David Carr, Trent Green, Daunte Culpepper,Joey Harrington…who in the HELL will be our Oakland Raiders starting Quarterback this year??!?!
Oh yeah..Mornin’ kids!!!!
Jamarcus Russell? C’MON! Do you really expect a college QB to proceed directly to #1 on top of the QB depth chart? Yeah, that did wonders for the San Francisco 49ers. Sure, Alex Smith improved in his past 2 years..but we all know Emperor Al Davis wants to win now while big JR holds a clipboard and learns the Pro game for a bit.. (oh yeah…IF he’s drafted). So I ask again..WHO CAN IT BE NOW?? (Hahaha..can anyone remember Men at Work?..I thought not)
While looking at the above names, it seems that Mr. Trent Green stats are the most impressive out of the bunch. The guy completed 121 out of 198 passes (61.1%) while throwing for 7 TD’s and giving up 9 picks. Keep in mind, Damon Huard took his place in the middle of the season after injury.
I’m not sure why Al Davis doesn’t make a move immediately for the seasoned Veteran. Perhaps big Al wants a QB that’s capable of scrambling outside of the pocket while breaking tackles. Someone who mimics Jamarcus Russell’s game a bit, so he can eventually make the rookie a better player. I believe Daunte Culpepper would fit perfectly if this was Davis’s belief.
The guy completed 81/134 passes for a 60.4% average while throwing two TD’s and 3 picks. The skinny on Daunte is of course; his durability. The man only played 4 whole games before he screamed in pain. Perhaps we start him until he eventually gets hurt..BAM, Jamarcus saves the day and takes us all the way to the playoffs. Can Emperor Al Davis foresee into the future this far ahead? Well, you’d think we’d be a contender by now if he did…strong with the force he is…but not that strong.
Joey Harrington? Ick, I don’t like him. Now I can’t really tell you why I don’t like him, but I just don’t. You know when you ask your mates what they think of a player and your friends just shrug, “Tssk” or “Hissss”? Yeah, that’s never a good sign. It’s kind of like after you ask a girl for her number at the end of the night and she replies with a long pause or a “Uhhh..I dunnoo..”.
STRIKE!!!
Great, watch the guy become a Raider now because I hate him. No, I will use the powerful force to clear every fans mind of…
who was it again?
Last… but definitely not least, is the recently released, David Carr. He completed 302/442 balls for a 68.3% average. Yes, I know the guy got sacked a lot over the last few years…yes, I know the guy had more picks than TD’s (11 to 12)..yes,I know he has one of the worst records as a starting QB…
but I think the kid has potential. I’m not sure where I’m getting this information exactly, but I believe it. Maybe with the correct Offensive Line modifications made, an improved Running game and a stable Defense, we can finally give the kid a winning chance….hopefully.
Yeah…I can hear the boos now. But I also believe the boos are coming with ANY of the following choices are made.
Sometimes though…all you have is simple hope.
DR out.

Now that’s more like it. You have to admit, the whole Nation was worried there, for a bit. Just when you think the Free Agent market was mostly closed to our silver and black Warriors, Al gives us a little hope for the future. The signing of Dominic Rhodes to a two-year, $7.5 million contract last Friday and the signing of Justin Griffith last Saturday, agreeing to a $3.8 million, three-year contract with free-agent fullback was considered to most fans; BIG.
I still believe in the AFC West you HAVE to have a running game to compete with the LT’s, LJ’s and whoever’s behind the Bronco’s dirty, cheating line these days. With these new players brings even more competition to the Backs that already have a spot on the team. If I were Lamont Jordan and Zack Crockett, I would be working out at 6:30 in the morning every day (like my boy Nnamdi) just to let the team know I was still the man.. BELIEVE IT…

Now all we have to worry about is how exactly are we going to block for the block party of running backs and execute pass protection properly? It seems like Al is mostly comfortable with our current linemen, but would rather shift people rather than hire new Free Agents or pick up some strong Fatties in the NFL draft. The Dark Lord of the Sith only wishes he could gain 100 pounds of pure muscle to try out for a spot…(fat would be too easy, I’d just take my big ass to a Buffet).

In other news, LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell wowed the media Wednesday by showing off his arm, running ability and passion for the game by having dinner with Raider Coaches Lane Kiffin, Greg Knapp and scouts Bruce Kebric, Calvin Branch and Angelo Coia. Below is an interview with the “Lane Train” Giffen from NFL network:
Q: You’d seen him on tape, now in person, did he live up to your expectations?
Kiffin: He sure did. It was a great day for him, organized workout, came out and threw everything the way I’m sure he wanted to, for the most part. It was great to see two receivers out there as well.
Q: The Raiders had him out to dinner last night, were you impressed in general with the kid?
Kiffin: Yes, we sure were. He handled himself very good, very smart, and there’s no doubt he has a great future in this league.
Q: He not only dropped back in the pocket, but moved around quite a bit, pretty nimble on his feet. What did you think?
Kiffin: We were expecting that. They did some good drills today for us to be able to see that. His ability to scramble is on film as well, too. He’s a great prospect.
Q: Taking a guy that high, with all that guaranteed money, how important are the other factors, work ethic, love of the game, other intangibles, how do you factor that into your final decision?
Kiffin: We have a tireless effort towards that, and a number of people working on it, going back all the way to when he was in high school, to figure him out, because obviously we’re investing a lot money-wise, and obviously he’s a quarterback, too, so he has to be perfect that way. We’ll continue to research that.
Q: Six more weeks of this process, how do you treat the rest of the time as you evaluate him?
Kiffin: We will continue to watch more film on him. We’ll bring him out again, fly him out to Oakland, get him out in our surroundings there, and get to know him even more.
Q: One word to describe his performance as a pro . . .
Kiffin: Professional. He’s making all the throws you need to see, and there’s not too much to worry about with him.

Also in the news, it appears that those Randy Moss to Packerland rumors were mostly speculation.
The Green Bay Press Gazette recently printed a story which said outgoing Packers CEO Bob Harlan said no deal is imminent.
Harlan said he had not heard a word regarding a deal from general manager Ted Thompson. “If it was that close, (Thompson) would have called us by now.”
According to the Boston Herald, the Raiders would also ship tight end Courtney Anderson to Green Bay. In return, Oakland would receive backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a seventh-round draft pick.
Hmph, I’m not sure if this is good news or bad news. Can Randy Moss be the player he once was or AT LEAST worth a damn for our team in ‘ 07?
Time will tell…
DR, out.

As the draft approaches, I wonder how big of an impact that #1 overall pick will have on our blessed team.
The names keep floating around in my helmet of a head..over and over again…constantly…Jamarcus Russell, Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas.

Let it be known, the Raiders will draft one of these men.

Chances are, one of these guys will prove their worth for their team. Unfortunately, one or more of ‘em might be a bust. If the draft outcome stays the same way it has been over the past few years..MOST will be underachieving or hit with a questionable “future potential” tag. I mean, correct the Sith if I’m wrong, but can you honestly remember any Rook besides Vince Young (or possibly Reggie Bush) that has made an immediate impact in the NFL?
Yeah, I’m not unhappy with Michael Huff…but I’m also not COMPLETELY happy. He’s the kind of player that you have to actually wait for to be the next All-star caliber talent that Nnamdi Asomugha is.
What ever happened to the player that got out of college immediately and tore the league apart? The last Raider I remember to do that was Charles Woodson (and he wasn’t a #1 overall pick). Robert Galley did have field presence, but also lacked the aggressiveness our team needed in 2004. Now, we’re not sure what we have with him…. Hopefully, we have a Tackle that can rise above adversity and prove that he’s still worth a damn in ‘ 07. The force is still strong with him.

How about that Free Agency market, eh? We sure do love to save! It kind of makes you wonder if players actually take a look at the teams record before making their decision. I really thought we had Garcia, but oh well..hope Gruden makes ya snap, boy.
All negatives aside, at least we got Jeremy Newberry..
“When this opportunity presented itself, I made it known that I wanted to play across the Bay for the Raiders, as I have a ton of respect for Al Davis and this organization,” said Newberry. “I’m very excited about what coach Kiffin has got going, and I am excited to be reunited with some people that I have worked with in the past — Greg Knapp and Tom Rathman in San Francisco, and my college position coach, Tom Cable.”

Lets just hope the guy could remain healthy by week 5!

Got Sirius? I do!
Anyone check out on the uncensored radio what Jerry Porter had on his mind? Let me enlighten ya…

– On Kiffin:

“He said, `We just want you to come in and work hard.’ From my very first year in the league, I never knew anything else but to work hard. We had Gruden chewing us out in them middle of practice, running along with us, trying to play defensive back, that created a mentality of working hard in practice to give the quarterback a feel of what you’re going to do on game day.

“That’s all he asked of me _ to work hard and be accountable. It’s time. I basically had my football taken away from me last year and I’m trying to get back.”

– Playing defense on the scout team and his eventual suspension:

“We stopped the offense three or four times in a row, and somebody said something like, `C’mon man, (stop it) so we can get off the field. And I said, `What the hell? We’re going to be out here three hours anyway.’ And that got me thrown off the field. I didn’t even get a chance to curse. That was the most expensive trash I ever talked.”

(Note: At the time of Porter’s insubordination suspension, Shell said it was an accumulation of events and witnesses said Porter was profane.)

– His budding relationship with Al Davis, with whom he did not speak last year.

“I didn’t know that he was as approachable as he is. I mean, this year I sat down and talked to him three times already. And it’s a shock to me. Had I known that, I may have done something different last year.”

– His trade request:

“Before I asked to be traded, I went up and talked to coach Shell twice and coach (Tom) Walsh once. It was at that point I realized I didn’t want to be a part of it. But they gave me too much money to just let me go or trade me without giving money back . . . It didn’t feel like it could be a successful offense. It would take Hall of Famers across the board to do the things possible and necessary (to make it work). It just wasn’t to be.”

– Quarterback Andrew Walter:

“I’m not sure that Andrew Walter can’t get the job done. He showed me a lot of promise. He’s got a quick release, he’s very smart in the pocket, but it was tough last year because we had a lot of deep drops and before he cold even get to the top of his drop, he had to avoid two or three guys at least on one play.”

– The quarterback position in general:

“I’d have made a hard push for Jeff Garcia because he’s worked with coach (Greg) Knapp in San Francisco and that would have been ideal for Andrew and the organization. It would have given Andrew a chance to grow some more, Jeff could have played some more.”

– Wide receiver Randy Moss:

“We’ve had conversations, and that’s between us. I think if Randy just gets the chance to sit down with Lane and coach Knapp and get a feel for what this offense can do, we’ll be fine.”

–The offensive line:

“We had five guys doing five different things instead of five guys doing one thing in unison. Keep in mind I haven’t blocked a D-tackle or a 3-technique ever, so I can’t say exactly what the problem was, but that’s what I feel the problem was . . . Robert Gallery didn’t come to the NFL and forget how to block, and neither did Jake Grove. But if you tell Robert to do one thing, and Jake to do something different . . . there are going to be some holes.”

– His thoughts on JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn:

“I could see JaMarcus Russell as a Donovan McNabb-type quarterback that scrambles to throw instead of scrambling to run and get yards. If that’s the case, he’s going to be a great NFL guy. If Brady Quinn is the intelligent, knowledgeable quarterback they say he is, I don’t want to say he could be the next Peyton Manning, but he could be a great quarterback, too.”

– The possibility of taking a receiver, Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech, with the first pick:

“Hey, if he can help us, I don’t care . . . he had a great workout from what I’ve read, he’s 6-5, 239, runs a 4.35 40-yard dash, has a 46-inch vertical. You can’t teach that. If you can get that right now, you need to get it.”

– On the Raiders prospects in 2007:

“Honestly, and I really believe this when I say it, if we can get the defense 14 points (per game), we’re a playoff team.”

– Wearing No. 81:

“Me and Tim, we clashed my first year because I was a headstrong, know-it-all rookie. After that, we talked just about every day. I could learn from. When he left the Raiders it was ugly and left a sour taste in my mouth. When Randy came I was expecting him to want 84 and I was going to give him 84 and I’d take 81. But Randy didn’t want 84, so I stuck it out, and given the events of last year, I just felt it was time for a change.”

Let’s just hope MR. new #81 can play like the previous #81….or at least close to it!!

Darth out, sirs and ladies. Have a great week!
-DR

Wow..you’d think about this time, there would be no new Oakland Raider news to report. Boy, were you wrong, son.
In the span of a one week, the following transpired:

Randy Moss tells Coach Lane Kiffen he’s excited to be on the new and hopefully improved Raiders:
Now I figure Randy may be good for a team that calls for the deep ball..but I’m not entirely sure this guy can run in a West Coast style Offense. I mean, when was the last time Randy ran a hook or a cross and looked as natural as Tim Brown or Jerry Rice did back in the day? Can Mr. Moss adapt to the short game? I sense a disturbance in the force @ WR…
There’s a rumor going around that the Green Bay Packers want to acquire Randy Moss for Aaron Rogers and other possible draft picks:
The Oakland Raiders might consider this if they want to free up more money for Free Agents and Rookies, but I just don’t see the team getting their true worth out of a Quarterback that is still unproven in the NFL. Sure, this guy was phenomenal at CAL, but the game moves a lot quicker in the big leagues. If Green Bay was unhappy with him, why should we believe him to be any different? Most of these Players (that teams want to get rid of) never pan out to be anything more than what they thought originally. Maybe Coach Kiffen and Emperor Al might think more of the kid than I do…

Another Rumor is telling the Dark Lord of the Sith, Master of all evil, that Jeff Garcia will be suiting up in the Silver and Black for the 2007 season:
Now THIS makes sense to me. First off, I already sense that Jef wants to make it back to his old stomping grounds and play around his familiar family and friends in the bay area. 2nd, the elusive Quarterback has already worked with Greg Knapp (our current Offensive Coordinator) in San Francisco. 3rd, Garcia is familiar with the style of Offense that Lane Kiffen is planning to create. The only problem I can foresee is how much the Veteran is willing to ask for?? I would expect the price to be a bit high, considering with what he did in Philadelphia. Another negative is for the past few years, the man has been a backup for a reason..
I also recently asked the Nation if bringing Jef back to the bay area was a good idea…
Out of 377 Stormtroopers, 144 Votes (38.09 %) said YES and 234 Votes (61.90 %) said hell to the NO.
Yeeessh..can a Sith change his mind??

In other news, Barry Sims and the Raiders are in the midst of reworking his contract so that he can return for a ninth season. If Sims has his way, it will be back at the left offensive tackle spot he manned from 1999-2005 but got moved from last season. “I should have never left there in the first place,” Sims said. Whoaa,I wonder how Robert Gallery aka Andre the Giant feels about switching back to RT? Hopefully, feelings won’t be hurt.

The Raiders also resigned defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to a one-year, $1.35 million contract. That gives the Raiders all 11 starters from last season’s defense under contract entering next season. Go get ‘em D..
Now all we have to worry about is stopping the damn run…

Have a great week, my Empire.