Best Case & Worst Case Scenarios For Each Raiders’ Draft Pick

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  No Responses »
Mar 162012
 

The Raiders aren’t making much noise in free agency and will attempt to build through the draft. Missing are five of their original seven draft selections and in their place are five players that may contribute in 2012.

A couple more selections may be awarded as compensatory selections, but that is yet to be determined.

What is the best case and worse case scenarios for the Raiders’ 2012 draft? Not only does it depend on the players they draft, but how many they draft and how the players perform they obtained for those picks.

 

1st Round: Carson Palmer

Hue Jackson orchestrated a trade that brought Palmer to Oakland. It was too much to give up, but what’s done is done. The Raiders have their franchise quarterback, right? That’s the hope. The new regime is hitching their wagon to Palmer and putting a new offense around him. There wasn’t many other options for the Raiders.

Best Case: Palmer, with an offseason with the receivers and studying the offense, turns in a pro bowl season and leads the Raiders to their first playoff berth since 2002. Winning the AFC championship game would bump the 2013 pick from a second round to a first round pick and further justify why Hue Jackson traded for him.

Worst Case: Palmer continues to be a turnover machine and the Raiders change the offense to the extent that Palmer is handicapped by his weaknesses. Palmer is average, doesn’t lead the Raiders to the playoffs and never justifies even one of the two picks the Raiders gave up for him.

 

2nd Round: Joseph Barksdale and Taiwan Jones

2011 was the rookie year for Barksdale and Jones and neither produced. Jones was injured and never cracked the rotation at running back and Barkdale spent the entire season as a backup. While the Raiders don’t have their second round pick, they do have a two sophomore’s with a year of NFL experience. The Raiders will be counting some development from both players/

Best Case: Barksdale becomes a solid starter on the offensive line and Taiwan Jones becomes a nightmare speed back that is a threat to take the ball the distance every time he touches the ball.

Worst Case: Both wash out. Barksdale never wins a starting job and is eventually released. Jones has problems with injuries and tries to do too much when he gets the ball.

 

3rd Round: Terrelle Pryor & Draft Pick(s)

It should be intriguing how Greg Knapp works Pryor into the rotation at quarterback. Pryor will have to be patient with the Raiders if he wants to play quarterback. The Raiders could work Pryor into special packages and expand his role as he becomes more comfortable in the offense.

In return for losing Nnamdi Asomugha the Raiders should receive a draft pick. It is expected to be a pick in the third round. The Raiders may receive a second pick in the third round as compensation for losing Zach Miller.

Best Case: Pryor becomes a weapon on offense and takes over for Palmer in a couple of years as the starter. The Raiders get two picks and are able to find a quality defender at cornerback and linebacker.

Worst Case: Pryor isn’t ever a starter and can only play in special packages. Pryor is eventually released.The Raiders don’t receive a compensatory pick until the fourth round.

 

4th Round: Draft Pick(s)

The Raiders could receive a couple of compensatory draft picks for Zach Miller and Robert Gallery in the fourth round. The Raiders original pick in this round was traded for Jason Campbell two years ago.

Best Case: Raiders receive an additional pick in the fourth round for Robert Gallery having received two in the third for Asomugha and Miller. The Raiders find a quality lineman.

Worst Case: Raiders receive only one pick and are forced to try to find a player at a position of need, but because it’s the end of the fourth round the quality prospects at linebacker and cornerback are off the board.

 

5th Round: Original Draft Pick (can be traded)

With the 13th pick of the fifth round the Raiders will have their first non-compensatory selection of the 2012 draft. An additional compensatory selection is possible at the end of the fifth for Robert Gallery if they are not awarded one in the fourth, but it is also possible the Raiders don’t receive a compensatory for Gallery at all.

Best case: McKenzie doesn’t think much value remains on the board worth a fifth and the Raiders, having addressed many needs with their compensatory selections in prior rounds, trade the pick for a future fourth.

Worst case: Talent has thinned and the Raiders are unable to move the pick. McKenzie drafts his best player available, but the player will be sitting behind established starters for the next several years.

 

6th Round: Original Draft Pick (can be traded)

The Raiders will have the 19th pick in the sixth round. It is one of the Raiders original picks giving the Raiders the option of trading the pick if it benefits them.

Best Case:  McKenzie doesn’t think much value remains on the board worth a sixth and the Raiders, having addressed many needs with their compensatory selections in prior rounds, trade the pick for a future fifth.

Worst Case: Talent has thinned and the Raiders need the pick to find a player to fill out the roster, but McKenzie plays it safe and drafts a role player.

 

7th Round: Aaron Curry

The Raiders traded their seventh-round selection for Aaron Curry last season. Curry and the Raiders had mutual interest in continuing the relationship and worked out a restructured contract in 2012 that saves the Raiders cap space.

Best Case: Curry turns into the pro bowl caliber linebacker he was expected to be when he was drafted out of Wake Forest and solidifies the defense.

Worst Case: Curry remains a liability in coverage and the Raiders have to bring in a player for Curry on third down.

Week 7: Chiefs at Raiders Preview

 Posted by at 7:00 AM  1 Response »
Oct 232011
 

For the first time in a long time, the focus of the NFL has been on the Oakland Raiders quarterback.  We just don’t know who that quarterback is going to be…

Hue Jackson is dancing with the media; winking, hinting, manipulating, and enjoying every second of it.  Reports came out early in the week that newly acquired Carson Palmer would start after just three practices.  Yesterday ESPN and several other news sources stated that it was “unlikely” Palmer was going to start on Sunday.

We may see Kyle Boller, Palmer, and even Terrelle Pryor at some point against KC.  Hue Jackson is an absolute wild man with his play-calling…he will throw everything at you.  We’re not even halfway through the season and we’ve seen a fake punt, fake field goal, flea flicker, and numerous reverses.  How can we have the slightest idea of what to expect?

One thing you can bank on, Darren McFadden will be a very busy man.  Everybody knows it including Kansas City Defensive Coordinator Romeo Crennel. McFadden will have a heavy workload, regardless of the quarterback so the key will be getting him the ball in more creative ways as the Chiefs will likely crowd the box with eight or more bodies.  Running screens and  flexing McFadden out in the slot may work. Anything the Raiders can do to get the ball in McFadden’s hands, expect to see Sunday.

Kansas City is playing better football over the past few week, but that isn’t saying much. The Chiefs couldn’t play any worse after getting blown out in the first two weeks by a combined score of 678 to 6.  The Chiefs strung together two wins in a row against Minnesota and Indy, opponents with a whopping combined record of 1-11.  Todd Haley is treading on thin ice and the bandwagon has been sold to the pilgrims.

Dwayne Bowe is starting to heat up and running back Jackie Battle (who sounds like a character from some 1970s funk movie) is coming off an impressive 100 plus yard performance. Don’t bet your house on the Chiefs’ offense against an improving Oakland defense at home.

The Raiders will continue to blitz and pressure the quarterback.  Matt Cassel should get to know the Raiders’ defensive line well on Sunday.  The Chiefs’ offense will have to BATTLE for yards all game long.  (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

The Raiders will be without Sebastian Janikowski for a couple of weeks due to a hamstring injury.  Not only will the Raiders field goal game suffer,  but their kickoff coverage will as well. The Raiders will have to do better for Dave Rayner than the 43-yard line.

Even without Janikowski and with a Kyle Boller sighting the Raiders will take this one.  Although it may be a little closer than previously expected. Raiders 27,  Kansas City 20

Hue Jackson Bets the Farm

 Posted by at 2:49 PM  No Responses »
Oct 182011
 

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 next two seasons the time is now for the Silver and Black. Below is a snapshot of the Raiders outlook going forward.

2012 Draft
1st: Carson Palmer
2nd: Taiwan Jones and Joseph Barksdale
3rd: Terrelle Pryor
4th: Jason Campbell
7th: Aaron Curry

Compensatory Picks for Nnamdi Asomugha, Robert Gallery and Zach Miller should net a third and up to a fourth-round pick.

2013 Draft

1st: Palmer if team gets team to AFC Championship game*
2nd: Palmer if the team doesn’t  get to AFC Championship*

*Conflicting reports as to the compensation.

Notable 2012 Free Agents

Michael Bush – Will he be content to be a backup or will he be able to get a mega-deal elsewhere? Time will tell and he could be a casualty of the Raiders cap situation.

Chaz Schilens – His injuries really sidelined his career. He could be retained for cheap as a backend WR.

Tyvon Branch – Is Mike Mitchell ready? Has Branch taken the leap that the Raiders have wanted him to make? Either way, he shouldn’t command a large amount

Marcel Reece – He’s a fullback and the Raiders will pay him well for that position.

Jason Campbell – He’ll find a new home next season. Good dude, average quarterback. Unfortunate circumstances.

Quarterback

Carson Palmer is the guy now and for the next few years. Pryor will be given the Aaron Rodgers treatment.

Runningback

Darren McFadden and Taiwan Jones. Michael Bush is unknown going forward. The Raiders will need to add some depth at the position, but as long as McFadden is healthy this is still the biggest strength on the team. Reece will be back next season as well.

Receiver

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy are all under contract through 2012. Those guys are the anchors of this group and Chaz Schilens and various other will fill it out. An exciting young group that was a huge weakness just two seasons ago.

Offensive line

Very young group that has come together nicely this season. The Raiders will eventually ease Bruce Campbell and Joseph Barksdale into the mix on the left side. Needs to add depth, but they should be able to find quality depth for cheap on the free agent market if needed.

Defensive line

Richard Seymour is around for at least two more seasons along with Tommy Kelly. The Raiders defensive line may begin to show signs of age in the coming seasons, but as it stands now this is a strong group. Expect the Raiders to re-tool the defensive line in the 2013 draft.

Linebacker

Rolando McClain is playing in his sophomore season so he has at least two more seasons before the Raiders look elsewhere. Kamerion Wimbley just signed a new deal and the Raiders think they can make something out of Aaron Curry. The group still needs depth and there are some questions here, but it isn’t the most pressing need on the team and the Raiders can likely address it without a high draft pick.

Cornerback

Stanford Routt signed a new deal and the Raiders drafted two corners in Demarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa. The position needs depth. When one player goes down the Raiders turn to free safety Michael Huff as a corner. If there is one position to worry about not having many 2012 draft picks it is at the cornerback position.

Safety

Michael Huff signed a new deal this offseason. Branch is a free agent in 2012 and unless the Raiders feel like Mitchell can play at the same level as Branch he’ll likely be the Raiders top priority going into 2012.

Raiders Exploring Quarterback Options

 Posted by at 12:21 PM  No Responses »
Oct 172011
 

Jason Campbell is out for an extended period of time. At the earliest Campbell would be back in six weeks, but that’s massively optimistic and it is still likely that it’s a season ending injury. Kyle Boller now becomes the starter and Terrelle Pryor will be the primary backup, but the Raiders are exploring other available quarterbacks.

The Raiders have already reached out to David Garrard and Josh McCown suggesting they will explore all options. It’s tough to imagine that they wouldn’t also reach out to Trent Edwards. The Raiders are reportedly going hard after Carson Palmer as well.

Josh McCown would become competition for Boller and would have a chance to become the starter if Boller falls on his face. Trent Edwards would be the same type of player, coming in to backup Boller and push him for the job, but far from certain he would start over Boller.

The biggest question the Raiders have to ask themselves is if they can still make the playoffs with Kyle Boller. If the answer is no, they really have no choice but to go out and get one they think can. All provided one is out there.

Carson Palmer is the best option available for the Raiders, but Bengals owner Mike Brown seems content to let Carson Palmer rot. The Bengals are treating Palmer like he did something horrible to the team yet asking for a high pick in return. If the Raiders could acquire Palmer he could keep the seat warm while Pryor gets up to speed. Palmer is an intermediate to long-term option. Palmer’s best seasons came in an Air Coryell inspired offense in Cincinnati with Hue Jackson as the receivers coach. This is the same system used by the Raiders and offensive coordinator Al Saunders. The Raiders will not likely relinquish a first-round pick for Palmer, but a 2013 second-round pick that could turn into a first-round pick if Palmer and the Raiders hit certain marks is possible. Palmer’s contract would have to be reworked also all before the deadline at 1 pm on Tuesday.

According to Jay Glazer, David Garrard has a herniated disk that requires surgery. I suggested on Twitter that the Raiders would have very little interest in David Garrard. That was my initial instinct on Garrard, but after examining the other options and the costs associated with them Garrard was looking more and more appealing. Now he isn’t an option for anyone.

Brett Favre. I can’t believed I typed that. I’ll let you decide how ridiculous it is. Hint: It’s VERY ridiculous. Please leave this alone.

Aside from the aforementioned three, there are a few lesser options the Raiders will likely explore and Raider Nation is going to be thrilled with this one: Josh McCown has been contacted. McCown isn’t an answer as a step-in starter, but he could come in and push Kyle Boller and would be given a chance to start if Boller were to play poorly. He’s just a backup option because the Raiders aren’t ready to trust Pryor.

Trent Edwards could be brought back and he knows the offense. He’s another one of the options that can be brought in to be a body and push Boller, but he isn’t a starter nor would the Raiders want him to be a starter. He’s the safe choice and maybe the only choice. If Campbell can return sooner rather than later the Raiders wouldn’t have to

Terrelle Pryor was brought in and is exclusively a quarterback, but he just started practicing and it doesn’t sound like the Raiders are ready to trust him. Handing the reigns of a playoff caliber team over to a raw rookie could be a recipe for disaster. The Raiders can’t afford for Pryor to fail either. If the coaching staff doesn’t think he is ready it is probably best to let him wait, but without Campbell it is possible Pryor is given a certain set of plays to run in the game as a more dynamic option to Boller’s pocket passing.

The Raiders will most likely bring back Trent Edwards to be the primary backup for Boller. Boller will get his shot, at least until Campbell is healthy in as short as six weeks. With games against Kansas City, Denver, San Diego, Minnesota and Chicago over the next six weeks the Raiders will have an opportunity to stay in the hunt, but it gets dicey if Campbell misses more than six weeks.

Is Pryor Al’s Last Hurrah?

 Posted by at 8:30 AM  No Responses »
Sep 162011
 

Just as the world was being set a blaze by Cam Newton’s performance in his first ever NFL start, I couldn’t help but think about our version of a freak athletic quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Newton’s stat line was eye-popping for a seasoned vet let alone a rookie in his debut. Although emotions should be tempered a little bit since it was against the Cardinals less than solid secondary. But 400 yards is 400 yards, and the poise and command he showed were excellent. What does that mean for the Raiders? That means there is a decent amount of hope for the future once Terrelle Pryor gets his shot. The difference between Pryor and Newton? Let me know when you find that out.

Here’s their last college year stat lines :

Newton 66.1%, 2854 passing yards, 30 pass TD, 7 int, 1473 rush yards, 20 rush TD, 5.6 avg

Pryor 65%, 2772 passing yards, 27 pass TD, 11 int, 754  rush yards, 4 rush TD, 5.6 avg.

Newton doubled Pryor in rushing yards, but also doubled him in attempts, they matched in rushing average. Both are listed at 6’5”, 233-244 pounds. Can you tell the difference between the #1 overall pick and the guy taken in the 3rd round of a supplemental draft? Both have sketchy pasts, but Pryor has never been arrested or accused of the things Newton has. Both have quirky throwing motions that seem awkward when compared to Tom Brady, so what? They both have shown the arm strength that would put them in the upper echelon of quarterbacks currently in the NFL. Terrelle Pryor was clocked at anywhere from 4.3-4.4 in the 40, Newton around 4.5. At the end of this season the Raiders will have one quarterback under contract and it’s Terrelle Pryor.

While Jason Campbell has been extremely ‘serviceable’ in his tenure with the Raiders, unless he explodes this season, there might not be a starting job waiting for him if he were to re-sign. You can only imagine the thoughts running through Al Davis’ head while watching Cam Newton light up the scoreboard and, more importantly to Al, the press room. Al lives for moments when the press has swallow its words and speak positive about the organization. After the Monday night win against Denver, the Raiders twitter account posted a picture of media vans parked outside the Alameda facility. He’s setting himself up for a last hurrah. Terrelle Pryor could be Al’s last “told you so” moment.

During that Monday night game the Raiders were deep in the red zone when Campbell dropped back to pass, with no one open and it being 3rd down, he took off running up the middle for a collision at the 3 that barely got the 1st down. Immediately I thought “Pryor scores on that play”. Would Terrelle Pryor throw for 400 yards if inserted into the lineup? He wouldn’t have to and it’s not like Jason Campbell is doing that now. Campbell had 105 yards on 13 completions Monday night. Pryor couldn’t make those throws?

Now I’m not taking into account the pressure or things like that, but from a basic quarterback standpoint he can make them. Rex Ryan was quoted as saying the worst thing his defense has to deal with is a Vick-like quarterback that can move and get outside the pocket. It’s not that Pryor should start this season, but there is hope waiting in the wings. And this hope happens to run a 4.3. A weapon like Pryor in Hue Jackson’s hands could be a very dangerous thing to have come playoff time. Now is where you queue up your Jim Mora voice and say “Playoffs?….Playoffs?!”.

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