Something good brewing in Oakland (1 Viewer)

[DA RAIDERS]

keep em coming knuckles!

& can we merge this thread with other one already. too much good info to miss.

 

[Whiplash Inc.]

– Derrick Burgess was present and accounted for, wondering what all the "holdout" talk was about. As the team stretched before practice, Kiffin and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan made their way over to Burgess for a few words.

When asked afterward why he didn't attend the voluntary minicamp, Burgess said dryly, "It was voluntary."

That is good news though. I do think that once they've signed the rooks (and especially Russell), they should invest into securing Asomugha's and Burgess' services longterm.

Burgess has been to the Pro Bowl every season since becoming a Raider and Asomugha is a home grown talent on his way to becoming one of the best in the league at his position. We can't afford to lose either of these guys if we want to remain one of the better defenses.

 

[BustedKnuckles]

On the eve of mini-camp, some Raiders on the spot

The Raiders' mandatory mini-camp begins tomorrow (Friday), and there's a lot of intrigue surrounding it. There will be the much-anticipated arrival of rookie quarterback JaMarcus Russell, of course, and the rest of the Class of 2007. (I wonder if we can get Russell to heave a football 85 yards?) And because this is the only camp before late July that includes media access, we'll get to see how the depth chart is shaping up.

Are Barry Sims and Robert Gallery still alternating between left and right tackle? Coach Lane Kiffin suggested last Saturday that there has been some other movement along the line; who went where? Who are the guards? Who is the starting tight end? How about the wide receivers? Who is lining up at right defensive end opposite Derrick Burgess? And for that matter, will Burgess be at the camp, or is he now officially a holdout?

As we ponder these questions, it strikes me that several Raiders have just been put on notice. Nothing was verbalized by Kiffin or anyone in the front office, of course. But draft weekend had to have made these players a little uncomfortable-

QB Andrew Walter: Could any Raider have felt more downcast last Saturday night? We talked to Walter at a recent mini-camp about all the talk of bringing in new quarterbacks to challenge for the starting job. Well it isn't mere talk anymore. The Raiders not only drafted Russell with the coveted No. 1 pick as expected, they swung a trade for veteran journeyman Josh McCown. It's possible that Walter, in one day, went from first to third on the depth chart. His campaign to hold onto the position begins Friday.

WRs Carlos Francis and Johnnie Morant: Francis and Morant have been linked ever since they were drafted in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, in 2004. Francis was the little speedy guy, Morant the big strong guy. They were roommates and friends who might eventually excel together on the field. Except three years later, neither has produced much. Morant has shown flashes during preseason, but didn't seem to grasp the offense under either Norv Turner or Tom Walsh. Francis simply can't stay healthy. Saturday, the Raiders traded for big strong Mike Williams and drafted speedy little Johnnie Lee Higgins. It's now or never for the 2004 picks.

TE Courtney Anderson: The former seventh-round feel-good story already had been put on notice with the offseason acquisitions of veterans Fred Wakefield and Tony Stewart. Even in a crowded field, though, he looked like the probable choice for No. 1 tight end. That may have changed when Oakland took Arizona State's Zach Miller in the second round. Miller isn't an overpowering blocker, but he's probably the team's best receiving option at the position. Can't you just see him starting by July?

DE Tyler Brayton: I figured that after paying a bunch of money to Terdell Sands, the Raiders would start him at defensive tackle and move Tommy Kelly outside to end. Apparently, some in the organization believe Kelly is better inside; he could wind up sharing time with Sands. But that still doesn't give Brayton a clear shot at starting again. Not after the Raiders took Georgia's Quentin Moses, a bona fide pass rusher, in the third round. Brayton did the near-impossible last year; he started 15 games at defensive end and failed to record a sack. According to Kiffin, it was "a position of need. The opposite end of Burgess, production-wise last year, numbers, was very low."

FB Zack Crockett: Crockett is one of the most popular Raiders, and for good reason. He's tough, he works hard and he walks around with a permanently etched ear-to-ear smile. He also has been a decent blocking fullback and a superb short-yardage runner. But his time in Oakland may be coming to an end. The Raiders signed fullback Justin Griffith as a free agent, and his receiving ability would seem to give him a big edge in Kiffin's offense. Then on Sunday the Raiders drafted Arkansas State's Oren O'Neal in the sixth round. Sixth-rounders are by no means guaranteed roster spots. But if O'neal proves to be a beast on special teams - and it sounds like he might be just that - he could make Crockett obsolete.

 

[BoltBacker]

He seems to have the respect of Al Davis. From day one, Kiff has conveyed confidence and has spoken about having a broad plan to restore the franchise to the lofty levels of the past. I'm really starting to see this plan unfold via the coaching hires, value FA pickups and now the draft.The foundation of the plan as I see it has been... A. Hiring solid coaches - the defensive staff has done a great job and has largely been left in place. Experienced WCO offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was hired. More importantly, solid OL coach Tom Cable was also hired with Knapp. They worked together in Atlanta utilizing the zone blocking scheme to build the NFL's best running game with okay line talent.B. Identifying and dealing with current roster problems (e.g. WRs - Porter is now on board and singing praises/ Moss is gone). C. Getting talent via value FA pickups and trades. This was no time to go cap crazy as quantity as well as quality were needed. Griffith, Carlisle, Newberry and even McCown and Mike Williams will all compete for signfiicant roles and all came relatively cheap.D. Utilizing good position and a large number of picks to draft as well as possible. Kiff addressed every need but DT and LB in the draft. Miller, Moses, Williams, Bush and Frampton all will compete immediately on O and D and the other players each seem like solid special teams competitors.E. Creating a sense of competition on the roster. This was a key component at USC with Pete Carroll. Everyone competes, every year and time and again this has made their players better. Now with the offseason acquisitions, the Raiders seem to have solid competition all over the field. I can see a large number of the 11 rookies drafted making this team. I can't believe how quickly they were able to address many major roster holes.F. Creating a sense of hope and optimism - all the moves so far and the drafting of a (hopefully) franchise QB have really changed the tune of the Oakland fanbase and the players. It's been really unbelievable reading message boards and articles how much the fans and players seem to be buying into the new program.G. This will come later, but reinvigorating the Raider image. The franchise will always be hated on b/c of who they are, but they used to be respected. For a long time now however, players have not been proud to be Raiders. The history and tradition is there, but currently the franchise has become a joke. Making them competitive again will then give Kiffin the ability to hark upon the glories of old when motivating the current roster and when recruiting future free agents. It's only cool to wear Silver and Black and be a bad ### Raider if the current team is legit. Kiff needs to create momentum in order to use the Raider image in the same way that SC can now drawn upon it's great history when recruiting talent.

Not to roast FitzLaw here but it's incredible pretty incredible to read each point for potential optimism... and how it pretty much ended up exactly the opposite.