Bronco Week News!!! [Archive]

jatfly

11-28-2007, 05:47 AM

THIS IS POSITIVE THING I GUESS!!!!

-- Raiders Work Out 3 OTs --
Tue Nov 27, 2007 --from FFMastermind.com

The Contra Costa Times reports the Oakland Raiders worked out OT Jonathan Palmer, OT Albert Toeaina and OT Torrin Tucker in recent days. Ultimately, the Raiders signed OT Seth Wand to take injured ORT Cornell Green's roster spot. Green sustained a season-ending foot injury against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 18.

jatfly

11-28-2007, 05:50 AM

Back to the future: Raiders turn the corner

It looked like just another late-season win against a mediocre division rival, but the Oakland Raiders' 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs will someday take on historical importance. Down the line, Nov. 25, 2007 will be remembered as the day of the great franchise's turnaround.

Hyperbole? Perhaps a bit, but viewers of Oakland's futility-snapping play - the oft-cited three-year, 17-game losing streak against AFC West teams may now be shelved - on Sunday needn't have squinted too hard to envision a potential great-looking short-term future for the Silver and Black.

First of all, of course, there was Justin Fargas. Back in the offseason, who would have thought that Fargas would emerge as a viable go-to guy? Fargas' Chief-crushing 22 carries for 139 yards made for his third 100-yard performance since getting called upon to run over Miami in Week 4.

Though Fargas looked like a true third-stringer against Minnesota two weekends ago, going for an anemic 2.7 yards per on 22 carries, he redeemed himself well. Since Fargas has been a better blocker than Dominic Rhodes or LaMont Jordan and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, surely he's earned himself at least the No. 2 spot on the depth chart for 2008.

Who needs Rhodes and Jordan? The Raiders, but only until draft weekend. Oakland fans are hoping they get more than a fourth-rounder if something like this happens.

The defense, too, again showed more than a glimmering of future success. While providing no answer for the freak show at halfback on Sunday, the Raiders did hold all Chiefs not named Kolby Smith to just 140 yards and zero TDs. Important as well was the defense's clutch stop of Smith on the fourth-quarter, fourth-down run to nearly ice the game for Oakland.

Smith aside, several Raider defenders continued to look great. Future star Kirk Morrison (25-years old) continued to pad his great season with 11 tackles, 10 of them solo. In his seventh season, Derrick Burgess appears to be entering his prime in this second half and turned in his best show of 2007 with a bunch of tackles and two sacks.

With Burgess and Morrison putting on one-man shows, the remainder of the 'D' functioned as a unit, assisting on the tackle time and again. Raider fans gotta love the way sophomore NFLer Thomas Howard and sixth-year man Robert Thomas have been finishing plays off near the line. Together with Morrison, these guys are maybe the most promising three-man linebacker set for 2008.

(This observer is not exactly sure why there wasn't even more pass rushing by the Raiders against a ragtag Kansas City O-line averaging just over three sacks per game. Wunderkind head coach Lane Kiffin has become increasingly more impressive in his decision-making prowess throughout the season, however, so we'll cut him some slack here. Wait 'til next season when the Raiders apply a blitz on every play in the first half against Kansas City ...)

From the Ho-Hum Department comes the news that Sebastian Janikowski booted in a monster 54-yarder and rookie TE Zach Miller was a one-man roadblock on the line while also managing to haul in four receptions.

And then there's JaMarcus Russell. Hilariously, the NFL's official highlight clip of the game actually opens with Russell, who, we are informed, is "still not playing." (No kidding.) The fact that Daunte Culpepper can win on any given Sunday these days is less a testament to the old guy's waning abilities than a mark of the truly impressive improvement shown by last year's joke of an offensive line.

When Russell finally gets the start, the sports world's talking heads will no doubt trip over one another's tongues in the rush to usher in a new era in Oakland, particularly with the AFC West's other three teams in such disarray. (That one-year Art Shell experiment now seems an even more disastrous step backward. Without the setback and with Randy Moss, these Raiders might be in contention right now.) Those who were paying attention, though, will be able to say they saw the dawn first break one Sunday in Kansas City.

Your 2008 AFC West champion Oakland Raiders, anybody?

http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/20394.html

jatfly

11-28-2007, 05:51 AM

No NFL announcement regarding Henry's appeal
By Bill Williamson
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 11/27/2007 11:58:11 PM MST

All Things Broncos

Post reporter Bill Williamson posts entries on this blog devoted to the Denver Broncos. Visit it here.
It appears running back Travis Henry will be with the Broncos at least another week.

The NFL said Tuesday there wouldn't be an announcement on Henry's future. While the league could make an announcement at any time on Henry's appeal of a one-year NFL drug suspension, it is protocol that the league doesn't make personnel decisions once the work week begins (Wednesdays).

Henry, his attorneys and the Broncos were expecting a decision on his appeal as early as Nov. 20. Without a decision, there has been increased optimism from Henry's camp. Henry had his appeal heard Nov. 16 in Phoenix.

With Henry apparently available to play against the Raiders in Oakland on Sunday, he said Monday he expects to be healthy enough to play. Henry missed the past three games with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Another roster move. The Broncos made a reversal of a move they made on Thanksgiving. Denver brought back guard Isaac Snell and waived fullback Kyle Johnson.

Johnson, Denver's starting fullback last season, played Sunday in Chicago. Tuesday's move may be an indication Denver feels better about its injury situation at running back. Mike Bell was working at tailback last week and that was one of the reasons Johnson was brought back. The Broncos are dealing with injuries to Henry and running backs Selvin Young and Andre Hall, but at least one is expected to play Sunday at Oakland.

Tuesday workouts. The Broncos worked out defensive tackles Kenderick Allen, Michael Bozeman, Marcus Green, Rodney Leisle and Kelly Talavou.

Culpepper probably will start. The Broncos likely will face Raiders quarterback Daunte Culpepper in Sunday's game.

Culpepper helped the Raiders break a six-game losing streak with a win over Kansas City.

Oakland coach Lane Kiffin has said he plans to use 6-foot-6, 255-pound quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft who has yet to play for the Raiders as a rookie, during a game at some point this season but not have him debut as a starter.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_7576334

jatfly

11-28-2007, 05:52 AM

Broncos aren’t sure who will be in the backfield against Oakland

PUBLISHED: Tuesday, November 27, 2007
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are running out of time and running backs.
They might have to go into Oakland next week with fullback Cecil Sapp, their fifth option, in the backfield after Andre Hall suffered a high ankle sprain in the Broncos’ 37-34 loss at Chicago on Sunday.

Hall, a third-stringer making his first NFL start, was injured on his first carry but toughed it out and finished with 98 yards on 26 carries. When he couldn’t go anymore in the fourth quarter, Mike Bell replaced him but fumbled away his only carry and was replaced by Sapp, who gained 28 yards on seven carries.

Coach Mike Shanahan said Hall was “pretty lucky, it looked like he could have broken it. ... For him to play with that type of ankle injury is really a credit to him to last as long as he did in the game.”

Hall got the start because Travis Henry (left knee) and Selvin Young (right knee) were inactive.

The Broncos expect to hear this week whether Henry will be suspended for a year by Commissioner Roger Goodell for failing a drug test in September. Henry has appealed the result of the test and sued the NFL to remain eligible but he’s missed several games with an assortment of leg and rib injuries.

“I would think that something would come down tomorrow, but I’m not positive. I haven’t been told anything,” Shanahan said Monday.

Regardless of Henry’s status, Shanahan said he has nary a clue who will line up in the backfield when the Broncos (5-6) visit the Raiders (3-8) this weekend.

“We’ll get a better feel on Wednesday,” he said.

The Broncos might be on the lookout for a free agent such as Wali Lundy, who started eight games for Houston last season and recently worked out in Denver.

Shanahan said Hall had a high ankle sprain, which generally takes longer to heal than lower sprains. But Shanahan wasn’t ready to declare Hall out against Oakland.

“Let’s not be the doctor yet. Let’s wait and see what happens,” Shanahan said. “I’ve seen guys with high ankle sprains come back, different definitions of them, in the coming week, sometimes it takes 3-4 weeks, you never know. I’ll tell you more as the week goes on.”

After failing to keep up with San Diego (6-5) atop the middling AFC West, Shanahan said he felt the Broncos have to win their final five games to reach the playoffs.

He hopes to get a boost with the return of No. 1 receiver Javon Walker, who played about eight snaps Sunday in his first action in nearly two months following knee surgery.

“I wouldn’t say he’s perfectly healthy,” Shanahan said. “I think he’ll be a lot more ready this week than he was yesterday.”

Walker, who didn’t have a catch, said he felt good Monday although “it’s probably something that won’t feel 100 percent until after the season’s over.”

Despite their revolving door at running back, the Broncos were in position for their third straight win Sunday before blowing a two-touchdown lead in the final five minutes and losing in overtime.

Chicago’s comeback was sparked by a blocked punt when Todd Sauerbrun tried to angle it away from Devin Hester, who had returned both a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the third quarter.

“We could have overcome those two touchdowns. The thing that really hurt us was the blocked punt,” Shanahan said. “The first (punt) was on the 10-yard line and the second one, even if we just punted through the end zone, they’ve got to go 80 yards. To turn it over on the 18-yard line gave them the time and the chance to come back so that was the most disappointing thing.

“Whenever you kick or punt to a guys like that there’s always a chance he can go the distance. Any time you get a big-time receiver, running back or returner that’s the nature of the game. But you’re hoping not to get punts blocked like we did.”

Shanahan said this one will take years for him to get over, too.

He compared it to a 31-27 loss to Seattle in 1995 in which the Broncos frittered away a huge lead.

“It’s always disappointing. Any time you feel like you have a game won and you give it back it sticks with you for a lot of years,” Shanahan said. “I go back to Seattle a decade ago and that sticks with me. We have a 21-point lead. It’s one of those types of game where if you don’t take advantage of an opportunity and you can’t close it out it’s disappointing.

“But we’ll work through it and get ready for the next week.”

http://www.thekansan.com/stories/112707/sports_112707031.shtml

jatfly

11-28-2007, 05:58 AM

Raiders rookie quarterback waits for his chance to play:
Daniel Brown-Mercury News

JaMarcus Russell had to wait in high school. He became the starter only after one quarterback had academic problems and another had legal trouble. That's when Russell stepped in and led the Williamson Lions to the Alabama state championship game.
Russell had to wait in college, too. He redshirted his first year at Louisiana State, feeling like a freeloader when handed a national championship ring for a season in which he didn't play.

And, of course, Russell has waited in the NFL.

Raiders Coach Lane Kiffin said Daunte Culpepper, who is coming off a solid game, will remain the starter Sunday against the Denver Broncos. That makes it increasingly possible that Russell, the No. 1 draft pick and recipient of $29 million in guaranteed money, will spend his entire rookie season glued to the bench - a Pine-Time Player.

Russell is hardly the first rookie quarterback to sit out a year, a point that the Raiders have made repeatedly. They cite the example of Carson Palmer, who was drafted No. 1 by Cincinnati in 2003 and didn't take a snap until 2004.

The Bengals planned that path all along, deciding to let the kid sit behind veteran Jon Kitna for a year and learn how to handle the NFL on the field and off.

"Remember that first year of high school?" Bengals quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese asked in a phone interview Tuesday. "You couldn't make it from the bus to your locker without some kind of meltdown. It's the same for players when they get to the NFL. They can't get from their parking space to the meeting room on time without anxiety. They don't know how the building works."

In Palmer's case, patience paid off. In 2005, his third pro season, Palmer threw 32 touchdown passes, made the Pro Bowl and led the Bengals to the playoffs. Zampese said the seeds of the breakout season were planted during Palmer's bruise-free rookie season.

"Even though he wasn't playing, there was never a take-it-slow approach. He was pushed to prepare like the starter ever week," he said. "And the whole value of that first year was the presence of Jon, because of the atmosphere of the room. If you have a good leader setting an example, the young player thinks, 'Shoot, I'd better do those things, too.' "

Palmer's success would settle the Sit vs. Play argument - if not for the tricky matter of so many counter examples.

Peyton Manning, for instance, took every snap as a rookie and looks back on that season as his greatest learning experience of the NFL. The No. 1 pick threw an embarrassing 28 interceptions and his Indianapolis Colts bumbled through a 3-13 season. But the next season, the Colts went 13-3.

Manning remains a staunch advocate for rookie quarterbacks. In 2005, when Bay Area writers asked Manning about the 49ers and No. 1 pick Alex Smith, he all but shouted: "Play, play, play, play, play play!

"The sooner you play, the sooner you start getting used to the speed of the game, and you get more and more comfortable," Manning said. "You can only learn so much on a chalkboard."

So which way is right? Are the Raiders smart for going the Palmer route, or short-sighted for ignoring the Manning route?

A closer look at the debate:

There's nothing to lose: The Raiders are 3-8, so it's not likely that playing the kid would cost them a playoff berth. And if they are going to struggle, they might as well let Russell get his growing pains out of the way. That's what the Dallas Cowboys did with Troy Aikman; his team went 1-15 during his apprenticeship, then was ready to lead a dynasty when the next wave of talent arrived.

There is nothing to gain: Kiffin has explained ad nauseam that the Raiders don't want to send Russell in to see his confidence crushed. That's not paranoia. David Carr was demolished as a rookie behind an overmatched Houston Texans offensive line and never fulfilled his promise. As Terry Bradshaw, whose 30.4 passer rating in 1970 was the worst ever for a No. 1 pick, once said: "If you're a high draft pick, you're going to get pounded because you're going to the worst team."

Give him a shot in garbage time: Maybe Russell isn't ready to start, but there isn't much harm in letting him play a series or two as a backup. Let him get a feel for NFL speed so he knows precisely what he's preparing for next season. Kiffin has indicated this is a possible route for Russell, and there are rumblings it could happen Sunday.

He could still get trashed in garbage time: A player unprepared for the NFL isn't only mistake-prone, he's also a danger to himself. Smith, in his second start for the 49ers, thought he could outrun linebacker LaVar Arrington and decided not to slide. The ensuing hit knocked Smith out for two weeks with a sprained knee. Russell might be particularly susceptible to trouble since a contract dispute shortened his learning curve. He held out of training camp and didn't play in the preseason.

Look at these guys: Some quarterbacks made an instant impact as rookies. Ben Roethlisberger won a Super Bowl for the Pittsburgh Steelers (with the benefit of a top-five running game and a top-five defense). Vince Young almost single-handedly took Tennessee to the playoffs last season after getting the starting job in Week 4. Matt Leinart has been stalled by injuries but last year threw for 200 yards eight times in 11 starts for Arizona, including a 405-yard game.

Sometimes a good quarterback doesn't need to wait.

Yeah, but look at these guys: Tom Brady threw three passes as a Patriots rookie; Brett Favre had four attempts (all incomplete) for the Falcons before being traded to Green Bay; Tony Romo didn't throw a single pass for the Cowboys in his first year . . . or his second . . . or his third.

All told this season, those quarterbacks are a combined 31-2. Sometimes, a good quarterback is worth the wait.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Daniel Brown at dbrown@mercurynews.com

http://www.mercurynews.com/raiders/ci_7578103?nclick_check=1

jatfly

11-29-2007, 05:46 AM

Raiders need couple of more wins despite tough slate
Column by Carl Steward
Article Last Updated: 11/29/2007 02:37:20 AM PST

Lost in the euphoria of the Oakland Raiders' first AFC West victory in three years was the fact that they beat an awful Kansas City team that was poorly coached to boot.
Alas, there aren't any more bums of the month in the remaining five games. As fate would have it, just when it appears the Raiders can gain some valuable late-season momentum, they face a brick-wall schedule that very easily could render them 3-13, just a game better than a year ago.

Denver. At Green Bay. Indianapolis. At Jacksonville. San Diego. Five opponents with a combined record of 38-17. Four teams apparently headed for the playoffs and one still in the hunt. The Raiders won't be favored against any of them, and a lot of folks think they'll lose all five.

That's not likely going to represent enough progress to suit Al Davis or impatient Raiders fans who want a little more validation of improvement than beating the cruddy Chiefs.

Among the wiser players, too, they know they haven't done nearly enough.

"We've got to come back and suit this thing up next week and get ready to go again," said Warren Sapp after the K.C. breakthrough. "Because if we come back and don't do anything next week, it doesn't mean a thing."

Beating Denver on Sunday at home would be a good thing for a lot of reasons. First, it might be the last best chance to win again this year. Second, the already reeling Broncos wouldreally be knocked for a devastating loop.

Third, the Raiders could end twomore of those dubious streaks, a 12-game home losing streak in the division and five consecutive defeats to Denver.
More important than anything, though, they have to show they can build on what they did last Sunday. It says here they need at least two more wins this season to do that. That would represent a three-game improvement to 5-11 and make a goal of another three-game improvement to 8-8 next year a lot more realistic.

A win over the Broncos is pretty critical, if for no other reason than sustaining some momentum gained in the win over Kansas City. Who knows where it could go from there, but the Raiders might be able to snatch one or two more despite the formidable appearance of the schedule.

Jacksonville and San Diego might have playoff berths wrapped up by the time they play Oakland, which would make those games eminently more winnable. But they might be winnable regardless with a little head of steam.

A 5-11 or 6-10 finish, coupled with a half-dozen other games in which the Raiders have been in the game in the fourth quarter before losing, would be a fair foundation on which to start Year 2 of Lane Kiffin's long-term reclamation project. A 3-13 finish would make it quite a bit tougher, so these are very important games ahead, and nobody knows that more than the coach.

"The more games you have like this, the more you start to build confidence where you become those teams that know they're going to win in these situations," Kiffin said. "It doesn't matter if I keep thinking we're going to win every time because I think we're going to win them all when we're in these situations.

"But we've got to get everybody in that locker room to believe that they're going to win and to believe that what happened (against K.C.) is what's going to happen."

Taking the same kind of bold strokes offensively that won the Chiefs game will improve the odds. So much of it is just mind-set.

Look at Philadelphia against New England on Sunday. The Eagles surely figured if they didn't ratchet things up and take some risks, they were going to get slaughtered. And they probably would have been. But by opening things up offensively and playing with aggressive abandon on defense, the Eagles gave the Patriots all they could handle.

In short, the Eagles took the game to New England, just as the Raiders took it to Kansas City when it mattered. Oakland isn't equipped talent-wise to do that an entire game, but there's absolutely no reason why the Raiders can't take more of the same kinds of chances they did against the Chiefs at opportune times.

Let's see more of Zach Miller down the field. Let's see more plays like the LaMont Jordan halfback option. It's amazing what a little imagination does for the entire offense when you get back to the basic plays.

The Raiders' offensive line had a pretty terrific game Sunday, most notably old hand Barry Sims. Justin Fargas took advantage, but so did Daunte Culpepper with just a little more protection than he'd been getting.

You could even rationalize the debut of JaMarcus Russell coming as a total surprise at some point in a game, although it's not likely to occur this weekend. Then again ... why not? At the very least, make him the No.2 quarterback and give Mike Shanahan something new to worry about.

Sapp's right that the Raiders can't rest on the K.C. win. It isn't enough, and 3-13 won't be enough. Two more wins might be. Even against such a tough schedule, is 2-3 really so much to ask?

Carl Steward can be reached at (510) 293-2451 or by e-mail at csteward@angnewspapers.com.

jatfly

11-30-2007, 08:49 AM

-- Raiders Work Out McCadam --
Fri Nov 30, 2007 --from FFMastermind.com

The Contra Costa Times reports the Oakland Raiders worked out DB Kevin McCadam yesterday.

CrossBones

11-30-2007, 09:22 AM

-- Raiders Work Out McCadam --
Fri Nov 30, 2007 --from FFMastermind.com

The Contra Costa Times reports the Oakland Raiders worked out DB Kevin McCadam yesterday.Ummmm...whi the fuck is Kevin McCadam? Never heard fo the guy!

S and B Executioner

11-30-2007, 10:14 AM

Ummmm...whi the fuck is Kevin McCadam? Never heard fo the guy!

Hey don't be doggin my boy Kevin!!

Dude was stellar as an All Southwest Central Itercollegiate Semi-Athletic Conference CB at Northern Southeast Middle State College of Texas A and I Art Institute.

He is currently a major player in the burgers and fries dept of Mc Donalds and has led the SW District in Total Flips for this season and also leads the league in special orders without an error for this year.

Hey, dude runs to work everyday because he can't afford a car so his 40 time a record 3.59. And during his workout he dide 59 pushups in 1 minute. He'll wear the Number 00 and start on Sunday vs. Denver.

RenoRaider

12-01-2007, 05:49 PM

Hey don't be doggin my boy Kevin!!

Dude was stellar as an All Southwest Central Itercollegiate Semi-Athletic Conference CB at Northern Southeast Middle State College of Texas A and I Art Institute.

He is currently a major player in the burgers and fries dept of Mc Donalds and has led the SW District in Total Flips for this season and also leads the league in special orders without an error for this year.

Hey, dude runs to work everyday because he can't afford a car so his 40 time a record 3.59. And during his workout he dide 59 pushups in 1 minute. He'll wear the Number 00 and start on Sunday vs. Denver.

Absolutely Classic :rotf:

hawaiianboy

12-01-2007, 06:21 PM

I gotta tell you, I'm really envious with what the Donx have in Brandon Marshall... The guy is so much like the young TO it's spooky... How the guy made it to the 4th round is beyond me, especially after what he did in the Bowl game that year...

If I was Nnamdi, I'd take a picture of Marshall, Dwayne Bowe and Vincent Jackson into contract negotiations... All of a sudden, everybody else in the AFC West has a big, strong young WR we're going to have to deal with in the coming years :mad:

BigTron

12-02-2007, 02:14 AM