LET'S PUT IT ALL IN THIS THREAD. LEMME START THIS OFF WITH
JERRY MCDONALD FROM THE TRIBUNE'S LATEST MAILBAG Q & A. DUDE KNOWS THE RAIDERS!!
Jerry’s Mailbag
By admin
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 3:26 pm in Jerry's Mailbag, Oakland Raiders.
Thanks for the patience after taking a few days off during a slow period . . .
Tuckrulefool: Why don’t you and others in media have access to Lane Kiffin himself? One would think a few point-blank questions to Kiffin would refute or confirm the nonsense we have all seen over the past six weeks.
JERRY MCDONALD: The Raiders say Kiffin does not wish to respond to rumors. When asked questions at the Senior Bowl, Kiffin deflected questions regarding his role by saying he wasn’t going to discuss anything that happened in the previous three weeks. His response concerning Ryan’s status was that Ryan was under contract and that he was “excited” about it. He also said he had heard nothing about reports he wanted Ryan out. That’s a long way of saying that even if Kiffin made himself available, he could still avoid point-blank questions.
Ed Flowers: OK, things have been pretty quiet since the Senior Bowl and the James Lofton hiring. Any word on whether Lane Kiffin will still be in Oakland to coach the Raiders for at least one more season?
JERRY MCDONALD: I said in a Jan. 7 blog I would have a hard time envisioning Kiffin resigning after a year because regardless of how difficult the situation may be in Oakland, he would be perceived as someone who gave up when things didn’t go his way. Kiffin found out there was a price to pay for the Arkansas rumors and a 4-12 record, but as of now that price won’t include his job.
Victor, New York City: Is there any way that Roger Goodell can step in and maybe “strong-arm” Al Davis into changing the way he’s running the organization? Can the minority owners team up and urge him to resign Can we (Raider Nation) do something to try to get this man out of power?
JERRY MCDONALD: Not unless the Raiders aren’t spending money on players or attempting to improve their franchise. As for the minority owners, the agreement with the Raiders, the way I understand it, gives Davis the power to run the organization as he sees fit. The fans have no more of a chance to get Davis out of power than they had to stop Davis from moving the franchise from Oakland to Los Angeles or from Los Angeles to Oakland.
Howard Hart: Is it possible that A lDavis hired Lofton with
the idea of bringing him in as Kiffin’s
replacement once Kiffin’s contract expires at the end of next season?
JERRY MCDONALD: Only Davis knows the answer, but yes, it is possible. Of course, things can change a great deal in a year. If the Raiders were to make rapid improvement, Kiffin’s star would again be on the rise. Or Kiffin could be gone and Davis could have moved on to a new prodigy. Lofton does offer a fall-back position in the event of an in-season change, as was done with Mike Shanahan in favor of Art Shell in 1989.
Ryan, Cedar Falls, Iowa: I was wondering if the Raiders are trying to re-sign Jerry Porter or who they are pursuing in the free agent market at wide receiver?
JERRY MCDONALD: My guess is Porter wants to see what he’s worth on the open market. He said as much after the regular-season finale against San Diego. If the Raiders were competitive in the market, he might consider coming back to a more stable quarterback situation with JaMarcus Russell entrenched as No. 1. But Porter thinks of himself as a star-in-waiting who only needs the right system _ he was miffed when the Raiders passed on Mike Martz and ended up with Tom Walsh. Now Martz is in San Francisco, and the 49ers need receivers.
Nick Vitro: Jerry – What can you tell us about the Raider’s current evaluation process for Free Agency and the Draft? Is the coaching staff being consulted? Or are personnel evaluations, team needs etc being handled by Al and Scouts exclusively? Curious if there is any observable activity that would support the rumored edict from Al about Lane being stripped of personnel decisions etc.
JERRY MCDONALD: Good question.
The Raiders have lowered their “Get Smart” cone of silence since the end of the regular season. Hopefully some information will be available in the hallways and hotel lobbies at the NFL scouting combine, which begins Feb. 21 in Indianapolis.
Al, Idaho: Are Al Davis and Lane Kiffin talking and have they patched things up? I’m asking because free agency is right around the corner and so is the draft, and everyone will need to be on the same page.
JERRY MCDONALD: I have a hard time envisioning an owner/GM not talking to his coach at all, but the fact is the draft and free agency are coming whether they’re on the same page or not.
K. Beckmann: Are you a fan of the Raiders, and if so, how long have you been one? Do you have a favorite Raiders memory or play? Also, how has reporting on the Raiders affected you as a fan?
JERRY MCDONALD: The only teams I am a fan of are my son’s youth baseball and basketball teams and my daughter’s soccer team. I can’t speak for anyone else, but this job takes the “fan” out of you. I don’t think I’ve had a true rooting interest in any team in more than 20 years. The team you cover is your work place, and like any work place, there are some people you like and some you don’t. My dad had Raiders season tickets for a few years when I was in elementary school and my favorite games were a Monday night regular-season game against the Jets and Joe Namath in 1972 and the “Sea of Hands” playoff game against Miami.
Steve Murchie, Kensington, Md.: With the first-round pick, the only way we don’t take a blue-chip D-lineman is if Darren McFadden is still on the board, right But there’s a lot of depth at the front of the draft at DT and DL, so what about trading down a few spots and picking up an extra pick (assuming Glenn Dorsey and Chris Long are off the board); What about taking Aqib Talib; He’s a big-time playmaker, and with him and Nnamdi on the corners, we could really cut loose with the other nine defenders.
JERRY MCDONALD: I think the Raiders would be more than happy with either Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis.
I don’t think Kiffin would pass up D-line help for McFadden, believing the Raiders running system will be productive. But there’s no way of knowing at this point how much input Kiffin has. The Raiders don’t normally trade down, but then again, Davis is fond of saying, “I’d rather be right than consistent; In other words, rule nothing out.
Max, Chicago: Al Davis is in love with deep passes and shutdown corners. Would it make sense to pursue either Asante Samuel or Marcus Trufant in free agency to team with Asomugha and Huff? We’d be putting a lot of money out for two players, but theoretically it would make it extremely difficult to pass on us and we could focus more on the run.
JERRY MCDONALD: I don’t think a second top-tier corner would have made the Raiders a better team against the run last year. It had more to do with winning at the line of scrimmage and fighting off blocks. Nnamdi will be franchised, and I’m still puzzled by what happened to Fabian Washington last year. I wouldn’t give up on him yet.
 Zack Lake: So, it appears that the Raiders are going to, or should tag Nnamdi Asomugha, if that’s true what do we do with Derrick Burgess?
JERRY MCDONALD: Burgess is under
contract at a salary of $2 million for each of the next two years. If he can get back into double figures in sacks, he could earn himself a bigger contract. But nothing Burgess did in 2007 gave the Raiders any reason to rework his deal.
XL: Do you think the time off will serve as a catalyst for Michael Bush to make a grand entrance into the NFL this season? Is there a chance we have a real weapon at RB just waiting to happen.?
JERRY MCDONALD: There is no way to know. Bush hasn’t taken a real, game-type hit since the 2006 season opener for Louisville. It’s tempting to think he is going to burst on the scene as this dominant back and that the Raiders are going to come out of this with a great player for a fourth-round pick, but there is no visual evidence to support it. We’ll start to get an idea in training camp and during
the preseason.
Mario: Raiders have many veterans either retiring or voiding
their contracts. Last time I checked, we were 26 million under the cap. What
is our cap situation as of right now?
JERRY MCDONALD: Last figure I
saw was still 25.8 million. Warren Sapp’s contract remains in the books and won’t come off until he files paperwork, which should clear a little more space. Players who voided deals such as Tyler Brayton and Jerry Porter will also have to be taken into account. Basically, with the cap as high as it is now (116 million), it is a non-issue. The Raiders have all the money they
need and then some to acquire players.
Jason Teague: Defense or offense with the Raiders’ first pick? Who will we go for?
JERRY MCDONALD: Defense. My guess
would be that either Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis will end up as a Raider. If Long and Dorsey are both gone, it will be interesting to see if the Raiders used a No. 3 or 4 on Ellis _ who probably could be had a few picks later.
Blackmail214: Since the Raiders only have 5 draft picks do
you see them trying to get more picks before the NFL draft ?
JERRY MCDONALD: The Raiders usually
swing some sort of deal regarding their picks. If they have a free agent quarterback
in mind, Andrew Walter could bring a late-round pick.
Paul Torio: We all have witnessed the one or two times a year
that he appears before the media the back and forth Al Davis experiences with
various reporters in the Bay Area. He doesn’t forget a thing and seems to be
completely aware of any articles written about him or the Raiders. My questions
to you are: What is your relationship with Al, if such a thing exists?Â
Does he seem to like you? Dislike? Tolerate? Has he ever mentioned anything
to you about your articles? Has he ever challenged you about something you wrote?
Is he aware of this popular blog? Anything you would like to speak on would
be great.
JERRY MCDONALD: The way the Raiders
operate is to have a member of the P.R. staff call if Davis is unhappy about
something written in the paper. There were a couple of years where he didn’t
seem all that happy with me _ I was told by a former employee it had to do with
an assigned trip to Orlando, Fla., to do some Raiders-Bucs stories in anticipation
of a Week 3 meeting in the regular season. The P.R. staff assembles a file of
stories written on the Raiders which is available to Davis. I have no idea if
they include blog items.
Toluca Raider: Who should we target in free agency? Are there
any solid players outÂ
there that could be worth a paycheck in your opinion?
JERRY MCDONALD: Less is often
more in free agency. An important thing to remember is that no team ever loses
a player it truly wants to keep. The best free agents are franchised. Otherwise,
they’re being let go for a reason (production, attitude, unreasonable
salary demands, etc). Rather than pay huge money, sometimes it’s better
to target a mid-level free agent who fits your system. Oakland’s signing
of Cooper Carlisle last year is a prime example.
Jose: Do you think that the Raider defense will try to utilize
the 3-4Â
defense, now that Sapp is out of the picture? I believe with a littleÂ
tweaking at OLB with Sam Williams, Burgess, and Clemons (if resigned)Â
would be an excellent experiment, now that we have the DE for thisÂ
defense in Richardson and Kelly. It seems that every year Rob Ryan tries toÂ
introduce a different defensive look, this might be the year for theÂ
3-4 don’t you think?
JERRY MCDONALD: They could use
some 3-4, but likely it will continue to be with a four-man rush and man-to-man
coverage in the secondary. They’ve done it that way since they’ve
been back to Oakland and the fact that Ryan remained as defensive coordinator
indicates it isn’t likely to change.
Jeremy Gunn: When do the Raiders have to make a decision about
Justin Fargas? Also have you heard any contract talk between the Raiders and
DE Chris Clemons? I think he will be a beast of a pass rusher next season.
JERRY MCDONALD: Free agency begins
Feb. 29, and the Raiders will no doubt be talking to representatives for both
men. I think they’d like to have both back but won’t overpay. Fargas
runs as hard as anyone in the league, but he is a liability as a receiver, particularly
in the red zone, and his style invites head-on collisions and injury. Clemons
was a pleasant surprise, but if someone is willing to write a huge check for
one eight-sack season, the Raiders might just let them.
John: Love the blog and painfully love the Raiders. I have
been a season ticket holder for 8 years and I told my wife I would not renew
our tickets if Al Davis gets rid of Kiffin. Do you think I am alone in
this feeling or do you think season tickets will drop in sales if Kiffin is
replaced?
JERRY MCDONALD: I like what Kiffin
did and think not letting him take the ball and run with it is a mistake. If
Davis has all the faith in Kiffin he proclaimed when he was hired, then let
him remake the team and rely on the owner for guidance, rather than an iron
fist. But let’s be clear _ Kiffin is just 32 years old and was 4-12 last
year. His lack of experience showed at times. He is getting all this love in
large part because the adversary is Davis. I have talked with Raider fans and
are considering dumping their tickets, but I think it’s more a factor
of 19-61 over the past five years than it is about Kiffin. They’d just
like to see a competitive team for a change, regardless of the coach.
Steven: I’ve heard rumors that the Raiders might be making
a move for players such as Chad Johnson from the Bengals or Roy Williams and
Shaun Rogers from the Lions. Do you see any of those trades happening
or any other trades for that matter?
JERRY MCDONALD: Big trades are
more often talked about than actually consummated. The Bengals and Lions are
both on record as being reluctant to deal their star receivers. Rogers, a 340-pound
nose tackle, is coming off a season in which he has seven sacks and returned
an interception 66 yards for a touchdown. He is under contract through 2010
with salaries of $4.25 million this season, $5.25 next season and $7 million
in 2010. That’s a big chunk of change for the anchor of a defense that
gave up an average of 4.3 yards per carry and 116 rushing first downs (only
Miami, the New York Jets, Oakland and Denver had more).
Tim, L.A.: Aside from Kirk Morrison endorsing Kiffin, has
anyone gotten word from the players regarding the messy situation in Oakland?
What’s the vibe? Are these guys dreading another year with this
franchise, or are they hungry enough to get past Al’s antics and
play for a ring?
JERRY MCDONALD: Players want
no part of addressing this issue because they’re not sure what is true
and what is not. They’re going to protect their own paychecks.
RaidMan: How will this Davis-Kiffin mess _ and all the other
nonsense that seems to always permeate this franchise _ affect the Raiders’
pursuit of free agents?
JERRY MCDONALD: I wrote a blog
last week which espoused the idea that it wouldn’t have as much of an
effect as you might think. Why? Because playing time and money are the biggest
issues with any player, and the Raiders can put on a good face during the recruiting
process, call upon their great tradition, and have Davis to come in for the
biggest free agents. Davis is known as a player’s owner, has a great sense
of history and will come in prepared with flattering details of the player’s
skills and past. I’ll address this at a later date, but I know at least
one agent who informed me I was flat-out wrong. He said he fully intended to
steer his clients away from the Raiders if at all possible and that the dysfunction
of the franchise was one of the hottest sideline topics among coaches, scouts
and front-office types at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. With free agency approaching,
we’ll know soon enough who is right.
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JERRY MCDONALD FROM THE TRIBUNE'S LATEST MAILBAG Q & A. DUDE KNOWS THE RAIDERS!!
Jerry’s Mailbag
By admin
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 3:26 pm in Jerry's Mailbag, Oakland Raiders.
Thanks for the patience after taking a few days off during a slow period . . .
Tuckrulefool: Why don’t you and others in media have access to Lane Kiffin himself? One would think a few point-blank questions to Kiffin would refute or confirm the nonsense we have all seen over the past six weeks.
JERRY MCDONALD: The Raiders say Kiffin does not wish to respond to rumors. When asked questions at the Senior Bowl, Kiffin deflected questions regarding his role by saying he wasn’t going to discuss anything that happened in the previous three weeks. His response concerning Ryan’s status was that Ryan was under contract and that he was “excited” about it. He also said he had heard nothing about reports he wanted Ryan out. That’s a long way of saying that even if Kiffin made himself available, he could still avoid point-blank questions.
Ed Flowers: OK, things have been pretty quiet since the Senior Bowl and the James Lofton hiring. Any word on whether Lane Kiffin will still be in Oakland to coach the Raiders for at least one more season?
JERRY MCDONALD: I said in a Jan. 7 blog I would have a hard time envisioning Kiffin resigning after a year because regardless of how difficult the situation may be in Oakland, he would be perceived as someone who gave up when things didn’t go his way. Kiffin found out there was a price to pay for the Arkansas rumors and a 4-12 record, but as of now that price won’t include his job.
Victor, New York City: Is there any way that Roger Goodell can step in and maybe “strong-arm” Al Davis into changing the way he’s running the organization? Can the minority owners team up and urge him to resign Can we (Raider Nation) do something to try to get this man out of power?
JERRY MCDONALD: Not unless the Raiders aren’t spending money on players or attempting to improve their franchise. As for the minority owners, the agreement with the Raiders, the way I understand it, gives Davis the power to run the organization as he sees fit. The fans have no more of a chance to get Davis out of power than they had to stop Davis from moving the franchise from Oakland to Los Angeles or from Los Angeles to Oakland.
Howard Hart: Is it possible that A lDavis hired Lofton with
the idea of bringing him in as Kiffin’s
replacement once Kiffin’s contract expires at the end of next season?
JERRY MCDONALD: Only Davis knows the answer, but yes, it is possible. Of course, things can change a great deal in a year. If the Raiders were to make rapid improvement, Kiffin’s star would again be on the rise. Or Kiffin could be gone and Davis could have moved on to a new prodigy. Lofton does offer a fall-back position in the event of an in-season change, as was done with Mike Shanahan in favor of Art Shell in 1989.
Ryan, Cedar Falls, Iowa: I was wondering if the Raiders are trying to re-sign Jerry Porter or who they are pursuing in the free agent market at wide receiver?
JERRY MCDONALD: My guess is Porter wants to see what he’s worth on the open market. He said as much after the regular-season finale against San Diego. If the Raiders were competitive in the market, he might consider coming back to a more stable quarterback situation with JaMarcus Russell entrenched as No. 1. But Porter thinks of himself as a star-in-waiting who only needs the right system _ he was miffed when the Raiders passed on Mike Martz and ended up with Tom Walsh. Now Martz is in San Francisco, and the 49ers need receivers.
Nick Vitro: Jerry – What can you tell us about the Raider’s current evaluation process for Free Agency and the Draft? Is the coaching staff being consulted? Or are personnel evaluations, team needs etc being handled by Al and Scouts exclusively? Curious if there is any observable activity that would support the rumored edict from Al about Lane being stripped of personnel decisions etc.
JERRY MCDONALD: Good question.
The Raiders have lowered their “Get Smart” cone of silence since the end of the regular season. Hopefully some information will be available in the hallways and hotel lobbies at the NFL scouting combine, which begins Feb. 21 in Indianapolis.
Al, Idaho: Are Al Davis and Lane Kiffin talking and have they patched things up? I’m asking because free agency is right around the corner and so is the draft, and everyone will need to be on the same page.
JERRY MCDONALD: I have a hard time envisioning an owner/GM not talking to his coach at all, but the fact is the draft and free agency are coming whether they’re on the same page or not.
K. Beckmann: Are you a fan of the Raiders, and if so, how long have you been one? Do you have a favorite Raiders memory or play? Also, how has reporting on the Raiders affected you as a fan?
JERRY MCDONALD: The only teams I am a fan of are my son’s youth baseball and basketball teams and my daughter’s soccer team. I can’t speak for anyone else, but this job takes the “fan” out of you. I don’t think I’ve had a true rooting interest in any team in more than 20 years. The team you cover is your work place, and like any work place, there are some people you like and some you don’t. My dad had Raiders season tickets for a few years when I was in elementary school and my favorite games were a Monday night regular-season game against the Jets and Joe Namath in 1972 and the “Sea of Hands” playoff game against Miami.
Steve Murchie, Kensington, Md.: With the first-round pick, the only way we don’t take a blue-chip D-lineman is if Darren McFadden is still on the board, right But there’s a lot of depth at the front of the draft at DT and DL, so what about trading down a few spots and picking up an extra pick (assuming Glenn Dorsey and Chris Long are off the board); What about taking Aqib Talib; He’s a big-time playmaker, and with him and Nnamdi on the corners, we could really cut loose with the other nine defenders.
JERRY MCDONALD: I think the Raiders would be more than happy with either Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis.
I don’t think Kiffin would pass up D-line help for McFadden, believing the Raiders running system will be productive. But there’s no way of knowing at this point how much input Kiffin has. The Raiders don’t normally trade down, but then again, Davis is fond of saying, “I’d rather be right than consistent; In other words, rule nothing out.
Max, Chicago: Al Davis is in love with deep passes and shutdown corners. Would it make sense to pursue either Asante Samuel or Marcus Trufant in free agency to team with Asomugha and Huff? We’d be putting a lot of money out for two players, but theoretically it would make it extremely difficult to pass on us and we could focus more on the run.
JERRY MCDONALD: I don’t think a second top-tier corner would have made the Raiders a better team against the run last year. It had more to do with winning at the line of scrimmage and fighting off blocks. Nnamdi will be franchised, and I’m still puzzled by what happened to Fabian Washington last year. I wouldn’t give up on him yet.
 Zack Lake: So, it appears that the Raiders are going to, or should tag Nnamdi Asomugha, if that’s true what do we do with Derrick Burgess?
JERRY MCDONALD: Burgess is under
contract at a salary of $2 million for each of the next two years. If he can get back into double figures in sacks, he could earn himself a bigger contract. But nothing Burgess did in 2007 gave the Raiders any reason to rework his deal.
XL: Do you think the time off will serve as a catalyst for Michael Bush to make a grand entrance into the NFL this season? Is there a chance we have a real weapon at RB just waiting to happen.?
JERRY MCDONALD: There is no way to know. Bush hasn’t taken a real, game-type hit since the 2006 season opener for Louisville. It’s tempting to think he is going to burst on the scene as this dominant back and that the Raiders are going to come out of this with a great player for a fourth-round pick, but there is no visual evidence to support it. We’ll start to get an idea in training camp and during
the preseason.
Mario: Raiders have many veterans either retiring or voiding
their contracts. Last time I checked, we were 26 million under the cap. What
is our cap situation as of right now?
JERRY MCDONALD: Last figure I
saw was still 25.8 million. Warren Sapp’s contract remains in the books and won’t come off until he files paperwork, which should clear a little more space. Players who voided deals such as Tyler Brayton and Jerry Porter will also have to be taken into account. Basically, with the cap as high as it is now (116 million), it is a non-issue. The Raiders have all the money they
need and then some to acquire players.
Jason Teague: Defense or offense with the Raiders’ first pick? Who will we go for?
JERRY MCDONALD: Defense. My guess
would be that either Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis will end up as a Raider. If Long and Dorsey are both gone, it will be interesting to see if the Raiders used a No. 3 or 4 on Ellis _ who probably could be had a few picks later.
Blackmail214: Since the Raiders only have 5 draft picks do
you see them trying to get more picks before the NFL draft ?
JERRY MCDONALD: The Raiders usually
swing some sort of deal regarding their picks. If they have a free agent quarterback
in mind, Andrew Walter could bring a late-round pick.
Paul Torio: We all have witnessed the one or two times a year
that he appears before the media the back and forth Al Davis experiences with
various reporters in the Bay Area. He doesn’t forget a thing and seems to be
completely aware of any articles written about him or the Raiders. My questions
to you are: What is your relationship with Al, if such a thing exists?Â
Does he seem to like you? Dislike? Tolerate? Has he ever mentioned anything
to you about your articles? Has he ever challenged you about something you wrote?
Is he aware of this popular blog? Anything you would like to speak on would
be great.
JERRY MCDONALD: The way the Raiders
operate is to have a member of the P.R. staff call if Davis is unhappy about
something written in the paper. There were a couple of years where he didn’t
seem all that happy with me _ I was told by a former employee it had to do with
an assigned trip to Orlando, Fla., to do some Raiders-Bucs stories in anticipation
of a Week 3 meeting in the regular season. The P.R. staff assembles a file of
stories written on the Raiders which is available to Davis. I have no idea if
they include blog items.
Toluca Raider: Who should we target in free agency? Are there
any solid players outÂ
there that could be worth a paycheck in your opinion?
JERRY MCDONALD: Less is often
more in free agency. An important thing to remember is that no team ever loses
a player it truly wants to keep. The best free agents are franchised. Otherwise,
they’re being let go for a reason (production, attitude, unreasonable
salary demands, etc). Rather than pay huge money, sometimes it’s better
to target a mid-level free agent who fits your system. Oakland’s signing
of Cooper Carlisle last year is a prime example.
Jose: Do you think that the Raider defense will try to utilize
the 3-4Â
defense, now that Sapp is out of the picture? I believe with a littleÂ
tweaking at OLB with Sam Williams, Burgess, and Clemons (if resigned)Â
would be an excellent experiment, now that we have the DE for thisÂ
defense in Richardson and Kelly. It seems that every year Rob Ryan tries toÂ
introduce a different defensive look, this might be the year for theÂ
3-4 don’t you think?
JERRY MCDONALD: They could use
some 3-4, but likely it will continue to be with a four-man rush and man-to-man
coverage in the secondary. They’ve done it that way since they’ve
been back to Oakland and the fact that Ryan remained as defensive coordinator
indicates it isn’t likely to change.
Jeremy Gunn: When do the Raiders have to make a decision about
Justin Fargas? Also have you heard any contract talk between the Raiders and
DE Chris Clemons? I think he will be a beast of a pass rusher next season.
JERRY MCDONALD: Free agency begins
Feb. 29, and the Raiders will no doubt be talking to representatives for both
men. I think they’d like to have both back but won’t overpay. Fargas
runs as hard as anyone in the league, but he is a liability as a receiver, particularly
in the red zone, and his style invites head-on collisions and injury. Clemons
was a pleasant surprise, but if someone is willing to write a huge check for
one eight-sack season, the Raiders might just let them.
John: Love the blog and painfully love the Raiders. I have
been a season ticket holder for 8 years and I told my wife I would not renew
our tickets if Al Davis gets rid of Kiffin. Do you think I am alone in
this feeling or do you think season tickets will drop in sales if Kiffin is
replaced?
JERRY MCDONALD: I like what Kiffin
did and think not letting him take the ball and run with it is a mistake. If
Davis has all the faith in Kiffin he proclaimed when he was hired, then let
him remake the team and rely on the owner for guidance, rather than an iron
fist. But let’s be clear _ Kiffin is just 32 years old and was 4-12 last
year. His lack of experience showed at times. He is getting all this love in
large part because the adversary is Davis. I have talked with Raider fans and
are considering dumping their tickets, but I think it’s more a factor
of 19-61 over the past five years than it is about Kiffin. They’d just
like to see a competitive team for a change, regardless of the coach.
Steven: I’ve heard rumors that the Raiders might be making
a move for players such as Chad Johnson from the Bengals or Roy Williams and
Shaun Rogers from the Lions. Do you see any of those trades happening
or any other trades for that matter?
JERRY MCDONALD: Big trades are
more often talked about than actually consummated. The Bengals and Lions are
both on record as being reluctant to deal their star receivers. Rogers, a 340-pound
nose tackle, is coming off a season in which he has seven sacks and returned
an interception 66 yards for a touchdown. He is under contract through 2010
with salaries of $4.25 million this season, $5.25 next season and $7 million
in 2010. That’s a big chunk of change for the anchor of a defense that
gave up an average of 4.3 yards per carry and 116 rushing first downs (only
Miami, the New York Jets, Oakland and Denver had more).
Tim, L.A.: Aside from Kirk Morrison endorsing Kiffin, has
anyone gotten word from the players regarding the messy situation in Oakland?
What’s the vibe? Are these guys dreading another year with this
franchise, or are they hungry enough to get past Al’s antics and
play for a ring?
JERRY MCDONALD: Players want
no part of addressing this issue because they’re not sure what is true
and what is not. They’re going to protect their own paychecks.
RaidMan: How will this Davis-Kiffin mess _ and all the other
nonsense that seems to always permeate this franchise _ affect the Raiders’
pursuit of free agents?
JERRY MCDONALD: I wrote a blog
last week which espoused the idea that it wouldn’t have as much of an
effect as you might think. Why? Because playing time and money are the biggest
issues with any player, and the Raiders can put on a good face during the recruiting
process, call upon their great tradition, and have Davis to come in for the
biggest free agents. Davis is known as a player’s owner, has a great sense
of history and will come in prepared with flattering details of the player’s
skills and past. I’ll address this at a later date, but I know at least
one agent who informed me I was flat-out wrong. He said he fully intended to
steer his clients away from the Raiders if at all possible and that the dysfunction
of the franchise was one of the hottest sideline topics among coaches, scouts
and front-office types at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. With free agency approaching,
we’ll know soon enough who is right.
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