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***Oakland Raiders 2012 Regular Season Thread*** (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Raiderfan32904
- Start date
CalBear
Footballguy
Yeah, that's exactly the point; that's pretty much the extent of his resume. You might think about hiring someone who demonstrated clear success, well, somewhere.
UnknownCoach
Footballguy
I think why Allen got the job is that he is a fundamentals and turnovers preacher. Pay attention to the details kind of guy. Going to be a very different training camp next year. Wont be as fun for the players and media but might actually fix some of our problems.
kaso
Footballguy
Yup. Agree completely. I don't care what he has done in the past, it's what he is able to accomplish moving forward. If coaches only progressed as they had more experience would the NFL have 32 super coaches by now? There are a large number of factors that will determine if Allen will be successful or not, but those cannot and should not be evaluated for a few years. For me, the biggest vote of confidence for Allen is how the Denver players are reacting with his departure. At this moment, that speaks the loudest to me.
Agree 100% on the bold. Until they mess up while on the Raiders staff I'm fully in their corner.
silentmark
Footballguy
The big question is penalties. Can he get the team on the same page to practice some type of "discipline" ? I sure hope ...
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
We'll see. 
Can't say I'm excited.
Can't say I'm excited.
CalBear
Footballguy
I thought Hue Jackson was a hard ###.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
Hard to come off as a hardass when you regularly get your cuticles softened and nails waxed.
CalBear
Footballguy
Well, we'd better check up on Allen's personal grooming.
Garrett
Footballguy
No, he was a loud mouth.
Autumn Wind
Footballguy
Does anyone know what the potential sentence is for McClain if he's found guilty of the charges he's facing?
UnknownCoach
Footballguy
All the charges were misdemeaners. Likely he'll have to pay a fine and maybe some community service or house arrest. That doesnt mean he wont get suspended by the NFL for a couple games. I imagine his lawyers will agree on a deal where one or two of the charges are dropped.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
Hue Jackson in a free fall. First he gets beaten out for OC to Schottenheimer in STL, and now is being considered for QB coach in Zona. Even Todd Haley has impressed the Cardinals over Hue for OC. Must be a humbling experience after all his bluster and ego.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
Can't say that I am thrilled with the Allen choice. But, hopefully he gets me excited with some wins.
I really hope that we keep Al Saunders on board as OC even though there is a lot of buzz about Sherman. Emmitt Thomas, the KC DB coach, is getting buzz about coming on board as DC because of Allen connections.
I really hope that we keep Al Saunders on board as OC even though there is a lot of buzz about Sherman. Emmitt Thomas, the KC DB coach, is getting buzz about coming on board as DC because of Allen connections.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
I feel pretty confident that we'll retain Saunders as he was the only coach sport Raider gear down in Mobile when the news broke of Allen's hiring. When it's finally announced, I'll breathe a sigh of relief. As for Thomas, I have heard a lot of good things about him. That KC secondary was a really underrated group. Don't see Sherman going anywhere but Miami as their OC.
UnknownCoach
Footballguy
If we keep Saunders, Uncle Wiz, and John Fassel I'll feel pretty good about next season. I'm not as concerned about the DC because that's Allen's show. They should start hiring the assistant coaches any day. Allen is going to finally bring some discipline to this team. You can almost blame the players and former coaches for this hire. I dont know if Allen has what it takes to get to a Superbowl but he should be able to get some real improvement out of some our current players.
Even if we dont add a single player to the defense, I'm betting it will improve substantially. Bring in a couple more good players and it should be good again. Remember we began the season with 10 of 11 2010 starters. Obviously we missed Asomugha. We got 3 old guys who couldnt stay healthy and had several young guys hurt as well. It WILL be much better. Branch is the one key UFA.
There are only a couple of key UFAs on offense... Bush and Barnes. Both are replaceable. While I certainly like big Michael Bush, I think it would be a mistake to franchise him. The franchise price for RBs has to be a lot higher after some of the contracts dished out last year. He's not an elite player and the money would be better spent elsewhere. Needing two RBs doesnt mean needing two RBs making top dollar. The talent pool of cheap RBs is always well stocked. Its harder to find a good one his size, but that's more of a luxury. Give him a respectable offer and just let him decide.
Even if we dont add a single player to the defense, I'm betting it will improve substantially. Bring in a couple more good players and it should be good again. Remember we began the season with 10 of 11 2010 starters. Obviously we missed Asomugha. We got 3 old guys who couldnt stay healthy and had several young guys hurt as well. It WILL be much better. Branch is the one key UFA.
There are only a couple of key UFAs on offense... Bush and Barnes. Both are replaceable. While I certainly like big Michael Bush, I think it would be a mistake to franchise him. The franchise price for RBs has to be a lot higher after some of the contracts dished out last year. He's not an elite player and the money would be better spent elsewhere. Needing two RBs doesnt mean needing two RBs making top dollar. The talent pool of cheap RBs is always well stocked. Its harder to find a good one his size, but that's more of a luxury. Give him a respectable offer and just let him decide.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
We all knew that the D would change with the passing of Al. Allowing it to be more aggressive and not so painfully predictable. I think Allen's hire really shows that even more so as he is in the same vein of Gregg Williams. I think that that will help with the D alot plus as you pointed out, there were a lot of injuries in the secondary that hurt us. I do very much hate that we got rid of Rod though.
dcgangstas
Footballguy
I'll reserve judgement on Allen, since I don't know a lot about him.
I just want to see a coach that is detail-oriented and is able to get this team to eliminate the mind-numbing penalties that they tend to get. I'm tired of seeing Khalif Barnes getting holding calls, or Richard Seymour getting personal fouls, or Stanford Routt drawing pass interference penalties. I want to see better execution from this team.
I just want to see a coach that is detail-oriented and is able to get this team to eliminate the mind-numbing penalties that they tend to get. I'm tired of seeing Khalif Barnes getting holding calls, or Richard Seymour getting personal fouls, or Stanford Routt drawing pass interference penalties. I want to see better execution from this team.
UnknownCoach
Footballguy
The lack of discipline goes way beyond the penalties. All the blown defensive assignments, bad gap control, bad tackles, lack of turnovers, ect ect. It was terrible to watch. 10 men on the field on a final play, receiver uncovered in the end zone on another final play, linebackers running into players without the ball, safeties backpedling 15 yards before makeing a tackle. nobody containing the edge, nobody filling a gap, corners not looking back for the football, nobody wrapping up on a tackle, ect, ect.
The offense had simuliar issues but they werent as noticeable. The offense is also younger so its more excuseable in some cases like the poor routes and sack preventing holds. Other things like throwing the ball up for grabs under pressure, holding the ball too long, false starts, holds on runs, delay of games, wasted timeouts, illegal procedures, ect are less excusable. Things like going for a 4th down when a field goal puts you up 3 scores in the 4th quarter and not going for two points when it would give you a 7 point lead late in the game were squarely on Hue Jackson.
IMO the personal fouls are the least of our problems. Some of those you have to live with and the refs have something against us.
The offense had simuliar issues but they werent as noticeable. The offense is also younger so its more excuseable in some cases like the poor routes and sack preventing holds. Other things like throwing the ball up for grabs under pressure, holding the ball too long, false starts, holds on runs, delay of games, wasted timeouts, illegal procedures, ect are less excusable. Things like going for a 4th down when a field goal puts you up 3 scores in the 4th quarter and not going for two points when it would give you a 7 point lead late in the game were squarely on Hue Jackson.
IMO the personal fouls are the least of our problems. Some of those you have to live with and the refs have something against us.
krsone21
Footballguy
I disagree, personal fouls are inexcusable. In a close game players need to learn to control their emotions.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
Autumn Wind
Footballguy
UnknownCoach
Footballguy
Well its looking like Saunders will be out the door. Fassel just signed with the Rams. No news yet on Uncle Wiz but it seems like we'll end up with a whole new staff. I'm less optomistic about 2012 as it will be a total transition of coaches. The defense needed it, the offense and special teams really didnt. I'm not excited about Knapp coming back but there is a huge difference between Russell and Palmer. It might work out this time, I'm just not excited about it.
32 Counter Pass
Footballguy
Rotoworld take:
Raiders hired Texans QBs coach Greg Knapp as offensive coordinator.
It will be Knapp's second go-round in Oakland after serving as Lane Kiffin and Tom Cable's offensive coordinator from 2007-08. He has nine years of experience as an NFL coordinator. Each of the past three offenses he's led have ranked in the bottom-10 of the league, however. Traditionally run-first, Knapp's hiring all but assures the Raiders will retain free agent Michael Bush. From a fantasy perspective, he's a steep downgrade on the aggressive and creative Hue Jackson.
Not good
Raiders hired Texans QBs coach Greg Knapp as offensive coordinator.
It will be Knapp's second go-round in Oakland after serving as Lane Kiffin and Tom Cable's offensive coordinator from 2007-08. He has nine years of experience as an NFL coordinator. Each of the past three offenses he's led have ranked in the bottom-10 of the league, however. Traditionally run-first, Knapp's hiring all but assures the Raiders will retain free agent Michael Bush. From a fantasy perspective, he's a steep downgrade on the aggressive and creative Hue Jackson.
Not good
Chaka
Footballguy
Pretty sure those were all JaMarcus Russel led offenses.Mind you, I am not exactly thrilled for the Raiders offense under Knapp (I think Saunders would have been a good choice for many reasons), but I don't think Bill Walsh and Don Shula's love child could have gotten much better out of JaMarcus Russel (Andrew Walter, Bruce Gradkowski, Josh McCown, Charlie Frye and a washed up Daunte Culpepper).
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
First instinct, gut level...this feels like a sucker punch. The offense wasn't broke last year and Al Saunders did a great job of preparing the offensive game plan and consulting with Hue to help him call plays that worked and give a lot of in-game advice to counter the defensive gameplans. Hue called the plays, but the dynamic of Saunders really opened up the field to take deep shots downfield. This was particularly an advantage once Carson Palmer began to become acclimated.
This means the return of the ZBS and really we only have CC and Satele as holdovers from that scheme. It also means we'll be going after a traditional fullback to take the Oren Oniell role of smashmouth lead blocker. The good news is both DMC and Bush are well trained in reading the one-cut and go blocking. I do worry that this puts DMC right back in the style of play that was ineffective before Hue Jackson reached out to DMC and asked him the type of plays he liked to run. Those Raider teams of Greg Knapp were good running teams on sorry scoring offenses. At least we should expect the running to be strong. The question is can the O-line transition from the Power Blocking Scheme to zone blocking and what will be the growing pains?
We all knew when McKenzie came aboard this was going to be a transition to the type of offense they had up in Green Bay. Which is basically the WCO with a downfield twist. If Knapp brings some aggression to the playcalling in the WCO, it could be a good thing. I don't see how he's going to work out with Carson Palmer though. Just seems like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Maybe CP's not in the long term future? Maybe they go back to JC, who fits the WCO better? Just thinking out loud.
I don't give any credit for working with TJ Yates as some kind of reason to promote him from QB coach to OC of the Raiders though. I wonder if Saunders will be retained in any capacity. I still like Saunders better, but it seems like the organization as a whole is putting the brakes on any and all momentum they had going into 2012 so that they can remake the team in coach Allen's image. Even if the end doesn't justify the means. Well, I guess I am somewhat in a wait and see mode. It's tough to see where the team is heading when it's only January. Just first reaction, not liking the move, but I am not stubbornly closeminded about it either.
This means the return of the ZBS and really we only have CC and Satele as holdovers from that scheme. It also means we'll be going after a traditional fullback to take the Oren Oniell role of smashmouth lead blocker. The good news is both DMC and Bush are well trained in reading the one-cut and go blocking. I do worry that this puts DMC right back in the style of play that was ineffective before Hue Jackson reached out to DMC and asked him the type of plays he liked to run. Those Raider teams of Greg Knapp were good running teams on sorry scoring offenses. At least we should expect the running to be strong. The question is can the O-line transition from the Power Blocking Scheme to zone blocking and what will be the growing pains?
We all knew when McKenzie came aboard this was going to be a transition to the type of offense they had up in Green Bay. Which is basically the WCO with a downfield twist. If Knapp brings some aggression to the playcalling in the WCO, it could be a good thing. I don't see how he's going to work out with Carson Palmer though. Just seems like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Maybe CP's not in the long term future? Maybe they go back to JC, who fits the WCO better? Just thinking out loud.
I don't give any credit for working with TJ Yates as some kind of reason to promote him from QB coach to OC of the Raiders though. I wonder if Saunders will be retained in any capacity. I still like Saunders better, but it seems like the organization as a whole is putting the brakes on any and all momentum they had going into 2012 so that they can remake the team in coach Allen's image. Even if the end doesn't justify the means. Well, I guess I am somewhat in a wait and see mode. It's tough to see where the team is heading when it's only January. Just first reaction, not liking the move, but I am not stubbornly closeminded about it either.
LawFitz
Footballguy
DMC is no good in the ZBS. His first two years proved that. He slips way too often when trying to make that "one cut." He's a downhill, up-the-gut runner. Kiss his fantasy prospects for 2012 goodbye.Very troubled by the Knapp hiring. Smells of Chuck Bresnahan from last offseason. The worst part about this is what not keeping a dynamic, proven OC like Al Saunders says about the new wunderkind coach.
UnknownCoach
Footballguy
I'm also a bit concerned about McFadden back with Knapp calling the plays. McFadden looked good his rookie year but it seemed like the adjustments made by Hue Jackson back in 2010 had a positive affect.
Take away the two FA offensive linemen, Barnes and Heyer, then our line looks noticably smaller. It could do better in zone blocking than power blocking. Its a concern though because the line had improved considerably. Having better players does that but going back to the old system even with improved players is scary.
Take away the two FA offensive linemen, Barnes and Heyer, then our line looks noticably smaller. It could do better in zone blocking than power blocking. Its a concern though because the line had improved considerably. Having better players does that but going back to the old system even with improved players is scary.
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Chadstroma
Footballguy
Didn't see that coming. I would have much rather kept Saunders. Not happy.
It does not seem like we are building off of the momentum and success we have had in rebuilding but starting all over again one more time.
It does not seem like we are building off of the momentum and success we have had in rebuilding but starting all over again one more time.
massraider
Footballguy
I really don't think that this is necessarily a return to the ZBS. The ZBS isn't an offense, it's simply another way to run the ball. We will know more when the line coach is hired. The OC isn't going to teach the ZBS, the line coach is. If we hire a Gibbs disciple, that'll tell us more.
Regarding Saunders, and keeping him (And this applies to Hue as well):
I felt like the team was headed in the right direction, even with the whole penalty thing. I would have liked to see who Hue would have chosen to replace the DC-whose-name-must-not-be-mentioned. I actually LOVED Hue calling out the team after the final game loss. He was right, and the players haven't had enough blame here in a long, long time.
But Al died when he died, and I approved of Junior's selection of Reggie. And with the first GM in Raider history, you need to follow the Bill Parcells recipe: If we want Reggie to cook dinner, we gotta let him shop for the groceries. The head coach needs to be on the same page as the GM, and the GM cannot be worried about his head coach maybe playing politics, or going to the owner behind his back, or making off the record comments to the press that makes him look bad. I wouldn't put that past Hue, would you? And I liked Hue.
Same for Allen. His OC needs to be on his program, and the OC can't be worried that he wasn't Allen's guy. And at the end of it all, Allen's job is affected by the performance of his OC, and McKenzie's job is affected by the performance of his head coach. If McKenzie discovers next year that the players don't respect Hue, which was rumored, or Allen discovers that Saunders can't do what Allen needs, both their jobs are in danger.
We've been down this road before fellas, you should know better. HC's inheriting coaches hasn't worked out very often here. Are we starting over? Yeah, in a lot of ways. Hey, so were the 49ers. Young players get up to speed a lot faster, and good coaches improve their team right off the bat, in my opinion. We have a vet QB that won't be phased like a young guy by a change in offense.
The big thing to me is penalties, and the big penalties to me were defensive back penalties. I will always believe that the officials let a bit of down the field shoving happen. In a zone defense, there is no shoving. We never ran zone, we were always in man. So the refs always saw the down the field shoving from us. Hence, more calls, and calls I didn't see by other teams. If were running zone 40% of the time, I think the refs are more likely to let a shove go here and there, because they just saw three plays where the WR was untouched running through a zone. I predict that our PI calls go down dramatically next year.
I am also thinking we might see Allen getting what he wants from the players more than every other recent coach. He's the guy, the players know any scholarships are over. "Al guys"? Those days are over. I wouldn't be surprised to see some surprising moves made, some bad apples we didn't know were bad get tossed.
Regarding Saunders, and keeping him (And this applies to Hue as well):
I felt like the team was headed in the right direction, even with the whole penalty thing. I would have liked to see who Hue would have chosen to replace the DC-whose-name-must-not-be-mentioned. I actually LOVED Hue calling out the team after the final game loss. He was right, and the players haven't had enough blame here in a long, long time.
But Al died when he died, and I approved of Junior's selection of Reggie. And with the first GM in Raider history, you need to follow the Bill Parcells recipe: If we want Reggie to cook dinner, we gotta let him shop for the groceries. The head coach needs to be on the same page as the GM, and the GM cannot be worried about his head coach maybe playing politics, or going to the owner behind his back, or making off the record comments to the press that makes him look bad. I wouldn't put that past Hue, would you? And I liked Hue.
Same for Allen. His OC needs to be on his program, and the OC can't be worried that he wasn't Allen's guy. And at the end of it all, Allen's job is affected by the performance of his OC, and McKenzie's job is affected by the performance of his head coach. If McKenzie discovers next year that the players don't respect Hue, which was rumored, or Allen discovers that Saunders can't do what Allen needs, both their jobs are in danger.
We've been down this road before fellas, you should know better. HC's inheriting coaches hasn't worked out very often here. Are we starting over? Yeah, in a lot of ways. Hey, so were the 49ers. Young players get up to speed a lot faster, and good coaches improve their team right off the bat, in my opinion. We have a vet QB that won't be phased like a young guy by a change in offense.
The big thing to me is penalties, and the big penalties to me were defensive back penalties. I will always believe that the officials let a bit of down the field shoving happen. In a zone defense, there is no shoving. We never ran zone, we were always in man. So the refs always saw the down the field shoving from us. Hence, more calls, and calls I didn't see by other teams. If were running zone 40% of the time, I think the refs are more likely to let a shove go here and there, because they just saw three plays where the WR was untouched running through a zone. I predict that our PI calls go down dramatically next year.
I am also thinking we might see Allen getting what he wants from the players more than every other recent coach. He's the guy, the players know any scholarships are over. "Al guys"? Those days are over. I wouldn't be surprised to see some surprising moves made, some bad apples we didn't know were bad get tossed.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
A decade in the league as WCO coach or assistant and has always run the ZBS; I think it’s safe to say whoever the line coach is will be dedicated to ZBS.
I tend to agree with all of this except the penalty thing not being a big deal. It was a big deal. Now that the season is over, we can finally discuss the elephant in the room. Discipline or the lack thereof all flows back to one man, Hue Jackson. And while it’s pretty unfair to Hue that he didn’t get the benefit that new coach Dennis Allen will have in handpicking his coaches, he still needed to work that message week in and week out through to the end of the season. It appeared he was breaking through when earlier in the year he brought out refs at practices to throw flags and call out penalties. But for whatever reason, the discipline tailed off as the season drag on. I’ll point to the incident in Alabama with Rolando McClain. The team came out flat and got trounced by Miami the next week. Jackson had a chance to make a decision early in the week and sit McClain and send a message to the team about discipline and rallying as a team. Hue seemed to fall into complacency and that early season fire seemed to die out in those critical late season games.Was Hue right in being angry at the players for that late season collapse? He’s correct in that he can’t make the plays on the field for them, but he also can’t isolate himself from the blame. We can all sling mud at our overmatched UFL D coordinator all we want, but at the end of the day, it’s on Hue to manage the coaching operation and instill accountability. It’s apparent that the final game wasn’t an isolated meltdown. It was a meltdown that he had to see coming. And it had everything to do with lack of accountability. Hue’s lack of calling out a player and sitting them or giving them a healthy scratch to think about their lack of focus, drive, and execution on the field hurt this team down the stretch. Football is an emotional game, and Hue’s very emotional. But he reacted with venom at his players too little and too late. He should have been throwing players under the bus when there was still time to do something about it. And the right way to throw players under the bus is not to hoot and holler about them at post game pressers, but to make them accountable the next week. The way he acted after his final game says a lot about his character, and his ego and self-importance was out of control. He should have been humbled at his own failure, rather than self-absolve himself of any guilt. The way he came off never did sit well with me.
I liked Hue as well. And would have liked to see what he could have cooked up if given the chef’s hat and full kitchen. But then again, it would have worried me some because we all saw how much he gave up to get an over the hill QB that was in semi-retirement. Maybe Hue was going to be too much of a headache for our new GM to deal with. In that sense, it makes sense that Hue was let go. It would have been different if Hue was actually hired by a GM that worked with him or liked him. But Mark Davis did the right thing in hiring a football man to run the show and he let him choose the recipe and ingredients for his dish. Hue got caught up in the transition. I don’t think any of his sins are egregious. He certainly didn’t deserve his firing over the 8-8 record or the late season meltdown. It was inevitable he’d be gone the moment that Mark Davis decided he wanted nothing to do with continuing his father’s hands-on stranglehold of day-to-day football operations. It’s just a shame the Mark Davis didn’t “censure” Hue back before the regrettable trade for Carson Palmer.
I am very optimistic that for the first time in ages, we will operate from a coaching standpoint with a functional paradigm. Dennis Allen seems to have a no-nonsense attitude and is all about accountability. Performance and effort must be all out or else there will be consequences. When has this ever been the case with Al Davis having the final say? Not only do I see the penalties going way down, but I also see some surprising names that will be booted from the team if they start to bring the same work habits and demeanor from last year with them. There are some bad apples that need to be tossed, and Allen and his coaching staff are going to weed out the incumbents to see which guys are fit to wear the Silver and Black.
Chaka
Footballguy
Greg Manusky being interviewed for DC. About as excited for the Raiders about him as I am for Knapp.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
Frank Pollack as offensive line coach means so long to Bob Wylie and his power blocking scheme. Sad to see Wylie go. Sad to see Power Blocking go. So long Kalif Barnes, hardly knew ye. 
In comes the ZBS, and retained as an assistant is Wisniewski (thankfully). Most of our holdover OL can still adapt to the ZBS. But a huge concern is DMC, who only emerged once Hue scrapped the ZBS for the power blocking scheme. DMC face- planted in the ZBS in first two years in the league (3.4 ypc in 09). Could a trade for draft picks be on the horizon? Bush was much better in the ZBS. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Bush now retained (either they work a deal or franchise) and/or they let DMC go. It’ll be hard to keep both anyway with the salary cap.
Al Miller looks like a good hire and he spurned the John Elway & the Broncos to be the Raiders new strength and conditioning coach. (You gotta like that!) We needed a new guy after all those foot injuries last year. That can’t have been just all bad luck.
In comes the ZBS, and retained as an assistant is Wisniewski (thankfully). Most of our holdover OL can still adapt to the ZBS. But a huge concern is DMC, who only emerged once Hue scrapped the ZBS for the power blocking scheme. DMC face- planted in the ZBS in first two years in the league (3.4 ypc in 09). Could a trade for draft picks be on the horizon? Bush was much better in the ZBS. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Bush now retained (either they work a deal or franchise) and/or they let DMC go. It’ll be hard to keep both anyway with the salary cap.Al Miller looks like a good hire and he spurned the John Elway & the Broncos to be the Raiders new strength and conditioning coach. (You gotta like that!) We needed a new guy after all those foot injuries last year. That can’t have been just all bad luck.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
Wondering where the search for our D-Coordinator has gone so wrong. 
I was hoping we’d land for Jacksonville HC Jack Del Rio, but he signed on with the Broncos to be their D-Coordinator. In a way, it’s probably better that he didn’t come to Oakland because he’s not the kind of coach that wants to stay in that job for any extended period. He’ll want to be a HC again soon. And I don’t think he’d want to under an upstart HC like Allen anyway.
So we tried to woo Emmitt Thomas from KC, their long time secondary coach who was on the Falcons when Allen was there, but he declined and appears to want to end his career with the Chiefs. Good for him, I can understand wanting to be stable as you get on in age, but in a way, Thomas is another older coach that is one foot into retirement. We’d be better served with a DC who has a longer window for career growth.
Then we heard about Bill Johnson. The Saints defensive line coach who also coached with Allen in college and the pros, but we were denied permission to talk to him about the DC job. Not to be sour grapes, but the NFL should change this rule. The opportunity for a DL coach to be a DC is huge step and they really should allow this type of vertical movement.
Then we tried LB coach of the Broncos, Richard Smith, also denied. This would have been another good candidate as he worked a lot with Dennis Allen, and Allen is going to want to work on fixing the defence with a man he trusts and knows. Back to the drawing board.
We interview Greg Manusky, the recently fired and embattled D-coordinator for the Chargers whose performance deeply regressed. I don’t think much of Raider Nation would have been happy about him anyway, as he opted to be the D-coordinator for the Colts.
So who’s next? How many more potential D-Coordinators are out there? Anyone on the Giants or Patriots to consider? Ugh!
I was hoping we’d land for Jacksonville HC Jack Del Rio, but he signed on with the Broncos to be their D-Coordinator. In a way, it’s probably better that he didn’t come to Oakland because he’s not the kind of coach that wants to stay in that job for any extended period. He’ll want to be a HC again soon. And I don’t think he’d want to under an upstart HC like Allen anyway.So we tried to woo Emmitt Thomas from KC, their long time secondary coach who was on the Falcons when Allen was there, but he declined and appears to want to end his career with the Chiefs. Good for him, I can understand wanting to be stable as you get on in age, but in a way, Thomas is another older coach that is one foot into retirement. We’d be better served with a DC who has a longer window for career growth.
Then we heard about Bill Johnson. The Saints defensive line coach who also coached with Allen in college and the pros, but we were denied permission to talk to him about the DC job. Not to be sour grapes, but the NFL should change this rule. The opportunity for a DL coach to be a DC is huge step and they really should allow this type of vertical movement.
Then we tried LB coach of the Broncos, Richard Smith, also denied. This would have been another good candidate as he worked a lot with Dennis Allen, and Allen is going to want to work on fixing the defence with a man he trusts and knows. Back to the drawing board.
We interview Greg Manusky, the recently fired and embattled D-coordinator for the Chargers whose performance deeply regressed. I don’t think much of Raider Nation would have been happy about him anyway, as he opted to be the D-coordinator for the Colts.
So who’s next? How many more potential D-Coordinators are out there? Anyone on the Giants or Patriots to consider? Ugh!
Chadstroma
Footballguy
The only coaching 'hire' I like so far is keeping Wisniewski. Beyond that my feelings range from bored to mildly disappointed.
massraider
Footballguy
I am not worried about the ZBS hurting DMC. I feel that he improved dramatically as a runner since his rookie year. His rookie year, he got knocked off balance so much easier, and ran so much higher. His style has changed since college, and he has more patience now. Health is more of a concern.
Agree there is nothing too exciting about these assistant coaches, unless you are a fan of the ZBS, which I actually am.
Agree there is nothing too exciting about these assistant coaches, unless you are a fan of the ZBS, which I actually am.
krsone21
Footballguy
The Raiders asked permission to speak to Joe Whitt Jr. Packers CB coach for the DC position in Oakland. I wouldn't be surprised if they get denied permission again. I think its sad that a team denies a position coach a chance to become a coordinator because usually being a coordinator is a stepping stone for an opputunity to become a HC if you perform well.Wondering where the search for our D-Coordinator has gone so wrong.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
Injuries have been the thing that held him back early on and seems to still be a problem.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
Teams are going to remember teams that don't give permission and return the favor in the future. Pretty soon, no one will give anyone permission.The Raiders asked permission to speak to Joe Whitt Jr. Packers CB coach for the DC position in Oakland. I wouldn't be surprised if they get denied permission again. I think its sad that a team denies a position coach a chance to become a coordinator because usually being a coordinator is a stepping stone for an opputunity to become a HC if you perform well.Wondering where the search for our D-Coordinator has gone so wrong.
massraider
Footballguy
Injuries weren't the only thing. Early on, he could get knocked down by just getting tapped on the thigh, because he ran so high. He just wasn't as good a runner early in his career. No balance. His body type is such that he'll take hits. He's tall, and long. more to hit. Just something we have to deal with if we want to keep him around. I do, personally. I am ready to deal with the occasional dings, because when he's out there, he's the scariest back in the game. I ain't ready to deal with missing most of the season, but we just have to hope that's not the norm.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
I remember turf toe being an issue the first couple of seasons. That is not a 'hit' thing but it is something that lingers and does impact production. I think because he has not shown he can make it through a season we must keep Bush. If we do let him go, we have to bring in someone else like him at least. Taiwan is explosive and can bring some punch if/when DMC sits out but I don't see him being able to carry the load like Bush can. Plus, if Bush leaves- a healthy Taiwan and healthy DMC leaves us with no bruiser type of runner.
Chaka
Footballguy
BigSteelThrill
Footballguy
My dearest Raiders....
THANK YOU for having Richard Seymour on your team the past couple seasons. And not on the Pats.
They missed him sooooooo effin' much on defense the past couple years; Nate Solder didn't come close to making up the difference.
THANK YOU for having Richard Seymour on your team the past couple seasons. And not on the Pats.
They missed him sooooooo effin' much on defense the past couple years; Nate Solder didn't come close to making up the difference.
Raiderfan32904
Footballguy
Tarver looks like a young clone of his head coach Allen. Really smart defensive coach that was part of a staff that had Stanford playing great D despite not producing a lot of blue chip NFL prospects. That goes to good coaching.
The question now is do the Raiders switch schemes to a 3-4, which Tarver is well versed in and has run in all of his years of coaching? It would make a lot of sense for Ro McClain, but the defense doesn't revolve around any one player.
I am hopeful that Allen has found his compadre in fixing the defense, and this guy is extremely smart and is going to work to find the best combination of players and schemes to maximize the Raiders talent. But on the other hand, it's hard to get exited about a college coaching assistant, and he's sure to need to be mentored by coach Allen.
Good hire!
The question now is do the Raiders switch schemes to a 3-4, which Tarver is well versed in and has run in all of his years of coaching? It would make a lot of sense for Ro McClain, but the defense doesn't revolve around any one player.
I am hopeful that Allen has found his compadre in fixing the defense, and this guy is extremely smart and is going to work to find the best combination of players and schemes to maximize the Raiders talent. But on the other hand, it's hard to get exited about a college coaching assistant, and he's sure to need to be mentored by coach Allen.
Good hire!
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