Raiders Need To Sign Bush Long Term

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  2 Responses »
Aug 082011
 

Darren McFadden’s most recent injury has made it even more clear how important it is for the Raiders to ink a long-term deal with restricted free agent Michael Bush.

On Thursday, coach Hue Jackson revealed that McFadden was out for at least two weeks with an orbital fracture. Michael Bush signed his restricted free agent tender on Saturday, after a practice Friday in which Louis Rankin and Rock Cartwright took all the snaps.

In a press conference a few days ago, Jackson joked saying that McFadden looked handsome and he had no doubt the running back will return in two weeks. Jackson also reminded every one of last preseason when McFadden missed a considerable amount of time due to a hamstring injury and came back to have 1157 yards and a break-out season. Still, McFadden has yet to play an entire season without missing time.

It’s the elephant in the room-McFadden is prone to injury.

There is a severe lack of depth in the Raiders running-back depth chart. After McFadden and Bush, there is rookie Taiwan Jones and veteran Rock Cartwright. If Bush isn’t re-signed long-term, the Raiders will need to find another back, or hope that Jones is ready to take over for Bush next season. It’s no small task and Taiwan Jones isn’t exactly the “bruiser” that is needed as a change-of-pace to McFadden.

McFadden should return before the season starts, but the Raiders need to work something out with Bush, because there isn’t a back on the roster that can replace him.

Follow me on Twitter: @NatalieSaar

Raiders Must Target Boss, Veteran Receiver

 Posted by at 6:30 AM  5 Responses »
Aug 042011
 

Although the Oakland Raiders operated a run first offense in 2010 with Darren McFadden rushing for over 1100 yards and coming in third in the NFL with 5.2 yards per carry, it is imperative that the Raiders help Jason Campbell in 2011. The Raiders have to get Campbell a reliable target at tight end. Zach Miller was targeted 14 more times than any other receiver on the team in 2010. The 92 balls he thrown his way made him the 10th most targeted tight end in the NFL. He’s now a Seahawk.

Adding Kevin Boss is a no brainer. Although Boss had 25 less catches than Miller last year, he had just 150 yards less than Miller. He averaged nearly 4 yards more per catch than Miller. He may not be a better receiver, but he is a more proven blocker and is the best available tight end left in free agency.

By adding a veteran wide out, the Raiders passing game could improve enough to make the loss in tight end production and afterthought. Boss is just 27 and has a lot of miles left on his body. He could be a long-term solution for the Raiders.

Louis Murphy was the Raiders most targeted wide out in 2010 with 78 targets. Those 78 targets made Murphy the 53rd most targeted wide out in the NFL. That must change for the Raiders to allow Darren McFadden to have another breakout year. The Raiders must keep defenses honest by giving Jason Campbell viable targets in 2011.

Will Darrius Heyward-Bey improve or will Jacoby Ford have another breakout year? Can Chaz Schilens actually stay healthy? If the Raiders can answer yes to two of these questions they may have enough to give Campbell what he needs to succeed. Only Ford’s breakout is expected and production from rookie Denarius Moore would just be a bonus.

Heyward-Bey will likely see reps as one of the top two receivers in 2011.  He has played more snaps than his performance has warranted. He now must show that he deserves to be out there with the first unit. Heyward-Bey was 72nd in the league with 65 targets last year, and with those 65 targets he only amassed 366 yards and one touchdown. To put that in perspective, out of all of the wide receivers with between 60 and 70 targets in 2010, Heyward-Bey amassed better stats than only Chansi Stuckey who had revolving door of QB’s in lowly Cleveland’s 29th ranked passing attack. Although Heyward-Bey is showing improvement, he needs to make a major leap to help Campbell in 2011.

Jacoby Ford was thrown to 11 less times than Heyward-Bey and had one more receiving touchdown and 104 more yards than Heyward-Bey in 2010. All of those numbers should improve in 2011 for Ford. Assuming he enters 2011 healthy, he is poised for a breakout year.

As for Schilens, at this point he looks great in shorts and shoulder pads, but he has yet to realize his potential. He simply must stay healthy. Chaz did not crack the top 100 in targeted wide receivers in the NFL due to his injuries. He only appeared in five games and averaged one catch per game. There is a lot of potential with Chaz, but the Raiders cannot count on the San Diego State product to produce for 16 games until he actually does it.

There are a few wide receivers still available in free agency that could help Jason Campbell and the Raiders offense in 2011. The best fit for Oakland would be six-year veteran Malcom Floyd. The ex-Charger averaged nearly 20 yards per catch and scored six touchdowns in 2010.

Another option is Derrick Mason, the former Raven. Although he is older, he has a year or two left in his tank and would produce. He has had multiple one-thousand yard seasons and his 61 receptions in 2010 would have led Raiders. He amassed over 800 yards and 7 TD’s in 2010 and is stable veteran presence.

If all else fails Braylon Edwards is still available.

Follow me on Twitter: @MatthewGhanem

 

 

Hurry Up and Wait

 Posted by at 6:15 AM  No Responses »
Jul 292011
 

The Raiders took the field for the first time in 2011. Missing were key free agents Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller and Michael Huff and restricted free agents Michael Bush and Marcel Reece. Missing also were the slow tempo learning-intensive practices deployed by Hue Jackson’s predecessor Tom Cable.

Training Camp Report

Hue Jackson is taking a different approach. Jackson’s practice was high tempo and he wants it even faster.

With practices shortened an an abbreviated offseason, Jackson must install the playbook in significantly less time. Higher tempo means more learning in less amount of time. It’s simple, the Raiders should have high tempo practices to get as much done as possible before the season.

Stefen Wisniewski probably had the most interesting media session when he mentioned the new playbook. He mentioned how the Raiders are going to use a lot of misdirection and motion to utilize the Raiders excellent offensive speed. It’s something worth keeping your eye on.

-John Henderson left practice with an injury.

-Bruce Campbell, Darrius Heyward-Bey, & Trevor Scott are on the PUP list with injuries. Heyward-Bey should return soon.

Free Agency

Teams can begin signing free agents at 3 p.m. tomorrow and the Raiders have needs to address. When asked what his team weaknesses were Hue Jackson only mentioned the offensive line. Look for the Raiders to add offensive lineman tomorrow.

The Raiders have been silent so far and are taking a conservative approach to free agency. This is usually a good idea, but in this case the Raiders cap situation may be the major hindrance.

Kamerion Wimbley’s franchise tag number needs to be reduced, to do so the Raiders will need to sign him to an extension. The Raiders will probably redo a few deals in the next few days and potentially make a few cuts.

Reports of Cooper Carlisle and Chris Johnson proved untrue when they took the field today.

Asomugha’s suitors are seemingly down to three: The Jets, 49ers and the Raiders. Don’t be surprised if mystery team emerges as the favorites for Asomugha’s services tomorrow.

The market for Zach Miller has been unusually cool and he’s likely just waiting until the Raiders put their financial house in order to sign. There is an excellent chance he re-signs with the Raiders.

Market seems to be cool on Michael Huff as well. It will be interesting to see who signs him. At an affordable price I am sure the Raiders will be interested.

Michael Bush and Marcel Reece must wait until tomorrow to sign, but they will be in camp.

Bruce Campbell Switching Back to Tackle

 Posted by at 1:21 PM  2 Responses »
Jul 222011
 

Bruce Campbell was recently on Jay Richardson’s Radio show and confirmed he would be moving back to tackle in 2011.

This is surprising considering the drafting of Joseph Barksdale and the pending release of Cooper Carlisle and begs the question if Mario Henderson and Langston Walker will be retained.

It will also be very interesting if Campbell and rookie Joseph Barksdale battle for the starting job at right tackle.

The other possibility is the Raiders are sticking Campbell behind Veldheer at left tackle and his opportunity for snaps will decrease even further.

It could also be a sign that the Raiders have targeted a guard in free agency and are shuffling the line around to accommodate him.

Hit the Reset Button on Player Expectations

 Posted by at 10:42 AM  No Responses »
Jul 202011
 

It’s natural for fans to get excited about football players . The fan DNA is encoded to cheer and root for athletes we could only dream of being.

It can be dangerous when fans get carried away and before we know it a rookie receiver becomes a savior.

It’s not negative to point out what players are having unrealistic expectations placed on them. This list isn’t to say the player is not good or to thrash on them. Rather it is like hitting the reset button because you have been playing Madden on rookie for too long.

The coaching staff is also having to work with a short training camp and no mini-camp. It wouldn’t be surprising to see many young players have their professional growth stunted by the abbreviated offseason.

So what players are overrated?

 

Nnamdi Asomugha

He isn’t likely to be a Raider in 2011, but this might be the last opportunity to point out the fans that the Raiders will not be significantly worse in the secondary without Asomugha. Even the best corner in the league can be overrated.

If you have been following this blog for a while, you are prepared mentally to lose Asomugha in free agency. Don’t make it worse than it is. Asomugha is 30 and Al Davis is smart to turn to younger players. Asomugha is the type of player who will go on to be successful elsewhere, but likely not be worth the huge amount of money that will be committed to him.

It would be tough to make a case that Asomugha has been worth what the Raiders paid him the last few years. A corner just doesn’t impact the game enough one their own to earn money like a quarterback.

The fact that Asomugha was rarely tested didn’t magically make Raiders secondary amazing. Asomugha also only plays one side of the field. He’s not shadowing the oppositions top receiver. He’s great, probably the best, but even the best corner isn’t impacting the game enough to be worth $14 million per year.

 

Jacoby Ford

Ford was a lightning rod for the offense and he quickly became a fan favorite. He is blazing fast and almost single-handedly defeated the Chiefs at the coliseum last fall.

The risk here is that the fans and maybe even the organization are viewing him as a number one receiver. That’s a lofty expectation to be placed on a sophomore receiver. Ford is a more natural fit as a number two receiver.

He’s being pushed into the number one role largely because of the Raiders lack of top end talent. He’s good, he’s fast and he’s dynamic. He’s also got a lot to learn about route running and blocking.

That doesn’t mean Jacoby Ford will not be successful, but temper your expectations and enjoy a handful of electric plays Ford will inevitably make. You can be sure defensive coordinators will know where Ford is lined up and with an entire offseason to study they will be ready for him.

Hue Jackson and Al Saunders will need to create new ways to get Ford the ball. With a short training camp, that may be more difficult than you might expect.

 

Jared Veldheer

He’s firmly the Raiders left tackle. There is no denying Jared helped solidify the line last season with his versatility and generally solid play. He still made mistakes and had trouble with speed rushers around the edge. He’ll play without Robert Gallery to his right in 2011.

Don’t expect Veldheer to be Jonathan Ogden. If you watched Veldheer closely, you know he still has learning to do. You have to like how Veldheer competes. He’s such a gym rat he opened his own. If the Raiders are lucky Veldheer continues to improve over the next couple seasons into what is considered a franchise left tackle. Until then, expect growing pains.

He could have really benefitted from more time with the new offensive line coaches. A short training camp means less time to work on his footwork.

 

Marcel Reece

A relative unknown headed into the 2010 season, Reece became a versatile weapon for the Raiders offense. He’s an ex-receiver and really showed how dangerous he can be out of the backfield.

For as much as we all love Reece, he’s still got work to do on his blocking. Picking up the blitzing linebacker or helping out on defensive lineman can mean the difference between a sack and a big play.

He’s a fullback and although the NFL is going away from the fullback as lead blocker, it’s still nice to have one who can do it.

Offenses will start to focus more attention on Reece if the Raiders fail to develop another weapon on offense. It’s easy to love Reece, but he can still grow as a player.

 

The players on this list are among my favorites on the team. I want them to be successful, but success in the eyes of fans can often be unrealistic. Hit the reset button and  reevaluate what made these players a success in 2010 to avoid disappointment in 2011.

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