Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer believes the Oakland Raiders should select Louisville junior QB Teddy Bridgewater over South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney if they end up with the No. 1 overall pick.
"If the Raiders, as a franchise with a proud winning past, want to be relevant in the league again soon, they need to embrace a passer-first mentality," Iyer writes. "When the Raiders are faced with the Clowney question in ‘14, Bridgewater is the right and only answer." We wouldn't say Clowney is locked into the top pick since anything can happen at this point, and we expect Bridgewater to be in that discussion as well.
Source: Sporting News
Nothing wrong with getting excited with week one. We saw some semblance of professionalism and military like structure. That was good. Obviously, losing Veldheer is a game changer and it made a night and day difference going to week 2. I don't blame anyone for being optimistic after week one with a healthy Veldheer at LT.If you were excited about the regular season after preseason week one; you were overreacting.
If you were declaring the season over after preseason week two, you were overreacting.
We may be on the cusp of football history.
A punter may be on his way to election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On Wednesday, it was announced that former Oakland punter Ray Guy is one of two senior committee nominees, along with Claude Humphrey. Usually, the two senior committee nominees are elected. The next election will be in February.
It would a watershed moment if Guy -- widely considered the best punter ever to live -- gets elected. There has never been a punter-only player elected into the Hall of Fame.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Guy gets some opposition in the voting process. There is a faction of voters who don’t believe punters should be in the hall of fame. Still, that fact that Guy made it this far is a good sign.
I have never gotten the argument that punters don’t belong in the Hall of Fame. Here’s my point: Try playing the game without punters. Thus, the greatest punter of all time deserves recognition.
Guy, Oakland’s first-round draft pick in 1973, recently expressed his angst over not being enshrined. Guy was a vital part of the 1970s hey-day Raiders. He was a supreme weapon. Guy, 62, averaged 42.4 yards per punt over his 14-year career.
Still a travesty that Al Davis won't be there to hand him his bronze bust.![]()
We may be on the cusp of football history.A punter may be on his way to election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On Wednesday, it was announced that former Oakland punter Ray Guy is one of two senior committee nominees, along with Claude Humphrey. Usually, the two senior committee nominees are elected. The next election will be in February.
It would a watershed moment if Guy -- widely considered the best punter ever to live -- gets elected. There has never been a punter-only player elected into the Hall of Fame.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Guy gets some opposition in the voting process. There is a faction of voters who don’t believe punters should be in the hall of fame. Still, that fact that Guy made it this far is a good sign.
I have never gotten the argument that punters don’t belong in the Hall of Fame. Here’s my point: Try playing the game without punters. Thus, the greatest punter of all time deserves recognition.
Guy, Oakland’s first-round draft pick in 1973, recently expressed his angst over not being enshrined. Guy was a vital part of the 1970s hey-day Raiders. He was a supreme weapon. Guy, 62, averaged 42.4 yards per punt over his 14-year career.
The Oakland Raiders don't go out of their way to remind fans of the JaMarcus Russell era, but that was unavoidable on Wednesday.
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor waltzed onto the practice field wearing the same No. 2 jersey that Russell donned during his ghastly three-year stint with the team, according to CSN Bay Area.
"I had to do a double take," said passer Matt Flynn, who played with Russell at LSU. "Not only was it a new number, the jersey looked a little big on him."
Pryor, previously No. 6, wasn't intentionally trying to stir the pot with Raiders fans. He wore No. 2 at Ohio State and asked for the jersey as a rookie in 2011. Hue Jackson, Oakland's coach at the time, rapidly put the kibosh on the request.
"Coach won't let me wear No. 2. Why? I don't know," Pryor said at the time. "You tell me."
Tell him, Raiders fans. Tell him.
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Today, the Raider Nation rejoices.
One of its beloved players is getting due respect. For the first time since our 100 top offensive and defensive players in the NFL project began Monday, there is an Oakland representative.
To commemorate his return to Oakland, venerable safety Charles Woodson checks in as the 66th-best defensive player in the league. Yes, Oakland gets the love its rabid fan base so hungers. Congratulations.
Don’t get used to it.
Hate to play the spoiler role, but Woodson is the first and only player to appear on either list. He is the only Oakland defensive player on the list, and there will not be any offensive players from Oakland on the top-100 list. Oft-injured running back Darren McFadden had some momentum, but he did not make the list.
One Oakland player in the top 200? Here’s a little perspective: The Raiders’ Bay Area rival, San Francisco, has three defensive players in the top 11. All four of Seattle’s defensive backs made the top 100.
Is this Raider hating? I’d doubt that’s the case. ESPN enlisted 63 voters, including former players and reporters (I was one of the voters). We graded more than 500 NFL players and the results were tabulated. I can assure you there was nothing sinister at work.
Woodson stands alone because a large group collectively thought he was the only Raider who was deserving.
It’s no shock Oakland doesn’t have much representation on this list. These have been hard times for the Pride and Poise. Oakland hasn’t had a winning record since 2002, and it is tied for the second-longest current playoff drought in the NFL.
Oakland is considered to have one of the weakest, thinnest rosters in the NFL heading into the 2013 season. General manager Reggie McKenzie, in his second season as the replacement to the late Al Davis, is basically starting over. It hasn’t been easy for McKenzie.
He inherited a terrible salary-cap situation and a dearth of draft picks because of poor decisions made in the Davis era. The result is a bare-bones team. And, yes, a roster not worthy of getting much top-100 recognition.
“It is as bad as it looks in Oakland,” ESPN analyst Matt Williamson said.
Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. agrees. He was not shocked to see Oakland nearly get snubbed.
“I liken them to a Triple-A baseball team right now,” Horton said. “They lost so many players to free agency because of the cap restrictions and all they have replaced them with are bargain-basement free agents. It’s going to be rough there.”
Still, both Williamson and Horton believe McKenzie’s plan of starting over is the right thing to do, because he has no choice.
While the recent past has been bleak and the immediate future doesn’t show much promise, McKenzie’s plan could help infuse some more talent on the roster. The Raiders may have a surplus of $69 million in salary-cap room next year.
That doesn’t necessarily mean McKenzie will spend wildly and build an instant Pro Bowl roster. His front-office roots are in Green Bay, and he has said he will subscribe to the Packer way as he reconstructs Oakland’s roster. That means keeping his own players first. McKenzie has shown that philosophy this summer by locking up potential free agents kicker Sebastian Janikowski and long-snapper Jon Condo to long-term deals. Other players, such as injured left tackle Jared Veldheer, defensive end Lamarr Houston and fullback Marcel Reece, could also be candidates to be re-signed before they hit free agency.
While the program is clearly in tough shape, it would be inaccurate to portray this roster as talentless. There are about 1,900 players in the league, and some of the good ones do don Silver and Black.
There is promise. In addition to the above-mentioned players, Oakland building blocks include center Stefen Wisniewski, young receivers Rod Streater and Denarius Moore, safety Tyvon Branch, cornerback D.J. Hayden, offensive tackle Menelik Watson and linebacker Sio Moore.
The cupboard is not bare. But the truth is there are few established stars currently playing in Oakland. McKenzie knows it is his job to develop them.
“When I first got to Green Bay, there wasn’t a bunch of studs there,” McKenzie said. “Then we got Brett Favre and then we got Reggie White. And things started to look a little better. Right now, we have to turn some of these guys into studs and keep building. That’s the only way this thing is going to work.”
The million dollar question.Bridgewater or Clowney?Is it draft day yet?
Be nice. It's only preseason.Bridgewater or Clowney?Is it draft day yet?
week 1?Flynn completed 3 passes to our guys and 2 passes to their guys.
How many games before the reigns get handed to Pryor?
Yeah, I expect this won't take long. The kid is electric. Any added excitement we can get this year....Flynn completed 3 passes to our guys and 2 passes to their guys.
How many games before the reigns get handed to Pryor?
Now?week 1?Flynn completed 3 passes to our guys and 2 passes to their guys.
How many games before the reigns get handed to Pryor?
overpaid imho. you're forgetting the horrible shank he had on his first kick.Well... our kicker is still great, anyway.
SeaBass just boomed a 58-yarder off of the dirt with PLENTY to spare, and it was a nice, easy stroke. Incredible leg.
That miss was on the snapper.overpaid imho. you're forgetting the horrible shank he had on his first kick.Well... our kicker is still great, anyway.
SeaBass just boomed a 58-yarder off of the dirt with PLENTY to spare, and it was a nice, easy stroke. Incredible leg.
Flynn, not Wilson (who should be cut if he doesn't even play). Forget about the practice squad, just cut him. And what about Pryor being a lottery ticket? Seems plausible?You've already decided Wilson is a game manager at best, but Pryor is a lottery ticket? Come on now.
Who was he playing with?Pryor did his damage against the 2's and 3's. A little bit unfair to say Pryor is the guy based on that game. Flynn was getting killed out there against the starters.
I don't know who was on the line but the starting wr's were out there.Who was he playing with?Pryor did his damage against the 2's and 3's. A little bit unfair to say Pryor is the guy based on that game. Flynn was getting killed out there against the starters.
That doesn't really help your argument.I don't know who was on the line but the starting wr's were out there.Who was he playing with?Pryor did his damage against the 2's and 3's. A little bit unfair to say Pryor is the guy based on that game. Flynn was getting killed out there against the starters.
Not sure that entirely true. The Bears still had their starters in late in the second quarter when Pryor drove the Raiders for a FG. IIRC I saw a lot of starters playing into the 3rd quarter as well. Everyone recognizes Flynn was getting killed which is the point. Flynn is a game manager and just doesn't have the mobility to elude a rush or make plays on the run. Flynn may have been a nice stop gap if Valdheer was healthy, but LT is a major liability so we need a mobile QB.Pryor did his damage against the 2's and 3's. A little bit unfair to say Pryor is the guy based on that game. Flynn was getting killed out there against the starters.
I guess it doesn't matter anyway. Pryor did have a 3 and out and then drove them down for a fg late in the 1st half. I thought Chi had pulled a bunch of guys by that point but I wasn't watching closely so maybe guys were coming in and out. In the 3rd Chicago had nowhere near the push up front they did early in the game. Maybe you're right and they need a guy who can run for his life behind that line but Pryor isn't going to be completing many jump passes like the one he threw last night.Not sure that entirely true. The Bears still had their starters in late in the second quarter when Pryor drove the Raiders for a FG. IIRC I saw a lot of starters playing into the 3rd quarter as well. Everyone recognizes Flynn was getting killed which is the point. Flynn is a game manager and just doesn't have the mobility to elude a rush or make plays on the run. Flynn may have been a nice stop gap if Valdheer was healthy, but LT is a major liability so we need a mobile QB.Pryor did his damage against the 2's and 3's. A little bit unfair to say Pryor is the guy based on that game. Flynn was getting killed out there against the starters.
Like I said before, Pryor is going to make a lot of mistakes but he also offers more hope that Flynn. I think Allen recognizes this given his statements and declaring the starting job an open competition again. My hope is that they start Pryor week 1 and coach him up. How he develops will inform the Raiders as to whether they should take Clowney or Bridewater.
Thanks for stopping by.The Bears had pulled Peppers by halftime - so the "no push up front" discussion is not really valid.
Except that Pryor came in the late second quarter, and quickly engineered a scoring drive During an interview with Peppers, he was watching Pryor's scoring run on tape and broke off the interview and while shaking his head.The Bears had pulled Peppers by halftime - so the "no push up front" discussion is not really valid.
Seriously doubt it. Could be a practice squad candidate.Do you guys agree with what I've been reading that Greg Jenkins will win a roster spot?
pretty much everything i said in this post 8 days ago still holds true. add in that the run D was ABSENT, aka, non existent.holy #### that looked bad.
flynn looked TERRIBLE. seemingly every throw was behind the receiver. it was hard to judge the wr's as the passes were so bad. the td pass was decent. pryor looked the same to me. his ability to run for his life, makes him look better than he is.
both dline and oline looked god awful. injuries i know, but they will happen in the regular season too. crawford better make the team.
run game looked awful. see above
i hope king gets the punting job, he deserves it.
mother####er this is going to be a long season.
Didn't see this one coming:Sign me up. Like the guy a lot.
Return specialist and special teams player Josh Cribbs was the most notable of the first 10 players cut by the Raiders Sunday.
Cribbs mishandled two kickoffs in a 36-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, muffing the first before picking it up, with the Raiders getting a break on the second when officials ruled him to be down before the ball was lost.
Returning from offseason knee surgery, Cribbs was never able to show the kind of burst that resulted in eight career returns for touchdowns. Presumably, it was affecting his ability to cover kicks as well, another reason he was added to the roster.
The decision was made easier when Jacoby Ford flashed some of his pre-injury form, racing 62 yards with a kickoff after Cribbs appeared to be running in mud on the first two.
As a vested veteran, Cribbs had his contract terminated and he is free to sign with any team.
Players who were waived by the Raiders were linebacker Keenan Clayton, linebacker Eric Harper, fullback Jon Hoese, wide receiver Sam McGuffie, guard Andrew Robiski, wide receiver Tray Session, defensive tackle Myles Wade and wide receiver Isiah Williams.
In addition, center/guard Alex Parsons thanked the Raiders for the “opportunity to play the game I love’’ on his Twitter account. Parsons, who did not play because of injury against Chicago, is likely working out an injury settlement with the team.
Assuming Parsons is no longer on the roster, the Raiders have four more cuts to make to get to the limit of 75 players. Rosters must be at 53 on Saturday, two days after Thursday’s preseason finale in Seattle.
– As the players opened their first team session Sunday, Terrelle Pryor was at quarterback and Menelik Watson at left tackle.
– Players who were working with the athletic training staff and not on the field were strong safety Tyvon Branch (ribs), wide receiver Brice Butler (hamstring) and wide receiver Rod Streater (concussion).
– Players who were suited up and on the field included cornerback Tracy Porter (groin) and free safety Usama Young (hamstring).