Oakland Raiders Team Report: April 1/11
USA Today
Conventional wisdom still has it that Raiders owner Al Davis simply can't pass up a cornerback with a premium draft pick.
Not that it has applied to how the Raiders have operated over the past several years, considering there hasn't been a cornerback selected within the first two rounds in each of the last five drafts.
There's a good chance the cliche could be restored this year, as the Raiders have all but waved goodbye to All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and will be seeking young blood to go along with newly re-signed Stanford Routt, veteran Chris Johnson and 2010 draftees Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware.
The Raiders don't pick until the second round, No. 48 overall, having dealt their first-round pick to New England for Richard Seymour in 2009.
Asomugha's contract voided automatically when he failed to reach incentives without getting so much as a single interception, sack, forced fumble or fumble recovery last season.
But truth be told, the void made things much easier for the Raiders because they had no intention of picking up the third year of a deal that would have paid Asomugha $17 million or more in 2011.
The task for Davis and the Raiders in 2011 is finding another Asomugha, keeping in mind that when they selected him with the 31st pick in the first round of the 2003 draft, almost no one knew who he was and the selection was considered a major reach.
Asomugha was picked because he fit the kind of physical characteristics Davis loves in cornerbacks. He was fast, tall, had long arms, had played safety and looked to have the sort of Mike Haynes-Willie Brown look Davis loves.
Davis isn't locked into those characteristics however, with speed being the overriding requirement.
The last time the Raiders took a corner with a first- or second-round pick was 2005, when they moved up to take Fabian Washington at No. 23 and then grabbed Routt at No. 38.
Not surprisingly, Washington and Routt were the two fastest corners at the NFL scouting combine, both timing under 4.3 according to some stop watches.
Washington was a starter but was eventually traded away, while Routt was a late bloomer who was promising enough to receive a contract extension worth $31.5 million with the logical assumption being that Asomugha won't be pursued unless he's prone to giving a big hometown discount.
Oakland also drafted cornerbacks within the first two rounds in 2002 and 1998, moving up to take Phillip Buchanon at No. 17 overall and Charles Woodson at No. 4 in 1998.
Buchanon had a number of big plays but was burned almost as often before being traded to Houston. Woodson was a cornerstone of Oakland's division titles from 2000 through 2002 although he never achieved true greatness until moving to Green Bay.
All were considered to have the requisite skills to play the kind of press man-to-man coverage the Raiders play more than any team in the NFL. The downside for players such as Asomugha and Woodson is they were considered so good at it, the scheme never allowed them to venture into the areas of the field where plays are there to be made.
—What started in 2010 as a transition season away from being strictly a zone blocking team looks to be a more permanent move back to the gap and power blocking schemes more common to the tradition of the Raiders.
As the Raiders look to the 2011 draft and whatever becomes of free agency in a year of labor strife, they will be closely evaluating an offensive line that effectively paved the way for the NFL's second-ranked rushing team but has struggled in the area of pass protection.
Despite averaging 155.9 yards per game on the ground, second only to division-rival Kansas City in the NFL, Oakland struggled in the passing game in part because of 44 sacks surrendered, a total exceeded by only five teams in the league.
Upon the hiring of Lane Kiffin in 2007, the Raiders radically changed the blocking philosophies as espoused by former head coach Art Shell and line coaches Irv Eatman and Jackie Slater.
Kiffin brought in Cable, who had worked in Atlanta under Alex Gibbs, to make the Raiders a zone blocking team.
One of Cable's first moves was to shift Robert Gallery, a No. 2 overall pick in 2004, from left tackle to left guard. After struggling at tackle, Gallery became a standout and a team leader at left guard.
Coach Hue Jackson's arrival as offensive coordinator started the Raiders' shift away from zone blocking in 2010. The changeover was completed with Cable's exit as head coach, along with the departure of line coach Jim Michalczik.
In their place is Bob Wylie, considered a strong technician in the kind of blocking schemes Jackson prefers, along with assistant line coach Steve Wisniewski, whose primarily responsibilities will be to preach work ethic and attitude.
Oakland does not pick until the second round, No. 48 overall.
NOTES, QUOTES
—Running back Rock Cartwright wondered on his Twitter account whether he'd even be able to attend a club function in his honor, given the state of NFL labor.
As it turned out, Cartwright went to the Commitment to Excellence awards dinner and team officials stayed away. Cartwright won the award by a vote of his teammates "based on hard work, leadership and excellence on and off the field throughout the season."
He recently re-signed with the Raiders and is considered a team leader. No coaches or management could attend the dinner at the Oakland Hilton Hotel.
"It's awkward, but I made a commitment to be here," Cartwright told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. "We don't know what's going to happen with the whole CBA/lockout situation, but let's just pray for the best.
"I'm just praying that we can get something going. Get the group of guys together, get the coaching staff together and get something going."
Organized by the Raiders' booster club, the dinner for Cartwright was expected to clear between $10,000 and $15,000 for a charity of his choice. Cartwright chose "Tackling the Odds," a charity created by Oakland linebacker Sam Williams in honor of Marquis Cooper, the former teammate lost at sea on a fishing trip in 2008.
—Running back Michael Bennett, who signed a one-year contract worth $865,000 before the close of league business preceding the lockout, thought the two sides waited too long before getting down to serious negotiations.
"It's a process," Bennett told Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area. "We don't know what's going on because we're not in the meeting room but it's definitely one of those things we should have handled last year. Then we wouldn't be in this predicament right now."
—Of particular interest to the Raiders is a collective bargaining agreement that sets aside money for stadiums. Al Davis is on record favoring a new stadium on the current site, but newly elected Gov. Jerry Brown, the former mayor of Oakland, indicated the club will be on its own with regard to financing.
"Oakland and Alameda County are spending $25 million a year over a 20-year period to repay a bond on a stadium the owners now say may not be usable," Brown told the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the deal which brought the Raiders back to Oakland. "That troubles me. My general view is we have to put education first and entertainment second."
Brown looked at the 11-year home of the San Francisco Giants as an example.
"Private enterprise should be able to survive on its own, as witnessed at (AT&T Park)," Brown said.
AT&T is privately financed, although the city has paid millions in infrastructure and security costs.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The silver and black have attracted an unholy fan base of hell-raiders, gangbangers and inveterate knife-lickers, all of whom firmly believe that skipping town for an away game is well worth the parole violation." — GQ Magazine in naming the Raiders the fourth-worst fan base in the country.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Raiders were awarded a seventh-round pick in this year's draft to compensate for the free-agent loss of OT Cornell Green. That was considered more of a loss than then signing of QB Kyle Boller.
TEAM NEEDS
Guard/center: With Robert Gallery announcing his attention to leave via free agency, Samson Satele the lone center on the roster and a potential free agent, and right guard Cooper Carlisle having played his entire career in a zone blocking system, Oakland will look at hard at the center of its offensive line. The obvious choice, if available, is Penn State guard/center Stefan Wisniewski, although Oakland would undoubtedly be tempted with the girth and power of 350-pound Marcus Cannon of TCU.
Cornerback: The signing of Stanford Routt to a $31.5 million extension means it's likely the Raiders have no intention of getting back into the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes. Chris Johnson, beaten out by Routt last year after two seasons as a starter, will be pushed by second-year men Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware but expect some young — and fast — new blood.
Tight end: Zach Miller made his first Pro Bowl and is the Raiders' leading receiver the past four years, but has occasional concussion issues and has battled injury. The backup is Brandon Myers, primarily a special teams player, and reserve/future signee Kevin Brock. Owner Al Davis loves to look for athletes as tight end projects. USC's Jordan Cameron, a converted wideout with great athleticism, qualifies as a mid-round possibility.
Tackle: Jared Veldheer appeared to nail down the left tackle position with 11 starts as a rookie out of Division II Hillsdale. He struggled against premier pass rushers, but dominated within the division. Right tackle Langston Walker is scheduled for free agency, as is reserve Khalif Barnes.
MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.
FRANCHISE PLAYER
—LB Kamerion Wimbley (re-signed).
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
—RB Michael Bennett: Potential UFA; $865,000/1 yr.
—QB Kyle Boller: Potential UFA; $1.25M/1 yr.
—RB Rock Cartwright: Potential UFA; terms unknown.
—S Hiram Eugene: Potential RFA; $10.25M/4 yrs.
—OG Daniel Loper: Potential UFA; $3.9M/2 yrs.
—CB Stanford Routt: Potential UFA; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
—DT Richard Seymour: Potential UFA; $30M/2 yrs, $15M base guarantee 2011/$7.5M 2012 base guaranteed for injury/$7.5M RB 2012.
—LB Kamerion Wimbley: FFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: None.
PLAYERS LOST: None.
USA Today
Conventional wisdom still has it that Raiders owner Al Davis simply can't pass up a cornerback with a premium draft pick.
Not that it has applied to how the Raiders have operated over the past several years, considering there hasn't been a cornerback selected within the first two rounds in each of the last five drafts.
There's a good chance the cliche could be restored this year, as the Raiders have all but waved goodbye to All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and will be seeking young blood to go along with newly re-signed Stanford Routt, veteran Chris Johnson and 2010 draftees Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware.
The Raiders don't pick until the second round, No. 48 overall, having dealt their first-round pick to New England for Richard Seymour in 2009.
Asomugha's contract voided automatically when he failed to reach incentives without getting so much as a single interception, sack, forced fumble or fumble recovery last season.
But truth be told, the void made things much easier for the Raiders because they had no intention of picking up the third year of a deal that would have paid Asomugha $17 million or more in 2011.
The task for Davis and the Raiders in 2011 is finding another Asomugha, keeping in mind that when they selected him with the 31st pick in the first round of the 2003 draft, almost no one knew who he was and the selection was considered a major reach.
Asomugha was picked because he fit the kind of physical characteristics Davis loves in cornerbacks. He was fast, tall, had long arms, had played safety and looked to have the sort of Mike Haynes-Willie Brown look Davis loves.
Davis isn't locked into those characteristics however, with speed being the overriding requirement.
The last time the Raiders took a corner with a first- or second-round pick was 2005, when they moved up to take Fabian Washington at No. 23 and then grabbed Routt at No. 38.
Not surprisingly, Washington and Routt were the two fastest corners at the NFL scouting combine, both timing under 4.3 according to some stop watches.
Washington was a starter but was eventually traded away, while Routt was a late bloomer who was promising enough to receive a contract extension worth $31.5 million with the logical assumption being that Asomugha won't be pursued unless he's prone to giving a big hometown discount.
Oakland also drafted cornerbacks within the first two rounds in 2002 and 1998, moving up to take Phillip Buchanon at No. 17 overall and Charles Woodson at No. 4 in 1998.
Buchanon had a number of big plays but was burned almost as often before being traded to Houston. Woodson was a cornerstone of Oakland's division titles from 2000 through 2002 although he never achieved true greatness until moving to Green Bay.
All were considered to have the requisite skills to play the kind of press man-to-man coverage the Raiders play more than any team in the NFL. The downside for players such as Asomugha and Woodson is they were considered so good at it, the scheme never allowed them to venture into the areas of the field where plays are there to be made.
—What started in 2010 as a transition season away from being strictly a zone blocking team looks to be a more permanent move back to the gap and power blocking schemes more common to the tradition of the Raiders.
As the Raiders look to the 2011 draft and whatever becomes of free agency in a year of labor strife, they will be closely evaluating an offensive line that effectively paved the way for the NFL's second-ranked rushing team but has struggled in the area of pass protection.
Despite averaging 155.9 yards per game on the ground, second only to division-rival Kansas City in the NFL, Oakland struggled in the passing game in part because of 44 sacks surrendered, a total exceeded by only five teams in the league.
Upon the hiring of Lane Kiffin in 2007, the Raiders radically changed the blocking philosophies as espoused by former head coach Art Shell and line coaches Irv Eatman and Jackie Slater.
Kiffin brought in Cable, who had worked in Atlanta under Alex Gibbs, to make the Raiders a zone blocking team.
One of Cable's first moves was to shift Robert Gallery, a No. 2 overall pick in 2004, from left tackle to left guard. After struggling at tackle, Gallery became a standout and a team leader at left guard.
Coach Hue Jackson's arrival as offensive coordinator started the Raiders' shift away from zone blocking in 2010. The changeover was completed with Cable's exit as head coach, along with the departure of line coach Jim Michalczik.
In their place is Bob Wylie, considered a strong technician in the kind of blocking schemes Jackson prefers, along with assistant line coach Steve Wisniewski, whose primarily responsibilities will be to preach work ethic and attitude.
Oakland does not pick until the second round, No. 48 overall.
NOTES, QUOTES
—Running back Rock Cartwright wondered on his Twitter account whether he'd even be able to attend a club function in his honor, given the state of NFL labor.
As it turned out, Cartwright went to the Commitment to Excellence awards dinner and team officials stayed away. Cartwright won the award by a vote of his teammates "based on hard work, leadership and excellence on and off the field throughout the season."
He recently re-signed with the Raiders and is considered a team leader. No coaches or management could attend the dinner at the Oakland Hilton Hotel.
"It's awkward, but I made a commitment to be here," Cartwright told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. "We don't know what's going to happen with the whole CBA/lockout situation, but let's just pray for the best.
"I'm just praying that we can get something going. Get the group of guys together, get the coaching staff together and get something going."
Organized by the Raiders' booster club, the dinner for Cartwright was expected to clear between $10,000 and $15,000 for a charity of his choice. Cartwright chose "Tackling the Odds," a charity created by Oakland linebacker Sam Williams in honor of Marquis Cooper, the former teammate lost at sea on a fishing trip in 2008.
—Running back Michael Bennett, who signed a one-year contract worth $865,000 before the close of league business preceding the lockout, thought the two sides waited too long before getting down to serious negotiations.
"It's a process," Bennett told Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area. "We don't know what's going on because we're not in the meeting room but it's definitely one of those things we should have handled last year. Then we wouldn't be in this predicament right now."
—Of particular interest to the Raiders is a collective bargaining agreement that sets aside money for stadiums. Al Davis is on record favoring a new stadium on the current site, but newly elected Gov. Jerry Brown, the former mayor of Oakland, indicated the club will be on its own with regard to financing.
"Oakland and Alameda County are spending $25 million a year over a 20-year period to repay a bond on a stadium the owners now say may not be usable," Brown told the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the deal which brought the Raiders back to Oakland. "That troubles me. My general view is we have to put education first and entertainment second."
Brown looked at the 11-year home of the San Francisco Giants as an example.
"Private enterprise should be able to survive on its own, as witnessed at (AT&T Park)," Brown said.
AT&T is privately financed, although the city has paid millions in infrastructure and security costs.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The silver and black have attracted an unholy fan base of hell-raiders, gangbangers and inveterate knife-lickers, all of whom firmly believe that skipping town for an away game is well worth the parole violation." — GQ Magazine in naming the Raiders the fourth-worst fan base in the country.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Raiders were awarded a seventh-round pick in this year's draft to compensate for the free-agent loss of OT Cornell Green. That was considered more of a loss than then signing of QB Kyle Boller.
TEAM NEEDS
Guard/center: With Robert Gallery announcing his attention to leave via free agency, Samson Satele the lone center on the roster and a potential free agent, and right guard Cooper Carlisle having played his entire career in a zone blocking system, Oakland will look at hard at the center of its offensive line. The obvious choice, if available, is Penn State guard/center Stefan Wisniewski, although Oakland would undoubtedly be tempted with the girth and power of 350-pound Marcus Cannon of TCU.
Cornerback: The signing of Stanford Routt to a $31.5 million extension means it's likely the Raiders have no intention of getting back into the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes. Chris Johnson, beaten out by Routt last year after two seasons as a starter, will be pushed by second-year men Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware but expect some young — and fast — new blood.
Tight end: Zach Miller made his first Pro Bowl and is the Raiders' leading receiver the past four years, but has occasional concussion issues and has battled injury. The backup is Brandon Myers, primarily a special teams player, and reserve/future signee Kevin Brock. Owner Al Davis loves to look for athletes as tight end projects. USC's Jordan Cameron, a converted wideout with great athleticism, qualifies as a mid-round possibility.
Tackle: Jared Veldheer appeared to nail down the left tackle position with 11 starts as a rookie out of Division II Hillsdale. He struggled against premier pass rushers, but dominated within the division. Right tackle Langston Walker is scheduled for free agency, as is reserve Khalif Barnes.
MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.
FRANCHISE PLAYER
—LB Kamerion Wimbley (re-signed).
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
—RB Michael Bennett: Potential UFA; $865,000/1 yr.
—QB Kyle Boller: Potential UFA; $1.25M/1 yr.
—RB Rock Cartwright: Potential UFA; terms unknown.
—S Hiram Eugene: Potential RFA; $10.25M/4 yrs.
—OG Daniel Loper: Potential UFA; $3.9M/2 yrs.
—CB Stanford Routt: Potential UFA; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
—DT Richard Seymour: Potential UFA; $30M/2 yrs, $15M base guarantee 2011/$7.5M 2012 base guaranteed for injury/$7.5M RB 2012.
—LB Kamerion Wimbley: FFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: None.
PLAYERS LOST: None.
