***Official Training Camp News Thread***

Crossbones

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Training camp starts this Thursday, July 30th. :woot:

You know a thought occurred to me: Wouldn't it be nice to have ONE place; ONE thread where all the news relating to traininig camp could be put so we don't have 176 concurrently running threads on the same subjects?

Well I did my part -- you folks can do yours. Think before you start a new thread. This one will be right at the top of the list -- so convenient. :D

GO RAIDERS!!!!!
 
Training camp starts this Thursday, July 30th. :woot:

You know a thought occurred to me: Wouldn't it be nice to have ONE place; ONE thread where all the news relating to traininig camp could be put so we don't have 176 concurrently running threads on the same subjects?

Well I did my part -- you folks can do yours. Think before you start a new thread. This one will be right at the top of the list -- so convenient. :D

GO RAIDERS!!!!!

Part of the reason I'm not around that much anymore. Shit, I miss the old Single Thread for ALL topics method personally (shrug).

That said, I seriously doubt your suggestion will be followed...
 
ill start it off with d7d's training camp position battles and predictions

1. Starting WR.

Im optimistic about Javon Walker, even though he hasent played this offseason, he got his knee cleaned up and has been resting it to get it to 100%. The fact thatr he took a pay cut to stay tells me his head is right and atleast still wants to play. He could have refused, been cut and that be the end of his career. That being said, when healthy he can still proced some. Schilens came on last season and is having a great offseason. Higgins showed flashes last year, and showed something we really need, big play ability. DHB will get his playing time this year because of his draft status, but i think for now he is at best the number 3 guy. Murphy should give some this year and could be a future number 3 guy, but lets not get too high on him yet, even though its hard not to.

Winners- Walker, Schilens with DHB Higgins and Murphy rounding out the group

*if Walker gets hurt sometime in camp, i wouldnt be suprised if he is cut or placed on IR and have a veteran WR like Toomer come in the fold

2. RB Rotation.

DMC has all the tools we need for a special player, Bush can be the thunder we have been lacking since wheatley and Fargas is the diehard Raider who has been the guy recently who just gets it done, but isnt flashy. If DMC and Bush have great camps, Rankin could push Fargas off to another team with a solid camp.

Prediction- DMC/Bush will get bulk of work but I think Fargas stays for his leadership and much needed depth from a proven warrior. Heres to hoping Rankin hits the practice squad if he doesnt make the roster.

3. Starting QB.

This is JaMarcus Russell's team. Period, But the media wants to make it into a battle so i will predict it.

Prediction- Russell, Period.

4. Offensive Tackles.

This will be a fun battle to watch. Both LT and RT open for competition. 4 guys, maybe more battling for the 2 spots. Henderson and Barnes will go for LT ands right now its Pears and Green going for RT, but I think unless pears comes in a blows everyone away at RT, the loser of the LT battle will slide in there at RT.

Prediction- LT Henderson RT Barnes

5. DE starters and reserves

As long as Burgess is a Raider, he starts, so ill focus on the other side and derrick's backup. Eliis is here now, so he will get every chance to be the guy, but I dont think he will play over 60 percent of the snaps, so this will allow guys like Scott, Shaughnessy and Richardson to move on in. Dont count out Gunheim either, high motor guy who gets pressure on QB. I think if Gunheim and Shaughnessy impress alot in training camp, richardson could be odd man out here.

Prediction- Burgess and Ellis. Scott and Shaughnessy will take playing time from both guys, with Scott becoming a more balanced DE than last season. I liked what i saw from Gunheim last preseason and the last few regular season games last year and this he could beat our richardson so Im going with that but i could be wrong. Gunheim is a local guy and raider fan so he could end up on practice squad again. I think Shaugnessy will be very solid against run and play on our short yardage package replacing Burgess on third and forth and shorts as well as goalline.

6. Starting OLB.

I think the Raiders want to see Jon Alston take it and run. No secret the Raiders love speed, and he has it. He bulked up a bit so maybe that can help him shed off some blockers a little better. Sam Williams was given his shot and played ok at times and then didnt at times. Ricky Brown will be there as well but the coaching staff is gonna see what he can do at MLB. If he can play at a high level there, could we see morrison kicked over to this spot? I dont think thats gonna happen.

Prediction- Alston. Started final few games last season and played ok I supposed, maybe a new DC and position coach could get alot more out of him.

7. FS and SS Starters.

Got a chance to hear Tyvon Branch on sirius NFL radio the other day and he said he and Mitchell are battling for the SS job with Eugene and Huff going for the FS spot. I personally think at some point this season both Branch and Mitchell will both be on the field starting at the same time one at FS and one at SS, but for now that wont happen. Nnamdi said huff is having a great offseason and is his breakout player of the year candidate. I hope your right Nnamdi because im rolling with you on this one.

Prediction- Huff at FS and Branch at SS but splitting time with Mike Mitchell almost evenly until he takes the reigns mid season or so and kicks branch to FS if Huff or Eugene dont get it done

thats it guys any thing i missed or or feedback is welcomed!

Players report tuesday! Meetings ALL day Wednesday! @ a Days Start Thursday, probably pads that night! lets fuck some shit up!!!, just not ourselves lol im talking to you mike mitchell!
 
That said, I seriously doubt your suggestion will be followed...


Truer words were never spoken...


Keeping all the training camp stuff in one thread will be as hard as avoiding 4 or 5 different Vick threads ...
 
2. RB Rotation.

DMC has all the tools we need for a special player, Bush can be the thunder we have been lacking since wheatley and Fargas is the diehard Raider who has been the guy recently who just gets it done, but isnt flashy. If DMC and Bush have great camps, Rankin could push Fargas off to another team with a solid camp.

Prediction- DMC/Bush will get bulk of work but I think Fargas stays for his leadership and much needed depth from a proven warrior. Heres to hoping Rankin hits the practice squad if he doesnt make the roster.
I'm going to cherry pick your post a bit.

I think RB is the toughest position to predict.

1) I think Bush is the most likely to stay healthy. (Now that I've cursed the poor guy...) That gives him a great opportunity to lead the team in carries. He's fast, very fast, just more long speed than sudden speed. Once he builds it up (and it doesn't take him that long really, just relatively) he's very hard to stop.

2) DMC is the most explosive. Even on his bum toes last season that was obvious. He is willing and capable of doing everything so he's got the inside track to starting. Turf toe is not a lingering injury and it's not a repetitive kind of thing, but the guy did it to each foot last season, which is more than a little odd. Still he should get the first shot at carrying the load.

3) This guy is team-1st all the way. He's stupid fast, and I mean run into anything at full speed stupid, but he just keeps doing it until he's hurt somthing or out of steam. Dude has learned the Jedi way of blitz pickup, which neither of the padawan have mastered.

4) Rankin is a solid guy who could be given the Randy Jordan role, and could emerge from the shadows similarly if necessary, only to fade back into them when the stars come out.

5) Russell is a FB - short yardage tweener who could fill another multi-purpose role including special teams.

The top two are locked and loaded. After that it's a crap shoot. The Raiders have talked with many teams about Bush, and the Raiders won't get near his true value in a trade. Fargas is making too much cash to be a #3 HB, but cutting him leaves us short of experience, not that this team is looking for a lot of experience at this point.
 
Pfftt...


From David White's twittah:

DE Trevor Scott states his goals: be a starter and get double-digit sacks.

White left out the part where Scott said to tell that massraider guy to pound sand for not recognizing...
 
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/07/28/news/local/doc4a6e7fc69603d230588332.txt

“It puts everybody in one place,” said Herrera. “You have everybody’s attention, you have a very structured schedule. So you have every opportunity in the world to get players to bond together and to develop team chemistry. Just as importantly, the coaches have the attention of the guys, whether it’s meetings or on the field. You have the opportunity to bring everybody a lot closer together. This is where you develop your leadership, this is where you develop your work ethic and your goals for the season.

“It creates a different atmosphere than if you stay at your home base 12 months out the year. It gives you a chance to get away, break up the monotony of all the off-season training, start fresh with the new year in a clean, new environment.”

“When Tom Cable took over as head coach last year, he made it very clear that we were going to build our team the right way and we weren’t going to take any short cuts,” said Herrera, a front-office executive. “We’re going to build it with people that care about the Raiders, that care about Raider history, that are going to support and play for each other, and complement each other and have each other’s backs. And anybody that isn’t on board with that total team philosophy is not going to be on the train.”

“Tom Cable is not shy about saying we’re going to be in the playoffs this year,” said Herrera. “We all believe that. If you don’t believe it, you’re not going to get there.

“We’re building this thing in the right way, in a very stable, strong way. Our coaches believe in our players, and our players believe in our coaches.”

You better listen when Alameda John is talking suckas.
 
From White's Twitter:

LT Mario Henderson is so stoked to be here, he checked in last night

Early birds include Chaz Schilens and Chris Johnson
 
Twitter-bydavidwhite More Garcia: "My job is to make certain decisions hard. JaMarcus' job is to make the decision easy."
 
Alameda John...in 'da house.

Football season has arrived. :woot:
 
Garcia remains a diplomat

By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 3:27 pm in Oakland Raiders.

Transcript of an interview with quarterback Jeff Garcia when he continues to straddle the difficult line of accepting his role as a backup with his undeniable desire to be the starting quarterback:

Q: How is the process of being a mentor for JaMarcus going?

Garcia: He’s my teammate, first and foremost, so I’m going to support him, and try to push him as much as possible as far as being the best player he can be for this team. He has a coach, his coach is Paul Hackett. I’m here to be support and add strength to the position, however that may be. And hopefully he’s ready and able to take this team, basically take control and go out and lead this team to a lot of wins this year.

Q: How open has Russell been to you pushing him, and showing him what you’ve gleaned over the years?

Garcia: Well, I mean, it’s not like you can just sit there and critique a guy as he’s going through his daily workout, or personally say things. I think moreso than anything, my whole thing is just leading through example, work ethic and everything that’s been a part of my game throughout my career and what’s enabled me to now go into my 16t professional season and it’s been about hard work, it’s been about dedication, it’s been about finding a way to create success on the field, and to create positive energy in the huddle and in the locker room, and those are the things I feel I can contribute to this team and to the position and to JaMarcus.

Q: How do you get to the point where you’re OK not being a starter?

Garcia: There’s not a single guy on this team, no matter what their role is, that is OK about not starting. We all want to be starters. We all want to be players, we want to be contributors, that doesn’t mean you have to be a negative influence in the locker room or create negative energy. That doesn’t mean anything like that. We all got to this level because we were starters, and have been starters, and have been playmakers in some form of capacity or in some shape or form. That’s what I still have within myself. I don’t believe I’m a backup quarterback by any means. I feel like this team is getting a quality player at the position and however it ends up being utilized is how it ends up working out. I realize what the situation is here so I’m not coming in here trying to stir the pot, or anything like that, I’m coming here to make the position better, to make the position stronger from the first guy to the third guy and that means all of us combining together to be better.

Q: Setup in Napa as opposed to other camps . . .

Garcia: It looks nice I’ve been in a combination of all kinds of things. I’ve been in hotels. I’ve been in college dorms. The last couple of years we were at Disneyworld in Orlando, and so there are different settings, the fact that this is more of a close off setting, not open to the public, that’s different. I haven’t really been in that sort of situation since my days in San Francisco when we came back to Santa Clara and started practicing back in our own facility there. I think that it’s a positive atmosphere. I think Napa is a beautiful scene and a great place to be and I’ll look forward to enjoying it.

Q: Said on radio show hoped coach Cable would make decision on QB based on not how much someone makes or where he’s picked, but on the play on the field. Are you confident from what you’ve heard from coach Cable that if you perform best out here in the next month and in preseason games that there’s a chance you will be the starter in the opener?

Garcia: I really can’t speak for that. That’s something that coach Cable will make the decision on. My job is to make certain decisions hard. JaMarcus’s job is to make the decision easy and to go out there and be the guy that this team has invested in to be, and that’s to be a leader, to be a player that is accountable and that everybody looks toward to basically carry the team on his shoulders and lead this team to victory. That’s the key here. I want to just help make this team better, and I think that I do that by being a part of this team, by bringing what I’m capable of bringing to this team. I’m not the guy who comes in with all the accolades coming out of college and the high draft picks. But I come in with a lot of positive experience, I come in with success at winning football games and going to playoffs and leading different organizations to that sort of level. I don’t see this as being any different, and I don’t think that any player should focus on who the starter is at one position, but how can they be the best that they can be in order to help this team rise to another level.

Q: How important for rookies get camp on time?

Garcia: They’re already being in the sense that they don’t have the experience. If they miss any days in training camp, it’s not so much what they miss out on mentally, but just the fact of being around your teammates and getting a feel for how things work, how players practice professionally, how players work day in and day out. I think that’s so important, and obviously, the more days they miss, the more they have to play catchup on the mental side. It’s everything else. Just getting to know your teammates and earning your respect from your teammates. We understand there’s a business side to this also and that’s the unfortunate side sometimes, because it takes away from a player just beinga player, but hopefully whatever situation’s there are with the rookies everything gets worked out, and players come into camp, and they’re ready to go.

Walter checks in

After heading upstairs to transcribe the Garcia inteview, a colleage phoned with the information that Andrew Walter had arrived at camp, saying he doesn’t know what his role will be and has no planned meeting with coach Tom Cable in advance of a 9 a.m. team meeting Wednesday.
 
Twitter-bydavidwhite
FB Oren O'Neal ready to go 1 year after major knee surgery. Expects to go one a day right away.

Neal and O'neal, the bulldozer brothers.
 
that excites me...if O'Neal is good to go then we have the best FB tandem in the league. Our RB's are gonna have a field day runnin behind those guys!
 
Rookie class minus-1

By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 6:03 pm in Oakland Raiders.

As the Raiders gradually arrived to the Napa Marriott Tuesday, it appeared everyone from the draft class was accounted for except for wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the No. 7 overall selection.

Word had already leaked on tight end Brandon Myers (sixth round), defensive end Matt Shaughnessy (third round) and safety Mike Mitchell (second round). With Stryker Sulak waived before having been offered a contract, that left linebacker Slade Norris and wide receiver Louis Murphy, both fourth-round draft picks.

Norris was spotted arriving with Shaughnessy, and Murphy came later in the day, confirming near a stairwell he had signed his contract in Alameda.

“It’s like a monkey off my back,” Murphy said. “I’m glad to be an Oakland Raider.”

The Raiders have confirmed none of the signings, nor have they announced any of the players which will be cut to to get to the roster limit of 80. Coach Tom Cable should clear some of that up today when he meets with the media at noon.

Players will continue to arrive throughout the evening, and we’ll leave that up to Cable to tell us who did or didn’t show up on time.

Some notes and quotes from reporting day:

– Fullback Oren O’Neal believes he’ll be practicing once a day and said he is running and cutting at full speed. He said no one has said anything about going on the Physically Unable to Perform list or being limited in practice.

“(I’ve been able to do) everything. Cut, run, jump, hit the sled, everything that you can do without the pads,” O’Neal said. “The only thing I haven’t been able to do is, I haven’t been with a full-team activity and taking on blockers, but everything else, I have been able to do with no problem.”

Still, you never know. No one was more surprised than Ronald Curry in 2006 when the Raiders decided he wasn’t physically ready to practice. They held him out without ever telling him why, and in retrospect it was the right move. Curry was coming off two ACL tears and the cautious approach was the right one.

– Michael Huff understands this is a hugely important training camp if he hopes to remain a Raider.

“Every year you’re fighting for a job but I guess this year is different, especially the way last year year ended and you never know the uncertainty of being here as far as training camp,” Huff said. “Hiram (Eugene) played well last year so I think this is really an open competition between us two. The best man is going to get the spot and so that’s all I can ask.”

– Mitchell said he actually signed his contract last Thursday, but at the urging of the club, “we were real hush-hush about it, let them announce it.”

Technically, he’s still waiting. There was no announcement or confirmation. Not that it matters. It’s a formality for all draft picks except the first one.

Mitchell said he’s looking forward to his first NFL contact, although truth be told, he won’t really get to unload on someone until a preaseason game. But Murphy ought to keep his head on a swivel, just in case.

“I really can’t play like myself when you can’t be physical. I’m a pretty physical guy. There’s one guy I want to get pretty good, that’s Louis Murphy. He’s made on too many Ohio comments about me so we’re going to have our little moment,” Mitchell said. “Other than that I’ve been instructed to keep everybody up. These are our teammates, you don’t ever want to hurt anybody, I wouldn’t want them coming in and cutting me from the side so they definitely don’t me hitting them when they go up for a ball. We all need each other to get to the Super bowl and that’s our no. 1 goal.”

Mitchell’s warning for Murphy, by the way, was said with a broad smile on his face. Of course Jarrod Cooper smiled a lot, too.

– If Walter was one of the players cut to make room for draft picks, he hadn’t heard as he arrived Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m under contract, so 9 a.m. mandatory meeting tomorrow,” Walter said. “I’ll be there unless something changes.”

– Defensive end Trevor Scott looks much bigger in the upper body. Last year, from a distance I thought Stuart Schweigert had been re-signed. No more mistaking him for a safety, based on the size of his arms.

Scott said he weighed 256 pounds and wasn’t shy about stating his goals.

“I want to start, I want to get double-digit sacks and just try to (defend the) run as well as I can,” Scott said.

Scott came to Oakland playing on the left side, but said he is now more comfortable on the right.

– Linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba arrived wearing a T-shirt in honor of Marquis Cooper, who drowned during the offseason during a fishing trip. He said the shirt was designed by Sam Williams, who gave it to several players.

– Will be curious to see the intensity and level of contact over the first four days, all two-a-days. One player told me he thought much of the first two days would be mostly installation, with little hitting. Could have been wishful thinking, however.
 
Reporting day notes

For those who just don't do the Twitter thing, here are five things I know after standing outside the Napa Valley Marriott today as the Raiders began reporting for training camp.

No. 1 -- Every rookie draft pick is signed except the biggest one of all: No. 7 overall pick Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Fourth-rounder Louis Murphy signed his Tuesday afternoon at the team facility before zooming up to Napa. Second-rounder Mike Mitchell and third-rounder Matt Shaghnessy signed last week. No idea when fourth-rounder Slade Norris signed, but he's here along with sixth-rounder Brandon Myers.

I wish I could tell you if DHB is close to signing, but no one seems to have any idea. The Raiders won't confirm the signings they've already made, so much discuss the one deal that remains undone.

DHB's agents, Tom Condon and Ben Dogra, aren't talking. Frankly, a deal could have just been done and we won't know it until DHB is seen going to the first mandatory team meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

This will be nothing like JaMarcus Russell's holdout in 2007, if only because the No. 6 and 8 picks are bound to set the salary floor and ceiling soon enough.

The Raiders should hope this is nothing more than the 2006 situation where No. 7 pick Michael Huff missed one practice as the paperwork went to the league office.

Given his injury problems in OTAs, Heyward-Bey already has some catching up to do on the field. A prolonged holdout is going to make it that much more difficult for him to make a first-year impact.

No. 2 -- Jeff Garcia is trying to diffuse any talk of a quarterback controversy, but it isn't exactly working.

One minute, Garcia said, "I'm not coming here trying to stir the pot." The next minute, he said, "I don't believe I'm a backup quarterback by any means."

Eventually, Garcia landed in the middle with, "My job is to make certain decisions hard. JaMarcus' job is to make the decision easy."

Roughly translated, Garcia so wants to stay an NFL starter but, if Russell does his job, Garcia knows he'll have to live with being a bakcup. But if Russell struggles ...

No. 3 -- Fullback Oren O'Neal said he's ready to go one year after a major knee injury. He's running and cutting and expects to practice once a day.

Still, don't be surprised if O'Neal winds up on the Physically Unable to Perform List along with left guard Robert Gallery (appendectomy) and perhaps wide receiver Arman Shields (year-old knee injury).

Lorenzo Neal's arrival takes the hurry out of O'Neal's return.

No. 4 -- Safety Michael Huff is fighting for his NFL life, and he knows it after being considered the hands-down starter for three tough seasons. He's glad to at least be getting another chance to compete for the job with Hiram Eugene.

"I guess every year you're fighting for a job but I guess this year is different, especially the way last year ended. I kind of never know with the uncertainty of being here as far as after training camp," Huff said. "I'm looking forward to it because it should be you're fighting for your job every practice, every year, so I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Asked what went so wrong last year, when he seemed to have a good camp at free safety, Huff shrugged in wonder.

"It really was tough," Huff said. Coming out of camp, everything felt good. It's just that Monday night game struggled and ever since then everything was downhill. To this date I really don't know what happened."

No. 5 -- The Raiders must cut three players to get to the 80-man limit, and already did so according to a team source who declined to name names.

For those thinking backup quarterback Andrew Walter was done, that was news to him. He checked in for camp Tuesday -- and yes, they did issue him a room key.

Raiders coach Tom Cable won't speak with reporters until noon Wednesday. That's when the transactions are most likely to become public.

Posted By: David White (Email) | July 28 2009 at 07:40 PM

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/raiders/detail?blogid=11&entry_id=44461#readmore#ixzz0Mc8FdALs
 
Raiders have to cut three guys, I only hope it's one of the 12 WRs that we know won't make the team.
 
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