Highs, Lows & Blows From Thursday’s Game

 Posted by at 1:58 PM  2 Responses »
Aug 122011
 

Everyone likes to win, but this is preseason. It’s the first preseason game of a year which features very little practice time beforehand.

It’s far too early to jump to conclusions about the season or any one player. It doesn’t mean that there is nothing to learn from the game.

Highs

1. The defensive line looks even more dominant than they did last year. Matt Shaughnessy looks poised for breakout year. They held up on the goal line.

2. The passing game looks ready to take the next step. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore and Kevin Boss all looked the part. Moore got snaps with the first team and made the most of them.

Heyward-Bey made a hands catch and then beat a defender deep only to have Jason Campbell under-throw him. Even Kyle Boller and Trent Edwards looked to be effectively orchestrating the passing offense. David Ausberry looks like he could become something special and a weapon in the receiving game.

3. The offensive line blocked reasonably well. A pleasant surprise. Sacks and pressure mostly came as a result of blitzes, something you aren’t really planning for in preseason games.

First team offensive line (left to right): Jared Veldheer, Daniel Loper, Samson Satele, Cooper Carisle, Khalif Barnes.

Second team: Stephon Heyer, Alex Parsons, Stefen Wisniewski, Roy Schuening, Joseph Barksdale

4. Depth players who looked good last night include Sterling Moore, who made a play, which echos what we have been hearing about him in camp. Chances are improving that he will make the roster. Tommie Hill was consistently getting a good push.

5. Jarvis Moss looks like he is in great shape. He’s motivated and he’s energetic on defense. He could become a key player this season if he continues to play with as much speed and strength as he did last night.

Lows

1. Depth in the secondary. After the starters left the game it got ugly. Walter McFadden looked the worst and was picked on repeatedly by the opposing quarterbacks. Jeremy Ware was not exposed in coverage, but could have made a play on the game-winning touchdown catch and run and didn’t. Stevie Brown didn’t even look good, missing the defender completely on an open-field tackle attempt.

Demarcus Van Dyke started strong by blanketing Larry Fitzgerald early. Fitzgerald still made a long reception over Van Dyke, but his coverage was good. He struggled with the backups. He was stiff-armed by Beanie Wells and was beat for a touchdown reception. He needs to bulk up and his speed will not benefit him if he isn’t within five yards. It looked worse than it was for Van Dyke, but he certainly has a steep learning curve.

2. An announced crowd under 30,000 means the Raiders will have a hard time selling out games. On any given week the Raiders will have to sell more individual game tickets than they have season ticket holders. The two for one offer starting August 15th will help, but it’s a steep hill to climb to avoid blackouts.

3. Not much depth at outside linebacker. Travis Goethel may end up sliding outside when the season moves closer, even though his best fit is in the middle. Goethel reminds me of Greg Biekert. Quentin Groves was playing with third and fourth string players and you almost couldn’t tell. Besides those three players there isn’t much depth. None of the backups stood out from the crowd. Raiders are rumored to still be interested in Lofa Tatupu. I’m not sure he can play outside, but he’s a quality option.

4. Mental errors killed the Raiders. Khalif Barnes had three false starts. That’s going to cost him snaps and could cost him his job. Trent Edwards had a delay of game penalty after a penalty. Reading Hue Jackson’s lips on the sideline: “You can’t do that! Come on!”

Blows

1. Hiram Eugene dislocated his hip. It’s a season ending injury. The same injury ended Bo Jackson’s career when the injury caused a subsequent conditions that resulted in loss of blood flow.

2. Chaz Schilens hurt his knee. Enough said.

3. Many Raiders players tweeted post game that the team had “a lot” of injuries. We’ll find out who had “nicks” when Hue Jackson talks to the press at 5 p.m.

Plenty of things to correct for Hue Jackson, sadly most of it will be on the back of Chuck Bresnahan. It only took one game for fans to lament his bend, don’t break defense.

 

Cardinal @ Raiders Preseason Preview: Makeshift Offensive Line On Display

 Posted by at 2:35 PM  No Responses »
Aug 112011
 

The Raiders host the Arizona Cardinals today at 7 p.m. at O.com Coliseum in Oakland. When the team takes the field for the first time in 2011, they will be led by Hue Jackson. It will be Jackson’s first game as the head coach.

Jackson will use the preseason as time to get the hang of his responsibilities as the head man.

As for the players, judging the preseason is complicated. Louis Rankin routinely makes preseason highlight reels, but he has hardly been able to stick on a roster in his career.

 

Special Teams

Besides estimating the Raiders season ticket base from the preseason attendance, you should be watching special teams closely.

The fringe roster players will not make the team if they can’t perform on special teams. When deciding on a the last receiver, linebacker, or safety to make the roster, the coaching staff is going to choose the guy that performed the best on special teams.

 

Offensive Line

The only position on the offensive line that appears cemented is Jared Veldheer at left tackle. The remaining four positions on the line remain open for the top performer.

Nothing is going to be decided this early, but it is now clear Stefen Wisniewski isn’t going to be handed a starting job just because his uncle is one of the coaches. Wisniewski will get first-team reps at center and left guard, but his reps at left guard are simply so he can be the primary backup at a position with very little depth. He’s being pushed, but he should ultimately win the starting center job over Samson Satele.

There are three players pushing for the starting job at right tackle, veteran Khalif Barnes, rookie Joseph Barksdale and acquisition Stephon Heyer. Hue Jackson wants a bully, expect the most physical player to end up being the starter at right tackle. Barnes has the edge, but Barksdale and Heyer could press him quickly.

 

Nickel and Dime

The Raiders don’t yet know who their nickel and dime corners will be.  There are four candidates for the spots. DeMarcus Van Dyke, Chimdi Chekwa, Jeremy Ware and Walter McFadden. Chekwa is out with an injury, leaving the light to shine on the other three. By nature of his draft position, the nickel job is Van Dyke’s if he can hold it. Ware and McFadden need to shine to make the coaches think twice.

 

Backers

Darryl Blackstock and Jerome Boyd are both backup outside linebackers. There is no depth behind starters Quentin Groves and Kamerion Wimbley. It’s very thin and the Raiders are hoping someones, anyone jumps out during the game.

Travis Goethel will get plenty of playing time behind Rolando McClain at middle linebacker. Don’t be surprised if he plays well. It’s very possible he will move to the weak side once the season starts. Groves has something to prove or Goethel will snatch his starting job away.

 

Boller or Edwards?

Considering the Raiders lack of overall talent, continuity, and depth of the offensive line there is a pretty good chance the backup quarterback will need to step in and play at some point this season.

Kyle Boller and Trent Edwards will duke it out in the battle of former starters. For Boller, he needs to make good decisions and protect the football. Edwards needs to work on his timidness in the pocket.

Hue Jackson and Al Saunders are as good as any at helping out their quarterbacks, but expect them to push these backups as hard as possible during the preseason. The time is now to find out which one can play should when they are needed.

 

Passing Attack

The passing game is the one area on offense the Raiders must improve. It’s a delicate balance of pass blocking, route running and ball spinning. The Raiders must improve in all these areas. Jason Campbell and his young receivers need to continue to build chemistry. The make-shift offensive line needs to keep Campbell off his back. Jury is out on if any of these areas are actually improved in 2011.

 

Rush Defense

This defense is known for its inability to stop the run. Last year it was the big play that killed them. Pay close attention to how the backup defensive lineman and linebackers do at filling gaps and tackling. Just one or two missed assignments on any given play can result in disaster.

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.

Fan Poll Results: Draft Grades

 Posted by at 11:51 AM  No Responses »
May 112011
 

I asked Raider Nation to grade the draft picks on a scale of A to F. Love (A), Like (B), Wait (C), Hope D and Hate (F) were the options.

Draft grades mean nothing, but what you, the fan, thinks of the draft actually does mean something.

Fan grades are a reflection of how much confidence the fans have in the front office.

So let’s get to the grades…

Stefen Wisniewski

A – Love Grades: 38

B – Like Grades: 30

C – Wait Grades: 0

D – Hope Grades: 3

F – Hate Grades: 1

Overall GPA: .901 (A)

Wisniewski receives a low A letter grade by the fans. His uncle’s legacy in silver and black certainly had a lot to do with his reception, but the Raiders needed lineman badly also and this probably boosted his stock.

Demarcus Van Dyke

A – Love Grades: 2

B – Like Grades: 9

C – Wait Grades: 46

D – Hope Grades: 14

F – Hate Grades: 1

Overall GPA: .609 (D)

Ouch, Demarcus Van Dyke receives a near failing grade from Raiders fans, but it is interesting to note that the vast majority voted to wait on Van Dyke. Van Dyke barely squeaks out the D grade.

Joseph Barkdale

A – Love Grades: 16

B – Like Grades: 34

C – Wait Grades: 22

D – Hope Grades: 0

F – Hate Grades: 0

Overall GPA: .826 (B)

When a team drafts a right tackle prospect in the middle rounds, it should be expected that the guy grades out average when it comes to fan excitement. The Raider Nation gives the Joseph Barkdale selection a low B. Barksdale received no D or F votes. Barkdale is a much-needed addition to the Raiders thin offensive line. The Raiders need for lineman likely helped his stock.

Chimdi Chekwa

A – Love Grades: 8

B – Like Grades: 26

C – Wait Grades: 32

D – Hope Grades: 5

F – Hate Grades: 1

Overall GPA: .741 (C)

Perhaps even more condemning of the Van Dyke pick was the Chewka pick two rounds later. Chewka is more physical and it seems like he would be able to step in and play before Van Dyke. The Raider Nation gives Chekwa a solid C grade.

Taiwan Jones

A – Love Grades: 17

B – Like Grades: 32

C – Wait Grades: 12

D – Hope Grades: 7

F – Hate Grades: 0

Overall GPA: .812 (B)

It’s hard to imagine a running back from the late rounds giving the Raider Nation so much confidence. It wasn’t a position of need and the fans still recognize and are excited about Taiwan Jones. He receives a low B from the fans.

Denarius Moore

A – Love Grades: 13

B – Like Grades: 27

C – Wait Grades: 14

D – Hope Grades: 11

F – Hate Grades: 2

Overall GPA: .739 (C)

The C grade is indicative of just how much unknown there is when a team drafts a receiver, but the Raider Nation recognizes there could be a value play in Moore, but we have to “wait” and see.

Richard Gordon

A – Love Grades: 2

B – Like Grades: 8

C – Wait Grades: 27

D – Hope Grades: 25

F – Hate Grades: 5

Overall GPA: .526 (F)

Raider Nation doesn’t acknowledge the need for a blocking tight end. The Richard Gordon selection surprisingly receives a F from Raider Nation. He has a good chance of making the roster, but the fans don’t like the pick of a little-known tight end in the sixth round. I believe the fans are wrong on this one.

David Ausberry

A – Love Grades: 1

B – Like Grades: 12

C – Wait Grades: 24

D – Hope Grades: 25

F – Hate Grades: 5

Overall GPA: .554 (F)

The Raider Nation is not enthusiastic about the Raiders final draft selection either. Ausberry is a big receiver that is likely to be converted to tight end. He wasn’t on the radar as a draftable prospect and the Raider Nation supports this with a F letter grade.

Overall: C

The fans grade a draft just how it should be graded. A solid C grade is a wait and see grade. Good job Raider Nation!

Don’t agree with the results? The poll is still open.

2011 Draft Review and Analysis

 Posted by at 1:08 AM  No Responses »
May 022011
 

The Raiders completed day three of the 2011 NFL draft by selecting Chimdi Chekwa, Taiwan Jones, Denarius Moore, Richard Gordon and David Ausberry to add to the selections of Stefen Wisniewski, Demarcus Van Dyke and Joseph Barksdale yesterday.

With the selections on day three, the Raiders finished plugging at least three team needs and added depth a wide receiver. Al Davis doesn’t hide his affection for speed and in this, his 39th year as managing general partner, he again selected multiple players who ran the 40-yard-dash in under 4.4 seconds.

Now that the draft is complete and since the NFL is enduring a lockout, we have time to properly analyze the Raiders draft picks. Who are these players and what are their strengths and weaknesses? How do they fit on the team in 2011?

Stefen Wisniewski is the safest pick the Raiders could have made in the second round. Most if not all the top-tier talent had been selected and he’ll be an instant starter at center and should play for a decade. The fans will love this one also, because Stefen is the nephew of former Raiders all-pro guard guard and current assistant offensive line coach Steve Wisniewski.

Strengths: Smart, technically sound, knows how to use his hands and plays with a good base most of the time. Natural bender, bends at the knees. Agile and has good footwork. Fires off the snap quickly. Whistle-to-whistle player that is successful because he never gives up on a play.

Weaknesses: Average overall strength and may struggle with big nose tackles. Sometimes overextends and gets off-balance. Frame maxed out, can’t carry much more weight.

Overall: Wisniewski is a very high floor player that doesn’t need a lot of time to develop to help the Raiders. He’s durable and the Raiders have been looking for a center since Barrett Robins hailed a cab to Tijuana just before Super Bowl XXXVII. He’s a natural leader and should be an instant starter and upgrade over Samson Satele.

Scouting Reports:

National Football Post

NFLDRAFTSCOUT

NFL.com

NFLDraftCountdown

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YaslZQO3ew

 

The simple fact that Al Davis drafted Demarcus Van Dyke should not define the Raiders 2011 draft class. He’s one player and he does have potential.

Al Davis drafted Van Dyke in the third round, which is why analysts will not like the selection. The experts believed Van Dyke was a fifth or sixth-round prospect and very much a project. He’s a thinly-built burner and needs work on his technique to make use of his speed.

Thankfully, the Raiders have Kevin Ross, Rod Woodson and Willie Brown as coaches and mentors for the young corner project.

Strengths: Solid ball skills, length and speed,  fluid hips, reads and reacts to what he sees quickly.

Weaknesses: Needs help with his footwork to maintain his speed when he turns and runs, needs to add ten pounds to his frame, will not be a great jammer without adding bulk and strength.

Overall: He has the physical skills to be a good corner in the NFL, but he’ll have to add bulk and work on his footwork. He will contribute on special teams and his best chance to get on the field on defense is probably in the dime or nickel package. He’s a faster version of Walter McFadden.

Scouting Reports:

CBS Sports – Gil Brandt

NFL.com

National Football Post

Videos:

 

The Raiders needed help on the offensive line and they chose Joseph Barksdale over other quality options on the board. He’s an athlete that hasn’t played consistently well. He became an offensive lineman in college after being recruited as a defensive tackle. He was a five star recruit out of high school and some people believed he was the next Haloti Ngata.  He projects to right tackle, but may have a home at guard as well.

Strengths: Athletic and strong. Can slide and move his feet. Long arms. Can be nasty is a solid run blocker. Agile for a man his size and carries his weight well.

Weaknesses: Bends at the waist too much and can get himself caught out of position. Inconsistent. Not an elite athlete, probably can’t play left tackle in the pros.

Overall: The Raiders see a ton of potential in Barksdale and if he can become more consistent and focus on his craft he has a very good chance to start at right tackle for the Raiders as a rookie. Having Steve Wisniewski and his nephew around could help him as he’s only been playing offensive line for four years. He could be a gem of a right tackle in time.

Scouting Reports:

CBS Sports

National Football Post

NFL.com

Video:

 

 

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