BustedKnuckles
Footballguy
Lane Kiffin went to his first training camp as coach of the Oakland Raiders hoping to increase practice tempo, change a losing culture, promote competition, keep an above-average defense on track and break in the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
Quarterback JaMarcus Russell never made it to Napa. The Raiders' quarterback of the future could not come to contract terms and remained out of sight, if not out of mind.
Remarkably, Kiffin seems to have accomplished virtually everything else and the prospects for the Raiders, an NFL-worst 15-49 over the past four years, appear brighter than they have in some time.
"We've obviously got a long ways to go. Fifteen wins in four years," Kiffin said. "We think we're making some strides."
Owner Al Davis entrusted Kiffin with gutting the offensive system in place under Art Shell and coordinator Tom Walsh that scored just 12 touchdowns in 16 games en route to a 2-14 season. Not a single offensive coach remained on staff, with the Raiders also dumping Aaron Brooks, a starting quarterback for eight games, and wide receiver Randy Moss.
"We wanted players that wanted to be here," Kiffin said.
The Napa portion of training camp did not bring a starting quarterback. Daunte Culpepper was signed July 31 to a one-year deal to compete with free agent Josh McCown and returnee Andrew Walter. All three had their moments and none seized the job, with Kiffin narrowing the competition between Culpepper and McCown before the third preseason game.
Oakland's beleaguered offensive line, which ranked 29th in rushing and allowed 72 sacks last season, changed from a power man-to-man blocking system to a zone-blocking scheme with an emphasis on cut blocking under new line coach Tom Cable.
Robert Gallery, who struggled as a tackle, has moved inside to left guard and has played well. Barry Sims won his job back at left tackle. On the right side of the line, former Denver Broncos Cooper Carlisle and Cornell Green have experience in the blocking system the Raiders are running.
Behind that line, LaMont Jordan, a disappointment as a free-agent acquisition in two years as a Raider, hopes to jump-start his career with help from free agent Dominic Rhodes, who will miss four games on suspension for violating the NFL's policy on substance abuse.
Kiffin immediately cleared the air with wide receiver Jerry Porter, who sparred early with Shell and was a non-factor last season.
With the pain of 2006 as a backdrop, almost everything Kiffin did received rave reviews from the Raiders. He instituted day-night training-camp practices to allow more time for recovery. Each double session was followed by a single practice at 2:45 p.m. the following day.
Practices were run at a brisk tempo but weren't incredibly physical in terms of wearing down players. The strict uniform discipline from the old-school Shell was replaced by a more modern form of discipline — play like you can or you're gone.
Working for Davis is a tough job, but the 2006 Raiders were so bad that Kiffin came in during a bottoming-out period when both the owners and players were receptive to change.
"Based on what went on last year, for Kiff to come in here, it was ... the perfect opportunity for him," Jordan said. "He's been consistent. Nothing changes in his personality, nothing changes in what he expects from us. He's made it fun to play football again.
"You've got guys with their shoulder pads hanging out, they've got towels, mismatched socks on. Coach doesn't concern himself with any of that. He just wants you to work hard. As a player, you've got to have the utmost respect for that."
Defensively, where the Raiders ranked No. 3 in terms of yardage surrendered last season, coordinator Rob Ryan has employed an "if it's not broke, don't fix it" standard as virtually everyone returns.
Oakland must shore up a spotty run defense if it hopes to survive in the run-oriented AFC West. The Raiders finished No. 25 in terms of yardage against the run (134.0 yards per game) but were 11th in terms of yards per carry (4.0 average). To that end, they re-signed mammoth defensive tackle Terdell Sands to clog the middle and provide a physical presence in front of quick linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard.
Brian Schneider becomes the Raiders' fourth special teams coordinator in the past six years, an era that includes long-distance punter Shane Lechler, inconsistent placekicker Sebastian Janikowski and spotty coverage units.
COACHING: Lane Kiffin, 1st year, 1st with Raiders.
REMEMBERING: 2006 record: 2-14 (last in AFC West).
PREDICTING: 2007 regular season record: 6-10 (3rd in AFC West)
NOTES, QUOTES
—Seeking additional girth along their defensive front, the Raiders dealt a conditional draft pick to the Denver Broncos for defensive tackle Gerard Warren. Warren, who had already collected more than $6 million since signing a contract extension in 2005, was deemed expendable when the Broncos changed defensive schemes.
Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, on the day Warren was acquired, said the new tackle would have trouble making his "top eight," meaning Sapp's defensive linemates.
When Warren actually arrived, Sapp lent his support.
"He said, `Hey, let's go to work, baby. You're in Oakland now,' " Warren said. "Go and do what we know how to do — play ball."
Said Warren of the Broncos-Raiders rivalry: "It's pretty hated. It was stated the first day you come into the building, just so you know point-blank that whatever you lineup with the Silver and Black, it's an important game."
—Quarterback Andrew Walter, eliminated from the competition for the starting quarterback job before the third preseason game, nevertheless made strides since Kiffin arrived.
"I remember the first day we had him, he went with the first group out here and I think he completed about three balls in that first 7-on-7 we had," Kiffin said. "He was all over the place. This is not a reflection of Andrew playing poorly. This is a reflection of the other guys — in my opinion — giving us a better chance to win."
—Kiffin conceded there was some value to keeping his quarterback decision under wraps.
"There's two benefits," Kiffin said. "One, you keep the competition going this whole time and I believe that's how you get the best out of your players — most of your players. And two, you are talking about three different types of guys, so I would think as Detroit's looking at it, you would game plan differently depending on who is playing."
—Chris Johnson, fighting for a roster spot as a reserve cornerback, put one in both the win and the loss column in terms of keeping score for his bid to make the final 53.
Kiffin said Johnson came up with the "play of the game" when he forced a fumble from Rams quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald that bounced through the end zone for a touchback, a big play in securing a 20-10 win over St. Louis.
"I should have made the tackle maybe five or six yards before, but he gave me a slight move and got around me," Johnson said. "I tried to get him from behind and coach Kiff emphasizes in practice every day, `If you've got a shot at the ball, take it.' I took a shot and got it out.'
Moments earlier, Johnson was called for holding, erasing what would have been a 53-yard punt return by Johnnie Lee Higgins.
"The guy hadn't been doing anything the whole game so I don't know why I did what I did," Johnson said of the man he was assigned to block. "I told coach Kiff it would never happen again."
—Adimchinobe Echemandu, termed early on one of the surprise players of training camp, carried that momentum into the exhibition season. Through three preseason games, Echemandu led the NFL with 160 yards rushing.
Echemandu, 27, took to the Raiders' zone-blocking system faster than any other Oakland runner.
"It gives you a lot of options to get vertical and cut back, and that's one of my strengths, to see a seam on the back side and get to it," Echemandu said.
BY THE NUMBERS: 13 — The number of regular-season games the Raiders have played since they had a running back break 100 yards rushing. (LaMont Jordan, Oct. 1, 2006 vs. Cleveland, 128 yards).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "When I walked into Tampa in 2002 and got beat (in the opener) 26-20, I never knew we'd be standing in the Super Bowl, confetti flying. You don't know until it gets rolling. I walked into a year and said, `This is it' and we go 8-8 and don't even make the playoffs." — Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, on attempting to predict how a given season will go.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Coach Lane Kiffin's decision regarding his starting quarterback will impact the productivity of specific position groups given the strengths of the competitors.
If the quarterback is Daunte Culpepper, wide receivers will be more heavily involved as the Oakland offense will call for a higher percentage of dropback throws.
Josh McCown, on the other hand, is at his best on the perimeter and his best plays come on passes to tight ends and running backs — specifically fullbacks — when he is on the move.
PLAYER TO WATCH: TE John Madsen — A former wide receiver at Utah, Madsen caught 11 passes for 146 yards as an undrafted free agent last season. He has gotten bigger this season, lost none of his skill, and may be Oakland's most sure-handed receiver along with rookie tight end Zach Miller. Madsen has a knack for finding open spaces and making plays.
DRAFT PICKS TO STICK
Rd. 1/1, QB JaMarcus Russell, Louisiana State — Holdout means it will be a classroom year unless season goes south and he gets a late-season education.
Rd. 2/38, TE Zach Miller, Arizona State — An instant starter who could be the first Raiders tight end to catch 50 passes since Ethan Horton in 1991.
Rd. 3/65, DE Quentin Moses, Georgia — Not stout enough for fulltime duty, but pass-rushing skills on third down from right side will complement left end Derrick Burgess.
Rd. 3/91, OT Mario Henderson, Florida State — Will open season as a reserve, could challenge for starting job at right tackle before the end of the season.
Rd. 3/99, WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Texas-El Paso — The hope is he will develop into a game-breaking receiver. Will probably open the season as the lead punt return specialist.
Rd. 4/110, CB John Bowie, Cincinnati — Might be too raw to help initially as a corner, but depth is thin at the position and he can help right away on special teams.
Rd. 5/138, DE Jay Richardson, Ohio State — Got plenty of time working with the first team in preseason and could end up in defensive line rotation. Had success blocking place kicks in college.
Rd. 6/175, FB Oren O'Neal, Arkansas State — Has the sort of powerful blocking skills coveted by Tom Rathman and has put them on display on special teams.
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACK: Starter — Daunte Culpepper or Josh McCown. Backups — Andrew Walter, JaMarcus Russell.
Culpepper signed July 31 when Russell couldn't come to agreement on a contract, and from Day 1 showed more mobility than during his four-game stint as a Miami starter last season. He is behind in terms of the offense but has the most proven track record. McCown's strength is on rollouts and bootlegs, both expected to be big parts of the Raiders offense under Lane Kiffin. He has not passed as well in the pocket and over the middle. Walter's style as a dropback passer may not ever suit the Raiders under Kiffin. If and when Russell signs, it's doubtful he would be a factor unless the season is shot and the calendar turns to December.
RUNNING BACKS: Starters — RB LaMont Jordan, FB Zack Crockett. Backups — RB Dominic Rhodes, RB Justin Fargas, RB Adimchinobe Echemandu, FB Justin Griffith, FB Oren O'Neal.
Early indications are Jordan could be a good fit for the zone-blocking scheme instituted this season. The Raiders gave him a take-it-or-leave it proposition and forced him to take a $1.25 million cut in a roster bonus and want to see something this season. Rhodes, who ran well in training camp after a strong postseason with the Colts, arrives as a second back after a four-game suspension. Kiffin must work out the fullback logjam among Crockett, Griffith and O'Neal, with Griffith being the best receiver of the group. Fargas led the Raiders with 659 yards rushing last season but was being outperformed on a daily basis by Echemandu, whose patience running behind zone blocking was one of the top stories of camp.
TIGHT END/H-BACK: Starter — Zach Miller. Backups — John Madsen, Tony Stewart.
Miller simply doesn't drop passes and seems to have an innate understanding of how to find open areas. He could be Oakland's best third-down receiver at tight end since Todd Christensen. The only reason his numbers could be somewhat limited is the presence of Madsen, a tight end/wide receiver tweener whose receiving skills bring to mind Ed McCaffrey and Joe Jurevicius. Stewart does not catch the ball as well but he won't need to. His role will be as a blocker.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters — Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry. Backups — Travis Taylor, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Mike Williams.
Porter, whose feud with Art Shell essentially cost him an entire season of his career, is in the good graces of Kiffin and will be counted on to regain his form of 2004-05, when he caught 140 passes for 1,940 yards in 32 games. Curry was Oakland's top receiver last season with 62 receptions for 727 yards even though he didn't become a starter until the final four games of the season following a remarkable comeback from Achilles' tears in back-to-back seasons. He is Oakland's best third-down receiver. Taylor, a former first-round draft pick, is a solid if unspectacular complementary possession receiver. Higgins is potentially the best game-breaker in terms of run-after-catch and catching the long ball, but as a rookie, may take awhile to develop. Williams, a Detroit castoff, was recruited at USC by Kiffin, who believes he can extract the potential from an impressive physical specimen.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters — LT Barry Sims, LG Robert Gallery, C Jake Grove or Jeremy Newberry, RG Cooper Carlisle, RT Cornell Green. Backups — T Mario Henderson, T/G Paul McQuistan, G Kevin Boothe, T Chad Slaughter.
Line coach Tom Cable is reprogramming the Oakland line to be similar to the one he had in Atlanta and the ones Denver has used to run roughshod over the AFC West. The emphasis will be zone blocking and cut blocking. The early results have been promising. Gallery, in particular, seems to have taken to the scheme and may end up being a quality guard instead of the left tackle the Raiders selected in the 2004 draft. Grove has the quickness the scheme requires, but he is being pushed by Newberry. He would give the Raiders the most power they've had in the middle of the line since Barret Robbins was healthy. Sims has been a survivor at left tackle, with Carlisle and Green forming a new right side of the line. Green has predominantly been a backup throughout his career and could be pushed. Depth is a question, although second-year players Boothe and McQuistan got a lot of playing time as rookies.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters — LE Derrick Burgess, DT Terdell Sands, DT Warren Sapp, RE Tommy Kelly. Backups — DE Quentin Moses, DE Jay Richardson, DE Chris Clemons, DT Tyler Brayton, DT Anttaj Hawthorne, DT Gerard Warren.
Ideally, the Raiders like to create pressure with their front four. Burgess, with 27 sacks in 32 games with Oakland, has more than held up his end of the bargain. Sapp had 10 sacks last season and came into camp having lost 49 pounds this season for more quickness at age 33. Sands is Oakland's most immovable force and signed a four-year contract with a $4 million signing bonus for run defense. Kelly can play either end or tackle and will likely give way to Moses in nickel situations for more of a pass rush. Brayton, who hasn't flourished at either outside linebacker or defensive end, was moved inside to try and make use of his quickness there. Hawthorne is strictly a reserve, and the Raiders took a shot on Warren to see if he could return to his form in Denver two years ago.
LINEBACKERS: Starters — SLB Sam Williams, MLB Kirk Morrison, WLB Thomas Howard. Backups — LB Robert Thomas, OLB Jon Condo, OLB Isaiah Ekejiuba, MLB Ricky Brown.
The two linebackers who will be on the field most of the time are Morrison and Howard, two active, aggressive tacklers who are excellent pass defenders and must prove they can be stout against the run. Howard, in particular, has star quality because of his sideline-to-sideline play-making ability. Williams has had his moments on running downs but is first off the field in nickel and dime alignments. Thomas is a quality backup in that he can play all three positions well. Ekejiuba and Brown are both special teams players, as is Condo, whose employment is based solely on long-snapping.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters — RCB Nnamdi Asomugha, LCB Fabian Washington, SS Michael Huff, SS Stuart Schweigert. Backups — S Donovin Darius, CB Chris Carr, CB Stanford Routt, S B.J. Ward, CB John Bowie, CB Chris Johnson.
Asomugha suddenly became one of the NFL's top corners in 2006, intercepting eight passes and shutting down virtually everything on his side. He worked his hands for three years and finally began coming down with opportunities that had eluded him. Washington is Oakland's fastest corner and is ahead of where Asomugha was after two seasons. The two form one of the NFL's better cornerback tandems. Huff is being counted on to take a big step up this season. He had a solid, steady rookie season as the No. 7 pick in the draft but was not an immediate playmaker. Schweigert misses the occasional open-field tackle but operates as the glue of the secondary in terms of assignments and leadership. Darius, if he can remain healthy, allows Oakland to go to a bigger version of the nickel it calls the "Wolverine" that is stout against the run. In the conventional nickel, Routt will compete with Carr as the slot corner. Routt is bigger and faster, but Carr might be the better football player. Ward assumes the backup safety/special teams enforcer role of the departed Jarrod Cooper. Johnson's speed and experience should let him see the field on occasional downs, while Bowie's main attributes are speed, raw skill and the fact that Oakland used a fourth-round draft pick acquired in the Randy Moss deal to get him.
SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Sebastian Janikowski, P Shane Lechler, LS Jon Condo, KOR Chris Carr or Johnnie Lee Higgins, PR Chris Carr or Johnnie Lee Higgins.
Janikowski, whose leg strength was a legend at Florida State, has instead developed into a fairly reliable kicker from 39 yards and in (98-for-108, 90.6 percent) and is an unremarkable 62.4 percent (58-for-93) from 40 yards and beyond. The endless stream of touchbacks he was supposed to create have never materialized. Lechler, if given good coverage, is one of the NFL's top punters. He too often outkicks his coverage and punts into the end zone — a career-high 19 touchbacks last season — but he could be a valuable field-position weapon given a capable supporting cast. Condo has been steady and reliable through camp and he'll have to be, because the man he replaced, Adam Treu, was taken for granted. Carr has struggled on punt returns and is a dangerous kickoff returner. Higgins will challenge for both return jobs.
Quarterback JaMarcus Russell never made it to Napa. The Raiders' quarterback of the future could not come to contract terms and remained out of sight, if not out of mind.
Remarkably, Kiffin seems to have accomplished virtually everything else and the prospects for the Raiders, an NFL-worst 15-49 over the past four years, appear brighter than they have in some time.
"We've obviously got a long ways to go. Fifteen wins in four years," Kiffin said. "We think we're making some strides."
Owner Al Davis entrusted Kiffin with gutting the offensive system in place under Art Shell and coordinator Tom Walsh that scored just 12 touchdowns in 16 games en route to a 2-14 season. Not a single offensive coach remained on staff, with the Raiders also dumping Aaron Brooks, a starting quarterback for eight games, and wide receiver Randy Moss.
"We wanted players that wanted to be here," Kiffin said.
The Napa portion of training camp did not bring a starting quarterback. Daunte Culpepper was signed July 31 to a one-year deal to compete with free agent Josh McCown and returnee Andrew Walter. All three had their moments and none seized the job, with Kiffin narrowing the competition between Culpepper and McCown before the third preseason game.
Oakland's beleaguered offensive line, which ranked 29th in rushing and allowed 72 sacks last season, changed from a power man-to-man blocking system to a zone-blocking scheme with an emphasis on cut blocking under new line coach Tom Cable.
Robert Gallery, who struggled as a tackle, has moved inside to left guard and has played well. Barry Sims won his job back at left tackle. On the right side of the line, former Denver Broncos Cooper Carlisle and Cornell Green have experience in the blocking system the Raiders are running.
Behind that line, LaMont Jordan, a disappointment as a free-agent acquisition in two years as a Raider, hopes to jump-start his career with help from free agent Dominic Rhodes, who will miss four games on suspension for violating the NFL's policy on substance abuse.
Kiffin immediately cleared the air with wide receiver Jerry Porter, who sparred early with Shell and was a non-factor last season.
With the pain of 2006 as a backdrop, almost everything Kiffin did received rave reviews from the Raiders. He instituted day-night training-camp practices to allow more time for recovery. Each double session was followed by a single practice at 2:45 p.m. the following day.
Practices were run at a brisk tempo but weren't incredibly physical in terms of wearing down players. The strict uniform discipline from the old-school Shell was replaced by a more modern form of discipline — play like you can or you're gone.
Working for Davis is a tough job, but the 2006 Raiders were so bad that Kiffin came in during a bottoming-out period when both the owners and players were receptive to change.
"Based on what went on last year, for Kiff to come in here, it was ... the perfect opportunity for him," Jordan said. "He's been consistent. Nothing changes in his personality, nothing changes in what he expects from us. He's made it fun to play football again.
"You've got guys with their shoulder pads hanging out, they've got towels, mismatched socks on. Coach doesn't concern himself with any of that. He just wants you to work hard. As a player, you've got to have the utmost respect for that."
Defensively, where the Raiders ranked No. 3 in terms of yardage surrendered last season, coordinator Rob Ryan has employed an "if it's not broke, don't fix it" standard as virtually everyone returns.
Oakland must shore up a spotty run defense if it hopes to survive in the run-oriented AFC West. The Raiders finished No. 25 in terms of yardage against the run (134.0 yards per game) but were 11th in terms of yards per carry (4.0 average). To that end, they re-signed mammoth defensive tackle Terdell Sands to clog the middle and provide a physical presence in front of quick linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard.
Brian Schneider becomes the Raiders' fourth special teams coordinator in the past six years, an era that includes long-distance punter Shane Lechler, inconsistent placekicker Sebastian Janikowski and spotty coverage units.
COACHING: Lane Kiffin, 1st year, 1st with Raiders.
REMEMBERING: 2006 record: 2-14 (last in AFC West).
PREDICTING: 2007 regular season record: 6-10 (3rd in AFC West)
NOTES, QUOTES
—Seeking additional girth along their defensive front, the Raiders dealt a conditional draft pick to the Denver Broncos for defensive tackle Gerard Warren. Warren, who had already collected more than $6 million since signing a contract extension in 2005, was deemed expendable when the Broncos changed defensive schemes.
Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, on the day Warren was acquired, said the new tackle would have trouble making his "top eight," meaning Sapp's defensive linemates.
When Warren actually arrived, Sapp lent his support.
"He said, `Hey, let's go to work, baby. You're in Oakland now,' " Warren said. "Go and do what we know how to do — play ball."
Said Warren of the Broncos-Raiders rivalry: "It's pretty hated. It was stated the first day you come into the building, just so you know point-blank that whatever you lineup with the Silver and Black, it's an important game."
—Quarterback Andrew Walter, eliminated from the competition for the starting quarterback job before the third preseason game, nevertheless made strides since Kiffin arrived.
"I remember the first day we had him, he went with the first group out here and I think he completed about three balls in that first 7-on-7 we had," Kiffin said. "He was all over the place. This is not a reflection of Andrew playing poorly. This is a reflection of the other guys — in my opinion — giving us a better chance to win."
—Kiffin conceded there was some value to keeping his quarterback decision under wraps.
"There's two benefits," Kiffin said. "One, you keep the competition going this whole time and I believe that's how you get the best out of your players — most of your players. And two, you are talking about three different types of guys, so I would think as Detroit's looking at it, you would game plan differently depending on who is playing."
—Chris Johnson, fighting for a roster spot as a reserve cornerback, put one in both the win and the loss column in terms of keeping score for his bid to make the final 53.
Kiffin said Johnson came up with the "play of the game" when he forced a fumble from Rams quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald that bounced through the end zone for a touchback, a big play in securing a 20-10 win over St. Louis.
"I should have made the tackle maybe five or six yards before, but he gave me a slight move and got around me," Johnson said. "I tried to get him from behind and coach Kiff emphasizes in practice every day, `If you've got a shot at the ball, take it.' I took a shot and got it out.'
Moments earlier, Johnson was called for holding, erasing what would have been a 53-yard punt return by Johnnie Lee Higgins.
"The guy hadn't been doing anything the whole game so I don't know why I did what I did," Johnson said of the man he was assigned to block. "I told coach Kiff it would never happen again."
—Adimchinobe Echemandu, termed early on one of the surprise players of training camp, carried that momentum into the exhibition season. Through three preseason games, Echemandu led the NFL with 160 yards rushing.
Echemandu, 27, took to the Raiders' zone-blocking system faster than any other Oakland runner.
"It gives you a lot of options to get vertical and cut back, and that's one of my strengths, to see a seam on the back side and get to it," Echemandu said.
BY THE NUMBERS: 13 — The number of regular-season games the Raiders have played since they had a running back break 100 yards rushing. (LaMont Jordan, Oct. 1, 2006 vs. Cleveland, 128 yards).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "When I walked into Tampa in 2002 and got beat (in the opener) 26-20, I never knew we'd be standing in the Super Bowl, confetti flying. You don't know until it gets rolling. I walked into a year and said, `This is it' and we go 8-8 and don't even make the playoffs." — Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, on attempting to predict how a given season will go.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Coach Lane Kiffin's decision regarding his starting quarterback will impact the productivity of specific position groups given the strengths of the competitors.
If the quarterback is Daunte Culpepper, wide receivers will be more heavily involved as the Oakland offense will call for a higher percentage of dropback throws.
Josh McCown, on the other hand, is at his best on the perimeter and his best plays come on passes to tight ends and running backs — specifically fullbacks — when he is on the move.
PLAYER TO WATCH: TE John Madsen — A former wide receiver at Utah, Madsen caught 11 passes for 146 yards as an undrafted free agent last season. He has gotten bigger this season, lost none of his skill, and may be Oakland's most sure-handed receiver along with rookie tight end Zach Miller. Madsen has a knack for finding open spaces and making plays.
DRAFT PICKS TO STICK
Rd. 1/1, QB JaMarcus Russell, Louisiana State — Holdout means it will be a classroom year unless season goes south and he gets a late-season education.
Rd. 2/38, TE Zach Miller, Arizona State — An instant starter who could be the first Raiders tight end to catch 50 passes since Ethan Horton in 1991.
Rd. 3/65, DE Quentin Moses, Georgia — Not stout enough for fulltime duty, but pass-rushing skills on third down from right side will complement left end Derrick Burgess.
Rd. 3/91, OT Mario Henderson, Florida State — Will open season as a reserve, could challenge for starting job at right tackle before the end of the season.
Rd. 3/99, WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Texas-El Paso — The hope is he will develop into a game-breaking receiver. Will probably open the season as the lead punt return specialist.
Rd. 4/110, CB John Bowie, Cincinnati — Might be too raw to help initially as a corner, but depth is thin at the position and he can help right away on special teams.
Rd. 5/138, DE Jay Richardson, Ohio State — Got plenty of time working with the first team in preseason and could end up in defensive line rotation. Had success blocking place kicks in college.
Rd. 6/175, FB Oren O'Neal, Arkansas State — Has the sort of powerful blocking skills coveted by Tom Rathman and has put them on display on special teams.
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACK: Starter — Daunte Culpepper or Josh McCown. Backups — Andrew Walter, JaMarcus Russell.
Culpepper signed July 31 when Russell couldn't come to agreement on a contract, and from Day 1 showed more mobility than during his four-game stint as a Miami starter last season. He is behind in terms of the offense but has the most proven track record. McCown's strength is on rollouts and bootlegs, both expected to be big parts of the Raiders offense under Lane Kiffin. He has not passed as well in the pocket and over the middle. Walter's style as a dropback passer may not ever suit the Raiders under Kiffin. If and when Russell signs, it's doubtful he would be a factor unless the season is shot and the calendar turns to December.
RUNNING BACKS: Starters — RB LaMont Jordan, FB Zack Crockett. Backups — RB Dominic Rhodes, RB Justin Fargas, RB Adimchinobe Echemandu, FB Justin Griffith, FB Oren O'Neal.
Early indications are Jordan could be a good fit for the zone-blocking scheme instituted this season. The Raiders gave him a take-it-or-leave it proposition and forced him to take a $1.25 million cut in a roster bonus and want to see something this season. Rhodes, who ran well in training camp after a strong postseason with the Colts, arrives as a second back after a four-game suspension. Kiffin must work out the fullback logjam among Crockett, Griffith and O'Neal, with Griffith being the best receiver of the group. Fargas led the Raiders with 659 yards rushing last season but was being outperformed on a daily basis by Echemandu, whose patience running behind zone blocking was one of the top stories of camp.
TIGHT END/H-BACK: Starter — Zach Miller. Backups — John Madsen, Tony Stewart.
Miller simply doesn't drop passes and seems to have an innate understanding of how to find open areas. He could be Oakland's best third-down receiver at tight end since Todd Christensen. The only reason his numbers could be somewhat limited is the presence of Madsen, a tight end/wide receiver tweener whose receiving skills bring to mind Ed McCaffrey and Joe Jurevicius. Stewart does not catch the ball as well but he won't need to. His role will be as a blocker.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters — Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry. Backups — Travis Taylor, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Mike Williams.
Porter, whose feud with Art Shell essentially cost him an entire season of his career, is in the good graces of Kiffin and will be counted on to regain his form of 2004-05, when he caught 140 passes for 1,940 yards in 32 games. Curry was Oakland's top receiver last season with 62 receptions for 727 yards even though he didn't become a starter until the final four games of the season following a remarkable comeback from Achilles' tears in back-to-back seasons. He is Oakland's best third-down receiver. Taylor, a former first-round draft pick, is a solid if unspectacular complementary possession receiver. Higgins is potentially the best game-breaker in terms of run-after-catch and catching the long ball, but as a rookie, may take awhile to develop. Williams, a Detroit castoff, was recruited at USC by Kiffin, who believes he can extract the potential from an impressive physical specimen.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters — LT Barry Sims, LG Robert Gallery, C Jake Grove or Jeremy Newberry, RG Cooper Carlisle, RT Cornell Green. Backups — T Mario Henderson, T/G Paul McQuistan, G Kevin Boothe, T Chad Slaughter.
Line coach Tom Cable is reprogramming the Oakland line to be similar to the one he had in Atlanta and the ones Denver has used to run roughshod over the AFC West. The emphasis will be zone blocking and cut blocking. The early results have been promising. Gallery, in particular, seems to have taken to the scheme and may end up being a quality guard instead of the left tackle the Raiders selected in the 2004 draft. Grove has the quickness the scheme requires, but he is being pushed by Newberry. He would give the Raiders the most power they've had in the middle of the line since Barret Robbins was healthy. Sims has been a survivor at left tackle, with Carlisle and Green forming a new right side of the line. Green has predominantly been a backup throughout his career and could be pushed. Depth is a question, although second-year players Boothe and McQuistan got a lot of playing time as rookies.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters — LE Derrick Burgess, DT Terdell Sands, DT Warren Sapp, RE Tommy Kelly. Backups — DE Quentin Moses, DE Jay Richardson, DE Chris Clemons, DT Tyler Brayton, DT Anttaj Hawthorne, DT Gerard Warren.
Ideally, the Raiders like to create pressure with their front four. Burgess, with 27 sacks in 32 games with Oakland, has more than held up his end of the bargain. Sapp had 10 sacks last season and came into camp having lost 49 pounds this season for more quickness at age 33. Sands is Oakland's most immovable force and signed a four-year contract with a $4 million signing bonus for run defense. Kelly can play either end or tackle and will likely give way to Moses in nickel situations for more of a pass rush. Brayton, who hasn't flourished at either outside linebacker or defensive end, was moved inside to try and make use of his quickness there. Hawthorne is strictly a reserve, and the Raiders took a shot on Warren to see if he could return to his form in Denver two years ago.
LINEBACKERS: Starters — SLB Sam Williams, MLB Kirk Morrison, WLB Thomas Howard. Backups — LB Robert Thomas, OLB Jon Condo, OLB Isaiah Ekejiuba, MLB Ricky Brown.
The two linebackers who will be on the field most of the time are Morrison and Howard, two active, aggressive tacklers who are excellent pass defenders and must prove they can be stout against the run. Howard, in particular, has star quality because of his sideline-to-sideline play-making ability. Williams has had his moments on running downs but is first off the field in nickel and dime alignments. Thomas is a quality backup in that he can play all three positions well. Ekejiuba and Brown are both special teams players, as is Condo, whose employment is based solely on long-snapping.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters — RCB Nnamdi Asomugha, LCB Fabian Washington, SS Michael Huff, SS Stuart Schweigert. Backups — S Donovin Darius, CB Chris Carr, CB Stanford Routt, S B.J. Ward, CB John Bowie, CB Chris Johnson.
Asomugha suddenly became one of the NFL's top corners in 2006, intercepting eight passes and shutting down virtually everything on his side. He worked his hands for three years and finally began coming down with opportunities that had eluded him. Washington is Oakland's fastest corner and is ahead of where Asomugha was after two seasons. The two form one of the NFL's better cornerback tandems. Huff is being counted on to take a big step up this season. He had a solid, steady rookie season as the No. 7 pick in the draft but was not an immediate playmaker. Schweigert misses the occasional open-field tackle but operates as the glue of the secondary in terms of assignments and leadership. Darius, if he can remain healthy, allows Oakland to go to a bigger version of the nickel it calls the "Wolverine" that is stout against the run. In the conventional nickel, Routt will compete with Carr as the slot corner. Routt is bigger and faster, but Carr might be the better football player. Ward assumes the backup safety/special teams enforcer role of the departed Jarrod Cooper. Johnson's speed and experience should let him see the field on occasional downs, while Bowie's main attributes are speed, raw skill and the fact that Oakland used a fourth-round draft pick acquired in the Randy Moss deal to get him.
SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Sebastian Janikowski, P Shane Lechler, LS Jon Condo, KOR Chris Carr or Johnnie Lee Higgins, PR Chris Carr or Johnnie Lee Higgins.
Janikowski, whose leg strength was a legend at Florida State, has instead developed into a fairly reliable kicker from 39 yards and in (98-for-108, 90.6 percent) and is an unremarkable 62.4 percent (58-for-93) from 40 yards and beyond. The endless stream of touchbacks he was supposed to create have never materialized. Lechler, if given good coverage, is one of the NFL's top punters. He too often outkicks his coverage and punts into the end zone — a career-high 19 touchbacks last season — but he could be a valuable field-position weapon given a capable supporting cast. Condo has been steady and reliable through camp and he'll have to be, because the man he replaced, Adam Treu, was taken for granted. Carr has struggled on punt returns and is a dangerous kickoff returner. Higgins will challenge for both return jobs.
nice post BK
