 
|
News Archive
April 9 - May 31, 2000
Raiders.com has posted the following information concerning services for Eric Turner:
The service for Eric Turner—which will be private—will be held this Saturday in Southern California. Please respect the wishes of the family to keep any other service details private.
Cards can be sent in care of the Turner family to The Oakland Raiders, 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent on behalf of Eric Turner to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 2501 W. Burbank Blvd., Suite 306, Burbank, CA 91505.
Details of Eric Turner's condition became public today, and they are both shocking and tragic. Only 31 years old, Turner is said to be "gravely ill" with intestinal cancer.
Read the article from today's San Jose Mercury News.
There are no new developments to report in the Eric Turner story.
This past Thursday a small suburban newspaper, the Los Angeles Daily News, ran a brief article reporting that Turner had a serious and possibly career-threatening stomach ailment. By late afternoon major media had picked it up.
Stories suggested that the condition is something "worse than" stomach ulcers but were no more specific than that. An anonymous Raiders team official was quoted as saying that "people should really be concerned for this kid" and implied that it was the family's wish that the details be kept private. One report said Turner was hospitalized in Ventura County (in the greater Los Angeles area).
After a stellar first season with the Raiders in 1997, Turner missed a majority of both the 1998 and 1999 seasons with what were described at the time as ankle and foot "sprains." These purported sprains took so many months to heal that this observer wondered if they weren't really stress fractures. Turner missed the April mini-camp this year for "personal reasons."
Turner's apparent health crisis makes the safety position that much more problematic for the Raiders. Granted, they have brought in bodies, signing free agents Anthony Dorsett and Je'rod Cherry and drafting Cliffton Black, but none of these guys has ever started regularly in the NFL. Additional safeties on the roster are Charles Mincy, Johnnie Harris, Marcus Ray (playing in NFL Europe at the moment), and Calvin Branch. Both safety slots now appear to be up for grabs.
Sources: Associated Press, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee
The Raiders.com digital photos from the April 28-30 mini-camp included one showing CB Marquis Walker, No. 38, on the field. Walker, who was a free agent, has apparently been re-signed although the team has not announced it.
Several Raiders will be signing autographs today from noon until 3:00 p.m. at Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton. See Raiders.com for details.
The Raiders recently upped the claim for damages in their lawsuit to $1.1 billion, an increase of approximately one-third. <muffled snickers>
Source: Oakland Tribune
The Raiders announced the signings of five more players yesterday as the team fills out its roster for the upcoming mini-camp. Several of these players had actually been signed earlier in the week.
The one veteran among the free agents, DE Jamal Duff, has kicked around. Or, as the Oakland Tribune succinctly puts it, he "has spent time with the New York Giants, Washington and Chicago without making a significant impact." Oakland lists Duff as 6-7 and 285 pounds.
The undrafted free agents were T Jeff Cronshagen of Stanford, DE Abdul-Salam Noah of San Jose State, USC RB Jabari Jackson, and LB Julius Jackson of Nebraska.
The most likely to make some impact might well be Cronshagen, an All-Pac 10 selection and the left tackle for a Stanford team which allowed only 15 sacks in 12 games. Cronshagen, a Bay Area product, is 6-7 and 300 pounds.
Sources: Associated Press, Raiders.com, Oakland Tribune
Where Are They Now Dept.: Green Bay, trying to replace nose tackle Gilbert Brown, signed Russell Maryland to a three-year contract today.
Green Bay turned its attention to Maryland after its efforts to sign DT Sam Adams fell through late last week.
Source: ESPN.com
The Raiders announced the signings of DT Austin Robbins, WRs Shamari Buchanan and Marcus Knight (Michigan), S Eric Johnson, and RB Anthony White (Kentucky).
Robbins was a 1994 fourth-round draft pick of the Raiders and played for Oakland in 1994-95. He was a reserve defensive tackle for New Orleans the past four years.
In 1995 Robbins played in all 16 games for the Silver and Black and started two. He ran a fumble recovery back six yards for a touchdown.
Buchanan has good size (6-2, 216) but caught only 10 passes last year for Alabama. White is seen primarily as a third down receiving back. Knight caught 4 TD passes in the East-West Shrine Game but went undrafted after a poor 40-yard time at the Combine.
Released by the Raiders were WR Cory Fleming, DE Nick Martucci and TE Dorrick Roy, the latter two currently playing in NFL Europe. Martucci, a favorite of this observer, was in camp with Oakland last year—an undersized defensive end with a great motor.
Sources: Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune
And now, for a belated description of the second day of the Raiders' draft:
The Raiders took an enormous gamble with their 4th round pick. DT Junior Ioane of Arizona State is described as a good run stopper. More pertinently, he's a 325-pounder coming off ACL surgery. There's a significant possibility this guy won't even be able to play in 2000. The human knee, a delicate joint, is not designed to support loads of 300-plus pounds. If 180-pound Eric Allen couldn't come back in one year, how on earth do the Raiders expect Ioane to rehab sufficiently to contribute this year? Let's hope the Raiders know something we don't.
In the fifth round Oakland addressed its other special teams liability by selecting Shane Lechler, the best punter in this year's draft. Leo Araguz will remain on the roster for the time being to provide some competition, but Araguz can't kick directionally, can't pooch punt, and had a thoroughly mediocre season last year. Look for Lechler to replace Araguz on the final roster come August if not sooner.
Oakland's last pair of picks came in the seventh round. TE Mondriel Fulcher was Bubba Franks' backup at Miami and is relatively inexperienced as a receiver. S Cliffton Davis, a former linebacker switched to safety, sounds like a big hitter.
The Oakland Tribune reports that the Raiders have signed, or are about to sign, three undrafted free agents.
Nebraska LB Julius Jackson is 6-0, 243. Eric Johnson, 6-0 and 215, also played linebacker at Nebraska but will be tried at safety. He's a former high school sprinter.
Finally, the Raiders signed WR Shamari Buchanan of Alabama.
The Raiders traded with Seattle to move up seven spots in the final round, using the pick to take S Clifton Black, whom the Raiders describe as a hard-hitting safety out of Southwest Texas State.
Sources: Raiders.com, The Sporting News
The Raiders surprised observers by picking PK Sebastian Janikowski with the 17th overall pick.
Most observers had speculated that Janikowski would go in the late first round or very early second round. The Raiders clearly saw their biggest need as the kicking game, because they passed up WR Sylvester Morris to choose Janikowski.
Oakland used its entire 15-minute allotment before announcing its selection. The organization was likely trying to move down in the first round or up in the second. At any rate—and assuming that Janikowski's serious legal problems are successfully resolved—the Raiders' kicking game should be set for years to come.
In Round 2 Oakland chose WR Jerry Porter. Porter was a steal at No. 47. 6-3 and 220 pounds, he's extremely athletic and has an amazing 44-inch vertical jump.
Most experts had predicted the Raiders would use their first round pick on a wideout. Instead, they were able to get not only the kicker they needed, but a top-tier receiver as well.
Porter is a project. At West Virginia he played at quarterback and defensive back as well as receiver and consequently is fairly green.
When DT Russell Maryland was cut on April 1, reporters offered a variety of possible reasons. Yesterday, coach Jon Gruden confirmed that the most obvious of them was the reason for the move. Maryland simply had become too expensive for the Raiders.
Recall that during the 1996 offseason, the team made a big-bucks foray into the free agent market, signing both Maryland and CB Larry Brown to huge contracts. Like all contracts in the salary cap era, both deals were heavily backloaded—small base salaries at first, escalating to very big salaries by contract's end.
Brown washed out quickly. Maryland started the past 4 years, but was due to receive roughly $2.5 million in salary for 2000. Just too much for a player who was steady but not remotely dominant.
Russell had renegotiated his contract at least once in previous years, but he and the Raiders were unable to reach any agreement this year.
Said Gruden, "We wanted to keep Russell here. We tried to work something out. Russell chose to be a free agent. And that's his status at this time"
Gruden was asked if Russell's contract had contained a clause allowing Maryland to void his deal.
"No," he replied. "We did try to rework his contract. I don't think Russell was interested in that. Due to that, I believe he felt it was in his best interest to move on and be a free agent"
Gruden expressed confidence that Grady Jackson will be able to fill Maryland's shoes.
"Grady Jackson, in my opinion, is an emerging player who is going to get an opportunity to become a starter here," he said. "And I think he's earned that opportunity for what he's done on the field. This offseason is critical for him. We think he's got some upside in terms of his ability. He's a young guy with size and strength to move the pocket. And he's got very good movement for a big man."
Source: San Francisco Examiner
The Raiders re-signed Barry Sims to a two-year deal this past week. Sims proved invaluable last season because of his versatility on the offensive line.
Sources: Raiders.com, Contra Costa Times
