Teams Las Vegas Raiders - The Black Hole

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Pretty good answers by Del Rio in a recent interview with Jim Rome.....

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Raiders coach Jack Del Rio tells Jim Rome, `I’m not very patient, so we’ll have to turn it around quickly.’

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio was a guest on the The Jim Rome Show Monday. A transcript of the interview:

Q: Since you’ve been hired I’ve spoken to a number of former Raiders who are excited about you being hired, how does it feel to be the Raiders head coach?

Del Rio: It’s a little bit of a dream come true. I grew up in Hayward, which is about 10 miles away. So being able to come home to a storied franchise like this, and the welcome that I’ve had from the Raider Nation, it’s been awesome.

Q: What made you think this would be a good spot for you?

Del Rio: I just feel like this is an opportunity to come in here and put my imprint and develop this team and bring ‘em back. It has a rich tradition. The cupboard is not bare. There are some good players here and certainly we’ve got work to do to bring in more competition and more talent and then to coach ‘em up and get ‘em ready. but I’m excited about the challenge.

Q: What kind of an attitude will Jack Del Rio’s Raiders play with?

Del Rio: We want to have a smart, tough football team that plays with a lot of passion. I’ve been a part of this league, this great league, for almost 30 years now and for me that’s what it’s all about. There’s a mentality, there’s a mindset that you have to have when you go after people on Sundays and you do it together, and when you get that going, you can become more the sum of your parts. You’re going to add up, you’re going to get people, you’re going to collect ‘em, but it becomes a team and when you share a vision and when you go out there and you fight together for each other you can accomplish special things.

Q: At 3-13 it would seem like the team is a long way from where you want it to be. Is that the case or do you see this thing turning around pretty quickly?

Del Rio: I’m not very patient, so we’re going to need to turn it around quickly. I don’t expect to come in here and look for excuses why we can’t get it done. I’m going to look for reasons why we will. I was visiting with Kenny Norton, and obviously we got Kenny done and got him here and I reminded him of how we were in Dallas in ’89 when we were playing together and that team was 1-15. And if you look at how many players three years later were hoisting a Super Bowl trophy, a good number of those players were on that roster at that time. So you just can’t look and come into a situation like this and dismiss and say there are no players there. There are players on every team across the league that can play. Our job is to add to those players, some quality, some competition, some structure, and then strive for the excellence.

Q: Mark Davis said when the two of you sat down, you gave your assessment of every offensive player, so as an opposing defensive coordinator, when you watch film of Derek Carr, what did you see?

Del Rio: First of all, it wasn’t just the offense, it was the entire roster. It was the defense, it was special teams, it was everything. So I prepared for that meeting. Obviously having played against them twice, it helped in terms of knowing what their offense was about. Carr is a special young talent. He’s got a really quick release. He’s a good decision maker. He shows some of that grit we’re looking for,. that toughness. And so he’s a guy that we feel like we have an opportunity to build around.

Q: You said after nine years in Jacksonville you needed a little rejuvenation. What did you mean by that and what process did you go through personally?

Del Rio: You invest so much. You put your heart and soul into something and it doesn’t pan out the way you had hoped. So just getting a little bit of time. It was enough, to get a little time, to kind of collect myself, to be in Denver and be with a tremendously successful organization and be part of the last three seasons, a lot of victories, a lot of happy Mondays. That was very rejuvenating. It brought me back, reminded me why I do this and what I love about this, going and competing every Sunday and now there’s a new opportunity in front of me and I’m very excited about it.

Q: You pointed out Bill belichick and Pete Carroll were better after their first stints as head coaches. How much of that was about them ending up in a better situation perhaps or how much was it them philosophically learning and growing and does it apply to you?

Del Rio: I like to think it will apply to me. I do believe that you learn in life, you learn from experiences you have in life. Certainly I think it’s been proven that those two guys adjusted to things the second time around. I plan on taking full advantage of the experience and the opportunities, some good, some not so good. Some that I’m proud of, some that I’m not proud of. But you learn from it and you understand where you made mistakes, where you did things well and you build on that. Going forward, anybody that’s been through those experiences should benefit and be able to impart some of that wisdom to the franchise.

Q: Did the topic of where the franchise would ultimately be come up with Mark Davis? Any chance you might ultimately coach the L.A. Raiders?

Del Rio:: Those discussions absolutely came up. My question was, `Are we going to stay in Oakland?’ He said, `my intent is to keep the team there.’ Look, I’m from this area. That was exactly what I wanted to here. He’s trying to keep the team here and hopefully that will happen.

Q: Any issue if you have to move to L.A.?

Del Rio: I went to school at Southern Cal. If that has to happen, it has to happen. But right now we’re here, committed to being here and I’m looking forward to getting the Raiders back to where they belong.
 
Chewy316 said:
The Raiders today completed their staff. Interesting to see Rod Woodson has come back as the assistant DBs coach. Also of note is that the Raiders have 4 members on their strength and conditioning staff, 3 of which come from the renowned EXOS program. Some very solid hirings in this final group of guys.

http://www.raiders.com/news/article...ng-Staff/ebd93fb5-cae2-46b9-bb0a-fd5a03a3f565
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletes'_Performance

EXOS, formerly named Athletes' Performance, is an American company founded in 1999 to maximize the potential of athletes. In 2014 the brand names Athletes' Performance and the subsidiary Core Performance were integrated into one brand name, EXOS.

The company focuses on proactive health and performance for elite athletes, the military and businesses. [1] Founded by Mark Verstegen in 1999 and based in Phoenix, Arizona,[2] it has private training facilities in Phoenix, Arizona, Fieldhouse USA in Frisco, Texas; at The StubHub Center in Carson, California; the SKLZ headquarters in Carlsbad, California and at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The company offers training and nutrition services in Raleigh, North Carolina and Cary, North Carolina through a partnership with Raleigh Orthopedic Clinic.

EXOS has trained 6 NFL overall #1 picks, 94 NFL first round draft picks and 459 total NFL draftees, 9 NBA first-round picks, World Cup heroes (US Women's Soccer and German Men's Soccer), and hosts of All-Stars across every major sport. Members of the Boston Red Sox have spent part of their off season time with EXOS.[3]
 

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GG said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletes'_Performance

EXOS, formerly named Athletes' Performance, is an American company founded in 1999 to maximize the potential of athletes. In 2014 the brand names Athletes' Performance and the subsidiary Core Performance were integrated into one brand name, EXOS.

The company focuses on proactive health and performance for elite athletes, the military and businesses. [1] Founded by Mark Verstegen in 1999 and based in Phoenix, Arizona,[2] it has private training facilities in Phoenix, Arizona, Fieldhouse USA in Frisco, Texas; at The StubHub Center in Carson, California; the SKLZ headquarters in Carlsbad, California and at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The company offers training and nutrition services in Raleigh, North Carolina and Cary, North Carolina through a partnership with Raleigh Orthopedic Clinic.

EXOS has trained 6 NFL overall #1 picks, 94 NFL first round draft picks and 459 total NFL draftees, 9 NBA first-round picks, World Cup heroes (US Women's Soccer and German Men's Soccer), and hosts of All-Stars across every major sport. Members of the Boston Red Sox have spent part of their off season time with EXOS.[3]
Click to expand...

Peptides
 
Raiders coach Jack Del Rio busy evaluating roster, discusses new coaches, new mindset, new appraoches

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio sat down with reporters who regularly cover the team Thursday for an informal lunch at a local Mexican restaurant and then went on the record for about 20 minutes before getting back to work.

A transcription of Del Rio’s first comments with the Bay Area media since he was hired:

Q: You knew something about the team by preparing to play the Raiders, but what do you know now that you didn’t know the day of the press conference?

Del Rio: Well, we spent time as a staff going through our own players. The first order of business upon taking over is to get to know your own team, so we’ve spent, and we continue to spend time getting to know our own team, going through the cut-ups and viewing the season and grading them, and reaching out and contacting the players, a good percentage of our roster has had contact with the coaching staff. Getting a call, returning the call, coming through and saying hello. Getting to know the roster is a big part of what we’re doing right now. So I know them a lot better. I have a much better reference point, in terms of the makeup of the team and some of the things we need to do going forward.

Q: What do you see as your biggest need in terms of the roster?

Del Rio: I think the biggest thing, for us as a football team, is to develop the mentality. I don’t know that I would get into a specific position where you’d say, we’ve got to address this position. We’ll clearly increase the talent level, look to add to the talent level, but it’s important that we develop the players that are here. We’re going to create a competitive environment, where guys enjoy coming ot work, they come to work with great energy, and compete their tails off every day. And I think with that, the mentality that we’re looking for will be developed and built and this football team will change, will transform.

Q: In past coaching changes, several assistants have been retained. This is probably the biggest turnover the Raiders have ever had in terms of staff turnover. Was that something you set out to do in terms of changing attitudes and mindsets? That you wanted an entirely new coaching staff for this team to react to?

Del Rio: I didn’t really look at it like that. Several of the guys were cleared out before I got there. I did not speak directly with some of them. But I basically went through a very deliberate process and spent a lot of time and thought in putting together the makeup of the current staff. I think we’ve assembled a strong staff. A staff of really good teachers, a staff of really good people. I feel good about where we’ve ended up. I was not in a rush. It think the first time around as a head coach, I thought there might have been some kind of prize at the end of it if I got through in record time. I didn’t feel that pressure this time around. I really took the time to discern, to check references, to make sure it was a good fit.. The No. 1 thing was they were going to be loyal to me, and they were excited about being here in Oakland, being a part of this football team.

Q: You were with Maurice Jones-Drew through some of the best seasons of his career, now he’s coming off the worst. Where does he fit in?

Del Rio: Well, all the individual players that are currently on the roster. They’re being evaluated. That will be continuous. I think, regardless of who and what their standing is when they come in, they can all expect to be challenged and they can all expect to have competition. We’re going to create that. Maurice is a special young man. I loved the time that we had together in Jacksonville. He was one of the true Warriors that I had on the football field. He gave everything he had to the football team and I will expect the same kind of commitment from all of our players here in Oakland.

Q: Think he still has something left?

Del Rio: Yeah, he thinks he does. We talked about it. We need to find that out. It’s something we need to find out. He feels healthy. I think the first thing would be that he needs to keep his weight where it needs to be and he understands that. So he can be explosive again. We need to find out if he can be explosive again.

Q: Some talk about offense having some up-tempo, no-huddle elements to it. Are those wrinkles or something we see more predominantly that not? How will it fit in to what you do?

Del Rio: It will be something that we practice. How much we utilize it will depend on the game plan, the opponent, how the game unfolds. We will definitely have that aspect of attack. We’ll have that ability to attack people in that manner. Bill Musgrave has a wealth of knowledge, has been around a lot of good coaches, a lot of different schemes. We’re going to, as a staff, sit down and determine what the Raider way is. But I know that is an element that he brings to the table. I know he’s not the only coach on our staff that has experience in the put the pedal down operation. He’s not alone in that. We do have some people who have done that on the offense staff. It’s something we want to be able to do when we want to do it. We want to be able to go at different speeds. If we want to go fast, we’ll go fast. If we want to play in a no-huddle but a methodical pace we can do that. If we want to huddle and really milk it, we’ll know how to do that. So we’re going to know how to play at different speeds and decide and dictate to the defense what speed we want to play at.

Q: Have you talked to Derek Carr since you got the job and what have those conversations been like and from what you’ve seen of him on film, what is the natural progression for him?

Del Rio: I think it’s all been pretty general conversations. He’s a bright young man. He’s clearly the kind of guy that wants to roll up his sleeves and get to work. Everything that I learned about him in terms of investigating the players and determining the type of players they have been prior to getting here, everything has been really positive coming back. For us, we’re looking at him as a really good young player that we make sure we’re strong, not only that he’s strong and develops and does things, but that we’re strong around him. That we’re going to be able to run the ball, that we’re going to be able to put good players around him, and that his ability to be accurate and decisive will be something we can take advantage of.

Q: How critical for Derek to have a veteran quarterback, where is’ Schaub or someone else?

Del Rio: It’s ideal to have that, and if it works out that that is the case, then that would be good. It’s not something that has to be. It’s something that would be ideal for a young player, to have a veteran guy there that can help him as he prepares as a younger player. And really it’s good to have a room that’s strong and understands what it takes to prepare every day and that everybody in the room approaches it like they’re the guy and everybody works really hard at the process.

Q: Because of his background, older brother being a quarterback, maybe not as big a deal as for another young quarterback to have a veteran backup?

Del Rio: No, it’s just that you do what you can. There are things you’d like to have happen and you can’t always make it happen. We’ll see. That would be the ideal.

Q: You talked about how cutting edge you want to be, what other ways do you want to be cutting edge? Your approach to strength and conditioning appears to be a little unorthodox?

Del Rio: That’s probably the first place, when you asked that question that’s the first place my mind went was Joe Gomes and the staff that we hired. They were trained at API. Spent a lot of time there. The entire approach of conditioning and strengthening our players. The regeneration, the regenerative aspects of it, bringing guys back, making sure that they’re healthy. The core work, the stabilization, all those things are going to be big factors. I brought Luke Richardson with me to Jacksonville, I think, six years, seven years ago now, he was out of API. Kind of similar in that he hadn’t been in the NFL, a little bit of an unknown, and he was terrific for me in Jacksonville. John Fox brought him in to Denver, and we had him the last three years there. The things that they’re doing are thing we should be doing with our athletes. They’re cutting edge in terms of innovation, they’re cutting edge in terms of some of the things that we need to do with our football team to give them a chance to be their healthiest, its most fit and its ability to be at its peak on Sundays. The timing of bringing it all together will be to maximize what our players have. I think Luke did a great job. I think we’ve kind of gone back to that place and plucked a couple more guys out of there that are really talented, really bright. We’ve got some plans that you’ll see unfold in terms of what we’re doing with the weight room, doing with the fields, that players are going to be very excited about when they get back.

Q: What are most important things to get done before April 7 when strength program starts and players come back?

Del Rio: We’ll continue doing our work. You’re working on your own roster and understanding it. You’re working on system implementation. So we’ll sit down and make sure that what we’re going to do and what we’re going to be going forward that it fits the personnel that we have. Then we’ll start looking at available personnel, and potentially those that might be available in free agency, and build a plan along those lines, then we’lll start preparing for the draft. So all of this is kind of in play, and between now and April 7, we’ll have an awful lot of work to do, but we understand the task that’s in front of us and we’re just rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.

Q: You fired Bill Musgrave once before. What about his experiences made him attractive this time?

Del Rio: Bill and I left on good terms. He’s a good man. So I think, since that time, he’s been a coordinator, he’s been a quarterback coach, he’s been exposed to systems, he’s done the power running game with Adrian Peterson. He’s been exposed to Chip Kelly and the “go fast” Oregon approach. He called it in Minnesota as a coordinator. You just look at his experiences and he’s gone through quite a bit, he’s been a little bit battle hardened. He’s worked with me before, he understands the demands I’m going to place and the things that are in front of us. I think it’s a real good fit for us. I’m very excited to be able to get him, bring him aboard. I think he’s really poised to kind of maximized his ability. He’s a bright guy, super-intelligent guy. Been around a lot of good teachers, good football. I thought he was really bright back then. Both of us were kind of green, you know? We were both cutting our teeth and kind of making our way. I think as we get back together now I think we’re both in a much better position. A lot wiser, and a lot better prepared.

Q: The flip side of that would be Ken Norton, who hasn’t been a play-caller, but you have a background with. What was appeal of bringing him here?

Del Rio: Great passion. Really connects with the players. He’s been a part of great defenses there in Seattle, so he’s coming in with the knowledge of what it looks like to win, what it takes to win. How you put together a roster. How you motivate a roster. He’s going to be excellent. I’m really excited about the connection he’ll bring, the passion that he brings every day. He likes to have fun. It’s going to be a real positive environment. Players are going to love it. Players are going to play hard for us. We’re going to play hard, we’re going to play fast and we’re going to have fun getting after people.

Q: In terms of combining this new Raiders defense . . . how much of it is as what you’ve done as a D-coordinator and head coach, with Ken being green, will it be more your style of defense than his?

Del Rio: This is going to be the Raider way. I think trying to determine the percentage of what’s his or mine is irrelevant. I think what’s more important that we know we’re going to settle on things that we’re going to be. I’m not really concerned with what that percentage looks like in terms of, we both believe in the basic premise that if guys understand what they’re supposed to do and you have good teachers and you’re able to develop guys and bring the best out of them to play hard for you, then you start developing that confidence, you start flying around the field and getting after people, that’s how you play great defense. Fortunately, we both were blessed with the opportunity to play along time and we’ve both been coaching for a long time, and we’ve been around some great defenses and I feel very confident that we will begin playing great defense in a short amount of time.

Q: You mentioned upgrades to the facility. What was your first impression of the facility when you came in?

Del Rio: I guess it was kind of how I feel about coming into the job. I know there’s work to be done, and excited about the opportunity to mold this place and make a difference, make an impact. We want to make sure that everything we’re doing every day gives us an opportunity to win our division, to contend for championships. That’s where it starts. Our goal from Day 1 is to win our division. Everything that we want to do on a daily basis is making sure that we’re tracking in taht direction.

Q: What will be your involvement in bringing back free agents _ Stefen Wisniewski for example, a starting center _ will that be Reggie dealing with the numbers, then telling you where you stand in terms of the merits of a player?

Del Rio: We’re as a staff examining the current roster. We’re sharing that information with Reggie and the scouting department. Reggie and I will sit down and formulate a plan in terms of how we execute our offseason, how we go about deciding which guys we’re interested in keeping, which guys we’re going to let go to the market, that maybe will monitor, and which guys maybe we let go and wish them the best. It will probably be a combination of all that. I think we’re going to be direct dialogue throughout the process. It’s a fluid process. Things change from day to day and we have the ability to have great communication, and we do.

Q: Impressions of Latavius Murray. Seen enough on tape to think he can be a No. 1 running back?

Del Rio: I think he’s shown enough of the traits to be a candidate to be that guy. I don’t know that he’s earned that yet. I think he’s shown that there’s potential there and we’re excited about working with him and developing him to his fullest and having him compete and we’ll end up, whoever ends up being the best guy, let the best guy play. He’s done enough things that piques your interest.

Q: What jumps out?

Del Rio: Size, he’s got good size, and speed. And there’s some things that we’ll need to work to improve in terms of overall awareness, football IQ, things like that, that we can help him with in coaching. And some of the running lanes we want to provide for him. Quite frankly there weren’t enough holes last year for backs to get loose in and do their thing. We want to make sure we’re doing our job up front, creating holes, knocking people off the ball and creating running lanes for guy like he and others like we talked about earlier can do their thing.

Q: Do you feel you have a No. 1 receiver here or will you look toward the draft?

Del Rio: I quit trying to number the receivers quite awhile ago. We’re going to have good players. When I was in Dallas in ’89, Ken and I were together, the offense line was just ridiculed. All the time. They can’t block anybody, this and that. Then you look at who won the Super bowl a couple of years later, a lot of those guys were still playing on the offense line. So we’ll see. We’re going to work to develop our guys. Our receivers, everyone we have here, we’re going to work to develop them to their fullest. We’ll have talent, we will create competition, and we’ll see, there might be a surprise or two, where someone becomes more than maybe what people outside of our building feel he could be.
 
Jack Del Rio wants to get Raiders facilities up to standard
Posted by Darin Gantt on February 13, 2015, 9:20 AM EST
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AP
In terms of the housing market, new Raiders coach Jack Del Rio has bought a fixer-upper.

That’s the roster he inherited, and the team’s facility as well.

According to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, Del Rio said he hopes to be able to update the team’s training facility in Alameda, to bring it up to modern NFL standards.

“It was kind of like how I felt about taking the job,” Del Rio said. “I knew there was work to be done, and I’m excited about having the opportunity to mold this place and make an impact.”

The first order of business is upgrading the weight room and practice fields. The fields are in better shape since General Manager Reggie McKenzie was hired in 2012, but more work is being done.

“We’ve got some plans that you’ll see unfold with the weight room and the fields,” Del Rio said, “that the players are going to be very excited about when they get back. . . .

“We want to make sure that everything we’re doing every day gives us an opportunity to win our division and be in position to win championships.”

In addition to the field and weight rooms, players will come back to a revamped strength and conditioning and nutrition program.

It might sound like a small step, but the process of being taken seriously as an NFL franchise depends on such things, at least among the players they need to be taken seriously on the field.
 
Del Rio addresses media at NFL scouting combine

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

A transcript of Raiders’ coach Jack Del Rio’s session with the media Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine:

Q: With all the off-field issues around the league, anything new teams need to do to make sure stay away from problems . . .

Del Rio: I think each organization has to handle their business in a way that suits them and you’re dealing with human beings and things happen. You just want to make sure you’re thorough in the research that you do and the work that you put in and obviously being here now, this is a part of that process, to get a feel for some of these young men. But it goes a lot deeper than that. I think you do the best you can to gather information. It think when you look at it as a whole, you look at the league in its totality, I think it’s a pretty good example of guys doing things the right way. I think it’s probably not said enough how a really high percentage of the people that are a part of this league are doing things the right way a large percentage of the time. But we will be thorough in terms of determining whether or not a person is a good fit for our organization.

Q: Is Jones-Drew anymore than a role player at this point? He didn’t play a major role last year . . .

Del Rio: No he didn’t, and I would say that’s something that we’ll continue to look at in terms of who is going to be on the roster, who is going to be challenging for spots on the roster, who is going to earn what particular role. I think it’s way too early in the process to start getting in to that. I think it’s all being evaluated. Certainly this is a fine young man that played great for me in our time together in Jacksonville. I have a lot of respect for him. We just need to find out. One of the things he came to see me to welcome me and say hello, and that was one of my questions. Can you be explosive again? We need to know whether that can happen again. We need to find out. Obviously I have a lot of respect for him, but that’s part of the process as we go through this, to make sure we’ re putting out the best product we can on the field.

Q: Why has it been so long since Raiders were on top?

Del Rio: I’m really not spending a whole lot of time worrying about what was. I’m really focused on what needs to be going forward. I’m very excited about what I think is a very strong staff that I was able to put together and I’m thankful that we were able to go get good people and that they were excited about being part of our effort there. I think it starts there. We brought in guys that were great teachers, with a lot of energy, and I think that is what we need. So going forward, what I’m looking to do is assemble a strong staff, we’ve done that. Evaluate the roster, that is continuous. This basically begins the new year. You come here, you begin your draft preparations or you really begin to bring the coaches in and close your draft preparations as you prepare for that day. You acquire that talent, and then you go in and compete. We’re going to have a very competitive mentality throughout our organization in everything we’re doing. We want to make sure that we’re competing to be the very best, and goal No. 1 is to win the division

Q: What does three years in Denver done to make you a better coach?

Del Rio: I think you grow from all your experiences you have as a coach. We spent three tremendous years in Denver. I’d like to think the last three years have been very beneficial, that we were able to do some superior things there on the field. You take that experience, part of it was going back and being the interim coach when John was battling his heart issues. As I told you then, it was good to be back on the bike, and it was a really good bike. We’re looking to make this is a good bike where we are now.

Q: With cap space, is the recruitment part of bringing guys in as important as what you’re doing at the combine?

Del Rio: It is very important. That’s why I think it’s important that prospective players out there understand that things have changed. Our fields have all been redone. Our weight room is being expanded. We have a steam room going in. There’s a freshness going on. Those are things I talked about in the interview process that were important and they’ve been followed up with actual commitment of capital, which I’m excited about. So as you go into this phase of free agency and acquiring players, we have cap space and we have cash and we have a new staff full of teachers and we have a good young quarterback and we have a good young man off the edge in Khalil Mack and we’ve got a good left tackle, we’ve got corners. The things that we need to be started, we have. We’re going to start adding good quality people that are fired up to be part of the Raiders. So I’m excited about that part of that process that we’re just getting in to.

Q: John Fox believed in putting players in best positions . . . .

Del Rio: Coach and I share a common philosophy in terms of making sure you get your players in position to do the things they do well. You want to minimize the exposure that they have in being asked to do things they can’t do well. that’s one of the fundamentals of coaching, is being able to relate to players, understand what they can and can’t do and make sure you’re creating opportunities to do things they do well. We’re looking for things guys can do. We’re not worried about the things they can’t do. It’s our job ot make sure we don’t put them in those situations. That’s basically the way I’ve always looked at it and the way Kenny Norton, my defensive coordinator, the way he looks at it. We’re looking for things guys can do. We’re excited about coaching these young men and teaching and developing these guys.

Q: Fox’ strengths in energizing a team?

Del Rio: My second time being with coach Fox. I think he’s really a great people person. He trusts his coordinators to do their jobs and he builds great relations with his players. I think those are basic hallmarks of what he brings. Good man to work for.

Q: Talk of relocation with Raiders, Rams Chargers, what were your discussions with Mark Davis in that regard?

Del Rio: Yeah, I asked, point blank, Mark Davis, what his thoughts were on potential relocation and he indicated to me it is his desire to keep the team in Oakland and that they’re working hard to do that. That’s his commitment to do it, to look at it that way. I’m from the area. I can coach anywhere, but I’m from there and it would be great to keep them right there and hopefully we can get that done.

Q: Do you expect Derek Carr to be your starting quarterback?

Del Rio: I would hope so. You’re not trying to jinx me, are you? Are we going to go down the roster now and try and determine who is going to be a certainty and who’s not. I don’t think that’s the kind of thing that needs to be talked about. I think most everybody out here would understand that right now.

Q: Decision to bring Rod Woodson in as assistant DB coach?

Del Rio: We’re excited to have Rod. Rod was a player in Baltimore when I was coaching as part of the Raven team that won the Super Bowl. I’ve seen Rod first-hand. He interned last year for us in Denver. He has coached before, was in Oakland once before. He has a passion for the game. He’s a Hall of Fame player, which doesn’t mean a whole lot in coaching other than he’ll get instant credibility and he’ll get that first five minutes, maybe it turns into 10 minutes, then he’s got to be about helping the guy be better. And it’s my belief he can do that. He can help us, he can bring wisdom, he can bring energy. He’s a good man and glad to have him on the staff.f

Q: Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown, DJ Hayden on the roster . . how do you feel about the corners you ahve on the roster?

Del Rio: I feel like we have some solid young players that should develop in our system. Throughout the whole roster we’re looking for ways that we can create competition and make sure that we develop, and I see that position much like the rest of the positions on the team. I think it’s one that had some moments, one that will need to play at a better level, and I think you could say that throughout the roster.

Q: Assessment of Khalil Mack’s rookie year . . .

Del Rio: I think he’s a guy that last year at this time was considered one of the top prospects. He’s gone from that top prospect in terms of a guy who may be able to come in and a play and he’s established himself as a guy that can play. We’d like to take that performance to another level. He showed signs of being dominant in certain things, in particular stuffing people at the line of scrimmage and putting up that stop sign, and telling people they’re not coming that way, and some of the ability of finishing on the edge we think we can help him with some of those things and some of those opportunities when you get teams in must pass situations, we think he can flourish. Excited about a young talent like that.

Q: DJ Hayden a matter of consistency going into third year?

Del Rio: DJ has got great feet. He’s got special corner feet. The ability to transition, change direction. For DJ it’s all about staying healthy, and it’s hard to develop if you’re not on the field working. We’re going to work hard. We’ve got a new strength coach, Joe Gomes, and Joe and his staff, they’re similar to what Luke Richardson brought us in Denver in terms of being on the cutting edge in terms of technologies utilized, of the conditioning and the conditioning and strength of your football team. A lot of the regeneration and regenerative things that you need to be about to bring people back, so they can train harder and be fresher on Sundays and be part of our program, that’s all part of it.

Q: Denver DT Terrance Knighten, followed you to Denver from Jacksonville, is he still trending upward?

Del Rio: Yeah, I mean, obviously we drafted him, we thought at that time he was kind of a dancing bear type. Kind of a big powerful man that could stay on his feet and run down the line. This game is about big, powerful men, so that the guys that have the skill level can do their things. This big, powerful man played well in Jacksonville. We got back together, he played well in Denver and so I appreciate that, I respect that. We have to have those kinds of people in our trenches, in our offensive and defensive line, in order to play the kind of football we expect to play.

Q: Staying in the same division, no unknowns . . .

Del Rio: There’s a working reference point that I can draw on. I am familiar with those stadiums, I am familiar with those teams, having competed against them. Been a part of one of them. Played the others twice a year. I think that may benefit certain things, but it’s still about getting in, doing the work, and not taking anything for granted. I have a healthy respect for the division. I think it’s a good division. Our goal No. 1, as I said a little while ago, our goal, No. 1, is to win our division first. Everything that we’re about, every decision that we make, can that help us win our division. Once we accomplish that, we can talk about other goals. But the No. 1 goal has to be that.
 
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie talks about off-season approach and shaping the roster for 2015 season

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie met with local writers for nearly a half-hour at the team hotel at the Indianapolis scouting combine: A transcription:

Q: Free agency approach, some guys will be monitored when they hit the market. Will Wisniewski hit the market?

McKenzie: I don’t know yet. Our guys have talked to him and we’ve been talking to Wiz since last summer. But we’re going to see how it plays out.

Q: Would you like to have him back, at right value?

McKenzie: There’s always a right price to everything. Everybody sees value differently. We’ll see how it goes. And it’s not just with Wiz, it’s with every free agent, restricted guys, even future free agents from other teams. They’re going to have their own value from what they perceive they deserve. If it fits what we want . . .

Q: Is it more important to keep Wiz because he was a high pick and you guys haven’t been able to keep some of your higher picks? Or is it case by case?

McKenzie: It’s going to be case by case. Nobody’s going to make me push the panic button to overvalue a player. That’s where you get into trouble. You’ve got to figure out, it doesn’t matter who you lose, you’ve got to figure out a replacement and whoever we bring in, it doesn’t matter, quarterback or backup corner, you’ve got to figure out how to replace every player if it comes to that. You prepare yourself. You want to keep all your players. You’d love to keep them for the right price. This year we have a lot of cap money to do some things, so we’ll try to get better at every position. We’re not just pinpointing one or two spots. We need to upgrade every position. That’s the way we feel.

Q: When going through the process of whether to retain Tony Sparano or go outside the organization, were you concerned members of the rookie class would in essence have to start all over in terms of new systems of football with a new staff?

McKenzie: I think with great players, they perform in whatever system you give ‘em. That’s why I like to just go after good players and not system players. In the same vein, I think it’s very important to maintain continuity. So it is important for players to continue to speak the same language on both sides of the ball and special teams. But the bottom line is we were 3-13, so we’ve got to improve. When it comes down to it, it’s about winning ballgames, and we feel like, for instance, we feel like our quarterback is smart enough, he came in, picked up that system and ran with it. He’s going to have, he’s already introduced himself to the coach, he’s working out on his own, he knows the plays. He’s farther ahead this year than he was last year. Lot of the same lingo, Derek has already told me, the way the system is, from a lingo standpoint, that’s not a problem. That’s just one case in point. I think all these players, Khalil Mack, you talk about the rookies that are playing, Khalil Mack, Justin Ellis, Gabe Jackson, TJ, from their standpoint, all those rookies that played extensively I don’t think there’s going to be a dropoff at all because of the systems.

Q: Could that rookie class have done much better than it did? Even when you pulled McGill into the lineup at the end of the year he was OK . . .

McKenzie: I’m hoping to see him. He was hurt, and ended up having surgery at the end of the season, but he’s one of those guy we expect bigger and better things from. Could they have done anymore? I’m going to say yes, because I’m sure Derek would like to have had more completions, more touchdowns. Khalil would have liked to have more sacks. I’m thinking they just scratched the surface to be honest with you. Am I pleased with, not just production, I’m pleased with the way those guys went about their business. You knew they were going to be good players. because they had the right attitude. They wanted to be good, they wanted to be out there, and they practiced like it. When you see guys like that, from a mental standpoint, you go game by game, they did not, they weren’t a guys that were making a whole bunch of mistakes. As rookies, it wasn’t like, oh, man, that was a big-time bust. You didn’t have to go through those growing pains like that. Best rookie class, I’d have to go back the other 19 years since I’ve been around, but this was a great start.

Q: Jack talked about Raiders being an increasingly attractive place to play. You have cash, a quarterback, upgrading facility, do you believe that for quality free agents the Raiders could be an attractive desitnation.

Q: McKenzie: I don’t think there’s any question. I think when you add, players like to be around great players, really. And offensive players, the one question they want to know is who is going to be the quarterback. That’s a given. This thing is, I was talking to the staff, we’re in the recruiting stage. Free agency, money, is major recruiting. It’s like colleges, they want to see what you got. They want to see where we play, where we practice, where we meet. It’s all important. What city you’ll be in. Highlight the positives and that’s a part of it. And really, it gets to the point where they talk amongst themselves and everybody is positive. the energy is all about that, it’s all about the vibe that they get when they’re around current players. They see each other throughout, where they train, where they live. It’s up to us to try and help facilitate that.

Q: What can you tell us about Nick Roach’s status? Has he been cleared?

McKenzie: No. It’s still the same. The last time the medical staff had spoken to me, he has not cleared as of yet. You’ve got to start looking out for the player. We’ll continue to communicate with the medical staff and I’ll talk to Nick and we’ll make the decision. But I’m in the best interests of the player and as much as we’d love him to be our signal caller on defense, I don’t want to risk life-long injury if he goes out there. Especially if he has any, not discomfort, but any type of feeling within him that something’s not right. And for it to last this long is not a good thing.

Q: You had Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers in on one-year contracts. Any interest in bringing them back?

McKenzie: I’m going to let those guys hit the market and we’ll see what happens there. We like what our young corners have done. I think veterans like that are here on the team to bring those young guys along. And I think they kind of did that. Carlos was a savvy veteran that they leaned on. Tarell did a good job with those guys. I think it’s their turn.

Q: Get away from signing two veteran corners per year . .

McKenzie: You want to make sure you get guys that can play, that you don’t want to have to keep bringing in.

Q: Think Hayden, Carrie, McGill, ready to be the top guys?

McKenzie: Yeah. I think they’re ready now. I don’t think you can just say those three names and expect to go through the full season. I still think you need one or two more. My point is, I don’t think you need that old cagey, savvy veteran to help bring along. I think they’re at a point now where they played, I’ve got Charles Woodson in the room, they got the understand that this is how we approach the game, this is how we’re giong to approach each play. I don’t need that particular guy. If it’s a guy that can come in and be a great starter, yes. If he can be a great backup, not only at the corner position but safety, D-line, every position we’re going to upgrade.

Q: Could your approach to free agency change. Last year you needed volume. This year you’ve got a foundation and could you concentrate money on one or two as opposed to getting a bunch?

McKenzie: I’m going to try and go after good players. I don’t think last year, I felt like we need more role players. Now we’re looking for some guys who can come in and be impact (players). Be starters. More so. So in volume, that way, I’m looking for less volume that way. I don’t need as many backup players. We need to get stronger. We’re going to go after some real players.

Q: Jack Del Rio said Austin Howard will probably go out to tackle . .

McKenzie: Not probably. We’re going to move him to tackle.

Q: That leaves Gabe Jackson as only interior offensive lineman if Wiz hits the market . . . a target area of free agnecy and draft?

McKenzie: It’s a good year for offensive linemen in the draft. If we lose guys, it’s our job to replace ‘em. We won’t go in there without interior players. I want to have the best offensive line. Whoever we try to bring in if someone decides to go, that happens. We’re not going to ever push the panic button.

Q: If you got a good price on McFadden like last year, would you consider bringing him back?

McKenzie: To me, this year’s a little different because Latavius, last year, in 2013 he spent the whole season rehabbing an injury, surgery. Last year, I think he showed that he can be a player. Whether he’s a starter or a 1-2 player, it doesn’t matter. I would like to try to explore options also. We’re going to talk to his guy. We’ll meet with McFadden’s agent this week and see what’s going on, but I want to bring another guy in to try and push him. There are no given spots to anyone.

Q: You’ve avoided the kind of suspensions and off-the-field issues other teams have had. Do you put more of an emphasis in looking into backgrounds, or is it the same as you’ve always done?

McKenzie: We put the emphasis on it. I learned that with Ted Thompson in Green Bay. You’ve got to be able to count on guys. You want them to be there every game and not get stuck in some suspension deal. So, when I came here, that was one of the things that I want to make sure, our scouting department, our coaches knew. I want to treat this locker room as if I was in it. I want to be able to look left and right and say, these are the guys I want to play with. That don’t mean we’re not going to bring in guys with any issues. We’re going to bring in guys with an issue. We the information, and if it says, you probably don’t want to do this guy, we’re going to listen to it. There are some issues that, a guy was maybe a freshman or early sophomore and did some stupid stuff but have been solid after that, you take everything into account. You take into account all the information you get from the school, or the police, or psychologists. All the information that you can get, you go through it. But we do take in the background checks, the character of the guys and make a determination there.

Q: Where does Watson stand with Howard at right tackle? Competing?

McKenzie: Absolutely. Competing. I don’t want a guy, this guy’s a starter and this guy’s a starter, and this guy’s a backup who doesn’t think about starting. If I can get four starters, left and right tackle, that’d be great. At some point, guys go down, and you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re afraid to protect your quarterback. You can’t move the ball, you can’t block anybody. That’s an ugly feeling. We’re going to let ‘em compete, let ‘en battle and we’re going to go from there.

Q: There’s a perception you really need a wide receiver, do you buy into that, go out and get one of those game changers. High on your checklist?

McKenzie: My checklist, I got a big checklist. It’s not just receivers. But receiver is one of the positions I want to try and upgrade. Moving Austin to tackle, I want to get an interior player. Another guy to compete with Latavius in the backfield. I could go down the list. We need players. What I won’t do is pinpoint one position and regardless of how the draft falls, regardless, if you just target one position and I’m going to get that position. Any position we have a chance to upgrade we’re going to do it.

Q: Could you come out of free agency with three or four starters, Is that what you’re looking for?

McKenzie: If they come. If they come. Those guys are going to have to compete too. Certain players that we bring in, it’s not a red carpet deal, their position on matter what. We’re go after starter-type guys.

Q: Plenty happy to get Mack, but you evaluated everybody, and wound up being lot of good wide receievers, three with a thousand yards and Watkins was close. Did you see that kind of talent? And in this year’s class, do the top WRs have similar skills?

McKenzie: Yes, similar skill sets. Last year, there were a lot of guys we had in that top area. Even some of those second-rounders had production. You talk about the first round, from last year there were some guys in the second round that were productive. It was a good class last year from a rookie production standpoint.

Q: Is it upward trend of having good college WRs because of the way colleges play offense and the emphasis on passing?

McKenzie: Yeah. But still, a lot of those players, the receivers have to work on work blocking. They’ve got to work on running the entire route tree because there are just certain things that some of them do. More of the quick screens, certain routes that they don’t run as much and that type of offense. But as far as receiving skills, catching the ball, knowing how to high-point balls and back-shoulders, certain skills sets, you see a lot more talent that way because in the numbers. You’re playing with a lot more receivers now in college than you were 10 or 15 years ago.

Q: Sio Moore, there wasn’t much said about his long-term prognosis. Will he be ready for camp?

McKenzie: yeah. He should be ready for camp. Nothing negative from our medical staff that he wouldn’t be ready for camp. But he had major surgery, so it’s going to take him awhile. He’ll rehab and get stronger. Not going to push him through and make him be ready for the start of OTAs. We’re not going to do that. We’ll be smart about it and let him rehab, get strong, but no, he should be fine by training camp.

Q: Future for Tyvon Branch, high cap number may give you flexibility, do you want him back if healthy?

McKenzie: that’s going to be a situation we’re going to have to monitor, because the injury situation has been an issue the last couple of years. We’re going to have to talk that through some more. After we get back from the combine. I’ll talk to his agent while we’re here, and we’ll try and see where his head’s at, how he feels physically and try to figure that out.

Q: Is it realistic to think Matt Schaub could be back as a backup?

McKenzie: It’s always realistic. Guys, we went through a situation where we played three different quarterbacks in a year in my short three years here. I don’t like doing that. I don’t like trying to figure out, are we going to be able to take a snap and function on offense. I felt like we had three quarterbacks last year I was comfortable with. He’s played a lot of football. He’s smart. I’m not in favor of just giving up on guys that can play the game. Now, from the standpoint of competition and the direction that we’ll go, we’ll talk to Schaub’s guy. His number is not bad at all contractually.

Q: But a lot to pay a backup . . .

McKenzie: Yeah. But everything can happen. He doesn’t have anything that is forcing our hand right now. There could other teams that want him and maybe would trade me a player for him. There are different things that could happen. You don’t just give up on a player that has some value. Just because his number is maybe higher than you would like that don’t mean you give up on him. We’re not in a position like I was a couple of years ago trying to re-do a contract just to try and fit and do some things. I’m not in that situation. We’re in a pretty good situation.

Q:: So you may not cut a lot of veterans simply because you don’t have to, you can see what happens . .

McKenzie: Yes.
 
It's all the same stuff every year whenever we get a new coach and staff. I do like how they're being a bit more realistic with their views and not just spouting 'We're a Super Bowl team' or something.
The main thing which grabbed my attention is the stuff about the weight room and the field. Them not being up to scratch is pretty pathetic.
 
You think Green-Beckham can fall to us in the second round? That would be a great pick if he's still around. Especially if somehow Williams drops to us in the first.

And would we take Kevin White over Cooper? I prefer White's potential and with the 40 time of 4.35 that he just posted he will be a top 15 pick now.
 
Last edited:

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GeeCats07 said:
You think Green-Beckham can fall to us in the second round? That would be a great pick if he's still around. Especially if somehow Williams drops to us in the first.

And would we take Kevin White over Cooper? I prefer White's potential and with the 40 time of 4.35 that he just posted he will be a top 15 pick now.
Click to expand...

Green-Beckham won't last till the second round imo but I wouldn't go near him. The Raiders have way too many holes to be risking their first round pick on someone who has missed a year of football due to having multiple issues resulting in said player getting kicked off his team.

Wouldn't surprise me to see the Raiders draft either White or Cooper. White is portrayed as a much bigger receiver, yet the height difference based on the combine measurements is a little over 1.5 inches, a 4 pounds (not even 2 kilos). In other words, the whole size issue between both receivers is next to nothing imo. If you also superimpose Cooper and White's 40 yard dashes, Cooper finishes just in front of White. Yes, White recorded a better time, but you'll realise that the 40 is recorded by hand and thus there is plenty of error. Bottom line for me is that there is nothing I took from the combine to suggest that any of the measureables points to taking one receiver over the other. Hence, I'm still taking Cooper over White. Watched around a dozen game films of both receivers (each) and still don't see how White comes close to what Cooper does right now. White has a high ceiling but so does Cooper imo. Given Cooper's higher floor right now, I'm taking him.

Someone I want to go back and look at the tape is Dante Fowler. Very well could be the pick if the Raiders go D at #4.
 
Chewy316 said:
Green-Beckham won't last till the second round imo but I wouldn't go near him. The Raiders have way too many holes to be risking their first round pick on someone who has missed a year of football due to having multiple issues resulting in said player getting kicked off his team.

Wouldn't surprise me to see the Raiders draft either White or Cooper. White is portrayed as a much bigger receiver, yet the height difference based on the combine measurements is a little over 1.5 inches, a 4 pounds (not even 2 kilos). In other words, the whole size issue between both receivers is next to nothing imo. If you also superimpose Cooper and White's 40 yard dashes, Cooper finishes just in front of White. Yes, White recorded a better time, but you'll realise that the 40 is recorded by hand and thus there is plenty of error. Bottom line for me is that there is nothing I took from the combine to suggest that any of the measureables points to taking one receiver over the other. Hence, I'm still taking Cooper over White. Watched around a dozen game films of both receivers (each) and still don't see how White comes close to what Cooper does right now. White has a high ceiling but so does Cooper imo. Given Cooper's higher floor right now, I'm taking him.

Someone I want to go back and look at the tape is Dante Fowler. Very well could be the pick if the Raiders go D at #4.
Click to expand...
Flower I don't like. Plays too high, gets easily manhandled pretty much every down, seldom beats his blocker, and hardly ever causes any disruption in the offensive backfield.
 
GeeCats07 said:
You think Green-Beckham can fall to us in the second round? That would be a great pick if he's still around. Especially if somehow Williams drops to us in the first.

And would we take Kevin White over Cooper? I prefer White's potential and with the 40 time of 4.35 that he just posted he will be a top 15 pick now.
Click to expand...

I like White as well.

However, I'd take Williams ahead of both.

Green-Beckham is a no go. Wouldn't touch him with a 100ft pole.
 
Chewy316 said:
Green-Beckham won't last till the second round imo but I wouldn't go near him. The Raiders have way too many holes to be risking their first round pick on someone who has missed a year of football due to having multiple issues resulting in said player getting kicked off his team.

Wouldn't surprise me to see the Raiders draft either White or Cooper. White is portrayed as a much bigger receiver, yet the height difference based on the combine measurements is a little over 1.5 inches, a 4 pounds (not even 2 kilos). In other words, the whole size issue between both receivers is next to nothing imo. If you also superimpose Cooper and White's 40 yard dashes, Cooper finishes just in front of White. Yes, White recorded a better time, but you'll realise that the 40 is recorded by hand and thus there is plenty of error. Bottom line for me is that there is nothing I took from the combine to suggest that any of the measureables points to taking one receiver over the other. Hence, I'm still taking Cooper over White. Watched around a dozen game films of both receivers (each) and still don't see how White comes close to what Cooper does right now. White has a high ceiling but so does Cooper imo. Given Cooper's higher floor right now, I'm taking him.

Someone I want to go back and look at the tape is Dante Fowler. Very well could be the pick if the Raiders go D at #4.
Click to expand...

That's why I said I would have hoped Green-Beckham drops to us in the second. Definitely not worth our first round pick.
I really want us to draft a defensive player in the first. Cooper and White both look good but I don't know if either of them are elite players worth the number 4 pick. Will be praying for Williams big time!
 
GeeCats07 said:
That's why I said I would have hoped Green-Beckham drops to us in the second. Definitely not worth our first round pick.
I really want us to draft a defensive player in the first. Cooper and White both look good but I don't know if either of them are elite players worth the number 4 pick. Will be praying for Williams big time!
Click to expand...

If Leonard Williams is there at 4, he'll be a Raider. That being said, I don't see how he falls past the Titans AND the Jags.

Need to go back and watch the tape of Fowler, Gregory, Ray etc before I come up with a solid opinion of them.

Just a small tidbit though, I've heard through a source that Cooper is ahead of White on the Raiders draft board. Trying to verify it through a second guy, but the first person is reliable for sure. And no, I did not get this info from Twitter.
 
GG said:
Getting closer to the Raiders staying in Oakland...

Click to expand...


Yeah they negotiated with Colony Capital for a while as well and look how that turned out. Spoke to three different sources in the last 6 hours who all have said that Oakland has next to no chance to keeping the Raiders. Seriously, at this stage what else is Kephart and the political people in Oakland going to say? "Oh yeah, we don't have much of a chance, if any, to keep the Raiders, but we're going to continue to try!" Come on, man.

The Raiders need to keep negotiating with Oakland to show that it's impossible to get a new stadium in Oakland. That will be proven by the end of the year. LA becomes firmly in the picture, which is where I've been told the Raiders expect to be playing in 2016.
 
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