And So It Begins...
There's one thing going for the Raiders this season: very low expectations.
Through all of those seasons "reloading," of new head coaches and overspending in free agency and high draft picks and duct tape, September always seemed to come with a sense of "well, you never know..."
So hopes would be raised early, only to be crushed shortly thereafter. Eventually, we eked out a couple of .500 seasons, but they proved to be a house of cards. For all of that spending, for all of those high draft picks, after all of those years, we finally built a roster that was capable of a .500 record...and not much more.
Now Reggie McKenzie is eating fistfuls of dead money in order to clear the plate for next year. Here are some examples of dead-money drags on the organization this year: Carson Palmer ($9.3 million). Rolando McClain ($7.26 million), Tommy Kelly ($6.3 million) and Darrius Heyward-Bey ($5.26 million).
Where does dead money comes from? It comes moving the financial ball downfield, hedging short-term gain against long-term pain. An example, as reported by USA Today: "The Raiders converted $11.675 million of Carson Palmer's 2012 base salary to an OATSB (other amount treated as signing bonus) to help their cap last season, and 80% of it accelerated onto the 2013 cap when he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in April."
So the demolition is fully underway, and why we didn't get more of a jump on it last year remains a mystery to me.
On paper, our roster looks really weak. On the field during the preseason, it looked eminently beatable and largely rudderless. Some of us, despite empathizing with Reggie's cap plight, are getting a bit anxious to see some progress on the field.
You can have a will without wins. You can discern direction amid disaster. There are ways to lose without the Clown Car popping wheelies. You can make progress in small but meaningful ways. We are 18 months into the Reggie McKenzie-Dennis Allen era, and by the 24-month mark at the end of this season, the arrow needs to be pointing upward.
Today, the Raiders open the season in Indianapolis, against a team that went 2-14 two years ago. The legendary "memdf," a longtime Raider Taker, is en route to serve as our lucky charm, but the Colts have Andrew Luck. It's going to be an uphill battle today.
For now, the expectations are lower for the Raider than they have ever been, as far as I can tell. They are universally considered by the pundits to be the worst team in the league. Even the most hopeful fans sound like they expect around four wins.
But it's early September, and as we say every year around this time: You never know...
Through all of those seasons "reloading," of new head coaches and overspending in free agency and high draft picks and duct tape, September always seemed to come with a sense of "well, you never know..."
So hopes would be raised early, only to be crushed shortly thereafter. Eventually, we eked out a couple of .500 seasons, but they proved to be a house of cards. For all of that spending, for all of those high draft picks, after all of those years, we finally built a roster that was capable of a .500 record...and not much more.
Now Reggie McKenzie is eating fistfuls of dead money in order to clear the plate for next year. Here are some examples of dead-money drags on the organization this year: Carson Palmer ($9.3 million). Rolando McClain ($7.26 million), Tommy Kelly ($6.3 million) and Darrius Heyward-Bey ($5.26 million).
Where does dead money comes from? It comes moving the financial ball downfield, hedging short-term gain against long-term pain. An example, as reported by USA Today: "The Raiders converted $11.675 million of Carson Palmer's 2012 base salary to an OATSB (other amount treated as signing bonus) to help their cap last season, and 80% of it accelerated onto the 2013 cap when he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in April."
So the demolition is fully underway, and why we didn't get more of a jump on it last year remains a mystery to me.
On paper, our roster looks really weak. On the field during the preseason, it looked eminently beatable and largely rudderless. Some of us, despite empathizing with Reggie's cap plight, are getting a bit anxious to see some progress on the field.
You can have a will without wins. You can discern direction amid disaster. There are ways to lose without the Clown Car popping wheelies. You can make progress in small but meaningful ways. We are 18 months into the Reggie McKenzie-Dennis Allen era, and by the 24-month mark at the end of this season, the arrow needs to be pointing upward.
Today, the Raiders open the season in Indianapolis, against a team that went 2-14 two years ago. The legendary "memdf," a longtime Raider Taker, is en route to serve as our lucky charm, but the Colts have Andrew Luck. It's going to be an uphill battle today.
For now, the expectations are lower for the Raider than they have ever been, as far as I can tell. They are universally considered by the pundits to be the worst team in the league. Even the most hopeful fans sound like they expect around four wins.
But it's early September, and as we say every year around this time: You never know...
posted by Raider Take at 7:18 AM
50 Comments:
Nicely said Take.
Yes, hopeful that the Raiders come out with guns a blazing and blow everyone away. Reality check: We all know that will not happen. This season I am hopeful for losses without the clown car (and at least one win).
For what it is worth, here is my prediction for 2014:
DA fired
Reggie gets one more year
Raiders have a top 3 draft pick and take the best QB available. I hope Manziel stays on college one more year to avoid that controversy.
With high draft picks, decent cap space, and no longer a meddling owner/GM the Raiders are finally able to hire a reputable coach.
The turn around begins in 2014....
Thanks, man...I agree that QB stability and excellence are key to our future, however that comes about. Every year, the playoffs are stacked with the elite QBs. It's the nature of today's NFL. If you don't have one, you're swimming upstream.
Anon - bold predictions. You should sign a name to that post so we can come back next year and reflect.
It's easy to say the Raiders have hit rock bottom, and expectations are low. But there have been some notable improvements, even if not directly tied to the roster.
And, while perhaps unlikely, it's possible an elite QB-in-the-making is already on the Raiders roster.
I don't expect much today... being the first game with the training wheels off.
Without making any predictions, my expectation (hope, really) is to watch 16 games of competitive football, win or lose, and witness steady progress which leads to a new era in Raiders football.
Commitment to Excellence!!
P.S., is memdf really "legendary"?
Do you remember the pics of memdf's Raiders lair? Legend!
Well, it was an interesting 1st half. Defense started to come around near the end, Offense can move the ball...not as bad as it looked after 14-0. I bet they will play a stronger 2nd half...but who knows, I thought Jano was a lock too and he blew it.
JONES
ny,
memdf is really a legend here.
It's awesome that he is at the game, which is very competitive. The missed field goal at the end of the half hurt, a bad hold; but I think we should see improvement.
Good defensive pressure, some mistakes; but overall I see a difference with this team than what we saw in the preseason. Another throw across the body for an INT by Pryor wasn't good either.
Bold predictions, DA and RM are here next season. DMc may not be here next season.
There are not a lot of good Free Agents at QB, the most notable being Jay Cutler. The same with RB.
There are some good Free Agents on the Offensive line and defense; which is where I think RM is going to make moves.
Notable FAs on the Oline:
Michael Oher
Brandon Albert
Jon Stinchcomb
Mike Pollack
Notable Defensive FAs:
Jared Allen (DE)
Greg Hardy (DE)
Brett Keisel (DE)
Terrence Cody (DT)
Henry Melton (DT)
BJ Raji (DT)
Geno Atkins (DT)
Brian Cushing (LB)
Brian Orakpo (LB)
Notable WRs and TEs:
Eric Decker
Hakeem Nicks
Jermichael Finley (TE)
Dennis Pitta (TE)
Jimmy Graham (TE)
I think we will see moves on both Defensive and Offensive Lines. We may pick up a guy like Finley (TE), but I think we continue to draft younger guys, and make notable moves of "team" guys.
Well, like I said, you never know...Hell of a drive by Pryor. Raiders lead, 10 minutes to go!
Once again, the refs screw the Raiders. I know, it's just a coincidence.
JONES
Great game. Inexperience loses it in the end, alas.
SCAR
Frustrating end to a winnable game, and who was saying and thinking that before this game started?
A bunch of positives.
With a qb that has room to grow.
If Pryor can really study up in the film room, whoa, we may have a qb for now and the future, because he has enough positive traits that a good offensive coordinator CAN get the Raiders points.
The wide receivers caught just about everything thrown their way, which was a concern for me.
As for the defense, ohhh, soooo close to closing out the game...
SCAR
Well Take, what did you think? Did they show improvement? Was the coaching better? Did the team play with heart? Did you see some progress? Did you see the refs screw the Raiders once again?
JONES
I saw all of those things. This team had its s*** together today. It would be easy to be disappointed because it was so close, but in context, it was an awesome start to the season.
(I hope that our OC was in Pryor's ear about not taking a sack and that it was just a rookie-type mistake and not a coaching oversight, because that was a killer.)
Take,
Agree--this team had its act together! I am pumped after watching this game! Almost everything bad that happened can be corrected. There were more penalties than I expected from a DA coached team, but that can be corrected, too. Given the complete defensive makeover and the offensive line chaos of the last few weeks, this game was truly a revelation. There must be some dedicated, hungry players and damn good coaches on the team. It really doesn't need to be said that Terelle Pryor will be a work in progress, especially with getting the play called and the ball snapped in a timely fashion, and the risky throws. But he brings excitement, passion and hope to the position, and is able to make plays happen with his natural ability. The sack is Pryor mistake that hopefully can be fixed, because ANYONE, especially the OC, knows you don't take a sack in the red zone! I assume he was just pressing to make something happen. Although, I agree Greg Olsen should definitely have reminded him over the headset-helmet intercom thingy. If he didn't, you can be sure he will next time, lol.
So very close to a win--reminds me of the opening game loss to the Green Bay in 1999, Gannon's first game as a Raider. We lost, but you could feel hope that the end of the futility was near (and it was).
Road game, east coast, against Luck and an 11-win Colts team that stepped into this season as one of the better teams in the league.
The Raiders look prepared, made adjustments in the second half; Pryor showed tremendous poise, and the team's overall play exceeded my expectations. Indeed, an awesome start to the season, and clearly something to build off of.
I didn't like a couple calls but I wouldn't be saying that if the plays went in our favor. For example, with Pryor at QB, 3rd and short is no time to go long.
If or when the Raiders can be competitive like that week in and week out, they will be on the verge on a real breakthrough.
ny,
I agree on the 3rd and long, and don't understand why we didn't go with a simple WR or RB screen.
I was amazed though at how wide open Reece was, and it was simply overthrown.
The Colts did as any team would expect, line up to stop the run and quick pass; which is why I felt a screen would've been better suited. An O-lineman one-on-one against a LB/DB playing zone = big yardage. That was a missed opportunity, but something that we will hopefully grow from.
I have a renewed faith in this team; and glad the coaches have actually backed up their talk coming out of the preseason; and proved that the defense had more to show than what was shown in preseason. I was skeptical because that hasn't been the case in the recent past. Now let's see if the team can build on this.
JUST WIN, BABY!
Angelic Raider-
No one has mentioned Charles Woodson!!! That fool was all over it, glad you're back in the Silver & Black.
It was a non-clown car loss. Nice adjustments to get more pressure on Luck. I want to see fewer penalties, but all and all it was a nice start.
Of the teams that were supposed to perform badly today (jets, raiders, jags, buffalo) it was only the Jags that did not disappoint. The Raiders have lost the #32 designation.
Great effort by the Raiders.
But one big concern, that is out of the Raiders hands.
I noticed last season that NFL officials were calling very few penalties against Raiders opponents.
I'm talking five, or less flags against, in most games, in 2012.
According to the officials, Raiders opponents played near flawless fotball, over, and over again.
It is really one of the most amazing trends in NFL history, how Raiders opponents are nearly perfect, almost all the time.
Today, vs the Colts, was no exception.
3 penalties against Colts for 31 yards.
That my friends, is nearly a perfect game.
Or should I say, yet another near perfect game by Raiders opponents.
I will be keeping an eye on this trend, again this season.
To see if Raiders opponents make hardly any mistakes,(5 of less), in games for 2013.
It is truly unearthly how Raiders opponents are so perfect most every game.
At least, this is what the NFL officials would have the fans believe. Believe it....or NOT.
SCAR
After one game, I'm REALLY liking our linebacker unit. Supposing,(and there are 15 more games so anything could and will happen)this unit plays this strongly all season, when is the last time the Raiders have fielded a linebacker unit this strong?
Looking at the mistakes Terelle Pryor made, the question must be asked if these are teachable moments, or if Terelle will continue to make these same mistakes. Also I believe his gift of running can also, if he isn't careful, be a curse. It seems to me that although his running skills are great, I worry how he holds the ball. I want Terrelle to run because his running skills are a weapon, I just want him to also be aware that opposing defensive coaches are going to start telling their defensive players to target the ball and possibly create a fumble. All in all I am just picking on his weaknesses. There are many strengths in his game to build on.
SCAR
I was very pleased with the overall level of execution and game planning/coaching.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the ability of our D to put consistent pressure on Luck from the 2nd quarter on.
Although he might be a work-in-progress, Pryor has the abilities to become a true #1 QB sooner rather than later. Simply by cutting down on fixable mistakes and improving his overall command of the game, he will continue to improve.
A good performance that needs to be sustained on a consistent basis to move up the competitive ladder.
Legendary - you guys kill me!
Back from Indy. Nice stadium. Not as nice as Ford Field. Going to Dallas on Thanksgiving so Ill see cowboys stadium too but this ain"t no stadium tour.
Man we had 'em!
Pryor is a stud! Big and fast as hell too.
I love going to games to see the sideline action substitutions, etc. and watch the O-line and look for corner and safety blitzes through my binoculars.
What I saw of interest was prior to the Mcfadden td there was a hand off to Jennings that went nowhere. I believe then it was third down. ( Have not watched the game on tape yet.)
McFadden started to go onto the field and yelled back at Olsen and pounded on his chest screaming for the ball.
You saw the result. He was not getting stopped. You have to love that. I hope its on tape.
Also, Pat Sims is the new Jerry Ball - slightly taller! Bilukidi is BIG! And also of interest to me was Jack Crawford on special teams. That;s how athletic he is.
Can't blame Pryor for the loss. IT'S HIS SECOND GAME. (It should have been his fifth!) He's on the road in a noisy dome against a team that was 11-5 last year. Dome was shut to keep the noise in too. We are in the game until the last 30 seconds.
Underthrown pass can get worked on. Better decisions will come. They spend a lot of time in the huddle - that has to be fixed. D also seemed mixed up on personnel several times. Speaking of D - how about those sacks? I think they had 25 all last year. All fixable. O-line played pretty good too I thought. Hope that Pryor has a chance to develop a trust in a receiver - we need a go-to guy. Where'd Ford disappear to?
Loss hurts but Our boys never quit. They played hard. My eyes are burning - going to bed....
Kicking the jags asses!
Sorry for any redundancy on my comments. seems like we all feel the same about indy performance. fixable stuff.
Looking back if Jano makes the fg going into the half the Raiders only need a fg to win. New holder - jano was hurt last week - who knows. He missed a few in pre game also.
The Raiders feel good about themselves and they are saying the right things about not being happy with the loss.
This is just the start, we should all feel good about this team, it's on it's way up. We have the GM, the coaching is there, the players are buying in...once more playmakers are on this roster....look out Donkies, here comes the Silver and Black. The rest of the NFL can kiss our Silver and Black asses...Warren Sapp won't be giggling like a school girl anymore, the ESPN assholes will have to eat their own shit...this is going to be great. Just wanted to rant....
JONES
Let's see if we can build some momentum this next week. That has been the hardest thing the last decade or so; building momentum.
I want to see improvements made from this last week against the Jags, and then on to the Doncos. If we can continue to build and correct mistakes; we may have a shot at the post season this year.
JUST WIN, BABY!
Hey Pryor gives us a reason to look forward to Sunday and maybe just maybe the D will be improved. But playoffs Raider Nate? Can I get a shot of whatever your having. Lets win a game first
I just wished the coaches had given Pryor an opportunity to practice with the first team on the preseason, He was never given a chance to start, not enough reps and that goes on Allen, he does not like Pryor and will do whatever necessary to keep him out of the field
"he (referring to Dennis Allen) does not like Pryor and will do whatever necessary to keep him out of the field"
what an elephant load of $hit.
Allen is fighting tooth and nail to KEEP his job as an NFL Head Coach.
The BS rumor that Allen doesn't like Pryor is nothing more than bird cage lining. To suggest Allen is scheming to keep Pryor off the field is garbage, unfounded.
Bottom Line:
Allen has and will continue to put the players on the field who give the team the best chance to win. It is clear that Pryor gives the Raiders the best chance to succeed with a make-shift OLine.
Drive by comments which goes against any logic from anonymous posters -- asinine and ridiculous.
Just for $hits and giggles, Anon 6:08PM, show me any comment, interview, or otherwise that led you to make such a reckless comment about "Allen not liking Pryor" -- CRICKETS.
Well said, Calico Jack! And more restrained than I would have put it, lol.
Unfortunately, people see and interpret things the way they want to, and/or always have, and thus are not able to see the reality of the situation.
Pryor is very talented but plays with emotion and natural creativity. These type of players don't always show their true value in practice, but when they get in the heat of the game, they can shine. No doubt, the Raider coaches discovered that this offseason and preseason, hence the sudden turnaround in the Flynn/Pryor competition. It certainly took me by surprise, after reading the reports out of training camp and then seeing the contrast in live game action.
Everybody's getting all pumped up about the team now and it may have the effect of putting added pressure and expectations on TP2. This combined with his own high expectations (and self recriminations over his mistakes) may cause him to press this week against the Jags. So we may see some regression or let down in his performance. I hope people don't get down on this excellent young man if that happens--it is just going to be part of the maturation process. It will definitely be interesting to see how Terelle responds this week.
After watching TP's post game press conference, I think he is a fairly well-grounded individual.
#1, TP took complete ownership in his mistakes vs Indy. (accountability is a big part of leadership)
#2, TP downplayed his record breaking rushing stats and focused on the team goal of a win.
#3, TP make it a significant point in the PC to give praise to his teammates, for their resolve and toughness, and the importance of putting in the work.
Might just be 1 day (game performance and PC) but I was equally impressed with both his growth as a QB on the field and mental mindset.
Very difficult to gauge how well TP will perform next week and over the course of his 1st season as an NFL QB, but I believe his has both the physical and mental tool set to become a top echelon QB.
As SacTown alluded to, now the tough part will be to have realistic expectations for TP. 2 NFL stats and a LONG way to go but I'm going to enjoy the ride and hopefully watch him blossom in front of our eyes.
Yeah, we (fans) need to be careful not to place too high expectation on Pryor. That was only his second NFL start, and his first real start after a mop-up game to end last season. Part of his maturation process will depend on coaches giving him the right plays for him to be successful.
Pryor is a gamer. I think it was Moore who was quoted as saying, "Pryor carried the team". That's what you want in a QB... someone that takes over and makes plays when things breakdown. That's what makes him so exciting to watch.
Notice the Colts stacking the box? That wasn't for McFadden (alone). Raiders are a serious threat to run with Pryor in the game, and that perception is probably what left Mastrud wide open on the long pass from Pryor.
Twitter link From PFT:
"Sentiment in Colts locker rm was Pryor made one read and then either threw or ran. He didnt go thru progressions. Is that sustainable?"
That's BS because Pryor clearly continued to look for options on rollouts to the point where perhaps he should have run but didn't.
Regardless, I think it's safe to say he will get better with experience.
Hey everybody,
No disrespect Calico. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt to the coaches about Pryor. I'm as disappointed as a anyone else who way back got that itch about Pryor. Just might have the it factor.It was a gross mistake not starting him sooner last season. I think too many coaches have no belief or ability to belief to get behind what the skill set's of these younger athletic quarter back's have potential for.
That Colt's game was way beyond expectations, that speaks for itself.
The only concern is Jano but I give him patience pass for now.
Be Good
I agree it was a mistake not to play Pryor sooner last season but that's the past. It's time to put on the binders and ride Pryor for the entire 2013 season... allow him to make mistakes and let him mature into the position.
IMO, Matt Flynn will never be a viable long-term option. He will never carry a team with his arm, and certainly not with his legs.
With Pryor, Raiders could lead the league in rushing this year. You might think that's a bad thing (for a QB to run so much) but it opens up so many possibilities in the passing game.
Clearly, the Raiders will need to be able to score a lot of points to beat the Broncos and some others.
TP needs to be very careful about protecting himself for a 16 game season.
He has wonderful instincts to avoid pressure and keep plays alive but will need to be aware of not taking any unnecessary risks with his body.
The Raiders need to get the A's coaching staff in to teach TP the fine art of sliding!
Here's a question for you guys who know way more about the details of this team than I do. I think Pryor is the first quarterback we've drafted in decades that looks like he might actually have the ability to be a successful starting qb. I've wanted him to be on the field from the start after seeing him vs. the Ducks. I certainly hated that game for the Ducks but Pryor stood out and I was pretty happy to see him drafted by the Raiders and hoped he wouldn't be lost in the mess that we had become. Anyhow, my question is, do we have the people around him to help him learn at this time since we don't really have much of a record of developing qb's?
@ pvmike -
IMO, more so than before Reggie and Dennis Allen. Olsen and Sparano are well-respected, and have some knowledge of read option, which I believe is relatively new (or just coming back) to the NFL... but a staple in college.
John DeFilippo is the Raiders QB coach. I watched coverage of the Senior Bowl, which the Raiders coached this year, and was "wowed" by the QB coaching, drills, etc. that DeFilippo and his group ran with the young QBs.
I think Pryor is in good hands, and better than previous QB prospects the Raiders have coached in recent history.
That's just my opinion.
Great question! I hope others chime in on this.
Cheers!
The biggest plus that I see in developing TP is OC Olsen. Olsen is highly flexible in customizing the scheme, plays, game plan to fit each individual's strengths and weaknesses.
I hope as the season progresses that slowly but surely TP is able to comfortably handle a continually more complex playbook.
In the meantime, I like that Olsen has simplified the options, reads, and progressions.
It was pretty clear from watching the game vs. Indy that TP was instructed to make 1 or 2 reads than if nec. pull it down and quickly go up field with his legs.
How do you know Olsen is "highly flexible in customizing the scheme" is that your opinion off of one game? Had you even heard of him before he was hired by the Raiders?
pvmike, I don't know jack about college football, but I can say that the Raiders' record with developing and acquiring QBs since Gannon has been abysmal, and has played a big role in the team's epic run of futility.
Tui, Mirer, Collins, Brooks, Walter, McCown, Russell, Culpepper, Frye, Gradkowski, Campbell, Flynn, Tyler Wilson...
Geesh...You can't really do much worse over a 10-year span, can you? Just say that list out loud.
So here comes Pryor. I don't know where this is headed, but I was thinking about JaMarcus Russell as I watched Pryor on Sunday. I remember being in the Coliseum, watching Russell amble out of the huddle with all the energy and urgency of a sloth, only to throw the ball in the dirt at the first sign of trouble. It was scary, thinking we were in $25 million deep with this guy.
So here's Pryor the other day, jacked up and flying around, and I'm thinking, well, I haven't seen that in a long time on the Raiders (ie: ever). Dude brings energy. If he can't mitigate his mistakes, it'll all be moot. But it's exciting and promising, and those are two words you don't really associate with the names in the aforementioned list.
What's interesting is that Al Davis went out on a limb to draft both Russell and Pryor four years apart...
In retrospect, Russell was a behind the curve selection, a fat, lumbering guy with zero leadership skills, a questionable football IQ and work ethic, and a cannon arm. NOBODY wins in the NFL these days with a QB like that.
Yet Davis also selected Pryor in 2011 as an ahead of the curve selection, a guy primed for the style of quarterbacking that kicked the doors down last year with Kaepernick, RGIII, Russell Wilson, etc.
I remember, I think it was last year against San Diego, Pryor was enjoying some rare playing time, and there was a scrum, and he jumped in and violently yanked a teammate out by his jersey, to keep something stupid from happening. That stuck with me, it showed me something.
Let's hope that this is for real, because we need to get real at QB if we want to compete in the NFL
What a list... unlucky 13!
14's a charm?
Indeed, it largely boils down to the individual. I think it was Palmer who last year said the QB is the guy that needs to put in the most work. Rich Gannon and JaMarcus Russell are the best extreme cases I can think of in this regard.
With Gannon, it didn't matter who was coaching.... Sadly, it also didn't matter with Russell.
"How do you know Olsen is "highly flexible in customizing the scheme" is that your opinion off of one game? Had you even heard of him before he was hired by the Raiders?"
No, it isn't my opinion based off of 1 game.
It is my informed observation after seeing multiple video interviews and print interviews of Olson prior to the season starting.
This was one of the significant points that Olson made upon hire about his offensive philosophies.
Here is one of the videos:
http://youtu.be/kR5W3jmI9sI
Go to the 1:38 mark.
One of the specific reasons that he was hired by DA sited was his flexible approach to taking the existing personnel and customizing things to fit the personnel.
Yes, I had heard of Olson before he was hired by the Raiders. He has been a well respected offensive coach for many years.
Marcel Reece is locked up...another sign that it is going in the right direction....the wave keeps getting bigger.
JONES
Heard a stat that the Raiders are 4-19 in games that they are predicted to win. A winning tradition starts by winning games you are supposed to win.
Raider Take,
Good comment on Pryor. He brings an energy that has been missing for years
Its bitter sweet that it was Al's last draft pick, but even in his final days Al Davis was a visionary. I have read a few times he also was very interested in drafting Kaepernick.
With the resigning of Reece today another of Al's brilliant projects. I would like to give props to the Great Al Davis
Love the blog and thanks
Sandy
No, I am not hating....The problem that crippled the Oakland Raiders was there was far too many McClain/Russell selections as compared to Reece/Houston selections.
Pryor could turn into a real gem and it would be fitting if Mr. Davis' last pick turned out to be the 'guy' that helped turn it back around.
Pryor has proven to be the Anti-Russell, Pryor will do everything in his power to make it work, just like Gannon did.
He won't limit his attitude to the Offense, sounds like he wants to lead the WHOLE TEAM and make them all put in the level of work that he is setting. This is a LEADER OF MEN and when it is your QB, much like Gannon, the whole team will feed off it.
If Pryor proves out to be a legit top 5-10 QB, Mr. Davis will have left us all with a fantastic last gift to the fans. For that, I will be very grateful...and if Pryor fills our Sundays with great plays and WINS...I will always think of Mr. Davis because the Leader (Pryor) will have been his very final move to improve the future.
Funny how this world works, ain't it?
JONES
Thanks, Sandy, and great points, keep those takes coming!
Anyone watching and listening (press conf) to Pryor has to be impressed with him. Sunday is only his third NFL start. I hope nobody holds him to unrealistic expectations. This is going to take time.
Gameday take is up.
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