First minicamp in the books
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Sunday, May 6th, 2007 at 1:52 pm in Oakland Raiders.
News, notes, opinions and snapshots from the Raiders first mandatory minicamp, which concluded Sunday afternoon:
– Sebastian Janikowski, operating on the fringes of the minicamp for the most part, took center stage when coach Lane Kiffin called to team to the center of the field.
It was a field goal attempt from 48 yards. Miss it, and the Raiders had an hour of meetings after practice. Make it, and it was class dismissed and the chance to take some of that spectacular sunshine.
Janikowski’s kick was good, setting off a celebration.
– Kiffin said the Raiders have no depth chart, although from watching practices it would seem he’s got one in mind.
When they finally get around to establashing one, the early evidence suggests Zach Miller will be the starting tight end. If not, he will be soon.
Remember the days when the Raiders had a tight end could find open areas and make catches for first downs? The Christensen era, perhaps? They’ve got another one.
“Zach has a really good feel for the game,” Kiffin said., “That was a big part of picking him because when you watch him he’s a football player that digs in there and grinds away. His coaches called him, the best competitor they ever had. So those are the type of guys you are looking for and at the same time he has great football savvy as well.”
– Kiffin’s first camp was light years ahead of anything the Raiders ran last year in terms of lively competition between offense and defense. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and linebackers coach Don Martindale aren’t afraid to stir it up, and Jerry Porter is ready with a barb in return.
“It’s `Make the offense cry’ day,” Ryan shouted before one goal line drill.
Running backs coach Tom Rathman was taunting Martindale in a passing drill, saying, “My rookie beats your rookie” as sixth-round draft pick Oren O’Neal ran a fat route against undrafted free agent Kyle Shotwell.
Rathman laughed with delight when O’Neal indeed got open and caught a pass.
In goal line drills, the coaches will keep score. Offense gets a point if they score, defense gets one if they don’t.
“It’s not just on the depth chart, it’s all around. We’re motivating them every day to get them out here and getting them to work,” Kiffin said. “I don’t know any other way to do that but create competition, so we try to do that in our practice and team drills, keeping score and putting balls in different positions and putting guys in pressure situations.”
Kiffin will deviate from the practice script to surprise the defense, believing reacting to sudden change in practice will make the Raiders better prepared to do it in a game.
Jon Gruden ran practice the same way with the Raiders, meeting with his defensive coordinator (Willie Shaw and then Chuck Bresnahan) with the coaches agreeing on a script. Then both coaches would throw much of the script out of the window and try and embarass the other, and urging his players to do the same.
It’s a tactic Gruden continues with Monte Kiffin, Lane’s father.
– JaMarcus Russell fumbled another snap from center _ he may have had as many as six over the five practices _ but it’s too early to be concerned.
“Different centers, everybody has a different twitch, a different move,” Russell said. “Therefore we have to better ourselves and make sure that’s not a problem.”
– Russell is more agile than incumbent Andrew Walter and appears capable of delivering passes on the move, but he is clearly at his best when setting to throw in the pocket and throwing on time.
From what the Raiders have run in practice so far, quarterbacks will be on the move a great deal. It will be up to Kiffin to decide whether to tailor the offense to suit Russell or if Russell will have to improve that part of his game to suit Kiffin.
– Rookies cannot return to the Raiders until May 15 for organized team activities. Others will begin a weight program next week.
– Here’s an example of “attention to detail,” one of the most common phrases in coachspeak.
Tight end John Madsen ran a crossing route from right to left, was hit in stride by Josh McCown, then stepped inside the cone placed at the intersection goal line and the sideline, cradling the ball in his right arm. A routine practice touchdown.
Not so fast. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp immediately raced to Madsen, reminding him to make sure the ball was in his left hand.
Why?
Because if the flight of the ball looked as if it would carry him out of bounds before the goal line, he would have his right hand free to reach out and swipe the pylon with his right hand for the touchdown.
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May 6th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
From early indicators, it sounds like the Raiders will be fielding a decent team. And, they may be better than what many will suspect. The Raiders has always been a talented team. Yet, it always has been team that needs the proper motivation to succeed. If this first mini-camp says anything, the Raiders are ready to make that statement they’re a team to be reckoned with - win or lose, preferably the Raiders win.
May 6th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Great stuff.
1) Looks like the pecking order at QB is McCown, JaMarcus, and Walter as the #3.
2) Curious how Kevin Boothe appears to be lost in the mix at OG. After a decent rookie season, I wonder aloud if he’s in danger of being cut?!?!?
3) Speaking of cut, its looks like Francis, Morant, Whitted, Randal Williams, and the rookie WR (not Higgins) might be looking for jobs.
May 6th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
I love what Kiffin is doing compared to last year-great article. The tempo, the competition, putting seabass on the spot was great. Team building while adding a little pressure on the kicker to make the practice more meaningful.
The fumbles by russell is a concern. Yes its early but what is the deal with our qb’s not being able to handle a snap?! Cause to worry because russell operated mostly out of shotgun in college, i hope this doesnt become a problem.
May 6th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I LOVE THE NEW LOOK RAIDERS I’M STILL KIND OF SHOCKED THAT WE DIDN’T LET MOSS GO THROUGH ATLEAST MINI CAMP.EVEN IF WE WERE GOING TO TRADE HIM SOME 1 WOULD HAVE GIVIN US AN EARLIER ROUND PICK NEXT YEAR. BUT KIFFIN SEEMS ON THE RIGHT PATH AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT I USE TO THINK MIKE WILLIAMS WAS 1 OF THE MOST DEVISTATING RECEIVERS IN COLLEGE.REMEMBER VINCE FUMBLED ALTHROUGH MINI CAMP
May 6th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I WOULDN’T WORRY TO MUCH ABOUT THE O-LINE BECAUSE ITS NOT THE PLAYERS IT WAS ART SHELL TIRED ANUS SCHEME.KEEP IN MIND COLLINS THROUGH FOR 3750 WICH WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR 4TH BEST IN THE LEAGUE AND HE WAS BENCHED FOR A GAME HAD COLLINS PLAYED AGAINST THE JETS HE WOULD’VE LED THE NFL IN PASSING YARDS WITH THE EXACT SAME O-LINE GIVE OR TAKE A PLAYER. SO IF NORV TURNER CAN GET THAT KIND OF PRODUCTION OUT OF THE O-LINE WITH COLLINS AS HIS QB I KNOW KIFFIN WILL HAVE THEM BOYS DOING WELL.PS I REALLY HOPE CARLOS SHOWS IP THIS YEAR I MISS HIM ON MADDEN:-)PLUS 4.2 SPEED WITH HANDS IS HARD TO COME BY
May 6th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Sounds very promising
http://mvn.com/nfl-raiders/
May 6th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Argh!
While I love and appreciate the timely and insightful articles, I wsh they were a lil more attention to detail.
This one was rife and I must point out, unless the rules have changed the ending comment made no sense at all.
If the ball where in the receivers left hand instead of the correct right, the ball would be spotted where the BALL went out of bounds, not the players right hand.
Unless cone swatting has become anthema to the BALL crossing the line in some new rule change I missed, this seems careless and grossly inacurate.
You’ve got some very dedicated Raider fans here, I think they deserve a little more…
May 6th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Note the errors?
RF4Life!
May 6th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I am more and more impressed the more I hear about the new coaches… This definitely seems as though we are headed in the right direction
May 6th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Jesus.. Francis got 4.2 speed. He kinda look weak and cannot catch the ball on the fly. Raiders should of let him KR last season to see if he can play in this league. I believe the kid Higgins looks so explosive it not funny. There’s always the practice squad to put these speedsters like Francis.
May 6th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
I agreed… if Collins passes for over 3750 yards, then the OL isn’t that bad. This is Gallery 3rd years or so he should be peaking this coming season. Gallery is a RG. Let’s just play him there too.
May 6th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
The plane of the goal line goes around the world. The football has to cross the goal line while any part of the players body crosses the goal line in bounds. The ball doesn’t have to be in bounds. It’s actually safer to have the ball out of bound crossing the goal line while having the other hand swatting the pylon. Less chance of fumbling through the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback and other teams ball.
May 6th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
I don’t think Lane Kiffin would be as successful starting out as an NFL Coach without Greg Knapp and Tom Cable. We’re very lucky to have them. We also have a few coaches that were Head Coaches in college. Kiffin’s first year couldn’t be better. We have a great staff and a #3 defense in place with a great defensive coordinator. This team is extremely talented as well and Kiffin did great with the players he added in free agency and the draft. Kiffin is destined for success.
May 6th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
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May 6th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
I agree with Huff 24’s assesment of Kiffen. When Kiffen first got hired, the perception was that Al had to go to the cradle to find a new coach, and the fact that Kiffen said he would call plays and find an OC just to help scheme and devise a game plan was going to eliminate a qaulified person from taking the job. The fact that Marc Trestman seemed to already have the OC job in the bag also made it seem like Kiffen was going to attend to Al’s every wish/ demand.
Then Kiffen said his first order of business was to find an OC and procede to find the rest of the coaching staff. This is where the importance of Knapp comes into play. Knapp was obviously Kiffen’s call not Al’s. Cable showed that Kiffen was making nice with Knapp and allowing him to have say in who he wants to work with. I think the fact that Al kind of had Trestman lined up to be OC and kiffen chose Knapp instead sent a message to the rest of the league that Kiffen has some say. In a way, Al’s obsessive medling before he hired a head coached set up kiffen to look like he was in control. I mean look no farther than San Diego and AJ smith hiring Ted Cotrell( defense coordinator) before he had Norv Turner in the bag. He waited after the official Turner annoucement to say Cotrell was in, but it was reported on NFL radio days before the Turner hiring that Cotrell was the DC and Turner was the front Runner for the Job.
Back to Kiffen and Al’s relationship. Skip Peete and Fred B. both stepped down as coaches allowing Kiffen to hand pick his staff. Of course Al and the Raiders said that they were not being forced out and that this was their decision, but the important thing is that perception around the league had started to change. I think these moves allowed for free agents like Dominic Rhodes, Justin Griffith, Cooper Carlisle, and Jermey Newberry to get on board.
With Rhodes and Griffith on board and their agent working on deals for both men, that allowed for the agent to convinve Josh McCown to warm up to the idea of becoming a raider to get out of Detroit. It is like a bunch of dominoes falling into place to paint a new picture.
The hiring of Knapp has led to a lot of the positive changes going on in the offseason. Without knapp, I don’t think we have Griffith, Rhodes, Cable, Newberry, Carlisle, or McCown. Those are the best changes and moves we have had in the offseason.
The coaching staff changes with regards to Peete and Fred B., guys previously thought to be untouchable, is directly related to the New attitude in the Raider Nation. Just as the removal of Moss and the virtual admitting of a mistake by al to take him, by getting nothing close to fair value for such a talented player. I think perception has changed in Oakland, and people beleive that there is change in the air. Knapp was one of the biggest parts of that. As was Fred B, Skip Peete, and Randy Moss. Al allowing kiffen to make those moves, allows his coach to do the work neccesary to turn the ship around. Without all of those moves there would be doubt in who was the captian of the ship. Right now everyone is drinking the Kiffen Kool aid: especially the people that count the most, the players.
I beleive that the Raiders are finally moving in the right direction, and it is because Al is allowing Kiffen to do his job and make the moves he feels that are neccesary. Like huff said, we already have the #3 defense which is young and should improve this year. It is really not a stretch to think that with a couple of lucky bounces we can get to the playoffs this year. People can laugh all they want with that statement, but the ground work has finally been laid: and the old structure was destroyed so that we can actually see a new team take the field this year.
May 7th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Raiders Fanatics is right on point, Gallery is a guard! There has been a lot of
TALK regarding competition. Sims and Gallery competing for TWO jobs is NOT competition. This team desperately needs a starting caliber OT to throw onto the mix.
What if Sims or Gallery gets hurt? who steps in? Who going to block Shawn Merriman?
May 7th, 2007 at 8:09 am
We could go with Art’s idea, and just use a RB to block Merriman. That worked so well.
All in all, this off season has renewed my spirit in being a Raider Fan. I am excited about next year.
May 7th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Mmm..disagree w/ Raiderfanatics! assessment of Gallery.
He is NOT a guard.
He had a nearly flawless colegiant career at LT and has performed very well at Tackle in previous years.
With four new coaches and schemes, Gallery has suffered without a consistent approach, but was part of a line in 05 that helped Collins throw for 1,500 + and a thousand yard rusher. Sims is the guy I worry about occupying the blind side.
May 7th, 2007 at 9:00 am
I like what I hear so far, it’s only mini-camp for christ-sakes, so not a lot to be concerned with. I won’t start making any real judgements until I see them playing in game situations in preseason.
Mike Williams already tweaking his hammy kinda sucks.
I like that Warren has lost a little weight…he’s been looking pretty sloppy the last two years (yeah I know he got 10 sacks last year, but he would disappear in stretches too.)
Walter seems to be on the outs…but it’s early.
Griffith ankle injury - sustained on day 1, or something from ‘06…what’s that about?
Gallery is NOT a guard…period.
Carlisle should be a starter…Boothe vs. McQ bears watching, as does the free agent activity by the Raiders between now and opening day. If the Raiders start signing more vets, and by vets I mean proven starter (not the likes of Cornell Green, but say an Adam Timmerman), then clearly, Kiff is not as happy with the performance and progress thus far, and forward as things progress.
You play how you practice, and from the limited ino we’ve heard so far, sounds like the Raiders practice habits are light years ahead of the Shell and Turner regimes…
May 7th, 2007 at 9:23 am
How do these athletes tweak their hammy’s so damn easy? I’m freakin’ 40 and I stretch my hammy’s every day….and I sit at a computer for 8 hours a day.
I guess it is a good problem to have but I think McCown is going to be a great fit for Kiff’s offense. I watched this kid closely when he started for the Cards in 2005 and I thought he had real talent. There could be worse problems to have.
May 7th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Good article on our O-line -
http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_5836842
May 7th, 2007 at 9:39 am
I like the way that things are moving on. I like the Huff move. He is better at FS and If we
keep at FS. We will loose his talent.
I just hope that we can fix our OL. I did welcomed Carlise and Newberry. But, I honestly belive that we need one more good OT. If we do not make any FA more move. I think the best bet. Is
moving Boothe again to OT. He did have a good and decent Rookie Year. And he deserve it.
He was the better OG.
I think we did have a goods FA moves, and a good draft. We are hoping
to imporve our record this year. And looking forward next one.
We will need more patience. And let our Coaching staff let make their job. And do not pressure
to make JR the field. the kid will need time.
May 7th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Guys - remember that when KFC started 2 yrs ago for Raiders, he was also beat like a pinata. Al even said the bad season wasn’t KFC’s fault b/c our oline was so bad… We’ll see, but doesn’t look like we made any upgrade to OT position. Let’s hope scheme can slow down the likes of Juice freaks like Merriman.
May 7th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Have faith, they also weren’t using a zone blocking scheme that is more suited for the players we had.
May 7th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/07/SPG4JPM9UD1.DTL
This is a great article
May 7th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I think the O-line will suprise people. The only thing that concerns me is that the Raiders are notorious for getting penalties. Whats the line between a legal cut-block and a chop?
May 7th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Kiffin has hired college level refs to call anything and everything during practices so that the habit will get broken.
May 7th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Sounds like things are looking good. Please keep the info coming Jerry.
May 7th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Mykle, I don’t think you caught what he was saying lol ………………… the route was from right to left which would put the sideline on his right side, always taught to keep the ball to the outside, but coming to the endzone need to switch it to the left hand to hit the pylon with it so its a TD.
Mykle Van Hausen Says:
May 6th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Argh!
While I love and appreciate the timely and insightful articles, I wsh they were a lil more attention to detail.
This one was rife and I must point out, unless the rules have changed the ending comment made no sense at all.
If the ball where in the receivers left hand instead of the correct right, the ball would be spotted where the BALL went out of bounds, not the players right hand.
May 7th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Hey Mykle owe you an apology lol its me that was backward on my comment, you’re right the ball should be in his right hand.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
i am definitely encouraged by the competition-minded atmosphere the franchise has taken. To some other poster’s point, it does seem Al has loosened the reigns a bit and is allowing the coaching staff to make executive decisions 9with his sign off no doubt). Callahan, Norv and (ahem) Art seemed at more of a disadvantage in picking their players. Seemed more of a struggle to get things done (concealed through coach-speak). Kid Kiff’s youthful vim and vigor approach is a refreshing facelift. I hope it sticks. We absolutely have to be competitive to the wire this season to save face and restoire pride, get this thing back on track. Total embarrassment and wasted time since the super bowl defacing against TB.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Quietly, Derrick Gibson and Grant Irons are no longer Raiders.
Regarding the refs, it’s pretty much mainstream among NFL teams to hire refs for all functions (i.e. mini-camps, training camp, etc.) and certainly nothing new in Raiderland. I know that Mike White, Joe Bugel, Gruden…all Raider coaches have done this every year. The effect or emphasis on what they call, how consistently / tightly they call penalties is what really matters, and the fact is, is that even a full contact practice doesn’t quite match the intensity of a live game situation, therefore, games are still much more intense than a game.
Don’t get me wrong, still a good thing, and hopefully the quality of job that these refs are doing will have the needed effect. Penalties are nothing more than a mental lapse, and the Raiders have many.
As for the line (o-line), we shall see, but don’t expect instant noticeable improvement. good cohesive line play takes time, sometimes a season or more. The moving pocket, while part of the offensive scheme, is also Kiff’s way of masking some of the deficiencies of the line play that he likely expects to see, while they get their feet under them.
Obviously, didn’t see anything but the small clips shown on NFL Network, but what I did see on the play that some articles were raving about with regard to Russell’s escapability, was Russell have to dodge two defenders midway through a five step drop and dump the ball off to a RB. Granted he did it, and it is early, but certainly, protection didn’t seem to be there. As I stated previously, this means relatively nothing at this point, but that’s what I saw.
Still can’t wait for this year.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Buzz kill Coach Sean
May 7th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I wonder if they were working on that play. Tell some of the OL to allows a jailbreak to see how the kid reacts to it.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Memo1981 Says:
May 7th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Buzz kill Coach Sean
lmao
May 7th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
The Brayton switch is interesting, but my take is this:
Tyler Brayton has a monster work ethic and a high speed motor. Unfortunately, he lacks the natural instinct of finding a way to the ball and making plays. His lack of pure quickness and possession of average speed at DE makes him average and unspectacular, hence the no sacks. His lack of instinct often leads to his own fistiness taking himself out of position and out of the play.
This latest move is simply a soon to be desperate attempt to find a spot where this guy can excel. At DE you’re on an island, and position / line of attack are key. Not to mention that you are going against usually the best o-lineman the opponent has, being either of the tackle positions. I suspect the Raiders love his intensity and drive, but are sorely disappointed with his production. He’s way too slow to be an OLB, and not overly fast as a DE. Perhaps as he says, his quickness (compared to the run of the mill DT) might be an advantage inside, but I still worry that he’ll get overpowered by the road grader type guards and centers.
I see him as a passing down DT only, certainly not an every down DT, if the move inside sticks. Doubt he’ll get cut, as he provides depth, but I am hopeful that Huntley, or preferrably Moses impresses early and provides the opposite book-end Burgess deserves and the Raiders need.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
No buzz kill…just reality check…I love the attitude and approach, but it’s not cutting edge, let’s not fool ourselves. If it takes, it’s just the Raiders catching up to where they were in the Gruden / Gannon regime.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Danny, enlighten me, what does IMAO mean? Not hip to the tech abbreviations, obviously, that’s why I type so much…LOL.
May 7th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
It’s LMAO ……… lmao ……….. Laugh My Ass Off lol
May 7th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
I think that this is the beginning of the rebirth of the Raiders.
May 7th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Raiders Eyeing Keyshawn –
Thu May 3, 2007 –from FFMastermind.com
ESPN’s Michael Smith reports the Oakland Raiders are interested in signing free-agent WR Keyshawn Johnson. Johnson might balk at a minimum salary deal, but Raiders owner Al Davis is known for paying veterans more than the minimum, so a deal might be able to be worked out.
Wouldn’t be a bad idea to sign him if he’s willing to git the veterans minimum. He would bring sum great leadership to our young team and can help us out at our WR core and would givee our QB a great target. Also Al wilson if he checks out to be able to play would also be a great player to sign and we can probably sign him cheap…
May 7th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Hey Memo! The “legal” line between a chop block and cut block is that once an o-lineman and d-lineman are engaged, another o-lineman cannot engage that same d-lineman and block him below the waist. For all intents and purposes, cut blocking can be done in a one-on-one setting between an offensive and defensive lineman.
As for the early returns on Kiffen’s first minicamp, at least it appears order and pace have returned to Raiders’ practices. The contrast between Gruden’s practices and Shell’s practices was extremely jarring. It seems when Shell wasn’t engaged in pissing matches with his players, he was busy boring the remainder of the team with installation of the Fred & Barney offensive scheme.
At the very least, Rob Ryan’s D will have a modern offense to practice against throughout the year. I’m also thankful each and every day for the cap space we’ll save in dumping Moss. Sending a $10 million malcontent to the Patriots was an absolute God send. The team should take some of the cap savings and re-do Burgess’ contract. He’s not only a perennial Pro-Bowl player since joining the
Raiders, he’s also a consummate pro.
May 7th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
I think the staff that Kiffin has assembled, is much better than Gruden’s staff when he was here.
May 7th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Kiffin has put together a solid staff….. cant say that its better then Grudens yet until it starts producing on the field. I’m already a huge fan of this regime, they give the Raider fan hope and excitment. With a new ” modern ” scheme to the O-line and competition at positions should make us light years ahead of the Callahan/tTurner/Shell three headed retarded monster era.. One thing you can say though, I cant remember the last time Al hired a coach and let him pick his own GM ( Marc Jackson ).
I heard theres a rumor going around the Raiders will have new uniforms this year?!?!?!
GO RAIDERS
May 7th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
New uniforms ??????????
where did you hear that
May 7th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
New uniforms??????? why???
May 7th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
YES! New uniforms for sure to celebrate the new regime. Instead of Silver & Black they will be Black & Silver. LOL
May 7th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
The one thing you have to like about the tempo of our practices is the players want it. How often do you hear about players wanting to work hard? They want to get their butts kicked and that says alot about how last year went. Players know what it takes to be successful. Motivation can be a self pace but it sure helps to have the proper guidance in training and learning.
I don’t care if Brayton makes it or not so long as we have the best 4 DE’s and 4 DT’s at the end of the day. Thats all that matters. If that includes Brayton then I’m all for it. If that doesn’t include him then its for a good reason. Simply put.
May 7th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Kevin Boothe might have been good in Shells blocking scheme but not the cut blocking scheme. Remember that Shell drafted guys who could power block in Boothe and McQuistan. It could be that McQuistan has had early success in the cut blocking scheme while Boothe has struggled early on. You will notice that Boothe did better than all the offensive lineman last year. Maybe thats his strength. Remember…its not about who starts the 5 positions, its about having the 5 best people starting. Thats the most important thing.
If the Raiders are looking at Keyshawn it’s probably because the Raiders are not impressed with the current core of receivers.
Regarding the latest injuries. Its like getting into the gym after being out for awhile. You come out sore and with some bumps and bruises. I wouldn’t put much stock into this mini camp. 2-a-days will give us more of an indication whether players will stick or not.
May 7th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
ESPN Insider Rumor Central
(I haven’t seen anything about the Raiders interest in Keyshawn)
Keyshawn might have to settle
Although he’ll definitely be in the league this season, assuming he wants to continue his career, Johnson might find it difficult to land with a franchise that has legitimate championship potential, writes Len Pasquarelli.
Johnson’s agent phoned San Diego officials last week but was told that the Chargers like their young wide receiver corps and aren’t interested. The Giants and Titans are reported to have some interest, but both teams have young wide receivers they’re trying to phase in.
Johnson will turn 35 in late July, just about a week before training camps open around the league. At that age, it might be hard to locate a team willing to pay Johnson the kind of money, $6 million, that he earned in his lone season with the Panthers.
May 8th, 2007 at 12:16 am
As I stated on realfootball365, the Raiders are a poor fit for all parties concerned. They have neither the cap room or reason to bring a brash, moody receiver into the locker when they just got rid of one.
Johnson may be willing (or have to) take a substantial pay cut ala’ Randy Moss in order to sign with a team of his liking or simply to make the field this year.
The Packernews.com reports they have shown interest in Johnson despite or perhaps because of drafting Wide Out prospects James Jones of San Jose State and David Clowney of VT.
Neither will likely be starting caliber right out of the gate and KeyShawn could provide valuable sideline time for the rookie duo and take heat off of Green Bay stand out Donald Driver.
May 8th, 2007 at 12:24 am
RYAN: “The plane of the goal goes around the world.” This WAS true till Mike Vick’s controversial TD in 2005.
Scope realfootball365.com!
May 8th, 2007 at 12:28 am
DRAGONRIDER:
Mmm…nope.
Headin’ right to LEFT and “making sure the ball in his LEFT hand the flight of the ball would carry him out of bounds he could swat the cone with his right.”
So the BALL in his LEFT would go out of bounds and be spotted as such. No Touch down.
The BALL has to cross the goal now.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:06 am
Actually I don’t think the ball has to cross the goal line as long as some part
of your body touches the pylon befor you are down or out of bounds.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:13 am
The rumor about the uniforms is because Al Davis was reported as asking Brady Quinn what color scheme he thought was better for the helmets
May 8th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Interesting rule changes. It’s funny that Mike Vick and others understood how the rule was worded and used it to help them threw up red flags around the league to have them change it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard the goal line goes around the world, and I loved that. Now, since apperently some people didn’t understand that, they change the rule. I hope someone lets the Raiders know.
I like the no spike rule, but that doesn’t change the San Diego game with the double forward pass the officials got wrong. However, what if a player thinks they’ve scored a TD, but it is ruled down a the 1 inch line, or is overturned in a replay, or Mike Vick doesn’t get the ball over the pylon, and they spike the ball? Is that an automatic 5 yarder? I could see Jordan running up the middle, but his knee touching down at the one, the refs miss it, call it a TD, Jordan spikes, get overturned in replay, and they dock a 5 yard penalty on the end of it.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:20 am
I say KeyShawnJohnson gets 800+ yardage as a Raiders. His experience will only help this young core of WRs. He’s slower now but he gets his catches over the middle plus he’s a SMART WR. For sure whoever is the QB for this offense, he is gonna pass for over 4000+ yards with the weapons surrounding him. This is a good move for the Raiders getting KJ. Plus, Porter will probaly be gone, so, we’d need a buffer WR in between after drafting another weapon in 2008.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Keyshawn is selfish and has a bad attitude that rep has followed him everywhere he was even kicked off the team in Tampa all together and banned from practices and games before being released why would anyone want him on this team?
May 8th, 2007 at 8:27 am
Black helmut, black jersey, black pants… my color scheme. Pirate black!
May 8th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Yardage and wins… that’s more important than a bad attitude. The maverick don’t give a shit about character IMO That’s why Moss was a Raider. That’s why KJ is probaly a Raider.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:34 am
But Kiffin does and thats why Moss WAS a Raider and is no longer a Raider. Kiffin doesn’t want to start off his first head coaching opportunity with a total d*ck on his team to infect the young players. Porter is 30 and the 5th oldest player on the team there is a lot of youth does anyone want them to emulate Keyshawn Johnson?
May 8th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Plus, this is a Raiders tradition, we’d pick up cast-offs from other teams. Been doing it for over 40+ years, the philosophy that never changes with the maverick IMO.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Let’s say who gonna guard Porter, KeyShawn Johnson, Curry or Williams or Gabriel in the slot. That’s a HANDFULL for any shutdown corners in the league. Plus, they all got HANDS and will make the catches over the middle. I take that threat anytime. We’d gotta beat the Broncos shut down corners, give the Bolts LBs problems with the slant passess, and neutralize Broncos, Bolts and KC aerial offense.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:42 am
I forgot about Zach Miller. Add him going over the middle… who’s gonna shut down the Raiders aerial attack? NOBODY!
May 8th, 2007 at 8:44 am
I can’t believe there is some interest in Keyshawn after FINALLY getting Moss out of here. Some of you are confused. The guy is 35. We have quality receivers. We have a great locker room. Whats wrong with some of you? Why don’t we just burn the building down too? Damn.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:48 am
I forgot about Higgins. He explosive!
May 8th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Personally, I see no need for Meshawn either, but if he’s signed (big IF) it’s because aside from Porter and Curry (who is no guarantee with injury - 3 career achilles’ injuries), the Raiders aren’t exactly deep.
Sure, Gabriel has shown flashes, but they are just that, flashes. he has also shown inconsistent hands, and the inability to be a consistent threat in crunch time. Also cut from New England when all he had to beat out was on old Troy Brown, and the likes of Reche Caldwell, Chad Jackson, etc. (i.e. nobodies). Gabriel is far from a given to be on the roster, once the Kiffen system is in place.
Mike Williams would be a great story, but again, what’s he done at the pro level? Nothing. He’s been a disappointment, overweight, slow, and lazy by many accounts. Hopefully, Kiffen can rejuvenate this guy’s competitive fire, and turn him into the player he was supposed to be, but is that something you’re willing to bet the house on?
Johnnie Morant is rangy, but showed a knack for fumbling, and has yet to really break into the starting lineup, has major issues with grasping the playbook. Carlos Francis has glass hammy’s (hope Mike Williams doesn’t too), Higgens is a rookie, Will Buchanon showed minor flashes, and the rest are a bunch of players that will be lucky to fill out a practice squad.
Certainly, there’s potential among this group, but if no one shows promise by halfway through the preseason…Keyshawn might become a “need”. At 35, and as a 3rd or 4th guy, the attitude shouldn’t be an issue.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:13 am
We have all these young receivers and one would have to get cut for Keyshawn that is just stupid to do… Better to develop these young guys.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:17 am
As for uniform changes, won’t happen, but I liked the road throwback in ‘94. The white jersey with silver numbers looked bad-ass, and I liked the old logo too with the white background, but only on the away uni’s. The home uni looks best with the current logo.
I think they should go to full black socks though, kinda like Woodson wore…I guess Huff does that too sometimes.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:17 am
We should pass on keyshawn. Porter, Curry, and Miller at TE should be solid 1-2-3 progression in recieving. As added kicks, we have Higgins and Williams and possibly Gabriel who can very well play the #3 or #4 reciever roles. Not to mention, Griffin and Rhodes were brought in to be part of the recieving offense as well. We have many solid options in the passing game, lets not waste money on Keyshawn.
Most of you forget Keyshawn set the precedent for ego-maniac wide-recieveres in today’s league. We just got rid of Moss. Now lets go sign Keyshawn. Pass on him. We can use that money to give Burgess a raise or resign Aso.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Speaking of Miller, we have kind of overlooked the fact that they were saying that he has been playing phenomenal so far in the mini camps finding spots in the zones and getting open.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:20 am
I agree Danny, BUT think if Porter and / or Curry were to go down for an extended period. Suddenly we’re screwed at wideout…
Not that you can totally think that way all the time, but these organizations are supposed to have contingencies at this level.
Andre Rison had character issues too. Keyshawn always did want to be a Raider, I’m not saying it would be a great signing, but if it happens, I can understand it for the reasons above.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:23 am
Miller at TE is exciting. We haven’t had a consistent threat at TE since Ethan Horton!!! Dudley was hit or miss (and by miss I mean BOINK off his stone hands), Jolley was good as a rook, then fizzled, and other than that…nuttin’.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:29 am
I know it’s probably too early to discuss this, but here goes…
We addressed a lot of the offense’s issues through the draft and free agency this year; is next year Rob Ryan’s year to get a couple of guys that could help put the defense into the elite category? I think if we’re 6-10 or something like that then we have a shot at someone like Glen Dorsey (DT) from LSU. There are also some talented LBs coming out next year…
Again, I know it’s early, and a lot can happen. We just seem to have made a lot of good moves on the offensive side, and plugging a couple of holes on defense next year could put us in a pretty good position.
What do you guys think?
May 8th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Good point about Miller Danny. Feels like the guy is going to come in this league and play like a veteran right away which would be helpful. He compared himself to Jason Witten as far as what type of player he is. I sure wouldn’t mind having a guy in the mold of Witten on this team.
BTW - Raiders.com has the roster complete with everyone on it and the numbers they are wearing in case anybody wanted to check it out.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:36 am
I think if the Raiders defense tears it up next year then Rob Ryan will probably be gone. This might be a big year for Ryan because he wants to be a Head Coach. Teams that may be looking for a new Head Coach next year if things don’t go well could include - Bengals, Jaguars, Titans, Giants, Panthers and the Buccaneers. We just may have Don Martindale as our defensive coordinator going into next year.
Can you imagine Ryan going to the Buccaneers? That would piss me off. I don’t think they would do it because of Monte Kiffin but what if the Bucs signed Ryan and we took Monte Kiffin as our Defensive Coordinator? The Kiffin’s.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Rob Ryan would be a good fit for the Bengals because they run a 4-3 and he could turn the program around from being a thug program that Marvin Lewis has somehow created. The Jaguars might be the best fit in terms of style. Jack Del Rio was a linebacker and has made the defense pretty good. The Titans need defense and Ryan could be the one to give them just what they need. The Giants are starving for defense but I think New York would be too tough to coach in. The Panthers would be another perfect fit for Ryan. The Bucs run a Cover 2 so that would be the only reason Ryan wouldn’t fit there but I could see Bruce Allen jumping all over that just to piss Al Davis off.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Huff… I agree with you that we may lose Ryan after this year, especially if the defense plays well again. My hope is that we show enough progress as a team to make him want to try and get his guys into the playoffs. He built this defense, after all, and maybe he would want to be there when it all comes together.
We’re going to be a lot better next year, I think. The year after that we could see the playoffs. Hopefully he will stick around to see it.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Regarding Keyshawn - didn’t he mello out after the TB situation? He wasn’t a d*ck on the Cowboys or last year at Carolina, right? I agree that we don’t want to replace Moss with another disgruntled player, but I see a big difference in the quitter that was Moss and the “throw me the damn ball” attitude of Keyshawn.
I would only want KJ if Kiff believes that our WR corp is weak. Otherwise, let’s develop our youth. I would love to see Higgins, Holland, McFoy and Mike W. kick butt.
May 8th, 2007 at 9:54 am
If Raiders lose Ryan.. so be it. As long as the backup Maretindale does the job with the players on defense the same, it shouldn’t be a problem. Let him get his gig in the NFC. We’d don’t have to face his defense except in the Super Bowl IMO. Let’s get KeyShawn Johnson. The guy is a proven PRODUCT at WR. We’d need him as INSURANCE if one of the guys goes down, darn good contingency plan, plus everyone is gonna play the Raiders offense TIGHT.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Higgins,Holland, McFoy(project) and M.Williams just ain’t PROVEN right now at WR. I want the yardage and wins in tight games. I say 1-2 WR are probaly gone after 2007. This leaves the spots for the rookies to fill in 2008. Johnson serve as a buffer till the end of his K.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Do you sacrifice the development of a future player for a quick win or two this season? Lets face the facts we are rebuilding and we are a long shot from the playoffs so why sign Keyshawn to come in when we can develop our own talent to help us succeed for years not just this year
May 8th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Someone at ESPN actually saying omething nice!!! Russell comapred to Terry Bradshaw.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2862676
May 8th, 2007 at 10:51 am
Do you wanna win now or lose the next few years just for the sake of development? You gotta load up on weapons to win. That’s just plain simple. I’m not gonna go thru another season like the past 4 years of losing. C’mon… KJ gives the Raiders better odds of winning the TIGHT close games. Tha’s a FACT.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Clayton was a former Steeler beat writer. I like his takes. He’s seen all the NFL greats play in the 1960’s to present. If Russell is another Bradshaw, then we’d gotta surround him with the Swans and Stallworths. LOL.. Russell could be the next Joe Gilliam for all I care about.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Raider Fanatic, your wish may come true…..
http://mvn.com/nfl-raiders/
May 8th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Danny, KJ isn’t a D!ck, D!ck is part of a man, KJ is just an A$$ and full of Sh!t.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:58 am
Thanks…HT. Cnnsi say Raiders and Titans down to the wire in signing KJ. I give him a 3 year deal just to sweeten it cause he chooses the Raiders.
May 8th, 2007 at 11:00 am
KeyShawn Johnson v. Moss in the afc finals. LOL
May 8th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Raiders win! RAIDERS AFC CHAMPS! LOL.. Pats down and out after Moss fumble. The score 24-21 after Jano 50 yards fg with 5 seconds left! Just dreaming!
May 8th, 2007 at 11:59 am
New blog!