Who runs our organization?

[poptart]

Is it any wonder our offense looks like total @ss?

Look at who we brought in to improve our skill postion spots this past off-season.


Mike Williams - 'bout as useful as a case of crotch rot
Travis Taylor - zero
Dom Rhodes - near zero
Josh McKlown - noodle-armed scrub back-up .... at best
Daunte Culpecker - washed up 3-legged dog who should be shot
JaMarcus Russell - zero, organization foul ball in negotiating
J.L. Higgins - zero
Mike Bush - not yet able to perform
Zach Miller - good kid, under-utilized, looks promising to be solid for years to come

So as the dust has settled on the '07 season, Justin (Marcus the 2nd) Fargas has emerged as our primary offensive weapon.

LMAO

Porter is a 'tard, and Curry is a very middle-of-the-road NFL receiver.

We've got squat, and what we brought in to HELP either isn't ready to help (if it ever will be), or was a complete flop.

Take off your silver and black glasses and look at it.

If we saw one of our division rivals piss down their leg so badly we'd be laughin' like hyenas about it.


WTF is the problem here?

 

[Crossbones]

WTF is the problem here?

Raider Fan has been asking that since 1984. Other than that 4 year surge between 2000-2004 this franchise has been crap with the same problems year after year. Penalties. Bad draft picks. Coaching mistakes. Stadium issues. Seat licenses. Quarterback probelms. The list is near endless.

If you look back on the last 20+ years of Raiders football you'll see the same issues discussed over and over. We came close only to come up short of a championship and now the Raiders are one of the worst organizations in pro sports.

The only real question is what is going to be done soon to stop the bleeding. The past is just that. I'm actually tired of talking about the past although it's somewhat comforting to look back on Ben Davidison, Art Powell and Daryl Lamonica. But it's over and the team can't climb out of the hole. It's the same broken hopes year after year. Each off season Raider fan gets jacked up looking for positives in coaching, darft picks, FA acquisitions and every year it seems to be more of the same. Frustrating...to be sure. The 2007 draft that looked so complete at the time now looks questionable. (again) It could turn out fine in the end but we're two-three years away from knowing about JaMarcus Russell, J.L. Higgins, Michael Bush, Henderson and Zack Miller. Doesn't it seem a lot easier for other teams from our vantage point? Not really. They have the exact same issues. The cycle finally caught up with the Raiders.

I'm out of answers. I just watch the games now and try to cope with the losing. Never thought I'd ever see this kind of consistent poor execution by the Raiders organization from the top to bottom. There it is.

 

[SoCalRaider]

Is it any wonder our offense looks like total @ss?

Look at who we brought in to improve our skill postion spots this past off-season.


Mike Williams - 'bout as useful as a case of crotch rot
Travis Taylor - zero
Dom Rhodes - near zero
Josh McKlown - noodle-armed scrub back-up .... at best
Daunte Culpecker - washed up 3-legged dog who should be shot
JaMarcus Russell - zero, organization foul ball in negotiating
J.L. Higgins - zero
Mike Bush - not yet able to perform
Zach Miller - good kid, under-utilized, looks promising to be solid for years to come

So as the dust has settled on the '07 season, Justin (Marcus the 2nd) Fargas has emerged as our primary offensive weapon.

LMAO

Yep... this is what I've been ranting about the last few weeks. I think part of this is the 'ol power struggle between Al and his coach in roster decisions (exhibit A: Andrew Walter vs. Teacher's Pet)... but a lot of it is we really haven't done a very good job of identifying talent in free agency or the draft since the Davis-Allen-Lombardi-Gruden tandem was lead piped (I've said this since day 1, but breaking that thang up Davis' greatest mistake as an owner.... moving from LA being a close 2nd).

The one thing I do like is RR and Davis have got a great scheme of identifying and developing talent on the defensive side of the ball from draft picks like Morrison, Howard, Aso, and Kelly to solid FA pickups that we took to the next level like Burgess.... and a lot of that has to do with the fact that RR and Davis have nearly identical philosophies...

But you're right, the offensive side of the ball is a complete abortion... and a lot of it has to do with too many different philosophies butting heads. 3/4 of the QBs on our roster (DC, Walter, and Russell) are most likely not WCO QBs, yet we turn around and try to build a WCO system. 3/4 of the RBs on our roster (Jordan, Bush, Rhodes) are most likely not the lightning quick RB you want in a cut block scheme, yet we turn around and try to build a cut block system.

You wonder if fans like us can see through this shit... what in the hell players and coaches are thinking when Al's on the other side of the phone offering them a gig...

 

[RaiderIVlife]

As bad as it has been the past 20+ years (and it has), if this current draft pans out, the ship could be 'righted' as soon as 2008.

JaMarcus Russell - franchise QB's don't grow on trees and if JR is the real deal, this draft is a success by any measure. We've had 2 good QB's in the last 20 years (Gannon & Hostler) and both were mid-level FA signings that we're "over achiever" players.

Michael Bush - The next Nick Bell or well rounded starting RB to that will fill the role of "big back" in Kiffin's preferred 2 RB attack?

Zack Miller - Is not the next Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzales, but he is an all-around TE in the Daniel Graham mode with a better pair of hands.

JL Higgins - Has struggled mightily this year, but if he can get passed the shell shock of this first season, he has a chance to be the "explosion" player on the offense and might evolve into a great "3rd down guy".

Oren O'neil - This guy is already reminding me of Lorenzo Neil. This is already a better blocker than Jon Ritchie ever was IMO, is tough as nails and might have some OK hands for a head crunching FB. Anyone else notice that he's getting about 50% the FB snaps over Justin Griffith? When our running game returns to prominence next season, O'neil will be one of the reasons why. Great 6th round pick.

Mario Henderson - Players with motiviation issues always set off my High Alert siren, but Henderson looks to have the most physical gifts of any lineman on our roster. Given our recent results with drafting offensive lineman, the outlook is not good, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. We'll 'hit' on one of these guys, eventually, right?

Summation: We'll it's far to early to tell, but Miller is a starter and will be for years. O'Neil is playing significant minutes and will his role will continue to expand with each bone jarring lead block. Russell, Bush, Higgins & Henderson cannot be evaluated at this point.

I still like this draft, the Quentin Moses debacle aside.

I still would have preferred Alan Branch over Zach Miller, but at least we have a viable starting TE as a consolation prize.

 

[Stanny]

The one thing I do like is RR and Davis have got a great scheme of identifying and developing talent on the defensive side of the ball from draft picks like Morrison, Howard, Aso, and Kelly to solid FA pickups that we took to the next level like Burgess.... and a lot of that has to do with the fact that RR and Davis have nearly identical philosophies...

Bro you are SO WAY OFF its not even funny...RR loves the 34, loves to bring the house and will squat in zone. Davis loves the 43, loves to play man and hates to bring the house...how could say say they have identical philosophies?? They are complete opposites and I think that is what fucks this defense up the most is RR trying to play his game while pleasing the dark lord.

But you're right, the offensive side of the ball is a complete abortion... and a lot of it has to do with too many different philosophies butting heads. 3/4 of the QBs on our roster (DC, Walter, and Russell) are most likely not WCO QBs, yet we turn around and try to build a WCO system. 3/4 of the RBs on our roster (Jordan, Bush, Rhodes) are most likely not the lightning quick RB you want in a cut block scheme, yet we turn around and try to build a cut block system.

Just say it bro....you hate Kiff and its all his fault. DC and Russell are very much a WC style of QB because they are or were MOBILE. You throw in a BIG ARM and its a plus. I never understood why people thought WC Offense meant poor arm mobile QB...what's Brett Favre? What's McNabb? Um, mobile QB's with rockets. Andrew, ok he's not mobile so he's not your ideal WCO type of QB, the other two I would say why not?

 

[Byron2112]

We've already talked about Al not doing dick to help Kiff out this season.

We got alotta draft picks, but every team's got that and the draft is crap shoot anyway... maybe even moreso for this organization.

So Al goes out and gets him:

Dante Culpepper
Josh McCown
Cooper Carlisle
Jeremy Newberry
Dom Rhodes
Mike Williams
Justin Griffith
Donovin Darius

Gimme a freakin break. All those guys are off the garbage heap. The only quality at all is Griffith, and he's the only guy with any kind of future.

This isn't anything new ofcourse, I mean, the way we've been running our QB search, rolling with guys that no one else in the league wants on their roster, has played a large part in getting us to this pathetic point.

Al just let the kid roll into the season with the cupboards bare.

 

[Langlier]

We've already talked about Al not doing dick to help Kiff out this season.

We got alotta draft picks, but every team's got that and the draft is crap shoot anyway... maybe even moreso for this organization.

So Al goes out and gets him:

Dante Culpepper
Josh McCown
Cooper Carlisle
Jeremy Newberry
Dom Rhodes
Mike Williams
Justin Griffith
Donovin Darius

Gimme a freakin break. All those guys are off the garbage heap. The only quality at all is Griffith, and he's the only guy with any kind of future.

This isn't anything new ofcourse, I mean, the way we've been running our QB search, rolling with guys that no one else in the league wants on their roster, has played a large part in getting us to this pathetic point.

Al just let the kid roll into the season with the cupboards bare.

gotta look at it this way... who out there was better? That wouldnt send us into cap hell?

I have no problem giving any of the above guys a shot... most of them didn't work out. thats how shit goes. so lets try and make a few more scrap heap claims and draft picks next year. Its not like there are great players out on the market... and if there are they want money we dont have or to go to a contender.

 

[Limee]

Mario Henderson - Players with motiviation issues always set off my High Alert siren, but Henderson looks to have the most physical gifts of any lineman on our roster. Given our recent results with drafting offensive lineman, the outlook is not good, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. We'll 'hit' on one of these guys, eventually, right?

Good post mate. At least Bones will be happy that Henderson doesn't have a nasty streak.

 

[hawaiianboy]

Clearly there have been talent defencies at many key spots that just haven't been addressed for the past few years aside the signing of some cheap journeyman types... If Al Davis the owner were evaluating Al Davis the GM honestly, Al Davis the GM would have been out on his ass a long time ago...


If the team stays in every game the rest of the year like they have so far, considering the difference in talent available to both of them, I think you can argue that Kiffin has done a better job of coaching in his first year than Gruden did when we were getting thumped in games the last couple of months there...

I really hope that latest infusion of cash Al got goes right into getting us some talent on both lines and at safety...

 

[Crossbones]

...and if you're a talented sought after FA you'd chose Oakland where the money is close?

 

[hawaiianboy]

I guess not...

 

[Byron2112]

If the team stays in every game the rest of the year like they have so far, considering the difference in talent available to both of them, I think you can argue that Kiffin has done a better job of coaching in his first year than Gruden did when we were getting thumped in games the last couple of months there...

You may be right.

Gru had...

Steve Wisnewski
Lincoln Kennedy
Barrett Robbins
Tim Brown
Napolean Kaufman

... to help him on offense. Man, what we wouldn't give to have that core surrounding Russell

I'm not buying this business about Al not having the money to pay the going rate on free agents. If that's the case, maybe it's time to go dominate the shuffleboard.

I love Al Davis as much as any Raider fan, but if he doesn't have the resources ante up and compete, then he's doing us and everyone else involved a disservice, and taking the thing he loves most down the toilet for the sake of holding on.

I'd like to believe that's not the case... if it is, it means there's no hope around here.