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News Archive
April - June 1997
Here's an announcement that may be of interest to Raider fans living in the Bay Area.
The 1st Annual Raider/Raiderette Softball Game will be played on Saturday, July 12, at noon, at Weekes Park in Hayward.
The flyer says current Raiders and Raider alums will participate, as well as a few Raiderettes. Tickets are a modest $3.00 per person with all proceeds going to the Police Athletic League. For more info, call (510) 667-9230.
Source: Raiders Fans Mail List
Fans' hopes of seeing Permanent Seat Licenses become permanent suffered at least a temporary setback this week when a proposal to accomplish that was tabled by the Joint Powers Authority.
The 4-member JPA is comprised of two Alameda County Supervisors and two Oakland City Council members, and represents the local government interests in the three-way dealings between Oakland, Alameda County, and the Raiders.
The proposal was actually approved by a 3-1 vote, but because members had agreed earlier that the vote must be unanimous before moving ahead, the proposal was tabled. The one dissenting vote was apparently cast because the Raiders would not publicly endorse the proposal.
OFMA director Richard Rogers said, "I'll continue to try to find a permanent solution for this problem."
The proposal, which had been debated for several months, addressed a number of changes in the ticket pricing structure. Among those provisions, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, was a section providing current PSL holders the option to convert them to permanent status for a fee. The fee would have been lower than what those buying PSLs this year are charged, and would have included an option for holders to spread their payments out over four years.
You'll find more background on this development in the Articles section.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Contract stuff: A June 9th column by Gordon Forbes in USA Today says Raider stars WR Tim Brown and G Steve Wisniewski are among the players who renegotiated their contracts during this off-season.
Forbes says Brown signed a two-year extension, and suggests that Wiz did the same.
Thanks to reader Ed Doyle for alerting me to the article.
Restricted free agent LB/DE James Folston has apparently been re-signed. Contract terms weren't disclosed.
Sources: USA Today, The Sports Xchange (CBS Sportsline)
Coach Joe Bugel says the way to avoid having WR Desmond Howard get jammed at the line of scrimmage—a problem he's had in the past—is to put him in motion.
"I don't care who the receiver is," said Bugel. "If you are playing good pressure cornerbacks, you have to move your receivers around . . . get them moving and make the defender move so he doesn't always have that flush shot on them."
Source: The Sports Xchange (CBS Sportsline)
Afternoon update: Jeff Hostetler went public yesterday with his version of events leading up to his release by the Raiders.
Speaking at a Washington press conference held to announce his signing by the Redskins, Hostetler complained he had to learn from ESPN that he was going to be out of a job because the Raiders were about to sign Jeff George. Hostetler also groused that managing general partner Al Davis stood him up when they were supposed to talk during this off-season.
Finally, Hostetler claimed the credit for the timing of his own release, asserting that the Raiders didn't release him until he had called the Players Association and demanded they file a grievance on his behalf.
Source: Associated Press
In an odd turn of events, the Raiders yesterday re-signed two former Raiders, CB Lionel Washington and DE/LB Aaron Wallace.
Washington, 36, was a starting corner for the Raiders in Los Angeles before being traded to Denver, where he started the last two seasons. Denver cut him during the offseason.
Wallace, 30, was released by Oakland last off-season and signed by Denver as a free agent. The Broncos cut him during pre-season amid (unsubstantiated) rumors that he'd failed a drug test.
Sources: San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times
Kansas City signed WR Andre Rison today.
Perhaps now some of the wild rumors circulating about the Raiders looking for a second starting receiver will die. To listen to some of these flights of fantasy, you'd think the Raiders came within an eyelash of signing half the NFL. Let's see—there was Brett Perriman, Alvin Harper, Andre Rison—don't forget Keyshawn Johnson, either.
Rison's a one-time premiere wideout who's produced next to nothing the last two seasons. In this observer's view, the Squaws can have him.
Source: Contra Costa Times
As expected, Jeff Hostetler signed with Washington yesterday.
His contract is reported to be for three years and $3 million, and to have a cap hit for this year of only $500,000, including a measly $250,000 salary. That means the contract provides for substantial raises in later years. It's unlikely Hostetler, 36, will ever see that money.
Despite that, and even though Washington's been up front with Hostetler about his role, Hostetler's already grumbling about how "tough" it will be for him to accept being a backup.
Sources: Associated Press (Nando.net), USA Today
It's clear now, but it wasn't prior to June 1 . . .
It was widely reported during the spring that the significance of the June 1 date relative to the salary cap was that teams trading or releasing players on or after that date could defer subsequent years' signing bonus money until the 1998 cap year.
The accurate statement is that, since June 1, teams releasing players can defer the cap impact of signing bonus dollars for subsequent years. There is no change, however, for teams trading players.
Thus the waiver rather than trade of Hostetler. Washington offered only a seventh-round choice in next year's draft. Had they traded Hostetler, the Raiders would have had his entire remaining signing bonus of $2.25 million charged to this year's cap while getting little in return.
Because they released him, the Raiders can defer all but the 1997 portion of Hoss' bonus until 1998. This saves them $1.5 million against the cap—roughly half of what they'll need to sign their draft picks.
Ex-Raider Jeff Hostetler is said to be "furious" at the Raiders' delay in releasing him. It turns out that when he hadn't been traded or released by June 2, he considered asking the NFL Players Association to file a grievance on his behalf. Friends say he is still considering that course.
"I've heard that," responded senior assistant Bruce Allen yesterday. He added that Hostetler has "no grounds" for a grievance.
As The Sports Xchange puts it, "Hostetler fumed in private because he was being held in limbo, without a team. He wanted a chance to compete for a job somewhere but the way things were going, by the time he got placed, he feared he would be an afterthought."
"He spent most of his time in Morgantown, West Virginia, out of touch. Ex-Raider teammates who attempted to reach him were unable to get through to him."
Allen pointed out the plain fact—which Hostetler apparently can't accept—that he had almost no trade value because no NFL team wanted him as a starter.
"We attempted to accommodate Jeff's wishes and gave numerous teams the opportunity to negotiate a contract with him," said Allen. "He had a strong desire to move on, but no team was offering anything of significance. I do think that would have changed in September or October, but we chose to move now. Our job to our players, coaches and fans here is to ensure that the Raiders are protected."
Washington hopes to sign Hostetler as soon as possible. He'll be a backup to Gus Frerotte.
Sources: The Sports Xchange (CBS Sportsline), San Jose Mercury News
In something of a surprise, the Raiders released 36-year-old QB Jeff Hostetler late today.
It had been expected that Hoss would be traded to Washington in return for a low-round draft choice next year. The Sportsticker news service cited the Sports Fan Radio Network as reporting that the proposed trade with the Redskins fell through today.
According to USA Today, by releasing Hostetler instead of trading him, the Raiders can defer over $700,000 of Hostetler's pro-rated signing bonus to the 1998 salary cap.
Sources: The Sporting News, USA Today, ESPNet SportsZone
Second-year DE Lance Johnstone had an excellent mini-camp. He's the subject of an article today in the Mercury News.
Some noteworthy comments about Johnstone from other players:
"I would expect he'll have quite a few sacks early. Then, people are going to figure out, 'Hey, we can't block this guy with just a tackle. We're going to have to have a back chipping on him or something.'"—T Pat Harlow
"He's got a better takeoff than anyone. He's deceptively strong, too. You look at him and you think he's not anything. He'll just explode into you."—OL Joey Wylie
"Lance really improved himself in the off-season. He knows the particulars of the game. He's not just getting off the ball and hitting somebody. Now, he gets off the ball with a purpose."—DT Russell Maryland
Johnstone says he likes the 3-tackle scheme the Raiders will employ this year. It's the brainchild of defensive line coach Bill Urbanik, who employed it in a previous coaching stint with the team when they had players like Howie Long, Greg Townsend and Bill Pickel on the roster.
"It cuts down on a lot of confusion. Instead of having the ends flip-flopping like we had last year, we have three tackles that are staying inside on every down. That should give us more consistency."
Johnstone, who is competing with Pat Swilling for a starting job, got nearly all the reps at outside end during the mini-camp. He was occasionally spelled by rookie Chris Thompson. Swilling elected not to attend the voluntary workouts and flew home Monday.
"It's still early; I don't know what they're going to do," said Swilling. "I've been told I'm still the designated starter. We both can play there. If we platoon there or whatever, it really doesn't bother me."
Source: San Jose Mercury News
For the third straight issue of the Raiders team report, Chronicle reporter and TSN contributor Ron Kroichick speculates that the Raiders will bring in free agent camp competition for punter Leo Araguz and placekicker Cole Ford.
It hasn't happened yet. Is this merely wishful thinking, or does Kroichick know something we don't?
Source: The Sporting News
Coach Joe Bugel was quoted in an article yesterday as saying CB Larry Brown "tried to come back too early" last year from his painful foot injury.
"I'm very pleased with his progress (this season)," Bugel said.
Tim Brown echoed the sentiment.
"He's looking a lot better," said Brown. "He's not limping."
Source: Contra Costa Times
Leftovers from the The Sports Xchange report which appeared yesterday:
Thus far, Rick Cunningham has practiced with the first team at RG, ahead of Lester Holmes. Cunningham has very long arms and the Raiders have been trying to give him every chance to win the starting job this year. Thus far he's been unimpressive.
Coach Joe Bugel says he's now considering using either Chester McGlockton or Darrell Russell as a short yardage fullback, in the same way Jerry Ball lined up last season. Recently signed John Henry Mills will apparently work out with the linebackers in addition to playing on all special teams units.
Everyone loves new QB Jeff George's arm. Bugel, in fact, used the word "magnificent."
"The ball doesn't hit the ground," said Bugel. "The only time it does is when it bounces off somebody's chest. He is just a super-accurate guy. I am probably a bad receiver, but he could probably make me a real good receiver because I wouldn't have to make the circus catch. Put a little Velcro on my chest and the ball would stick right there."
Absentees: S Eric Turner missed some practices to serve as best man as Eric Metcalf's wedding, then was held out of drills after he returned due to a lingering hamstring ailment. QB Alfred Montez, on the practice squad last year, was also an excused absentee.
Source: The Sports Xchange (CBS Sportsline)
The new weekly team report from The Sports Xchange is out this morning with two interesting (and interrelated) themes: DE Anthony Smith, and the Raiders' plans for their defensive line this season.
Smith, a former first-round draft pick by the Raiders, is a dominating pass rusher—his 48 sacks in his first seven NFL seasons put him on a pace for a 100-sack career, something attained by only a handful of defensive linemen. But Smith has also displayed a disconcerting habit of deserting the team for personal reasons at inopportune moments.
In past years he was often described as somewhat weak against the run, although in fairness, some (including this observer) would dispute that characterization. In any event, Smith's all-around play improved noticeably last season before he walked out prior to the Chicago game.
Smith was ultimately reinstated to the team—reportedly at the insistence of managing general partner Al Davis—but saw almost no action the rest of the season.
It was reported and assumed at the time that Smith's unhappiness had to do with persistent rumors that the Raiders were using him as trade bait because of his substantial salary. But comments he's making now indicate that the real cause of Smith's unhappiness was former coach Mike White. Smith sounds like a new man and is apparently playing like one as well. Coach Joe Bugel says Smith has impressed the coaches by coming to mini-camp with his "jaw jutted."
Smith said last week that he has a whole new perspective on life. "Yesterday, I walked off the field in tears. I have never felt this good about what I was doing, how I was being coached, the people around me. We're having fun."
Then—and this is the interesting part—Smith alluded indirectly to his disappearance last year. "My problem is gone," he said, referring to the Christmas Eve firing of White. "My problem left in December. It was the biggest Christmas present I've had in my life."
Of his silence last fall, Smith now says, "I couldn't come out and say that. At the time, he was my head coach. All I can tell you is, when we go against the Rams (where White is now an assistant), I'll be ready."
Bugel's comment: "Anthony has always been a good football player, make that clear. But his attitude right now is superior. He likes to play. So we have to just line him up and play him."
Smith is apparently now being accepted again by teammates, too, as "one of the guys." And he's been dominating thus far in practices.
This all adds up to good news for the Raiders.
The second development has to do with the Raider coaching staff's plans for the defensive line this season. Like the plan to create an "F-back" position on offense, the new defensive scheme is designed to make the most of the players the Raiders already have on their roster.
It's no secret that Oakland is overstocked with defensive linemen at the moment. Given the reality of the salary cap—the Raiders have virtually no room under the cap and will need to clear up to $2.99 million in order to sign their six draft picks before training camp opens—one or more of the higher-salaried players may well be gone before opening day. Still, the question remains how best to use an abundance of players, especially tackles.
Bugel & Co. have come up with a scheme which will employ three tackles and an end on most downs. The tackles will be designated left ("L"), right ("R") and nose ("NT"), and the end will be called the "OE," or outside end. The OE will be flopped from one side to the other depending on the situation. The idea, of course, is that opposing teams, if they double anyone, will have to leave someone else free.
As of now, the team projects Russell Maryland as the nose, Smith and rookie Darrell Russell as the "R's," and Chester McGlockton as the "L."
Last season's "OE," Pat Swilling, has apparently been demoted, and second-year player Lance Johnstone appears to be the choice now to start at the "OE" slot.
Naturally, this has fueled the rumors that Swilling may not be a Raider when the season opens. Despite that, Swilling said last week that he's been reassured by the team that he is wanted back.
Source: The Sports Xchange (CBS Sportsline)
The same report speculates that the Raiders could clear about 2/3 of the money needed to sign draft picks by releasing Swilling and trading Jeff Hostetler.
Finally, there's the Lincoln Kennedy story. It's been previously reported that Kennedy reported to mini-camp overweight—enough so that Bugel wouldn't divulge his weight but did state flatly that Kennedy will have to lose weight prior to training camp.
This is a sensitive issue because Kennedy once ballooned to 400 pounds while playing for Atlanta. In fact, the Falcons unloaded Kennedy, a former first-round draft choice, after they concluded he has an eating disorder which he is unwilling to admit.
The Sports Xchange claims Kennedy reported last week at 350 pounds, 20 over his playing weight. He's said to have apologized to the coaching staff.
Kennedy's explanation: "I had some personal matters I had to see to last time I was home and wasn't able to work out. I have to get back into it. I am not making excuses. I am working my tail off to get it down. I know what type of player they want me to be and I know where I have to be to do that. They didn't bring me here to sit on the bench. I might slip every now and then but I am not going to fall down. And if I do, I am not going to stay down."
Kennedy said he's the type of person who gains or loses 10 pounds in a day.
"It has always been like that for me," he said. "For me, it (weight) is a non-stop battle. This off-season has been good to me in the sense I have gotten stronger and quicker but before this minicamp, I put on those extra pounds. But they will be off before I leave here (June 15)."
Source: The Sports Xchange (CBS Sportsline)
Catching up:
With little real news recently, Harvey Williams' role in this year's offense has taken center stage in the media over the last few days.
Williams, who lost his starting tailback job to Napoleon Kaufman last season, is due to make a whopping $1.6 million this year and has thus far refused to restructure his contract. But the reality is that due to capenomics—read huge signing bonus—it would cost more to trade Williams than to keep him, and he remains the team's best blocking back and receiver out of the backfield. So the Raiders are re-tooling this year's plans to include a new "F-back" position tailor-made for Williams.
The F-back will be a hybrid of fullback, tight end, wide receiver, tailback, and slot receiver.
It turns out that RB coach Bishop Harris spent three days at the end of last season showing Williams film and selling him on the idea of changing positions. "I'm a running back and I'm an athlete," says Williams. "(The coaches) know what I can do. They say they want me to do this. And just to be clear, this isn't the traditional smash-mouth fullback some people think of. I don't do that. It's more about running and receiving. They showed me what I would do and I liked it."
"They want Napoleon and I out there together," Williams continued. "It will put more pressure on the defense. We could line up together, or I could even be at tight end. At this point, it doesn't matter. It's all so new, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on offensively."
Kaufman had a slightly different spin on it. "I think it will be good for us both," he said. "He adds a lot to our offense. I actually thought he was going to be a smash-mouth blocker. He probably still will. He just doesn't know it yet."
In the new scheme, one thing the F-back will not be is the traditional lead blocker. "A lot of that blocking at that position is overrated," said coach Joe Bugel. "The old traditional fullback—if someone wanted to run those plays now, the (fullbacks) would have to be 325 pounds. So we won't ask (Williams) to do those things."
"We can line him up as a wide receiver, as a tight end," Bugel said. "Harvey Williams is so versatile he can play two or three positions. As a guy 225 pounds, adding him as a second tight end helps us also."
Bishop Harris added, "As opposed to last year, the only thing that is missing probably is that Fenner had the 6-4, 250 size, but what we lose in power we gain in quickness in the open field, running ability and ability to get open."
Said Williams, "It's not your traditional fullback role, lead blocking and stuff. It's more getting the ball out into the open field, running pass routes. That's the offense of the '90s. There's not a linebacker in the league who can cover me one on one, from Derrick Thomas to Junior Seau. I know that for sure."
Williams says he's willing to switch positions for the good of the team. "I want to be a Raider, man," he said. "That is the bottom line. I want to get a ring, and you gotta make sacrifices sometimes."
"Al (Davis) has taken care of me. I can't complain. I have goals, but I am just going to have to attain them in other directions. That is how I am trying to look at it."
"I'm around a great group of guys. It's not like the situation I was in K.C. And I love Joe Bugel. It's no B.S. He is straight up with you."
Williams also says the Raiders have assured him that he won't be cut, and added that he isn't wasting much time thinking about it, either. "I don't worry about those things the trade rumors, getting cut," he said. "I don't concern myself with it because I can't control it. All I know is I'm a Raider today."
Sources: San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, (Sonoma County) Press Democrat, Oakland Tribune
The next most popular subject recently has been the pep talk Joe Bugel gave the team last week. Trying to defuse the issue of the lack of leadership on the team the past several seasons, Bugel told the players he wants them to concentrate on just playing.
"I never believe in calling out players to talk to the team," Bugel said. "A lot of players feel uncomfortable doing that. Jeff George is like that. But you put a pair of football shoes on 'em, and put 'em on some grass, in their element, and they can be leaders. They lead by example."
"I told the guys to not worry about being leaders. Let me lead. I get paid a lot of money to lead. Let me do it because I can't play."
Co-captain Tim Brown echoed Bugel's sentiments.
"That's the way I've always done it," he said. "I've never been a rah-rah kind of guy. I tried to go out and play good football and practice hard and hoped people followed that example. We don't need people talking and giving speeches and then not performing on Sunday."
"It was asked of certain guys to do that, but it's not me to stand up and say those kind of things. There's already enough pressure involved in preparing for a game without thinking, 'I said this. Now I have to go out and back it up.'"
"Who needs people in meetings, standing up and saying crazy things?" asked Brown. "I've never been a rah-rah, get-in-your-face type guy. But that's what was asked of players (last year). I hate that, because you get up and say something, then you feel like you have to live up to it when you play. You put pressure on yourself. That's not what it's all about. Go play football."
An example of Brown's type of leadership by action was punt return duties, which he performed even as a four-time All Pro receiver. "At some point, it's time to do different things. It also gives me the opportunity for once in my life—and I mean since I was 12 years old—of going into a football game knowing I have nothing to do with the punt return team."
"I never hugged and kissed a man in my life until Desmond Howard walked into the locker room," Brown said, laughing.
But while Brown is understandably relieved to be relinquishing the punt return role to Desmond Howard, he'd resume it in a flash if the team needed him. The Raiders tried unsuccessfully to anoint Daryl Hobbs as the punt returner last year. After Hobbs dropped punts in consecutive games, Brown went to special teams coach Rusty Tillman to ask for the job back.
"I'm the punt returner here," he told Tillman. "If I need Daryl, I'll let him know."
"And if something happens this year and I have to get back there again," Brown said, "I'll do it no problem."
"(Bugel's) saying do it on the field and you'll be a leader that way," said DE Pat Swilling. "Guys can rah-rah all day, but no one listens to that. Do it on the field and people will follow."
Sources: San Francisco Examiner, Contra Costa Times
Brown, never at a loss for words, offered some impressions of this year's team.
On the change of quarterbacks: "I'm going to say this one time only. I love Jeff Hostetler. If not for Jeff Hostetler, Tim Brown is not a four-time Pro Bowl receiver. I would love nothing more than have both Jeffs here at one time. But that's not going to happen. I'm happy with Jeff George. This is going to be great."
"The first ball (George) threw to me, it was on me so fast you really don't have time to adjust," Brown said. "It's not like a John Elway ball that's going to take your hands off, but you have to be ready for it."
On the slot receiver position, where the Raiders would like to be able to play someone other than Brown: "I think Olanda Truitt is going to be the surprise guy this year. He runs great routes and catches the ball really well. I don't know how they're going to use Desmond right now, but it looks like he can get the job done."
Hostetler update: Senior assistant Bruce Allen indicated late last week that the Washington-Oakland trade is still on.
"It's all part of a plan," Allen said. "Once we get through this mini-camp and next week we'll start the finalization process." Allen said he hates deadlines, but Washington GM Charlie Casserly's deadline of month's end is probably a realistic timetable.
Source: Contra Costa Times
Raider exec Al LoCasale—known to fans as Little Al—has served the team in many roles over the years, but the Raiders came up with a new one for him last Friday.
This year (again) the coaches want to concentrate on reducing penalties. League officials aren't yet available, however. So the Raiders put a striped jersey on Little Al for Friday's practices. His job was to note any penalties so they could be dealt with after practice. Taking names . . . :-)
Source: Contra Costa Times
Linebackers: Many observers rate the Raiders as thin at linebacker following the departure of starter Mike Jones, but Bugel thinks otherwise.
"(Linebackers coach) Dave Adolph made a great statement to me the other day. I said, 'What do you think of our linebacking crew?' (Adolph) said, 'Trust me, Bugs, I think it's the best group in the National Football League. They're such a joy to coach because they're all the same size (235-240 pounds) and they all run real, real good.' They're going to help take us to the next level."
"Dave doesn't make those kinds of statements unless he means it," Bugel said. "That's coming from a real pro."
Bugel said Adolph's judgment helped put to rest any fears he had concerning the position. The veterans on the squad are Rob Fredrickson, Greg Biekert, Mike Morton, Rob Holmberg and James Folston.
Bugel said Biekert and Fredrickson are set as starters, with Morton and Holmberg competing for the remaining OLB slot. Adolph has told Morton and Holmberg that the job is up for grabs and they are starting the competition dead even.
Holmberg, hampered by pre-season injuries the past three seasons, welcomed the news. "I think I have a good opportunity. I've just got to stay healthy in the preseason and play well," he said. "As far as Mike's playing near the end of last year, he's had more reps so he's got more experience. But I don't see that as an overwhelming edge. He's a good linebacker, and I feel I'm a good linebacker as well. It's just going to be a matter of who steps it up more in the preseason and regular season."
"Every year you're going to lose players. Pittsburgh got decimated (by free agency), and Dallas lost a lot of linebackers," Bugel said. "Fortunately for us, Mike Morton got a lot of snaps last year. And the guy who has really picked it up is Rob Holmberg. He's going to play a lot more this year and he deserves to play."
Biekert, an intense but undersized middle linebacker, said he thinks the loss of Jones will force the remaining LBs—especially the non-starters—to play better.
"We know how valuable Mike was, but we're also capable of doing a decent job," said Biekert. "We may be young and somewhat inexperienced, but we work well together and we know what it takes."
Source: Contra Costa Times
New QB George is impressed with the speed of the receivers. "I just hope I don't under-throw them," he said. He's also optimistic about this year's offense.
"I've been in both (conferences)—NFC and AFC—and I really do think that with the talent that's here we're definitely the team to beat. I don't know any team that can really stop us in the AFC if we're on, if we don't hurt ourselves with penalties and turnovers and stupid things like that. Talent for talent, there's really nobody who can handle us."
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Odds and ends: Bugel said he's been impressed with many of the younger players, but top draft pick Darrell Russell stands out.
"When we get in the teamwork stuff, you can see why we considered him the best guy in the draft," Bugel said. "He can make plays. He's so big and so fast getting from point A to point B, you need a bazooka to stop him. He doesn't even know anybody is in his way."
John Henry Mills worked out at both running back and linebacker during last weekend's mini-camp. The Raiders will probably give him some reps at tight end as well.
Two players, DE Aundray Bruce and T Lincoln Kennedy, reported overweight. Bugel declined to say how much Kennedy weighs but said flatly that Kennedy needs to lose weight before training camp starts on July 19. Bruce came in at 280, twenty pounds over his playing weight.
The weight gain is more understandable with Bruce, who's recuperating from an off-season arthroscopy on his knee and couldn't run until a few weeks ago. Kennedy, however, has a history of weight problems.
Both Tim Brown and C Barret Robbins will be getting married within the next few weeks.
Two vets, Swilling and CB Albert Lewis, say the coaching change from Mike White to Joe Bugel has resulted in a better attitude this year.
"The atmosphere is really good," Lewis said. "I have said it before, you have to have good karma to be successful in this business. Right now, we have a lot of good people with good character as well as proven players from other places."
"Minicamps are never supposed to be fun, but there is a lot of enthusiasm right now. When you go through twice-a-day sessions, the legs get dreary and things get monotonous and run together. That hasn't happened here as the consistency of the enthusiasm has been really good."
Swilling said, "Joe's a veteran coach and he knows how to handle minicamps. It is a good tone. We all know Mr. Davis wants to win a championship and we want to win. That's what this team and this town knows."
"We want to get in a position to do that, and with one of the best pure passers in the league here now ... everyone understands what he (George) brings to the table."
Finally, LB Rob Fredrickson (shoulder operation) and CB Larry Brown (plantar fascia tear) are said to be fully recovered from their injuries last year.
Sources: Contra Costa Times, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Examiner
It turns out there's much more to the story of the Raiders signing free agent John Henry Mills than was first evident.
Mills, a special teams standout, made the Pro Bowl last year and was selected as an alternate in both 1994 and 1995. He was about to sign with Miami when Oakland literally stole him away from the Dolphins yesterday. Mills joined the Raiders for yesterday's afternoon workout.
Mills was listed on last year's Houston roster as a linebacker/tight end and wore No. 55, a linebacker's number. But at 6-0 and 222 pounds, he doesn't have the size for either of those positions in the NFL. The Raiders will try him at running back. In addition, he'll play on all special teams and may be used as a short-yardage and goal line blocking back.
"He fills the role of Jerry Ball—only he can catch the ball," said coach Joe Bugel.
"You need some core special teams guys," Bugel said. "If you can come up with six or seven core guys, boy, you're loaded. That's what we're trying to do right now."
Mills had attracted interest from seven teams and said he was was torn between playing for Jimmy Johnson in Miami and going back home (he's from Jacksonville), or fulfilling a long time desire to play for the Raiders.
"I could have made more money going to the Dolphins," said Mills. "I was either going to get killed with family (in Florida) or by taxes (in California)," he said.
Mills had unsuccessfully sought a long-term contract. "Making the Pro Bowl scared a lot of people off I think," he said. "Financially, I don't think a lot of teams were able to pay a special teams Pro Bowl player when that is all he has done. I haven't played enough at positions to justify paying a lot of money for a long term deal."
"I am just happy to find a home. I thought about it. If I couldn't go with a long term deal somewhere, I wanted to go to a team I liked and wanted to play for and would enjoy. That was my goal. This team fit that bill."
Terms were not disclosed, but the Oakland Tribune reports Mills signed a one-year deal including a small signing bonus.
Bugel said the Raiders went after Mills because he was "picked for the Pro Bowl over Steve Tasker, who we think is one of the better special team players ever made."
Mills forced two fumbles and made 17 special teams tackles in 1996.
Sources: Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times
DE Pat Swilling, the subject of trade rumors for weeks, said yesterday he's been assured that the team is not looking to dump him.
"I'm still here," said Swilling. "That is over and done. Last year was not my best year, but it was not this team's best year either. A lot happened that wasn't conducive to winning, but it's a new slate. This is the best situation I have been in since I've been here. Joe Bugel is a refreshing guy to play for. Everything is great."
Two players missed workouts yesterday; both absences were excused. DT Chester McGlockton had requested three days off to attend a close friend's wedding in South Carolina. WR Desmond Howard missed the morning workout when his flight was delayed.
Source: Oakland Tribune
Free agent WR Michael Haynes, whose agent tried unsuccessfully to interest the Raiders in his client, will re-sign with Atlanta, the team he left in 1994 to sign with New Orleans.
"It just felt comfortable," Haynes said Friday. "And it's always nice to be wanted."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Haynes, 31, had signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract.
Source: Associated Press
Late update: The Raiders today signed special teams standout John Henry Mills, a free agent running back who also played linebacker in four seasons with Houston.
Mills, 27, was drafted as a tight end out of Wake Forest in 1993. He was selected to the Pro Bowl last season after leading Houston's kick coverage units with 17 tackles.
Source: Associated Press
Afternoon update: Derrick Hoskins, the starting strong safety for the Raiders in 1995, signed with Green Bay today.
Hoskins and Green Bay QB Brett Favre were college teammates at Southern Mississippi. The Raiders drafted Hoskins in the 5th round in 1992.
Source: Associated Press
The latest edition of the Sporting News team report ponders the role Harvey Williams will play on this year's team.
According to the report, coach Joe Bugel says Williams will accept a move to fullback as long as he handles the ball occasionally. But there may not be a lot of opportunity there for Williams. Napoleon Kaufman will be the featured back, and the Raiders want Joe Aska to handle the ball more, too.
It was reported here earlier this week that Williams had refused to take a pay cut. The Sporting News article confirms that the Raiders have asked Williams about restructuring his contract to help clear room under the salary cap. So far, the two sides have not reached an agreement, but Bugel "guarantees" Williams will remain with the team in any event.
Bugel says new acquisition Lester Holmes has big hands, a help in blocking (and holding).
Finally, the obligatory quotes.
On moving Williams to fullback: "If the season started today, Harvey and Napoleon (Kaufman) would be in the same backfield. I want Harvey on the field in some capacity. We have to take advantage of his talents."
On Williams' response to being asked to move to fullback: "Harvey just wants to win. He will play whatever role as long as he gets the ball. We've got a lot of people who want the ball. We have to be smart enough to get the ball to them in the right formations."
On the offensive line and pass protection: "I feel we're set right now on the offensive line. . . . The quarterback can really help in pass protection, with the 3-step and 5-step drops. Jeff George understands that. I know we can hold people off for 2 1/2 or three seconds."
Source: The Sporting News
Today the Raiders kick off their first mini-camp featuring the entire squad with an 11 a.m. practice. 71 roster players are expected to participate.
"We've got a good blend of veterans and youngsters on this team," said Joe Bugel. "Now we want them to intermix and see how they react."
"This is going to be kind of an indoctrination into the Raiders system. It's going to be a teaching atmosphere. We're not looking to hit anybody or get anybody hurt. My main goal is I want to go into training camp with no questions on my mind."
"The first camp was very productive and the second was magnificent," Bugel said. "Now we want to expose everybody to all three notebooks, offensive, defensive and special teams."
The team will practice six times in shorts and helmets—twice a day Friday, Saturday and Sunday—concentrating on learning the playbook. After Monday off, there will be a "voluntary" camp Tuesday through Sunday.
As with other NFL teams holding so-called "voluntary" workouts this off-season, Bugel has said he expects everyone to attend the "voluntary" phase.
One Raider who'll be conspicuously absent from all the workouts is QB Jeff Hostetler, still waiting to learn where he'll play this season. Hostetler was not invited to attend. Bugel said the only contact the Raiders have had with Hostetler "is through his agent."
Bugel, never at a loss for words, had a couple of good quotes yesterday.
"We've asked the players to spend more time with us, and they've really bought into it," Bugel said. "This team has its jaw jutted. All we're talking about is winning the championship. We're not into winning football games, we're into winning championships. When you do that, there's a little different attitude among the troops. They don't mind a little extra work."
And, answering a question about new QB Jeff George's leadership, Bugel said, "I'm not looking for leaders—I'll be the leader of this team. I want our players to play football and lead with performance."
Sources: Oakland Tribune, Sacramento Bee, Contra Costa Times
Mid-day update: The Raiders may now be backing out of the long awaited trade of lame duck QB Jeff Hostetler to Washington.
According to today's Washington Post, managing general partner Al Davis has now decided to shop Hostetler around the league in hopes of getting more than the low-round draft choice offered by the Redskins.
The Post claims that under the salary cap rules, if the Raiders release Hostetler, they would be charged $750,000—this year's pro-rated share of his signing bonus—against the '97 cap. But if they traded him, they would take a $2.25 million hit —the amount of Hostetler's 1997 salary.
A recent Mercury News column had a similar comment.
This is not what I had understood previously, but I do not claim to be any expert on the salary cap. If it's correct, it's clearly advantageous to the Raiders to cut Hoss rather than trade him for little in return.
Source: Washington Post
A non-sports column by Monty Poole in today's Oakland Tribune says the Oakland Football Marketing Assn. (OFMA) will restructure PSLs by week's end to make them permanent.
The latest edition of The Sports Xchange reports this also.
Sources: Raiders Fans Mail List, The Sports Xchange (CBS Sportsline)
Washington created some additional cap room yesterday by cutting several veterans. Even before the cuts, however, Skins GM Charlie Casserly had said the Redskins have budgeted the necessary cap room to sign Jeff Hostetler if and when they reach an agreement with the Raiders.
Sources: Associated Press, Contra Costa Times
The latest issue of The Sports Xchange's recounts the long history of mutual admiration (not!) between the Raiders and the National Football League.
Required reading for younger fans, or those who've recently become Raiders fans.
Late update: Former Raider SS Derrick Hoskins was cut by New Orleans today.
Hoskins was picked up by the Aints on December 4 last year and saw action in only one game.
Source: Associated Press
Washington GM Charlie Casserly confirmed yesterday afternoon that the Redskins still hope to sign QB Jeff Hostetler but indicated no trade is imminent.
"I spoke with the Raiders yesterday. Nothing new is happening, but I'd like to have Jeff signed and in here by the end of June," said Casserly. "The next move is up to the Raiders."
Casserly's reference to an end-of-June deadline suggests he's prepared to try to wait the Raiders out as far as what compensation Hostetler's worth. The Raiders pretty much have to unload Hostetler, and the Redskins' offer of only a low- to mid-round draft pick next year reflects that.
In other news, free agent SS Robert Blackmon, in whom the Raiders were said to be interested some time back, signed with Indianapolis yesterday.
Source: Associated Press
A follow-up on the Ron Woodson note in Monday's news:
A comment by San Francisco VP Dwight Clark indicates that the Raiders, if they're interested in Woodson, would be looking for him to play safety, not cornerback.
Woodson has said he wants to play cornerback and return punts, but Clark suggested that most of the teams represented at yesterday's workout want him to play safety.
"I guess it does work to our advantage that it's just us and Tampa (Bay) that want him to play corner," said Clark.
Source: Sacramento Bee
The San Jose Mercury News quotes the usual unnamed "NFL sources" as saying that Washington has offered the Raiders what most media had predicted—a low-round pick in next year's draft—for Jeff Hostetler.
Although the Raiders have previously said they'll do their best to facilitate a trade of the deposed starter, they haven't yet accepted Washington's offer.
"We haven't really put a time frame on when we will make a decision," senior assistant Bruce Allen said yesterday.
The team could postpone until 1998 a $1.5 million cap hit by waiving Hostetler instead of trading him. But Allen has said repeatedly that the Raiders will not release Hostetler.
The thinking is that managing general partner Al Davis wants to ensure Hoss doesn't end up with another AFC West team. Both San Diego and Kansas City are said to be interested in acquiring the quarterback.
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Late update: Several NFL teams cut established veterans today in salary cap-related moves reflecting the June 1 change in the cap accounting rules.
For players released after June 1, only this year's portion of signing bonuses counts against the '97 cap, with the remainder charged to next year's cap.
This afternoon AFC West rival Denver released WR Anthony Miller. Miller's release had been expected. He wasn't out of work long, though. Before the day was out he'd signed with Dallas.
That's good news for the Raiders. Miller, who has great speed, gave the Raider secondary fits the last several years.
The Raiders were one of ten teams in attendance as seven-time All Pro CB Ron Woodson worked out for scouts today. Woodson, who's undergone both a major surgery and an arthroscopy on his knee in the last year, is trying to show he can still perform.
Woodson's times of 4.53 and 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash show he's lost a step, but observers agreed he'd demonstrated that his knee is sound.
Woodson's agent, Eugene Parker, said he'll wait two weeks to give teams an opportunity to see the film before beginning negotiations. As for Woodson, he said playing for a Super Bowl contender was a bigger factor than money.
Source: Associated Press
Today's Examiner quotes an unnamed "league source" as saying that lame duck QB Jeff Hostetler could be traded to Washington by week's end. The Raiders would receive a mid- or low-round draft pick in return.
The article claims Hostetler's agent, Marvin Demoff, and Redskins general manager Charlie Casserly are still negotiating the contract. So, although Washington would have liked to have Hoss signed before their mini-camp opens tomorrow, Casserly says that's unlikely.
There's one interesting note at the end of the otherwise routine story. Speculating that DEs Anthony Smith and Pat Swilling and RB Harvey Williams may all be expendable, the Ex says Williams, scheduled to make $1.6 million, has refused to take a pay cut. Remember that 20 Raiders so far are said to have agreed to having their contracts renegotiated in order to give the team more cap room.
Bruce Allen's only comment: "I'll enjoy watching the rumors fly. All those players will be at our minicamp this week."
Source: San Francisco Examiner
Senior assistant Bruce Allen is quoted by several media today as saying the Raiders' roster is "99% set."
Despite that assurance, at least a couple high-salaried vets will have to be cut before the team can begin signing its draft picks. After signing G Lester Holmes recently, the Raiders are only $20,000 under the salary cap, according to today's Oakland Tribune.
Sources: Oakland Tribune, Associated Press
Today's Trib article contains the clearest explanation I've seen yet of the significance of the June 1 accounting rules change, as well as the salary sub-cap which the NFL sets for each team to use in signing its draft picks.
The rookie cap ("salary pool") takes into account the number and placement in the draft order of each team's picks. It's really a cap within the cap, since this money is counted against the overall $41.45 million salary cap.
The Raiders have been allotted $2.99 million to sign their six draft choices. Top pick Darrell Russell is expected to get the lion's share of that when he signs.
Source: Oakland Tribune
For the first time in four years, a Raider is no longer the reigning NFL's Fastest Man. Eddie Kennison beat James Jett in today's final. James Trapp, who had "promised" the media in advance that he'd beat Jett, finished third.
Jett, a 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter relay, first faced Giants CB Jason Sehorn in a preliminary. Said Sehorn afterwards, "I guess I went into it with a negative attitude. I knew if I lost, I'd lose to a gold medalist. Let me start in front of him with pads on and it would have been a different story." Riiiiight, Jason.
The results aren't actually made official until the event is televised later in the year.
Sources: Raiders Fans Mail List, Associated Press
The Chronicle's Ron Kroichick has really gone out on a limb today, with a high stakes prediction that QB Jeff Hostetler will be traded soon. How bold! :-)
Readers may recall that this same "expert" assured us back in April that the Raiders would trade Hoss long before the June 1 shift in salary cap accounting. Kroichick reasoned then that the team would respect Hostetler's pride and not leave him dangling all these weeks. Someone forgot to tell Kroichick that pro football's a business.
In the same article, senior assistant Bruce Allen is quoted as suggesting it's unlikely, though not impossible, that the Raiders will sign any more big names.
"You never know who's going to be out there, but we have 99 percent of our team," said Allen. "We went out and got the players we wanted."
Allen also indicated the Raiders are not interested in WR Michael Haynes: "We feel good about our receivers, so (Haynes) is not in our plans."
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
The agent for free agent WR Michael Haynes, cut yesterday by the Saints, is doing his best to talk up a deal with the Raiders on his client's behalf.
New Orleans released Haynes Wednesday in a cost-cutting move, freeing up $2 million in salary cap money.
"We would like to be with the Raiders . . . it is no secret at this point," said Haynes' agent, Marshall Rosenthal.
"We want to go to a team where the passing game is in vogue, where they want to go deep, where Michael doesn't have to hog the spotlight and doesn't have to be the premiere receiver."
"The Raiders are a perfect fit," he said, adding, "The whole world has been telling us Michael was going to be a Raider for about three months now."
The rumors to which Rosenthal referred have been largely fueled by the fact that Haynes was originally drafted in 1988 by Raiders personnel exec Ken Herock when Herock was at Atlanta.
Senior assistant Bruce Allen's response was non-committal.
"We will look at him and evaluate it," he said. "But we are pretty happy with our wide receivers as a group."
Source: Oakland Tribune
The Willie Roaf rumor, which has been circulating for over a month, has finally made it into print. The Sports Xchange reported it today, but doesn't give it much credence, pointing out that Bruce Allen has flatly denied it.
Roaf, arguably the best young left tackle in the NFL, was signed by New Orleans to a seven-year contract, including a huge signing bonus, at the end of last season.
Rumors have said New Orleans and Oakland were discussing a trade involving Roaf. The most recent spin on this was that the Raiders supposedly had offered Pat Harlow, Anthony Smith and Pat Swilling to the Aints for Roaf.
Why does The Sports Xchange scoff at the rumor? In their words:
"If the Saints make that trade, it dumps an unforgiving amount of acceleration on them immediately and saddles them with 1) an injury-plagued lineman, 2) an aging defensive end and 3) an unreliable defensive end."
"Needless to say, the Raiders would make the deal in a New Orleans minute."
A pre-trial ruling by a federal magistrate yesterday went the Raiders' way in their ongoing litigation with the NFL.
U.S. Magistrate Stephen Hillman ruled that the league must produce documents requested by the Raiders which would show how the NFL applied its rules concerning cross-ownership, debt limits, gambling prohibition, relocation and ticket discounting to other NFL teams.
In granting a motion by the Raiders to compel pre-trial production of evidence, Hillman found that most of the requested evidence would be relevant. He refused one request by the Raiders, for documents related to the NFL's enforcement of its rule against public criticism of the league.
"There are no rules in the NFL," Raiders attorney Laurence Hutt argued in court. "We're seeking these documents to prove that position."
The NFL's lawyer, Douglas Adler, countered that the requested documents have no relevance to the team's defense or countersuit. The mere fact that the team made allegations, Adler said, "should not give the Raiders the right, willy-nilly, to take discovery back to the beginning of the NFL."
(Discovery is the pre-trial process in which each side must turn over to the other any evidence intended to be used at trial.)
Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge David Kenyon denied the NFL's request for a summary judgment against the Raiders in the league's suit, ruling that the case should go to trial.
The Raiders yesterday characterized the pair of rulings as "a resounding victory to the Raiders." In point of fact, motions for summary judgment such as that made by the NFL are routine in civil litigation and are nearly always denied.
The NFL sued the Raiders over a failed plan to play in Oakland in 1994, when the Los Angeles Coliseum was badly damaged from the Northridge earthquake earlier that year, and over revenue-sharing discrepancies after the team moved to Oakland the following year. The suit alleges that the team scheduled games in Oakland without league approval.
The Raiders counter-sued, claiming the league blocked the team's move to Oakland in 1994, interfered with the move in 1995, and destroyed negotiations between the team and Hollywood Park in Inglewood.
Source: Associated Press
There's a good deal of background on the bad blood between the Raiders, the Whiners, and the NFL in the latest edition of The Sports Xchange's "Inside Slant" team report, published today.
Afternoon update: It has nothing to do directly with football, but Raiders senior assistant Bruce Allen gets in some shots at the Whiners in today's Oakland Tribune.
Allen said he was tired of hearing San Francisco politicians hold up the Raiders deal with Oakland as an example of a deal bad for the taxpayers.
Speaking of San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Allen said, "I think the mayor has been ignorant in his comments. I don't think he's familiar with our deal, and when you look at what he's offering, he comes off as one of the worst negotiators ever. It's the great San Francisco giveaway."
Allen was referring to claims by California state Sen. Quentin Kopp, a San Francisco politician and an opponent of the new stadium, that the $100 million in lease revenue bonds the Whiners are asking the taxpayers to pay would end up costing $223 million once the interest is factored in.
"When you consider the mayor (will receive) no revenues in return from advertising, stadium name rights, concessions or parking, and the fact that their private seat license money goes to the team—100 percent of our PSLs go toward the stadium—he has proven to be a terrible negotiator," Allen said.
"The worst estimates of what our deal will cost are better than the best estimates of what theirs will."
Source: Oakland Tribune
Sportswriter Ron Kroichick, who covers the Raiders for the San Francisco Chronicle, speculates in his latest team report on the Sporting News site that in addition to QB Jeff Hostetler, other Raiders who may well be traded or released after June 1st include RB Harvey Williams and DEs Pat Swilling and Anthony Smith.
Losing Williams at this point would put the team in something of a quandary. With Derrick Fenner gone, Harvey is suddenly the likely starter at fullback. Whether the offense can consistently move the ball with a 215-pound fullback doing the lead blocking remains to be seen.
The other fullback candidates at the moment are Jerone Davison and rookie Chad Levitt. At 225 pounds, Davison is still undersized for an NFL fullback, and Levitt was a disappointment at the Raiders' earlier mini-camp.
Of course, it could be that the Raiders expect one or more established fullbacks to become available as free agents after June 1.
Source: The Sporting News
Where Are They Now Department: Art Powell was the Raiders' first great receiver and a star in the old AFL.
Even after Biletnikoff, Branch, Casper, Christensen, Wells, etc., Powell still holds the team record for most receiving yards in a single game (247) and in a season (1361 yards in 1964).
ORIB member Bassam Hassoun ran into Art Powell this past weekend. His report:
"Over the holiday weekend Art Powell was at WalMart in Mareno Valley (60 miles east of L.A.). He was signing autographs to raise money for some charity. Anyways, I bought his signed picture for $10. We chatted for a while. Super nice guy. Then I showed him my ORIB membership card. His reaction:
"(He) paused, smiled, then looked at me and said, 'So you guys are on the internet now!' He shook his head and laughed, then said, 'Watch out.'"
"He currently lives in Laguna Niguel (CA) and plays golf a lot with his best friend Tom Flores (his own words)."
Source: Oakland Raiders Internet Boosters mail list
You know news is slow when the most important development is this one . . .
Bowing to pressure from their own fans, the Green Pay Packers have relented and will invite all last year's players, including Desmond Howard, to their Super Bowl ring ceremony on June 4.
Source: Associated Press
New Raider and ex-Packer Desmond Howard faxed a letter to the media yesterday in which he criticized the Packers for not inviting him to the recent White House ceremony honoring the Super Bowl champs. He has also not been invited to a June 4 ceremony at which the team will hand out Super Bowl rings.
Howard added that he hopes his former team will relent and include all players from last year's Packers in the June 4 ceremony.
"I have never before this had anything negative to say about the Packers organization," Howard wrote. "Although I would have sincerely liked to return to the team, it was a simple professional decision made in the best interests of myself and my family that caused me to leave."
Green Bay also failed to invite two players from last year's squad who remain free agents: WR Andre Rison and K Chris Jacke.
Source: Associated Press
Afternoon update: The Washington Post says the Redskins are close to acquiring quarterback Jeff Hostetler.
The Post also claims that Washington is interested in veteran FS Mark Collins, who was cut by AFC West rival Kansas City last week. However, sources say he would retire before he'd accept a Washington offer for close to minimum salary.
Former Raider star Howie Long recently signed a three-movie contract with Morgan Creek Productions, according to Variety.
Long will appear in an action drama called "Field Test," described as "Predator" meets "The Dirty Dozen."
Source: ESPNET SportsZone
More background:
Chronicle staff reporter Ron Kroichick, who also writes for The Sporting News, says the Raiders are interested in trying to sign free agent OLB Ron George, who started for Atlanta last year, to strengthen their linebacking depth.
Kroichick also speculates that the recent signing of career backup QB Don Hollas was intended to give David Klingler competition for the backup quarterback job. By all accounts, Klingler, who figures to inherit the backup role now that Billy Joe Hobert is gone, looked sharp in the team's mini-camp.
This observer, for what it's worth, finds it tough to believe that an absolute unknown would be a serious candidate for the No. 2 quarterbacking role. Hollas has made only two starts in the NFL, and for a time he backed up Klingler in Cincinnati. I'd have to think that either Alfred Montez, on the practice squad last year, or undrafted rookie Jason Davis, who set a slew of small-college passing records last year, is a more likely bet.
The latest issue of The Sports Xchange, a big-time rumor mill, focuses on the Raiders' needs along the offensive line. This is the publication which at last season's end ran a wildly melodramatic, unsubstantiated tale of C Barret Robbins' "fits" of depression.
The current report contains no new facts about Robbins, who suffers from depression, other than that, when he showed up at the team's mini-camp at the start of May, he "had put on what some have estimated was up to 25 additional pounds." The publication once again refers to Robbins' "mysterious ailment" and opines that "the Robbins issue has taken on a life of its own."
The report also pooh-poohs the Raiders' recent signing of G Lester Holmes, saying "the move looked more hopeful than convincing" in terms of bolstering the OL. Adds the report, "The Eagles gave up on him and Philly is not a team to be giving away valuable linemen. . . . The fact is, the Raiders still have not replaced right guard Kevin Gogan with anything that appears remotely satisfactory."
Some observers have in fact questioned whether Holmes has fully recovered from 1995 surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee. The Eagles were apparently not convinced. They replaced Holmes as a starter late last year, then made no effort to re-sign him during the offseason.
Coach Joe Bugel said he's paid no attention to Holmes' problems in Philadelphia.
"I don't know what happened and don't really care," said Bugel. "There are things he did on tape that are required to be dominant at the position. He runs well. He's a power football player, the power puncher we were looking for. In our division, having 300-pounders is important."
Holmes' own comment on why Philadelphia didn't try to re-sign him: "I have no idea why I was let go. I just felt like they were looking elsewhere. I felt I'd done all I could do there. It was time to move on."
He added, "All I'm asking for is a shot. Just put me in there and let me show what I can do. That's all I want." Bugel has pointedly declined to say the starting job belongs to Holmes, claiming instead that Holmes and Rick Cunningham will compete for the starting role.
Some observers also expect that 2nd-year lineman Joe Wylie, who spent last year on the practice squad, will make a run at the job.
QB Jeff George is quoting as saying concern over the offensive line is overrated.
"I am not too worried about linemen," he said. "I think I can help them out a lot and they can help me out a lot. It is true you are only as good as those guys up front, but we have some good players."
"We just need about eight or nine guys that can play. If they can stay healthy, I think we should be OK."
On the subject of lame duck QB Jeff Hostetler, The Sports Xchange speculates that Hoss will indeed be traded to Washington after June 1, but only after "some roster shuffling . . . on June 1, shuffling not involving Hostetler. At the time of the trade, they will take the brunt of his signing bonus ($2.25 million) and receive a middle to low draft choice."
Finally, for the bean-counter types out there, the report claims SS Lorenzo Lynch re-signed for $365,000 rather than the $275,000 previously reported.
Sources: Pro Football XChange (CBS SportsLine), The Sporting News
With real news likely to be slow until at least June 1st, here's background from the usual suspects, er . . . sources.
A lot of the print has to do with new QB Jeff George and the expected shift in emphasis on offense this season, away from a short passing game to the long ball. Whatever else his detractors may say, no one has ever accused George of lacking a strong arm. Both he and the Raider coaches sound genuinely excited about the prospects for this year's offense.
"You step on that field now, with the receivers and myself, it puts fear in the defenses," George said. "They know they have to respect the long ball. Maybe the last two or three years, the defenses kind of knew the Raiders weren't going to throw downfield."
Said new offensive coordinator Ray Perkins, "I like to throw the ball downfield. We'll throw passes anywhere in the 12- to 20-yard range, and then you're talking about throwing deep routes. There are certain elements required to do that—speed and somebody who can throw the ball downfield. So far, we have both of those elements."
Perkins, remember, had the same job with New England last year, and Patriot QB Drew Bledsoe often went long to WR Terry Glenn.
Coach Joe Bugel said the receivers' adjustment to the new quarterback went well in the first mini-camp.
"It's been an easy adjustment because this guy is so accurate," said Bugel. "We've eliminated a lot of the circus catches. When you run the designated route, he's putting the ball right there. I've never seen a quarterback who can put the ball on the numbers as accurately as this guy."
Speaking of mini-camp, these were some mini-highlights, good, bad and neutral:
Pleasant surprises: DT Darrell Russell, although facing mostly rookies, dominated the opposing linemen. WR Obediah Cooper, a pint-sized guy out of Eastern Illinois who's been out of football for 3 years, impressed both with a willingness to go up and fight for the ball, and with his blocking. The conversion of James Trapp from corner to safety is going well.
Disappointing: RB Chad Levitt, whom the Raiders drafted to play FB, looked lost and showed little aptitude for a lead blocking role, prompting Bugel to say he's considering using Harvey Williams at fullback this year. Journeyman OL Rick Cunningham, given a chance to show what he could at the vacant RG slot, was strictly so-so. DT Grady Thompson pulled a hamstring in the first drill and missed the remaining practices.
Surprises, period: Russell's inside moves look better than his outside, suggesting he may not be moved to DE after all.
Bugel was gushing about the speed the Raider secondary will have this year. Present in camp were new acquisition Eric Turner, Larry Brown and Trapp.
Of Turner's presence, Bugel said, "He brings an aura about him. He has that kind of football arrogance and he set the tempo for all our young people. He's like a Michael Jordan out there, saying 'follow me'."
As for Trapp, Bugel said he looks like he's played the position his entire life.
"We had two pretty good safeties in there who could run. Both those guys have corner speed. It was fun watching those two guys."
Defensive coordinator Fred Whittingham said, "(Trapp) is a great hitter. He'll be able to be a little more wild in there . . . fly around a little bit. James has no fear of throwing his body around. He should make a good safety."
Teammate Terry McDaniel is enthusiastic about having Trapp's speed at the safety position this year.
"James has the speed to do anything in the world," McDaniel said. "He also has the toughness and the ability to make plays. He understands the game. You can see him back there making things happen."
"This will be great for him. He will get a chance to let it all out a little more. It runs right into his mode of playing. And we have some great safeties who can show him the ropes."
While Trapp, a wild man in past years, toned down his act and played under control last season, he hasn't turned into a shy, retiring type. He promised he'll beat teammate James Jett in this year's NFL Fastest Man competition. "Put that in the paper," he said.
Next camp: The Raiders will have veterans in for a mandatory camp June 6-8. Rookies will be in continuously June 1-20. The period June 9-15 will be voluntary for vets. Bugel thinks most of them will stay.
"We want to go 15 straight days and put in everything we have in the book," Bugel said. "When we break here on the 15th, everything will be in so we can go to camp and it will be smooth flowing."
Sources: Pro Football XChange (CBS SportsLine), The Sporting News
It has nothing to do with the Raiders, and goes against my normal policy of ignoring that other team in the Bay Area, but . . . there is an hilarious commentary this morning in the Contra Costa Times on the Whiners' desperation tactics to win passage of a $100 million bond issue in San Francisco on June 3. Polls show the measure for a new stadium is unlikely to pass despite a big-time spending campaign by its backers.
This observer is a tax-paying resident of San Francisco and has already requested an absentee ballot. I'll have the pleasure of voting NO by mail well before June 3rd. :-)
During the last few weeks the Raiders have been mentioned now and then as being interested in signing WR Alvin Harper. Harper, a one-time standout with Dallas, was a bust the last two seasons after signing a huge contract with Tampa Bay.
Harper's still on the Tampa Bay roster as of this moment, but will almost certainly be released once June 1 rolls around.
Today's Washington Post says Harper has told friends he plans to sign with the Redskins after the Bucs release him.
Evening update: The Raiders signed free agent G Lester Holmes today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Holmes, 27, was a first-round draft pick by Philly in 1993 and started at guard for the Eagles last season. In 1995 he was moved to right tackle but suffered a serious, season-ending knee injury in the second game. Overall he played in 46 games with 38 starts over four seasons.
"I'm very pleased to have a chance to play for the Oakland Raiders, a team that I have admired for a long time," he said. "I'm looking forward to contributing to the success of this football team in any way I can."
Coach Joe Bugel said, "With Lester joining the Raiders, we now have acquired yet another former first round pick this year. Obviously all of these players were highly regarded coming out of college and we're looking forward to them paying dividends for the Raiders."
He added, "He's something we wanted to add to our football team because it adds quality depth to our interior. He runs well. He's a power guy. In our division, the more big people you put inside the better you're going to be."
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Holmes was told he'll compete with Rick Cunningham for the starting role at right guard.
"The Raiders have always had the reputation of being the meanest, the nastiest type of football team, and that's what I'm used to," said Holmes.
Holmes played his college ball at Jackson State, where he was nominated for the Outland Trophy, given annually to the nation's top offensive lineman.
Sources: Associated Press, ESPNet SportsZone
Greg Papa, rumored to become the Raiders' new play-by-play announcer when the AM radio station The Ticket hits the air in late July, says he has had talks about the job but that reports of his hiring are "premature."
Papa now does play-by-play for the Golden State Warriors and also covers some Oakland A's games carried on cable.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
With all the recent signings of unknowns to the Raider roster, a word of caution is in order for those fans who puzzle over each and every move. Why, for example, did the Raiders sign career nobody Don Hollas and work out Vince Evans? Will one of these guys have a real shot at making the roster? Does this mean the Raiders don't like Alfred Montez, last year's practice squad QB?
The answers are probably not and definitely not. This time of year is camp fodder time. Players are signed left and right so as to provide enough bodies in camp to run full drills. Many of these signees won't even make it to training camp in July, let alone the regular season roster.
A recent mistake by Green Bay is illustrative of why fodder's needed. In April the Packers held this year's first mini-camp with only two quarterbacks present, one of whom was Brett Favre. After the first day of drills, Favre was so sore from making over 200 throws in drills for the receivers that he had to ice down his arm.
The Raiders will be testing the hands, moves, etc., of as many as 12-15 wide receivers. They don't want Jeff George having to throw those balls—that's equivalent to having a $27 million star pitcher throw batting practice.
So take these signings with a grain of salt. I'll be sure to flag the signing of anyone who might actually be a prospect to make the team.
Which brings me to some names of players who have impressed the Raiders lately. Both WR Obediah Cooper and DT Ta'ase Faumui had impressive mini-camps. And DT La'Roi Glover, who shuttled between the practice squad and the regular roster last season, has starred this spring in the World League.
Other names worth remembering are undrafted rookie free agents T Scott Whittaker and QB Jason Davis. Whittaker received a $50,000 signing bonus, said to be the largest bonus ever given to a player undrafted by the NFL. His big negative is a history of attitude problems. Also, at 6-6 and 285 pounds he's somewhat light to play tackle in the NFL; he's projected as a right tackle if he makes the team. As for Davis, he's considered the best of the undrafted quarterbacks, with good size and arm strength; with him the questions arise because he didn't face a high level of competition in college.
On the other side of the coin, several former Raiders who became free agents at last season's end are unlikely to be offered new contracts by the team. These include C Dan Turk, who's old, expensive and temperamental—remember his tantrum last summer when he saw that Barret Robbins had been penciled in ahead of him on the depth chart?—and reserve G-T Rich Stephens, also in his 30's, who was on injured reserve last year. LB Paul Butcher was a leader on special teams, but the scuttlebutt has rookie Darrell Russell getting his jersey number, which doesn't bode well for Butcher.
Finally, a position change. James Folston's a restricted free agent who was once highly regarded as an outside linebacker prospect but has seen little beyond special teams duty for several seasons. If re-signed, he'll apparently be moved to DE.
The Raiders obviously want lots of arms in camp for the next mini-camp.
Yesterday they signed free agent QB Don Hollas, 6-3 and 215 pounds. He played for Cincinnati from 1991-94 and Detroit in 1995. In 18 career games, he has thrown for 645 yards and three touchdowns. He has two career starts, one each in 1991 and 1992.
The team also brought in (Grandpa) Vince Evans for a workout yesterday but hasn't decided whether to offer him a contract. Evans, 42, was out of football last year.
Sources: San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times
DL Nolan Harrison, cut by Oakland last week, signed a two-year deal yesterday with Pittsburgh.
Harrison said he's been told he'll start at DE in the Steelers' 3-4 defense, apparently replacing the departed Brentson Buckner.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Yesterday the Raiders re-signed T Robert Jenkins, 33. Terms were not disclosed.
Jenkins, a Bay Area native who attended Dublin High and Chabot JC, had been a salary cap casualty earlier this off-season.
He's been the Raiders' best tackle for the past two seasons and beat out Pat Harlow for the starting job last year. He has started at left tackle when his chronically sore knees permit, but because of the pain he often can't finish games and he can't play an entire 16-game schedule.
Also, the Raiders announced the remaining starting times for their preseason schedule. They'll play Green Bay at 7:00 p.m. on August 8, and New Orleans at 1:00 p.m. on August 16.
Source: Contra Costa Times
It's Been Slow Department: Here's a funny story. Washington's Pro Bowl punter, Mark Turk, is threatening to hold himself out of training camp unless his demands are met. Talking tough on Mark's behalf is his agent and brother—none other than former Raider C Dan Turk. Dan, a free agent, wasn't offered a new contract by the Raiders.
Mark Turk might want to have a word with Chester McGlockton about the wisdom of having a family member as your agent . . . :-)
Source: ESPNet SportsZone
The Contra Costa Times speculates this morning that the Raiders might have to trade their best linebacker, Rob Fredrickson, as a result of their salary cap situation.
Fredrickson, goes the thinking, had no signing bonus in his 1995 contract and thus would not cost the Raiders any salary cap hit were he to be released or traded.
"They would get the best bang for their buck if they, say, trade Rob for draft choices," said Ethan Lock, Fredrickson's agent. "Because he signed a contract with no signing bonus, it wouldn't cost them a penny cap-wise."
Fredrickson's base salary for the upcoming season is $975,000 but the Raiders would save the full cap figure of $1,137,500 by trading him.
Not surprisingly, senior assistant Bruce Allen downplayed the speculation.
"I don't know why everybody thinks this (release of Nolan Harrison) starts some new system around here. After talking with Nolan, we just felt it was in everybody's best interest he (explore) the free-agent market."
As far as is known, the Raiders still have not signed any of their draft choices.
More details are available in the Articles section.
Source: Contra Costa Times
The Raiders formally signed SS Lorenzo Lynch yesterday.
They also signed TE Kevin Smith, who was a reserve with the Raiders from 1992-94. He has been out of football since being cut during the 1995 preseason. A native of Oakland, Smith is the son of former Raider RB Charlie Smith (1968-74).
Source: Associated Press (Nando.net)
Afternoon update: The rumored radio deal is now official. The new AM station, dubbed "The Ticket," will have an all-sports format centered around the Raiders.
Source: San Jose Mercury News
According to this morning's Chronicle, San Francisco radio station KNBR has landed the contract for radio rights to the Raiders and will announce it today. The games will be carried on a recently acquired sister station, the former KOFY-AM.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
The Raiders waived DL Nolan Harrison yesterday. Southern California radio station XTRA speculated that this is the first in a series of steps to clear salary room for draft picks, specifically Darrell Russell and Chad Levitt. Those are the two draft picks considered most likely to be able to help the team this season.
The release took Harrison, 28, by surprise. "I'm reeling because I never thought I would be released. I thought it might happen in my 12th or 13th season, but this is my seventh. Once the shock wears off, I'll make a decision about what I'm going to do."
Senior assistant Bruce Allen downplayed the move.
"We feel very comfortable with the nucleus of our team. There might be one or two players (in the free-agent market) who pique our interest later."
Under his original contract Harrison would have earned $1.2 million this season, but he had agreed to restructure it twice already and was due to make less than $400,000. He said the Raiders told him they plan to re-sign him—presumably for less money—before training camp.
"(Coach) Joe Bugel told me personally he wants me back," Harrison said. "Before my back surgery (in 1995), things had been roses. If I come back, great. If not, I had a great career with them."
The Mercury News also mentions DE Pat Swilling as being on the bubble, and he doesn't sound thrilled about it. Swilling, too, has restructured his contract twice to help the team.
When he heard of Harrison's release, Swilling said, "When am I going to get my phone call?"
"I'm not really concerned; I think I can get a job," he said. "I'm not really losing any sleep over it. If that's what they want to do, then I wish they would do it."
Finally, the Merc reports that Washington has offered a late-round pick in next year's draft for lame duck QB Jeff Hostetler.
Sporting News columnist T.J. Simers recently reported that as of April 30, the Raiders were only $54,000 under the cap.
Sources: XTRA radio, San Jose Mercury News
The Raiders have signed four rookie free agents: Shatony Sargeant, Robert Rosenstiel, Obediah Cooper and Christopher Thompson. Sargeant is a 6-foot-4, 281-pound defensive lineman from Fresno State, Rosenstiel a 6-3, 240-pound tight end from Eastern Illinois, Cooper a 5-8, 170-pound receiver from Eastern Illinois, and Thompson a 6-4, 265-pound defensive lineman from Bowie State.
Cooper was a standout during last weekend's mini-camp.
Source: Contra Costa Times
The latest issue of The Sports Xchange has some interesting info on Chester McGlockton.
McGlockton's agent, Butch Williams, did in fact file a grievance on his client's behalf, challenging the final option year in McGlockton's contract. Had the grievance been upheld, McGlockton could have been a free agent this year. After a hearing, the issue was resolved in the club's favor.
He'll play out his final year at $770,000 plus a $200,000 roster bonus, or slightly less than $1 million in all.
"Know what?" McGlockton said. "I make a good salary. If I need some more, the Lord will bless me. He has blessed me so far."
Asked about possibly lining up at DE, he said, "In my mind, I am a defensive tackle. I would feel awkward if I was out there in the open getting just one person blocking me. It would be awkward to have all that space."
Chester was reminded that he was positioned on the end at times last year. He replied, "I don't know . . . maybe it got them TOO excited. But if it helps the team, that's good. It's just that you get used to doing something and when it changes on you, you don't know."
Source: Pro Sports Exchange (CBS Sportsline)
The rumor apparently began after Johnson, a Los Angeles native who's never been accused of being unduly modest or quiet, responded to a question asking how he'd feel if he were traded to the Raiders.
In a statement guaranteed to further endear himself to New Yorkers, Johnson replied, "I would love to play for the Raiders. If any team on the West Coast would have drafted me, I would have been so happy." He added, however, that he doubts coach Bill Parcells will trade him.
As with so many of these rumors, this one is impossible to quantify. The story is attributed only to "an NFL source," which could mean anything from a team owner on down to the water boy's significant other.
An interesting variation on the rumor appears in this morning's Chronicle. The article cites another "NFL source" as insisting that the trade being discussed involves not rookie DT Darrell Russell, but rather DT Chester McGlockton.
According to the Chron version, the main obstacle is the $4 million signing bonus the Jets would have to eat if they traded Johnson.
Meanwhile, the Raiders, naturally, deny all.
"Whoever started that rumor ought to be drug-tested," said senior assistant Bruce Allen. "There's no truth to that whatsoever." Allen was referring to a Russell-for-Johnson trade.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," added Jerome Stanley, Johnson's agent. "There's no way the Jets are making that trade. It'll never happen."
Sources: San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times
Here's a wild rumor, courtesy of San Francisco radio station KNBR: top draft pick Darrell Russell to the Jets for WR Keyshawn Johnson (yes, he of the big mouth).
Source: Raiders Fans Mail List
Another newspaper (the Mercury News) floated the Andre Rison rumor in an article published last night.
Since senior assistant Bruce Allen has said that an Eric Moten signing, if it occurs, probably wouldn't happen until after the first minicamp, the same may be true for a possible Rison deal.
The Raiders will hold their first minicamp this weekend—April 2-4. That means the team's focus this week will be on signing its draft picks.
Jeff Hostetler missed Washington's initial minicamp, which took place this past weekend, but the Redskins still expect him to be their backup QB this season.
Source: Contra Costa Times, Apr. 28, 1997
According to senior assistant Bruce Allen, the Raiders now have 60 players under contract.
That number's somewhat misleading at this point in the off-season. As of now:
None of the team's draft picks has been signed;
The team's own free agents remain unsigned (among them, LB James Folston, K Cole Ford, and one of last year's special teams co-captains, LB Paul Butcher);
It's unclear which, if any of last year's practice squad players have been signed. Of this group, at least three (FB Jerone Davison, G Joe Wylie and QB Alfred Montez) would be expected to be on the roster when the first minicamp opens. Davison could compete with rookie Chad Levitt for the starting fullback job vacated by Derrick Fenner. Unless, that is, Fenner is re-signed at a reduced salary. The Raiders are reportedly talking with Fenner's agent.
Lame duck QB Jeff Hostetler will probably continue to occupy a roster spot until June 1, when the cap implications of trading him change dramatically
.ESPN's Chris Mortensen speculates this morning, "After signing ex-Raven safety Eric Turner, the Raiders have pretty much extended themselves in restructuring contracts to make salary-cap room. That means Andre Rison is going to have a tough time finding a job anywhere and the former Pro Bowl receiver probably will have to go the minimum-wage route."
Contra Costa Times columnist Neil Hayes writes this morning that the Whiners need Hostetler as their backup QB for this season.
Sources: Contra Costa Times, ESPNet SportsZone
Joe Bugel said yesterday that Eric Turner, Eddie Anderson and Lorenzo Lynch will all figure in the Raiders' safety rotation this year, with Turner possibly seeing time at cornerback as well.
Source: Contra Costa Times
Free agent DT Tony Siragusa, who was mentioned for weeks as a possible signing target by the Raiders, agreed Thursday to a four-year, $6.1 million contract with Baltimore. Siragusa's deal included a $1.7 million signing bonus.
The Raiders were apparently scared off by questions about Siragusa's health. He was on the field for only 35% of his team's plays last year, primarily due to a knee injury.
DT Henry Thomas, one of the NFL's best, was waived by Detroit Thursday and is now an unrestricted free agent. Thomas' 1997 base salary of $1.316 million was the sticking point in trade talks with other teams.
Source: USA Today
Late update: SS Lorenzo Lynch was re-signed today to a one-year contract for $275,000.
The Raiders also signed three rookie free agents: linebackers Fernando Davis (Alabama) and Shay Muirbrook (Brigham Young) and QB Jason Davis (Western State in Gunnison, Colo.).
Muirbrook was the WAC defensive player of the year last season but stands only 5-11.
The Chronicle reported today that "one NFL source" says the Raiders are trying to sign free agent WR Andre Rison. Actually, this rumor's been floating around for several weeks.
Sources: San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle
The Raiders plugged a major weakness at free safety yesterday by signing free agent Eric Turner.
Terms were not disclosed, but Turner's agent said the four-year contract was for "substantially less" than the $2.8 million he earned with the Ravens. The San Jose Mercury News claims the contract amount was $6 million.
Turner, 28, played the last six seasons with the Browns/Ravens. He went to the Pro Bowl following the 1994 season and was an alternate in 1995. He had 81 tackles and a team-high five interceptions last year for the Ravens. He was released the day before a $1.3 million bonus was to fall due.
"I've prayed on this many a time for months that this would come true," said Turner. "The tradition ... everything about the Raiders. I could take it down as far as the uniforms. They've got great defensive players here, great tradition, and I just wanted to be a part of that."
"There were other teams, but there was no other team I was interested in," Turner said. "Teams called, they wanted me to take trips. I said still there's only one team I wanted to play for."
Turner said he has dreamed for years of playing for the Raiders—and told owner Al Davis exactly that during a chance meeting two years ago on a flight to Florida. "He was in the seat behind me," said Turner. "I just wanted to tap him and introduce myself, so I did. My contract was just up, and I told him, 'I would love to be a Raider. Don't forget about me come free agency.'"
Cleveland designated Turner their franchise player, however, for the next season.
Turner's agent, Mike Sullivan, said four other teams called but Turner turned them all down. "He saw free agency as a chance to be where he wanted to be, with no strings attached," Sullivan said.
Coach Joe Bugel said, "Talking to his teammates in Cleveland and Baltimore, probably the greatest tribute they gave was that everybody looks up to Eric Turner because of his work ethic. The three things they said, he's physically, mentally, spiritually tough."
Turner, a native of Ventura, CA and a UCLA graduate, was the second overall pick in the 1991 draft. He had a phenomenal season in 1994, when he had career highs of 167 tackles and nine interceptions for the Browns.
Then he broke a bone in his lower back late in the 1995 season and was put on injured reserve. While he insists that he has no lingering effects from that injury, some say he was not the same player last year.
"I've never thought of myself as falling off or backing off," said Turner.
Turner will be expected to start at free safety, replacing Eddie Anderson, who'll be 34 in July.
Now if we could only get Robert Blackmon to play alongside Turner . . .
Sources: ESPNet SportsZone, USA Today, Associated Press, San Jose Mercury News
The Raiders have signed three rookie free agents: LB Adrian Ioja (San Diego State), RB Darron Kirkman (Oregon State), and T Scott Whittaker (Kansas).
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Senior assistant Bruce Allen said today that an Eric Moten signing is not imminent.
"That's something we would do later if we do it," said Allen. He added that any such deal would probably come after a series of mini-camps in May and June.
Source: Associated Press (Nando.net)
An Alameda County grand jury issued a scathing report yesterday over the 1995 deal which brought the Raiders back to Oakland.
This was a civil grand jury—not to be confused with a criminal grand jury, which issues indictments in felony criminal cases. Civil grand juries are charged with conducting independent investigations and have subpoena power to compel local government officials to testify and/or produce records.
The report couldn't come at a worse time for the Raiders, who are already trying to win an ill-advised tit-for-tat spitting contest with the press in the press—a no-win situation if ever there was one—over their choice of Darrell Russell in last weekend's draft.
The grand jury criticized public officials who negotiated the deal for their "cavalier" attitude in relying on "pure speculation" to estimate revenues. It urged officials to fire the ticket marketing group and warned local government to start planning to slash services to pay for the souring deal.
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Following up on a proposal made at the owners' meetings in early March, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has appointed three owners from the NFL's labor committee to work with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) in fine-tuning the league's cap-driven salary structure. The issue of rookie bonuses has been put at the top of the agenda.
Tagliabue earlier proposed restructuring the separate pool of money used for rookie signings to equalize the huge disparity between high and low draft picks.
The issue is likely to be a contentious one. Tagliabue claims the NFLPA agreed to refine the cap system when it was first negotiated. The union position thus far on Tagliabue's proposal has been one of polite skepticism.
Source: USA Today
Afternoon update: It now appears Chester McGlockton may not have filed a grievance over his contract after all.
His agent, James Williams, said Monday, "Chester still wants to be a Raider and according to the Raiders they have no intention of trading him. Chester's going to be a Raider."
Referring to the Raiders' need to sign their draft choices, Williams said, "We're not on the back-burner, we're just not the priority (we were last week). At this point, it's just a matter of a meeting of the minds. We're not that far apart."
Here's the interesting part. Williams added that if the two sides can't work out a deal, there would be adequate grounds to take the matter to arbitration, but he's confident that won't happen. This suggests that no grievance has been filed and seems to contradict a report published by Sporting News columnist Tom Kowalski on April 7.
Source: Contra Costa Times
Bottom of the Barrel Department: Former No. 1 Raider draft pick Patrick Bates has been waived by Atlanta following his second assault on his former girlfriend in two weeks.
Bates, 26, was arrested a week ago after the woman, who is the mother of his child, accused him of kicking in the door to her apartment and beating her while she was feeding the baby. He was charged with aggravated assault, kidnapping and child endangerment. That arrest came 12 days after Bates was charged with simple battery in the beating of the same woman, police said.
Source: USA Today
The Raiders have met with free agent SS Robert Blackmon, according to Blackmon's agent, Jim Sims.
"I have talked to the Raiders and we are in the early stages of entertaining prospects for Robert coming to play for them," said Sims yesterday. "The Raiders need a safety and Robert's a free agent, so the fit is obvious. The next stage is to take it to a more serious level."
Sims said he's confident something could be worked out with the Raiders in the near future, perhaps before the team's first mini-camp May 2-4.
Blackmon, 30, killed the Raiders last year. In the two games against Seattle he had 13 tackles, forced two fumbles and had one interception.
In other free agent news, Eric Moten's agent, Harold Lewis, said the two sides could reach an agreement by the end of the week.
Source: Contra Costa Times
In a case with potentially far-reaching consequences, a Sacramento Small Claims Commissioner has ruled that the Oakland Football Marketing Association (OFMA), the entity charged with selling Raiders PSLs, violated its contract with two PSL holders and must give them a refund.
Small claims Commissioner Kenneth Norman, in a decision made public Monday, ordered the marketing association to pay $3,019 to Mark and Lisa Nunn for reimbursement of their PSL fees and court costs. The decision in the closely watched case could spark dozens of copycat suits from other disgruntled PSL holders. The Nunns have made a point of publicizing their case and trying to solicit other unhappy PSL holders.
The Nunns argued that the marketing association violated the terms of its PSL agreement when it tried to boost lagging ticket sales by allowing people without PSLs to purchase season tickets. OFMA responded that rather than devaluing PSLs, the sales plan was a perk for PSL holders. It allowed them to buy "bonus" season ticket packages that could be sold to friends and other Raider fans.
OFMA has not yet decided whether to appeal, said President Richard Rogers, who downplayed the decision.
"I'm convinced we had a strong position in that case, and I know it was difficult for the judge because it took over three months" to reach a decision, Rogers said. "We're strongly committed to strong customer service, to make season ticket holders proud, so I'm not overly concerned."
Although the Nunns' award is chicken feed in the overall scheme of things, it was more bad news for the Joint Powers Authority, a coalition of city and county officials which oversees OFMA.
"I worry about the whole thing," said Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele. "This is just one more headache. We're trying to dig our way out, and it seems like every time we climb 10 flights of stairs, we fall down two."
Source: Contra Costa Times
Back to free agents: The Raiders are reportedly close to signing free agent G Eric Moten, 29.
The Raiders have also reached agreement with undrafted rookie free agent QB Jason Davis of Western (Colo.) State.
Pro Football Weekly ranked Davis as the 12th-best quarterback available in the draft. He passed for 4,651 yards his last two seasons at Western State, with 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Davis has good size and arm strength. But he played against weak competition in college and is considered a "project."
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
The Oakland City Council met yesterday to consider a report, released last Friday, which projects that Oakland will have to cover an $8 million loss for the Raiders next year.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Tempest in a teapot: An unidentified official from the Raiders organization called ESPN yesterday to complain about comments made by ESPN college football analyst Mike Gottfried. Gottfried, who has a coaching and scouting background, offered his opinion that the Jets' second-round pick, Rick Terry of North Carolina, was superior to DT Darrell Russell, the Raiders' first-round choice.
Gottfried's comment seemed to irk coach Joe Bugel a little, too.
Although he smiled when he said it, Bugel suggested that Gottfried "might be suffering from burnout" to make such a comparison.
"He needs a vacation. Something may be seriously wrong with him. I'm worried because he used to be a friend," Bugel said.
The Raiders have publicly shown their irritation at media snickering about their claim that Russell was the best player available in the draft, bar none. The team's timing is not particularly deft in view of the news last Friday that the city of Oakland will have to bail out the Raiders to the tune of $8 million. One might expect the Raiders organization would be trying to stroke the media right now rather than squabble with them. But then, this football club isn't exactly known for being conventional . . . :-)
Bugel went on, " . . . it sounds like some people were disappointed in our choice. That's not the case with us." He added this wonderfully ambiguous sentence: "I want to say that we feel good about our offensive line and things are not done yet."
"Come June there will be almost another draft because there will be more players available," Bugel said. "We'll never stop working to beef up our football team. We feel with (Russell) we've added an impact player, and it happened to be on defense."
Source: Scripps-McClatchy Western Service
Post-draft update: An AP article just published on the Nando.net site has some interesting info on the Raiders' draft choices.
But first, the obligatory quotes from coach Joe Bugel and senior assistant Bruce Allen.
"As of today, I'm very excited about our football team. But the doors aren't closed," said Bugel. "Am I satisfied? Yes. I think we can tee it up today."
"Having a good defensive line for years is the goal of the organization", said Allen, deftly sidestepping the issue of the Raiders' need for improved pass protection.
On the two tackles drafted in the third round, Bugel said speed, not size, was the important factor in selecting both.
"You like size, but you like the guys to be able to run," he said. "You don't want to bring in big, slow guys, because they can really hinder an offense."
The interesting news is that the Raiders project Cornell tailback Chad Levitt as a fullback (he has little lead blocking experience), and Colorado State tailback Calvin Branch as a defensive back.
The AP says that the Raiders traded three draft choices—one each in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds—to Miami for the right to select Levitt. ESPN reported the trade as being with San Francisco via Miami.
Bugel said there's still room for improvement on the offensive line but pronounced himself "very elated" with the Raiders' draft.
The Raiders traded up a second time today, obtaining the No. 30 sixth-round pick (193rd overall) from Green Bay. With it they selected DT Grady Jackson of Knoxville (Tenn.) College.
In return the Raiders gave the Packers their remaining seventh-round choice (No. 12, 213th overall). There was undoubtedly something extra thrown in—most likely a pick in next year's draft—but I don't have that information yet.
So—that concludes the 1997 draft for the Raiders. Two defensive tackles, two offensive tackles, two running backs.
Oakland drafted Colorado State RB Calvin Branch with its sixth-round pick (No. 9, 172nd overall). He's a speedster and an excellent receiver and returner but lacks size.
The Raiders' final pick will come at No. 12 in the seventh round, 213th overall.
The Raiders traded up with San Francisco this morning to get themselves a fourth-round pick (No. 27, 123rd overall), which they used to select RB Chad Levitt of Cornell.
Raiders fans will recall Cornell as the Ivy League school that produced Raider fullback Marv Hubbard.
Levitt's a tweener size-wise—he sounds very similar to Joe Aska, although not as fast.
To acquire the selection, the Raiders gave up their fifth-round choice (No. 27, 157th overall, acquired from Carolina for Rocket Ismail), one in the sixth (No. 3, 166th overall) and one in the seventh (No. 2, 203rd overall, acquired from New Orleans for Austin Robbins). They now have one pick remaining in the sixth round (No. 9, 172nd overall) and one in the seventh (No. 12, 213th overall).
The Raiders took a pair of tackles in the third round. With the No. 12 pick (72nd overall), they selected tackle and long snapper Adam Treu of Nebraska. With the No. 25 pick (85th overall) they chose Tim Kohn of Iowa State.
Philadelphia did trade its pick, but not to Oakland. They traded with Dallas instead.
Eric Nilson reports on his Silver & Black Cyberspace site that the One-on-One radio network claims the Raiders will trade DT Chester McGlockton to Philadelphia for S Ray Farmer and the Eagles' 1st- and 3rd-round picks (22nd and 84th overall).
In my experience that network is not very reliable, but still—given the Raiders' pick and their needs at safety, it's not out of the question.
After St. Louis took almost 7 minutes to select T Orlando Pace, the Raiders wasted little time in picking Southern Cal DT Darrell Russell with the No. 2 selection. Seattle followed even more rapidly with CB Shawn Springs.
"Russell can play both defensive tackle and end, and we felt he was the best player available," said coach Joe Bugel.
ESPN radio claims that the Oakland-Detroit deal fell through this morning because the