What’s Good, notorious Nation!?!? Long time, no write!
Tui’s back on board? Sick, yo.. I just hope he makes the other Quarterbacks work harder. With Andrew Walter also on the roster, we have one of the most youthful and inexperienced QB squads in Oakland Raider history!
I guess the organization is thinking nothing but the best for Mr. JaMarcus Russell. This can only mean the Coaches are seeing something special from JAM during the off season.
Even Coach Kiffin says we’re seeing a different kind of Quarterback in JR from recent practices from this year to last.
I just hope his progression carries over to the 2008 regular season.
I’m sure all eyes will be on our sophomore QB this up and coming Pre Season…the Lord of the Sith can’t wait!!!!
Thank the heavens and the force for the NFL network.

Can some one tell me what the SWARCO Raiders are?
Well, they’re in the playoffs! YEY!!

..and now what you all have been waiting for…
MORE interviews!

Coach Kiffin: It has been exciting to have the rookies back and obviously RB Darren McFadden is a headliner there working with QB JaMarcus Russell. We have a long ways to go working with those two on working them together but it’s been good to have them together and I think they’ve hit it off pretty well. We are just going to keep incorporating Darren as much as we can into our gameplan and keep throwing more stuff at him. He’s doing a phenomenal job mentally being able to handle it and physically it seems to be easy on him.

Q: What have you managed to get accomplished the last three weeks with the rookie mini-camp and two weeks of OTAs?
Coach Kiffin: I think our guys are really coming together, there are so many new pieces especially offensively, there are so many new guys and new spots that we don’t even know who the starters are going to be necessarily. Anytime you have a quarterback who is close to being a rookie, having not played very much last year, you can never have enough practices. I think we are moving in the right direction with the new pieces on defense, the front-liners; they are working really well together.

Q: How is JaMarcus throwing the ball to running backs right now? Does it come natural or does he need to work on that?
Coach Kiffin: Well, that’s where we have to get him, get into that 65 percent completion [percentage] and you don’t get that by throwing the ball all the time downfield. There are times where you need to stretch the field but he has got to know when those are, especially this week, even better than the week before, his completion percentage in using his backs and tight ends instead of forcing things.

Q: I see him talking to players a lot more this year than he was last year at this point. Do you see more of that out of him?
Coach Kiffin: No doubt. In his leadership role, I like that he hasn’t tried to fake it and he has let it come naturally and been smooth into it. He did it before he got on the field, he did it by what he did this off-season. By showing up in shape, his weight the way it is and they way he is working out and lifting with the guys. We all see this (football) out here, but there are hours and hours they spend lifting in the weight room and running together and meetings. You can see the players start to come alive around him as well.

Q: You mentioned before about having two safeties that can [alternate free and strong]. Can you comment on that?
Coach Kiffin: I think anytime that you have guys that can play multiple positions it is going to help you regardless if it is defensive tackles who can play nose or three-technique or running backs who can play both or receivers who can play split end and flanker. That does give you versatility with that. I like where we are at as far as experimenting with them, Michael Huff and Gibril Wilson.

Q: What are you hoping to get done with the upcoming mandatory camp with the full team?
Coach Kiffin: Yeah, it’s not a whole lot different. The practice isn’t much different from what we are doing except that we will have two during the day. We don’t really change a lot except that they will be doing two-a-day practices. This week coming up they have off so it’s very important for them to stay in shape, take care of themselves because you will notice the guys who don’t quickly when it comes to two a days.

Oakland Raiders Safety, Gibril Wilson:
Q: Can your break down for us how often you played free safety with the New York Giants?
Wilson: Nowadays the safety position has to very interchangeable, there were at times where I was at strong and then there was a time I was at free, but the majority of the time last year I played free but in the past I have played both positions.

Q: Can you talk about the wear on the body playing up closer to the line?
Wilson: The strong safety position is just a very physical position, your shoulders and stuff like that, but if you keep those fit everything will be all right.

Q: Does that suit your game well?
Wilson: Yeah, I think what I bring is my physical presence, being in the box, I’m used to being the box so it doesn’t really matter to me.

Q: How much does that help your all around game?
Wilson: I think it helped a lot. They had me playing the middle of the field more, so I think doing both and having experience in both helped me out.

Q: [After being] on a team that had that run, what now can you bring here?
Wilson: Like I was telling some of the guys, being in the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl is probably the greatest feeling, outside of having your kids, just having that experience being there sharing that with them, I mean this is what we play for. Once everybody realizes the goal and works hard to get there we will be all right.

Q: Did you have to add on any weight?
Wilson: I’m comfortable with what I’m at right now, I’m at like 210. I just want bring that physical presence, whenever I think of the Raiders I always think of a physical, physical football team, and that’s what I’m going to do my best to bring back. All I’m bringing is physicality, I pride myself on being one of those guys that is going to make the difficult tackle and going to get guys down, that is what I’m doing my best to bring.

Q: How does it feel to be home and does that help the transition?
Wilson: It feels good to be home, being 30 minutes from where I grew up is always good. Does it help the situation? A little bit but I got all these people, all these old friends calling me now, so I have to deal with that.

Q: Have you and Michael Huff been able to help each other?
Wilson: Yeah definitely, we’re going to complement each other very nicely, like I was telling him, there is no time, there is not a play where we shouldn’t talk before the actual snap of the ball. We need to be on the same page, we need to know what each other is thinking, and the disguise and everything and not giving away the defense and everything like that so I think we’ll be great together.

have a great week, Raidah fans!!!
-DR

Congratulations on getting married, Robert Gallery! Hope the new ball and chain doesn’t weigh you down too much…you’re too soft as it is!! (ouch)
D.Burgess was also out of practice due to laziness. Hey, I’m not complaining…but…c’mon maaaan..TEAM UNITY!!
Screw it, as long as his sack total increases….

It seems like the rest of the guys are hard at work in the sun, practicing in the heat, studying film and looking over new plays for the up and coming season.
I can’t help but to listen to even more Camp chatter…can you???

JAM CHATTER:
Q: How much better off are you in terms of your conditioning?
Russell: From this time to last year, I’m 100 percent better, I feel a lot better and I can move a lot better.

Q: How do you like your new receivers, Javon Walker and Drew Carter?
Russell: You know, they’re good, we all have a few things to work on together but at the same time you can tell those guys are playmakers.

Q: It looked like there was a lot of safe plays and safe reads, is that kind of the way you see it going?
Russell: As of right now, coach wants us to get moving, once we get deeper in practice more things will come out. That’s what we feel like going with so that’s what we did out there today.

Q: Do you see that as helping your development or do you see that as just football?
Russell: That’s football. That’s is why we have practices, to continue to come out and better yourself.

Q: Did you hear those ridiculous rumors of you ballooning up to 300 pounds and if you did, what did you make of that?
Russell: It was funny to me and most my family, my grandmother took it hard, but at the same time I think it’s all fun and jokes, just a reason to get better and just keep myself in shape.

Q: Are you looking forward to working with Darren McFadden?
Russell: Yeah, I can’t wait for him to get here, I played against him, going against me and the rest of my teammates at LSU, it’s going to be a lot of fun having him as a teammate, I have seen him do numerous things on the field and just can’t wait to be a part of it.

Q: Does it feel like your team yet, or is it still in the process?
Russell: From the way things are going and being a young guy and having a lot of young guys looking up to you, I really do feel that way. It’s going to take a lot of guys to help me out to help me be that leader that I need to be and once that time comes I think we will all really bond together as a team and really come together.

Q: What are your responsibilities as a leader in terms of practice and in terms of workouts? What do you got to do to show that you are deserving to be the leader so to speak?
Russell: I’m not really a loud talking kind of guy, but I try to lead by example and show guys the way I can do it and let them do it as well.

Q: Talk about being out here with the guys and the heat. Is this what you thought training camp was going to be like?
Russell: Oh man, this ain’t nothing, you get breeze out here. I’ve been in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. You don’t get a breeze, it’s real humid out there, 110 degrees, real humid, with pads on, Saturday scrimmage practice, so I’ve been through it all.

Q: How do you look at that challenge in terms of getting things the way you want them to be?
Russell: It’s going to take time; everything doesn’t get better in one day.

LANE TRAIN TALK:
Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin: After our first week of three practices of OTA days, I’m very pleased with our attendance. I’m pleased with the attendance, pleased with the effort, we’re really focused this week because we get 15 more new guys next week so this week our guys have the most reps they are going to get before the rookies get here. We really feel good about JaMarcus’ week, the way he is throwing the ball, we’re going to continue to build off that.

Q: Can you talk about what you have seen with JaMarcus?
Coach Kiffin: Yeah, that’s where I went right away, we feel really good about JaMarcus’ [conditioning] and the way he is throwing the ball, now we have to get all the pieces around him to come together with him. Working together in the OTA days is as important as anything out here, getting that chemistry going

Q: How far has JaMarcus come learning the offense?
Coach Kiffin: Well, it never ends so I never know how far he has to go. He can always keep improving, but he has done a really good job, he has spent more hours than anybody on our team over the last two months getting ready for this and were very pleased.

Q: Do you see a difference in his presence? The way he carries himself?
Coach Kiffin: It is night and day, the confidence factor out here and the way he feels about his body, he has been around these guys the whole time working out and running with them. He looks completely different.

Q: It looks like there are a couple of job openings at wide receiver?
Coach Kiffin: Yeah there are a lot of openings, were moving people around giving guys a lot of chances and a lot opportunities, we get two more guys next week coming back that were here last week so it will be a good competition.

Q: Do you try and make JaMarcus to be an all around quarterback, or do you at first make him an efficient, mistake-free guy and then sort of work in more daring things?
Coach Kiffin: Were throwing a lot at him right now, letting him make those mistakes right now and as we get closer, we will go back to exactly what he will do in order on game day but right now were taking a lot of chances with him to see what he can do and so he can make those mistakes right now.

Q: As far as JaMarcus, how different is he now than he was when you first got him here last year, mentally more so than physically?
Coach Kiffin: His confidence level is so much different. He knows his team, he knows his teammates. He has a different presence about him, instead of being in the huddle and just trying to get the play call out and getting to the line of scrimmage, he is giving reminders in there and he is way more comfortable than he was before.

Q: How has Gibril Wilson been doing?
Coach Kiffin: Good, really good. Even though we don’t have the pads on out here, his physicality flashes at times. We really think he is going to be able to help us, especially in the run game as well as the pass game.

Q: JaMarcus says he feels better off having had those games last year even when he didn’t play well. Explain why that is important to go through that and why maybe this year it will help him.
Coach Kiffin: Well I think first of all, he is going to have a bad game, so he got to do that in Jacksonville and come back from that. Instead of it being his first time next year, he knows things are going to happen.

Let’s just hope those kind of things don’t “happen” very often THIS SEASON…

Stay Frosty, Nation
-DR

Times like these I’m glad I’m into other sports..(how dare you not pay attention to the NBA playoffs..)

Behold, it’s day 1 billion of the off season and the draft has ended, now what???
The Nation falls back into slumber, works out during the Summer, takes a vacation and goes back into hibernation until once again the time calls for cheering on the Silver and Black at the beautiful Oakland Coliseum..
unless, of course..you’re a die hard.
I’m guessing if you’re reading these blogs, daily Oakland Tribune stories or Jerry M’s takes, you are MORE than qualified to be titled as such.
I mean, it’s not like you need a Darth Vader mask, Skull belt and cape to represent your team..

So what’s the latest and greatest info that a Die Hard Oakland Raider fan needs to know???

Anyone for May Mini camp interviews?

MICHAEL BUSH
Q: Was it awkward being in the rookie mini-camp a year after you were drafted?
Michael Bush: Yes, it’s awkward but at the same time I love it. I have been out of football. I am just happy to be out there doing football plays and getting out there running around and showing everybody that I am healthy and showing the coaches that I am fine and ready to play.
Q: What kind of situation do you think you are in because they just drafted a running back and Justin Fargas just signed a long-term deal?
Michael Bush: Nowadays the league is doing two backs or rotating three backs sometimes and we still got Justin Fargas there. Right now I have really been worried about myself.
Q: Compare this situation to the one Fargas was in last year when he was sort of under the radar. They had LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes and all of a sudden he ends up being the guy. Do you take something from the way Justin handled his business last year?
Michael Bush: I’ve actually talked to Justin about it. He said, “It’s okay. Just hang in there.” I wasn’t really nervous about not playing, I was worrying about where I would stand in an offensive standpoint. Things happen.
Q: Have you been told by the coach what your role is going to be?
Michael Bush: No, I haven’t been told. Right now I am just worried about getting the playbook down and just getting out there and running around and getting as much knowledge of the game as I can.
Q: How is the leg and is it 100 percent? If so, what was the time line on a full recovery?
Michael Bush: The leg has been 100 percent for a while. Last year I was ready to play. I practiced with them for three weeks when was on the PUP list. I haven’t had any problems out of it or don’t feel anything from it. Sometimes I don’t even notice that it was broken except for this large knot that I have on it. Other than that I am fine.
Q: How hard was it last year when you found out that you weren’t going to play?
Michael Bush: It was tough but at the same time by the time they told me I wasn’t playing the season was just about over. I was just happy I was able to stick around and get more of a chip on my shoulder for this year to come out and play and show them what I can do.
Q: Do you think this could have been a blessing in disguise?
Michael Bush: I think so. Maybe something else may have happened if they did play me but I feel like I saved my body for another year. I’m just looking forward to this year.
Q: You said that even after they drafted Darren (McFadden) that you are still happy with your situation. Why are you still happy?
Michael Bush: I think the coaches still know what I can bring to the table as well. I’ve never doubted myself at any point. As far as the team, they brought in the best guy on the board at the time. It’s good because it also helps us out as a winning team. Any time you bring in new guys that help our team is good I think.
Q: What were your impressions of Darren at practice yesterday?
Michael Bush: He looks good and fast. He has that speed and quickness, he has good hands and he’s a good guy too. Just talking to him, he’s like myself, kind of quiet but we’re starting to talk a little more. All the rookies come in kind of shy and worried about what’s going on but he’s a good guy too.
Q: You spent most of last year either working by yourself or with two or three other guys that were in rehab while your team practiced right next to you. How hard was that mentally and were there any low points throughout that process?
Michael Bush: No, because I was still doing something that I loved to do. To me, I was training, basically, to one day get on the field. There weren’t any low points. I was out there focusing on my conditioning, trying to get right in every aspect of the game as far as quickness and speed. I was still in the meeting rooms as well. Just being in the locker room with the guys was kind of cool as well.
Q: Does McFadden’s versatility make it more challenging for other teams to game plan against you?
Michael Bush: Yeah, it makes it harder for defenses to prepare for our offense. We can finesse you, pound you. He (McFadden) can use his speed outside and catch a ball and also get in the backfield and use his speed to get around the corner. That’s a good thing that he is on our side and everyone is going to have to prepare for us.
Q: Are you enjoying yourself, running plays and playing football? How eager are you to get in a real game?
Michael Bush: I’ve been telling people that my season starts the first pre-season game. It’s been a long haul for me, just sitting out and not being able to do something you love. Just going out there and being with the team, in the huddles, it’s just exciting to me right now.

RUN DMC!!!
Q: What was it like yesterday getting out there and seeing some action?
McFadden: It was great being able to get back out there on the field, been doing a lot of working out just on your own and stuff, being able to get out there and run plays and be around teammates and just get to know everyone is a great deal.
Q: How are they accepting you, with open arms or keeping their distance?
McFadden: I feel like they are accepting me with open arms, anything I needed help with they have been helping out and that’s something I have been looking forward to being able to get out here and get going in full blast.
Q: What is your impression of Lane Kiffin?
McFadden: I feel like he is a great coach, he tries to use his players and move them around a bit, I feel like it is something he may try with me.
Q: What was your first thought when you saw the playbook?
McFadden: They hand you a playbook with pens and highlighters with a notebook to take notes, that’s something you don’t get in college, if you want to take notes you have to come with your own stuff, so I knew it was serious once they handed the playbook like that.
Q: Do you feel having a shared duties fits you well?
McFadden: I feel like something like that will help out in the NFL system because it is hard for a guy to go out there and go every down, it is hard on the running back, especially in the NFL. You have linebackers and defensive ends running 4.4’s so being able to have a fresh guy will help the team out a whole lot.
Q: Did you have set series at Arkansas that you knew before the game, how did that work?
McFadden: Coach would just rotate us on certain plays, sometimes we just go out there and when one of feel like were gassed, we just tell the other one to come in.
Q: Were you ever on the field together?
McFadden: Yes sir, we were on the field together several times, we had a formation that we ran called the Wildcat, which put us both back there, I was the quarterback and Felix was a lot of times the slot receiver.
Q: Did they tend to run the same running plays for you and for Felix as opposed to having some that you were better at and some he was better at?
McFadden: I think we switched it up a whole lot, it just depended on who we were playing against and the type of defense they were running.
Q : Have you been able to meet [Raiders Owner] Al Davis the last few days?
McFadden: Yes sir, I got to meet him when I came out on my visit when I was getting drafted and then I met him when I came out for my press conference Sunday after the draft.
Q: Impressions of him?
McFadden: He is a great guy, he has been around for a long time, he has a lot of history and you can tell he is very passionate for the game still.
Q: How different is the playbook from college?
McFadden: There are some similarities, you just have to learn their verbiage and how they decide to call it out, but I feel like it’s is pretty similar but it’s still a lot I have to learn.
Q: What are you going over in your team meetings?
McFadden: They were putting offensive plays in right off the bat, so when we came out for Friday practice we’d be ready.
Q: Lane Kiffin says he doesn’t want to throw everything at you [at once]. Would you like everything thrown at you?
McFadden: For me, I’d say I’d like it because I’m a competitor. But at the same time, it’s good to get a few things so that you can understand and get the concept of. Once you get the concepts of the first part of it, it’s a lot easier to catch on to the rest of it when they throw it at you.
Q: How much are they throwing at you right now?
McFadden: I don’t feel like they threw too much at me right now. Basic running plays and pass protection is just something I’m trying to catch on to right now.

The Die hards can’t wait for more…
Yo, Pumpkin!! Happy Madres day!

ps Can you believe they already have #20 McFadden Jerseys on sale??? Let’s just hope this 1st rounder comes to camp on time!!!!