My camp prediction.....

[Armyr8rfan]

DHB, and Russell, are gonna put smiles on all of our faces. I'll be waiting for Corkran's and Jerry Mac's rookie seal of approval..............Frantz Joseph and Mike Mitchell are gonna piss people off with their physicality, and make this D better, even if they don't start. Which they both may. Watch your back Kirk, and Mike Huff/Hiram Eugene.

[Armyr8rfan]

*prediction.....

[Old Bob]

I agree Army, and I like the positive waves. Admittedly Heywood-Bey is probably the only guy we drafted that I could hold an intelligent conversation about, but, I also remember when nobody knew who this kid Art Shell was out of Md. Eastern-Shore, and that kid Biletnikoff from Erie Pa. and that kid Branch from Colorado, wasn't he supposedly just a track man?

Brother I could go on and on with a "who's that" list. Don't take my word for it, ask the Professor or Birdy. They've been around this block a few times.

[CrossBones]

... and that kid Branch from Colorado, wasn't he supposedly just a track man?Back in the day I remember so many Raider fans (not me, of course, :)) wanting to send Bracnh to Siberia after his first two years when he couldn't catch a damn thing. It turned around and he changed the way other teams had to play and defend the Raiders. Al definitely sees a corolation or connection between Bey's skills and Branch's. That isn't a bad thing.

And never forget the famous Howard Cossell quote ``ah, the psyche of the fan". Believe that came out on MNF when some fan in NY was playing Spider Man on a wire stretching across the field. Classic shit right there.

[Birdwell]

Old Bob,

Yeah, that's why I don't worry about what the "experts" think. Branch was a track guy, at first, often open but lots of drops. But then....

Two bits you'll like, being old-school like me. In an interview, Frantz Joseph was asked why he plays so hard, and just answered that with what he'd seen in life, you never know when the last play might be, so you go your hardest every time. According to Cable, his first conversation with 4th rounder Louis Murphy, Murphy asked for the number of the strength and conditiong coach, and whether he could play special teams.

Dunno, like you, much about some of these players. But that Oregon State team had 7 kids drafted, as many as any school in the SEC. Weird, so they must have been good. Maybe that Slade Norris kid is good.

[DonkeyKilla]

For every Branch there several Jetts amd Rockets.

[Stanny]

Old Bob,

Yeah, that's why I don't worry about what the "experts" think. Branch was a track guy, at first, often open but lots of drops. But then....

Two bits you'll like, being old-school like me. In an interview, Frantz Joseph was asked why he plays so hard, and just answered that with what he'd seen in life, you never know when the last play might be, so you go your hardest every time. According to Cable, his first conversation with 4th rounder Louis Murphy, Murphy asked for the number of the strength and conditiong coach, and whether he could play special teams.

Dunno, like you, much about some of these players. But that Oregon State team had 7 kids drafted, as many as any school in the SEC. Weird, so they must have been good. Maybe that Slade Norris kid is good.

I'm not saying he's going to be Jerry Rice but I remember him dropping TONS of balls and him getting bashed in the paper that he's a waste and needed to ride the pine.....TO dropped and does drop tons of balls but can take it to the house when needed...same as Edwards.

People forget how dangerous this kid is when running the ball and on screens and slants....we can only wait and see right? I'm with you brother....

[RaiderNorth]

It looks to me like Al plans to go out on the horse he rode in on. That's a vertical strike offence and a secondary that just flies around out there and puts a hit on anything that moves. Will it work in today's NFL? Dunno, but it sure was something to watch the first time around.
There's no doubt this offence can run the ball, but it will depend on who's designing the game plan whether the vertical strike can be used effectively.

[Birdwell]

Stanny,

People either forget or never knew that Jerry RIce played in a wacked-out O at a minor school, and had a lot of work to do to transition to the NFL. Played in a base 5 WR set at Mississippi Valley State. His work ethic, more than his physical skills, are what ultimately set him apart. Nobody works like him, but many people have more physical skill. Who wouldn't take 75% of Jerry Rice's work ethic with better size and speed?

And let's not forget this kid Schilens in the equation. He was a nobody his first year in college, got better (slowly and surely, not meteorically) year by year. Said he was excited to come to the raiders because he really liked the WR coach and believed that he could get better faster here than anywhere esle. 7th round draft pick makes the team, gradually sees more time, and when Cable's best players play approach finally takes full hold, he starts and show more each week. His best game was against the Bucs, not just that glorious fade in the EZ from Russell (first one Russell completed all year) but also the block on the Bush TD run.

Schilens knows how to work. be nice to see him and Heyward-Bey pushing each other, and the other receivers.

[Rupert]

Schilens knows how to work. be nice to see him and Heyward-Bey pushing each other, and the other receivers.

It will be even better to see them pulling them along in their wake.

[Birdwell]

It will be even better to see them pulling them along in their wake.

I'm grinning from ear to ear, seeing something down the far numbers heading R-L on the TV screen. Strangely enough, the Raiders are in road whites.

[chudezee]

Stanny,

People either forget or never knew that Jerry RIce played in a wacked-out O at a minor school, and had a lot of work to do to transition to the NFL. Played in a base 5 WR set at Mississippi Valley State. His work ethic, more than his physical skills, are what ultimately set him apart. Nobody works like him, but many people have more physical skill. Who wouldn't take 75% of Jerry Rice's work ethic with better size and speed?

And let's not forget this kid Schilens in the equation. He was a nobody his first year in college, got better (slowly and surely, not meteorically) year by year. Said he was excited to come to the raiders because he really liked the WR coach and believed that he could get better faster here than anywhere esle. 7th round draft pick makes the team, gradually sees more time, and when Cable's best players play approach finally takes full hold, he starts and show more each week. His best game was against the Bucs, not just that glorious fade in the EZ from Russell (first one Russell completed all year) but also the block on the Bush TD run.

Schilens knows how to work. be nice to see him and Heyward-Bey pushing each other, and the other receivers.

I'm on board with the dude...Lets see if he can make a difference...I'm just wondering if they envision him starting or what the plan is...I always here T.C. saying how much he likes schilens are they gonna let the young guys battle it out, and Just take the cap hit with Walker and cut him loose or is he guaranteed to be the #1?