay sayer" nor does it discredit the FACTS used in my arguments. Get your head out of your butt, and quit accusing me of "making shit up", because that is not what is happening.
I've said it here last season, that I have a friend who works within the organization, and I talk with him frequently. I don't throw his name around, nor have I brought him up every chance I get. In fact, I ask him if I can mention him in passing before I make a statement that I talk with him as a source. Jason Jones and Jerry MacDonald are reliable sources. The Raiders' website is a reliable source.
Where do you get your information from when you make observations?
I would say just about the same places, with the exception of having a friend working within the organization.
I'm not predicting "doom and gloom", I've made an observation about some FACTS that I have been given; and I've made an assessment of improvement (6 wins,or did you forget that we won only 4 last year?); I have expressed concerns about areas of weakness on our team (again, made by observing FACTS that have been given to me); and I have expressed an opinion. Just because I didn't predict a record above 500, or a Super Bowl win this year, doesn't mean you need to get all bent out of shape over it. It also doesn't give you the right to start personally attacking me. So I suggest you back down off the attacks, bub. If you can't do that, I'm in Austin, TX; come settle it with me face to face instead of behind a blog.
So again, I pose the same question to you:
Where do you get your information from when you make observations? I can answer it too, probably the same places I get mine.
By the way, I will be happy to admit that I'm wrong if the Raiders prove it; and I'm not the kind of person that will "rub it in your face" if I'm right.
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Raider Nate 75 said...
Using information from reports, and seeing video (on the Raiders' site) is not "making shit up"! It's making a knowledgeable observation!
>>>>
This might actually carry some weight if you weren't bellyaching about a kicker that AFAIK, hasn't been mentioned by anyone thus far this season, and the WR's when many of the reports out thus far is glowing reports about Curry.
That leaves us with right tackle... and AFAIK, Harris has never played in the ZBS, so it would be kinda ridiculous to expect him to be in mid-season form the first week of practice in a scheme he has never played in his entire life.
"Making shit up" seems to fit pretty well IMO.
Sorry.
Idiot, the 49ers have used ZBS since Norv Turner, and continue to use it. DOH!
J-Mac and Jason Jones have both mentioned Jano in their blogs, and how he has been 50-50 on his field goals. J-Mac has made the most mentions of him. DOH!
You want the quotes (and the title to the blogs)to both? I'd rather kick your face in, but here we go:
J-Mac:
Quote #1 from "Training Camp Day 4pm": "Janikowski, who had nailed a pair of 43-yard kicks in an end-of-game drill earlier in practice, this time missed wide right."
Quote #2, first paragraph of Day 5: "A few Napa Valley restaurants cashed in Monday night thanks to Sebastian Janikowski.
Janikowski nailed a 43-yard field goal at the end of practice, giving the players a one-night respite from the healthy diet instituted in camp this year by coach Lane Kiffin and strength and conditioning coach Brad Roll."
Quote #3 from "T.C. Day 4am: "Another tough day for punter Shane Lechler and place kicker Sebastian Janikowski. They headed back to the field house at 9:16 a.m. and didn’t return until 10:36."
Here is J-Mac's quote about Kwame, from March 4th:
"Harris played in 12 games for the San Francisco 49ers, starting none. His play as a right tackle in San Francisco was generally regarded by 49ers fans about the same way Gallery was regarded by Raiders fans.
However, Harris is smart and can move, attributes which could pay off in Oakland’s zone blocking scheme as taught by line coach Tom Cable.
While this move will probably be criticized heavily, I saw enough from Cable last season to trust it may work out.
With Barry Sims having been released, it’s not inconceivable Harris could wind up as the left tackle, playing alongside Gallery.
For now, that position is a gaping hole. The Raiders are continuing discussions with Cornell Green, a free agent who started games last season. Paul McQuistan replaced Green last season and could compete on the right side."
Apology accepted.
in case you're wondering, Norv coached on the 49ers offensive unit for 2 seasons after his Head Coach stunt with the Raiders, and prior to the Dunder Dolts.
Ahh.. ok. I am not a Jmac regular. My apologies... you are not just making shit up... you are regurgitating someone else's OPINION as fact.
Uhh... Norv Turner ran a ZBS?
San Fran did? WTF????
News to me, bubs.
Nate and Gary,
Keep it up and we'll have to send you both to time out. Without a beer.
This is almost as bad as me and Bama arguing about Jano.
H
This just in:
"Schweigert happy to be free of the Raiders".
I assume the feeling is reasonably mutual.
He claims it wasn't his fault. He was told what to do every play. Where to go, where to stand, when to go to the bathroom.
H
Gary is a whiny baby, and he represents everything that is wrong with Raider fans today. Gary do me a favor, please don't sit in the Black Hole on September 8th. We don't need whiny babies like you there getting on our cases if we happen to want to critique the team.
My two favorite camp notes today:
"Tight end Zach Miller will likely be the training camp MVP (if there is such an award). He has been snatching every catch his way as both the ‘go to’ guy and as JaMarcus Russell’s security blanket."
"Also, regarding the 49ers coming to Napa next Monday, Jarrod Cooper called out former teammate DeShaun Foster. “I’m looking for DeShaun Foster…make sure you put that on there. We used to play together in Carolina. We used to fight all the time…I’m not looking for anyone but DeShaun Foster…that’s it!”
Nice....
Psycho
"When it was suggested by a teammate that Jarrod Cooper could have made a play on a pass, Cooper responded, “Hey, I don’t catch the ball, I knock (expletive) down, OK?"
Did I mention I like Cooper?
So I guess Harris looked sharp yesterday. (Ahem, elbowing Gary & Nate, trying to instigate something)
They're moving Burgess around the field and even standing him up some. One more indication of finally blitzing.
Etch not looking good? McQuistan likes running laps? Hall getting beat? Wesley can't drag himself onto the field? You can tell it's still early.
Psycho
coopers' comment on not catching the ball, but knocking them down, is a big reason why we have the fewest turnover ratio in the league. don't get me wrong (ahem, gary), I love coop's attitude; he's a hitter, he plays tough, and he's very cerebral at his position.
i like that he knocks them down, but the problem becomes giving the offense another opportunity; and that is the mentality that needs to change defensively. go for the ball first, knock it down next, but whatever you do, don't get burned (ahem, hall)!
this from jason jones, "The Raiders worked on running offense from inside their own five-yard line with Rage Against the Machine playing as background music. That's where Green, Strong and Thomas picked up their penalties." this tells me that our o-line is easily distracted, and are not working together on being in sync, but are relying on themselves to get it right. i think the next step is after every false start, have the whole line run a lap; that way the whole line starts holding each other accountable. something has to change with that, it is more than a "mental mistake" because it has plagued our offense for years (not because i can read their minds). nothing kills a drive quicker than false start penalties. i can handle any other penalty on the offense, but false starts drive me nuts.
schweigert, the raiders are happy to have a safety who can actually make a play on the receiver/rb's, and knows his position on the field. i for one am glad we no longer have to hold your hand and guide you to where you need to be. enjoy getting cut with whatever team your with.
Hey Anonymous poster 4:48 AM.
If you are going to call Gary a whiny baby and tell him not to sit in the Black Hole, go ahead. He's a big boy and I think he can take it.
But, show a little testosterone yourself and sign it.
H
Nate,
Maybe the O-lineman are just really into Rage Against The Machine? Or maybe they're thinking about girls instead of the snap count.
Either way, I think making the whole unit run is a great idea. At least the 5 guys who were on the field. Maybe the offender and one other guy to minimize fatigue?
Psycho
psycho, you should check out www.thebrushback.com
it's a satire sports paper, and they have an article about the sf giants holding a player's only meeting to discuss the blonde with big jugs sitting behind home plate at home games. hilarious! that is what your comment reminded me of.
another thing, i don't know how it is in "professional" sports, but having the whole o-line/d-line run on false starts/offside penalties in high school caused the repeating offender to be "hazed" by teammates.
nothing bad or physical, something like cleaning the toilets and showers while being "supervised" by the other players to make sure he's doing a good job; making our beds; sweeping the floors; something like that. the school i went to never let the hazing get physical. we just kept it at goofy, but effective things like that. we felt that physically beating a teammate did not promote unity; and unity was a key to our school's success in sports.
I like Cooper too, but I agree that he should be looking for opportunity, and not commit to just knocking the ball down. Opportunity and a little luck can carry a team. Look what it did for us in a game against the Steelers two years ago.
I, like H, am getting tired of the anonymous drive-bys. If you are going to call someone out, how much courage does it actually take to sign a moniker to it? For such people who don't even have the courage to do that, perhaps you should take up bad-mitten. It's got the word "bad" in it, so you can still kid yourself.
Cooper was taking off heads yesterday. That's a good sign.
Has anyone considered that Raider coaches read what we write here at Raider Take? From camp we are seeing signs of increased emphasis on blitzing, playing an occasional 3-4, and a load of screens and draw plays.
As for the O-line, and complaints that problems there haven't adequately been addressed. Well, it's clear that the O-line definitely needs a lot more work. However, it is difficult get rid of all your problems in one off season. Before you tell me this has been going on for five years, I'd suggest that with each head coaching change you virtually start over again.
Kiffin said his first year would be about evaluation, and the second year would be about correcting as much as possible. The D-line appears better, the offensive backfield appears better, the receiving corps appears better, the defensive backfield appears better, the QB appears better, and the defensive scheme appears better. That's not a bad off season.
This is what I love to see... For two seasons around here, I've been complaining that Raider QBs don't seem to have the slightest clue as to how to sell a play action pass. Because all you do is waste precious pocket time if you don't convince the LBs that the running back has the ball. So I'm really excited about seeing this:
"He did a great job selling his play-action handoffs, which allowed him to roll out and find an open receiver on the right side of the field. He also was quick to get the ball out of his hands during blitzes.
"The coaching staff gets as jacked about those things as they ever do his cannon throws."
I've was reading some articles on the practices when something hit me.
Several of them mention "sizable" crowds.
The reason I bring this up is in at least one pre-camp atticle by a media type said the practices would be closed to the public "as usual" , using that to talk about how paranoid Al Davis is.
I guess he wasn't on the mailing list for the memo saying practices would be open to the public.
H
Blanda said, "As for the O-line, and complaints that problems there haven't adequately been addressed. Well, it's clear that the O-line definitely needs a lot more work. However, it is difficult get rid of all your problems in one off season."
I'm not suggesting that we "rid of all our problems in one off season." We had an opportunity to go after a top-notch Left Tackle this offseason, and still have the ability to sign a couple others that are not slouches (Starks, Clement, Dorsey, McDougle, etc), and are proven Tackles in the NFL. Instead we are content with someone who has "potential" to be good as our #1 (Kwame), instead of signing them both and developing that "potential". By doing so, we could have a more solidified O-line coming into the season. That is my complaint on Left Tackle.
The "sizable" crowds are from the Raiders' Booster Club Members.
To become a member of a Booster Club, go to the Raiders' site, under the "FanZone" tab, click Booster Club and it will give you the names and contacts to the Booster Clubs.
Blanda,
Our special teams also appears to be better. That's all 3 phases.
Not bad at all. Now we just have to translate it to wins.
Psycho
Nate - I agree. Even if Harris is up to the task, we should add another LT for depth and competition.
I noticed that somebody boosted us to #17 on the pre-season power rankings. That's a prediciton for a .500 season.
I still think we might do better than that. It seems to all hinge now on how the O-line shapes up. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of information you can get from camp about the O-line when they are still practicing in shorts.
Next week, during full contact drills, we should know better.
Hartwell says all the right things, but I think he ought to learn which Ryan coaches him.
"Becoming an Oakland Raider means more to me than just getting back on the field. It's a chance to play for the best franchise in football history. It has the best fans that any sport has to offer, a great cast of talented players & coaches, a legend as an owner, one of the best (attack style) defensive coordinators in the league in Rex Ryan, and most of all I get to be reunited with the best coach I have EVER played for Coach Don Martindale. I vow to do everything in my power to bring another Superbowl to Al Davis and the Raider Nation."
Blanda - maybe it was a typo by the writer...?
Easy slip on the SOB name, many have done it, what's the big deal?
To clarrify Coop, I don't believe he said he knowcks balls down, I beleave he said "I knock mother-****ers down."
Which one scares you more? Coop comming to make a play on the ball, or Coop comming to blow your @ss up?????
Actually, according to Jason Jones, he said, "I knock (explitive) OUT!"
I thought it was cool that Hartwell showed much respect to the entire organization/nation, especially to Martindale.
In return, Martindale seemed to really be impressed with what Hartwell has done so far. There was more speculation by one author that Morris would be moved to Strong Side.
In one respect I'm still against the idea. I just feel Morrison should be the rock in the middle and stay there.
But on the other hand if it means having 3 BEASTS out there, I could deal with it. Morrison is perfect for covering TE's anyway, and they say Hartwell has great instincts.
My guess is Hartwell can probably get off blocks better and clean up the run better. We'd still have Morrison's brain out there and he'd hold it down in Nickel & Dime still.
Psycho
Morris? I'm worse than Hartwell for saying "Rex"... LOL -Psycho
A little extra Harris talk.
In 1979 there was a player who had been drafted at the top, but over time seemed to lose confidence. The Raiders picked him up, and he thanked the team by winning a Super Bowl. Then he won another one.
That, of course, was Jim Plunkett.
Tom Cable appears to be of the opinion (and I really like Cable a lot) that Harris had just lost his confidence. Since bringing Harris in, Cable has been shouting in his ear during practices...
"You can be the best you can be. You can achieve every goal that you want."
According to Cable, "The man has the skill as good as anybody in this league. That we knew, that's why we wanted to get him. I kind of liken him to Robert Gallery in terms of where he's at mentally and emotionally."
Not surprisingly, it was Gallery who talked Harris into joining the Raiders because of Tom Cable.
Harris is not going to blow people up. According to Kiffin, "He's more of a finesse position player and has very quick, fabulous feet. If there's a system that's going to help him, this is it."
And while Harris struggled early in camp, reports are that he's improving daily. I'll bet he winds up starting for us. I bet Sims doesn't wind up starting for the 49ers.
A little extra Harris talk.
In 1979 there was a player who had been drafted at the top, but over time seemed to lose confidence. The Raiders picked him up, and he thanked the team by winning a Super Bowl. Then he won another one.
That, of course, was Jim Plunkett.
Tom Cable appears to be of the opinion (and I really like Cable a lot) that Harris had just lost his confidence. Since bringing Harris in, Cable has been shouting in his ear during practices...
"You can be the best you can be. You can achieve every goal that you want."
According to Cable, "The man has the skill as good as anybody in this league. That we knew, that's why we wanted to get him. I kind of liken him to Robert Gallery in terms of where he's at mentally and emotionally."
Not surprisingly, it was Gallery who talked Harris into joining the Raiders because of Tom Cable.
Harris is not going to blow people up. According to Kiffin, "He's more of a finesse position player and has very quick, fabulous feet. If there's a system that's going to help him, this is it."
And while Harris struggled early in camp, reports are that he's improving daily. I'll bet he winds up starting for us. I bet Sims doesn't wind up starting for the 49ers.
Mr. Anonymous is calling me a "whiner" because I haven't written the team off after one week of training camp?
Isn't irony grand?
And somehow I doubt the Black Hole will be full of fans that have already given up on the season.
Just a guess.
Hey Gary... You expected Jordan to carry this team? Funny! He was average at best with his former team, but I guess that's enough to carry the Raitards to their usual 4-12 season. I'd say he carried them just fine!
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