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Travis Goethel #50 College: Arizona St. Height: 6'2½" Weight: 240 lbs Arm Length: 32.0" Hand Size 9.6"   40 Yard Dash: 4.81 3 Cone Drill: 6.93 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.54 Bench Press: 21 reps Vertical Jump: 35" Broad Jump: 111"   Travis Goethel was selected in the 6th round in the 2010 draft. He was initially thought to be one of those late round steals after making some significant noise in training camp, but a lower back injury limited him severely his first season with the Raiders. He saw action in just 8 games his rookie season, most of which was on special teams. After showing signs of promise his rookie year before the injury, many were excited to see what Goethel had to offer in his second season with a clean bill of health. He burst onto the scene again in 2011, drawing rave reviews in training camp from the coaches, and was in line to start at weak side linebacker. Fans again began to hope Goethel would emerge into a late round steal for the R...

Huge action from Hue Jackson. Aaron Curry last week. Carson Palmer today. The Raiders gave up a lot for Palmer, but he's a better quarterback than Jason  Campbell. The Raiders lost Campbell for a significant period of time and were faced with starting Kyle Boller for the rest of the season if they didn't make a move for a quarterback. The time is now for the Raiders and Hue Jackson pushed all his chips into the middle by bringing in Carson Palmer. The Raiders have only two picks left in the 2012 draft and with the Carson Palmer trade started dealing 2013 draft selections. This trade and the moves of the past two seasons setup the Raiders for success going forward. Allow us to examine position-by-position and pick-by-pick and what the future may hold for this team and why the move for Carson Palmer was still a good one. If the Raiders go far in the playoffs under Palmer those draft picks become low in each round and with most of the young players on the roster locked up for the ...

The Raiders should have been defeated by the Houston Texans on Sunday. The offense came out extremely flat and did not get a first down until the 2nd quarter and only had four at halftime. For most of the game the Raiders were embarrassing on offense. Darren McFadden, the NFL leading rusher, had only 12 yards at halftime and only 51 for the game which is well below his average. Jason Campbell on multiple occasions missed open receivers and made early mistakes. Neither Kevin Boss, Michael Bush or Denarius Moore caught a pass. The Raiders squandered good field position and failed to capitalize on a block punt instead settling for three Janikowski field goals longer than 50 yards. The offensive line gave up three sacks and countless quarterback hurries. It appeared as if the Raiders offensive line was going to literally fall apart. Then, all of a sudden, things changed. Penalty flags started to get picked up and the defensive line started to deflect passes. Lamarr Houston got an intercept...

After a week one win, on Monday night, against a division rival, the Raiders and the Raider Nation were flying high. The opening game curse was broken, the Prime Time curse was broken, Hue Jackson was 1-0 as a head coach, and the Raiders were back. Week 2 has brought everyone back down to earth a little. Welcome to the first, but probably not last time the Raiders have to look in the mirror and decide what kind of team they are going to be this year. Hue Jackson had a lot of time this off-season to say what he wanted to say. Get his message across to everyone. The time for talk, however, is now in the past. This is a different Raiders team under Hue Jackson, but one win on Monday Night Football is not going to convince anyone. He has to get his persona to show through his players. That's what good coaches do. Rex Ryan is able to get his attitude to show through his players on the field. Bill Belichick is able to get his players to always be right mentally. Mike Tomlin has his playe...

Rating players is obviously a highly subjective business. Scouts spend time identifying traits that translate and there are a multitude of factors that go into if a player is successful including confidence, situation, scheme, etc. Madden ratings always spark discussion. For the purposes of rating the Raiders receivers I chose hands, jumping, speed, acceleration and route running as I believe these are the primary "traits" that dictate whether a receiver is a good receiver. I rate these five traits on a Madden-like scale of 100. I didn't factor in blocking of any kind. It's a factor, but a receiver's primary job is to receive. Some other traits are included in the five I chose. Hands - Pretty straight forward. You could almost see this as the percentage of time the receiver uses his hands to catch the pass. Jumping - Does the receiver have leaping ability? Can the receiver jump over a cornerback to make a play on a ball in the air? Speed - Top end speed. Is the gu...

The preseason hasn't been kind to the Raiders. After Saturday's game, their first team has been crippled with injuries. Luckily the preseason is the time when the second team can step up and get in some playing time; it also means that the first team can get some necessary rest. Quarterback Jason Campbell left Saturday's game after getting clocked with a knee to the helmet. Concussion tests were run to assess the damage and Coach Jackson said that he anticipates Campbell being in practice on Monday. This was initially scary particularly because of the stinger that took Campbell out for part of the season last year. Kevin Boss taking Zach Miller's place at tight end was an overall good move, but now the depth at the position is in question. Boss is currently listed as week-to-week with a knee injury. There's no word on whether he will be able to play in the home opener. Wide receiver Chaz Schilens is also week-to-week with a knee injury, but Coach Jackson has said th...

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 10 th 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 c...

Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith wants out of Carolina. He reportedly wants a trade to the Chargers, Raiders or Ravens. Smith is more likely to be released and have his choice of teams. If that becomes the case, San Diego is a more logical fit for Smith. The Chargers are reportedly monitoring the situation much as they did with Bob Sanders, who ultimately signed as a free agent. Refreshing as it is to hear that a player wants to play for the silver and black again, unless Al Davis thinks Steve Smith is worth something in trade, he'll have better opportunities elsewhere. Could the Raiders have a roster spot for the 5-foot-9, 180-pound receiver with 52 career touchdown receptions? Back in March, Rick Drummond did a great review of the Raiders receivers that gives some perspective and insight. Of course, the Raiders drafted Denarius Moore also, so one has to wonder what role Steve Smith might play on a team chalked full of young receivers. Darrius Heyward-Bey is likely to get one ...

By Rick Drummond, Profootballfocus.com (on twitter: @PFF_Rick) Remember 2003? That was the last time we found ourselves looking out to either side of Raider formations to see Tim Brown and Jerry Rice taking their positions, surveying coverage, itching to shred that zone or shake that man. Washing over you was a feeling you felt so many times during the seasons leading to that one - the sense that no matter who they were facing, our guys just couldn’t be covered. The Raider passing attack in those days was just that, an attack. A well-planned, well-executed, diverse, and determined attack. 2003, however, was when the wheels came off. Since then, our gazes out to the edge have been greeted by visions of Javon Walker, Ashley Lelie, Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry, Randy Moss, Doug Gabriel, almost Drew Carter … and the current crop. Of course, there were hopeful moments along the way (really, there were) and we should force upon ourselves more realistic expectations than ever again fielding a ...

The looming question headed into the off season is if Tom Cable will be retained as head coach. Cable's contract expires January 18 unless owner Al Davis picks up a one-year, $2.5 million-dollar option. That means Al Davis will have a couple weeks to evaluate his team and its performance this season. Davis convinces himself every year that his team is primed for a Super Bowl run. This is why there is a vast difference between 7-9 and 8-8 in the eyes of Davis. At 7-9, the team had a losing record and wasn't a real threat to challenge for the playoffs. At 8-8, you are close and just need to catch a break and win a couple close games to be in the playoffs. Going 8-8 also means 6-0 in the division and owning the division is a good springboard into the next season and something Cable can sell to Davis as reason to keep him around. Players almost always say they want a coach to return when asked. It isn't what players say, it is how they play. When players play hard and fight for...

Last season, the Raiders went into Denver and got a win on the back of JaMarcus Russell. Charlie Frye started the game and Russell came in when Frye was injured to lead the Raiders to victory. Michael Bush had 144 total yards and a touchdown. Darren McFadden had 74 yards rushing. Chaz Schilens made the game-winning catch. Brandon Marshall had seven receptions and a touchdown and Kyle Orton went 19/34 for 278 yards. The Broncos couldn’t run the ball that day and haven’t been able to run the ball much this season. The worst rushing offense in the league happens to be doing very well passing. The addition of receiver Brandon Lloyd and subtraction of Brandon Marshall has the Broncos ranked third, behind San Diego and Indianapolis in the NFL. Offense The Raiders may not be able to run the ball on Denver like they did last season. The Broncos added nose tackle Jamal Williams to help with their woes stopping the run and have held five of six opposing rushers under 100 yards. Maurice Jo...

Chaz Schilens will miss 3-6 weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee. He is more than likely out for the opener and likely will also miss the first few weeks of the season. His injury history is now pages long and he can't stay healthy enough to stay on the field for more than a few games at a time. Michael Bush will have a procedure on his left thumb. Tom Cable said he will not wear a cast, but will wear protection on the thumb. This is good news as it may have already been determined that he can play through the injury or wouldn't miss significant time. Michael Bennett may have secured his spot on the roster with the injury to Bush and the injury history of Darren McFadden. Jason Campbell is likely good for the season opener. The more severe injury sustained in Saturday nights game was not the stinger but the right wrist injury from the drive before. This likely isn't an issue, he came back into the game after the injury. The Raiders will be cautious, but I don't ex...

Receiver Chaz Schilens had arthroscopic knee surgery. The timetable for his return is not known at this point. If Schilens isn't able to return by the start of the season, the starters would likely be Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Zach Miller could see an additional bump in targets if Schilens misses significant time. Fantasy sleeper alert, he could be a top five tight end. Interesting reports that rookie linebacker Rolando McClain doesn't sign autographs or interact with the fans. He may not be the most outgoing of players. Chalk it up as McClain being all football, but it is interesting to note.

Tom Cable announced all the players that missed Saturday’s game in Chicago should be back to practice Tuesday except for wide receiver Chaz Schilens. Schilens may have over compensated for his foot injury and may need a scope of his knee. If the scope is done this week, he could be back for the season opener, but don’t bet on Schilens at this point. His foot is also still sore 12 months after the injury first occurred. The only notable injury was Samson Satele with an ankle injury. He will have an x-ray this afternoon to determine the severity. This means Darrius Heyward-Bey is over a case of fatigue and Darren McFadden’s hamstring is good enough to at least go through some drills. Richard Seymour and Nnamdi Asomugha will return from feeling…under the weather. A nice way of saying the Raiders didn’t want to risk its investments by putting them on the field in a game that didn’t mean anything.

Preseason is not a time to worry about wins and losses. The coaches aren't worried about wins because too often a score is the result of little to no game planning. The coaches will go back and evaluate every player in the film room, but only a few fans even watch a preseason game more than once. Tom Cable has stated the offensive problems in last week's preseason game were minor things that can be tweaked. That theory will be put to the test today in Chicago. So what should the fans be looking for in the second preseason game of 2010? Since this will be the first action of the season for Bruce Gradkowski, Jacoby Ford and Colt Brennan this will be the first chance the coaches and fans have to evaluate their performance and progression. The poor showing from Jason Campbell and the receivers in last Thursday's preseason win over Dallas will likely bring a more critical eyes to both groups. Darrius Heyward-Bey has missed nearly the entire week worth of practice due to fatigue....

Rookie Jacoby Ford has tremendous speed. A track and football star at Clemson, Ford shared returned duties with C.J. Spiller. At the 2010 NFL Combine the Raiders wide-receiver had the best time in the 40-yard-dash, clocking in at a blazing 4.28 seconds. The Raiders drafted Ford to shore up a weak return game. The surprise may be how Ford is producing at wide-receiver. With Murphy and Schilens sidelined, Ford and the other receivers have been given additional snaps. Ford, more than anyone, has opened the eyes of the coaching staff and media. If Ford can put the pressure on Higgins at receiver and in the return game, Higgins could see his path to the 53-man roster narrow. So far, Ford has done a good job of transitioning his track speed into football speed and catching the football Darrius Heyward-Bey still thinks he is faster than Ford and it would be great fun to have a handful of sub 4.4 Raiders race. Ford, unlike Heyward-Bey, has shown he can catch the ball as a rookie. With de...

The first of 12 organized team activities begins today. Media access will be Wednesday. Fans and media are left to speculate on what the Raiders might be doing behind closed doors. A large tweak of the defense this offseason might be enough to headline offseason coverage on most teams, but the biggest question will continue to be the development of the offense. If starting positions or roster spots aren’t won during OTAs, then what is the point to following them? The truth is that this time can be important for team development. The coaching staff is installation new offensive and defensive plays and the coaching staff is sizing up a rough depth chart to use for training camp. Players will be on the roster bubble. One rookie didn’t make it to camp last season, so these times are definitely important for players on the backend of the roster. Starters may not be decided, but there will be evaluation at positions with significant competition. Some positions are probably easier than others...

People will be talking about JaMarcus Russell for weeks to come. Who was responsible for him being so terrible? Who will give him a second chance? JaMarcus Russell is a “big” bust in every sense. He has struggled with weight and he will be in the conversation as the biggest draft bust in NFL history, even if he doesn’t take the title. As the NFL moves to a rookie wage scale, smack in the middle of the history books will be the $39 million that Russell pocketed over the course of three seasons. You will have people come out on Russell’s side, as his high school coach already has. Various Raiders players will support Russell in the days to come, while many others will give a no comment or simply refuse to comment. I’ve said before that Russell was not a bad guy, but a raw football player that didn’t have the work ethic to become a good football player. Maybe he was coming along and the Raiders would have liked to keep Russell provided he didn’t cost $9 million to have on the roster. No o...

I'm about as steadfast in these predictions as a politician is in a campaign promise. Read. Laugh. Enjoy. 1. The quarterback depth chart will be Jason Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski, JaMarcus Russell barring injury. 2. The Raiders will win nine games or more. 3. Darren McFadden will have 1500 all-purpose yards 4. The offensive line will continue to be Achilles Heel of the team. 5. The Raiders will have a top ten defense. 6. The Raiders will have a top 15 run defense. 7. The Raiders will have a top ten running game. 8. Jason Campbell will improve on his 2009 season statistically. 9. Rolando McClain will be the defensive rookie of the year. 10. Tyvon Branch will be a Pro Bowl alternate. 11. Stanford Routt will be a starting corner by season's end. 12. Bruce Campbell will be a beast on special teams, but won't see the field as an offensive lineman very much. 13. Nnamdi Asomugha will be thrown at him this season. 14. Richard Seymour will register more than six sacks. 15. Jared Veld...

How about some one-liners? - JaMarcus Russell looked good, who knows what that means going forward. - Russell looked noticeably thinner than last season, not 300 pounds (Shame on NationalFootballPost.com for reporting it) - Richard Seymour is working on a long-term contract with the Raiders - Oren O'Neal was waived - Veteran Michael Bennett is in for a tryout as was rookie DT Allen Smith from Stanford. - Bruce Campbell has a severe learning disability, which likely aided his fall in the draft. More on that as it becomes available. - Additions and subtractions to my undrafted rookie list. Add TE John Owens and DB Joey Thomas, remove WR Trent Guy (Panthers). - Russell hasn't taken a pay cut...yet. - The Raiders are still a 4-3 defense, despite much speculation. - Lamarr Houston is indeed playing left end. He will have a tough time earning a starting role there. - Russell's bling necklace inventory: #2 Jersey, The Chosen One, Russell Figure with a cape, a hand giving a middle ...