View Full Version : ***Official Chris Long Jihad Thread***
I'm not here to start the jihad. Truth be told, I think it started shortly after he graduated high school. But it's a safe bet that, by the time April rolls around, this will be one of the stronger draft jihads in recent memory.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/18/AR2007101802371.html
3 page article, but worth every letter.
"I've only had the pleasure to coach one other player who was as dominant in his level of competition as Chris is: 56" Groh said. He meant Lawrence Taylor.
As chaotic as Chris is on the field, he's calm off it. He likes to go camping or tubing on a lake. He discusses music almost every night with Grossman. He has the messiest room in the house. He's a Discovery Channel devotee.
"He's a nerd," Kyle said. "It'll be Saturday night. 'You going out, Chris?' He'll say, 'Nah, I'm watching "Planet Earth," man.' He sits there by himself watching polar bears."
On Saturday, Long and the Cavaliers will play Maryland on national television, perhaps the most important game of their season.
He had 2 sacks (one for a safety) and a blocked FG in that game. What's the old saying about big time players stepping up in big time games?
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/interviews/chrislong/chrislong.html
Older interview.
jake75
10-21-2007, 08:57 AM
Genetics made the comparisons unavoidable. Howie and Chris were each born with six fingers on one hand. They share that granite jaw line. The first time John Blake, Long's coach at Charlottesville's St. Anne's-Belfield School, watched Long crouch into a stance, he blurted: "Oh, my God. That's his dad."
"six fingers on one hand" Am I the only one that didn't know this about Howie? Now I have to find a pic.
He could take Brayton's place right now.
jake75
10-21-2007, 09:04 AM
Not that it matters but I only see 10 and 2
RaiderIVlife
10-21-2007, 09:32 AM
Damn, I wonder if Howie is thinking: She's the stupidest skank on the planet, but I'd still hit it?
I just want to know why none of these 6 fingered freaks are in bands.
hawaiianboy
10-21-2007, 12:41 PM
This is one I can boogie down with...
He's everything you could want in a football player: Zero sense of entitlement... Hard worker that puts in the time off the field to improve... The kind of non-stop motor that makes for a coach's dream...
The only thing that may raise a flag is whether he already is at his peak physically...
He's been real impressive as a 34 end, but I really liked when they would play him as a shade nosed tackle on passing downs his first couple of years there... He reminded me of a longer John Randle... If Long does measure in somewhere between 280-300 lbs, I could see a team moving him around between DT and DE like the Vikes did with Randle...
I just wonder about the pressure of trying to live up to his father's accomplishments while wearing the same Raiders uni...
BigTron
10-21-2007, 05:49 PM
I would be down with this as a high first round pick. It fills a huge need. He also brings an attitude you like on D. The way this year is going im ready to put JaMarcus in and draft a blue chipper.
Long and Burgess
or
JaMarcus hands to McFadden
hawaiianboy
10-21-2007, 07:59 PM
JaMarcus hands to McFadden
Why settle for Arkeesaw's second best RB?... :p
If Mike Bush show's promise, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if we took that Chris Johnson kid from East Carolina later in the draft... kind of Brian Westbrook like in that you can flank him as a WR as well as use him as a kick returner...
BigTron
10-21-2007, 08:06 PM
I have been interested to see the weekly Felix Jones report. I just want a guy you have to try and stop every week. Lamont is ehhh, Rhodes is ehhh. Michael Bush cant be relied on until he proves himself healthy AND effective.
Byron2112
10-21-2007, 08:27 PM
what school does Long play for?
BigTron
10-21-2007, 08:27 PM
Virginia Cavaliers
Freakshow
10-22-2007, 12:51 PM
Kiper's got Long ranked 6th in his Big Board right now, but that's only listing seniors. Count me in with this kid. 9 sacks in seven games so far this season and he's stout vs. the run. If he's anything like his pops, I'd be all over taking him in the 1st.
If we could actually generate a real pass-rush with Burgess on one side and Long on the other we'd be filling our biggest need imo. Mix in a new safety in the 2nd, o-line in the 3rd and I'm happy. Get JaMarcus and Bush behind center and we're golden for 2008.
BigTron
10-22-2007, 04:44 PM
Kiper's got Long ranked 6th in his Big Board right now, but that's only listing seniors. Count me in with this kid. 9 sacks in seven games so far this season and he's stout vs. the run. If he's anything like his pops, I'd be all over taking him in the 1st.
If we could actually generate a real pass-rush with Burgess on one side and Long on the other we'd be filling our biggest need imo. Mix in a new safety in the 2nd, o-line in the 3rd and I'm happy. Get JaMarcus and Bush behind center and we're golden for 2008.
I dont remember the last DE we had who could play everydown and be productive. Long weigh's over 275 and that is perfect for a DE IMO. Im not a big fan of the little fast DE's. Id take a big strong motor DE for the Raiders anyday. Burgess and Long would be an awesome combo.
Jack's sore libido
10-22-2007, 06:13 PM
I didn't realize there was so much first-round buzz around Long.
I'd be fine with taking him in the first round. Put him opposite Burgess and we actually have the makings, man.
And you know Al Davis would make the pick. Just hope he's not taken before it's our turn.
BigTron
10-22-2007, 07:24 PM
I didn't realize there was so much first-round buzz around Long.
I'd be fine with taking him in the first round. Put him opposite Burgess and we actually have the makings, man.
And you know Al Davis would make the pick. Just hope he's not taken before it's our turn.
I know its crazy early to say this but... this draft is going to be huge for us. All the positions we need are stocked. I know some of these guys might stay but we will be looking heavily at guys:
DT - Dorsey, Okam, Ellis , Bryant , Pressley , Balmer
DE - Long, Campell, Groves, Harvey , L.Jackson , Tyson Jackson, Gholston
LB - Rivers, Xavier Adibi, Highsmith, Crable, Erin Henderson, Connor, Laraunatis
S - Kenny Phillips
OT - S.Baker, J.Long, Cherilous, Oher
WR - D.Jackson , M.Manningham , Doucet, Sweed , Bouwman , Douglas , Kelly
RB- McFadden, Hart, Stewart , Rice, F.Jones, Slaton
We will draft the best guy availble IMO. We have enough needs to take whoever falls to us.
Ellis, Groves, or Long in Rd1 and I'm perky. Rockin' that 4 hour Cialis boner.
Limee
10-23-2007, 04:33 AM
I have only seen Long play once, but he does look like an almost perfect complement to Burgess.
I have been trying to find a safety I really like in this draft without much success so far.
Madturk
10-23-2007, 07:17 AM
Aside from Kenny Phillips who will go very early, I'd take a shot at Tom Zbikowski from Notre Dame. Put him back there with Huff and our safety woes should be over. He's versatile and can play both positions and has a nose for the ball plus he's smart.
CrossBones
10-23-2007, 07:38 AM
How many safeties do you think Al Davis is going to take in the first round of the drat? I think we've seen the last one for quite a while. If we have half a brain we can find a good SS later on and then move Michael Huff to FS ( :D ). Hopefully we don't whiff again and get another Schweigert. :shakehead:
Jack's sore libido
10-23-2007, 11:11 AM
Aside from Kenny Phillips who will go very early, I'd take a shot at Tom Zbikowski from Notre Dame. Put him back there with Huff and our safety woes should be over. He's versatile and can play both positions and has a nose for the ball plus he's smart.
I've only watched Notre Dame once this year, but one of the announcers said Z's draft stock was plummeting, for some reason.
massraider
10-23-2007, 11:19 AM
I am not sure he is the prototype 4-3 DE, and I know he isn't the prototype 4-3 RE. I could actually see his stock dipping a bit after the season.
I think we are looking more for a Simeon Rice guy at that position than a Grant Wistrom.
I still like Tommy Blake from TCU. 6'3", 260 4.6-4.7. Needs another 10 pounds, but they can always gain weight.
http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=88799&SPID=10606&DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=1290023
As for what we're looking for in our RE, shit. Looks like a Jared Allen/Aaron Kampman type to me. That's hard to beat.
hawaiianboy
11-11-2007, 01:06 PM
Is it weird that I got aroused reading that?...
Anyone know how Calais Campbell is playing for the Canes as of late?
I know he started out rough and then picked it up, but I've only seen him play once this year.
Im definitely intrigued by a 6-8 280 pound DE who moves like he does...
BigTron
11-14-2007, 02:08 AM
Anyone know how Calais Campbell is playing for the Canes as of late?
I know he started out rough and then picked it up, but I've only seen him play once this year.
Im definitely intrigued by a 6-8 280 pound DE who moves like he does...
He looked OK in that game Miami got their ass kicked in a week ago. Apparently he leads the team in tackles 70+
Big. athletic guy with an inconsistent motor. If he's there in Rd2, sure. I just don't trust him. Certainly not over a guy like Long who seems to never give less than total effort.
Big. athletic guy with an inconsistent motor. If he's there in Rd2, sure. I just don't trust him. Certainly not over a guy like Long who seems to never give less than total effort.
Most scouts look for measurables, talent and motor among other things.
Guys like Calais Campbell, Jamal Anderson and Mario Williams dont grow on trees. You don't teach 6-8 280.
His talent and size alone will make him a top fifteen pick this year, and if he stays in school and has a big senior season, he's competing for the first pick in '09, IMO.
That being said, I'd gladly take Chris Long in the top five.
BigTron
11-14-2007, 10:40 PM
Dorsey is the way to go. We need to get nasty in the middle.
RaiderIVlife
11-14-2007, 10:49 PM
Dorsey is the way to go. We need to get nasty in the middle.
That's the guy I want. Otherwise, I'm hoping we trade down and pick up another 2nd rounder in the process.
I know people aren't enamored with Turdell Sands, but I'm telling you, put Dorsey next Sands, rotate Gerrard Warren & Tommy Kelly and this defense will look completely different IMO.
The linchpin in this scenario to me is Michael Bush. This guy needs to play so that we can evaluate him as a player. If he's what we hope, that would allow us to go defense, trade down, etc.
If MB is not what we're looking for a RB, we might have to go McFadden...
I just drafted Steve Slaton and Early Doucet in Madden...Working well so far. :)
I figured I'd get JR some weopons.
Freakshow
11-15-2007, 11:33 AM
The linchpin in this scenario to me is Michael Bush. This guy needs to play so that we can evaluate him as a player. If MB is not what we're looking for a RB, we might have to go McFadden...
Great call right there. Couldn't agree more. If Bush shows what we think he will, no need to spend a high pick on running back. That would leave us the option to take Long or Dorsey early in the first. Personally I'd take Chris Long. Having an impact DE is so difficult and getting pressure on the QB is key to good defense imo. It's easier to find some big bodies or perhaps a diamond in the rough at d-tackle later in the draft ala LaRoy Glover and Rod Coleman.
Bye the way I just read that we have until next Wednesday to activate Michael Bush or he can't play for the rest of the year. Either they're milking that injury till the very last because he's not all the way back yet or maybe they just don't see the skill they thought they would from him. Get on with it already!
raiderfreak7
11-19-2007, 07:38 PM
Great call right there. Couldn't agree more. If Bush shows what we think he will, no need to spend a high pick on running back. That would leave us the option to take Long or Dorsey early in the first. Personally I'd take Chris Long. Having an impact DE is so difficult and getting pressure on the QB is key to good defense imo. It's easier to find some big bodies or perhaps a diamond in the rough at d-tackle later in the draft ala LaRoy Glover and Rod Coleman.
Bye the way I just read that we have until next Wednesday to activate Michael Bush or he can't play for the rest of the year. Either they're milking that injury till the very last because he's not all the way back yet or maybe they just don't see the skill they thought they would from him. Get on with it already!
It doesn't surprise me that we're milking this thing. Probably want to get as long of a look at Fargas and Rhodes as we can, then give Bush some carries later on. The writing is on the wall IMO. Bush in, Jordan out. If that doesn't happen I'll be extremely surprised.
2 sacks and a FF in the 3rd qtr. 15 minutes to play.
Virginia retired his jersey today.
He walked onto the field with his mom and Howie at the jersey retirement presentation. Dude looks a foot taller than his dad.
According to the booth, a Raiders scout told them that Chris is farther along now in his development than Howie was in his 5th year as a pro. Hyperbole, sure. But what a compliment, eh?
Jack's sore libido
11-24-2007, 02:47 PM
If Arian Foster comes out early, I'd be happy to pass on a RB to take him in the third or fourth round, if he's available.
First time I've seen him all year, but the kid reminds me of Eddie George, the way he runs.
Jack's sore libido
11-24-2007, 02:51 PM
You know, if enough guys come out early, this could be a huge year for RBs.
Check out these juniors:
Darren McFadden
Felix Jones
Jonathon Stewart
Reshard Mendenhall
Ray Rice
Steve Slaton
Jamaal Charles
James Davis
Ian Johnson
Arian Foster
Since Mike Hart is the only big-name senior this year, a bunch of these guys might decide that it's a better year to come out now than wait until next year.
If half that list comes out Jack, Im hoping we go Chris Long-(Charles/Stewart/Mendenhall/Jones/Slaton) instead of McFadden-(Player X)
Its almost too big a gap at this point between Chris Long and the next best DE. I've seen Gholston dominate at times, although I doubt he declares, I've seen Quinton Groves, and doubt he fits our D very well...
Many of those RB's are borderline top 25 picks in most drafts, IMO though...
Could be a huge steal to combine a guy like Ian Johnson, Charles or Stewart with Bush/Fargas.
Watching the Iron Bowl last night, the announce crew made mention of Groves playing most of the season with 3 funked up toes. They say he's not able to plant and explode like he normally would, which might explain his lack of overall production this year.
Could that be exaggerated BS to help keep his draft stock from dipping? Maybe. But it's definitely something worth looking into.
But, as far as grabbing Long in 1 and a back in 2...I can dig it. Like Jack said, with a banged up Mike Hart being the top Senior, those Junior backs have to be seeing dollar signs right now.
A stud DE and a boost to our ground game? Hard not to like.
Might as well close this thread. That win slammed the door on Howie's boy coming to Oakland.
Limee
11-25-2007, 02:06 PM
Always look on the bright side of life...
Just turning the page, bro. It's all about Sedrick Ellis now.
Limee
11-25-2007, 02:12 PM
We do need line help in the worst way.
BigTron
11-25-2007, 04:22 PM
Just turning the page, bro. It's all about Sedrick Ellis now.
I like Sed Ellis slighty less than Dorsey but its close. He plays with a nasty streak you love in a DL-man.
He'd be even better if we could find a big space eater to put next to him. That'd be damn nice.
BigTron
11-25-2007, 04:49 PM
He'd be even better if we could find a big space eater to put next to him. That'd be damn nice.
Too bad Sands isnt even good at being a fat ass...
Yeah, he and Warren make a cute couple, don't they?
BigTron
11-25-2007, 06:30 PM
Yeah, he and Warren make a cute couple, don't they?
I wish they all had Sapp's heart. Maybe we will draft a C.Long/Dorsey/Ellis and they will bring some fire to the D-Line. We play softer than a roll of charmin. A few free agents and some cuts will help this area next season.
Jack's sore libido
11-26-2007, 03:54 PM
For anyone interested ... Chris Long is third in the NCAA this year in sacks (13) and has only had two games without a sack this year -- both blowout wins for UVa.
poptart
11-27-2007, 02:00 AM
He plays with a nasty streak
Yes!!
- The Brothers G
Chris Long can bullrush no doubt... but he does that as a LDE.. we already have that ispot locked up in Derrick Burgess
I'm not so sure Long will be a very effective pass rusher on the RDE spot.. A big run supporter no doubt.. and better than anything we have now.. he might be a 5-7 sack type guy at RDE
What we need is a pure speed rusher on the RDE.. Freeney type cat..
If we didnt have Burgess he'd be a good fit...
We need a Len Pasatbelly clogged artery type DT...
Sapps going and if you think it was bad now....
Burgess & Long starting at DE. Long kicks inside in nickle packages with the re-signed Chris Clemons coming off the bench.
"Cook it up!"
massraider
01-10-2008, 03:09 PM
If we lose the coin flip, as I expect, we need to hope like hell that Miami takes Dorsey. Because if they take Long, Dorsey won't get by ATL, I think.
But they won't take Long. They are set at DE, and McFadden seems like a good fit.
massraider
02-19-2008, 04:20 PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/02/17/long/index.html
Peter King with a feature on Chris Long. I dare anyone to read this, and not put the guy at the top of their draft board:
The combine begins in Indianapolis on Thursday. And there won't be a bigger story in than the son of the Hall of Famer. Chris Long has progressed from being an intelligent college prospect when he entered Virginia to the kind of high-motor, edge-rushing force that has put him in competition for the top pick of the April draft. For Long, Indianapolis will be about continuing to prove he's so much more than someone the NFL is looking at prominently because he's Howie's kid.
It is hard to come away from a meeting with Chris Long and think he could have done any more to make a strong impression. In the same week we heard an icon say a friend "misremembered'' what he told him, I heard Long speak in complete, intelligible, thoughtful sentences. In this interview, he used the words malleable, tangible, pigeon-holed and debilitating. He seems relentlessly motivated to prove he can play well in the NFL, anywhere on the front seven. It's interesting that a kid born with such a silver spoon in his mouth could be this determined, this driven to be a success in the dog-eat-dog world of the NFL.
The combine's a big deal for Chris Long for a couple of reasons. It gives him the chance to work out, most notably, which many top picks often don't do because they don't feel they're in peak condition. It's a prima-donna move. They'd rather do the same drills in a more familiar environment of the home gym and home weight room, which, when you're the first or fourth or ninth player on the board, you can afford to do. Scouts are used to it by now, but to some veteran GM-types like Indy's Bill Polian, it leaves a bitter taste that they remember on draft day. Long will work out in Indianapolis, doing everything except possibly the bench-press reps of 225 pounds because of a sore thumb.
And it gives him a chance to disprove what he thinks some draftniks and NFL scouts are saying about him. "That I don't have top-end speed, and I can't play more than one position well, and I'm a high-motor, overachieving guy, but I'm not an athlete,'' he said. "When I lie in bed at night, those are the kinds of things I hear. I hear the negative things. People try to pigeon-hole me as a player, and that kind of drives me.''
This is a guy who motivates himself by cutting out quotes about himself, or about things opponents have said about his team, and taping them to the wall in his bedroom, so he can see them and feel their impact in the days before games. That's how he's treating some of the Long-is-limited stuff he's heard about himself entering the Indianapolis workouts.
Long has an interesting view of the combine. Many people in and out of the game -- including me -- have long decried the emphasis teams place on what they see at the annual meat market. Long takes this angle on it:
"You can very rarely get caught up in numbers in this game, because it's all about the team. But the combine gives me a unique opportunity to set tangible goals. The NFL is giving you a test, and they're giving you the answers. If you fail, either because you didn't prepare or for whatever reasons, it's all your fault, and it probably says something about you.
"I can look at what guys in the past have done in certain drills and aim for those numbers. I don't want to see what the average guy did last year. I want to know what the lead dog did. Tell me what Gaines Adams [drafted fourth overall by Tampa Bay] did last year. Tell me what Jarvis Moss [drafted 17th overall by Denver] did last year.''
Long is 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds. The experts say he'll run about a 4.8-second 40-yard dash. He smiles at what the experts say. Adams, 6-4 3/4 and 258 pounds, ran a 4.66-second electronically timed 40 in Indianapolis, the best time of the 50 defensive linemen at the combine last year. Moss, 6-6 1/2 and 250, ran a 4.78. Long won't say what he thinks he'll run, but if looks were confidence, he'd be as fast as Deion Sanders.
Ditto for the other speed-and-athlete drills, like the shuttle, the three-cone drill, the vertical jump and the broad jump. He looks at the best numbers on the 2007 combine sheet and has been working with former Olympic bobsledder Martin Rooney this offseason to try to beat them. It's a game. Why can't he win?
Long played right end in Al Groh's 3-4 scheme. Three of the top seven teams in the first round -- Miami, the Jets and New England -- are 3-4 teams and could put Long at the spot he's most comfortable playing. But some scouts say he'd be a perfectly fine three-technique (rush) tackle in the 4-3, and if he's as fast as he thinks, maybe even a 4-3 end. He had 14 sacks and 23 quarterback pressures last fall.
"This is the NFL I'm going into,'' he said. "How would I know where I'd fit best? Who am I to question coaches and general managers who have been in the league for so long. Wherever they put me, I'm fine with it. I'll play safety if that's what they tell me to do.''
Long surely knows where he thinks he'd fit best in both the 4-3 and the 3-4. He's been watching football since his dad was a Raider All-Pro defensive tackle. But this is part of the allure of the kid -- he knows he'd sound foolish opining on where he thinks he belongs. Just shut up, go to training camp, shut up some more, and do what you're told. In a couple of years, kid, we'll care what you think. Not now.
Three other things I wanted to know.
One: How bad was it growing up, opponents thinking you got to the place you got because of your dad? "In high school, I remember playing a basketball game on the road and the fans behind one basket, every time we came down, were just chanting, 'HOW-eee! HOW-eee!' In football, I'd get things like, 'Is your rich dad paying the refs?' That pissed me off. But they didn't know the truth -- that it was helping motivate me. After a while, at Virginia, they weren't saying that stuff about me any more.''
Two: How'd he play so many snaps at Virginia, getting beat up and double-teamed so consistently? As a junior, he played 715 of 721 Virginia defensive plays. As a senior, he played 898 of the Cavs' 924 snaps --including 83 of 89 at Wyoming, on a 73-degree sunny day, on a field 1.3 miles above sea level.
"You don't want to let your teammates down,'' he said. "I had to sit six snaps that game, but I hated it. I kept hearing how much trouble we'd have playing a mile and a half up on some mountain, and we'd wilt in the elements. We didn't have a good game [Wyoming won 30-3] but that's, to me, where you learn about yourself.'' Long had seven tackles and two sacks. In all, he missed 32 defensive snaps in his final 25 college games.
Three: How'd he stay so hungry living the good life as a kid? "My parents did that,'' he said. "I think you can raise a kid in an affluent environment and keep him hungry. My dad used to tell me, 'You're no different from anyone else.' And he used to say with all the opportunities I had, it'd be a shame if I wasted them.''
It'll be interesting to see who falls in love with Long this week, and who finds the holes in him. Watching highlights of him, he's obviously got a Zach Thomas kind of motor with the ability to stunt inside and speed-rush some tackles outside.
I think he's got a chance to be this year's Russell Maryland. Remember the 1991 draft, when Dallas picked first and Jimmy Johnson preferred Maryland, a solid and unspectacular defensive tackle, over the flashy and fast Rocket Ismail? The reason was simple: Johnson knew Maryland would be a solid, above-average starter for seven or eight years, maybe a Pro Bowler once or twice, and fill an important cog on the defensive front that Johnson lacked.
He was right: Maryland started for four and a half years in Dallas, then moved to Oakland and started there for four years. He made one Pro Bowl.
Long's not the same kind of player as the 300-pound plugger Maryland, and Long could end up playing inside or outside, depending where he lands on draft day. But I got a very strong feeling the other day that wherever Chris Long goes, he's not going to waste his chance.
I'm trying to not even think about it. He's going to be one of the top two guys taken. It's just a matter of whether or not Miami takes him first or lets St Louis have him.
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