Dwight may be in, so who is out?
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Monday, October 29th, 2007 at 9:22 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Wide receiver/return specialist Tim Dwight has been offered a one-year contract, a move which could spell the end for wide receiver Mike Williams.
According to Raiders beat writer Steve Corkran, citing a club front office source, Dwight could sign the offer as soon as Tuesday. Dwight was included in a parade of players who have worked out for the Raiders in recent weeks.
Dwight, 32, has played for Atlanta, San Diego, New England and the New York Jets. He has averaged 23.4 yards on kick returns and 9.8 on punt returns in his career. He also has 188 receptions for 2,866 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Williams dropped a fourth-and-14 pass from Daunte Culpepper Sunday which could have provided the Raiders with a first down and a chance for a road victory in Tennessee. He also was one of two players illegally in motion that negated a big gain on a passing play to Ronald Curry on a third-and-long situation.
The Raiders have had little success in the return game with Chris Carr doing most of the work, supplemented at one time or another by Johnnie Lee Higgins and Dominic Rhodes.
Of course, the Raiders could keep Williams on the roster if they simply decide to waive Andrew Walter, the No. 4 quarterback who has essentially become a spectator in practice behind Culpepper, Josh McCown and JaMarcus Russell.
The condition of Tommy Kelly’s knee also plays a part. Coach Lane Kiffin was uncharateristically pessimistic about the injury, which Kelly incurred late in the third quarter.
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October 29th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
It’s a fine signing. Hopefully he’ll make some sort of impact. Maybe even some veteran leadership.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
have the imposters gone to sleep? did their mommy and daddy tell them its time for thier curfew.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Sloraider suggested that we give Mike Williams position to Madsen. I think that’s a great idea. Madsen can get open and catch the ball. He is better than Williams.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
why does he caddle that ,no ball catching mike williams , he,s to big he cant seperate, he needs to move to tight end,if kiff wants to keep him , and madsen needs to move to the slot , he use to be a receiver at utah, and he catches everything,higgins runs scared,when hes out there ,i understand being faithful to a starter like lamont but is dominc rhodes that much a drop off from lamont that he cant get the job done him self , ,oh good job huggie bear keep running north and south, becaues thats how you move the chains
October 29th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
good.
i was actually just comming to the computer to call for mike williams’ head, but i was actually hoping michael bush would take his roster spot.
now that it is pretty clear we’re not going to the playoffs, it’s time to let it all hang out. we have nothing to lose. it’s time to get jruss in there, get bush some snaps, and blitz more on defense. take some shots downfield, try schweigert as 5th string safety, and let get zach miller going.
like i said, we have absolutely nothing to lose.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Any number of players can be cut without negatively affecting the teams performance. AW has value and is under contract which can be traded next year if need be. Personally, I think we should keep AW as a back-up for JR.
Kelly, if injured, may be a candidate for IR if his knee is bad enough. We also need to make room for Bush too. I suggest LJ for that swap. He’s of no further value to the team and will be cut next year anyway.
I’m not sure BMW is a total loss yet. Let’s let Kiffin have a little more time to see if he can get him to play to his potential. Our big problem right now is at QB. DC is not getting it done and he’s regressing each week. He’s 40% of what he used to be. If things get bad enough, we can try out Curry at QB. LOL He played QB in high school and possibly college. He’s certainly more mobile than JM or DC and we know he’s got heart. But then we’d only have TE’s to catch the ball.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Some new blood for this anemic offense would be a welcome sight.!!!!!
I’M IN!
October 29th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
That was a fifty yard bomb that Favre threw for the game winner against Denver! Yahoo!! Jamarcus can throw the ball 60 yards on one knee!! So why don’t we send Higgins as a decoy, on a fly pattern, and then have JR to actually throw it 70 yards for a T.D. RrrrAiders!!!
October 29th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
– I’d like to see Higgins returning punts again. He looked great in the preseason and pretty good on Sunday. Get him back in that role. Dwight is OK, but he’s not what he once was.
– I actually don’t think the Raiders should cut Mike Williams just yet. I don’t like the idea of cutting a guy when the perceived reason will be that it was because he dropped a pass. I know Williams has been spotty, but I think a move like that could really kill morale. However, I do think giving Madsen some plays at Williams’ WR spot is an excellent idea.
– I have a feeling Kelly is done for the season.
– Personally, I think LaMont’s back might be really bothering him. He just hasn’t been running the same since he got hurt in the Miami game. Fargas on the other hand has been solid. From all accounts it seems Rhodes has fallen out of favor in Oakland. I read somewhere that Chris Mortensen reported that the only reason they’re not cutting him is that Al Davis doesn’t want to help Gruden or Shanahan to a player each could desperately use.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
How many times does Davis want to kill Andrew Walter? First, he places him in a meat grinder last year (I have no idea how he survived all those sacks). Next, he buries him behind a number of QBs that he trades and drafts. Then, when other teams show an interest, he refuses to trade him. Now that it’s past the trading deadline the poor kid is just standing around at practice. Please, cut Walter loose so he can re-start his career on another team.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Well, I’ll tell you one thing….Denver could have used Rhoads today VS. the Packers! They stand no chance of making the playoffs this yr with out A running game!! I say we keep Williams for the time being also. Williams really screwed himself up by comming out early from USC. He’s his own worst enemy!! I was a big fan of his, but now I start to realize what the Lions went through with him. Fat, slow, and OVER weight for sure. A REAL PILLSBURY DOUGH BOY!!
October 29th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Ron….You are so right!!…..Walter is in the RAIDER DOG house even though he’s always been a good soldier. He does’nt deserve this treatment. If anyone deserved this, it was MOSS! That A-hole is the guy that should be suffering…But not Walter, what did he do to deserve this??? Any where he goe’s…I’ll wish him the BEST!!!
October 29th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
GB was able to with with 13 penalties for 103 yards. i agree, keep walter and dont get rid of mike williams yet. id liek to see madsen at TE as well. i thought we shouldve kept echu for a couple more games to see if jordan can carry his load
October 29th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Dwight is serviceable, and perhaps Mike Williams will take hold of the opportunities provided him soon enough. Should IR be for Kelly then Dwight or Bush have a pass, if not, which cornerback might we release? Would we even go as far as Carr? The Texans have a special place on my head right now, and I would love nothing more than to start a win streak against the only team we have never beaten. We sure could use a conference win. Quietly, the Raiders pass defense ranks third in the NFL. What would it look like would we get a pass rush? I remember participating in a conversation here about third down stoppage on D; I still remain unpleased with our staying on the field and yet despite these last two losses, we have quietly improved there too.
Raider on,
Guamanian Raider
October 29th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
“Of course, the Raiders could keep Williams on the roster if they simply decide to waive Andrew Walter, the No. 4 quarterback who has essentially become a spectator in practice behind Culpepper, Josh McCown and JaMarcus Russell.”
Far more likely than Williams getting cut. Dwight hasn’t been a decent WR in years. It is all about returns for him.
Brayton’s knock at end was no sacks. He was an average run stopper. Him splitting time with Richardson wouldn’t be a disaster. The loss of Kelly period is the prblem. If Burgess & Sapp are back the pass rush isn’t as big a deal for Brayton. Not that Kelly was a sack machine anyway.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
The Packers have a solid defense, not much of a running game and a QB with a rocket
arm…sound familar? The difference is they have receivers that run smart routes with
speed and catch the ball with their hands!
The best part of the night for me though was during the post game show when Steve
Young commented on the Bronco’s “so called shut down corners allowing the two
biggest plays of the game. ” Nice that someone else recognizes just how overrated Bly
and Bailey really are.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:03 am
I hope DC saw the game tonight and saw what a good veteran QB looks like. Still mobile, rocket arm, a ton of heart, accurate passing, LEADERSHIP and able to get things moving quickly. All the attributes that DC never had or lost in these last years. DC is a shell of what he used to be. JM simply never was nor never will be.
Both these guys will be gone next year. We need a back-up for JR that has an arm and is accurate. To me, that’s AW. He’s paid his dues, is a good Raider attitude wise, is not costing us a fortune and still has an upside. If we need to cut a QB let it be JM or DC.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:12 am
Better yet, cut both JM & DC. AW is more than competent to hand the ball off to the RB’s. We need to focus on our running game and AW could handle that very easily. He could also throw a play action in the every now & then. Build a game plan with spread formations, always having one receiver doing a fly pattern and then pounding the rock 85-90% of the time. Do that and we might win a game. LJ should be the #3 RB behind Fargas & Rhodes. Bring Bush along as quickly as possible and get him some game experience.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:26 am
When you’re as bad as the Raiders, any number of guys who just drank a a six-pack could get out of a lawn chair and outplay these weenies.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:47 am
I’m surprised that nobody is commenting on the horrific play of the offensive line. Nearly everything that went wrong on offense started there. Sims has been a serviceable LT for several years and definitely over-achieved for his career, but his best years are behind him. When he wasn’t geting burned by either inside or outside moves he was getting flagged and killing drives. Meanwhile, Gallery isn’t getting a chance to play his natural position and isn’t being given his best chance to succeed now that he’s finally healthy and playing in a scheme from this millenium. And then there’s Newberry who for some inexplicable reason is keeping Grove on the bench. He’s a subpar blocker that must be in there only for his ability to call the line audibles.
If anything needs a shakeup it’s that line. I’d shift Gallery over to LT where his quickness is a better match for the speed rushers that are so prevalent in the league now. At LG there are some options such as putting Grove there or putting McQuistan back at G (assuming that Green can start next week). Another option could be to put Grove at C and try Sims at LG where his slow feet aren’t as exposed; this might be the best run blocking arrangement for that side. Whatever the case, it all starts up front and the unit as assembled today isn’t cutting it. Before even thinking about getting JR in there they’ve got to be able to block for him adequately. The last thing that we need is to get his confidence shattered the way that AWs was after a few games of last years endless jailbreaks.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:34 am
Sims seems to be devolving into Gallery. Wha? Quickness,
Gallery? Gallery is slow, weak and dumb. He was the primary reason our O-line sucked last year. Without a doubt the worse line in the league. Sims weaknesses were overshadowed by Gallery atrocious game but he sucks also. No QB is safe from blind side sacks with that pair. Sims has sucked for years against the likes of any reputable pass rusher. Rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic is what it boils down to. We need to dump both Gallery and Sims. They are both bone headed losers!
October 30th, 2007 at 1:39 am
Gallery was moved to the inside just to keep him out of the way but even there he has done stupid actions like illegally going down field, moving before the snap negating first downs and stalling drives. What a bust Gallery is. I believe any team he plays for will have to pay the price for playing him. Just because you spend a truckload of money on a player does not mean he is worth any of it. Especially if he does more harm than good.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:43 am
D.C. suffers from sweaty palm/hand syndrome. Anytime he is a pressure situation his hands start profusely and the ball simply slips out of his little hand. Notice that it happens in the forth quarter or just before we are about to penetrate the endzone. I believe he can have a cervical chain sympathectomy to resolve that problem.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:43 am
start to SWEAT profusely (sorry)
October 30th, 2007 at 1:55 am
Zymurge, makes sense to me. I thought Groves was very unlucky to be benched the week after arguably his best game in a Raiders jersey. This is a key spell for McQuistan - he has to start showing that he can hold down a starting spot. He is paid too much for a back-up. Less sure about Gallery going back to Guard. He has the physique but I am not sure he has the confidence and mental toughness to return there just yet.
I am pleased about the Tim Dwight option. Carr is a very average returner and a liability in coverage. He should be cut. Higgins has real speed but has lost confidence. He needs time. It certainly means we should be looking for another WR/Returner in the draft.
I agree with most that cutting AW feels the wrong move for us, but may be in his best interst. AW is the natural long-term back-up to JR. DC will leave at the end of the season. It seems that Kiffin has promised JMcC the back-up role - which is a bit strange as McCown and Russell are completely different QBs and will require a different offensive system. Just waiving AW would also be poor business - he is good enough to be traded for at least a 4th round pick.
I would also keep Mike Williams - at least for the rest of the season. He has so much potential and it would be a shame to quit on him after just seven games. I like the idea of Madsen seeing more game-time but cutting Williams seems a premature move.
If Kelly is down for the season, Bruce will have to step up from the PS - unless we can find an experienced option on waivers. For example, the Pats have just cut DL Santonio Thomas - he doesn’t have much experience but their quality threshold is so much higher than ours. That means that someone else will be cut if Dwight signs, assming that AW is too valuable a trade option. I would cut Chris Carr or Chris Johnson. Neither has done enough to merit a spot on the 53 and we have enough coverage.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:02 am
Just an observation here but in the early weeks with JM the offense looked horrible during the first half and in the second half came alive with either JM learning from mistakes or the coaching staff adjusting. Now in the last few games they have regressed. The offense looks okay in the first half and the second half looks horrible. What is up with that? The other team making better adjustments and know that the Raiders are in a limited offense with DC or was JM a comeback kid?
October 30th, 2007 at 2:04 am
I say they would be better off dumping a QB no need keeping 4 and keep MW as a red zone threat he has value. But I do like Madsen, maybe a double TE formation would help with blocking.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:12 am
I don’t get Davis won’t cut Rhodes because Shannahan or Gruden will get him. Come on, he traded Moss four a fourth round pick and a nobody to the best team in football. Does Al have so much pettiness in him he shots himself in the foot to spite himself?
October 30th, 2007 at 2:15 am
VICKI,
I like your posts, you are very astute football fan. YOU always make sense.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:21 am
See here is where having no GM hurts them. If they have someone running things he gets on the phone to a team hurting for a QB and offers AW for what they can get. No one dares do that in this org and Al surely isn’t going to do it. Allen Davis the maverick of instability. I love what he did, not what he is doing.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:24 am
Thank you, someone did tell me to go play with my Barbie a while ago for defending JM, lol
October 30th, 2007 at 2:44 am
Vicki, you’re right about the GM dilemma. There are signs that Al has already taken half-a-step backwards, but the next off-season will show whether he has truly passed the baton to Kiffin, Mark Jackson and the new blood. The departure of Mike Lombardi was wonderful news (especially as his arrival has co-incided with the demise of the Broncos!) and 2008 will be the first draft unaffected by Lombardi’s preference for MidWest farm boys and tweeners. I think and hope that Al is wise enough to know that he can’t run the Raiders as a one-man-band.
October 30th, 2007 at 3:15 am
At least they let l. walker go to the bills..
If kiff wants to have any chance he has to rid the team of dead weight!Most of it in the O-line.
October 30th, 2007 at 5:10 am
I agree with the following. Retool the roster radically and immediately. keep AW, cut DC and JM and make Curry the 3rd emerg QB, L J is hurt [back] and should be waived [ maybe an injury settlement. ]
Get JR & BUSH[also a former QB] into the action asap. MW is a talent…he has to USC succeed or Kiff will cut him, More Madsen, more ZM, JF is moving the chains.. the O line has to get back to basics and we need more time over center lining up with 5 seconds left on the play clock is killing any opportunity that we have to execute, DC is not great under center and worse in the gun. Stop the experiment and start to determine who can “just win baby” if Testaverde can come in cold and win, JR has seen enough to play him he is not a china doll, he has to start his ascension to leader
The playoffs are a possibility however improbable but the current roster is not performing to CFL standards.
REBUILD RETOOL move forward
October 30th, 2007 at 5:25 am
Vicki Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 2:12 am
I don’t get Davis won’t cut Rhodes because Shannahan or Gruden will get him. Come on, he traded Moss four a fourth round pick and a nobody to the best team in football. Does Al have
so much pettiness in him he shots himself in the foot to spite himself?
Great idea Vicki, let’s make another dumb decision and help out a rival…The Moss trade has handed the Patritos the title and Brady a record-breaking season, so let’s do our best to cut a guy that should be at least the 2nd RB in our 1-2 punch.
Also, if you were paying attention, Kiffin was trying to trade Walter, but McNown got hurt and he didn’t want Jamarcus as #2…
But, hey let’s just cut our 2nd best RB to prove something to ESPN.
October 30th, 2007 at 5:59 am
Kirk and sloraider,
I agree with Madsen getting more time. I know Kiff brought in BMW, but it is time to try some different options. Dwight is a high effort guy so that can’t hurt, but I hope this is more special teams related.
Guys are not going to respond to anything less than the threat of losing there jobs. Sit Jordan, Fargas needs to start Sunday, and a simple package needs to be implemented for JaMarcus. Get him in there a little Sunday. He could easily provide a spark.
Sit Porter and play Higgins, I know that the kid is small, but c’mon, JP will never be more than a one or two game highlight player per year. He needs a heart transplant.
This Texans game is the most winnable game we have had the last few weeks. That may be the only reason JR is not being talked about by Kiffin. Lose this one boys, and it is time for JR, PERIOD!!!
Walter is under contract and getting paid, you guys worrying about him are wasting your tiem.
JUST GET RUSSELL IN THERE BABY!!!!
October 30th, 2007 at 6:09 am
azz hat-
Why worry about what other teams do?
Worry about putting the best product to win on your field and if someone is not being played and keeping a roster spot from someone who may help the team what does that say?
Rhodes is an unproven commodity, who says he suceeds in those two cities? When you worry about other peoples business too much you can’t be focused on your own.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:18 am
man all are games were winnable, winnable until the 4th quarter. i hope we can get some kind of rythmn going where we are up atleast by 21 or so that way JR can see some playing time. and that would be good because its at home and the fans would love it……but thats if……….hopefully not to big of one.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Thanks COW - At least someone hear sees clearly what the move is for. Kiffin has being trying like hell to better punt and kick returns. Count ‘em - first Carr, then Higgins, then Rhodes, now the new guy. I don’t think this has much of anything to do with the WR position.
We desperately need better punt/kick returns. When we the last time one was run back for a TD?
October 30th, 2007 at 6:23 am
when is the last time we got a return more than 50 yards……punt or kick
October 30th, 2007 at 6:25 am
Moreover, I wouldn’t cut MW for a 32 year old journeyman WR. The double standards on this blog are ridiculous. You want to cut MW for the dropped pass in Tenn but what about RCs dropped passes all game vs KC and he had some more vs a previous opponent (name?).
You are forgetting the great catches he has made just like RC. And you forget the multiple passes DC threw directly at his feet (uncatchable). wtf is up with that? Give the guy time to get right. Leave it up to Kiffin to make the decision. In the meantime, just encourage the guy to improve.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:32 am
You guys have to really pay attention to our WRs. I’ve been saying since preseason that I’m seeing too many body catches. I’m suspect of the coaching they are receiving.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:32 am
true that terrapin, we need all the help we have.
i cant agree and stress it more, no matter what goes on with the movements the coaching staff does all we can do is support it……..like it or not!
October 30th, 2007 at 7:24 am
Cut C-Pep to make room for Dwight. Show some leadership Kiffen, you never should have let the fans pressure you into playing him.
October 30th, 2007 at 7:27 am
Bull! McCown had no idea what the hell he was doing out there! Just because peperless shows the same thing doesn’t mean he wasn’t right for giving him a shot! And if I remember right McClown was in a freaking boot and could hardly walk AND had a broken finger on his throwing hand! (If you can call that wet fish a throwing hand)
They both suck and that’s the way it goes, not much we can do this season but prepare for the future. Lets get started.
October 30th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Let’s all have a good slug from the reality mug and face the facts. This offense needs upgrading at the WR and OT positions. There is a major lack of speed at WR. Higgins is nowhere near ready to start and none of the other receivers are legitimate deep threats. We need to draft or sign at least one field-stretching WR after this season. Until then, opposing defenses will continue to crowd the line and shut our running game down.
Having said that, our biggest problem is sub-par play at the tackle positions. Sims never could handle speedy pass-rushers, and he’s only gotten less mobile as he nears the end of his career. That’s why he takes all those false-start penalties. He knows he’s in trouble lining up against the better rushing ends. Let’s just hope Mario Henderson pans out. On the right side, Cornell Green is barely adequate, if that. Along with WR, next years draft and FA need to focus on the o-line, primarily both tackle spots.
And forget that nonsense about throwing Russell in at QB. He had no training camp, and playing him behind this brutal o-line will only hurt his development, and quite likely get him injured. Joe Montana couldn’t do squat behind this bunch.
It’s going to take a couple of years of solid drafting and FA signings to turn this around. Be realistic and give Kiffin, etal time. 4 or 5 wins are likely the best we can hope for now.
Oh yeah; We still need to add a big, run-stuffing DT on the defensive side. Other than that, the “D” is solid.
October 30th, 2007 at 7:32 am
the only one that has the most grasp of the playbook is AW.
JM was a draft day pick up
DC was signed during the pre-season
JR missed all of pre-season
i wouldnt mind seeing AW but our O-line is not established enough to protect him with the time he needs to make a throw + AW is not a mobile qb so he would probably get killed out there.
October 30th, 2007 at 7:49 am
At least AW knows how to hang on to the ball, albeit way too long lol, but I liked the kid nonetheless. My disappointment runs deep with DC and I hope the Raiders come out with a new look at QB this week. As far as RB, please sit down LJ and keep the mouth shut. You have shown me nothing since you got here, just alot of talk in the papers. Fargas, Rhodes, then possibly Bush when ready. IR Kelley and pick up Grady Jackson. Get Higgins in there eff Carr he cant get the corner anymore whereas Higgins runs like a jackrabbit.
IM IN!
OUT!
October 30th, 2007 at 7:52 am
penalty penalty penalty TURNOVER, penalty penalty TURNOVER, punt punt…. PUNT! mix
in 3 field goals and that about describes what happened on offense in tennessee. 100 yards in penalties and turnovers makes it next to impossible for ANY offense to be
productive. yes, even the patriots and colts would have trouble getting wins under those
circumstances. with all that being said our defense STILL gave us a chance to win the
game. here are my keys to an 8-8 season. READY?
RUN THE BALL !!!
even if were behind. our offensive line has shown that they are still not good enough
to handle the pass rush. we have 4 backs can we get some use out of them? we have to
run to set up the pass not the other way around. once the defense puts 7 or 8 men up
to stop it THEN you play action and pray the line gives whoEVER is back there enough
time to make a throw.
START FARGAS !!!
jordan hasnt ran the same since he reinjured his back in miami. i like the guy alot and
i think he is a tough dude but he has been running timid like he is afraid of contact and
that doesnt work. im just telling the truth. plus dont you think fargas has paid his dues as
a back up by now? i think he deserves a chance to be a starter. every time he runs the
ball it looks like he is 1 or 2 moves from making a big play. im SURE it would work.
if we do that over the next 3 weeks were 5-5 no bullshit!
October 30th, 2007 at 7:55 am
I diagree. J-Russ is getting paid more than P. Manning and he hasn’t had to show anything. Getting killed is part of the job. Lets find out if these kids got any heart or if they are just trade bait for a new O-Line in 2008.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:14 am
I want to see JR just as bad as the next person but these are Kiffin words and he is right:
Kiffin said planning for the future was a consideration, “but there’s also protecting the future because I also believe if you put someone in, especially at that position, and he’s not prepared the way he should be prepared … it can go the other way.”
….”Now all of a sudden, you’ve got to go rebuild him from a guy who has been successful his whole career. … You’ve got to rebuild him from him doubting himself. It’s a lot more valuable to play a guy when he’s ready to play as opposed to just throwing a guy in and letting him make mistakes.”
Remember Kiffin is intimately familiar with what Palmer and Lienhart went through and he was to be sure JR is handled the right way for his future sucess. With the way this Oline has performed in pass protection recently, I’ll be very hesitant to put JR out there too. Let damaged goods like JM and DC get rattled. Protect the future.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:20 am
I agree with the assorted comment re getting Madsen in for more time. His main asset is he is so sure handed (at least, so far). And given the dropped passes at critical moments, I’d love to see him get more time. Is it worth keeping MW as an endzone threat, based mainly on his size? Might be, especially if another roster spot opens through waivers or IR (hoping that Kelly is coming back though ….)
October 30th, 2007 at 8:23 am
humm ! lets see coaching! coaching coaching!!
our offense was fine & not the problem till the BYE WEEK!
SOMEONE MESSED WITH THIS OFFENSE!!!!!
DETROIT 21PTS, DENVER 23 PTS, CLEV 26, MIAMI 35 !
RANKED 1ST IN EVERY RUSHING CATEGORY! PASSING GAME JELLING! GOODSTUFF!
since chargers- 14pts/ kc 10pts/ tenn 9 pts??????
what happened !? well i think it is LANE KIFFIN!
he just couldnt leave well enuff alone ! his O.C. knapp is fine/his
players were jelling ( namely the o-line!)
people gotta remember this guy(lane) thought MCOWN was his answer @ QB, it was not his
idea to go get DANTE! his vision is/was “well is go as far as i CAN W/ JOSH(MYCREATION)
then i can bring in JMARC TO FINISH THE YEAR !!! and maybe we can win a game
or two down the stretch!
bottom line on mcown , i like mcown as a #2 rite now , but
let me tell ya , josh w/ rite education! is gonna be a good starter in nfl ! but he was not
a proven winner/starter that you plug in and get wins till your FRANCHISE GUY (russell)
is ready ! for this he is wrong guy !!!! and lane knew it ! but insisted on starting him anyway?
this has already cost us 2 early wins !!!!
this goes in direct contradiction to his original meeting w- al davis ! al didnt hire sarkasian
because he told al 3 years was required to make us a winner!!! AL as always knows
the bottom line, in this NOW NFL anyone can go from worst to first in a year!!! LANE
AGREED W/ AL ABOUT THIS PERIOD!!!!! and hired him based on lanes’energy to create
this enviroment!!!!
so in summation our head coach has cost us 2 wins early & i know we could be 2-1
in last 3 if not for his ineptness!!! we should be 2-1 in our div not 0-3 !
NOW ! this move of bringing DWIGHT ! reinforces that lane really is lacking in the
reality dept!!! he cuts GABRIEL(FAST BIG PROVEN) TRADES MOSS , (I AM MIXED ON
THIS ONE ) cuts francis / morant etc then brings big slow guys WILLIAMS/TAYLOR &
COVERTS MADSEN TO A WIDEOUT? he obviously wants BIG / SLOW types ,not taken
in consideration that offenses need a balance of power & speed to make an offense
run efficienltly!!!
SO,
BOTH THE GOOD & THE BAD GETS BACK TO LANE & LANE ONLY !! THE GOOD IS
KNAPP & THE RUNNING GAME , THE BAD IS ALL THE QUESTIONABLE MOVES BEFORE
DURING & AFTER THE OPENING GAME ! THIS TIM DWIGHT SIGNING IS ANOTHER
WHY ? TYPE MOVE ! WE HAD THE ANSEWRS ON THE ROSTER AND NOW WE DONT
SO I GUESS OUR STAFF WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE RITE ADJUSTMENTS THE REST OF YEAR!
October 30th, 2007 at 8:27 am
I’m glad Kiff’s doing what he can to keep the competition theme going - I like Carr, when he has a crease he’s good for some big returns, but the blocking hasn’t been there IMO for him to do anything - the PR/KR is hard to evaluate on TV because unless the guy is in the open field, it’s hard to tell if he could have done something to break loose - we’ll see what Dwight has -
it’s time to dump a QB, we’re already short on receivers and despite his drop, BMW has shown flashes of being good - it wouldn’t break my heart to see him go though, because it doesn’t look like he has the talent to be a pro-bowl wide receiver no matter what, and Kiffin hasn’t trusted him to make plays with “jump ball” type routes - can’t say I blame him, I wouldn’t trust BMW on those right now either - but that’s about what he can offer - a good 4th Wide Receiver that could be a specialty red zone threat - at his best - I’d like to see if he develops anymore this season and through the off-season - if he’s still fat and slow by training camp next year, then we can dump him - I still hold out some hope for him - we’ll see -
You can tell by his latest press conference that Kiffin knows what type of talent he has on the offensive side of the ball - he looks, well, CONCERNED! It all came out last game - Sims, Gallery, the holding, the mental errors, the lack of talent, etc. Sims is a back-up in this league, period. I would love him as a back-up - tries hard, holds his own vs. average and below DE’s, and needs help with Top 10 Rush DE’s and LB’s - no problem - except our LG (Gallery - a perfect name for him as he just watches DL men go by him) can’t help him out and our ROT is the same quality as Sims and he needs help - that means we need a RB to help Sims, a TE for Green at ROT, and pray Gallery can hold his own - we just have too many weak spots on the line to account for, and that also hurts our ability to open up the offense because we have to keep the backs and TE in to help block -
Looks like the outsiders were right, we need at least one more draft to get us back to the playoffs - we’ve got to pick up a LT and LG, as well as a stud WR in order to get back to the playoffs - Jamarcus is going to take his lumps one way or another, just move the pocket around (he can actually get outside), throw in some trick plays, hand the ball off or use a screen pass on every third and long so D’s can’t tee off on him, and get him some game speed experience so we can be ready to compete for the AFC West/Wild Card playoff berth next year - this season is done anyway - as much as I hoped it could, no coach in the world can fix lack of talent, although Kiff and Co. have done a great job trying. I’m in!
October 30th, 2007 at 8:43 am
I AGREE WIT U 100% TERRAPIN ABOUT NOT THROWIN IN JR BUT WHAT I DON’T GET IT
IS HOW COULD U SPEND 7.5 MILL ON RHODES AND DON’T PLAY HIM WHEN U COULD
OF USED THE MONEY TO BRIDGE THE JR CONTRACT NEGO. AND GET HIM INTO CAMP,
PLAY HIM IN PRE-SEA. AND PROBABLY HAVE HIM PLAYIN RITE NOW!!!!! I GUESS BILL
CALAHAN WAS RITE WHEN HE SAID THAT “WE MUST BE THE DUMBEST TEAM IN
AMERICA”!!!
October 30th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Make SeaBass the QB and Kick FG’s on first down. OK Vicky where’s that Barbie.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Gannon was truthful with comments regarding C PEP. I don’t feel he was trying to undermind C PEP. He was telling it like it was.There are only a few commentators that want to see the raiders competitive. I believe Gannon is one of them. The raider way is the only way.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Haven’t posted in a while, but here’s a few observations:
Culpepper - like the idea of his veteran leadership, but Gannon’s assessment is EXACTLY what I’ve been saying since his arrival in preseason. SLOW. His drops are shallow, he’s late from under center, and painfully slow on bootlegs and rollouts. Naturally, Culpepper will dismiss it, but it’s a fact. All I can say is that I’m very thankful that we didn’t shell out big money for him to be our savior, and that in time, JaMarcus will be the man. I don’t know that McCown would be much different, as his speed is better, but he certainly doesn’t possess the arm strength or accuracy we’d like to see.
Jordan - once again the Jordan critics have surfaced, and once again I completely disagree with many views. It’s NOT his injury that’s holding him back!!! It’s the absolute lack of blocking and a better quality of defensive opponents. I implore ALL who disagree to carefully go back and re-watch any of the last three games. THERE IS NOWHERE FOR JORDAN TO GO ON HIS PLAYS!!! Whether that’s something telegraphed by formation, or something else, opponents have been able to penetrate and stuff running plays when Jordan gets it. It’s not a lack of speed or a sore back when you have two unblocked defenders in the backfield as soon as you get the ball. Certainly Fargas’ speed helped some on Sunday, but if you look at any plays that he had success, there were NOT any defenders unblocked in the backfield on those carries.
O-line (and it’s pending purging) - Look, we all knew that the o-line was the weakness, and it still is. The shuffling is not the end all solution, it’s just a means to an end, because you can’t just go get 5 brand new guys every year or any year. You play with the best five you’ve got, evaluate them, and address what you can in the offseason, with such limitations as what’s available, whether it’s free agency or the draft, salary cap situation, contract situations, etc. Kiffin knows that Sims isn’t the long term answer, but for now, he’s the best option. Gallery, they’re trying to find a niche for, as he clearly is NOT a tackle. By contract, and draft status, it dictates that he gets every last shot to become something serviceable at minimum. Looks like he’s a bust, but perhaps with time and stability, could develop into a serviceable guard. NOTE: I said “serviceable”…take that how you will.
Speed - as this season goes on, I think Kiffin is on the right track, but our roster talent and lack thereof is becoming painfully evident. QB is slow, and it IS a problem - addressed with Russell. RB is okay for less pay, and I think they should leave it with Jordan, Fargas and maybe Bush…we’ll see what he’s got soon enough. WR’s are slow - Porter has lost a step, little to no explosion, and Curry is a possession guy now. This needs to be addressed in the off season. Line…obviously, a problem, but this will take time.
Defensively, the line is not that good. Kelly being out for extended time will hurt, big time. Sapp is solid but certainly old, and Burgess has been nearly non-existent so far this year. Sands is average at best. Richardson shows promise. More depth is needed here, and it needs to be young talent. LB’s are solid, although another OLB would be great, but this isn’t the priority that the lines (O and D) are, or the WR position. Safeties are weak, I would be VERY tempted to move Huff to corner, although Routt seems to be developing well.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:12 am
hey coach sean i can almost agree with you what u posted but,
if the safties are weak, why move the only good (so far) one we have. routt is doing fine, he leads our DB’s in intos.
i would try puttin washington back at corner and give routt a crack at one of the saftey positions.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:13 am
COACH SEAN……….Very good post!!!………….But you failed to mention the TWO CRAPPIEST defensive players we have on the team……….Tyler Brayton & S. Schweigert….Both of these clowns have no business playing in the NFL!!! They both SUCK and should be released as soon as possible!! Im tired of both of them!! Their a complete waste!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Rich Gannon is only calling it like he see’s it. IMO…He’s right about C-Pep..he’s slow, fumbles the ball, slow hand-off after the snap, and makes critical errors. But he’s still better than McCown, and thats not saying much. What does that say about McCown. He’s worse than Culpepper.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:22 am
What’s going on with Rhodes? Is there any chance he’s gonna play?
October 30th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Daunte didn’t look very slow to me in the Miami game.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Daunte didn’t look very slow to me in the Miami game.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Javier………Rhodes is about to be cut from the team…….ESPN reported a couple of days ago that he would have been released, but because there was a chance of the Broncos picking him up, Al Davis decided to keep him! Whatta joke!!huh?? I guess Rhoads is ob somebodys shit list!!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Al the 2nd’s post could be spot on. I remember severl weeks ago, possibly after or before the Miami game, everyone on this blog was annointing Tob Cable the MVP of the team due to the play of our O line. What changed? Quality of opponents yes, but I don’t think that constitues such a drop off of line and rushing production. Game plan, scheme, and play calling have definately been an issue as of late. It’s time for a drastic change:
1. CUT MIKE WILLIAMS
2. Demote Jordan to 3rd and short only
3. Start McClown (yikes, did I actually say that, start McClown) Daunte isn’t even a shell of what he once was. If anyone think Kiffin is going to throw JaMarcus in this early you are nuts. The sooner Kiffin gets over the Dautne McClown rotation, the sooner JaMarcus will play. So start McClown, and get it over with. Can’t really be any worse than Daunte can it?
October 30th, 2007 at 9:29 am
C’Mon Raiderman……..He’s not the same player he was before the knee injury. Not even close. I like C-pep, but he’s never been the same with out Randy Moss. I guess Moss disguised a lot of his weaknesses. He’s not as good as he thinks he is!! Not anymore!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:30 am
there he goes again, thinking of nuts
October 30th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Hey Einstein……so who replaces Mike Williams………Porter & Curry are not a whole lot better. I think all of our receivers leave a lot to be desired. We dont have a go to guy like a Tim Brown or J. Rice……Thats what were missing. We need a STUD WR to help out this offense. These guys run their routes but never seem to come back for the ball when the QB is in trouble!! Im tired of this crap!! We need help everywhere!!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:35 am
raider glory your right, c-pep didnt have to worry about reading the defense or making check downs, because his first and last thought before the snap was……pass it moss.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Southtexas…the only inclination to move Huff would be because he does appear to have pretty decent cover skills. Still think he needs to go to free safety first, and they need to get a real strong safety. Thought Darius would be the answer, but obviously he’s not. Bing was never the answer.
Whatever happened to the days when the Raiders could land good safeties??? Pick-ups like Eric Turner, Lorenzo Lynch, Marquez Pope??? That’s the type of heady vet we need back there.
I haven’t given up on Fabian yet, I’m just hoping Routt turn into the guy, I like his range.
I don’t talk about Brayton because really, he’s a back-up. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s there to spell whoever at end or d-tackle for a series or two per game. For that role, he’s about as adequate as you need.
Warren was turning into a good pick-up, but the injury thing is his MO. It would help immensely to ease the loss of Kelly if he could return this week.
As for Rhodes, I think he just a change of pace guy, and right now, Fargas has the hot hand giving him the inside track to that role. Honestly, I’d kissed Fargas off, because I think he lacks vision. But for the one cut and go type slasher cut-block scheme we’re running, he seems to be a decent fit…for now. He too is not the long term answer, but certainly valuable depth and a hitter on special teams.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Carr gets let go soon. He’s nothing special on defense and his returns aren’t anything electric either. Roster moves as the season goes on and this coming offseason will be very interesting.
Personally, I’d keep McCown around as the back-up next year. He’s got some veteran leadership that Russell will need and is capable in a pinch. The year in Kiffin’s system is good too. We don’t want to be starting from scratch next year with Russell and a new back-up.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:36 am
I have two points:
1) If Rhodes were to be cut, in order for him to get snagged by a team in need off of waives, wouldn’t they have to pick up his whole, exorbitant contract? That alone would probably make him not easily grabbed by one of the desparate teams. I’d think that most teams would pass due to financial reasons,wait until he lears waivers, and then take a shot at resigning him to some incentive laden deal as a free agent.
2) I’d also like to see AW given another chance. I agree that he is the natural backup to JR and at worst, if he looks just decent it increases his offseason trade value. Yes, he’s not mobile but let me disprove one pint I’ve seen numerous times here: people claim that he holds onto the ball too long. But that’s only based on last season’s sampling of what he can do. If you recall, he came out in public asking why the offense didn’t put in more 3 step drops and quick hitting patterns. He WANTED to get rid of the ball earlier, but had to deal with play calling that forced deep drops, max protection, and only 2 or 3 guys in the pattern. He HAD to wait for them to get open against 5 or 6 men in coverage. We need to see what he can do in a real offense before making the final assessment of how good or bad he is.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Raider Glory -
Agreed, but Mike Williams is simply useless. He has had every opportunity to make a play, and he hasn’t capitalized one single time. Sunday was his opportune chance to climb that mountain and prove his worth, and he dropped it. How many more chances can one player have. I remember Raghib “Drop it” Ismail had hands of stone as well, but at least he was fast and did catch a ball every now and then.
As far as replacing him? I don’t think we can necessarily do that with an immediate upgrade at this point. It’s obvious we need to address receiver in the draft. Short term possibly Dwight, or maybe we could re-sign Taylor. Or , as someone mentioned play Madsen in more split formations, he can catch. Williams is a waste of time and roster spot.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:39 am
sign buster davis and quentin moses
October 30th, 2007 at 9:40 am
and grady jackson to sub in for gerrard
October 30th, 2007 at 9:40 am
You wanna start this sh!t again today SouthTexASSRaider? I am more than willing to play again if you want to roll…
As they say in your land, “Mess with the bull, you get the horns”…… or something like that…
October 30th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Raiderman…sure he did, Gannon would have walked in those rollout TD’s. Hell, watch Cutler, even old Brett Favre…Culpepper looks like he’s in slow motion compared to those guys.
I’m not totally discounting that he’s not the best option for now, but his lack of speed is an issue, and it’s clear. Watch any other QB in the NFL, get out a stop watch and time their drops repeatedly, time the duration it takes to hand off, record the depth of their drops, and I guarantee you’ll see a noticable difference.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Yea Texas Raider………..Look at the success Tom Brady is having with Moss……..Half of the passes he throws to him are just straight LOBS!………..It’s like…Hear Moss, see if you can out jump the defender and catch this pass!!….Which he normaly does. It’s incredible……And thats what C-Pep had with Moss in Minn. In Oakland he has WR’s Curry & Porter….VERY AVERAGE at best!!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:44 am
I’ve maintained that Mike Williams was a bust from the day he signed.At least Tim Dwight used to be
decent. If he was still any good I think he wouldn’t be available. This season is almost to the point where Jamarcus Russell should be starting. At least he would be interesting to watch. DC and JM are a complete disappointment.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:44 am
yeah i can agree with you on that. fabian is up and coming, routt is developing good with the time he is getting. brayton is not even worth typing about. carr definately needs to go. we nned a return guy that we can use other than returns, ya feel me?
mccown will be a good back up, he seems smart enough to get the system down.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:45 am
Mike Williams is who we thought he was…..A BIG FAT BUST!! Get him outta here. You don’t tella coach to give you an opportunity to make a play and then not make it. Plain and simple.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:48 am
I think if the line was (playing better), Russell’s debut would be coming sooner than planned. He’ll play this year, it’ll happen. Kiff will just wait until the line is jelling better, and the opponent isn’t a top 10 defense. But it will happen, and it should, just now yet. Patience…
October 30th, 2007 at 9:51 am
To further expound on McCown as the back-up, think about this…any QB who “decision” wise with regard to reads, and audibles, that grades out at or near 100%, as Kiffin says he has, is the perfect guy to have as Jamarcus’ mentor. A mobile guy too, who won’t preach to stand in the pocket and get sacked.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:52 am
I gargle nuts while wearing my Arabian Goggles. I looooove man ranch!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:52 am
just so you know einstein i have chosen to ignore you. but if you make a good point thats worth agreeing, ill agree with you. you started yesterday, i didnt.
but taylor was signed with the rams.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:55 am
good point on mccown for a back up coach sean, he does seem to have better reads and audible calling.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Schweigert is not a safety he is playing out of position. He is a jogging partner.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Some of you make me laugh, like if you post an opinion and its fairly accurate all of a sudden you’re the “know it all, COACH on wheels” or something..guys, it’s not hard to figure out…Kiffin is still in the process of molding his kind of team, the offensive line is still a work in progress, with the whole left side of Sims and Gallery getting there last and final shots before Kiffin gets his type of players in there (we have a young LT on the roster already), and I think we ALL know this team needs another speedy WR, but that’s it pretty much. All this overanalysis by COACH or whoever is hilarious…
October 30th, 2007 at 10:02 am
time to trade in the BMW, Dwight might give us a spark on special teams and Grady could help out on the d line now that Kelly is hurt . Bush looks to be activated and Kiffin said there could be some rooster changes a shake up for the betterment of the team.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:11 am
i expect to see some changes this week qb, rb, wr, kr not all at once but its coming .
October 30th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Let’s face some realities for a change. This team lacks talent on the O-Line and D-Line in particular, and until both are seriously upgraded, this team will be bad to mediocre.
The O-Line in particular needs stability above all else, with all 5 guys working together
year after year with the same coach to become great. Tom Cable may just prove to be
a great O-Line coach, but he needs better players and time to work with them to achieve
the kind of consistency found in the lines of the best teams in the league.
I have no idea what is wrong with the defensive line!!!!!
October 30th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Noted that Crockett got cut at tampa the other day,
also Frampton got cut too.
I wish that Fargas was on a long term contract and Joe had been signed rather than Rhodes ( there must be some reason he is not getting the carries I think it is talent or lack thereof).
October 30th, 2007 at 10:20 am
they cant stop the run period they give up 100+ every game they need a hard hittin safety like bob sanders he’s a differernce maker
October 30th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Kiff has put the team in a position to win games. As Herm Edwards says, “he wants his players to make a play”. They have done that and are wining with a team that player for player is not superior to the Raiders. The Raider players are just not making the 1, 2 or 3 crucial plays later in the game to win it. So I am gonna say it this week…. In the 4th qtr with a lead …. MAKE A PLAY!
Were did all this love come for unproven backups like Madsen, Higgins, Bush, etc.
People were crucifying McCown and people called for Culpepper.
People were crucifying Walter last year and can you believe people are actually calling for him now. Wow!
Let’s make up our minds already.
Fargas had mediocre game because he was put in a position to run the ball on passing and situational downs. When Lamont AKA LaLame ran it was with DC under center on first and second down. I don’t think there was a person watching that didn’t know that he was gonna run the ball. He obviously had a bad game. That’s were team broke down and the play calling was not effective because DC is getting tackled as he hands off the ball and there was no hole to run into. Tennessee’s D is an aggressive blitz and pressure on every down scheme. When you run on passing downs you will have some success.
I think Zack has been doing a fine job for a rookie. They should try to get him the ball more on 2nd and 3rd down.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Al the 2nd - 10000 points. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I think Lane is Lame. He “thinks” he knows the NFL, but he’s learning that he’s no boy genius. I ALSO think he’s setting up Culpepper to fail to bring back in his boy. He’s doing the Art Shell thing, where he’s calling 7 step drops holding the ball too long and then having Culpepper throw against double teams. I watch Culpepper and there are NO progression reads. You can tell he is looking at one guy only and he does not pull off that guy. Do you notice when Dante comes off the field he barely has 2 words for Kiffin. Kinda walks towards him like there is that what you wanted? Is this what you expected? Dante is a constant professional and he knows not to bite the hand that feeds him, but I know there is more to it, than Dante past his prime. When he has time he throws a nice ball. The 25 yard pass that called back due to illegal shift is prime example of how accurate and smart he can be when given time
October 30th, 2007 at 10:28 am
w0o g0 raiders
October 30th, 2007 at 10:30 am
TommyB - I beg to differ. Kiffin has put the Raiders in positions to loose the game or fight for a come from behind victory. His conservative play calling costs us the San Diego game. Who didn’t think that KC was going to score after the raiders ran the ball 3 straight times and went 3 and out? Who didn’t think Tennessee was going to score after they went 3 and out after 3 BAD plays, 2 of which were running for a mere 3 yards? The guy got flat out-coached by Fisher last week and Herm the week before. When Dante got all the hype for the Miami game, it seems that Kiffin decided to dial it down so Dante don’t get the glory. Who can FORGET calling a pass play at the 1yd line in San Diego with a 6′4″ 250lb QB?
October 30th, 2007 at 10:35 am
These rips on Culpepper’s past make no sense.
Do any of you even know anything about his career as a Viking? Judging by some of the comments probably not.
Moss never made Culpepper, that’s a myth.
Daunte’s all world year he had in 04 Moss wasn’t even his leading receiver. Moss was also either out or in as a decoy for most of the year due to injury. Culpepper was a legit top teir qb.
As for now I don’t get how everyone thinks he is done. What we have seen from him has not been impressive but given what this offense is it’s hard to know what we have. All we can go by is how McCown played before Daunte game in which was also horrible. Let’s not forget McCown was turning the ball over more than Culpepper is now.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:40 am
Whats all this crap about getting rid of Chris Carr and Mike Williams. Carr returned a interception 100 yards last year and holds his own this year as both a returner and in the nickel. Mike Williams yeah he has had some concentration issues, but we don’t have much better.
What aout cutting the obvious;
Stu, Brayton, Rhodes Bowie, Alston, Ricky Brown, Chris Johnson, Hirim Eugene, Jon Condo, Tony Stewart, Adrew Walter and/or Sam Williams.
We are very slim on talent, there are lots of check collectors worse than Carr and Williams
October 30th, 2007 at 10:42 am
I can’t remember the last time there was so many personnel changes during the season. I really like the competitive atmosphere. It makes me feel like the coaches are seeing what i’m seeing; like Fargas playing more for example.
Man, could we use like an Andre Rison type receiver right now; nobody fancy, just a guy who can get open and show some attitude. How bad could Mcardell be that we can’t add him to the roster?
October 30th, 2007 at 10:43 am
SouthTexasRaider Says:
“October 29th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
hey raider dogg, thanks for that backup against those imposters.
i hate that
also, what do you think cincy would ask for in trade for CJ?”
You know I got you bro.
As far as trading for CJ I’m sure the asking price would be at least a 2nd rounder if not more, which may be too much to ask. Unless he continues to piss off the Cinci brass and they are willing to let him go for a 3rd rounder I don’t think that move would happen.
Based on the Patriots success and the fact that the NFL is a copycat league, look for teams to try and stack their lineups with as many talented wr’s they can. The Raiders should think about doing the same. Although the Raiders wr corps are decent they lack a prototypical “go to” receiver that teams have to double and until they can stretch the field defenses will continue to stack up front. Maybe Tim Dwight can help stretch the field and make defenses play more honest, but I think there is a reason that Tim Dwight is available. I think the Raiders are bringing him in to shore up the return game a bit and any help he can offer as a wr will just be a bonus.
Raiders for Life…I’m In!
October 30th, 2007 at 10:44 am
wow we do have some blind leading the blind in here.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:48 am
doesnt our 3rd pick go to the patriots next draft?
October 30th, 2007 at 10:48 am
What happened to that really cool reverse to Curry that we did in the preseason vs. the Rams? Does anyone remember that play? The one where Curry fakes movement into the slot and then gets the ball flipped to him from the Quarterback?
I guess i’m a tiny bit dissapointed with a lack of creative playcalling. How about a shovel pass, or a middle screen, or a fake right screen-go left screen, Jesus, anything.
Towards the end when Tennessee was just penetrating on every play- Where’s the screen? Gannon pointed it out too.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:49 am
for those hoping to acquire Grady Jackson, looks like he’s about to sign with the Jags.
I hope we open up with Fargas at number 1 RB this week…let him have a full game and see how he holds up.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:51 am
70 yard bomb?! Our QB still doesn’t have enough time to set up a play like that.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:55 am
This is Kiffin’s offense….and even when Russell starts playing, what makes you think it’s going to be “bombs” away every game or series? Wake up.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:00 am
It’s hard to believe that even though this is an anonymous blog people still don’t have the stones to post under their regular post name when they want to talk smack. Have some conviction in what you believe in, don’t hide behind some stupid, “not so clever” post name. If you have to post under a different name in order to say what you really want to say then maybe you should re-think your entire point of view.
STR -
Do the Patriots have our 3rd round pick for next year?
Raiders for Life…I’m In!
October 30th, 2007 at 11:11 am
They should have a rule on this blog. You can’t say who should be cut unless you say 1)What better player will take his position and 2) What better player will we sign from the available pool of players.
Example:
Cut Sims! Have um…well have um…Gallery play LT? No, um the rookie Henderson? And sign um LT um…will Roaf come out of retirement?
Cut Williams! Have um…Higgins be #3 possession type WR. That’ll work. Sign Whttied. He’s available.
Cut Stu and have Eugene the whiffer start and maybe Darious doesn’t stink as bad as a cut Dolphins player must.
Geez, the reason we haven’t cut everybody is because you have to have somebody better to replace them! Starting LT’s aren’t sitting at Pepe’s Peep Club waiting for Al to call.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:15 am
raiderdogg i think so, check this site out that i came across
http://www.draftinsiders.com/node/35
check out what it says about warren and
the cheatriots will most likely make the playoffs. they lose THEIR first pick but have the whiners pick next year. what f#ckin luck, they lose theirs and get a higher pick.
hey dogg, dont worry about those punks that talk schit in here under a different name, no balls no glory. and uncle ray, ive been waiting to see that reverse pass with curry. it might happen with bush as well, wasnt he a qb in high school?
October 30th, 2007 at 11:15 am
I just hope this dysfuntional organization doesn’t run off Lane Kiffin or ruin JaMarcus Russell, both distinct possibilities.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:16 am
heck they need to waive josh mccown or daunte. neither one is the answer and waiving walter only will help some other squad. if they waive josh or daunte no one will pick them up but boy will they ever go after andrew. williams has never fit into the nfl. he did not show me anything in the preseason and was a kiffin hopeful for the usc glory days. send him packing for a warm six pack of anything but keep the young players whom might be able to contribute…
October 30th, 2007 at 11:16 am
SouthTexasRaider -
You are right, New England has our 3rd round pick for next year.
In researching this I also found out that New England has the 5th pick in the first round from SF. How come the NFL didn’t make them forfeit this pick instead of the later pick that NE will get? No wonder they didn’t mind if they had to forfeit their late pick for cheating. Damn I hate the Patriots and everything they stand for. I don’t normally wish harm on anyone but someone needs to Wilfork Tom Brady. I would love to see how Randy Moss would handle losing Tom Brady and having to deal with some unproven back up qb. The old Randy would re-surface and we could all have a good laugh. Bill Belichik was a crappy coach when he was in Cleveland and NY and then all of a sudden he’s a genius? Yes he’s a genius for knowing that the NFL would sweep all of his cheating and misgivings under the rug. If you knew all of the answers on the test you would look like a genius too.
Raiders for Life…I’m In!
October 30th, 2007 at 11:22 am
no coach, i hate to read comments with cut this guy and cut that guy, then what…..sign everyone from the practice squad!!??!! some people just dont have the knowledge on how a football system works. im not the brightest and still learn on a daily, but i dont comment dumb schit that doesnt make sense.
dont worry bro, you always have good insight. and if they hate on you, its only cuz they didnt think and post it themselves.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Totally agree with COW…people love to talk about cutting players they hate, but don’t have any alternate plan in mind. It’s useless. The time to shape the majority of the roster was in August not now.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:37 am
ok here we go, just a thought .. many of us don’t wanna see mw go. but c’mon dropping
a first down pass after you ask the coach to call your #…. we’ll give him another chance..
check this out.. we need to activate mb.. who do we give up?? drhodes..no..awalters..?
would not be fair after what he has endured for us..how bout jon condo & tony stewart??
move mw to te and fill jon condos spot with mbush??
October 30th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Can anyone please tell whether Kiff calls all the plays or Knapp (Nap !!)?
Is Tom Walsh still hanging out in raiders office? play calling coupled with slowpep produced 9 awesome points. LOL
October 30th, 2007 at 11:41 am
It was cliche to say in the beginning of the season, but this Raider’s team still has to LEARN how to win games in the NFL. Three out of the five losses were right there for the taking and the Raiders made HUGE 4Q mistakes to once again come up short. McCown misses a wide open JP, SeaBass misses second FG in Denver. Sapp fails to wrap up Huard for a sack instead it’s a 50yd completion to Bowe, CPep pump fakes and STILL throws the ball, pick. CPep and Porter not on same page, pick. MWilliams open on 4 and 14, drop.
I hate shoulda, coulda logic but if the Raiders make these plays they are 5-2 instead of 2-5. That is why I respect the job that Kiffin has done this year. In every game the team has been in position to win and the plays have been there to make for the W, but the execution has not.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Roberto, thats a bit unfair on Jon Condo. He’s done a good job as a rookie longsnapper. Tony Stewart is only on the roster as insurance - so he is expendable.
Mike Williams hands aren’t good enough for TE and we have a terrible record with TE converts. Best keep him as WR and work, work, work on his catching. He better improve before JR starts firing exocets at him.
I have been re-reading Kiffin’s comments on Monday. He clearly talks about roster changes (plural) and I wonder how many changes he has in mind?
October 30th, 2007 at 11:53 am
More good stuff between the BS…
I can’t believe anyone would be calling for Kiffin’s head or even hinting at it! Who would you have come in here? Al knew when he hired Kiffin he was stuck with him for a couple of years regardless of how he does. If Al doesn’t give a coach a chance to implement his plan for a couple of years, he better be willing to bring the walker down to the sidelines.
No SAVING this season with roster moves, although I do think at some point you motivate players by threatening their jobs. In most cases the coaches absolutely know who their best players are, and that is throughout the league.
Sometimes you get the “doghouse” guys, or guys like Moss who must be replaced because they will never be happy on a “dog” team.
Kiffin isn’t going anywhere boys and girls, Thank God. I do believe he has some learning to do, and it appears he is learning as he goes. He will put more of a stamp on this team in FA and the draft this offseason. Al will open the wallet, as he always does and things will get better next year.
I just hope that JR gets some reps and then is starting by years end. I don’t wanna hear any crybaby stuff about ruinin’ him. That is BS, great QB’s don’t get ruined by playing thru some bad stuff! They learn and improve because of it.
JUST GET RUSSELL READY BABY!!!
October 30th, 2007 at 11:54 am
At some point they have to let one of their QB’s go. In order of liklihood (not that I agree but reading the tea leaves) it is Walter, DC, JM and JR is not an option. If tey do that to make room for Dwight they would have to do something else to bring in Bush.
It is unlikely a guy casual fans know will be cut. A guy like Rhodes is possible for Bush but it is more likely a guy like Johnson gets cut and goes to the P Squad.
If they bring up Bruce and dont put Kelly on IR it becomes more unlikely Bush is activated.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:54 am
YOU GOT A POINT THERE SCOTTISH.. TE CONVERTS HAVENT BEEN THE BEST..
ALSO.. IS IT ME OR HAS JFARGAS BEEN PLAYING EXTREMLY WELL. MAYBE EVEN
BETTER THAN JORDAN
October 30th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Jon Condo isn’t going anywhere. He is the long snapper, and a damn good one I might add. Did anyone else see Shane Lechler on the Silver and Black Show comparing Condo to Adam Treu? Lechler said that when Treu would snap him the ball it would get to him in .8 seconds. When Condo first got here he was getting the ball back to Lechler in .6 seconds. They actually had him adjust his snap speed to slow it down to .69 seconds. According to Lechler those fractions of a second make all of the difference in the world.
Plus who would be the long snapper if Condo was cut, Newberry? He can’t even snap it past his own ass cheeks! Grove isn’t a long snapper either or he would have already been delegated to that duty and the Raiders wouldn’t waste the roster spot. I understand that Condo is listed at LB but his value really lies in his long snapping ability.
Raiders for Life…I’m In!
October 30th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
COW
Good points. Good suggestions. I too get tired of all the let’s cut so
& so but then don’t come up with a to be replaced by…
We are at least 8 starters away from being a good team. Not Great team but a good team. To get those 8 players and possibly a few others as time passes and is impacted by injury and others aging out, were are looking at 2- 3 years out. So get used to it Nation, we are not going to be really happy about things for awhile yet so deal with it.
Hopefully Kiffin is a quick learner. He needs to better recognize when a pro is blowing smoke up his a$$. Injured players are afraid of losing their job so they will lie to you when you ask “how you doing? Can you go”? Kiffin needs to be able to sort out who is and who isn’t able to give the team the best shot that day. And then play the most prepared and able player.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
If I remember correctly we are carrying extra DB’s. 11 I think. I could picture us letting Carr go. He is reliable as a returner, but lacks explosivness. Then unfortunatly Walter will probably get handed his walking papers to make room for Bush. I wish Kiffen would have given him a better shot, but maybe their is a personality clash or something. When given time, the guy can make all the throws. But, at least we will see what Bush is all about. We shall see!
October 30th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I just said hello to Namdhi at the deli in Safeway.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
so is jordan really ok or is he really screwing up by playing ??
12 carries for 16 yards
fargas 12 carries for 61 yards..
if hes still hurt he needs to step aside..
i’m in
October 30th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
sorry jb i have to disagree with you on your 2nd paragraph but totally agree with you on your last.
jordan is one of them.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
AD has seen JM & CD play under the new scheme. He has seen the same slowness by DC that we’ve all seen. It’s not beyond belief that he’d give Kiffin the OK to cut DC in favor of keeping AW whom I believe AD is still supportive of. AW has value albeit trade or as a 3rd back-up with an upside. He’s still under contract and DOES have a strong arm and is accurate in his passing. The DC experiment didn’t work out. It really is that simple. He offers nothing that AW couldn’t do equally or better. To me it just makes sense that DC should go in favor of keeping AW. Early on I was a DC supporter. He’s had his shots and to me it’s obvious that he just doesn’t have it any longer and to make him a reclamation project would be stupid.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Right on RaiderDogg. I couldn’t agree with your more on the last post.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Following up on my earlier post where I said 8-9 new starters are needed, here’s my list:
OLT, ORT, C, WR, DT, DE, SSOLB, SS, KR/PR
October 30th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
not only jordans stats, he is either missing blocking assignments or getting run over
October 30th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
And, once we get these new replacements we’ll be a good team. After a year or two, they will jell as a team and become a great team.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
D-Pepp, with time, is making all of throws. When receivers react like he expects, he hits them in the hands. Deep, short, where-ever. It is nice to see someone hit our receivers in stride. McCowen didn’t even with a running game! I like Walter as well and left up to me McCowen would be seeking work else where starting the day after the first time I seen him throw in person. D-Pepp was getting killed these past few games. Its been like a jail break and his ass is the freedom. No QB will succeed the this line and receivers are playing. I don’t even want to see JR behind these guys, I would rather him have a chance to succeed. Let D-Pepp get killed.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
would it be crazy of me to say that i would like to see jr play against kc ??
October 30th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
I think they have to ride out the season with the 4 and then DC and JM go at the end of the season. We then have 1 - JR 2 - AW and 3 can be a veteran QB that wants to mentor a young guy like a Vinny T or Trent Dilfer type. Someone long in the tooth that has alot of experience and just wants to be part of the team and can contribute in emergencies only and will not break the bank. Someone that knows his role and can live with it.
We still don’t know what JR is. He came from a great college team with a great supporting cast. He did not play all that many college games.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Did anyone else hear Mike Tirico on MNF last night refer to the “Red Sox Nation” when talking about all of the Packer fans in Denver last night? I almost choked on my dinner when I heard that! Rather than compare the Packers to another FOOTBALL team, The Raider Nation the team that coined the “Nation” phrase, he mentions a baseball team that stole our moniker! Red Sox Nation, Patriot Nation, who do they think started it all? I did get a good laugh when Vince Vaughn mentioned how much he loves the NFL Network and Tirico said “what about good old ESPN?” Vaughn backed off his comment a bit but it was sweet to hear him pump NFLN and not BSPN.
here is a pic of the Patriots new practice facility, for those that haven’t seen it:
http://www.profootballtalk.com/photo.htm
Raiders for Life…I’m In!
October 30th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
sounds like my wishlist jb, hopefully the draft holds some of those positions for us.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Hey Jerry, where’s our pre-practice update!?
October 30th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Zymurge,
Come on, Gallery is a bust. Wake up. If he weren’t drafted No. 2 overall he would not be starting for any team in the NFL right now and may not even be in the league. No way do you move him to the most important slot on the o-line. He’s been a disaster there in the past. He’s also good for at least two killer penalties per game to go with his below-average blocking. Newberry meanwhile is a much stronger, more physical blocker than Grove. He’s screwed up a few snaps this season but I think his blocking is OK.
Our o-line simply is not good enough to play with the really good, physical d-lines in the league, such as San Diego, KC and Tennessee. With a good scheme, the Raiders o-line is good enough to handle average/poor d-lines like Detroit, Denver, Miami and Cleveland. It’ll be interesting to see how they do vs. Houston. The Texans have some young, talented players on the d-line but I still think they’re average at the moment. I could see the offense get back on track this week with about 175 rushing yards and 220 passing.
I’m also still hoping J-Russ comes out of the tunnel and makes a surprise start. The odds? Probably the same as the Raiders’ chances of making the playoffs. About 2%.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
we need a good game all around on both sides of the ball and especially a win to carry us over to the next week when we play the bears.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Tom Walsh says go deep as in I da ho.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
The epic gridiron battle of the century will occur this Sunday when the Colts take on the Patriots. This will be a great game and will be televised locally in my town.
However, I will not watch it. Instead I will bicycle up to the local tavern and watch my beloved Oakland Raiders play. Why? Because it is my team. It has been my team since 1960.
I hope there is a huge crowd at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday that will cheer our Raiders to victory.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Wishing on AW is just that - wishing. If AE was any indication if you are inactive for games you’re likely to be cut. I personally think it makes more sense to release DC or JM (pick one) given thier soon to be short tenure here (hold AW for trade value in the offseason), but that opinion flies in the face of current reality.
JR will start before AW. AW is just not a system fit I’ve come to realize, but I still think he could be a very good qb in this league.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Lets bring in Bill Parcells - and start winning with some good players
October 30th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Gallery will just retire to Fargo and open a tattoo parlor. Schweigert will do stand up (and fall back). Warren opens a rest home. Lamont goes back to the junk business with his dad Fred. Williams joins Jenny Craig. Bush becomes a spokesman for ED formerly known as PUP.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
You can see Kiffin’s control just trying to seep through. No doubt, Al Davis wants to stick with Williams.
We can’t play Walter because if he