Oakland Raiders - The Vertical Game

News Archive
July 2 - Sept. 24, 2005

Saturday, September 24, 2005

FB John Paul Foschi (knee) missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, and coach Norv Turner conceded it was unlikely Foschi would play Sunday. Turner also said WR Johnnie Morant would probably not be activated, as the team planned to go with only four wide receivers.

Correction: It's WR Doug Gabriel, rather than Johnnie Morant, whom the Raiders will likely activate in place of Ronald Curry. Gabriel has been agitating to get back on the field for over a week now despite the original medical prognosis that he wait until Oct. 2 to return to action. And Gabriel is presumably higher in the pecking order than Morant.

A report on NFL.com several days ago said the Raiders were considering bringing back 33-year-old tailback Charlie Garner when Curry does go on IR. Garner hurt a knee with Tampa Bay and carried only 30 times during his year with the Bucs. Tampa Bay released him in March.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Forget this observer's wishful thinking of yesterday that either QB Donovan McNabb or WR Terrell Owens might not play on Sunday. Both, we are assured, will answer the bell . . .

Showtime impresses yet again . . . It took only a game and a half for Houston to decide that Phillip Buchanon will no longer be their starting cornerback.

The Texans yanked Buchanon at halftime of their loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday and named Demarcus Faggins the starter for the next game against Cincinnati on Oct. 2.

Buchanon got criticized for his lackluster attempt at tackling Steelers running back Willie Parker on a touchdown run in the first half. He was also beaten in pass coverage on several occasions and netted 6 yards on his lone punt return.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

The Raiders might catch a break injury-wise in playing the Iggles right now. QB Donovan McNabb has a groin injury that's categorized as questionable, and WR Terrell Owens has missed practice with a groin/abdominal injury but is listed as probable. Kicker David Akers also has a tender hamstring, but the team signed K Todd France to the practice squad as insurance.

Philly coach Andy Reid said yesterday on the team's official web site that McNabb had been so sore on Tuesday that he was unable to do anything at all . . .

Here's the full but preliminary league injury report as issued on Wednesdays:

Oakland: Out: WR Ronald Curry (Achilles). Questionable: CB Nnamdi Asomugha (foot), FB John Paul Foschi (knee), WR Doug Gabriel (finger), DE Tommy Kelly (knee). Probable: RB Justin Fargas (knee).

Philadelphia: Questionable: K David Akers (right hamstring), QB Donovan McNabb (abdomen). Probable: G Shawn Andrews (shoulder), P Dirk Johnson (hernia), WR Greg Lewis (foot), WR Terrell Owens (abdomen), FB Josh Parry (quadricep), CB Lito Sheppard (knee).

Readers can safely assume, in this observer's view, that these players have been released with injury settlements: DT Kenny Smith, T Shaun Rose, and SS Keyon Nash. They don't appear on the Raiders.com roster list of IR players and aren't impact players such that the organization would likely pay them for a year when they couldn't play. For Nash, especially, getting hurt at such a bad time has to be a big disappointment, since this was probably his last good chance to make the team; he's out of practice squad eligibility.

OL Pete McMahon was previously reported in this space as having received an injury settlement and having been signed to the Brownies' practice squad.

With WR Ronald Curry, the question isn't whether he'll be placed on IR, but when. I've gone ahead and moved him to that category on this site's rosters, and I think the Raiders will do the same very shortly also, since doing so will allow them to activate WR Johnnie Morant, who had a big pre-season but has yet to dress for a regular season game.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

By now no doubt all Raiders fans have heard the sickening news about WR Ronald Curry—that he's re-torn the left Achilles tendon, the one he'd worked so hard to rehab from last year's tear. This is Curry's third Achilles tear in six years; while at North Carolina he tore the right tendon.

Curry will have surgery at a future date. Most likely they're waiting for swelling to subside.

This after the Raiders escaped from the opener at New England with no injuries. The other injuries reported following the loss to KC are not serious, according to coach Norv Turner—a mildly sprained foot for CB Nnamdi Asomugha, a chest contusion for DT Ted Washington, and unspecified injuries to FB John Paul Foschi and DE Tommy Kelly.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Raiders.com is often inaccurate when it comes to roster details, but they are correct, and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat is in error, about the name of the newest practice squad member. He's not Eugene Hiram, as published in the paper and repeated here yesterday, but rather Hiram Eugene, per the 2004 Bulldogs roster posted on the Louisiana Tech web site. He was listed as a corner, 6-1, 205 lbs., and a junior. Misunderstandings can easily occur when your first and family names are both first names.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Oakland: Questionable: WR Doug Gabriel (finger). Probable: QB Kerry Collins (right thumb); RB Justin Fargas (knee); WR Jerry Porter (hamstring).

Kansas City: Questionable: QB Todd Collins (right hand); RB Tony Richardson (knee/ankle); T Willie Roaf (hamstring); T Kevin Sampson (toe); DT Ryan Sims (foot); CB DeWayne Washington (back). Probable: LB Rich Scanlon (shoulder); CB Patrick Surtain (concussion).

Signed to the practice squad to replace the released ex-Cowboy Erik Bickerstaff was DB Eugene Hiram. Hiram is an undrafted rookie from Louisiana Tech. He grew up in Jeanerette, La., which he said was mercifully unaffected by Hurricane Katrina.

Thirteen more players who worked out along with Hiram but who weren't offered contracts (at least immediately) were: tackles Anthony Clement, Brandon Winey and William Obeng, guard Enoch DeMar, center Tyson Walter, defensive tackle Dorsett Davis, defensive ends Anton Palepoi and Tyler King, linebackers Jim Maxwell, Terry Pierce and Jashon Sykes, and defensive backs Ray Green and Art Thomas. Not exactly household names . . .

Thursday, September 15, 2005

RB Erik Bickerstaff, signed to the practice squad on Sept. 5, was released from the practice squad.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Several days back, another paper, the Sacbee, echoed the sentiment that Ron Stone won the starting nod over Brad Badger at right guard because he's better at pulling. This observer finds the subject ironic, since the best pulling guards are usually well under 300 pounds and considerably more nimble than most of the mammoth Raiders linemen. Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, in his prime, played at about 265 pounds, and Wiz at 285 or 290. The lightest of the current guards on the roster is Badger at 320.

The Denver Donks have demonstrated for years that a team can have a top-grade running attack with smaller, more agile linemen.

Coach Norv Turner said the team suffered no injuries to speak of in the loss at Gillette Stadium.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Later update: I just came upon this discouraging news in an article carried by the AP on Sept. 7. The judge in Barret Robbins' criminal case—the pending attempted murder charges—has ordered the defendant jailed for at least two weeks because of his arrest last week for possession of marijuana.

The article says Robbins will receive his medications while confined. The judge scheduled a hearing for Sept. 21 to consider whether Robbins could be treated elsewhere for his bipolar disorder. Until then, said the judge, Robbins will stay locked up.

Interested readers can find a link to the article at September 7th in the Articles section.

Late update: Sacramento-area fans: There's a free rally in progress in the "huge Basketball Town complex" off Highway 50 in Rancho Cordova, CA, sponsored by KHTK-AM radio. It runs from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. today, Saturday, Sept. 10. Several current Raiders players are supposed to attend, so what are you waiting for?

It wasn't clear until the Raiders offense took the field for the opening drive, but coach Norv Turner has elected to start Ron Stone at right guard over Brad Badger. The two had split reps throughout training camp, and Turner literally refused to name a starter to reporters prior to kickoff Thursday night.

Turner was the one to name Badger the nominal starter in the first place, but one had the feeling that he wanted Stone in there all along. Even though Stone is 3½ years older—and Turner alluded to the age of both candidates when asked why he was alternating them in practice drills—and was cut during the off-season, then re-signed at a lower salary, Turner clearly likes him. Also mitigating against Badger, perhaps, is his versatility—he can play all the interior line positions (he's a backup long snapper), and even went in on one play against New England as a pass-eligible second tight end.

Said Turner of Stone, "He's a physical presence. He had an outstanding camp. Both are gonna play, but we feel a physical presence that Ron brings." This observer noticed that in another local paper (he can't recall which) Stone was referred to as "pulling G Ron Stone," suggesting perhaps that Stone may be better in space than Badger.

Because Badger plays any position along the line, his coaches like to have Badger in reserve, should they need to plug him in somewhere. And there has been rampant speculation that he could replace Langston Walker as the starter at left guard. Indeed, Walker was clearly overmatched at times in the New England game, but then, when the cameras and announcers did focus on Walker, he was matched up against All-Pro DL Richard Seymour, who's a load for almost any offensive lineman. (Seymour jumped around all evening and most often lined up opposite Stone rather than Walker.)

I'm behind on reading, especially roster trivia and sites reporting the same, and thus I'm behind on reporting such info as well. The Raiders gave Pete McMahon an injury settlement (reported on Sept. 4), so he's no longer with the Silver and Black. He was signed to Cleveland's practice squad.

Thursday, September 8, 2005

Oakland: Out: WR Doug Gabriel (finger). Questionable: RB Justin Fargas (knee), WR Jerry Porter (hamstring).

New England: Questionable: LB Tully Banta-Cain (knee), WR Andre' Davis (foot), WR David Givens (chest), T Brandon Gorin (thigh), DE Jarvis Green (thigh), WR Bethel Johnson (thigh), DT Dan Klecko (knee), S James Sanders (ankle), CB Duane Starks (thigh).

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Evening update: It seemed odd at first, the Raiders roster—so many wideouts, only four running backs total, one of whom, Justin Fargas, is injury-prone . . . but subsequent media articles and, in particular, interviews with Randal Williams, John Paul Foschi, and coach Norv Turner have clarified the situation considerably. The moral of the story—it can be stated in advance—is that versatility pays handsome dividends in the NFL.

First, Williams made the roster specifically as a tight end. While his muscular build has been noted in this column and on the radio by announcers Papa and Flores, it's now official. He was asked to try playing tight end, agreed to do so, and obviously did so well enough to make the coaches want to keep him on the final active roster. It certainly didn't hurt his case that he looks to be proficient in the "gunner" role on the kickoff coverage team. Jarrod Cooper is an ace at that normally, but Cooper's comeback attempt on Aug. 24 resulted in a strained groin and he is something of a question mark for the time being, so Williams stepping into that role with gusto is a timely development and no doubt welcome to special teams coach Joe Avezzano. It also helped Williams that when WR John Stone separated a shoulder on Aug. 26, he (Williams) was able to step in at wideout.

Second, Foschi says that his versatility helped him make the team and hinted that the coaches have hidden, to some extent, his abilities as a fullback. He said, "I know I'm not gifted with all sorts of great ability and speed. So I just have to work hard. . . ."

"I think it's a matter of being able to show the coaches and the staff that you can be consistent on a day-to-day basis, and that you're good enough to play," said Foschi, 23, who spent time with the Jets, Broncos and Vikings in 2004 before signing with the Raiders in Week 9 of last season. "When you get out there and you have a chance, you have to play well."

"I'm gonna probably be doing a lot of things," Foschi told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. "That's part of the reason why I made the team, because I have versatility to do tight end, motion to fullback, motion (from fullback) to tight end, stuff like that. And then of course playing on special teams helped a lot."

The kid has probably never been interviewed so much in his entire professional career.

For the record, my database tells me (courtesy of Pro Football Weekly) that the 2004 Foschi travelogue referred to above went like this: "Released by Jets 9/6/04, from Broncos practice squad 9/14, from Vikings practice squad 9/28; added to Raiders practice squad (where he ended the 2004 season) 10/12/04." AKA Suitcase Special. Ah, the life of an NFL developmental squad player.

Source(s): San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times, Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Where Are They Now Dept.: FB Chris Hetherington, who was said to have lost a step (and was also considerably more expensive, as a nine-year vested veteran, than newcomer John Paul Foschi) was signed by the San Francisco Whiners today.

Monday, September 5, 2005

The ubiquitous Gerald Hibbard advises that per NFL.com, practice squad size for 2005 is again eight players, so the Raiders still have two slots they can fill. (The Chron also reported that the limit is eight, not including Quarshie.)

The Raiders added RB Erik Bickerstaff to the practice squad today. Six feet and 230 pounds, he was in the Dallas organization in 2003-04, seeing action in four games during 2003, none last year. He played collegiately at Wisconsin.

Sunday, September 4, 2005

Number changes: There are only two to report. Returner and DB Chris Carr may have felt like too conspicuous a target wearing No. 1; he's switched to No. 23. And TE Zeron Flemister traded in 48 for a more traditional tight end issue, No. 88. The other new tight end, John Paul Foschi, elected to stand pat on 49. That's not so strange, as Foschi says he expects to be used as a hybrid fullback-tight end.

I'm confused. Raiders.com is showing six players signed to the practice squad (not counting Quarshie). It's the number that I don't understand. I think DT Michael Quarshie isn't counted since he's part of a contractual deal involving the league and every AFC West (and NFC South) team. But as I wrote below, earlier today, I thought the limit was five. Apparently not.

At any rate, there's good news—Hawthorne's positive pot test from the Combine still scares off most teams and he made it through waivers unclaimed. Not a surprise to this observer is T Brad Lekkerkirker—the Raiders always keep a big lineman as insurance against injuries; Lekkerkirker has great size and although he's 27, he's actually very green—he isn't beat up from years in the NFL. The Raiders also obviously liked G Clinton Brooks (whom they're now calling C.J.), as he was signed. Rounding out the group are receivers James Adkisson—a conversion project-in-progress to tight end—and Cedric Bonner, and RB DeJuan Green.

Thanks to readers Gerald Hibbard and Brian Mayer for bringing roster corrections to my attention. I'm still not caught up and haven't seen most articles for the period Aug. 17-Sep. 3.

S Jarrod Cooper came off the PUP list on Aug. 23 and is on the active roster. DT Kenny Smith is on Injured Reserve for 2005, thus preserving the 53 slots. Also IR'd (and thus protected), rather than released outright, were SS Keyon Nash and T Shaun Rose. I believe that makes all correct. The practice squad is to be named today.

The practice squad size was expanded from 5 to 8 players last year by vote of the owners, as a one-year experiment only. I read, as of about a month ago, that they—the owners—still had not called a vote on whether to repeat the enlargement for 2005. In effect, they were letting it go down to the wire. Like all rules changes, it would require a 3/4 approval by the owners. Note that in the absence of an approval vote, the old limit of five would automatically be restored. That is what I believe may have happened, but we shall see soon enough.

Source(s): Gerald Hibbard, Brian Mayer, Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle

Saturday, September 3, 2005

As required, the Raiders pared their roster to 53 today, and there were some surprises. Gone are 2003 second-round draft pick TE Teyo Johnson, who started camp at No. 2 on the depth chart; LB Jay Foreman, a starter with Houston who not only couldn't earn a starting spot, but couldn't stick, period; FB Chris Hetherington, a special teams stalwart; and DT Anttaj Hawthorne, for whom the Raiders traded up in the draft. Also cut were DE-OLB Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, former Raider TE Rickey Dudley, and the 20-year-old Englishman, DT Lorn Mayers.

New to the Raiders are the exciting cornerback and return man Chris Carr; draft picks CB Fabian Washington, CB Stanford Routt, ILB Kirk Morrison, and LB Ryan Riddle; and defensive linemen Derrick Burgess, Ed Jasper, and Kenny Smith. And newcomer WR Randal Williams—built like a small tight end—won a spot, too, as did a large tight end, John Paul Foschi. Finally, safety Keyon Nash, out of practice squad eligibility, made the "bigs," together with longshot tackle Shaun Rose. All in all, an interesting roster, with lots of youth and younger (5 seasons or less) players.

Also back is sixth-round draft pick Pete McMahon, who wasn't claimed off waivers and so whose rights have reverted to the Raiders. He was placed first on the Waived Reserved list, then transferred to Injured Reserved. Thus he's protected for the year without taking up a precious taxi squad slot. (Practice squad size has reverted to five players per team again, apparently.) Look for several of the released players to be named to the practice squad tomorrow if they clear waivers: Hawthorne and perhaps QB Bret Engemann and DE-LS Jordan Hicks.

Oops!! I should have known better than to rely solely on the Raiders.com transactions page. T Shaun Rose does not appear on the roster although he's not listed as a cut, and there's one more . . . here I'd just reported the feel-good factoid about Keyon Nash, and perusing the roster, I see he didn't survive the cut after all. So that's 53 healthy bodies, with 3 more on IR and one on PUP. Argh! Also, reader Gerald Hibbard caught the fact several days back that G Rod Green had dropped off the roster as well without a specific mention on the transactions page.

Thursday, September 1, 2005

To get down to the required 65 players, the Raiders released the following players over the period Aug. 19-30: WRs Will Holder and LaShaun Ward, SS Marques Anderson (a surprise to this observer), TE John Norman, P Bryce Benekos, RB Leonard Henry, OL Pete McMahon, QB David Rivers, LB Maugaula Tuitele, CB Brock Williams, S Kevin Curtis, P Gary Cook, and WR Maurice Washington.

The team also IR'd OLB Sam Williams—down yet again with a leg injury, this time an ACL and meniscus tear in one knee—and WR John Stone, who developed an unspecified "shoulder injury" between the third exhibition game on Aug. 27 and the cutdown date three days later. The two players are thus gone for the season, but protected from other teams and due to be paid by the Oakland franchise.

As for Stone, isn't it curious how players seem to develop serious injuries right around the deadline dates for reducing NFL rosters? It seems to happen nearly every year . . .

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Late update: There's a free Kerry Collins video available on NFL.com. I haven't linked it directly since that site makes it very difficult to simply copy and paste URLs to their RealMedia material. But it's in the right-hand column near the top of the page. Under the six or eight featured videos is a link, "More Free Videos"—click on that and Collins is the fourth one down. Farther down the list, if you like whiners, you can also watch Phillip Buchanon piss and moan.

Defensive line coach Sam Clancy returned to practice two days after fainting during the game against the Whiners. Clancy said tests confirmed that fainting was caused by a heart condition he has had since his college days called atrial fibrillation.

The Raiders signed a new backup punter in view of Shane Lechler's hamstring pull, suffered when he tried to run with a high snap in Saturday's exhibition despite instructions not to do so. He's Bryce Benekos, a strapping UTEP product who stands 6-5 and weighs 227. An undrafted free agent, he was signed by Green Bay on April 29 and released nine days ago. In college he was first team All-WAC.

Waived to make room was undersized defensive end Jordan Hicks, whose outside chance of making the roster had hinged on his long snapping ability. Ironically, it was the poor long snap by DT Kenny Smith—himself filling in for injured Adam Treu, the usual long snapper—that led to Lechler's injury and the need to sign another punter.

Where Are They Now Dept.: Old man Jerry Rice is now (semi-)officially the No. 3 receiver for the Donks. How much this says for Rice's present ability, and how much it indicates Denver's lack of depth at the receiver position, is an open question. Rice moved up despite hardly practicing for a week—it's suspected he may have injured the plantar fascia tissue in his foot, a painful condition which plagued Lincoln Kennedy and Larry Brown and can be notoriously slow to heal (the only cure is rest). And the man he passed on the depth chart, one Darius Watts—not exactly a household name to begin with—dropped three catchable balls in the Donks' win over Houston, so Jerry had some help.

(Actually, Fanball opines that the depth chart shakeup was a "motivational ploy for Watts" following his shaky game performance and sounds the tone that Watts is expected to re-assert himself as No. 3.)

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Prior to yesterday's game the Raiders signed RB Leonard Henry, 6-1 and 210 lbs. A two-year veteran, Henry has been out of organized football since Jacksonville allocated him to NFL Europe in the spring of 2004.

The former East Carolina runner, a seventh-round draft choice of Miami in 2002, has never played in an NFL regular-season game. He spent 2002 on Miami's practice squad. In 2003 he made the Fish's active roster but was inactive for nearly every game.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Coming attractions: After Saturday's tussle in comfortably cool San Francisco, the Raiders will get a taste of real, oppressive, humid heat when they travel to Houston. The team will fly on Wednesday and will practice twice against the Texans Thursday. The two teams will face off for the first time in preseason action Saturday night at Reliant Stadium.

Previous birthdays this month which I missed were: All-Pro P Shane Lechler (turned 29 on Aug. 7), CB Denard Walker (32, Aug. 9), and CB Brock Williams (26, Aug. 11).

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Now we know why rookie DT Anttaj Hawthorne nearly held out, and was the last of the Raiders' 2005 draft picks to sign. The Contra Costa Times reports today that Hawthorne got a five-year contract that averages $386,000. As a point of reference, the minimums in the current CBA are as follows: rookie, $230,000; third-year, $380,000; and fifth-year, $540,000. The aforementioned five-year average, using minimums, would be $382,000. So Hawthorne's agent worked hard to get his client (a) a longer contract (fellow sixth-rounder Pete McMahon got only a two-year deal) at (b) a very minimal premium above minimum wage scale.

That's some hard work by Hawthorne's agent, and no doubt that $4,000 per year went into the agent's commission.

The Raiders.com roster shows rookie Pete McMahon at guard now rather than tackle. The guard spot generally requires less athleticism than tackle, and the pre-draft scouting reports on McMahon characterized him as a very hard worker with only modest athleticism. McMahon played both positions, guard and tackle, at Iowa.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

How not to get noticed: Rookie RB DeJuan Green was banished from the huddle by head coach Norv Turner after missing a pass block during practice this morning.

And journeyman TE Zeron Flemister got cussed at by Turner for the second time in the last several days—again, after failing to block a pass rusher. Turner yelled, "You can't go out. (Bleep), it ain't that tough!"

On Tuesday, Turner interrupted an 11-on-11 drill and told the first-team offense, "We've run about 10 plays, and that's three false starts. Think what the (bleep) you're doing! Get it fixed!"

San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan announced that top 2005 draft pick QB Alex Smith will start Saturday's exhibition and play approximately 25 snaps for the Whiners.

Both CBs Denard Walker and Renaldo Hill have been getting some work at safety in the Raiders' nickel and dime defense drills. Hill volunteered to learn the free safety position back at the team's mini-camp and is presumably the top backup there to Stuart Schweigert.

Continuing injuries: Still not practicing are WR Carlos Francis (hamstring) and C Adam Treu (calf). Add to the list of those likely to be out for a while DE/OLB Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, whose groin strain worsened after he practiced on Monday.

Mentioning Treu reminds this observer that backup TE Teyo Johnson has quietly been trying to learn the art of long snapping from a past master, one-time Raider Trey Junkin. Junkin parlayed long snapping into a 20-year NFL career.

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

Several local papers report that coach Norv Turner says the Raiders will play much more 4-3 defense this season, meaning that DL Warren Sapp will be back at his accustomed "under" tackle position much if not most of the time. Virtually all commentators agree that Sapp was lost last year when defensive coordinator Rob Ryan asked him to moved to defensive end in a base 3-4. Sapp had a career-low 2½ sacks.

Parenthetically, this news came from Turner along with the observation by beat reporters that Ryan hasn't talked with them in 11 months. Wow! If glasnost and perestroika were good enough for the old Soviet Union, think what they might do for the Raiders coaching staff. This observer duly notes that, during the season, Raiders assistants don't grant interviews, but hey—this is early August.

RB LaMont Jordan left camp today to attend the funeral of a family member, Turner said. Jordan is expected to return Thursday morning (Aug. 11) and to play in the team's pre-season game this weekend.

WR LaShaun Ward, yet another banged up receiver (groin), returned to practice on Monday. It's unclear how long he was out.

Sunday, August 7, 2005

The Chron reported that WR Jerry Porter was seen running a cone drill at full speed, and that S Jarrod Cooper was also running at or very close to full speed. So the prognosis for those two would seem to be good.

There's a moving article today from a writer who interviewed Lyle Alzado as a cub reporter in 1977, and who remembers Alzado's warnings to the public about the dangers of steroid use.

This observer vividly recalls a dying Alzado, wearing a kerchief to cover his shaved head as he underwent chemotherapy for brain cancer, looking directly into the camera and pleading with viewers to believe him that steroid use had caused his cancer. He sincerely believed that, although there was (and still is) little medical evidence to support a link between steroid abuse and cancer. Nevertheless Alzado cut a truly sad figure in his last days, and I felt his attempts to educate the public were heroic.

Saturday, August 6, 2005

QB Rich Gannon, who announced his retirement on Aug. 6

It was QB Rich Gannon's day in Napa, and everything was choreographed about as one would expect from a Raiders press conference. Managing general partner Al Davis, an English major at Syracuse, committed a typical massacre of the English language ("proudness"), and Gannon was duly humble, giving the Raiders organization credit for much of what he had to accomplish on his own.

One interesting observation, though, came from Davis, still, at 76, the shrewd football man—that "the scout" told them (the organization) that Gannon's feet would give opponents fits. And they did, while he could still scramble. It was only at the end of his career, when he stopped scrambling, that he became a relatively easy target.

Hamstring blues: Not only will WR Jerry Porter be held out of at least the first exhibition (per coach Norv Turner on Friday), but WR Carlos Francis may also.

Where Are They Now Dept.: 35-year-old DT John Parrella signed with St. Louis today.

Thursday, August 4, 2005

Late update: Reader RFM e-mailed to bring an error to my attention. I've been referring to Ronald Curry as rehabbing from an ACL tear, which is incorrect. Curry tore his heel and Achilles tendon last December, a totally different kettle of fish. (And how's that for a mixed metaphor?)

And frequent correspondent Gerald Hibbard brought to my attention that the Raiders have two new receivers on the roster, not just one. About Aug. 1, WR Will Holder appeared on the Raiders.com and Ourlads rosters for Oakland. Holder, who wears No. 2, is 6-0, weighs 190, is listed as 29 years old and having a year of NFL experience. He played collegiately at Monmouth in New Jersey. He was a jack-of-all-trades for the Arena League's New York Dragons this past spring, playing at the defensive back, kick returner and wide receiver positions.

Four players were returning punts yesterday in special teams drills: Chris Carr, Fabian Washington, Doug Gabriel, and Charles Woodson. Of the four, reporters seemed by far the most impressed with Carr, a pint-sized but hard-hitting and speedy free agent defensive back who's profiled in several local papers today.

Source(s): San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Sacramento Bee

I'm a convert: This observer scoffed at head coach Norv Turner's comment of several days ago that S Jarrod Cooper could be back this season, but Cooper himself told the Oakland Tribune that he fully intends to return by the Aug. 26 home exhibition against Arizona. And yes, it was an ACL tear that Cooper suffered in May. Read for yourself, in today's Tribune blog entry . . .

Wednesday, August 3, 2005

Oops, darn, the Raiders got confused again . . . (Should we be surprised?

Somehow I don't think so.) WR Jerry Porter does have a hamstring pull after all, and could miss several weeks.

Actually, the cloak-and-dagger stuff is typical Raiders, but we're not even a week into training camp, fergawdssake . . .

The Raiders owned to reporters as how three players had suffered hammy pulls—Porter, WR Carlos Francis (head coach Norv Turner contradicting himself on that one), and CB Charles Woodson, whose groin strain aka hamstring pull is sufficiently healed that he's returned to practice.

The team signed an interim wide receiver, Randal Williams, who played for Dallas in 2001-04 and was a special teams standout during several of those seasons. One of the local rags cleverly noticed that Williams has a "muscular" build similar to Porter's—Williams is 6-2 and 211 lbs. He played collegiately at New Hampshire where, interestingly, he had a double major in business and Spanish. He hails from the Bronx, so he might even have the good taste to share a love of the Yankees with this observer.

Where Are They Now Dept.: (Fat and Frank) Frank Middleton signed a one-year contract to play for Nick Saban in Miami. We'll see what Saban thinks of Middleton's legendary conditioning . . .

Bill Kolb of Knight-Ridder wrote in today's Contra Costa Times that QB Kerry Collins had his right knee wrapped following the team's morning practice session Tuesday and was walking with a noticeable limp, but said he was not concerned and was moving fine in the afternoon practice. "I'm just getting old," Collins joked. "It's fine. I get a little swelling in there from time to time. At some point, I'll probably take a morning off when we have two-a-days, just to keep it quieted down. But I'm healthy."

Hansen Shieh wrote a piece for Raiders.com interviewing newcomer WR Randy Moss in which Moss says the Oakland playbook gives him much more flexibility to run pass patterns than did Minnesota's.

Asked to compare the two, Moss responded, "It's night and day. The playbook in Minnesota was like one-plus-one. Here it's more like Algebra II. It's very complicated and I'm trying to get the plays down to where I can line up and after you do all that, everything else is very simple. It's a transition for me that I'm going through that's very challenging. I'm trying to put myself up for the challenge and make this thing happen."

Finally, Sacbee Raiders beat writer Gregg Bell wrote yesterday that Marques Anderson, not Derrick Gibson, is practicing with the first team defense at strong safety.

Monday, August 1, 2005

No one ever said the Raiders aren't sneaky. Or anyone who ever did, ought to have his or her head examined. Remember that "knee surgery" that head coach Norv Turner casually mentioned a day or so back in explaining that Jarrod Cooper had been put on the PUP list? And how Cooper's progressing so well and might be back this season? The Chron reports today that it was full-blown ACL surgery. If Cooper went under the knife in May, he won't be back by December—not in seven months. It's been about nine months for Ronald Curry and he's still taking it relatively easy.

Source(s): Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle, KFFL.com

So much for speed and speed alone: Second-round draft-pick Stanford Routt has vaulted ahead of top pick Fabian Washington on the depth chart and is playing with the first team defense as the nickel back in passing situations. It's reported he recovers faster from being drawn out of position than does Washington. Recovery skills are a big part of playing the corner—no one is good enough that they're not going to get suckered by receivers' moves at times. Fluid hips and burst to recover are important characteristics which scouts look for.

In scouting reports at draft time the knock on Routt was that he was raw because he hadn't concentrated entirely on football at Houston, but the knocks on Washington were two: open field tackling and ball skills. It may well be that Routt is the more complete player even despite the lack of experience; he certainly sounds like the more physical player of the two.

My brain works, it just takes a while . . . : I wrote here that Washington's agent had gotten his client a good deal with a five-year contract rather than the six- the Raiders generally prefer for high draft picks. I forgot that with the Collective Bargaining Agreement not renewed, bonuses can presently only be prorated over a maximum of five years instead of the usual six. So probably that factor more than anything accounts for the length of Washington's contract.

The longer a relative handful of wealthier clubs refuse to negotiate a revised revenue-sharing formula for a new CBA the more of a crisis this issue will become. Both Commish Tagliabue and Players Union Prez Gene Upshaw have warned and warned that it's a ticking time bomb . . .

Miscellaneous: Guards Brad Badger and Ron Stone are splitting reps at right guard with the first unit on offense. Turner alluded to them not getting any younger, but Napa's reasonably cool in the mornings when the Raiders do their heavy work and Badger's 30—hardly old for an interior linemen. Stone, on the other hand, recently turned 34 and is coming off an injury-plagued 2004 season. Maybe, as some writers have suggested, Turner really does hope Stone can take the job away from Badger, although Turner told reporters that Badger remains the projected starter.

This observer likens Badger to T Barry Sims, a balanced player whose pass blocking is considerably above average. Stone, in contrast, is more a run blocker and mauler.

Charles Woodson hasn't practiced since suffering a groin twinge in the first full practice and is day-to-day. Carlos Francis, per Turner, will be rested about a week to pamper his hamstring. C Adam Treu has missed two days of practice with a calf pull.

Source(s): Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, Sacramento Bee

Sunday, July 31, 2005

CC Times Raiders beat writer Steve Corkran, generally quite well informed, writes that WR Ronald Curry, in addition to practicing only once a day for the immediate future, will be held out of the first two pre-season games. This seems like a wise precaution seeing as how Curry's ACL tear occurred late in the 2005 season.

WR Carlos Francis probably feels snake-bit, although he's too good a trooper to say so publicly. He hurt his hamstring yesterday sufficiently that he had to be helped off the field and was sent for a precautionary MRI. Fortunately, in Francis' own words, the results "came back real good," so hopefully he'll be able to play a role on the team later in the season. Hamstrings can be notoriously finicky, however . . .

CB Charles Woodson suffered a minor groin twinge or pull, which head coach Norv Turner minimized in speaking to reporters.

Yesterday, rookie CB Fabian Washington left practice with a sizeable ice pack on his knee. Doing his best Randy Moss imitation, he waved off reporters' questions.

The Oakland Tribune reports that the Raiders have their first player on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list—S and ace special teams "gunner" Jarrod Cooper. It seems he (quietly) had knee surgery following the team's May mini-camp. Turner said his rehabilitation has been "amazing" and that he had a chance to be back this year. Hmmmm . . .

The day before camp practices began, seven-year vet OLB Travian Smith failed his physical and was released. He had undergone two surgeries on his left knee, one last season and one during this off-season, but he faces yet another round and would have been unavailable in 2005. The Raiders elected not to IR him for the 2005 season. Turner didn't say whether the Raiders reached an injury settlement with Smith.

Smith was a prospect who came to the Raiders with great speed. A sure tackler, he became a big-time special teams performer, but his sometimes stints as a starter were marked by lapses in coverage and concentration even before the knee injuries took their toll. This observer wishes him well.

Free agent RB Jesse Chatman, most recently with San Diego, took a physical for the Raiders on Saturday. He isn't expected to decide on a team for a couple of days.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

KFFL.com cites a Minneapolis Star-Tribune report today to the effect that QB Rich Gannon won't make his retirement official until Saturday, Aug. 6, in Oakland. "It wasn't a hard decision to make," said Gannon. "When I suffered the broken neck the decision was made for me. It wasn't a situation where I would be able to play anymore. But I have no regrets."

The same article goes on to report that Gannon will sign a one-year contract to work as a game analyst for CBS in 2005.

Where Are They Now Dept.: unrestricted free agent RB J.R. Redmond has signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals after working out for Dennis Green yesterday.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Some interesting—odd, actually—transactions are reported on the Raiders.com site today. S Calvin Branch has returned to the team. Perhaps best remembered for running down Deion Sanders from behind in a game against Dallas, Branch basically played himself right off the team in the 2003 pre-season with absolutely atrocious play. But he comes relatively cheap, at least—with four years experience, the minimum salary for him is only $455,000.

Intriguing is how I'd describe the signing of the youngest player ever to sign with an NFL team, a 20-year-old British national named Lorn Mayers, who plays defensive tackle. You'll find a link to an article about Mayers on this site's Personnel Changes page. Standing 6-4 and weighing 340, Mayers only turned twenty about seven weeks ago. As he put it, he's gone from moving sofas to playing professional football in a span of six months.

Finally, the Fabian Washington contract was memorialized (in legal jargon, that means signed). In a small surprise, its term is five years, not six—presumably a small victory for Washington and his agent. Players don't like to be tied up for the first two years of the period when they'd otherwise be able to seek big bucks in the free agent market; teams typically prefer six-year terms to five. Washington is reported to have received about $5 million in signing bonus.

Reports have second-round pick Stanford Routt very close to signing as well, and Raiders PR flack Mike Taylor said all draft picks were expected to be in the fold in time for camp. Oddly, the only player as to whom there may be difficulty is sixth-rounder Anttaj Hawthorne, on whom the Raiders gambled given his positive marijuana test at the Combine. One writer on NFL.com says that Hawthorne's agent and the Raiders aren't even talking. That would be truly bizarre, since low-round draft picks typically get little more than the minimum salary and perhaps a very, very modest signing bonus; the lion's share goes to the first- and second-rounders. Plus, the Raiders only had approximately $1.6 mil available to sign their draft picks under the cap. So what would there be to negotiate? And what leverage would Hawthorne possibly have? And—as an aside—was signing Lorn Mayers a not-too-subtle message to Hawthorne and his agent?

It's backup G Corey Hulsey's 28th birthday today. And if you're into birthdays and want to get a running start, there are three in succession for Raiders players starting today. Unfortunately, the rinky-dink NFLPlayers.com site omits many players from its listings, including Corey Hulsey and Josh Norman (who'll be 25 tomorrow), so you can't e-mail them. Here's a link you can use to e-mail Sam Williams a birthday wish; he turns 25 on the 28th (reporting day at Napa).

Editor Mike Florio of the Rumor Mill column at ProFootballTalk.com wrote yesterday that he now knows from an item that appeared in print that Raiders head coach Norv Turner is among the "NFL insiders" who read his column. The item had to do with a tidbit Norv passed on to his brother Ron, who's also a football coach.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

KFFL.com reports that Pete McMahon's contract was a two year-deal for base salaries of $230,000 (2005) and $310,000 (2006).

Saturday, July 23, 2005

QB Rich Gannon's retirement is almost certain to occur within the next few days, if for no other reason, because the team will need the $765,000 of cap space it clears when Gannon is either released or files for retirement. Speculation seems to center on July 28, the day the team assembles in Napa—presumably because having the team gathered together again will make a ceremony possible.

Although the team's salary pool allotment from the league is $3,482,560, according to the Oakland Tribune, through Thursday the Raiders had just $1,573,685 of room to work with under the cap.

Rookie CB Stanford Routt turns 22 today. (That makes him a Leo.) If you want to send birthday wishes you can contact players via the NFLPlayers.com web site. For the full URL to e-mail Routt, click here.

Friday, July 22, 2005

The Raiders signed two more of their draft picks today, third-rounder Andrew Walter and sixth-rounder Ryan Riddle. The Raiders.com site announcement refers to Riddle as a LB, so he'll presumably be tried there initially rather than as a down lineman, where he would be somewhat undersized. Hopefully he'll be a little more mobile as a linebacker than "Wooden Indian" Tyler Brayton.

This observer was saddened somewhat to see that T Ivan Douglas was waived today. He had been a real longshot in terms of making the roster, a mammoth guy—6-7 and 330, give or take—who'd suffered two blood clots while an undergrad at Ohio State. I always like a longshot . . . I liked T Joe Wong for similar reasons when he was with the team. Call it Rocky Redux if you will . . .

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Here's an appropriate reminder from KCChiefs.com via KFFL.com, of the origins of the vertical game:

Raiders managing general partner Al Davis worked as an assistant for Sid Gillman before coming north to work in Oakland. Al Saunders was one of the people interviewed by Davis for the Oakland head coaching job after Bill Callahan was fired.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Today is G Ron Stone's 34th birthday. And speaking of birthdays, the newest Raider, Rickey Dudley, turned 33 on the 14th.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

One of the defining characteristics of the Raiders, sadly, is that the organization regularly has brain farts on a colossal scale. One occurred today when the team re-signed TE Rickey Dudley, a name synonymous with underachievement in the NFL.

This observer would be inclined to think the news is a hoax—it's gotten next to no coverage—if it weren't announced on the Raiders.com Transactions page.

Since leaving Oakland, Dudley flopped in Cleveland and Tampa Bay. (Although, to be fair, he struggled with toe and thumb injuries.) And what, pray tell, is so lacking in sophomore Courtney Anderson that the Raiders have signed one journeyman tight end after another this off-season? Teyo Johnson's a bust, I grant you, but Anderson showed serious potential as a rookie and is reportedly all the way back from his injury. So why the panic?

According to ESPN's Len Pasquarelli, Dudley was signed to a one-year deal for the minimum salary. As a nine-year vet that minimum will be $665,000. Waste of money . . .

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Yesterday, July 15, was the date on which NFL clubs are allowed to resume negotiations on long-term deals with players wearing the franchise tag, following a four-month hiatus. Technically, the player must sign his one-year franchise tender before he can sign a long-term deal.

This year's list of franchise players includes, of course, Raiders CB Charles Woodson, who did sign his one-year tender before the break began.

Many writers have noted that were the Raiders to tag Woodson again in 2006, his salary would escalate yet another 20%—presumably too high even for a notorious corner-lover like Al Davis. Unless the Raiders can reach a deal with the Postons—and that agent team always demands exorbitant sums—most pundits expect 2005 to be Woodson's last as a Raider.

Scrolling back through the Rumor Mill columns at ProFootballTalk, I came upon this June entry which I'd missed, and which merits reporting.

It was announced back in March, just a few days after the Randy Moss trade (March 7, to be precise), that Moss took $5 million of his $7.75 million salary as a guaranteed payment, reducing his cap number from $9 million to $4 million.

There was a second "simple" restructuring done on June 23, in which Moss took another $2.085 million in 2005 salary as a guaranteed payment, reducing his base salary to the minimum of $665,000 and reducing his cap number to $2,436,250.

Rumor Mill Editor Mike Florio opines (and this observer agrees) that the moves are aimed at freeing up salary cap dollars for signing the rookie draft picks and otherwise rounding out the roster.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

KFFL.com reported today, citing as its source ESPN columnist John Clayton, that although QB Rich Gannon (neck) still remains on the team roster, when the Raiders need salary cap room it is anticipated that Gannon will be released by the team—likely reason: failing a physical—and then will eventually retire. It is possible he could return to the team in a teaching role.

This observer was unable to find the opinions attributed to Clayton on the ESPN.com web site, but they might have been published on some other site under the ESPN byline.

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

CB Nnamdi Asomugha, anointed the starting right corner this season, turns 24 today.

Monday, July 4, 2005

KFFL.com reported yesterday that the Raiders "recently" signed WR John Stone to a one-year, $380,000 contract, and S Kevin Curtis to a one-year deal for $230,000.

Saturday, July 2, 2005

The rumored Terrell Owens-for-Jerry Porter trade surfaced again several days back. It started when an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia printed it, then spread like wildfire over Internet message boards. This was the second time this observer recalls seeing such a rumor in print.

Yesterday an Eagles exec, speaking to PhillyBurbs.com, scoffed at the rumor, saying, "It won't happen." Let's hope not . . .

Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, issued his own denial. "Everybody has asked me about the trade rumor with Oakland, and that's obviously not accurate," Rosenhaus said Friday. "Terrell has said he's receptive to the idea of playing for another team, but I do not have permission to seek a trade at this time. I've talked to the Eagles. I'm not going to get into who I've talked to, but their position hasn't changed, and neither has ours."

ESPN writer Len Pasquarelli says that agent Brian Mackler, a "terrific numbers guy," is ready to start bargaining with the Raiders about a contract for first-round draft pick CB Fabian Washington. According to Pasquarelli, Mackler is never one to wait for the market to be set before jumping into the negotiating fray.