OAKLAND RAIDERS OFFSEASON THREAD
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no we wont, i would take either long if they fell to us, dorsey is a beast but if the rams dont get him the falcons will
i dont like ellis, he's alright but i just dont see him as a top 5 player, and for gholston, i would pass on, too worried that all the workout warrior more then a football player news bout him might be true
we could use some help on defence but still i think in the draft go for talent and at number 4 i would get mcfadden he makes the most sence rather then going to get gholston or ellis at number for thats almost like trading down to a number 8-10 pick
i dont like ellis, he's alright but i just dont see him as a top 5 player, and for gholston, i would pass on, too worried that all the workout warrior more then a football player news bout him might be true
we could use some help on defence but still i think in the draft go for talent and at number 4 i would get mcfadden he makes the most sence rather then going to get gholston or ellis at number for thats almost like trading down to a number 8-10 pick
chris long or dorsey i would get, but those two are most likely going to be gone by 4
fargas is injury prone and getting older and who knows how bush will be he is the youngest rb we got that we may be able to say he could be our future but as of right now without him playing one nfl game after the injury we cant say shit about him or expect anything from him, jordan should be gone by the start of the season, and rhodes is just decent
if we pass up on a running back in this draft i dont see us getting one anytime soon might as well get one now
fargas is injury prone and getting older and who knows how bush will be he is the youngest rb we got that we may be able to say he could be our future but as of right now without him playing one nfl game after the injury we cant say shit about him or expect anything from him, jordan should be gone by the start of the season, and rhodes is just decent
if we pass up on a running back in this draft i dont see us getting one anytime soon might as well get one now
'Classic' Raiders signings put a ton of pressure on embattled coach Kiffin
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, April 5, 2008
(04-04) 20:09 PDT -- Raiders boss Al Davis just sunk some $180 million in the free agent market, signing anyone he could - functional ACL or otherwise - to turn around his floundering franchise and deliver his first Super Bowl ring in 24 years.
Embattled coach Lane Kiffin knows what that means: all the more demand for him to produce an instant winner in his second season, if only because no coach this side of Jon Gruden has gotten a third-year chance in Oakland.
"I'm sure that's the way it will be," Kiffin said of his fall-guy potential in a brutally honest interview at this week's NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.
"You create high expectations by adding these players. In classic Raider fashion, four of the guys added are former No. 1 picks, and with that, you're increasing what is expected of the coach and what's expected of the team.
"So, it's my job to figure out how to put them all together and get them to win."
Kiffin was "very involved" in the personnel decisions, but it was Davis - who he described as the team's general manager - who had the final say on the playable deck. It's up to Kiffin to make sure Davis gets his money's worth no matter the risks attached to several big-money investments.
Javon Walker, the Broncos receiver who missed half of last season with ongoing knee trouble, was given a six-year, $55 million deal with $16 million in guarantees. Kiffin said the knee injury "was a major concern."
Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, who tore his ACL last season, was re-signed to a seven-year, $50.5 million deal with $18.125 million guaranteed, then the richest contract at his position in league history. Kiffin said Kelly's knee injury is "a major concern."
In the biggest splash of all, Davis traded for Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, a two-time Pro Bowler who feuded with his coach and criticized the organization throughout last season. Davis brokered the deal by giving Hall a seven-year, $66 million deal with $24.55 million guaranteed.
Kiffin doesn't pretend this was all part of the offseason plan, rebuilding so aggressively through free agency.
"I don't think anybody did, as far as amount of money spent, as far as number of players added," Kiffin said.
Because not all signings come with red flags, the Raiders also re-upped standup running back Justin Fargas and nabbed Giants safety Gibril Wilson. All other signings were of little face-value consequence.
With so many long-term deals, Kiffin thinks it could take years to know if this was a quality offseason or if the Raiders overspent - not that time is on his 32-year-old side any more than it may be with the 78-year-old Davis.
"We have a very interesting and a very tough job ahead of us, to mesh all these players together," Kiffin said. "We have a bunch of different personalities, some guys who have had some issues in the past at their different places. So I look forward to the challenge."
He might as well, because there aren't any other appealing options. Kiffin won't resign and walk away from $4 million. Davis won't fire him and pay him for work undone.
With the free agent field all but spent, it's on to the NFL Draft they go, where Kiffin hopes to use the fourth overall pick to save a run defense that - as he pointed out - ranked last in the NFL in yards per rush last season. Arkansas running back Darrin McFadden is appealing, but Kiffin repeatedly said it doesn't address a need.
Then again, neither did acquiring Hall. Whoever Davis drafts, he'll expect Kiffin to plug him into a 4-12 team and make wins happen.
"We both look at it the same way," Kiffin said. "Or at least how I look at it is, we need each other to win right now. So we'll make the best of our relationship. And we've worked together to add some really good players this offseason to really help us win this next year, hopefully."
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, April 5, 2008
(04-04) 20:09 PDT -- Raiders boss Al Davis just sunk some $180 million in the free agent market, signing anyone he could - functional ACL or otherwise - to turn around his floundering franchise and deliver his first Super Bowl ring in 24 years.
Embattled coach Lane Kiffin knows what that means: all the more demand for him to produce an instant winner in his second season, if only because no coach this side of Jon Gruden has gotten a third-year chance in Oakland.
"I'm sure that's the way it will be," Kiffin said of his fall-guy potential in a brutally honest interview at this week's NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.
"You create high expectations by adding these players. In classic Raider fashion, four of the guys added are former No. 1 picks, and with that, you're increasing what is expected of the coach and what's expected of the team.
"So, it's my job to figure out how to put them all together and get them to win."
Kiffin was "very involved" in the personnel decisions, but it was Davis - who he described as the team's general manager - who had the final say on the playable deck. It's up to Kiffin to make sure Davis gets his money's worth no matter the risks attached to several big-money investments.
Javon Walker, the Broncos receiver who missed half of last season with ongoing knee trouble, was given a six-year, $55 million deal with $16 million in guarantees. Kiffin said the knee injury "was a major concern."
Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, who tore his ACL last season, was re-signed to a seven-year, $50.5 million deal with $18.125 million guaranteed, then the richest contract at his position in league history. Kiffin said Kelly's knee injury is "a major concern."
In the biggest splash of all, Davis traded for Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, a two-time Pro Bowler who feuded with his coach and criticized the organization throughout last season. Davis brokered the deal by giving Hall a seven-year, $66 million deal with $24.55 million guaranteed.
Kiffin doesn't pretend this was all part of the offseason plan, rebuilding so aggressively through free agency.
"I don't think anybody did, as far as amount of money spent, as far as number of players added," Kiffin said.
Because not all signings come with red flags, the Raiders also re-upped standup running back Justin Fargas and nabbed Giants safety Gibril Wilson. All other signings were of little face-value consequence.
With so many long-term deals, Kiffin thinks it could take years to know if this was a quality offseason or if the Raiders overspent - not that time is on his 32-year-old side any more than it may be with the 78-year-old Davis.
"We have a very interesting and a very tough job ahead of us, to mesh all these players together," Kiffin said. "We have a bunch of different personalities, some guys who have had some issues in the past at their different places. So I look forward to the challenge."
He might as well, because there aren't any other appealing options. Kiffin won't resign and walk away from $4 million. Davis won't fire him and pay him for work undone.
With the free agent field all but spent, it's on to the NFL Draft they go, where Kiffin hopes to use the fourth overall pick to save a run defense that - as he pointed out - ranked last in the NFL in yards per rush last season. Arkansas running back Darrin McFadden is appealing, but Kiffin repeatedly said it doesn't address a need.
Then again, neither did acquiring Hall. Whoever Davis drafts, he'll expect Kiffin to plug him into a 4-12 team and make wins happen.
"We both look at it the same way," Kiffin said. "Or at least how I look at it is, we need each other to win right now. So we'll make the best of our relationship. And we've worked together to add some really good players this offseason to really help us win this next year, hopefully."
Huff to Free Safety Confirmed
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Lineup lowdown: How recent moves could shape Raiders, position-by-position
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
(04-04) 20:07 PDT -- Raiders coach Lane Kiffin spoke to reporters this week for the first time since his postseason news conference on New Year's Eve.
In a group interview at the owners meetings on Tuesday, Kiffin broke down how various positions now shape up. Check out the full transcript on SFGate.com's Raiders page ( Oakland Raiders — Sports News at SFGate — NFL Football).
Offensive line
Kwame Harris, a former Niner, gets first crack at left tackle since Barry Sims' release. Harris has filled the position in the first two weeks of voluntary workouts.
Former Buccaneers center John Wade is a tough, smart leader in the mold of Jeremy Newberry - minus the injury history. That's why he got the nod over Newberry, the 2007 starter who Kiffin said won't be re-signed.
Right tackle Cornell Green is coming back. Mario Henderson will get a chance to compete for his job. Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle remain at guard.
Wide receiver
Javon Walker, who is about 90 percent healthy, is the most intriguing WR signing. He brings a dimension of speed but has a history of knee trouble. Ex-Panther Drew Carter was signed to stretch the field and make plays on downfield balls.
Both were signed to give strong-armed quarterback JaMarcus Russell a chance to show off his arm. Ronald Curry returns as the possession slot receiver.
Running back
Michael Bush is ready to play after sitting out his rookie season to recover from a broken leg. Bush was ready to go in the second half of last season but got shelved in a numbers game.
Kiffin said it was "good" to have three other running backs returning.
Defensive line
With Warren Sapp retired, Tommy Kelly will take over the three-technique tackle position instead of bouncing between three spots. He got a hefty contract to do this job well.
That means someone else must take over at right defensive end. Kalimba Edwards is a candidate who could just the same fill the third-down pass rusher role of Chris Clemons, who left as a free agent.
Cornerback
Nnamdi Asomugha has yet to sign his one-year contract after the Raiders assigned him the exclusive franchise tag.
Because he's unsigned, Asomugha isn't taking part in voluntary workouts. The Raiders still hope to sign him to a longterm deal. Asomugha can't negotiate with other teams.
Safety
Strong safety Michael Huff "is on our plans, definitely" Kiffin said after the 2006 first-round pick was floated as a trade candidate. "Michael playing back and Gibril (Wilson) playing down."
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Lineup lowdown: How recent moves could shape Raiders, position-by-position
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
(04-04) 20:07 PDT -- Raiders coach Lane Kiffin spoke to reporters this week for the first time since his postseason news conference on New Year's Eve.
In a group interview at the owners meetings on Tuesday, Kiffin broke down how various positions now shape up. Check out the full transcript on SFGate.com's Raiders page ( Oakland Raiders — Sports News at SFGate — NFL Football).
Offensive line
Kwame Harris, a former Niner, gets first crack at left tackle since Barry Sims' release. Harris has filled the position in the first two weeks of voluntary workouts.
Former Buccaneers center John Wade is a tough, smart leader in the mold of Jeremy Newberry - minus the injury history. That's why he got the nod over Newberry, the 2007 starter who Kiffin said won't be re-signed.
Right tackle Cornell Green is coming back. Mario Henderson will get a chance to compete for his job. Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle remain at guard.
Wide receiver
Javon Walker, who is about 90 percent healthy, is the most intriguing WR signing. He brings a dimension of speed but has a history of knee trouble. Ex-Panther Drew Carter was signed to stretch the field and make plays on downfield balls.
Both were signed to give strong-armed quarterback JaMarcus Russell a chance to show off his arm. Ronald Curry returns as the possession slot receiver.
Running back
Michael Bush is ready to play after sitting out his rookie season to recover from a broken leg. Bush was ready to go in the second half of last season but got shelved in a numbers game.
Kiffin said it was "good" to have three other running backs returning.
Defensive line
With Warren Sapp retired, Tommy Kelly will take over the three-technique tackle position instead of bouncing between three spots. He got a hefty contract to do this job well.
That means someone else must take over at right defensive end. Kalimba Edwards is a candidate who could just the same fill the third-down pass rusher role of Chris Clemons, who left as a free agent.
Cornerback
Nnamdi Asomugha has yet to sign his one-year contract after the Raiders assigned him the exclusive franchise tag.
Because he's unsigned, Asomugha isn't taking part in voluntary workouts. The Raiders still hope to sign him to a longterm deal. Asomugha can't negotiate with other teams.
Safety
Strong safety Michael Huff "is on our plans, definitely" Kiffin said after the 2006 first-round pick was floated as a trade candidate. "Michael playing back and Gibril (Wilson) playing down."
Kiffin speaks, and speaks and . . . read the entire transcript here
Saturday, April 5, 2008
(04-04) 20:16 PDT -- Transcript of Raiders coach Lane Kiffin's interview at NFL owners meeting
Tuesday, April 1, Palm Beach, Fla.
(Transcribed by Nancy Gay, San Francisco Chronicle NFL columnist)
OPENING STATEMENT
"First off, us opening on Monday night is really big for our organization, really big for our fans. Not having a national game last year, this gives us something to look forward to in the offseason, our players.
"Got a text from Javon Walker already last night, so I know he's excited about that matchup. So we're excited to start the season that way.
"As far as going back to last season ...The way we finished last season, I don't think anybody was happy with the record. We were all disappointed being 4-12. It was a very valuable year for myself and our staff to be able to learn more about our team, going through some losing streaks and some tough times and see what players came out of that. So all that information counts and helps us for the future.
"Going into the offseason, we sat down, went through a bunch of meetings. Met with the owner. A topic that's been discussed a lot by you guys is Rob Ryan.
"At the end of the season, Rob and I had a meeting. And Rob felt that it may be in his best interest to go somewhere else and to pursue another opportunity. So I met with the owner the next Tuesday after the season. I expressed that to Al. Al thought about that for awhile and we talked about a number of different things, a number of different scenarios that could come up.
"And then Al decided to stay with Rob. Rob has another year on his contract. So we're going about that in the offseason and looking forward to the future, working together and seeing how we can get better on both sides of the ball.
"Through all that, Rob and I have always had a very strong relationship and a very good relationship. We're going to do our best to put together a great team next year and come out and win as many games as we can.
"As far as free agency - we added a number of very exciting players in free agency. One of the questions is going to be, did we overspend? Well, I don't know if you can figure that out right now. A lot of that is going to have to do with how these players play. If they come in and they play great and you look back on it...it's kind of like the draft. Everyone always wants to evaluate the draft right after. But really, you can't really evaluate the draft until the guys have had a couple of years to play. Free agency is the same way.
"A number of our guys are signed to long-term contracts, so it's going to take awhile to be able to sit back and say, 'Well, did they overspend or did they have a quality offseason?' I think we did some really good things for our team. We took care of some needs. We added some really good players who weren't necessarily an exact need but they were something that was available to us at the time. Kind of like the draft, when you draft the best available as opposed to necessarily the right fit.
"We have a very interesting and a very tough job ahead of us, to mesh all these players together. We have a bunch of different personalities, some guys who have had some issues in the past at their different places. So I look forward to the challenge."
THE FIRST QUESTION
Q: When you look at the signings, it's almost like you went for the best available player or athlete and not necessarily the best fit. Now you have two outstanding cornerbacks but maybe the pass rush is not what you want it to be. How can you make that work effectively?
A: "Sure. I think that's really where I was headed with that. OK, as you look at our need, was the number one need to go out and get another corner? No, it was not. Stanford Routt ended up starting for us; Fabian (Washington) had started two and a half years here and has done some really good things.
"But DeAngelo became available to us and it was a player that we feel is a two-time Pro Bowl player who has great potential, has reached that at times, made some dynamic plays on the field.
"So it was one of those things that, as we look at it, we just couldn't pass it up, was the way we looked at it. So...does that help us stop the run? I don't know how much it will help us stop the run. But it was there.
"I know we're real excited about the addition of DeAngelo and he's real excited to get a new start, a fresh start. So we'll go from there.
"But at the same, we look at it another way - Tommy Kelly. We re-signed Tommy Kelly. Here's a player who has played three different positions for us. And with Warren being the three-technique, (Kelly) really hasn't had the chance to flourish at the position that we feel that is his best position. I know our coaches have been here a long time with Tommy. Rob is the first to tell you he's the best three-technique in the league - he just hasn't had a chance to be there long enough. Now he'll have a chance to be a three-technique and not move around and jump around to different positions. He's got a lot to prove now with that contract."
Q: How concerned were you committing that much guaranteed money to a player who is coming off an ACL injury?
A: "Yeah, it's a major concern. And it helped us that Tommy was on our team already because we had a lot of information on him. But it was a major concern, just like Javon's injury was a major concern. So there are some things that go into it that you have to look at. But in the end it was a decision that, we didn't want Tommy to leave. Sometimes that can overprice you in some areas. But in the end, Al decided to pay him that and we're happy that he's there."
ON HALL: IS THERE A CATCH?
Q: Will Hall be used strictly as a cornerback or will you use him as a return man or maybe a wide receiver?
A: "I don't think we're really going to look at the receiver thing yet. We've got so much to figure out at that position with two new guys (Drew Carter and Javon Walker) coming in, and with JaMarcus and the timing and everything. So I don't think we're going to look at that right away. But punt return is an option that we'll look at."
Q: With Russell's long contract situation and the circumstances of his rookie year, is it tougher for you to judge where he's at in his development?
A: "It's like we had him and they took him away from us with the holdout. So it was real exciting to start working with him, to see his development and then all of a sudden you can't have him for awhile. JaMarcus has been great. He's been there for over three weeks already this offseason. He's in a really good place right now in his mind. Early in the morning he has film sessions before he lifts and before he goes out onto the field with the players. He's working extremely hard. He's by far in the best shape that we've had him - I don't know how he was back in college. But when we've had him, he's in the best shape."
Q: What does he weigh?
A: "Uh, I'm not going to give you an exact number, just for him. But he's definitely is what he played at or lower last year."
Q: What helped Josh McCown come back last year?
A: "If you look, he's always bounced around. Josh has not had a time where he could stay in a system very long. In our situation he was in a quarterback battle the whole time through so it's not like he had an entire offseason to get "one" reps all the way through. He didn't come to us until after the draft so he missed quarterback training, just like the situation JaMarcus is in right now."
McCOWN LOWDOWN
Q: Is McCown a No. 1 quarterback?
A: "He can be. Obviously he was our starter. If you go back to our opener he played extremely well. With a quarterback, being in the system for awhile and having the right pieces around you can make guys really good sometimes."
Q: What did you like about McCown?
A: "His mobility in the pocket. His ability to get away from a sack and make plays. And he's a really strong competitor."
Q: Where is Michael Bush right now? Wasn't he ready to play last season and it just never happened?
A: "It got a little complicated, bringing him back up (off of the PUP list) and putting him back where he couldn't play and then having to get rid of a player at the time. There were different options we could have used at that point. There's a lot to be said that if you're looking to the future you should have brought him up, you should have played him. So we were right there. It wasn't an easy decision. But it was a decision we made to go with the guys that we had.
"That affected Michael, I know, because Michael had worked so hard at that point to be able to practice with us and to be able to potentially play. Unfortunately we kind of took that away from him. But he's been in great spirits and he's there working out now. And it's going to be real interesting to see him finally play in the preseason.
Q: Are you counting on him being part of the running back rotation?
A: "Yeah, definitely. What's good is we have three guys who have played for us, and then Michael also. So it's like a bonus; we have a guy who kind of like redshirted, also."
Q: What was the toughest thing about last year?
A: "I think win-loss, as we discussed - that was lower than what my expectations were. We did do some good things. We played well in spurts. But I was real disappointed in the consistency, to have two blowouts like we did at the end of the year with Jacksonville and Green Bay. Those were very disappointing. It kind of reminded you have far away you are.
"You want to remain positive about how close, how many games in the fourth quarter that we lost that we should have won and all that. But at the same time here is the end of the season and here are these teams that have been in playoff runs that have quarterbacks that are in a system. And all of a sudden we go into their place and we're down by 30 points or so.
"It's a reminder about how far away we are, also."
Q: How about dealing with pro players as opposed to college kids?
A: "Yeah, it wasn't very difficult. Maybe we were fortunate because we didn't have that many issues. I thought out players handled themselves very well with the media and protecting their team, lashing out at any of that stuff. I think we were pretty fortunate that way."
DIVISIONAL QB KEYS
Q: Looking at your division, every team has young quarterbacks. Will the best team be the one that has developed its quarterback?
A: "It's always that way. Teams that win over time it's always the quarterback. Very rarely, unless you have a dominating defense, one of those defenses that's the best over a five-year run type of thing, the quarterback has to play really well. It's always going to go back to that quarterback's play. As I said a year ago, hopefully we'll be able to run the ball really well and be able to stop the run. And if you do those two things the quarterback play becomes a lot easier and you're going to be in every game.
Q: When you looked at your team after the season, did you envision rebuilding through free agency or would you have preferred to rebuild through the draft? Did you anticipate it going this way?
A: "I don't think anybody did, as far as the amount of money spent, as far as the number of players added."
Q: Were you targeting specific guys or was it just opportunity knocking?
A: "I think the last minute deal with DeAngelo ... he wasn't targeted early. When we go into free agency, DeAngelo isn't in the discussion. Put that aside, the rest of the guys, you target guys and you kind of say, 'This guy would be worth it, but at a certain (financial) level.' Fortunately a number of guys ended up being able to fit into what Al figured on paying them. So from our standpoint we're real excited to have 'em.
"We give our opinion of the evaluation of the players.
Q: You mean the coaches?
A: "Yes. And where their potential is and maybe if they change into our scheme as opposed to the scheme they were in, like Kwame Harris, maybe they'll be better than they were there.
"And then he decides how much to pay them."
CAN ANYONE MATCH CHARGERS?
Q: What's your view of the division? Do you feel like you and the other teams have bridged the gap?
A: "I think with Denver, Denver isn't very far away. They had a year that was under their standards at 7-9. When you look at Denver over the years they're always going to be right there, usually. And I know the quarterback play, just like we're going to do, controls their season, how the quarterback is playing and whether Cutler makes huge plays and whether he makes those other plays where he forces the ball and turns it over. I think they're right there, and Kansas City and us, we're kind of at the bottom. But there have been some very competitive games in the division, that have come down to the wire. It's no secret that San Diego is the team to catch."
Q: As a rookie coach last year, you had the liberty of some growing pains. This year, do you feel extreme pressure to produce wins? When you've seen the history of coaches in the franchise, the tolerance for losing is very low.
A: "I think if you're going to worry about getting fired, I think you worry about that the day you get hired at the Raiders, if you want to start studying the way it goes with the coaches.
"I don't feel any added pressure. I put pressure on myself. So I don't look at it as pressure to be fired because if I did, I would have started looking at that from Day One."
Q: You said a lot of these young quarterbacks in your division are ready to have that breakout year. Your guy is the youngest ...
A: "It goes back to what I said. Breakout seasons are going to happen by having the things around them. Putting really good players around them, being in the system for a second, maybe a third year really helps guys. Not having new coordinators every year. Receiver, it's not that important. For running backs, it's not that important. When you get that quarterback, he's going to add two new receivers to the offense, to the group. So there is a lot of work to be done for those guys to get caught up and get on the same page."
Q: Were you concerned about Javon Walker's knee? It was a big issue in Denver and you paid him top dollar.
A: "It was obviously a big concern of ours. Our doctors felt good about it. Javon is working out now, he's about 90 percent right now. Everything that we've researched has told us he'll be at 100 percent by the time we first work with him.
Q: So he passed your physicals?
A: "Yup."
Q: Was the decision to keep Rob Ryan onboard part of the plan to maintain some consistency in the organization after so much turnover?
A: "I think that always goes into it, as we talked about with the quarterback, keeping the same guys and the same system. And we basically did was change everybody on offense the year before. So I'm sure in Al's decision to keep Rob that was part of it.
"Here is somebody, they've been together for four years. Even though the numbers haven't been very good over that span with the win-loss record, it gives us a chance to bring back somebody who knows the players and a defensive staff that has been there for the guys, for the most part. And it helps us to have background on players and to know divisional opponents as well."
Q: What's the best way to describe working with AL Davis? And how is your relationship with him?
A: "The best way to describe...I'm getting a drink of water...you're waiting for this one, aren't you? It'll be on NFL Network in 30 minutes...
"Uh ... very unique. You have an owner that is very hands on. An owner that prides himself on knowledge of football, especially defensive knowledge and coaching of the defensive side of the ball. He's very active in that, with Rob.
"It goes back to when I was talking to Rob and him pursuing other opportunities - remember, and it's not the easiest job, those of you who have covered the Raiders. There have been people that have even left, because of that, because Al is very hands-on on that side of the ball and very demanding, and he has his opinions on things.
"Going back, it's just very interesting and very intriguing. But at the same time, you have somebody who has done a lot of things in this league. He's been a coach and he's been a commissioner and owner, and has a tremendous amount of knowledge."
UNCLE AL THE GM
Q: Would you say he has become the general manager of the team?
A: "Yeah, he's the general manager of the team. Yeah."
Q: What is your offensive line going to be?
A: "There are still a couple of things to look at. Bringing in Kwame Harris, we're going to give him a chance at left tackle. He's already been working with us the past two weeks at left tackle on the field. Gallery will still be at left guard. At center, adding John Wade from Tampa was important to us - here is a guy, four of the last five years has played over 99% of his snaps. Very intelligent, kind of like Jeremy Newberry was for us at center as far as a leader, intelligent, tough. Hasn't battled nearly as many injuries as Jeremy. That went into our decision to not re-sign Jeremy, and we also have Jake Grove coming off an injury.
"Cooper Carlisle returns for us at right guard. This exact time last year we added him and he played 100 percent of the snaps, just like he had done the two years before in Denver and has really become the leader of the group as far as the most playing time there.
"At right tackle we re-signed Cornell Green, who was starting RT before he got hurt. And then Mario Henderson who was drafted last year, through a trade in the third round, will get a shot to compete with Cornell."
Q: How big of a loss was defensive end Chris Clemons?
A: "Everyone wants to point to all the money we spent and all the guys we brought in, but that's a guy that had gotten to the point where it went beyond what we felt we should pay for him at that point. Like you said, he was out of football for a year. Earlier in the year he was really good on special teams for us and then starting rushing the passer on third downs. And Chris did a great job. But what helped was that Chris wasn't playing on first downs so that helps those sacks when you evaluate how they come.
"Signing Kalimba Edwards from Detroit - that could be a possibility, a role he ends up in. He could be a starter or he could be a third down rusher and take Chris' role."
Q: Is JaMarcus the type of quarterback you can't put a target weight on?
A: "As you research JaMarcus and go all the way back, JaMarcus has been able to play at a big weight. It's not like JaMarcus hasn't done it and weighed 275 and he's played great. And he has such a big time arm. He really has phenomenal feet for that size, to be able to move around for that size.
"You're never going to play with him at 260 or 255. If you think that's impossible, that's not his body. I think as long as you're around 270 (with him), you're doing really well. And what is that 270? For all players, what is that ideal weight? That's why they do all that Bod-Pod testing at the Combine because is it good weight or bad weight, is it muscle or is it fat?
"We're more concerned with his body composition and getting him in the best shape to play and getting his feet in shape to give us some scrambling ability as well."
Q: How do you assess your wide receiver situation now? Jerry Porter is gone, Ronald Curry is back, but it seems unsettled.
A: "Javon is kind of the wild card because he's had two great years and he's had some down years because injury. Can we keep him healthy and is he the same player he was his first year in Denver and the player he was his third year in Green Bay? Hopefully that is. He does give us the added dimension of speed. And then Drew Carter can stretch the field. He made a number of plays downfield for Carolina last year. We think we've added some players that are really solid receivers but also give us the potential of down the field threats and make the plays downfield for us.
"Ronald Curry, I believe, will be the first to tell you he had a disappointing year last year. Ronald has always had something that he's rehabbing from. So this season he's going in fresh. He's working as hard as he's ever worked. He's going into the weight room and he'd kind of talking about going back to an college mentality, how he worked in the offseason in college. Ronald needs that. He's gonna bulk up a little this year."
GOT CARTER
Q: Can you expand on Drew Carter and the things you like about him?
A: "Like I said, his downfield ability and his ability to make plays on the ball. There are number of plays where the defender is right there and he still made plays. With JaMarcus, we felt the best thing to go out and get were not necessarily the possession type guys but guys that could make the plays down the field. With Javon and Drew we think, and we drafted Johnnie Lee Higgins."
Q: What happened with Tyler Brayton?
A: "I wasn't there through all that. Tyler suffered through a lot of position changes. He was an outside linebacker at one point, then he was inside at the three-technique last year. I think Tyler is an example of a guy getting a fresh start in a new system with one place to play and not being moved around so much. I wish him nothing but the best."
Q: How involved were you personally in the guys you brought in this offseason, such as Javon Walker and Gibril Wilson?
A: "Very involved in those decisions. But like I said before, as a staff we target the players we think are a need or that put us in a better place at some positions and then we give our evaluation on those players. We don't get into the money."
Q: Are those players that you would recommend, the players that were signed?
A: "Those were in discussion. When you have a head coach and an owner that is so involved that we talked about, who is also the general manager, are you going to see eye to eye on everything? No, I don't think anybody is. Especially two people who haven't worked together very long and have an age difference.
"We don't see eye to eye on all the guys but in the end we come out together and do the best we can and try to make it work."
Q: What was the gist of Javon's text message to you last night?
A: "Well, I first texted him so that he knew that we were opening with Denver, just to give him some added inspiration. I'm not going to tell you exactly what he texted but let's just say he's ready to go. Anything you can add to their motivation factor, if that made him go out and work a little bit harder this morning when he got up in Arizona this morning."
Q: Do you think you and the players bonded because of the trials of last year?
A: "I think it helped at the time to go through some losing streaks like we did. It wasn't very fun. But what it did was it showed you a lot about those guys and what types of guys you needed to add at certain positions, who maybe you can't count on in those times and maybe you need to get them better at. It helps going through that kind of year because I thought they handled themselves extremely well in the media. I thought they handled themselves as teammates and coming together as a team, that is very worthwhile what happened.
"If you had a bunch of blowups and people went in different directions then it isn't good. But I think it went the other way and helped them come together."
Q: Does that apply to the staff as well? Considering Rob's desire to leave, how do you get everyone back on the same page?
A: "That's my job. That's not the easy part. They're all professionals and you just figure out a way to bring 'em together and to motivate them individually. Coaches are just like players. You have to find a way to keep them motivated and keep them driven and not just leave them on their own and think they're doing everything.
"This offseason, once everything was set - we only made a few changes on our staff - it does give us a chance. Guys are very familiar working with each other on the field so there are a lot of positives that way, too."
LOFTON'S ROLE
Q: Talk about bringing in James Lofton?
A: "We've already seen James on the field now for two weeks with the players. Very hands on coach. Very demanding. One thing is he'll help us get better because we have two new receivers and we have Johnnie Lee there and not having many veterans in the group, we think James will be a very good fit for us. James has already done a really good job these two weeks with those guys; he's already evaluated the college guys."
Q: Was he someone you personally wanted to bring in or was that Mr. Davis?
A: "That's was Al's initial thought.
Q: Because he had liked him a long time?
A: "Yes. I did interview James and went through some thing that I wanted to go through with him to understand where his mind was. Research what happened in San Diego, all that stuff. James is doing a good job."
Q: The fact that you're here talking about the season, does it put all the offseason controversy and the speculation about your future behind and are you just moving forward?
A: "I don't think, besides just to tell you guys so you know what happened, I don't really look back on it or worry about it all the time because that won't do us any good. It's no different than what you tell your players when they get beat in the first half and they fumble the ball, they throw an interception or something. You have to move on and not worry about before.
"We're moving forward. I think we added a number of potentially very good players to our roster and now we've got to put them together and see what we've got."
Q: You seem excited about what you have ahead of you for this season ...
A: "Yeah. I am. I think this offseason, what we talked about earlier, the overspending question that comes up all the time - that's not really my concern. I'm excited that we got some quality players that we can add to our roster and see how we can put them together."
Q: As you look at the draft and the needs that you have after the aggressive offseason, where does that leave you?
A: "We don't have a lot of picks in the draft. The first pick, obviously, is a significant one, being the fourth overall. Potentially we could trade down, obviously. There are still a few areas we could look at, obviously. We could continue to look at our defensive line, like we have with signing Kalimba Edwards and re-signing Tommy Kelly. With the loss of Chris Clemons and Warren Sapp retiring and Tyler Brayton leaving. As you guys know there could be a couple of very good defensive linemen available there at that pick."
Q: Is being a head coach any more different or challenging than you anticipated when took the job a year ago?
A: "I wouldn't say more difficult or more challenging. You just take it one day at a time and you go on. Now we have one year under our belt and I can learn a lot of from that. We've got to figure out a way to finish out these fourth quarters. We're in so many games and have been ahead in so many games in the fourth quarter - we talk about it all the time but we've got to continue to find ways to get over that.
"Expecting to win in those situations instead of waiting for something else to happen."
Q: What was your single biggest lesson?
A: "I think that this season is so long, this NFL season is so long that you don't want to get too high or two low, because that's so easy to do. You can win a couple of games, your team starts to feel they're better than they really are. Then you lose a couple of games and you get too far down.
"Just kind of take the whole year and not get too high or too low."
Q: A lot of teams have you picking McFadden at No. 4. What's your evaluation of him?
A: "Well, he's a phenomenal player. Running back is really not a need for us. As we discussed earlier we have three running backs that rotated for us last year all coming back and then we also have Michael Bush who kind of redshirted for us this last season."
Q: Will you have a lot of input on that decision when No. 4 comes up on the Big Board?
A: "I hope so. I hope I do. I wouldn't anticipate it being any different than it was before."
Q: Last year, did you know who you wanted to pick?
A: "With the number one pick we didn't have to wait for anybody it was easy to figure out beforehand. Weeks of discussion with Al, came out with a plan."
Q: And further down the board, the same thing?
A: "Yeah. I thought we had a really good draft."
Q: Could you see yourself dealing that pick to build up more picks because of what you lose in the Hall trade?
A: "More than ever, that's something to look at because of not having a second round pick, or a third or fifth. We could trade down. More than ever, because of having so few picks, if a certain player isn't there I think you really have to look at that."
Q: Will the interest in McFadden help you guys do that?
A: I don't know that. I think McFadden is a guy a lot of people would like to have. But you really have to have him targeted and know how you want to use him because he's a unique player. To me, he's a unique player. Maybe you have a system where he's not going to fit what you want to do."
Q: How is he unique?
A: "Like I said, we really don't have a need for running back. But looking at McFadden, I think you could spread him out. That's what I would do with him - we did that with Reggie (Bush) some at USC. I'd look at him in that role myself."
Q: Has he answered all the off-field questions?
A: "I think the few instances that he had, those were bad decisions that he made. But what excites me about him, if you were going to pick him, is his football personality. There are no issues on the field. There are no practice issues. This is a tough guy. He's the off-returner on kickoffs and he asked to be there - people don't usually ask to do that when they're in a Heisman race and they're worried about their draft status. They don't want to block for somebody. But that's what excites me about him."
DRAFT A D-LINEMAN FIRST?
Q: With several top defensive linemen expected to be there at No. 4, is that the area you think you should go?
A: "Yeah, I do. Like I said, we lost three guys, we added two in the offseason. It's definitely an issue we talked about before - with DeAngelo Hall, how does that help you when you're averaging 32nd in the league in rushing yards allowed per play? Well - we can play nine in the box now instead of eight in the box on every down, I guess.
"But to go out and get a defensive linemen or a tackle that can really play the run, that would really help us a lot."
Q: What about Dorsey and his injury problems, yet he still lined up on Saturdays?
A: "I think that says a lot about him because there were probably a lot of games where he shouldn't have played. You could really see the injury and really see him laboring because of the injury. To me that shows a lot about him."
Q: Was there something to all the offseason controversies?
A: "Well, whatever that old statement is, where there's smoke there's fire. Obviously there was something. Everything wasn't made up. There were some things that were inaccurate that were said or that I read about. But like I said, we went 4-12, we went into the offseason and everything didn't go perfect, the way you want it to.
"But we're moving forward. We made a lot of additions in the offseason and I'm excited about this year coming off."
Q: What's the best way to approach this? How much is looking forward getting you through this period?
A: "I think it was really good to coach the Senior Bowl. So while you guys are writing all that stuff, you're really not paying attention to it because you're doing what you really like doing, you're coaching."
Q: Have you and Al had a clear-the-air session or have you just gone on?
A: "We both look at it the same way. Or at least how I look at it is, we need each other to win right now. So we'll make the best of our relationship. And we've worked together to add some really good players this offseason to really help us win this next year, hopefully."
Q: How would you describe working with him?
A: "Unique."
Q: How so?
A: "You have a wide gap of age difference. Some different thoughts on things, from a guy who is a defensive guy as opposed to a guy who is an offensive guy. We're different in a lot of ways and it's unique relationship. But he does have a lot of knowledge so you can bounce things off of him and you can listen to him and take some things he says to help you."
Q: Does he listen to you a lot?
A: "Yeah, he does. I don't know what he does with it, but we talk a lot. Because of the fact that we don't have a general manager, he's really the general manager. He's kind of the general manager, director of college scouting, director of pro personnel and sometimes the defensive coordinator. That really makes it so that you have to talk to him a lot. We communicate a lot on a lot of different issues. And really this offseason if you look at it, it's worked out well."
Q: Are you concerned that if some of these moves fail this year because of the unique player personalities and the injury histories that you will be the fall guy, even though you weren't the guy who necessarily signed them or pursued them?
A: "I'm sure that's the way it will be. You create high expectations by adding these players. In classic Raider fashion, four of the guys added are former No. 1 picks. And so with that you're increasing what is expected of the coach and what's expected of the team. So it's my job to figure out how to put them all together and get them to win."
Q: Is Michael Huff in the plans?
A: "Yes, Michael Huff is in our plans. Definitely. Michael playing back and Gribril plaing down. He's always been an in the box safety."
Q: Has Nnamdi Asomugha signed?
A: "It's a business. Nnamdi may look at it and think, 'I've been here four years and then look on the other side and see a guy who hasn't been here a day who has just gotten a big contract. We're still talking to Nnamdi about a long-term contract. Obviously he doesn't have a contract right now because we haven't signed him. So Nnamdi is not working out with us right now because he really can't. But Nnamdi is not allowed to negotiate with other teams because he's an exclusive franchise player."
Saturday, April 5, 2008
(04-04) 20:16 PDT -- Transcript of Raiders coach Lane Kiffin's interview at NFL owners meeting
Tuesday, April 1, Palm Beach, Fla.
(Transcribed by Nancy Gay, San Francisco Chronicle NFL columnist)
OPENING STATEMENT
"First off, us opening on Monday night is really big for our organization, really big for our fans. Not having a national game last year, this gives us something to look forward to in the offseason, our players.
"Got a text from Javon Walker already last night, so I know he's excited about that matchup. So we're excited to start the season that way.
"As far as going back to last season ...The way we finished last season, I don't think anybody was happy with the record. We were all disappointed being 4-12. It was a very valuable year for myself and our staff to be able to learn more about our team, going through some losing streaks and some tough times and see what players came out of that. So all that information counts and helps us for the future.
"Going into the offseason, we sat down, went through a bunch of meetings. Met with the owner. A topic that's been discussed a lot by you guys is Rob Ryan.
"At the end of the season, Rob and I had a meeting. And Rob felt that it may be in his best interest to go somewhere else and to pursue another opportunity. So I met with the owner the next Tuesday after the season. I expressed that to Al. Al thought about that for awhile and we talked about a number of different things, a number of different scenarios that could come up.
"And then Al decided to stay with Rob. Rob has another year on his contract. So we're going about that in the offseason and looking forward to the future, working together and seeing how we can get better on both sides of the ball.
"Through all that, Rob and I have always had a very strong relationship and a very good relationship. We're going to do our best to put together a great team next year and come out and win as many games as we can.
"As far as free agency - we added a number of very exciting players in free agency. One of the questions is going to be, did we overspend? Well, I don't know if you can figure that out right now. A lot of that is going to have to do with how these players play. If they come in and they play great and you look back on it...it's kind of like the draft. Everyone always wants to evaluate the draft right after. But really, you can't really evaluate the draft until the guys have had a couple of years to play. Free agency is the same way.
"A number of our guys are signed to long-term contracts, so it's going to take awhile to be able to sit back and say, 'Well, did they overspend or did they have a quality offseason?' I think we did some really good things for our team. We took care of some needs. We added some really good players who weren't necessarily an exact need but they were something that was available to us at the time. Kind of like the draft, when you draft the best available as opposed to necessarily the right fit.
"We have a very interesting and a very tough job ahead of us, to mesh all these players together. We have a bunch of different personalities, some guys who have had some issues in the past at their different places. So I look forward to the challenge."
THE FIRST QUESTION
Q: When you look at the signings, it's almost like you went for the best available player or athlete and not necessarily the best fit. Now you have two outstanding cornerbacks but maybe the pass rush is not what you want it to be. How can you make that work effectively?
A: "Sure. I think that's really where I was headed with that. OK, as you look at our need, was the number one need to go out and get another corner? No, it was not. Stanford Routt ended up starting for us; Fabian (Washington) had started two and a half years here and has done some really good things.
"But DeAngelo became available to us and it was a player that we feel is a two-time Pro Bowl player who has great potential, has reached that at times, made some dynamic plays on the field.
"So it was one of those things that, as we look at it, we just couldn't pass it up, was the way we looked at it. So...does that help us stop the run? I don't know how much it will help us stop the run. But it was there.
"I know we're real excited about the addition of DeAngelo and he's real excited to get a new start, a fresh start. So we'll go from there.
"But at the same, we look at it another way - Tommy Kelly. We re-signed Tommy Kelly. Here's a player who has played three different positions for us. And with Warren being the three-technique, (Kelly) really hasn't had the chance to flourish at the position that we feel that is his best position. I know our coaches have been here a long time with Tommy. Rob is the first to tell you he's the best three-technique in the league - he just hasn't had a chance to be there long enough. Now he'll have a chance to be a three-technique and not move around and jump around to different positions. He's got a lot to prove now with that contract."
Q: How concerned were you committing that much guaranteed money to a player who is coming off an ACL injury?
A: "Yeah, it's a major concern. And it helped us that Tommy was on our team already because we had a lot of information on him. But it was a major concern, just like Javon's injury was a major concern. So there are some things that go into it that you have to look at. But in the end it was a decision that, we didn't want Tommy to leave. Sometimes that can overprice you in some areas. But in the end, Al decided to pay him that and we're happy that he's there."
ON HALL: IS THERE A CATCH?
Q: Will Hall be used strictly as a cornerback or will you use him as a return man or maybe a wide receiver?
A: "I don't think we're really going to look at the receiver thing yet. We've got so much to figure out at that position with two new guys (Drew Carter and Javon Walker) coming in, and with JaMarcus and the timing and everything. So I don't think we're going to look at that right away. But punt return is an option that we'll look at."
Q: With Russell's long contract situation and the circumstances of his rookie year, is it tougher for you to judge where he's at in his development?
A: "It's like we had him and they took him away from us with the holdout. So it was real exciting to start working with him, to see his development and then all of a sudden you can't have him for awhile. JaMarcus has been great. He's been there for over three weeks already this offseason. He's in a really good place right now in his mind. Early in the morning he has film sessions before he lifts and before he goes out onto the field with the players. He's working extremely hard. He's by far in the best shape that we've had him - I don't know how he was back in college. But when we've had him, he's in the best shape."
Q: What does he weigh?
A: "Uh, I'm not going to give you an exact number, just for him. But he's definitely is what he played at or lower last year."
Q: What helped Josh McCown come back last year?
A: "If you look, he's always bounced around. Josh has not had a time where he could stay in a system very long. In our situation he was in a quarterback battle the whole time through so it's not like he had an entire offseason to get "one" reps all the way through. He didn't come to us until after the draft so he missed quarterback training, just like the situation JaMarcus is in right now."
McCOWN LOWDOWN
Q: Is McCown a No. 1 quarterback?
A: "He can be. Obviously he was our starter. If you go back to our opener he played extremely well. With a quarterback, being in the system for awhile and having the right pieces around you can make guys really good sometimes."
Q: What did you like about McCown?
A: "His mobility in the pocket. His ability to get away from a sack and make plays. And he's a really strong competitor."
Q: Where is Michael Bush right now? Wasn't he ready to play last season and it just never happened?
A: "It got a little complicated, bringing him back up (off of the PUP list) and putting him back where he couldn't play and then having to get rid of a player at the time. There were different options we could have used at that point. There's a lot to be said that if you're looking to the future you should have brought him up, you should have played him. So we were right there. It wasn't an easy decision. But it was a decision we made to go with the guys that we had.
"That affected Michael, I know, because Michael had worked so hard at that point to be able to practice with us and to be able to potentially play. Unfortunately we kind of took that away from him. But he's been in great spirits and he's there working out now. And it's going to be real interesting to see him finally play in the preseason.
Q: Are you counting on him being part of the running back rotation?
A: "Yeah, definitely. What's good is we have three guys who have played for us, and then Michael also. So it's like a bonus; we have a guy who kind of like redshirted, also."
Q: What was the toughest thing about last year?
A: "I think win-loss, as we discussed - that was lower than what my expectations were. We did do some good things. We played well in spurts. But I was real disappointed in the consistency, to have two blowouts like we did at the end of the year with Jacksonville and Green Bay. Those were very disappointing. It kind of reminded you have far away you are.
"You want to remain positive about how close, how many games in the fourth quarter that we lost that we should have won and all that. But at the same time here is the end of the season and here are these teams that have been in playoff runs that have quarterbacks that are in a system. And all of a sudden we go into their place and we're down by 30 points or so.
"It's a reminder about how far away we are, also."
Q: How about dealing with pro players as opposed to college kids?
A: "Yeah, it wasn't very difficult. Maybe we were fortunate because we didn't have that many issues. I thought out players handled themselves very well with the media and protecting their team, lashing out at any of that stuff. I think we were pretty fortunate that way."
DIVISIONAL QB KEYS
Q: Looking at your division, every team has young quarterbacks. Will the best team be the one that has developed its quarterback?
A: "It's always that way. Teams that win over time it's always the quarterback. Very rarely, unless you have a dominating defense, one of those defenses that's the best over a five-year run type of thing, the quarterback has to play really well. It's always going to go back to that quarterback's play. As I said a year ago, hopefully we'll be able to run the ball really well and be able to stop the run. And if you do those two things the quarterback play becomes a lot easier and you're going to be in every game.
Q: When you looked at your team after the season, did you envision rebuilding through free agency or would you have preferred to rebuild through the draft? Did you anticipate it going this way?
A: "I don't think anybody did, as far as the amount of money spent, as far as the number of players added."
Q: Were you targeting specific guys or was it just opportunity knocking?
A: "I think the last minute deal with DeAngelo ... he wasn't targeted early. When we go into free agency, DeAngelo isn't in the discussion. Put that aside, the rest of the guys, you target guys and you kind of say, 'This guy would be worth it, but at a certain (financial) level.' Fortunately a number of guys ended up being able to fit into what Al figured on paying them. So from our standpoint we're real excited to have 'em.
"We give our opinion of the evaluation of the players.
Q: You mean the coaches?
A: "Yes. And where their potential is and maybe if they change into our scheme as opposed to the scheme they were in, like Kwame Harris, maybe they'll be better than they were there.
"And then he decides how much to pay them."
CAN ANYONE MATCH CHARGERS?
Q: What's your view of the division? Do you feel like you and the other teams have bridged the gap?
A: "I think with Denver, Denver isn't very far away. They had a year that was under their standards at 7-9. When you look at Denver over the years they're always going to be right there, usually. And I know the quarterback play, just like we're going to do, controls their season, how the quarterback is playing and whether Cutler makes huge plays and whether he makes those other plays where he forces the ball and turns it over. I think they're right there, and Kansas City and us, we're kind of at the bottom. But there have been some very competitive games in the division, that have come down to the wire. It's no secret that San Diego is the team to catch."
Q: As a rookie coach last year, you had the liberty of some growing pains. This year, do you feel extreme pressure to produce wins? When you've seen the history of coaches in the franchise, the tolerance for losing is very low.
A: "I think if you're going to worry about getting fired, I think you worry about that the day you get hired at the Raiders, if you want to start studying the way it goes with the coaches.
"I don't feel any added pressure. I put pressure on myself. So I don't look at it as pressure to be fired because if I did, I would have started looking at that from Day One."
Q: You said a lot of these young quarterbacks in your division are ready to have that breakout year. Your guy is the youngest ...
A: "It goes back to what I said. Breakout seasons are going to happen by having the things around them. Putting really good players around them, being in the system for a second, maybe a third year really helps guys. Not having new coordinators every year. Receiver, it's not that important. For running backs, it's not that important. When you get that quarterback, he's going to add two new receivers to the offense, to the group. So there is a lot of work to be done for those guys to get caught up and get on the same page."
Q: Were you concerned about Javon Walker's knee? It was a big issue in Denver and you paid him top dollar.
A: "It was obviously a big concern of ours. Our doctors felt good about it. Javon is working out now, he's about 90 percent right now. Everything that we've researched has told us he'll be at 100 percent by the time we first work with him.
Q: So he passed your physicals?
A: "Yup."
Q: Was the decision to keep Rob Ryan onboard part of the plan to maintain some consistency in the organization after so much turnover?
A: "I think that always goes into it, as we talked about with the quarterback, keeping the same guys and the same system. And we basically did was change everybody on offense the year before. So I'm sure in Al's decision to keep Rob that was part of it.
"Here is somebody, they've been together for four years. Even though the numbers haven't been very good over that span with the win-loss record, it gives us a chance to bring back somebody who knows the players and a defensive staff that has been there for the guys, for the most part. And it helps us to have background on players and to know divisional opponents as well."
Q: What's the best way to describe working with AL Davis? And how is your relationship with him?
A: "The best way to describe...I'm getting a drink of water...you're waiting for this one, aren't you? It'll be on NFL Network in 30 minutes...
"Uh ... very unique. You have an owner that is very hands on. An owner that prides himself on knowledge of football, especially defensive knowledge and coaching of the defensive side of the ball. He's very active in that, with Rob.
"It goes back to when I was talking to Rob and him pursuing other opportunities - remember, and it's not the easiest job, those of you who have covered the Raiders. There have been people that have even left, because of that, because Al is very hands-on on that side of the ball and very demanding, and he has his opinions on things.
"Going back, it's just very interesting and very intriguing. But at the same time, you have somebody who has done a lot of things in this league. He's been a coach and he's been a commissioner and owner, and has a tremendous amount of knowledge."
UNCLE AL THE GM
Q: Would you say he has become the general manager of the team?
A: "Yeah, he's the general manager of the team. Yeah."
Q: What is your offensive line going to be?
A: "There are still a couple of things to look at. Bringing in Kwame Harris, we're going to give him a chance at left tackle. He's already been working with us the past two weeks at left tackle on the field. Gallery will still be at left guard. At center, adding John Wade from Tampa was important to us - here is a guy, four of the last five years has played over 99% of his snaps. Very intelligent, kind of like Jeremy Newberry was for us at center as far as a leader, intelligent, tough. Hasn't battled nearly as many injuries as Jeremy. That went into our decision to not re-sign Jeremy, and we also have Jake Grove coming off an injury.
"Cooper Carlisle returns for us at right guard. This exact time last year we added him and he played 100 percent of the snaps, just like he had done the two years before in Denver and has really become the leader of the group as far as the most playing time there.
"At right tackle we re-signed Cornell Green, who was starting RT before he got hurt. And then Mario Henderson who was drafted last year, through a trade in the third round, will get a shot to compete with Cornell."
Q: How big of a loss was defensive end Chris Clemons?
A: "Everyone wants to point to all the money we spent and all the guys we brought in, but that's a guy that had gotten to the point where it went beyond what we felt we should pay for him at that point. Like you said, he was out of football for a year. Earlier in the year he was really good on special teams for us and then starting rushing the passer on third downs. And Chris did a great job. But what helped was that Chris wasn't playing on first downs so that helps those sacks when you evaluate how they come.
"Signing Kalimba Edwards from Detroit - that could be a possibility, a role he ends up in. He could be a starter or he could be a third down rusher and take Chris' role."
Q: Is JaMarcus the type of quarterback you can't put a target weight on?
A: "As you research JaMarcus and go all the way back, JaMarcus has been able to play at a big weight. It's not like JaMarcus hasn't done it and weighed 275 and he's played great. And he has such a big time arm. He really has phenomenal feet for that size, to be able to move around for that size.
"You're never going to play with him at 260 or 255. If you think that's impossible, that's not his body. I think as long as you're around 270 (with him), you're doing really well. And what is that 270? For all players, what is that ideal weight? That's why they do all that Bod-Pod testing at the Combine because is it good weight or bad weight, is it muscle or is it fat?
"We're more concerned with his body composition and getting him in the best shape to play and getting his feet in shape to give us some scrambling ability as well."
Q: How do you assess your wide receiver situation now? Jerry Porter is gone, Ronald Curry is back, but it seems unsettled.
A: "Javon is kind of the wild card because he's had two great years and he's had some down years because injury. Can we keep him healthy and is he the same player he was his first year in Denver and the player he was his third year in Green Bay? Hopefully that is. He does give us the added dimension of speed. And then Drew Carter can stretch the field. He made a number of plays downfield for Carolina last year. We think we've added some players that are really solid receivers but also give us the potential of down the field threats and make the plays downfield for us.
"Ronald Curry, I believe, will be the first to tell you he had a disappointing year last year. Ronald has always had something that he's rehabbing from. So this season he's going in fresh. He's working as hard as he's ever worked. He's going into the weight room and he'd kind of talking about going back to an college mentality, how he worked in the offseason in college. Ronald needs that. He's gonna bulk up a little this year."
GOT CARTER
Q: Can you expand on Drew Carter and the things you like about him?
A: "Like I said, his downfield ability and his ability to make plays on the ball. There are number of plays where the defender is right there and he still made plays. With JaMarcus, we felt the best thing to go out and get were not necessarily the possession type guys but guys that could make the plays down the field. With Javon and Drew we think, and we drafted Johnnie Lee Higgins."
Q: What happened with Tyler Brayton?
A: "I wasn't there through all that. Tyler suffered through a lot of position changes. He was an outside linebacker at one point, then he was inside at the three-technique last year. I think Tyler is an example of a guy getting a fresh start in a new system with one place to play and not being moved around so much. I wish him nothing but the best."
Q: How involved were you personally in the guys you brought in this offseason, such as Javon Walker and Gibril Wilson?
A: "Very involved in those decisions. But like I said before, as a staff we target the players we think are a need or that put us in a better place at some positions and then we give our evaluation on those players. We don't get into the money."
Q: Are those players that you would recommend, the players that were signed?
A: "Those were in discussion. When you have a head coach and an owner that is so involved that we talked about, who is also the general manager, are you going to see eye to eye on everything? No, I don't think anybody is. Especially two people who haven't worked together very long and have an age difference.
"We don't see eye to eye on all the guys but in the end we come out together and do the best we can and try to make it work."
Q: What was the gist of Javon's text message to you last night?
A: "Well, I first texted him so that he knew that we were opening with Denver, just to give him some added inspiration. I'm not going to tell you exactly what he texted but let's just say he's ready to go. Anything you can add to their motivation factor, if that made him go out and work a little bit harder this morning when he got up in Arizona this morning."
Q: Do you think you and the players bonded because of the trials of last year?
A: "I think it helped at the time to go through some losing streaks like we did. It wasn't very fun. But what it did was it showed you a lot about those guys and what types of guys you needed to add at certain positions, who maybe you can't count on in those times and maybe you need to get them better at. It helps going through that kind of year because I thought they handled themselves extremely well in the media. I thought they handled themselves as teammates and coming together as a team, that is very worthwhile what happened.
"If you had a bunch of blowups and people went in different directions then it isn't good. But I think it went the other way and helped them come together."
Q: Does that apply to the staff as well? Considering Rob's desire to leave, how do you get everyone back on the same page?
A: "That's my job. That's not the easy part. They're all professionals and you just figure out a way to bring 'em together and to motivate them individually. Coaches are just like players. You have to find a way to keep them motivated and keep them driven and not just leave them on their own and think they're doing everything.
"This offseason, once everything was set - we only made a few changes on our staff - it does give us a chance. Guys are very familiar working with each other on the field so there are a lot of positives that way, too."
LOFTON'S ROLE
Q: Talk about bringing in James Lofton?
A: "We've already seen James on the field now for two weeks with the players. Very hands on coach. Very demanding. One thing is he'll help us get better because we have two new receivers and we have Johnnie Lee there and not having many veterans in the group, we think James will be a very good fit for us. James has already done a really good job these two weeks with those guys; he's already evaluated the college guys."
Q: Was he someone you personally wanted to bring in or was that Mr. Davis?
A: "That's was Al's initial thought.
Q: Because he had liked him a long time?
A: "Yes. I did interview James and went through some thing that I wanted to go through with him to understand where his mind was. Research what happened in San Diego, all that stuff. James is doing a good job."
Q: The fact that you're here talking about the season, does it put all the offseason controversy and the speculation about your future behind and are you just moving forward?
A: "I don't think, besides just to tell you guys so you know what happened, I don't really look back on it or worry about it all the time because that won't do us any good. It's no different than what you tell your players when they get beat in the first half and they fumble the ball, they throw an interception or something. You have to move on and not worry about before.
"We're moving forward. I think we added a number of potentially very good players to our roster and now we've got to put them together and see what we've got."
Q: You seem excited about what you have ahead of you for this season ...
A: "Yeah. I am. I think this offseason, what we talked about earlier, the overspending question that comes up all the time - that's not really my concern. I'm excited that we got some quality players that we can add to our roster and see how we can put them together."
Q: As you look at the draft and the needs that you have after the aggressive offseason, where does that leave you?
A: "We don't have a lot of picks in the draft. The first pick, obviously, is a significant one, being the fourth overall. Potentially we could trade down, obviously. There are still a few areas we could look at, obviously. We could continue to look at our defensive line, like we have with signing Kalimba Edwards and re-signing Tommy Kelly. With the loss of Chris Clemons and Warren Sapp retiring and Tyler Brayton leaving. As you guys know there could be a couple of very good defensive linemen available there at that pick."
Q: Is being a head coach any more different or challenging than you anticipated when took the job a year ago?
A: "I wouldn't say more difficult or more challenging. You just take it one day at a time and you go on. Now we have one year under our belt and I can learn a lot of from that. We've got to figure out a way to finish out these fourth quarters. We're in so many games and have been ahead in so many games in the fourth quarter - we talk about it all the time but we've got to continue to find ways to get over that.
"Expecting to win in those situations instead of waiting for something else to happen."
Q: What was your single biggest lesson?
A: "I think that this season is so long, this NFL season is so long that you don't want to get too high or two low, because that's so easy to do. You can win a couple of games, your team starts to feel they're better than they really are. Then you lose a couple of games and you get too far down.
"Just kind of take the whole year and not get too high or too low."
Q: A lot of teams have you picking McFadden at No. 4. What's your evaluation of him?
A: "Well, he's a phenomenal player. Running back is really not a need for us. As we discussed earlier we have three running backs that rotated for us last year all coming back and then we also have Michael Bush who kind of redshirted for us this last season."
Q: Will you have a lot of input on that decision when No. 4 comes up on the Big Board?
A: "I hope so. I hope I do. I wouldn't anticipate it being any different than it was before."
Q: Last year, did you know who you wanted to pick?
A: "With the number one pick we didn't have to wait for anybody it was easy to figure out beforehand. Weeks of discussion with Al, came out with a plan."
Q: And further down the board, the same thing?
A: "Yeah. I thought we had a really good draft."
Q: Could you see yourself dealing that pick to build up more picks because of what you lose in the Hall trade?
A: "More than ever, that's something to look at because of not having a second round pick, or a third or fifth. We could trade down. More than ever, because of having so few picks, if a certain player isn't there I think you really have to look at that."
Q: Will the interest in McFadden help you guys do that?
A: I don't know that. I think McFadden is a guy a lot of people would like to have. But you really have to have him targeted and know how you want to use him because he's a unique player. To me, he's a unique player. Maybe you have a system where he's not going to fit what you want to do."
Q: How is he unique?
A: "Like I said, we really don't have a need for running back. But looking at McFadden, I think you could spread him out. That's what I would do with him - we did that with Reggie (Bush) some at USC. I'd look at him in that role myself."
Q: Has he answered all the off-field questions?
A: "I think the few instances that he had, those were bad decisions that he made. But what excites me about him, if you were going to pick him, is his football personality. There are no issues on the field. There are no practice issues. This is a tough guy. He's the off-returner on kickoffs and he asked to be there - people don't usually ask to do that when they're in a Heisman race and they're worried about their draft status. They don't want to block for somebody. But that's what excites me about him."
DRAFT A D-LINEMAN FIRST?
Q: With several top defensive linemen expected to be there at No. 4, is that the area you think you should go?
A: "Yeah, I do. Like I said, we lost three guys, we added two in the offseason. It's definitely an issue we talked about before - with DeAngelo Hall, how does that help you when you're averaging 32nd in the league in rushing yards allowed per play? Well - we can play nine in the box now instead of eight in the box on every down, I guess.
"But to go out and get a defensive linemen or a tackle that can really play the run, that would really help us a lot."
Q: What about Dorsey and his injury problems, yet he still lined up on Saturdays?
A: "I think that says a lot about him because there were probably a lot of games where he shouldn't have played. You could really see the injury and really see him laboring because of the injury. To me that shows a lot about him."
Q: Was there something to all the offseason controversies?
A: "Well, whatever that old statement is, where there's smoke there's fire. Obviously there was something. Everything wasn't made up. There were some things that were inaccurate that were said or that I read about. But like I said, we went 4-12, we went into the offseason and everything didn't go perfect, the way you want it to.
"But we're moving forward. We made a lot of additions in the offseason and I'm excited about this year coming off."
Q: What's the best way to approach this? How much is looking forward getting you through this period?
A: "I think it was really good to coach the Senior Bowl. So while you guys are writing all that stuff, you're really not paying attention to it because you're doing what you really like doing, you're coaching."
Q: Have you and Al had a clear-the-air session or have you just gone on?
A: "We both look at it the same way. Or at least how I look at it is, we need each other to win right now. So we'll make the best of our relationship. And we've worked together to add some really good players this offseason to really help us win this next year, hopefully."
Q: How would you describe working with him?
A: "Unique."
Q: How so?
A: "You have a wide gap of age difference. Some different thoughts on things, from a guy who is a defensive guy as opposed to a guy who is an offensive guy. We're different in a lot of ways and it's unique relationship. But he does have a lot of knowledge so you can bounce things off of him and you can listen to him and take some things he says to help you."
Q: Does he listen to you a lot?
A: "Yeah, he does. I don't know what he does with it, but we talk a lot. Because of the fact that we don't have a general manager, he's really the general manager. He's kind of the general manager, director of college scouting, director of pro personnel and sometimes the defensive coordinator. That really makes it so that you have to talk to him a lot. We communicate a lot on a lot of different issues. And really this offseason if you look at it, it's worked out well."
Q: Are you concerned that if some of these moves fail this year because of the unique player personalities and the injury histories that you will be the fall guy, even though you weren't the guy who necessarily signed them or pursued them?
A: "I'm sure that's the way it will be. You create high expectations by adding these players. In classic Raider fashion, four of the guys added are former No. 1 picks. And so with that you're increasing what is expected of the coach and what's expected of the team. So it's my job to figure out how to put them all together and get them to win."
Q: Is Michael Huff in the plans?
A: "Yes, Michael Huff is in our plans. Definitely. Michael playing back and Gribril plaing down. He's always been an in the box safety."
Q: Has Nnamdi Asomugha signed?
A: "It's a business. Nnamdi may look at it and think, 'I've been here four years and then look on the other side and see a guy who hasn't been here a day who has just gotten a big contract. We're still talking to Nnamdi about a long-term contract. Obviously he doesn't have a contract right now because we haven't signed him. So Nnamdi is not working out with us right now because he really can't. But Nnamdi is not allowed to negotiate with other teams because he's an exclusive franchise player."
Ryan must get best out of Kelly
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Sunday, April 6th, 2008 at 3:20 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Notice how Lane Kiffin managed to be supportive regarding the signing of defensive tackle Tommy Kelly while at the same time making sure everyone knew it wasn’t his call.
Instead, Kiffin put the pressure squarely on Rob Ryan and Al Davis.
“I know our coaches have been here a long time with Tommy, and Rob is the first to tell you he’s the best three-technique in the league _ he just hasn’t had a chance to be there long enough. Now he’ll have a chance to be a three technique and not move around and jump around to different positions. He’s got a lot to prove now with that contract.”
Kiffin also conceded Kelly’s ACL surgery was a “major concern,” but noted the Raiders didn’t want Kelly to leave.
“Sometimes that can overprice you in some areas,” Kiffin said. “But in the end, Al decided to pay him and we’re hpapy that he’s here.”
If Kelly does step forward and become a great three-technique, Ryan will be correct in the same way that he was when he talked up Nnamdi Asomugha before his big year and went on about the potential of weakside linebacker Thomas Howard.
If Ryan is wrong, then the Kelly forecast will go alongside a few of these gems uttered last season at training camp:
– “He’s a great football player. We’ve known that for quite some time. People want to say, `You’ve got to stop the run.’ Well, Sands is the premier run-stopper in the league and I’ve coached several of ‘em out there in the league. This guy, he’s the real deal. He’s very athletic, he’s smart, and we’re happy to have him. He’s a great player for us,” _ an assessment of defensive tackle Terdell Sands.
“With Donovan Darius, you’re talking about a guy that has an aura about him. He’s a man. He walks on that football field, he demands respect. People are scared to death of him. We like that intimidation factor . . . his leadership and toughness are great plusses for the Raiders,” Ryan on veteran strong safety Donovan Darius, who failed to make the final cut.
“We’re going to shore it up. We want to attack. And we’ve got the pass best rushers and we’ve got the No. 1 pass defense, we like to prove it every Sunday . . . we’re going to improve the run defense and we’re going to kick some butt,” Ryan’s assessment of the 2007 Raiders defense.
“You saw Nnamdi last year. We knew it was going to happen, and it did. Fabe’s going to do the same thing this year,” Ryan anticipating a breakout year for cornerback Fabian Washington similar to the one experienced by Nnamdi Asomugha in 2006.
“We look at the wire and see a name like, `(Bleep), that’s a great player.’ Glad Mr. Davis thought so and picked him up. He calls all those shots. I’m just happy he does. We have the best defensive personnel in football,” Ryan on Davis’ keeping his defense stocked with players.
“Obviously Quentin Moses is a superstar and we stole him in the third round,” Ryan on Oakland’s third-round draft pick from Georgia who didn’t make the final cut
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Sunday, April 6th, 2008 at 3:20 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Notice how Lane Kiffin managed to be supportive regarding the signing of defensive tackle Tommy Kelly while at the same time making sure everyone knew it wasn’t his call.
Instead, Kiffin put the pressure squarely on Rob Ryan and Al Davis.
“I know our coaches have been here a long time with Tommy, and Rob is the first to tell you he’s the best three-technique in the league _ he just hasn’t had a chance to be there long enough. Now he’ll have a chance to be a three technique and not move around and jump around to different positions. He’s got a lot to prove now with that contract.”
Kiffin also conceded Kelly’s ACL surgery was a “major concern,” but noted the Raiders didn’t want Kelly to leave.
“Sometimes that can overprice you in some areas,” Kiffin said. “But in the end, Al decided to pay him and we’re hpapy that he’s here.”
If Kelly does step forward and become a great three-technique, Ryan will be correct in the same way that he was when he talked up Nnamdi Asomugha before his big year and went on about the potential of weakside linebacker Thomas Howard.
If Ryan is wrong, then the Kelly forecast will go alongside a few of these gems uttered last season at training camp:
– “He’s a great football player. We’ve known that for quite some time. People want to say, `You’ve got to stop the run.’ Well, Sands is the premier run-stopper in the league and I’ve coached several of ‘em out there in the league. This guy, he’s the real deal. He’s very athletic, he’s smart, and we’re happy to have him. He’s a great player for us,” _ an assessment of defensive tackle Terdell Sands.
“With Donovan Darius, you’re talking about a guy that has an aura about him. He’s a man. He walks on that football field, he demands respect. People are scared to death of him. We like that intimidation factor . . . his leadership and toughness are great plusses for the Raiders,” Ryan on veteran strong safety Donovan Darius, who failed to make the final cut.
“We’re going to shore it up. We want to attack. And we’ve got the pass best rushers and we’ve got the No. 1 pass defense, we like to prove it every Sunday . . . we’re going to improve the run defense and we’re going to kick some butt,” Ryan’s assessment of the 2007 Raiders defense.
“You saw Nnamdi last year. We knew it was going to happen, and it did. Fabe’s going to do the same thing this year,” Ryan anticipating a breakout year for cornerback Fabian Washington similar to the one experienced by Nnamdi Asomugha in 2006.
“We look at the wire and see a name like, `(Bleep), that’s a great player.’ Glad Mr. Davis thought so and picked him up. He calls all those shots. I’m just happy he does. We have the best defensive personnel in football,” Ryan on Davis’ keeping his defense stocked with players.
“Obviously Quentin Moses is a superstar and we stole him in the third round,” Ryan on Oakland’s third-round draft pick from Georgia who didn’t make the final cut
Would Raiders pick a WR in Rd. 1?
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 2:07 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Let’s assume for a moment the Raiders, with only five selections in this year’s draft, will consider trading the No. 4 overall pick to get additional selections.
As it stands, the Raiders pick in the first round (No. 4), the fourth (No. 104), the sixth (No. 169) and twice in the seventh (Nos. 213 and 226).
“More than ever, that’s something to look at because of not having a second-round pick, or a third or fifth,” coach Lane Kiffin said at the NFL owner’s meetings. “We could trade down. More than ever, because of having so few picks, if a certain player isn’t there I think you really have to look at that.”
If the Raiders trade down into the middle or late first round and the highest-rated player on their board is a wide receiver, then what?
A big part of the rebuilding process is giving JaMarcus Russell everything he needs to become a winning player, and in that regard, you can’t have enough quality receivers.
The Raiders have already added Javon Walker and Drew Carter in free agency, with incumbent Ronald Curry still on the roster along with second-year receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins.
But it’s worth noting that Walker, Carter and Curry have combined for nine major surgical procedures and that Higgins was less-than-overwhelming as a rookie out of Texas El-Paso.
So you don’t rule out the possibility of taking a receiver in Round 1 if the Raiders were to trade back.
Based on the Raiders draft history, as well as unpredictability of the position, it seems unlikely. On the other hand, if rumors of Al Davis wanting to poach Chad Johnson from Cincinnati are true, he is open to the idea of another explosive player at the position.
Since the merger in 1970, Oakland has taken wide receivers in the first round three times _ Mike Siani of Villanova in 1972, Jessie Hester of Florida State of 1985, and Tim Brown of Notre Dame in 1988.
Only Hester fit the supposed Raiders profile of a stretch-the-field deep threat, and he happened to be the least successful of the three. Siani was a medium-depth receiver with great hands and terrific ability to adjust to a ball in flight and Brown a catch-and-run all-purpose offensive player who also excelled as a return specialist.
Last season, the Raiders could have taken Calvin Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick and passed. In 2004, they brought in Larry Fitzgerald for a visit on the same day they had in Robert Gallery and Eli Manning, and ended up with Gallery at No. 2 after Manning went No. 1.
Their philosophy has been to bring in experienced receivers rather than use a premium pick on one, and given that it is one of the most difficult positions to judge, it is difficult to argue with the strategy.
“It has the biggest mortality rate of any position percentage-wise,’’ said Gil Brandt, the former Dallas personnel executive who works with NFL.com as an analyst. “It’s buyer beware. There are always a lot of issues. If I pass on the first round and go in to the second or third round, is there going to be a dramatic dropoff? The answer is probably no.’’
Walker was a first-round pick by Green Bay in 2002 (No. 20 overall), but Carter was a fifth-round choice by Carolina and Curry, Oakland’s leading receiver the past two years, was a seventh-round draft pick after playing quarterback at North Carolina.
This year’s crop of wide receivers is considered fairly deep but with nothing approaching Johnson’s status last year, when he was the No. 2 overall selection by Detroit.
At the NFL combine, casual conversation with most coaches or talent evaluators seemed to indicate Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly (6-foot-4, 224 pounds) and Cal’s DeSean Jackson (5-10, 169) were at the top of the list, with Limas Sweed of Texas (6-4, 215), Devin Thomas (6-2, 215) of Michigan State, James Hardy (6-6, 217) of Indiana and Michigan’s Mario Manningham possibilities (6-0, 181) in the late-first or early-second category.
Since then, some injury concerns with Kelly (leg) and Sweed, combined with Jackson’s size may have vaulted Thomas into the spot as the top receiver.
Of those six receivers, all but Jackson and Mannigham are physical specimens in the mold of Johnson and and Dwayne Bowe, the two most productive rookies last season. Bowe, a college teammate of Russell at LSU, finished with 70 receptions for 998 yards and five touchdowns despite playing for one of the NFL’s poorest passing offenses.
Among Jackson’s supporters include Jerry Rice, who worked with him in the offseason and likens him to Carolina Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith. Jackson also is a dangerous return specialist, an open position with Chris Carr having joined the Tennessee Titans after the Raiders declined to match an offer sheet.
Manningham restored some of the luster he lost at the combine with a 40-yard dash time in the 4.4 range at his pro day after running in the 4.6 range in Indianapolis.
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 2:07 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Let’s assume for a moment the Raiders, with only five selections in this year’s draft, will consider trading the No. 4 overall pick to get additional selections.
As it stands, the Raiders pick in the first round (No. 4), the fourth (No. 104), the sixth (No. 169) and twice in the seventh (Nos. 213 and 226).
“More than ever, that’s something to look at because of not having a second-round pick, or a third or fifth,” coach Lane Kiffin said at the NFL owner’s meetings. “We could trade down. More than ever, because of having so few picks, if a certain player isn’t there I think you really have to look at that.”
If the Raiders trade down into the middle or late first round and the highest-rated player on their board is a wide receiver, then what?
A big part of the rebuilding process is giving JaMarcus Russell everything he needs to become a winning player, and in that regard, you can’t have enough quality receivers.
The Raiders have already added Javon Walker and Drew Carter in free agency, with incumbent Ronald Curry still on the roster along with second-year receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins.
But it’s worth noting that Walker, Carter and Curry have combined for nine major surgical procedures and that Higgins was less-than-overwhelming as a rookie out of Texas El-Paso.
So you don’t rule out the possibility of taking a receiver in Round 1 if the Raiders were to trade back.
Based on the Raiders draft history, as well as unpredictability of the position, it seems unlikely. On the other hand, if rumors of Al Davis wanting to poach Chad Johnson from Cincinnati are true, he is open to the idea of another explosive player at the position.
Since the merger in 1970, Oakland has taken wide receivers in the first round three times _ Mike Siani of Villanova in 1972, Jessie Hester of Florida State of 1985, and Tim Brown of Notre Dame in 1988.
Only Hester fit the supposed Raiders profile of a stretch-the-field deep threat, and he happened to be the least successful of the three. Siani was a medium-depth receiver with great hands and terrific ability to adjust to a ball in flight and Brown a catch-and-run all-purpose offensive player who also excelled as a return specialist.
Last season, the Raiders could have taken Calvin Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick and passed. In 2004, they brought in Larry Fitzgerald for a visit on the same day they had in Robert Gallery and Eli Manning, and ended up with Gallery at No. 2 after Manning went No. 1.
Their philosophy has been to bring in experienced receivers rather than use a premium pick on one, and given that it is one of the most difficult positions to judge, it is difficult to argue with the strategy.
“It has the biggest mortality rate of any position percentage-wise,’’ said Gil Brandt, the former Dallas personnel executive who works with NFL.com as an analyst. “It’s buyer beware. There are always a lot of issues. If I pass on the first round and go in to the second or third round, is there going to be a dramatic dropoff? The answer is probably no.’’
Walker was a first-round pick by Green Bay in 2002 (No. 20 overall), but Carter was a fifth-round choice by Carolina and Curry, Oakland’s leading receiver the past two years, was a seventh-round draft pick after playing quarterback at North Carolina.
This year’s crop of wide receivers is considered fairly deep but with nothing approaching Johnson’s status last year, when he was the No. 2 overall selection by Detroit.
At the NFL combine, casual conversation with most coaches or talent evaluators seemed to indicate Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly (6-foot-4, 224 pounds) and Cal’s DeSean Jackson (5-10, 169) were at the top of the list, with Limas Sweed of Texas (6-4, 215), Devin Thomas (6-2, 215) of Michigan State, James Hardy (6-6, 217) of Indiana and Michigan’s Mario Manningham possibilities (6-0, 181) in the late-first or early-second category.
Since then, some injury concerns with Kelly (leg) and Sweed, combined with Jackson’s size may have vaulted Thomas into the spot as the top receiver.
Of those six receivers, all but Jackson and Mannigham are physical specimens in the mold of Johnson and and Dwayne Bowe, the two most productive rookies last season. Bowe, a college teammate of Russell at LSU, finished with 70 receptions for 998 yards and five touchdowns despite playing for one of the NFL’s poorest passing offenses.
Among Jackson’s supporters include Jerry Rice, who worked with him in the offseason and likens him to Carolina Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith. Jackson also is a dangerous return specialist, an open position with Chris Carr having joined the Tennessee Titans after the Raiders declined to match an offer sheet.
Manningham restored some of the luster he lost at the combine with a 40-yard dash time in the 4.4 range at his pro day after running in the 4.6 range in Indianapolis.
