Rating The Offense...

[Angry Pope]

Rating the offense _ Moss. No. 1

September 5th, 2006
Jerry McDonald

Yes, I know. Hammering the ball with a power running game sets up the pass, blah, blah, blah.

True, to an extent, but it says here the guy the Raiders most need to have a big year is wide receiver Randy Moss. If Moss gets back to his 80-catch, 1,300-yard, 14-touchdown ways, it means he is torturing coverages and drawing attention to himself.

In a good way.

Just as big as stats and touchdowns is the Moss psyche and how important he is to the conscience of the team. Moss doesn’t talk to the local media for whatever reason, but make no mistake _ he’s a popular and charasmatic teammate.

If he feels good, the team feels good. If not . . . well that’s something the Raiders don’t want to contemplate.

That makes Moss No. 1 on offense on the list of Raiders who need to perform at or near their peak if they are serious about returning to .500 and beyond.

Rating the rest:

2. RB LaMont Jordan. He’s got to stay healthy, increase his yards per carry to at least 4.2 and gain between 1,200 and 1,400 yards.

3. LT Robert Gallery. There’s a growing faction of Raider Nation which thinks he’s the reincarnation of Tony Mandarich. Art Shell thinks differently. Just a guess, but he might know better.

4. QB Aaron Brooks. If No. 1 is happy, and Nos. 2 and 3 come through, it should follow naturally that No. 4 has himself a nice season.

5. LG Barry Sims. Gallery, assuming he breaks through, can’t do it alone. A successful move inside means the Raiders have their bread-and-butter _ Jordan running left.

6. PK Sebastian Janikowski. OK, he’s technically special teams, but he scores points, and in today’s NFL, a clutch kicker can be a three-game swing.

7. RG Paul McQuistan. Moving into the starting lineup as a third-round draft pick is a tall order. He will be tested early and often by schemes designed to exploit his inexperience.

8. RT Langston Walker. Detecting a trend here regarding the performance of the offenisve line? Walker cannot afford a repeat of the 2004 season opener against Pittsburgh.

9. C Jake Grove. Only reason he is this low is health has been such a concern throughout his brief career. Relying on him too heavily might break your heart.

10. RB Justin Fargas. It can’t be all LaMont, all the time. Fargas must come through with 80 to 100 carries and 350-plus yards. It’s the only way the Raiders join the rushing party in the AFC West.

11. TE Courtney Anderson. Unless the pre-season was a mirage, he becomes the first Raiders tight end since Ethan Horton to catch 50 passes in a season.

12. WR Jerry Porter. Coming soon to an exclusive national television interview near you _ Porter breaks out, has a nice game, then blames the media for his tarnished reputation. The Raiders can only hope it’s so. They need him.

13. QB Andrew Walter. He has to be the guy who played against the 49ers if Brooks goes down, and not the antsy, confused player he was during so many training camp practice sessions.

14. WR Ronald Curry. It’s just not a good plan to invest big hopes in a guy with two Achilles’ tears in two years. If he proves you wrong, then it’s a spectacular bonus. If not, nothing is lost.

15. C-G Corey Hulsey. He is on deck when Grove goes down at a key position. He’s McQuistan’s insurance as well.

16. T Chad Slaughter. May seem high, but he is the only true tackle if Gallery is injured or Walker goes down or is ineffective.

17. FB Zack Crockett. If Shell does what Norv Turner seemed reluctant to do and restores Crockett’s short-yardage role, it could be a big help.

18.G-T Brad Badger. A veteran who can fill in at virtually any position and may need to.

19. FB John Paul Foschi. It remains to be seen how much of a role the fullback will have in the Oakland offense. If they want Brooks to have a personal protector /dumpoff receiver on most downs, Foschi is their guy.

20. TE Randal Williams. The Raiders threw him a lot of passes in the pre-season. Williams, a converted WR and special teams player, had trouble coming up with them.

21. RB ReShard Lee. If Jordan or Fargas goes down at one of football’s toughest positions, he becomes the relief ballcarrier _ a role Shell promises will be a prominent one.

22. WR Alvis Whitted. Seems to break loose for a big play every now and then.

23. WR Johnnie Morant. Has everything you’d want in a skill set, but it remains to be seen if the staff trusts his knowledge and instincts in the regular-season.

24. TE-WR John Madsen. Don’t be surprised if the role of this rookie free agent is expanded as the year goes along. A project at the beginning, however.

25. C Adam Treu. The Raiders made it clear he’s a long-snapper and little else when Hulsey was elevated to starting center after Grove was hurt.

26. QB Marques Tuiasosopo. Whether it was concern over Walter’s sore shoulder or lack of faith in Tui, Jeff George was here for a reason.

27. TE James Adkisson. Not as polished a receiver as Madsen, but remains an intriuging prospect to Al Davis _ and that counts for something.

28. G Kevin Boothe. Cornell to the NFL his a huge jump. Could be a developmental season and being inactive each week.

 

[Angry Pope]

19. FB John Paul Foschi. It remains to be seen how much of a role the fullback will have in the Oakland offense. If they want Brooks to have a personal protector /dumpoff receiver on most downs, Foschi is their guy.

We have been doing that with all our FBs.

 

[Angry Pope]

Kevin Huntley

Position: Defensive End
College: Kansas State
Height: 6-7
Weight: 264
Hometown: Washington, D.C.

OVERVIEW

An all-conference linebacker as a junior at Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) High School, where he also recorded eight sacks as a senior. He lettered for three seasons, including two as a starter for the Lions, finishing his career with 15 sacks.

Academic problems would force him to enroll at Valley Forge Military (Wayne, Pa.) College in 2000, where he totaled 30 tackles with four sacks. Huntley moved to defensive end at Valley Forge in 2001, delivering 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries while playing for highly respected coach Jim Burner. His 10½ sacks as a sophomore led the Seaboard Conference.

Huntley transferred to Kansas State, redshirting in 2002. The following year, he appeared in every game, starting five early season contests for the Wildcats. Huntley finished the 2003 season with 27 tackles (17 solos) with six sacks and eight stops for losses, seeing limited action after a midseason knee injury against Texas.

Huntley was having a solid senior campaign in 2004 before he sprained his left knee in the eighth contest against Texas Tech. That injury would sideline him for the Colorado and Missouri games, and limit him to only a handful of plays against Iowa State in the season finale. Huntley closed out that year with 31 tackles (15 solos), three sacks, four stops behind the line of scrimmage and two forced fumbles in nine games.

In 24 games at Kansas State, he registered 58 tackles (32 solos) with nine sacks for minus-65 yards, 12 stops for losses of 73 yards, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and three pass deflections. For his entire collegiate career, Huntley recorded 130 tackles and 23½ quarterback sacks.


ANALYSIS

Huntley is blessed with outstanding size, but needs to add bulk and strength to his frame. His athletic ability is evident, as he is active with his hands and shows excellent foot quickness. He has adequate change-of-direction agility and flexibility and shows very good acceleration on the move.

Huntley is a work in progress, as he seems to lack field smarts and does not seem confident in his athletic skills. He can flash power when he fires low off the snap, but leaves himself too exposed for blockers to get into his body. He does not play with aggression and looks more comfortable working off the edge. Huntley is effective as an inside nickel rusher, where he can use his hand technique to throw blockers away and penetrate the gaps.

He is still learning how to play with his hand on the ground, as he still thinks he is an outside linebacker. Huntley flashes the ability to make plays, but does not show urgency in his performance. He is quick off the ball to engage the block, but fails to stay at a low-pad level, as he rises, catches the block and peeks into the backfield too much. He has good recognition skills, though, and plays on his feet. His problem is he lacks the strength to stack at the point and does not play with a physical demeanor.

Huntley is lacking in guidance off the field, as he needs to be pushed to work out in the weight room, missed a few workouts during his time at KSU and seems to go into a cocoon when he has to deal with hard coaching. If he would commit himself to a solid weight training program and gain confidence in his athletic ability, he would be worthy of an early round pick. Until then, he will struggle to defeat double teams, as he fails to use his hands with aggression to separate.

He has the speed to close and run down plays from the backside and displays very good swim, rip and club moves for the bull rush. Huntley also shows good tackling form against the run game, but needs to do a better job of locating the ball when working through trash. Huntley shows a good burst in backside pursuit. He has the lateral quickness to transfer and runs well working through trash. He also has very good closing burst, both on the ball carrier and quarterback. While not explosive in his first step, he shows improved club, rip and bull-rush moves to finish off his upfield charge. His foot speed also allows him to be effective when stunting inside.

As a pass rusher, he can generate decent leverage, but is too light in the trunk and lacks the bulk to get a good push to take the offensive linemen off balance. His lack of upper-body strength will usually see him get widened when coming off the edge. While he has the body control and hip snap to suddenly change direction to come up and under the blocker, he fails to do this with much consistency.

The jury is still out on this guy. He might be better served as a situational defensive tackle in a nickel pass rush. He has some natural strength to pull, throw and jerk the blockers, but he plays too high in his stance, leaving his body exposed for the crunching block. He can slip past and avoid blocks when given a free lane.

If he fails to make it as a defensive lineman, his size, balance, reach and long limbs could see him move to the offensive line. He will be a late-round pick, but if someone can light a fire under this guy, he will be a good one. It's just a question if the work ethic and desire is there.


INJURY REPORT

2003 -- Suffered a right knee sprain against Texas (10/04), but did not miss any games.

2004 -- Sat out the Colorado and Missouri games and saw limited action in the season finale against Iowa State after he left the Texas Tech contest (10/30) early in the first quarter with a left knee sprain. He had to be helped off the field after Tech offensive tackle Daniel Loper rolled on the back of his left leg.


HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) High School, playing football for coach Dewayne Foster … Second team All-WCAC selection as a senior … Earned honorable mention all-conference as a junior … Lettered for three seasons, including two as a starter for the Lions … Finished his career with 15 sacks, including eight as a senior.


PERSONAL

Social Science major … Son of Tonya Huntley … Born April 9, 1982 in Washington, D.C.

 

[Angry Pope]

Reshard Lee

Position: Running Back
College: Middle Tennessee State
Height: 5-10
Weight: 227
Hometown: Brunswick, Ga.


ANALYSIS

Positives: Dangerous open-field runner with a muscular upper body and strong legs … Has good inside leg drive with stutter-step moves and lateral agility to break it open turning the corner … Durable workhorse with sturdy legs and exceptional upper-body power … Reads the holes well and has the balance to power his way up the middle … Has quick feet and superb head and shoulder fakes … Shows loose hips dipping to the outside … Constantly driving forward with his legs to gain extra yardage after initial contact … Makes sharp lateral cuts and has that extra gear to vary his speed through the holes … Strong tackle breaker with the strength to punish opponents on the perimeter.

Negatives: Untested as a pass catcher, and tends to let the ball absorb into his body rather than extend … Needs route-running refinement, as he sometimes rounds his cuts … Will get a piece of his man as a blocker, but does not overpower in this area … Has to run at a more consistent pad level, as he gets too high in his power breaks, which results in his body taking unnecessary punishment.

CAREER NOTES

Joined Dwone Hicks in forming the most explosive running back tandem in college football … The former prep quarterback has drawn comparisons to Tennessee's Eddie George for his sudden burst off the snap and ability to move the chains while dragging defenders for extra yardage … As powerful as he is quick, he enjoyed a banner collegiate debut in 2001 … A threat to score anywhere on the field, Lee adds to his skills with superb kickoff-return ability.

2002 SEASON

Super Sleeper Team and All-Sunbelt Conference second-team selection by The Sports Xchange … Appeared in 11 games, starting vs. Alabama, Southeast Missouri, Arkansas State, Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Lafayette … Second on the team with 642 yards and 6 touchdowns on 110 carries (5.8 avg.) … Caught 12 passes for 78 yards (6.5 avg.) and completed 3 of 4 tosses for 81 yards … Added 252 yards on 12 kickoff returns (21.0 avg.) … Averaged 88.4 all-purpose yards per game.
Alabama - Opened the season with 11 runs for 56 yards and a 1-yard score, setting up another touchdown drive with a 58-yard kickoff return, finishing the day with 4 kickoff returns for 137 yards … Also tossed a 37-yard pass to Wardell Alsup to set up another scoring drive.
Kentucky - Gained 71 yards on 5 kickoff returns, had a 73-yard return nullified by a penalty and carried 11 times for 33 yards.
Southeast Missouri - Collected 113 yards on 14 attempts with a 19-yard touchdown and made 4 catches for 13 yards.
Arkansas State - Followed with 104 yards on 16 carries.
Vanderbilt - Went over the century mark for the third straight game, as he totaled a season-high 144 yards on 20 tries.
Louisiana-Lafayette - Scored on an 18-yard run.
Idaho - Added a 2-yard touchdown plunge.
New Mexico State - Despite carrying the ball only 9 times, he gained 116 yards with 12- and 13-yard touchdowns and tossed a 38-yard pass to David Youell.
North Texas - Did not play due to a knee sprain suffered vs. Louisiana-Monroe.

2001 SEASON

All-Sun Belt Conference second-team selection, despite seeing action as a reserve tailback … Ranked fifth in the conference with 108 carries for 790 yards and 4 touchdowns … His average of 7.3 yards per carry rank sixth on the school's season-record list … Added 87 yards on 9 receptions (9.7 avg.) and 263 yards on 13 kickoff returns (20.2 avg.)

2000 SEASON

Sat out the season to concentrate on academics.

INJURY REPORT
No injuries reported.

CAMPUS AGILITY TESTS

4.38 in the 40-yard dash … 1.48 in the 10-yard dash … 36½-inch vertical jump … 310-pound power clean … 3.69 in the 20-yard shuttle.

HIGH SCHOOL

USA Today honorable mention All-American and an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAAA first-team pick at Brunswick (Ga.) High … Led the team to 14 straight wins his senior year before falling to Lowndes High in the Class AAAA championship at the Georgia Dome … Primarily played quarterback for Brunswick, passing for 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns while also running for 670 yards and 8 scores in 1999, picking up WTOC-TV Offensive Player of the Year accolades … For his career, he threw for 4,175 yards and 56 touchdowns, while accounting for 129 total scores.

PERSONAL
General Studies major … Son of Ruthie and Charlie Lee … Born Oct. 12, 1980 … Resides in Brunswick, Ga.

 

[Angry Pope]

John paul Foschi, TE, Georgia Tech

Height: 6:04.1 Weight: 268

Overview: Physical blocker whose ability to pick up the blitz allowed the team to line him up at fullback in short yardage situations...Effective short area receiver with large, soft hands, showing a fearless nature going for the ball in a crowd...In 44 games, he started 21 times, turning four of his 39 receptions for 360 yards (9.2 avg) into touchdowns.

Analysis: Positives...Has a tall, thick frame with a wide upper body and torso...Very responsible athlete who pushes himself very hard in practices and in the weight room...Gives total effort as a blocker, staying low in his pads with a wide leg base, driving off the snap with good power to gain leverage...Effective short area route runner who does a nice job of shielding the ball from defenders...Runs with good ease-of-movement agility and has the leaping skills to get to the ball at its high point...Does a good job in his route execution, compensating for a lack of burst after the catch with good leg drive...Has enough functional strength to lock on vs. double teams and shows a smooth kick slide setting up in pass protection...A big target underneath, he will make the tough body adjustments to get to the ball in traffic.

Negatives...Needs to improve his foot speed, as he has only marginal separation getting off the line of scrimmage...At his best when blocking in space, as he needs to develop more strength and use his hands better to lock on to the defender and sustain blocks...Does not have the acceleration to consistently separate after the catch, relying on his leg drive to gain extra yardage...Struggles to keep track of the ball in flight on deep routes (needs to do a better job of catching over his shoulders).

Agility tests: 4.98 in the 40-yard dash...Bench presses 225 pounds 20 times...370-pound bench press... 550-pound squat...350-pound power clean...33-inch vertical jump...32 -inch arm length... 10 -inch hands...Right-handed...Wears contacts...20/33 Wonderlic score.

High school: Attended Chaminade (Mineola, N.Y.) High, playing football for coach Bill Basil...Super Prep All-American who was rated the No. 14 tight end in the nation and the fourth-best prospect in New York by the magazine...Ranked No. 21 nationally among tight ends and No. 145 overall by Tom Lemming' Prep Football Report...All-American pick by PrepStar...Caught 18 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns as a senior...Also made 45 tackles and 12 sacks on defense...Added 22 receptions for 330 yards and three scores as a junior...Selected to the Governor's Bowl all-star team (New York vs. New Jersey)...Led his team to the New York Catholic High School Championship his junior year...Lettered four times in football and four in basketball...Also earned first-team All-Catholic League honors in basketball...Member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Building Construction major...Son of Margaret and Robert Foschi...Sisters, Pam (Boston College) and Jessica (Stanford) swam collegiately...Born John Paul Marino Foschi (pronounced FAH-shee) on 5/19/82...Resides in Glen Head, New York.

 

[Angry Pope]

***Old Article***

Raiders' Ekejiuba Has Unusual NFL Journey

Oakland Raiders' Isaiah Ekejiuba Journey to NFL Started by Answering Ad for College Football Tryouts

By JANIE McCAULEY

November 24, 2005

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Playing football never crossed Isaiah Ekejiuba's mind.

He joined the soccer team as a boy in his native Nigeria. As a teenager living in the United States, he played basketball and competed as a sprinter and jumper in track and field. He had size and speed, but football was an American game he knew little about.


Then in the spring of 2002, an advertisement in the student newspaper at Virginia caught his eye: football tryouts. There began a most unlikely road to the NFL.


"A little backdoor into football," Ekejiuba said with his friendly smile, sitting in the Oakland Raiders' locker room before a recent practice. "My dad always used to watch football and I didn't really understand the concept. I just wanted to see what it was like.


"I was already studying electrical engineering. The thought of football was just something to do after classes."


Little did he know it's a sport that demands all your time practice, weight training, team meals and meetings, weekend travel, study sessions.


Ekejiuba is now an NFL rookie, contributing on special teams for Oakland. Even he is surprised at his career route considering academics were always No. 1 in Ekejiuba's family.


Born in Benin, Nigeria, Ekejiuba came to the United States for good in 1995 for his late mother's job. His mom, Felicia, received her doctorate at Harvard. A sociologist and anthropologist, she worked for the United Nations heading the Africa section of the U.N. Development Fund for Women, whose purpose is striving to eliminate violence against women in third-world countries and helping them gain equality.


"She always pushed academics first before anything else," said Ekejiuba, who speaks the Nigerian dialect Ibo and is two classes shy of an electrical engineering degree he plans to finish soon.


So, when he started playing football, everyone in the family was understandably shocked.


"I couldn't believe it," said his older sister, also Felicia. "It wasn't like he had a background in that. My mother was kind of skeptical, too. Isaiah's like her baby. We all supported his decision. I knew if he put his mind to it and worked hard he would achieve whatever he wanted."


Ekejiuba joined the Cavaliers' football team as a walk-on receiver during the spring of his sophomore year at Virginia. He suited up for eight games in 2002 but didn't see any action until the following season. He shifted to defense and became a special teams standout in 2003, appearing in all 13 games. And as a senior last year, Ekejiuba earned a scholarship and received a team award as the school's top special teams player.


"I am so happy for him," said Corwin Brown, one of Ekejiuba's college coaches who now works for the New York Jets directing the defensive backs. "It was something. I kind of remember it. He came at me, a tall, gawky guy. He could run and he had good size. You couldn't help but think, 'How come he hasn't played and why is he just now coming out?' I thought, 'I don't care if he's never played before, if he could learn a couple things, he could be pretty good.'"


Ekejiuba signed with Arizona as a rookie free agent in April after the draft and spent training camp and the preseason with the Cardinals before they released him in late August. He joined the Raiders' practice squad Sept. 6, then got promoted to the 53-man roster last month to help Oakland's injury-depleted defense when safety Derrick Gibson went on injured reserve.


Ekejiuba made his NFL debut against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 30. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, the 24-year-old Ekejiuba is a physical presence on special teams too fast for some of the larger players to stop, and big enough to knock down the smaller ones.


"He's an absolute rare specimen," Raiders safety Jarrod Cooper said. "You don't find people like that very much. We saw him when he was in Arizona before he got here. I watched game tape every year from the last five years on people in the NFL and I was like, 'Who is this?' He just came in like a beast. About three weeks later, he was sitting in our meeting room. I wouldn't want to go up against him."


His college teammates called Ekejiuba "T.O." because his frame resembles that of embattled Eagles receiver Terrell Owens.


"We put him in the spot he could be most disruptive," Brown said. "He was a big kid and he could run. He started lifting, and if you look at him now, he's a worker. He worked hard at everything he did. He's not a kid who's going to give you a lot of back talk. You hope things work out for kids like that."


For Ekejiuba, football has been a positive outlet that helped him cope with the loss of his mother two years ago. He spoke to her on a Wednesday night and she told her son she was feeling fine, then died the next morning of an apparent heart attack.


That came after Ekejiuba and his four siblings already dealt with the death of their father, Benedict, from diabetes in 1996.


"It was a shock," Ekejiuba recalled. "It was actually crazy because my mom at that point was all we had keeping our family together. It was really tough on the family. My mom supported me with everything I did, which is why I feel like I'm so successful. I'm trying to pick up her work ethic. She never saw me even play college ball.


"I feel like she's always with me. Her positive attitude, that's why I feel I've come this far."


Her photo is on his cell phone and he looks at it in the locker room each day before heading to the field for work. And Ekejiuba has been learning more about her work by researching his mom on the Internet "I'm getting an understanding just what she's done," he said.


Those who knew Ekejiuba in college were impressed by how he managed to get through all of his sadness without missing a beat as an athlete.


"It's one of those pleasant surprises," said Evan Marcus, the Virginia strength coach. "He played special teams here and did a great job, but you know chances of making it in NFL are slim. He wasn't an every-down player. To his credit, he kept working. The one thing I always think about when I think of Ike is he was a high-energy, positive, guy. He's one of nicer kids I've run into, and I've been doing this 15 years."


Ekejiuba is not one to campaign for more playing time. He's content for now.


"That's what I love doing covering kicks and being on special teams. I feel very blessed to be in the position I'm in," he said. "It's been a very long road. When I look back to a couple years ago, I'm always amazed at how far I've come."

 

[Angry Pope]

Ranking the defense _ Burgess No. 1

September 6th, 2006
By Jerry McDonald

Derrick Burgess is the most important defensive player on the Raiders because of an individual skill which is vital to a dominant team defense.

Run defense is largely a group effort. It helps to have a 350-pound anchor to drop in the middle, but the most important aspects of controlling the run have to do with gap control and how defenders fit into holes.

Teams can create a pass rush with the element of surprise. But the more a team blitzes, the more it leaves itself vulnerable in coverage and susceptible to the big play.

The best defenses put pressure on the quarterback with a strong natural pass rush, and most often that comes from the edge. Burgess, who set a franchise record and led the NFL with 16 sacks last season, is one of the top edge rushers in the NFL.

It’s that skill that makes him the defender who is most important to the success of the Raiders if they hope to get to .500 and beyond in 2006.

Rating the rest of the defenders:

2. P Shane Lechler. Yes, he’s technically on special teams, but the field position swings he represents makes him as important as any player.

3. DT Warren Sapp. Great that he’s emerged as a leader of the defense, but the only way that works is if he can play as he did for the first 10 games of 2005 before suffering a torn labrum.

4. MLB Kirk Morrison. Has shown signs in the pre-season of being excellent in coverage on pass plays over the middle _ an area of weakness in just about every season since they returned to Oakland in 1995. Needs to prove he’s stout enough to plug the middle against the run.

5. CB Fabian Washington. Don’t look now, but the Raiders may finally have the cover corner Charles Woodson never became. Also an underrrated tackler.

6. SS Michael Huff. Forget the comparisons to big hitters like Troy Polamalu. The Raiders need Huff to simply bring people down rather than lower the boom, and be a play-maker in the Rod Woodson mold.

7. DT Terdell Sands. Not a starter, but the guess here is Sands will play a major role of the Raiders hope to stifle the land rush in the AFC West.

8. FS Stuart Schweigert. The last line of defense in a young secondary, Schweigert needs to rekindle his knack for creating turnover as he did in college at Purdue.

9. OLB Thomas Howard. Drafted in part because of the speed and athleticism which would help cover receivers out of the backfield and tight ends over the middle. Just in time. Here comes LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates.

10. CB Nnamdi Asomugha. He’s played 47. games without an interception, putting him within nine games of Joe DiMaggio’s suppsoedly unreachable standard of 56 Seriously, needs to do more than play it safe and hold on to the ball now and then.

11. CB Tyrone Poole. Short for a slot corner at 5-foot-8, but experience will pay in the middle of the field. Raiders hoping he’s the latest veteran in in the secondary to have his final good seasons as a Raider, following Albert Lewis, Eric Allen and Rod Woodson. We’ll leave out Ray Buchanan.

12. DE Lance Johnstone. Even if it’s just for eight- to 10-plays per game, having someone coming hard opposite Burgess would help the Raiders third-down defense and create more turnovers.

13. DE Tyler Brayton. Sometimes he seems too small for a base end. Others, he uses his tenacity and motor to outwork behemoths who outweigh him by 70 pounds. The Raiders need more of the latter.

14. OLB Sam Williams. If he can stay healthy for a season and just be a solid strongside linebacker with occasional pass rush skills, the Raiders would be delighted.

15. DT Tommy Kelly. Raiders seem to firmly believe he is better inside, even though his best moments have come as a base end.

16. SLB Grant Irons. In an active group of linebackers, Irons is a throwback a hard-hitting defender who excels at short-yardage but is vulnerable in space.

17. DT Anttaj Hawthorne. Looks too soft, but has some game. If Sapp needs additional rest ot keep fresh, Hawthorne’s role could expand.

18. LB Robert Thomas. His quickness, athleticism and versatility gave him the edge over fan favorite Danny Clark. Could fill in at more than one position.

19. CB Stanford Routt. Has ideal size for a slot corner, but is more comfortable playing outside. Showed some good progress in coverage during the pre-season and looked more like a football player than a track athlete trying to play football.

20. SS Derrick Gibson. Like it or not, he’s going to play. Can be useful when used near line of scrimmage (like goal line and short-yardage) and kept out of coverage.

21. S Jarrod Cooper. Demonstrated last season he could play physically in the secondary if called upon. Ideally, Cooper’s energy and mentality are best used fulltime on special teams.

22. DE Kevin Huntley. His size (6-foot-7) enabled him to bat down some passes and affect the trajectory of throws during training camp.

23. CB Duane Starks. Re-signed to the roster Wednesday (S Hiram Eugene was waived), Starks is strictly a mentor as of now for Washington and Asomugha.

24. LB Isaiah Ekejiuba. Much too raw for use on defense, but ideally suited for running full speed on kick coverage and getting into collisions.

25. CB Chris Carr. He’s got the mentality of a safety, is bout 30 pounds too light. Can be an above average return specialist, however.

Coming soon . . . special teams.

 

[Angry Pope]

Special teams _ Jano is No. 1
September 7th, 2006

By Jerry McDonald

Special teams is where coaches find “hidden yardage.'’

That means yardage not in the official stats with regard to total offense or total defense. It means drill a return specialist inside the 20, making the opponent travel a greater distance for a score, or allowing him to break one to the other side of the field, creating a short field opportunity.

Shane Lechler deals in hidden yardage.

What Sebastian Janikowski does, when it comes to place kicking, is out there for all to see. You could make the argument that if Janikowski had hit a few more clutch kicks last season, Norv Turner would still be coaching the Raiders and Kerry Collins would still be the quarterback.

We’ll let you decide whether that would be a good or bad thing.

But it illustrates the value of a place kicker. Janikowski has been perfect in the pre-season, and dead-on from 50 yards and beyond. He’s even getting touchbacks.

Whether he makes them or misses them, Janikowski is the most imporant Raider on special teams when it comes to the Raiders getting to .500 and beyond in 2006.

Rating the rest of Oakland’s special teams:

2. P Shane Lechler. Could he reach the magical plateau of 40 yards net? Lechler says that’s the gold standard. He’s probably the only punter in the NFL who could even dream of doing it.

3. S Jarrod Cooper. If there is such a thing as a beating heart within Oakland’s special teams, Cooper is it. He was born for the role.

4. RS Chris Carr. Raider Nation can breathe easier now that Doug Gabriel is no longer a factor in returning punts. Carr seemed a block away several times last season. His 72-yard toucdhown return against Seattle was promising.

5. TE Randal Williams. Has made a career out of special teams. Remains to be seen if his weight gain to move from wide receiver to tight end will have a negative impact on his coverage skills.

6. LB Isaiah Ekejuiba. Can lay waste to wedges with power and speed. An updated version of Travian Smith.

7. LS Adam Treu. A reliable long-snapper for a decade, and every year he manages to get downfield quicker than you’d think to make tackles on punt returns.

8. DL Langston Walker. It’s the height, not the hops, which makes him one of the top kick blockers in the NFL.

9. CB Stanford Routt. The right outside gunner on both the kickoff and punt teams, Routt’s job is to come hard and fast from the opposite side of Cooper.

10. LB Thomas Howard. Starting off on punt team for now, but roles could expand as he grows into starting linebacker role as well. Speed and athleticism ideal for kick coverage.

11. SS Michael Huff. Blocking kicks was his special teams speciality at Texas.