Teams Las Vegas Raiders - The Black Hole

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GG said:
I think we should go defense in the first round. I like Beasley if we move Mack to DE we can have Beasley play Slb and then move to DE on passing downs with Mack on the other side with Tuck and Antionio Smith inside. That is a scary Defensive line.

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agree...plenty receivers in the bottom of the 1st, top of the 2nd, etc to choose from
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Mack isn't going to be playing DE in the base D full time, that isn't going to happen. It might if we are looking for more speed and athleticism in the front 7 to get after the QB a bit, but for the most part, he'll be the SLB when 3 LBers are on the field. When we go nickel or dime, Mack will move down to DE as he did last season.

That being said, Del Rio wants another pass rusher. He's actually been trying to acquire one for more than a month. If we draft a pass rusher in the first round like Beasley or Gregory, they could easily play them at SLB and move Mack to DE in the base D. Mack is a unique talent because even though he's smaller, he was still throwing the bigger tackles around like rag dolls in the run game. If we draft Fowler, I'd play him at DE and keep Mack at SLB.

Lots of options at this point, and still a little over a month until the draft. At this stage my preference is to draft Cooper over the pass rush, but I am hard pressed to overlook Fowler if he's there at 4 (which I don't think he will be). Assuming Fowler is off the board, my preference is Cooper, with Beasley a close second if we want to help the pass rush.
 
Wouldn't surprise if we went for the best pass rusher with pick 4. Its the biggest need.

They have been talking up our WRs, Streater coming back for example. With Lee Smith in we could use Rivera more as a passing option.

2nd round may go for a D9 type RG [ or a CB.] They want to get power based running scheme going so need to improve on the right side. Then we can use well rested Pro Bowler Reece to lead the way for Murray or TRich. So only 1 WR, 2TEs & 2RBs or 1 RB & Reece.
 
andana said:
Wouldn't surprise if we went for the best pass rusher with pick 4. Its the biggest need.

They have been talking up our WRs, Streater coming back for example. With Lee Smith in we could use Rivera more as a passing option.

2nd round may go for a D9 type RG [ or a CB.] They want to get power based running scheme going so need to improve on the right side. Then we can use well rested Pro Bowler Reece to lead the way for Murray or TRich. So only 1 WR, 2TEs & 2RBs or 1 RB & Reece.
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I've got everything crossed so Williams falls to four.
 

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andana said:
Wouldn't surprise if we went for the best pass rusher with pick 4. Its the biggest need.

They have been talking up our WRs, Streater coming back for example. With Lee Smith in we could use Rivera more as a passing option.

2nd round may go for a D9 type RG [ or a CB.] They want to get power based running scheme going so need to improve on the right side. Then we can use well rested Pro Bowler Reece to lead the way for Murray or TRich. So only 1 WR, 2TEs & 2RBs or 1 RB & Reece.
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Rivera has rarely been used as a regularly in-line blocker. Streater coming back is going to help but they still need an additional wideout. It's as big a need as getting another pass rusher to help Mack out.

I highly doubt we will draft another CB very high. They already have Hayden, Carrie and McGill as the young corners. Can't see them drafting another guy to put in the rat race there. If anything, I see them re-signing Tarell Brown to provide a veteran presence.

Reece is not a good blocker, never has been. If you think he's going to help the power running game you are severely mistaken. Reece is an overrated pass catching FB who will have his moments, but isn't going to be anything more than a gadget player.

Going to be interesting to see how the gadget guys get used, particularly in the no-huddle this year. That being said, unless you get the D in a bad formation, it won't amount to much.
 
GG said:
Wiz almost gets pushed back into the hole.

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I was looking for something negative to say about that play. You actually found it! Kudos!

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good observation. wiz svcks. legacy or not, unbiased assessment says good riddance.

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Sad cuz Wiz was part of a double team it looked like and he still got pushed back. Yet some still try to say we should have just paid Wiz cuz he was 'elite'
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Wiz played with a bad shoulder last season. Probably why wasn't that effective. He's still unsigned after undergoing surgery.
 
andana said:
The problem with taking a WR first pick is Heyward-Bey.
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There is so much criticism directed at DHB it's ridiculous. Fact of the matter is that statistically, he has the best season for a Raider wideout since Moss in 2005 (in 2011 DHB caught 64 balls for 975 yards and 4 TDs). I'm not saying he was a great wideout, but had the team stuck with him at the end of 2012, things could have turned out differently for his career. Shouldn't have been picked at #7 overall, but statistics say that around 50% of 1st round picks are busts anyway. And even then, given that DHB is now going into his 7th season as a pro, it's hard to say that he hasn't at least made a career in the NFL.
 
andana said:
Antonio Smith has been cut. Didn't have a great year.
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Shouldn't have been cut imo. Was rated the 3rd best pass rushing DT last season according to PFF. Certainly thought he had a role to play this season.

Having said that, I've been told that the release of Smith means that Reggie has a corresponding move lined up in the near future. Haven't been given specifics though, so it's very much a wait and see proposition at this point..
 

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GG said:
Reggie's Plan (imo)....

Vic Beasley OLB first round
Byron Jones CB second round
trade back in the third round, acquire another 5th and 7th
add best available 3-tech DT and OT/G in the 3rd and 4th
add sleeper TE and sleeper WR in the 5th
add some no-name grunt at DT, OL, and Safety in the 6th and 7th
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Reggie doesn't work like that at all. For starters, there's no chance he takes a corner that high. They have a lot of faith in Hayden, Carrie and McGill going into next season. If anything, they will bring in a vet there. They don't target players in each round, but rather, let the board play out. Drafting for obvious need when the talent at that position doesn't match the draft slot means you have a talent shortfall in the long run.
 
Ponder Seems Right at Home

Posted Apr 3, 2015
Jerry Knaak Raiders.com

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Florida State QB Christian Ponder’s name on the first day of the 2011 NFL Draft, it wasn’t a surprise.

040315-ponder-cp.jpg


When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Florida State QB Christian Ponder ’s name on the first day of the 2011 NFL Draft, it wasn’t a surprise. The fact the Minnesota Vikings made him the 12th overall pick? That came as a surprise. Ponder was actually the fourth quarterback taken in the 2011 Draft as Carolina selected the mercurial Cam Newton No. 1 overall, Tennessee surprised everyone with Jake Locker, and Jacksonville took a flyer on Missouri trigger man Blaine Gabbert.

Newton won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship with Auburn, while Ponder and his Florida State Seminoles finished 17th in the AP poll at the end of the 2010 season. In Week 6 of his rookie year, Ponder relieved veteran Donovan McNabb and started every game the rest of the season. He threw for 1,853 yards, 13 TDs and 13 INTs. The Vikings went 3-13 and finished last in their division.

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In 2012, Ponder earned the starting job, started all 16 games, and the Vikings went 10-6 and earned a Wild Card berth. The second-year signal caller threw for 2,935 yards, 18 TDs and 12 INTs. Ponder was injured at the end of the season and QB Joe Webb got the call in a 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in an NFC Wild Card playoff game.

He became a free agent after the 2014 season and began the process of finding a new team. “I heard from a few teams but only took a visit out to Oakland; Oakland was my first visit,” Ponder said. “I fell in love with it, fell in love with the area. I love the whole staff so I worked out a contract right then and there and signed. I didn’t want to go anywhere else.”

Ponder’s offensive coordinator with the Vikings? Bill Musgrave.

Musgrave replaced Greg Olson as the Raiders offensive coordinator in January after serving as the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach. Musgrave presided over Mark Sanchez’s resurgence after replacing the injured Nick Foles. With Musgrave as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator, the Vikings were consistently in the Top 10 in the NFL in rushing, which certainly helped the young quarterback.

Ponder and Musgrave are now reunited with the Raiders. “I spent three years with Coach Musgrave in Minnesota. Sounds like it’s going to be a fun offense to run,” Ponder said. “I enjoyed my time with him when he was out there. He’s a coach that cares about the players and the quarterbacks, he’s challenging, has high expectations for everyone, he’s a very intelligent coach, I’m excited I already have that familiarity. Seems like it’s going to be a great quarterback room to be a part of.”

Couple his experience in the recently hotly-contested NFC North with his familiarity with offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, and Ponder fits well in the Raiders quarterback room. With the recent release of QB Matt Schaub, Ponder instantly becomes the most senior member of the quarterback room. Derek Carr just turned 24, third-year man Matt McGloin is 25, and Ponder is now 27. Ponder has played in 38 games with 36 starts while Carr has played in and started 16 and McGloin has appeared in 8 games with 6 starts.

040315-ponder-college.jpg


“It’s an interesting change. I think I’ve always been in a quarterback room where there was a guy older than me, it’s only going to be my fifth year, and to be the veteran it’s kind of funny. Time flies, it’ll be a fun role to have,” Ponder said. “As a rookie to go in and compete and beat out a guy like Matt Schaub and play the way [Derek Carr] did is exciting for him and for the Raiders. It’ll just be my role to help him out a little bit and see him improve. I think the Oakland fans should be excited.” The Raiders will get their first look at the quarterbacks in person in 2015 when the off-season workout program begins in a week.

During this past season, Ponder took a back seat in Minnesota. He used his time on the bench to his advantage. “I wish I was the one out there playing, but having some time to sit back and be on the bench and have my body heal up, I feel like I’m healthy now, I’m in shape, and I’m ready to get out there and compete,” Ponder said.

The Raiders added T J’Marcus Webb to the roster Thursday. Webb and Ponder played together in Minnesota. New Raiders C Rodney Hudson played with Ponder at Florida State. Ponder said that both players will add quite a bit to the Raiders offensive line.

“J’Marcus is big, he’s physical, he’s a smart player, he’s going to be a good player,” Ponder said. “I had a lot of time with Rodney at Florida State. Talk about a great player, smart, very physical, works hard, has a great work ethic. He’s a big catch for Oakland to land, and he’s going to be a key part of this offense and this line.”

Ponder is excited about the transition to his new home. Ponder and his wife, ESPN reporter Sam Ponder, are in the process of finding a place to live has and have been active on social media with regard to the move. “This is one of the most desirable places to live in the world, it’s a great place to live and we’re looking forward to it,” Ponder said.

Christian Ponder may be new to California, the Bay Area and the Raider Nation, but his enthusiasm for his new digs and his existing relationships with pieces the Raiders have put in place, make Ponder seem right at home already.
 
Oakland Raiders have re-signed the following 10 free agents, the club announced Tuesday.



RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS


Asante, Larry S
Holmes, Andre WR
King, Marquette P
Ross, Brandian S
Streater, Rod WR


EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS


Autry, Denico DE
Leonhardt, Brian TE
McCants, Matt T
Olawale, Jamize FB/RB
Thorpe, Neiko CB









 
J'Marcus Webb

Webb in the 2011 NFL season.
No. -- Oakland Raiders
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-08-08) August 8, 1988 (age 26)

Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight: 333 lb (151 kg)
J'Marcus Webb (born August 8, 1988) is an American football offensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders

Maybe this is the big guy they expect is going to make their offence work. Not sure he is that good.
 
Former Raiders WR Art Powell, an independent thinker and spectacular talent, dies at age 78

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

Art Powell, an independent free-thinker who played four spectacular seasons as a wide receiver for the Raiders from 1963-66, has died at age 78.

“The Raider family is sad to learn of the passing of Art Powell,” the club said in a statement. “His strong convictions and athletic prowess helped shape the pro football landscape of the 1960s. Our hearts and prayers and most sincere condolences are with his family at this time.”

The Raiders released no information regarding cause of death, but the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Powell died Monday night and had been dealing with heart problems and other health issues.

Powell, a 6-foot-3, 211-pound specimen that owner Al Davis once called “the T.O. of his time” in reference to Terrell Owens, had 254 receptions for 4,491 yards and 50 touchdowns in his four seasons with the Raiders.

For his career, Powell had 479 receptions for 8,046 yards and 81 touchdowns.

Powell began his career in 1959 with the Philadelphia Eagles, but was released after refusing to participate in a preseason game in Norfolk, Va., because African-Amercan players were not allowed to stay in the same hotel as white players.

He surfaced with the New York Titans of the American Football League, and signed with the Raiders after Davis paid a personal visit. The Raiders had been on of the AFL’s worst teams, and Powell had no intention of coming to Oakland until he talked to Davis, who had taken over as coach and general manager.

“My wife and I took Al to dinner. We went back to our apartment, and he told me how he was going to give me a chance to stretch out and show what kind of receiver I could really be,” Powell said in a 2006 story in the Oakland Tribune. “Being the salesman that he is, when he left, he had a signed contract with my name on it.”

With the Raiders, Powell and other African-American players balked at the idea of playing in a preseason game in Ladd Stadium in Houston Texans because black fans weren’t allowed to sit with whites and players were to be split up into two hotels.

Powell, Clem Daniels, Bo Roberson and Fred Williamson met with Davis to express their concern, and Davis had the game switched to Frank Youell Field in Oakland.

“Al never put on another game in the south during my time with the Raiders,” Powell said.

The Raiders traded Powell to the Buffalo Bills in 1967 at Powell’s request. Powell, wanted to pursue a business opportunity in the area.

Powell played in college at San Jose State with Bill Walsh as a teammate and Walsh was later an offensive coach for the Raiders when Powell was on the team.

“Art was his own man and fiercely independent,” Walsh said in 2006. “He was not afraid to voice his own opinions and take a stand.

Davis traded Powell and quarterback Tom Flores to Buffalo in exchange for quarterback Daryle Lamonica, who threw 34 touchdown passes as the Raiders went 13-1 and won the AFC championship.

Powell’s career faded in Buffalo following a knee injury and in 2006 he said he wondered how things had gone had he never requested a trade from the Raiders.

“Not every decision you make goes well,” Powell said. “I regret it more than Mr. Davis does. There is no doubt playing with the Raiders would have been the best way to finish my career. You make a decision, you live with it.”
 
Al Saunders has retired. Great coach, great person. His knowledge of the game is simply amazing.

In other news, I'm looking into the possibility of creating a Raiders podcast in the near future. Would love to gauge your interest, along with any potential ideas you'd have for it.
 
Chewy316 said:
Lots of options at this point, and still a little over a month until the draft. At this stage my preference is to draft Cooper over the pass rush, but I am hard pressed to overlook Fowler if he's there at 4 (which I don't think he will be). Assuming Fowler is off the board, my preference is Cooper, with Beasley a close second if we want to help the pass rush.
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Been watching some of Fowler. He seems like another Mack but has been playing all over the field.
 
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