10-29-10 8:10 am pac     

Photo Ben Margot / AP

Our last article dealt with the Raiders foibles at the receiver position and this game against the Seahwaks highlights some of them.

Leading receiver Louis Murphy is out with an injury so the Raiders, without a veteran wide, will field rookie Jacoby Ford and Nick Miller in his place.

Darrius Heyward Bey starts at the X spot.

Seattle faces a pretty similar prediciment at WR.

Seahawk QB Matt Hasselbeck is a seasoned vet but the only reliable target he has is a TE.

Sound familar?

Hasselbeck's go to guy is John Carlson who had 51 catches and 7 TDs last season.

Jason Campbell and Oakland have Zach Miller as their go to tight end, but neither team is set at the wide out spot.

Hasselbeck lost T.J. Houshmenzadeh, Nate Burleson and Deion Branch, so essentially his entire corps of receivers from last year.

Former 1st round flop Mike Williams seems to have turned it around this year and the 6-5, 235 lb receiver has caught 21 passes for 210 yds in the last 2 games.

Rookie Golden Tate was targeted just once last week and has had trouble with routes.

It drops off from their pretty quickly with former reserve Deon Butler now a starter and vet Brandon Stokely with only 4 weeks on the team but remember, Oaklands secondary and especially starting Raider CB Chris Johnson were shredded by the Seahawks patchwork WR corps this pre season.

Back up QB Charlie Whitehurst and Ben Obamanu torched the Raider D seven times for 101 yds.

Three Seattle wides had catches of 31 yds or more that day.

Johnson was hampered by a littany of injuries but it was still unsettling.

Odds favor the Raiders secondary on Sunday tough because the Seahawks wide receivers lack depth and experience. 

Add to this the fact Hasselbeck likes to throw interceptions when rattled and Oakland could make some head way.  

QB Jason Campbell faired well last week thanks in large part to 300 yds + on the ground.

If Oakland can't produce yardage and more importantly TDs against the Hawks Oaklands season could sputter again.

Fortunes can change from week to week in the NFL and no one knows that more than a Raiders fan.

The good news is teams like Arizona have managed to crack the Seahawks formidable 2nd ranked run defense with crisp blocking on the edges, negating Seattle's speedy and ferocious linebacking corps.

Oakland looked good doing it against Denver and if they load the field with 7 offensive linemen and more jumbo packages this week end, they can do it again.

Hopefully Oakland will build on the success of these formations and not out smart themselves against Seattle.

They need to continue to line up the big men and run the D over.

Not to say Oakland didn't use some finesse last week.

For the first time in recent memory Oaklands linemen consistently got second level and negated the defenses LBs.

Lets hope they can do it again.

Helping Oaklands bid for ground supremacy will be LG Robert Gallery and rookie lineman Jared Veldheer.

Veldheer and Gallery clicked last week end and began road grating the Broncos into submission early and often.

The devastation continued even as Veldheer seamlessly rotated to Center in place of starter Samson Satele who suffered a concussion.

Satele was cleared for practice yesterday and should play.

If Veldheer and Gallery can do it again this week against a much stouter run D the Oakland Raiders could be for real.

Photo / AP                                                                                                    WR Johnnie Lee Higgins

If not, jittery Jason Campbell could be forced to carry the load with two 2nd yr receivers and one rookie.

You could throw Johnnie Lee Higgins into that mix but, like Seattle's Golden Tate, he's been so erratic Oakland hasn't been able to fully count on him.

JLH will see reps Sunday, lets just hope he blocks downfield and runs the right routes.

Better yet, lets hope Bush and DMC run rough shod over the Seahawks and we won't have to worry about the passing game.

10-22-10 12:30 pm pac

Theres alot wrong with Oaklands WR corps and has been since the departure of World Class legends Jerry Rice and Tim Brown.

Wash out Jerry Porter was finally sent packing.

After surviving and ugly row with former Coach Art Shell and creating havoc behind the scenes, Porter eventually signed a $30 million dollar free agent deal with the unfortunate Jags on February 28th 2008.

11 months into a 6 year contract Jacksonville had seen enough. 

On February 11th 2009, Jacksonville paid Porter his $10 million guaranteed and did what the Raiders should've done years before, let the under producing oft injured wide out walk away.

Oakland drafted Jamarcus Russell #1 overall in the 2008 draft, sat him most of that season and then saddled him the next year with WRs like undeveloped 2nd year project Johnnie Lee Higgins and ridiculously washed up vets like Ashlie Lelie and Javon Walker.

Oakland "addressed" the WR issue in the 2009 NFL Draft by taking Darrius Heyward Bey with the 7th overall pick even though Bey was clearly a developmental project who might have been available much later in the draft.

As a project it was and is expected to take time for Bey to develop the skills needed to become a well rounded WR in a professional system.

And learn how to catch a ball.

Florida WR Louis Murphy was also taken in the 09 draft. He was selected in the 4th round 124th overall but was rated higher. 

In all fairness Murphy is developing and has been the Raiders most productive wide receiver but there were reasons teams passed him by on draft day.

He has a slight build and isn't very physical. He tends to struggle to get off press coverage and fight for inside position against stronger cornerbacks. Ball security has been an issue.He tends to lose control on big hits. Murphy has yet to prove he can high-point and consistently win  jump balls. Just like Bey, Murphy is inconsistent in using his hands to snatch the ball, and will body-catch too often.

                                                                                     WR Louis Murphy

Like Bey he doesn't consistently attack corners to block on run plays or screens, he hesitates on occasion and allows them to get into the play, but has improved alot in this category.

With all these foibles and flaws to be worked on with these developmental players, what does Al Davis do?

Annoints SanJay Lal as WR Coach.

Great!

Obviously a top notch specialist to coach up the raw Murphy and the 7th overall, $23.5 million dollar investment represented by Darrius Heyward Bey.

Right? Right?!

Actually Lal had zero experience as a WR coach at the NFL level before Davis promoted him from "Offensive Quality Control Assistant" to WR Coach.

Despite theirs and Lal's inexperience Bey and Murphy became the Leagues first rookie wide receivers to start since the 2000 season.

Mixed with a bad O line inadequate and back up QBs they were understandably horrible.

So in the off season Mr. Davis obviously fixed this glaring over sight by hiring a proven WR Coach and a bringing in a veteran WR to side coach the rookies in the games finer details.

Right? RIGHT?!

Again Al Davis completely disregarded his investment clearly to its detriment.

Bey spent time on his own this offseason prepping for year #2 and looked improved at the beginning of camp.

Suddenly, he fell off a cliff, suffered a "mystery" injury apparently but the press was told Bey was suffering from "fatigue".

With Murphy suffering nagging injuries all camp and Bey sitting out QB Jason Campbell was unable to develop any kind of chemistry.

To make matters worse for Oaklands current stable of wides the Raiders will in all likelihood start their 3rd Quarterback of the season on Sunday.

So much for chemistry there.

The Raiders problems at wide receiver are myriad but not insurmountable.

Oakland brought in Rice to compliment Brown so you know Davis understands the value of veteran WR play.

Maybe he's still pissed about how the Moss deal worked out and or wants to show the world he can pick the next Lance Alworth.

What he sees in Lal is anyones guess.

Maybe he sees what he saw in Madden or Gruden.

Or maybe he's not seeing what he should've seen in Art Shell round two or in "Lance" Kiffin.

Oaklands wide receiver problem has been around almost as long as its losing streak.

Addressing any one of the issues currently facing them would definitely help, especially by bringing in a proven WR Coach and or a veteran wide out.

Unfortunately, we may have to wait till next year.

10-21-10 12:27 pm pac          

Photo Walter Looss Jr. / SI                                                            QB Kenny "The Snake" Stabler

The Raiders have never been good at developing quarterbacks.

The one glaring exception to this rule was Kenny the Snake Stabler whom the Raiders drafted in the 2^nd round (52^nd overall) of the 1968 NFL draft.

Drafting QBs hasn’t been a Raider hallmark though with busts like Brigham Young’s Marc Wilson taken 15^th overall in the 1980 draft.

Wilson's career stalled out thanks to injuries and circumstance and he finished his unsuccessful career with New England.

In 1991 Oakland selected with its 1^st round pick (24^th overall) "Robo Quarterback" Odd Todd Marinovich who smoked and drank his way out of a job before the start of the 1993 season.

More recently Ryan Leaf’s best friend Jamarcus Russell, the #1 overall pick of the 2007 draft, quickly slobbed his cough syrupy way out of the NFL, becoming the poster boy for League owners who want to reform gargantuan rookie contracts.

Most of Oaklands greatest successes have come from picking up experienced QBs floundering on other teams.

Daryle Lamonica was drafted in the 24^th round (thats right, 24^th!) of the 1963 NFL draft by Buffalo where he played for 4 yrs before joining the Raiders.

Lamonica earned the nickname "The Mad Bomber" for his prolific passing that led to 3 straight Western Division titles in a row, an AFL Championship and an appearance in Super Bowl II.

Jim Plunkett was taken #1 overall by the Boston Patriots in the 1971 draft and waived by the 49ers in the pre season of 1978 before being picked up by the Raiders.

Punkett came off the bench and led Oakland to 2 Super Bowl Championships. One against the Eagles in Super Bowl XV and again in 1983 against the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII.

Rich Gannon was a 4^th round pick (98^th overall) by Minnesota in 1987, bounced from the Redskins to the Chiefs before being signed as a free agent by the Raiders in February of 1999.

Gannon led Coach John Gruden's version of the "Over the hill gang" to its first Division title since 1990, went to the Pro Bowl a record 4 straight times and becoming the only player to win Pro Bowl MVP in back to back seasons.

Aside from his copious records and outstanding leadership fate cnspired against Gannon and the Raiders again and again in the post season and his ugly Super Bowl loss leaves him a pariah to many Raider fans who, instead of celbrating Oaklands dominance during that time would rather forget the horror of how those play off runs ended.

Even with these key successes at quarterback the Raiders have by no means streamlined the process.

Raider history is littered with QBs who didn’t work out, were terrible, got injured or were circling the drain when they arrived.

Dan Pastorinini, Jay Schroeder, Jeff George, Kerry Collins, Aaron Brooks, Daunte Culpepper on and on.

The point of all this is Oakland can’t seem to locate the QB it needs. They’ve lacked leadership since Gannon suffered a career ending neck injury 3 games into the 2004 season.

                                                                                                            QB Rich Gannon

After the Russell debacle, which really set this faltering franchise back, the Raiders have seemingly settled on QB Jason Campbell who inadvertently admitted to Gannon, who is now a broadcaster / analyst, that he is still struggling to memorize the terminology of Oaklands play book.

Granted Campbell’s had more than his fair share of O coordinators and schemes, each with their own twists and nomenclature but that was supposed to be a positive.

Campbell was ready because he has so much experience.

He may need a little seasoning on the bench like Plunkett got back in the day and could turn into a solid QB for Oakland eventually but relying on Bruce Gradkowski, a former 6^th round draft pick who can’t read blitzes and is injury prone wasn't the game plan when Campbell came on board.

It means very little and is understandable, but having punter Shane Lechler take snaps as an emergency back up QB even before week 7 of the season speaks volumes.

Campbell is playing like Jamarcus Russell.

Gradkowski has added a bad AC in his throwing shoulder to the laundry list of injuries he’s suffered with the Raiders including 2 torn MCL’s last year and a torn pec this off season.

Finding a quality QB in the NFL is a hard thing to do for sure, but you’d think Oakland would have had more success at it after all these years.

Granted, there have been extenuating circumstances in a lot of these failures. Coaching changes, poor wide out play, stalled running games, bad O lines ect.

We’ll touch on some of these in later articles.

It seems pretty plain that without veteran leadership and production at the QB position the Oakland Raiders struggle mightily.

Is Bruce Gradkowski the long term answer?

The long and short of it is no.

Is Jason Campbell the answer?

Maybe, eventually, but after last weeks game it sure doesn' t look like it right now.

Is Shane Lechler the answer to Oaklands quarterback woes?

Lets hope we never have to find out. 

10-20-10 11:01 am pac                              

                                                                                         DT Tommy Kelly

Why start with the Defensive Tackles?

Sure, we're drunk, but theres a method to our madness. Or rather, theres a madness to our method.

Just like Al Davis.

As the series carries you further along down the rabbit hole you'll begin to discover the genius and the lunacy generated by one man on a Kurtzian path who indeed really is quite insane and entirely genius.

Run Defense

Why can't Oaklands DTs tackle the problem?

First of all, the DTs aren’t really the problem. I know that sounds laughable but its true.

As true as anything can be in the wild and wacky world according to Al.

They do and have missed assignments in recent years but the real problem is, as always, multi-dimensional.

A. The Offense

If the Raiders perpetually stalled out offense could ever keep the big men off the field longer, they might be fresher in the deep end of the 4^th quarter.

If they could consistently put TDs on the board they would give the D points to defend and maximize the pass rush / cover defensive scheme.

B. The Scheme

Oaklands D has had several coordinators and many a Raider fan celebrated the day Rex Ryan's less attractive brother left the facility for the last time, but, as our latest D coordinator John Marshall's under performance has shown, its not just the scheme, it’s the theme.

We’ve never talked to Mr. Davis so we don’t know but a summation of the available information suggests the owner of all things Raider does in fact have a say in what scheme gets run when and where.

Whether he's involved to the outlandish degree some "personalities" claim is another matter, but its not infeasible the majority owner and most knowledgable man involved in football would have a say in what happens where. 

In all fairness, its also been said that Mr. Davis provides a very long leash as long as long as what his coaches are doing is winning.

The Raiders haven’t been winning.

The one gap defensive scheme Oakland tries to utilize seems to bear a disproportionate amount of culpability when creating highlight reels for opposing running backs.

Most human beings with a fraction of their senses would eventually come to the conclusion after failure after epic failure that this system should at the least, be curtailed if not completely derailed.

Not Al Davis.

And he's right.

Sort of...

C. The Personnel

Not really important for who they are or were because the majority of them were brought in with the priority of being a pass rusher and or a one gap penetrator.

There have been some good ones pass through Oakland.

Greg Townsend and Warren Sapp for example, but there have also been some huge duds.

                                                                                       DT Warren Sapp

The fact is, even if your personnel is well suited to accomplish their mission as pass rushers, what good is that particular skill set if the other team negates you by simply running the ball.

Ah-ha!

But like any multi-faceted strategy or battle, this too has a counter.

To keep the other team from constantly running the ball down your throat you simply let your offense control the clock so that eventually, the other team CAN’T run the ball anymore.

Your opponent has to start throwing the ball in order to catch up.

Did I mention the scoring?

Oh yeah, the scoring.

Thats pretty important if you want your pass rushing one gap penetrators to be utilized to maximum efficiency.

The other team has to be behind on the score board.

Key.

So, with a stalled out offense, Oaklands big men spend too much time on the field and are often pooped at the end of long drives they can’t extract themselves from.

Why?

Because they get run on for big yards that move the chains, set up easier first downs or score TDs.

Why?

The scheme they play and the players that are picked to play most effectively in it does not work if the offense isn’t doing its part.

And, the offense hasn't been doing its part.

Thats a huge problem because when you play gunslinger, man on man, "our guys are bigger an better than yours" football your going to win alot of battles but you are, inevitbaly, going to leave exploitable gaps.

Why?

Because the scheme eventually breaks down completely.

Its the law of averages.

You roll the dice enough, you're going to get snake eyes.

The key is to limit the rolls.

To a large degree, thats predicated on the offense.

Missing a gap in that precious one gap system of defense, lets lose another 100 yd rusher, solidifying our own personal corner of the statistical cellar.

Believe it or not, this is called acceptable loss.

And it is.

In fact its pure genius from a League stand point.

It creates far more big plays and drama to have a team be able to break a big gainer or tighten the game up.

Not a problem if your offense is able to out score opponents.

The kiss of death if your offense has been wearing silver and black for lets say oh, the last 7 or so years.

In conclusion, the short and simple answer to fixing the run defense is to fix the offense.

Thats got to be pretty simple right?

Simpler than revamping the entire D including personnel and scheme.

Right?

Not so far...

10-17-10 4:44 pm pac                                       

Photo Marcio Jose Sanchez /AP

                                                                                                             RB Frank Gore                      

Oaklands D was typical. Pretty good at containing everything then letting one huge play swing the momentum.

49er running back Frank Gore gashed the Raiders for a 64 yd run that set up a Vernon Davis TD to make the score 17-9.

The Raider D was unable to extricate itself from the field despite the 9ers best attempts to shoot their own feet with stupid penalties and dis-organization.

With constant 3 and outs thanks to poor play calling and poorer execution by Oaklands offense, the D suffered long clock eating drives by the sputtering San Fran offense.

The D bent and eventually broke.

QB Jason Campbell didn’t complete a pass in the 2^nd or in the 3^rd quarter. Part of that was play calling and a lot of boring and ineffective Michael Bush 2-3 yd runs, part of it was penalties but the most disturbing part was Jason Campbell’s complete inability to just let the ball go.

3 steps, release.

Not sure what he’s seeing or not seeing but he needs help or yanked until he figures it out.

He was dinged late in the game coming up gimpy after a scramble for 2 yds but Oakland kept the mis firing QB in the game instead of resurrecting Kyle Boller who was delegated to 2^nd string because of Bruce Gradkowski’s sore AC in his right shoulder.

Part of Campbell’s problem was the pressure he was constantly under by San Frans withering blitzes and pressure schemes.

Oakland may be out cuting itself by rotating players in and out and all the hell over the place on the O line.

Have to review the game but saw Veldheer at RG and at LT today. Mario Henderson was lined up right side a few times too me thinks.

Not so Super Mario was absolutely horrible today especially when run blocking.

He got beaten like a drum by San Frans defense plain and simple.

Slapping guys all over the field in different O line spots has merit in theory.

Creates mismatches.

In theory.

Provides experience and injury insurance.

In theory.

In theory though it can also be detrimental to building O line continuity by destroying chemistry and confusing players who maybe shouldn’t even be out there especially flip flopped all over the place and especially with a "hybrid" ZBS/ Straight line power blocking scheme.

No wonder they can’t get the offense going.

Former Raider QB Rich Gannon did the announcing for this game and lamented long and loud about how awful Oaklands safety play was and specifically mentioned Tyvon Branch.

We feel like screaming.

Its understood though.

We bished for years about MLB Kirk Morrison’s poor play before they got rid of him.

Davis will likely keep Tyvon in until he gets injured or has an undeniably horrid game they and have no other choice.

Why?

We don’t know.

Since the first game of pre season we warned of Branch’s spotty play.

At first it was mostly pass coverage he struggled in.

Now, its all aspects.

Oakland may not admit it but they miss retired Hall of Fame DB Coach Willie Brown.

Sure Brown’s around the facility, but he’s not in their face.

Huff was voted AFC defensive player of the week for his game against San Diego, which should’ve been a portent of things to come.

If your Safeties got 11 tackles, your front 7 aren’t getting it done.

Oaklands D line played well until late in Frisco RB Frank Gore broke the game open with a 64 yd burst off the right side.

Not a huge Raider break down, just a well executed play.

Gore finished with 149 yds on 25 carries.

We miss John Henderson. But who’s to say the Raiders would’ve had him in there?

Their method of substituting players needs to be examined.

We’ve mentioned

Huff ran Gore down to keep him from scoring but Tyvon Branch lost TE Vernon Davis who caught an Alex Smith pass and took it 17 yds for a TD with 7:21 remaining.

Coach Tom Cable stated after last weeks win over San Diego that it was mainly the cornerbacks fault for QB Philip Rivers 431 yd passing performance when clearly it was not.

After suffering years of draft and free agent busts and generally poor play at the position last year Oakland seemed to have turned a corner with its safeties.

Michael Huff was making plays from the single high safety position finally. Tyvon led all DBs in tackles.

Things looked solid.

Now they look confused and out of sorts way too often.

Oakland has other glaring problems, like a QB who refuses to pull the trigger on time, but until they address Tyvon and the FACT their safeties aren’t playing well the Raiders are in for more defensive break downs and sadly, more losses.

10-08-10 11:39 pm pac                         

Oaklands lost 13 times in a row to San Diego and if they want to ever rise above their lowly standings the silver and black is going to have to end this streak on Sunday.

Their arch nemesis, RB LaDanian Tomlinson is gone and running well for the Jets but SD has a new RB named Ryan Mathews they may or may not have overdrafted.

Have no illusions, Mathews is a quality back coming off and ankle injury.The knock on him is he can't stay healthy.

Speaking of, Raider RB Darren McFadden isn't likely to play Sunday with a pulled right hamstring.

Thats bad news for the offense and the D.

Oakands best chance of defeating the red hot Charger offense is to keep them off the field.

Oaklands maligned O line needs QB Bruce Gradkowski to get rid of the ball quick and make proper adjustments to D reads. Something he hasn't done with consistency this year.

Gradkowski's inability to read and audible against obvious shifts and blitzes has made his O line look worse than they are. Still Gradkowski motivates his teamates to play better. moves the ball and most importantly scores points.

Grads and the O will need to sustain drives, eat the clock and score touchdowns to give its defense a chance.

The D is going to have to find a way to stop the top rated offense in the League.

Thats going to be a tall order considering Oaklands situation at linebacker.

MLB Rolando McClain missed 2 practices this week after his grand father passed away from a lingering illness.

He should be ready but is coming offhis worst performance as a pro. Last week McClain was slow to read and bad in coverage, something he has been pretty solid up till then.

LB Quentin Groves has a bad hammy and could miss time but thats actaully a blessing in disguise. Groves has been terrible and worse lazy.

Reviewing last weeks game Groves gives up on plays like Texan RB Derrick Ward's 33 yd TD run where he flat out quits on the play. S Tyvon Branch actually pushes him out of the way to try and make the tackle before the goal line.

Groves dramatically lunges at players instead of squaring up in the hole to make tackles and tentatively dances around the O line when he's supposed to blitz.

Not that one guy is responsible for Oaklands loss but it hurts believe that.

With Groves hopefully out and LB Thomas Howard suffering a knee injury the Raiders find themselves thin at LB and this weeks hire, LB Bruce Davis will probably see time on special teams at least.

With so many missing and under perfroming at LB Oakland will need to rely on 8th overall pick Rolando McClain, family loss or no. 

The Raiders will need him to be on point against SD's #1 ranked offense, a ranking last weeks blow out of Arizona helped cement.

The Chargers put up 41 points against the hapless Cards. The same team Oakland found a way to some how lose to.

The Raiders need to stop making teams look good.

Oaklands game plan should be a heavy dose of the run game but again, McFadden most likley won't be there and SD's defense is ranked 2nd in the NFL.

RB Michael Bush is recovering from a broken thumb but will probably play without padding on his hand for the first time since the break.

RB Rock Cartwright could figure prominently too.

The Raiders will miss McFadden not only for his offensive contributions but as a pass protector too, something he's been very good at.

Bush has made leaps and bounds in that area too but we'll have to see how his thumb holds up through out the game.

Ideally the Raiders could dink and dunk the ball down field with its passing game and score but San Diego's D is coming off a game where they sacked Arizona 9 times and forced 2 picks.

The Chargers numbers may be inflated because of the Cardinals poor play, but they're still a good team and always like to put a beat down on Oakland.

The Raiders are fully capable of playing solid, good football and winning games.

They just don't always play like it.

They'll need to bring their a game, focus and concerntrate for 60 minutes if they want to end one of the most embarrassing losing streaks in pro football.

10-04-10 7:11 pm pac                          

                                                                                   QB Jason Campbell

 Jason Campbell's shaky start had Oakland fans rolling their eyes and begging for Bruce and despite better production, theres still alot to be desired at the quarterback postion because frankly neither of them are ready.

Campbell joining the Raiders was seen as a rebirth for the former 2005 1st round draft pick (25th overall) and it still may be but he and Oakland stumbled out of the gate.

Campbell was probably surprised to find an even worse Oline than the one he played behind in Washington.

Alot has been made of how many systems and O coordinators he's had over his football career  but that didn't neccessarily mean picking up the Oakland play book was going to be a piece of cake.

When the season started he seemed like he simply wasn't ready to run the Raiders system.

Gradkowski is buying Campbell time but it could take another off season before Campbell can effectively run and control the offense.

We'll know then if he's a wash or not.

If we're not on strike of course.

Bruce Almighty has one less year in the League than Campbell but one more year as a Raider and that seems to have helped him grasp whats going on a little better.

He is still making huge mistakes and missing easy reads. Gradkowski is failing to see defensive shifts or sets. He's not calling audibles or warning blockers and its costing Oakland sacks and turn overs.

Pair this with a continually rotating O line rife with aging vets, back ups and green rookies and you can see why Oakland has some trouble executing.

Gradkowski missed huge swathes of time due to injury last year and this off season.

Couple that with injuries to Oaklands wide outs this off season and the lack of chemistry in the passing game for either QB starts to become even more apparent.

Campbell was a 1st round pick for a reason and he's capable of good football.

                                                                                  QB Bruce Gradkowski

Gradkowski's a 6th round draft pick (194th overall) who was waived by 3 of the Leagues worst teams. (Tampa, St. Louis and Cleveland).

Gradkowski can move the ball, he can even score points. Perhaps its partly because he's been on bad teams but he can't seem to win games.

The Polish Cannon took some brutal shots yesterday and to his credit he got up. His toughness has never been in question but his decision making and situational awareness are.

Campbell seems to make mistakes because he's in a perpetual "still learning" mode.

At least thats the hope.

Some stabiltiy at O coordinator could do him good because he possesses the skills to get the job done and execute. He just looks confused sometimes.

The bottom line is, both QBs have their good and their bad points and aren't supported by a stellar cast.

Pick your poison, Campbell or Grads.

Neither seems ready to consistently win.

Alot can change as the season goes on but as of right now Oaklands quarterbacking position is still up in the air.

09-04-2010 11:43 pm pac                                                                        

                                                                                                         Loper with the Titans

Guard Daniel Loper was a suprise roster pick for the Oakland Raiders 53 man squad and many Raider fans know little about him.

He's played surprisingly well filling in for injured LG Robert Gallery and is in part responsible for RB Darren McFadden's position as 3rd leading rusher in the League right now.

The former Texas Tech Red Raider was taken in the 5th round (150th overall) of the 2005 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans where he played till 2008.

The 6-6, 320 lb 28 yr old had a brief stint with the Detroit Lions where he signed as a free agent but was released April 15th of 2009.

Loper signed with the Raiders on May 16th 2010 and drew some notice for solid run blocking against the Dallas Cowboys in pre season.

He solidified his place on the roster with another good performance in Oaklands 27-24 win over the Seahawks highlighted by a DB leveling block in the open field on a screen play to FB Manase Tonga that went for a touch down.

He's been consistently solid opening running lanes for the Raiders and decent in pass protection too and may actually be one of Oaklands better linemen.

It will be interesting to see where Oakland moves him when Gallery does come back.

No time table on that right now because Gallery's hamstring injury appeared to be fairly severe, but the Raiders will need to decide if they should bench the productive Loper or try something else.

It might be nice to speculate Loper staying at Left Guard and Oaklaand trying out Gallery back at his original position at Left Tackle since they're struggling to find a player for that slot right now.

Again, pure speculation.

Loper struggles in pass coverage at times but the same can be said of the entire Oakland line.

Whether he can work his way into a starting role on the Raider O line remains to be seen but he's performed very well through 3 games.

Loper has provided good depth and a solid push in the run game and has been a pleasant surprise.

He had a head start in athletics as a youth since his father played football for Rice and majored in excersize sport science.

After 6 yrs of toil in NFL obscurity the Raiders hope Loper's finally coming into his own and is ready to make a bid for a starting slot on their lacking O line.

09-22-10 2:09 pm pac                             
Photo Tony Gonzales

                                                                                                          DT John Henderson 

Official word on who's likely to start this Sunday against Arizona is expected around 3 o'clock but all indications are it will be Bruce Gradkowski.

He was seen taking first team snaps at todays practice with Jason Campbell playing catch with Danny Southwick.

There was little drop off at the left guard position last week as 6 yr vet Daniel Loper filled in for Robert Gallery. Gallery's still out with a bad hamstring pull and Loper in all likelihood will start again this week end.

Loper's a hot and cold player and its hoped he can contiune playing well.

Though Oaklands O line suffered especailly in the first half, Loper was solid and partially responsible for RB Darren McFadden's 145 yd performance.

Tackle Eric Pears re joined the Raiders on the practice field and although he was plain terrible this off season and has never challenged for a starting slot, he figures to see time as an extra TE in tackle eligilble sets like their Jumbo package.

In order to add Pears, rookie 7th round Safety Stevie Brown was waived but could and should rejoin the team on its practice squad unles he's claimed by another team.

Brown is a very good prospect and has an uncoachable instinct to be around the ball and make plays but the Raiders are fairly deep at the Safety postion right now.

The move came after Safety Hiram Eugene was cleared after an injury sidelined him earlier.

Some potentially bad news for the Raiders D line with DT Big John Henderson wearing a protective boot at todays practice.

Henderson had an outstanding game and was a main reason why the Rams RB Stephen Jackson was held to only 75 yards rushing.

Henderson says his foots not a problem and he should be ready to go against the Cards.

Even if he's not Oakland should have veteran DT Richard Seymour back for the contest after he sat against the Rams with a minor hamstring issue.

Word was he could've played last Sunday but the Raiders erred on the side of caution.

Good news for the Raiders secondary as rookie 4th round CB Walter McFadden took the practice field after a hamstring injury sidelined him during the Seahawks pre season game.

Oaklands corner play has been decent enough but it seems like CB Chris Johnson is still struggling with a hamstring issue of his own and McFadden could see time at the Nickle position allowing CB Stanford Routt to take more reps for Johnson at the left corner back spot.

09-19-10 7:44 pm pac                             

 
Photo Paul Chin / The Chronicle

                                                                                                         QB Jason Campbell

Starting QB Jason Campbell found himself riding pine after a horrific 1st half but fans shouldn't be so quick to judge or write him off just yet.

A closer look reveals more than meets the eye when it comes to Campbell's performance.

Yes, he looked a little dis jointed and out of sorts on occasion but in the first half Oakland was trying to execute Hue Jackson's down field game plan and had limited success.

The type of play calls changed a little to a more move the chains attack when Gradkowski came in and viola', it worked.

Some of it was Gradkowski to be sure, but some of it was a judicious half time adjustment concerning play calls and who was going to be playing at the quarterback position.

Gradkowski was decisive and got rid of the ball which helped an over whelmed O line.

They shot themselves in the foot a few times too. Who ever decided to move Jared Veldheer in and out at left tackle needs to stop it.

Al we're looking at you...

Wether Davis had any say is another matter (Warren Sapp would say he does and often) but Mr. Davis has a track record of throwing guys in to combat right away, often to the detriment of the team.

Veldheer's no exception.

He looks like he's got the skills and they physical presence to get the job doen, he just needs the experience and that comes at a cost.

But back to Campbell.

Remember, Jason Campbell's the guy who's had umpteen O cordinators since college and frankly, he's still learning the Oakland system.

Alot of pressure was put on him by people who may have misinterpreted Mr. Davis' intent in comparing Campbell to Plunkett because some of those people don't realize Jim Plunkett was a work in progress when he joined the Raiders too.

Jim's first year he never even threw a pass during regular season and the next year, he threw 15.

What Davis meant (later clarified by Campbell himself) was that Mr. Davis sees a gifted QB with the skill set to be great.

The again he liked Todd Marinovich and JaMarcass too.

Anyway, the point is, Jason Campbell may be struggling mightily, but some times things take time to progress.

It was alot for Campbell to bite off as some kind of savior, but the fact of the matter is, he may be or at least could turn into a decent QB later rather than sooner.

Like the other QB he's been compared to.

Bruce Gradkowski's not strong armed or flashy, he just gets it done. He puts the ball where the receiver can get it and he sacrifices his body to get the ball away.

All heroic and epic stuff, but theirs only so much punishment the 6-1, 220 lb QB can take.

Remember, this is the same Gradkowski who tore both MCL's last year and a left pectoral this off season.

He's behind the essentially the same O line as last year and that means we may not have seen the last of Jason Campbell in 2010.

He may even get the nod against Arizona next week.

Smart money says not to judge to harshly or too early.

Campbell could be thrown right back into the fray.

He wasn't injured far as we know and no injuries were declared at the post game conference with Coach Cable so Campbell's physically capable.

If Gradkowski does get the start against the Cardinals the time off could do Jason Campbell some good, but that decision will be made by the Raider brass in the week to come.

09-03-10 1:19 pm pac

Photo Tony Gonzales

                                                                                                 CB Walter McFadden
 

The Raiders famous curtain of secrecy has decended and theres no official word on player injury but the conspicuous absence of several players could mean trouble.

Rumor has it 6-2, 240 lb linebacker Travis Goethel may have a bulging disc in his back.

The 6th round 2010 draft pick seemed to impress Raider staff enough to consider him for the line up over vets like LB Thomas Howard but the former ASU stand out was a no show for last nights pre season closer leading to speculation he may be injured.

CB Chris Johnson missed the back half of training camp with a hamstring issue and was roundly torched in his pre season debut against the Seahawks giving up over 120 yds to Hawk receivers but the reason he was in so long may have to do with a possible injury to rookie 4th round pick Walter McFadden.

Again, Oaklands not saying, but McFadden limped off the field with an apparent leg injury last night and hasn't been heard from since.

The 5-11, 185 lb former Auburn star had a solid camp and was looking to see time at nickle back in place of CB Stanford Routt who was trying to unseat Johnson for the starting slot opposite Nnamdi Asomugha.

Johnson's poor showing and McFadden possibly injury could play heavily in the Raiders thinking over the next 24 hours as they trim the roster from 75 to the starting final 53.

Looking for replacements via a trade becomes tenuous due to injuries to players like Patriots CB Lee Bodden and the Vikings CB Chris Cook, both starters who were lost for the year over the last 72 hours.

Of course no official word has come down from Oakland and we probably shouldn't expect it, but McFadden's absence could be a minor glitch or could mean he'll miss time in the regular season.

We'll keep you posted.

07-23-10 1:01 pm pac

                                 
                                                                                                       Raider O Coordinator Hue Jackson

With ties to Head Coach Tom Cable dating back to the 90s at Cal State Fullerton and with the California Golden Bears, new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson isn’t a complete unknown to the powers that be in Oakland but he has a lot to prove this upcoming season.

He’s got some experience as an O coordinator with the Redskins in 2003 and with Atlanta in 2007 (both teams finished 23^rd in the League on offense during his tenure but a lot of that had to do more with players and execution than plays called)

He’s known most recently as the man who helped Raven QB Joe Flacco to a productive rookie season.

Jackson was brought in with hopes of helping Oaklands stalled out QB Jamarcus Russell but has drawn the interest, and the ire of the media for his aggressive and vocal coaching of the offense during this pre seasons OTA’s.

He’s drawn the medias interest because Oaklands offense looked markedly improved and its ire because Al Davis didn’t immediately offer Hue up for their scrutiny.

Take that media...

Even with Russell gone, he will no doubt assist in coaching up new Raider QB Jason Campbell but his primary duty will be play calling.

As far as his role with the team Jackson has said:

"I'm hired as the offensive coordinator, and I'll be the primary play-caller, "That's my role. It's a chance to go out and assist the head coach and be the best offense we can be."

Lest anyone think Jackson took the job by default or had nowhere else to go, he had a choice to go with Oakland or to Chicago and chose Oakland partly because of a chance to work for Al Davis.

"What a man." Jackson said. "He's one of the guys in this profession that you would like to have an opportunity to sit down and talk with, let alone work for. My conversations with him led me here. Hopefully, things will work as planned, and I think we're capable of doing it."

Jackson’s not just a play caller as proven by his work with Flacco in Baltimore, but has also worked with Ocho Cinco, T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Chris Henry in Cincy so he can offer coaching and advice not only to Jason Campbell but Oaklands young receiving corps as well.

Extremely early indications are that Hue Jackson is and upgrade for the Oakland Raiders offense and with weapons like Michael Bush, Campbell, Darren McFadden and WR Darrius Heyward Bey to work with things could be looking up for Oaklands previously abysmal offense.

With weapons in place and a will to win there is a distinct possibilty Hue Jackson could indeed mean huge action and a massive leap in production for the Raider O.

08-31-10 5:05pm pac                              

Photo Tony Gonzales

                                                                                                                 RB Michael Bush

RB Michael Bush has a "Bennett fracture".

Bennett fractures involve a break at the base of the thumb.

  They involve the joint between the thumb metacarpal and a specific wrist bone. Fractures that involve the joints are always more difficult to treat and are at increased risk of an unfavorable outcome.

Fractures can also occur in the long portion of the bone called the metacarpal shaft and we think this is what happened to Bush.

Surgery re-aligned his thumb and had screws put in to align it and keep it in place.

No word on how long healing could take but even with internal fixation a cast or splint could be worn for 2-6 weeks and rehab on the thumb after ward could take 3 months.

Purely speculative at this point.

We don't know how bad or where specifically the break is and exactly the prognosis but its a fairly safe bet he will not be ready week one against the Titans in 11 days no matter what Coach Cable alluded to.

Photo Tony Gonzales

                                                                                                            RB Michael Bennett

This could mean veteran RB Michael Bennett will be joining Darren McFadden in the backfield of at least the opening Titans game in Tennessee unless Oakland looks elsewhere.

Bennett had an impressive camp and played well so far in pre season but chances are Oakland will still miss the power of Bush.

The break comes at a bad time not only for the Raiders but for Bush who is in a contract year.

08-31-10 9:33 am pac                          

Photo Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

                                                                                                       RB Darren McFadden

The Raiders have a largely untapped wealth of talented pass catchers.

And they're not wide receivers.

The Running Backs

If you watch highlights of Darren McFadden catching the ball you'd know he is the best receiver on the team by far and that includes Zach Miller.

McFadden's catches in traffic have been circus like and extremely impressive.

He can play slot, catch out of the back field or split out wide, like he did against the Ravens last year.

Talk about a mismatch. McFadden on any linebacker is a win.

With questionable options at wide receiver, offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will find a way to exploit McFadden's incredible talent and 4.27 40 speed by getting him out into the pattern and into space.

This year, with a real QB and an imaginative O coordinator, expect more than the 21 catches McFadden had in 2009. 

With limited field time and only 36 career catches to his name, few realize what a threat fellow running back Michael Bush can be out of the back field.

We saw a small glimpse of what he can do on screens this off season. In extremely limited action against the Bears, Bush scampered 24 exciting yds on a simple screen.

With a real QB under center this long neglected weapon will wreak havoc on opponents this season.

The Tight Ends

Everyone silver and black knows Zach Miller is an excellent receiving option at TE but fewer know Brandon Myers has displayed above average hands.

Despite a blatant drop against the 49ers last Saturday he could be a headache waiting to happen for opposing linebackers and safeties.

The Fullbacks

In recent years the Raiders have craved a pass catching fullback to add dimension but have instead settled on fullbacks who are simply average at catching and run blocking.

Originally signed as a free agent, Reece failed to fit on the Dolphins practice squad and became a Raider project in 2008.

Now the former wide receiver is starting to make noise in the run game as a linebacker leveling fullback. 

But, what has always intrigued Oakland is the former Huskies receiving ability.

In 2007 Reece played WR at Washington hauling in 39 catches for 761 yds and 8 TDs including a 98 yarder. 

Already this pre season we've seen him take a screen pass 40 yds.

Paired with 6-1, 245 lb Michael Bush, the emergence of the 6-3, 240 lb Reece means Oakland can have two pass catching bowling balls with 4.4 speed rotating in and out or on the field at the same time.

The threat of two big men who can catch and rumble could terrorize secondaries all game long.

Oaklands inexperienced and untested wide receivers may be a concern for fans of the silver and black, but Oaklands hidden hands will soon be a concern for their opponents.

08-23-10 11:01 am pac

Raider Head Coach Tom Cable says WR Chaz Schilens may need knee surgery.

Schilens has been in and out of the Raiders starting line up with a broken metatarsal in his left foot that just won't heal.

Apparently, the 6-4, 225 lb speedster has been over compensating for his bad foot by placing too much pressure on his other leg.

He may need surgery to clean up his right knee, but Cable says the play making wide could be back in time for game one.

Raider fans hope so...

Schilens hasn't been particularly productive but when he's in the line up the Raiders offense seesm to score more and he is clearly the most comfortable and natural of all the Raiders receivers catching the ball.

We'll keep a close eye and keep you posted as the Chaz Schilens experiment continues...

08-13-10 10:54 am pac                            

Oaklands 17 point 4th quarter shows they have better depth than Dallas, but the dissapointing performance of the Raiders 1st string O line will be a topic of concern in the coming week.

The Raiders have been juggling different players in different positions along the line and thats to be expected according to Oaklands game plan this year.

Last year Oakland suffered key injury losses along the line and struggled to fill them.

Center was a problem from the get.

Center Samson Satele came aboard from Miami where it was felt a shoulder injury that he played through may have been the culprit for his under performance but he was removed early last year after he could not make the proper reads and calls required by the ZBS.

Versatile back up Chris Morris took over for him and played well but when LG Robert Gallery was lost he had to slide over and Satele returned to the line up.

More injuries plagued the Raiders and they were forced to look out side of the organization to fill them, eventually picking up former Raider lineman Langston Walker but Walker was unable to properly fill where needed which limited the number and type of plays the offense could run.

Same for fellow lineman Khalif Barnes.

This off season the Raiders have sought to give more linemen time at different postions in order to avoid the same problem should injuries occur.

They also used several day 2 draft picks in order to give them depth but most agree these young players are a work in progress rather than field ready plug and play starters.

In addition to giving linemen reps at different positions to gain experience the Raiders are also tinkering with a hybrid blocking scheme that will incorporate elements of zone blocking and straight line power blocking.

This sounds like a very good idea in theory but the reality may be more difficult to implement.

It makes sense if the Raiders can send in say a "power" unit for goal line and short yards and a seperate one with its more agile linemen for pulls traps and cut blocks in the ZBS but again, if injuries occur the whole idea becomes more tenuous.

Oaklands theories may be over extending early on but it is pre season and too early to tell if their ambitious planning will pay off or hamper them in the season to come.

08-05-10 2:21pm pac             

Photo /AP

                                                                                   DE/LB Trevor Scott nabs McNabb

Tight end, right defensive end, left defensive end, line backer, special teams, Trevor Scott is willing to step up and play them all, but whats making him a 6^th round steal is the fact he’s not only diverse, he’s good.

Taken 169^th overall in the 2008 NFL draft the 6-5, 255 lb University of Buffalo graduate saw time in high school as a tight end and linebacker. He moved to defensive end but did see time as a reserve tight end his sophomore year snagging 8 catches for 55 yds.

A coaching change in college saw Trevor Scott switch from offense to defense when Turner Gill suggested the idea and Scott jumped at the chance.

"Whatever gets me on the field."

That kind of willingness and ability to diversify carried him into the NFL.

Jacksonville, Buffalo and Kansas City all met with Scott pre draft but most felt, including Scott, he might go undrafted. Oakland saw the physical skill set and potential, pulled the trigger and hasn’t looked back.

Thought of as a speed rusher Scott was eager to round out his game and has worked specifically on stopping the run.

As a Bull he played on the left side but made the switch to right side in the NFL stating again his willingness to play by saying "I’ll play where ever they put me on the field."

Scott has seen success as a speed rusher but was dominated by athletic tackles in the run game, one of the reasons why Oakland traded its 2011 1^st round draft pick for former Patriots DE Richard Seymour.

Rather than relegate Scott to the scrap heap, his work ethic, selflessness and ability to learn saw yet another move, this time to linebacker as the Raiders add beef to their porous run defense.

Scott will likely play with his "hand in the dirt" at the defensive end position too and that diversity, in keeping with the Raiders current dual purpose mode, makes him all the more valuable and will allow him what he wants most of all, playing time.

With the move to linebacker Oakland is hoping Scott’s skills as a tight end will translate to pass coverage though he’ll be used more on running downs and rushing the passer.

All of this leading to what the Raiders and Scott hope will be more time on the field.

If you couldn’t tell by now, thats Scott’s main goal and through hard work, talent and skill he’s succeeding beyond everyones expectations.

08-04-10 1:17 pm pac               

Photo Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

                                                                                                                         WR Darrius Heyward Bey
            

Raider Chaz Schilens has been an enigma since the 6-4, 225lb wide out was taken 226^th overall in the 7^th round of the 2008 NFL draft.

His enthusiasm, skill, size and speed have made him one of Oaklands best receiver prospects, but an injury to his left foot has plagued him through out his early career.

In August of 2009 Schilens broke the 5^th metatarsal bone in his left foot. Two surgeries later and the former San Diego State stand out is still struggling with pain and missing time on the field.

Particularly painful to Raider fans is the production Schilens brings to the field when he is healthy.

Schilens doesn’t bring pro bowl numbers with 44 catches, 591 yds and 4 TDs in 2 years, but his blocking and aggressive play elevate the struggling Oakland attack.

Given the Raiders lack of production and inexperience at the receiver position Schilens absence is all the more glaring but particularly unsettling to WR Darrius Heyward Bey who, after being taken on the complete opposite end of the draft (7^th overall in 2009) struggled no with injury but with production.

Bey has apparently made significant progress polishing his receiving skills this off season after an embarrassingly un productive rookie outing but wether or not that can translate to the field is another matter.

Photo Jed Jacobsen / AP

                                                                                                                WR Chaz Schilens 

Al Davis was right to throw Bey into the fire so the unpolished rookie could get a feel for the speed of the game but his ability to catch the ball was hampered not only by a lack of seasoning but by his lack of composure.

If Schilens can’t make the cut that could up the pressure on Heyward Bey and it will be interesting to see how he handles it this year.

07-30-10 4:01 pm pac                           

Photo Tony Gonzales

                                                                                                                                      MLB Rolando McClain

Raider players getting themselves acclimated to close quarters and sparse entertainment at camp.

The veterans are helping set the tone with Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrius Heyward Bey continuing to work after practice.

Regarding Bey's crushingly disappointing rookie year Aso said:

"It hurt him what happened last year. "Naturally he didn’t feel good about the things that were said. It’s not like it was a secret. He knew that he didn’t play well. That hurt him. This year it looks like he’s had a different purpose.’’

Thats good news indeed considering it looks like WR Chaz Schilens left foot is bothering him more than Irish writer Christy Brown. (Ok, thats a stretch...)

No indications Schilens injured foot is broken at this point but it is sore and bothering him.

Some are already complaining that we didn’t snag T.O..

They’d be complaining more when he destroyed the team with his negativity and taunting.

Theres a reason Dallas fired him. Theres a reason the Bills let him go after one year and it wasn’t the money.

The truth is Oaklands WR corps is thin and inexperienced but has potential especially with a quarterback who stays awake during meetings.

Photo Tony Gonzales

                                                                                                                                   WR Chaz Schilens

TE Zach Miller has looked great early in the off season and its no surprise to any of the QB’s that have thrown to him.

Coach Cable stressed they will try to utilize him in the red zone and get him TDs this year.

FINALLY!

Miller feels the same way.

"You see other tight ends in the league scoring a lot of touchdowns and you get a little envious. You want to be in there celebrating the touchdowns and I believe this year, finally, will be the year it comes.’’

Raider fans hope so too.

Part of Oaklands defensive woes has been its offenses lack of out put.

Raiders are without pads until Monday but that doesn’t mean things aren’t getting physical.

"This is not a walk-through,’’ tackle Langston Walker said. "They may call it that, but it’s pretty much full-go for offensive and defensive linemen.’’

Photo Tony Gonzales

                                                                                               MLB Rolando McClain 

Oakland shocked the world last April with the sensibility of its 2010 1st round (8th overall) selection of middle linebacker Rolando McClain, signifying a renewed dedication to stopping the run, but in recent memory the Raiders have stumbled with their 1st round draft picks.

Can the Raiders count on McClain to lead their team back into prominence or are they faced with another potentially great football player with issues off field?

Watching game footage of him in college, the former Alabama All Americans film doesn’t reveal a rock solid tackling machine but rather a player who’s study habits and instincts make up for deficiencies in his game.

In fact, one of the key reasons for McClain’s selection by the silver and black may be hopes his impressive preparation and leadership can carry over into the locker room and beyond.

Its hoped the 6-3, 255 lb bruiser can be a coach on the field, making reads and audibles, making sure assignments are understood, responsibilities met and gaps filled. All things former Raider middle line backer Kirk Morrison struggled mightily with.

Morrison, (who joined the Jags this off season shortly after being released from Oakland) consistently led the Raiders in tackles, but as IBA writer Jerry McDonald put it, "...it doesn't help much when most of them are 5-7 yds down field".

It may be too much to ask of McClain to become an all pro run stopper right out of the gate, but guiding Oaklands run defense out of the statistical cellar is a must.

Its a lot to ask of a 20 yr old rookie, but McClain is not one to shy away from hard work.

Unlike some of his former team mates, McClain has always been mature for his age.

He’s had to be.

McClain is mending fences now, but bounced from home to home in his teen years as his Mother struggled with authorities and a diagnosis of bi-polar disorder.

Despite their tumultuous relationship McClain insists his Mother taught him core ideals and most importantly, right from wrong.

For the young McClain, family struggles extended beyond his Mother.

When he was 11, Rolando’s father was arrested for selling cocaine and given 3 yrs probation but wanted his son to learn from the error of his ways, taking him to the Huntsville airport to watch him wash dishes, teaching his son "There are better ways to make a living".

McClain took these lessons to heart and though he fled the strife of his teen aged home life at 15 with "the clothes he was wearing and a scholarship to Alabama" he maintained rare focus and phenomenal study habits through out his adversity.

Photo Tony Gonzales 

At Bama McClain quickly astonished coaches with his intelligence and drive, soon becoming their defensive leader.

Despite his acheivements, there are those who claim McClain was the beneficiary of a Crimson Tide defense studded with depth and talent and that may be true, but with new additions to the Raider line up on the defensive side of the ball, he may have the help he needs at the next level too.

In addition to McClain the Raiders have made moves this off season to shore their leaky run D including drafting 2^nd round selection Texas DT/DE Lamarr Houston, ditching under performing DT Gerard Warren and the aforementioned Morrison and adding bulk to their line backing corps with Quentin Groves and Kamerion Wimbley who share McClain's ample measurements.

Former Patriot and 5 time Pro Bowler Richard Seymour couldn’t do it alone last year but with new blood on defense and a new mix of experienced players things could be different in 2010.

Especially if McClain can live up to the hype.

No matter the pitfalls or glory that await him in his burgeoning NFL career, it’s a safe bet McClain will take them in stride, keep them in perspective and work his way through them.

Just like he’s always done.