R4Life
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,964
- Reaction score
- 30
Let's get this off the ground with some solid speculation. 
On the eve of mini-camp, some Raiders on the spot
The Raiders' mandatory mini-camp begins tomorrow (Friday), and there's a lot of intrigue surrounding it. There will be the much-anticipated arrival of rookie quarterback JaMarcus Russell, of course, and the rest of the Class of 2007. (I wonder if we can get Russell to heave a football 85 yards?) And because this is the only camp before late July that includes media access, we'll get to see how the depth chart is shaping up.
Are Barry Sims and Robert Gallery still alternating between left and right tackle? Coach Lane Kiffin suggested last Saturday that there has been some other movement along the line; who went where? Who are the guards? Who is the starting tight end? How about the wide receivers? Who is lining up at right defensive end opposite Derrick Burgess? And for that matter, will Burgess be at the camp, or is he now officially a holdout?
As we ponder these questions, it strikes me that several Raiders have just been put on notice. Nothing was verbalized by Kiffin or anyone in the front office, of course. But draft weekend had to have made these players a little uncomfortable-
QB Andrew Walter: Could any Raider have felt more downcast last Saturday night? We talked to Walter at a recent mini-camp about all the talk of bringing in new quarterbacks to challenge for the starting job. Well it isn't mere talk anymore. The Raiders not only drafted Russell with the coveted No. 1 pick as expected, they swung a trade for veteran journeyman Josh McCown. It's possible that Walter, in one day, went from first to third on the depth chart. His campaign to hold onto the position begins Friday.
WRs Carlos Francis and Johnnie Morant: Francis and Morant have been linked ever since they were drafted in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, in 2004. Francis was the little speedy guy, Morant the big strong guy. They were roommates and friends who might eventually excel together on the field. Except three years later, neither has produced much. Morant has shown flashes during preseason, but didn't seem to grasp the offense under either Norv Turner or Tom Walsh. Francis simply can't stay healthy. Saturday, the Raiders traded for big strong Mike Williams and drafted speedy little Johnnie Lee Higgins. It's now or never for the 2004 picks.
TE Courtney Anderson: The former seventh-round feel-good story already had been put on notice with the offseason acquisitions of veterans Fred Wakefield and Tony Stewart. Even in a crowded field, though, he looked like the probable choice for No. 1 tight end. That may have changed when Oakland took Arizona State's Zach Miller in the second round. Miller isn't an overpowering blocker, but he's probably the team's best receiving option at the position. Can't you just see him starting by July?
DE Tyler Brayton: I figured that after paying a bunch of money to Terdell Sands, the Raiders would start him at defensive tackle and move Tommy Kelly outside to end. Apparently, some in the organization believe Kelly is better inside; he could wind up sharing time with Sands. But that still doesn't give Brayton a clear shot at starting again. Not after the Raiders took Georgia's Quentin Moses, a bona fide pass rusher, in the third round. Brayton did the near-impossible last year; he started 15 games at defensive end and failed to record a sack. According to Kiffin, it was "a position of need. The opposite end of Burgess, production-wise last year, numbers, was very low."
FB Zack Crockett: Crockett is one of the most popular Raiders, and for good reason. He's tough, he works hard and he walks around with a permanently etched ear-to-ear smile. He also has been a decent blocking fullback and a superb short-yardage runner. But his time in Oakland may be coming to an end. The Raiders signed fullback Justin Griffith as a free agent, and his receiving ability would seem to give him a big edge in Kiffin's offense. Then on Sunday the Raiders drafted Arkansas State's Oren O'Neal in the sixth round. Sixth-rounders are by no means guaranteed roster spots. But if O'neal proves to be a beast on special teams - and it sounds like he might be just that - he could make Crockett obsolete.
http://raiders.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=590213
On the eve of mini-camp, some Raiders on the spot
The Raiders' mandatory mini-camp begins tomorrow (Friday), and there's a lot of intrigue surrounding it. There will be the much-anticipated arrival of rookie quarterback JaMarcus Russell, of course, and the rest of the Class of 2007. (I wonder if we can get Russell to heave a football 85 yards?) And because this is the only camp before late July that includes media access, we'll get to see how the depth chart is shaping up.
Are Barry Sims and Robert Gallery still alternating between left and right tackle? Coach Lane Kiffin suggested last Saturday that there has been some other movement along the line; who went where? Who are the guards? Who is the starting tight end? How about the wide receivers? Who is lining up at right defensive end opposite Derrick Burgess? And for that matter, will Burgess be at the camp, or is he now officially a holdout?
As we ponder these questions, it strikes me that several Raiders have just been put on notice. Nothing was verbalized by Kiffin or anyone in the front office, of course. But draft weekend had to have made these players a little uncomfortable-
QB Andrew Walter: Could any Raider have felt more downcast last Saturday night? We talked to Walter at a recent mini-camp about all the talk of bringing in new quarterbacks to challenge for the starting job. Well it isn't mere talk anymore. The Raiders not only drafted Russell with the coveted No. 1 pick as expected, they swung a trade for veteran journeyman Josh McCown. It's possible that Walter, in one day, went from first to third on the depth chart. His campaign to hold onto the position begins Friday.
WRs Carlos Francis and Johnnie Morant: Francis and Morant have been linked ever since they were drafted in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, in 2004. Francis was the little speedy guy, Morant the big strong guy. They were roommates and friends who might eventually excel together on the field. Except three years later, neither has produced much. Morant has shown flashes during preseason, but didn't seem to grasp the offense under either Norv Turner or Tom Walsh. Francis simply can't stay healthy. Saturday, the Raiders traded for big strong Mike Williams and drafted speedy little Johnnie Lee Higgins. It's now or never for the 2004 picks.
TE Courtney Anderson: The former seventh-round feel-good story already had been put on notice with the offseason acquisitions of veterans Fred Wakefield and Tony Stewart. Even in a crowded field, though, he looked like the probable choice for No. 1 tight end. That may have changed when Oakland took Arizona State's Zach Miller in the second round. Miller isn't an overpowering blocker, but he's probably the team's best receiving option at the position. Can't you just see him starting by July?
DE Tyler Brayton: I figured that after paying a bunch of money to Terdell Sands, the Raiders would start him at defensive tackle and move Tommy Kelly outside to end. Apparently, some in the organization believe Kelly is better inside; he could wind up sharing time with Sands. But that still doesn't give Brayton a clear shot at starting again. Not after the Raiders took Georgia's Quentin Moses, a bona fide pass rusher, in the third round. Brayton did the near-impossible last year; he started 15 games at defensive end and failed to record a sack. According to Kiffin, it was "a position of need. The opposite end of Burgess, production-wise last year, numbers, was very low."
FB Zack Crockett: Crockett is one of the most popular Raiders, and for good reason. He's tough, he works hard and he walks around with a permanently etched ear-to-ear smile. He also has been a decent blocking fullback and a superb short-yardage runner. But his time in Oakland may be coming to an end. The Raiders signed fullback Justin Griffith as a free agent, and his receiving ability would seem to give him a big edge in Kiffin's offense. Then on Sunday the Raiders drafted Arkansas State's Oren O'Neal in the sixth round. Sixth-rounders are by no means guaranteed roster spots. But if O'neal proves to be a beast on special teams - and it sounds like he might be just that - he could make Crockett obsolete.
http://raiders.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=590213
