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Camp tour: Raiders no longer dysfunctional
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Posted: August 22, 2007
War Room scouts
For Sporting News
NAPA, Calif. -- The biggest story in Raiders camp continues to be the holdout of No. 1-overall pick JaMarcus Russell. The longer he sits, the more likely it becomes that he won't take a snap in 2007.
Despite the strong showing by Daunte Culpepper in Saturday's preseason game against San Francisco, it appears as if Josh McCown will be the starting quarterback in Week 1. Whenever Russell signs, the Culpepper-McCown loser likely will be traded or released.
Another major storyline is the developing relationship between first-year coach Lane Kiffin, 32, and longtime owner/GM Al Davis, 78. The two have been getting along remarkably well, especially considering the 46-year age difference.
Sporting News'
Davis, an offensive guru in his day as a coach, was humiliated last year by a team that averaged only 10.5 points per game and winless against AFC West rivals. Davis always is on the lookout for an ambitious young coach to lead his team -- previous coaches Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, John Madden all were in their 30s when hired by Davis.
In Kiffin, Davis might have found the guy with the fire, ambition and smarts to put it all together in Oakland. Hiring such a young, unproven coach took a lot of courage, so expect Davis to give Kiffin every opportunity to succeed.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
Robert Gallery, a first-round pick in 2004, was drafted to be a cornerstone left tackle. That plan went south early in his NFL career, and he subsequently moved to right tackle. Having failed there, too, Gallery now is playing inside at left guard. He now is playing for a coach with no regard for the organization's past transgressions and even less patience for underachievers. Gallery better establish himself early this season, or it could spell the end of his NFL career.
Another player to keep an eye on is running back LaMont Jordan. No one is talking about it, but Jordan easily could lose his starting job once Dominic Rhodes returns from a four-suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The Raiders' coaches like Rhodes a lot, especially since he runs their stretch-zone play well. The best case scenario for Jordan come Week 5 will be a two-man rotation -- unless he lights it up the first month of the season.
PLAYER ON THE RISE
Safety Michael Huff, a first-round pick in '06, already has blossomed and become an impact player. And he is playing in a scheme that takes advantage of his unique skills. He can play cornerback or safety, is adept in man-to-man or zone coverage, shows good range and makes plays on the ball, is strong in run support and can be used as a blitzer. During our visit to camp, he made more plays than we could count. On a good team, he'd be a year away from the Pro Bowl. On the Raiders, it might take a little longer.
BEST LOOKING ROOKIES
There seems little question that second-round pick Zach Miller will be the starting tight end. He plays faster than his 40-yard dash would indicate and we're told has dropped only one ball in camp. Talking to several Raiders linebackers after practice the other day, they all agreed that Miller is extremely tough to cover and that he catches the ball well. Plus, the linebackers say Miller is a better blocker than most receiving tight ends.
Another player who has raised some eyebrows during camp is wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, a third-round pick from Texas-El Paso. Higgins has a good chance to beat out Doug Gabriel and Alvis Whitted for the No. 3 receiver job. Higgins shows excellent speed and hands. With Kiffin looking for young playmakers to fill his roster, expect Higgins to get a long look.
FREE-AGENT FOCUS
Offensive lineman Jeremy Newberry could have an impact on this team no matter whether he wins a starting job. He is a solid veteran who is versatile enough to play multiple positions. He is smart and experienced and has forced all the Raiders' offensive linemen to raise their level of play. However, Newberry has a long injury history. The Raiders signed him for the veteran minimum wage, and if they work him smartly he can help this team down the road.
POSITION BATTLE
The one thing Kiffin wanted this year was competition, and he has it at nearly every position. Newberry is pushing Jake Grove at center. Miller looks to beat out John Madsen at tight end. Rhodes is battling Jordan for carries.
Competition really is working in Oakland's favor on the defensive line. If Terdell Sands can show the coaches enough at defensive tackle, Tommy Kelly can move back to defensive end and limit the exposure to rookie Quentin Moses.
BOTTOM LINE
The big news is the Raiders no longer figure to be a dysfunctional family. The offense finally will resemble something out of the 21st century, but the defense doesn't figure to have the same statistical success at it had a year ago. Opponents last year got a lead and got conservative knowing that the Raiders' offense was so bad it couldn't overcome any deficit. As a result, the Oakland defense was not challenged for four quarters. In 2007, opponents know they will need to score more points to beat the Raiders and some defensive weaknesses are sure to be exposed. The Raiders will improve and win about six games, but they still are far from a playoff-caliber team.
Print this | E-mail this | Comments on this article: 2
Posted: August 22, 2007
War Room scouts
For Sporting News
NAPA, Calif. -- The biggest story in Raiders camp continues to be the holdout of No. 1-overall pick JaMarcus Russell. The longer he sits, the more likely it becomes that he won't take a snap in 2007.
Despite the strong showing by Daunte Culpepper in Saturday's preseason game against San Francisco, it appears as if Josh McCown will be the starting quarterback in Week 1. Whenever Russell signs, the Culpepper-McCown loser likely will be traded or released.
Another major storyline is the developing relationship between first-year coach Lane Kiffin, 32, and longtime owner/GM Al Davis, 78. The two have been getting along remarkably well, especially considering the 46-year age difference.
Sporting News'
Davis, an offensive guru in his day as a coach, was humiliated last year by a team that averaged only 10.5 points per game and winless against AFC West rivals. Davis always is on the lookout for an ambitious young coach to lead his team -- previous coaches Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, John Madden all were in their 30s when hired by Davis.
In Kiffin, Davis might have found the guy with the fire, ambition and smarts to put it all together in Oakland. Hiring such a young, unproven coach took a lot of courage, so expect Davis to give Kiffin every opportunity to succeed.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
Robert Gallery, a first-round pick in 2004, was drafted to be a cornerstone left tackle. That plan went south early in his NFL career, and he subsequently moved to right tackle. Having failed there, too, Gallery now is playing inside at left guard. He now is playing for a coach with no regard for the organization's past transgressions and even less patience for underachievers. Gallery better establish himself early this season, or it could spell the end of his NFL career.
Another player to keep an eye on is running back LaMont Jordan. No one is talking about it, but Jordan easily could lose his starting job once Dominic Rhodes returns from a four-suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The Raiders' coaches like Rhodes a lot, especially since he runs their stretch-zone play well. The best case scenario for Jordan come Week 5 will be a two-man rotation -- unless he lights it up the first month of the season.
PLAYER ON THE RISE
Safety Michael Huff, a first-round pick in '06, already has blossomed and become an impact player. And he is playing in a scheme that takes advantage of his unique skills. He can play cornerback or safety, is adept in man-to-man or zone coverage, shows good range and makes plays on the ball, is strong in run support and can be used as a blitzer. During our visit to camp, he made more plays than we could count. On a good team, he'd be a year away from the Pro Bowl. On the Raiders, it might take a little longer.
BEST LOOKING ROOKIES
There seems little question that second-round pick Zach Miller will be the starting tight end. He plays faster than his 40-yard dash would indicate and we're told has dropped only one ball in camp. Talking to several Raiders linebackers after practice the other day, they all agreed that Miller is extremely tough to cover and that he catches the ball well. Plus, the linebackers say Miller is a better blocker than most receiving tight ends.
Another player who has raised some eyebrows during camp is wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, a third-round pick from Texas-El Paso. Higgins has a good chance to beat out Doug Gabriel and Alvis Whitted for the No. 3 receiver job. Higgins shows excellent speed and hands. With Kiffin looking for young playmakers to fill his roster, expect Higgins to get a long look.
FREE-AGENT FOCUS
Offensive lineman Jeremy Newberry could have an impact on this team no matter whether he wins a starting job. He is a solid veteran who is versatile enough to play multiple positions. He is smart and experienced and has forced all the Raiders' offensive linemen to raise their level of play. However, Newberry has a long injury history. The Raiders signed him for the veteran minimum wage, and if they work him smartly he can help this team down the road.
POSITION BATTLE
The one thing Kiffin wanted this year was competition, and he has it at nearly every position. Newberry is pushing Jake Grove at center. Miller looks to beat out John Madsen at tight end. Rhodes is battling Jordan for carries.
Competition really is working in Oakland's favor on the defensive line. If Terdell Sands can show the coaches enough at defensive tackle, Tommy Kelly can move back to defensive end and limit the exposure to rookie Quentin Moses.
BOTTOM LINE
The big news is the Raiders no longer figure to be a dysfunctional family. The offense finally will resemble something out of the 21st century, but the defense doesn't figure to have the same statistical success at it had a year ago. Opponents last year got a lead and got conservative knowing that the Raiders' offense was so bad it couldn't overcome any deficit. As a result, the Oakland defense was not challenged for four quarters. In 2007, opponents know they will need to score more points to beat the Raiders and some defensive weaknesses are sure to be exposed. The Raiders will improve and win about six games, but they still are far from a playoff-caliber team.
