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As seen on Bleacher Report : As with any fan base, the Raider Nation is not immune to overrating players. Every offseason coaches and front office personnel across the league lock themselves in the film room to study their own roster. It's not uncommon for a player to lose snaps the following season after the team had time to evaluate their play relative to other players in the league. There are a few players on the roster vulnerable to a loss of snaps or even a loss of a job after the Raiders new general manager Reggie McKenzie and new head coach Dennis Allen have time to evaluate them. Who? Matt Giordano Giordano lead the Raiders in interceptions in 2011 with five and it has many fans thinking he is the solution at free safety and Michael Huff should be released or move to cornerback. It's important to remember Giordano only served as a nickel free safety and injury replacement for Huff in 2011, starting more than four games for the first time in his career. Dennis Allen coac...

It was 2009 the last time the Raiders played the Saints in the preseason. The New Orleans Saints were still the "Aints" and the Raiders were a team headed into the Tom Cable era without a true identity. That game-also in Oakland and the third preseason game-was a 45-7 shellacking at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl Champion Saints. The Raiders would win five games, none by more than four points. Preseason is usually a time to evaluate individual performances over team performance, but the first half of the third preseason game is the closest we will get to predicting how a team might play during the regular season. The coaches scheme a bit and the starters play at least a full half. Let's take a look at third preseason games over the past few years. 2007 first-half score Rams 3 @ Raiders 17. Rams would finish 3-13. The Raiders would finish 4-12 If it had been any other team besides the Rams, would the Raiders have even won? Both teams were terrible in 2007 and the fac...

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. -...

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.

The Oakland Raiders tried to trade up for Colin Kaepernick, but were not successful. Instead, the Raiders made the most natural pick they could and selected Steve Wisniewski's nephew Stefen. Stefen will play center for the Raiders and become and instant fan favorite. His technique is sound and should be a starter for years. The Raiders traded their 2012 second round pick for the Patriots third, pick 94 and fourth, pick 125. The Raiders used their own third round pick to again draft the fastest player at the scouting combine in Demarcus Van Dyke. You might as well pencil in the fastest player at the combine every year. Al Davis loves his speed. Van Dyke seems like a reach, but he's got good physical tools and will be mentored by Rod Woodson. His teammate will be Stanford Routt, who was much like Van Dyke coming out of college. Van Dyke is long and lean and Hue Jackson said he felt very comfortable with the pick. With the pick acquired from the Patriots, the Raiders selected Jose...

by Rick Drummond , Profootballfocus.com It’s best to refer to this group as a work in progress. Unfortunately for the Raiders, it has been in that state for several seasons now. In obvious need of an improvement over their 2009 output, the Raider O-line had to be overhauled. Recognizing that, the Raiders began the multi-season process by letting Cornell Green walk in free agency, selecting two linemen in the draft, and hiring a play-caller which freed Tom Cable to spend more time assisting with the line. Four of 2009’s five regular starters returned for 2010 with Green’s former spot at right tackle being the only immediate opening. Langston Walker won that job in camp and held it all season. Khalif Barnes, who was also in the running for the vacated right tackle spot, settled in as the utility player, spending the majority of his time checking into the game as an extra lineman / tight end. Of the four returning starters, only Robert Gallery at left guard was viewed as a fixture, leavin...

People line up to declare the next Al Davis draft selection a bust because the Raiders are well known for draft blunders. These people point to a lack of football instincts in the players Al Davis drafts. They say things like, “He’s just a track star, he’s not a football player.” Let me know if you can figure out what a saying like that means. It sounds good but means nothing. Can a track star not be good at football also? You don’t hear people say, “He’s a wrestler, he’s not a football player.” Those same people turn around and say, “Speed kills.” What? So now speed is good in the NFL player? Yes, there is much more to being a good player than speed, but much of it depends on how smart the player is, how much they can learn and if they are dedicated. Are these traits not also desirable in a track star? Why does running track have to be a negative stereotype? Some guys have more smarts, have learned more or have been more dedicated to football when they enter the NFL. This is the re...

Every year and in every city the preseason is when the fans watch to see if they have the next impact rookie. This year’s top crop includes Rolando McClain, Lamarr Houston, Jared Veldheer, Jacoby Ford, Bruce Campbell and Walter McFadden. What is often lost in the rush to evaluate the rookies is just how much a second year player can improve and make an impact for a team. One recent example is Tyvon Branch. Branch, as a Sophmore, lead all safties in tackles. He figures to be an impact player for the Raiders in 2010 and beyond. The 2010 sophmore crop includes: Darrius Heyward-Bey, Mike Mitchell, Louis Murphy, Matt Shaughnessy, Desmond Bryant and Marcel Reece. These sophmores will all see significant playing time in 2010. The offseason has been filled with reports on Heyward-Bey’s improvement. He’s looked like the best player on the field at times and his route running is much better. All the reports a vast departure his the drop-filled 2009. Mike Mitchell’s rookie campaign was hind...

The Raiders have agreed to terms with seventh-round defensive back Jeremy Ware. Citing league sources, Aaron Wilson says the deal is $1.85 million over four years with a signing bonus slightly over $62,000. Wilson also had signing bonus figures for Bruce Campbell and Jared Veldheer. Veldheer received a signing bonus of $895,000 and Campbell $522,000. Remaining Unsigned Draft Picks: Rolando McClain Lamarr Houston Jacoby Ford Stevie Brown

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...

Reported earlier this week by Newsday writer Bob Glauber , Bruce Campbell has a severe learning disability. Apparently the disability was severe enough for teams to drop Campbell on draft boards, contributing to Campbell's fall from a potential late first, early second round prospect to being selected 106th overall. It isn't clear exactly how a severe learning disability will effect his play and if Campbell will be able to learn and apply complicated gameplans and line calls. Perhaps this is why Tom Cable specifically asked Bruce Campbell if he was willing to work hard when the Raiders called Campbell before just before they selected him in April's draft. Campbell may or may not be able to learn the things he needs to depending on the type of learning disability and how the Raiders coach him. Of the possible major types of learning disabilities are reading, writing, and math, which probably wouldn't directly apply to being an offensive lineman in the NFL. There is also ...

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 ...

There is an elephant in the room and every other sports writer on the planet is going to want to talk about him. I will attempt to write an entire blog post without mentioning He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Minicamp can be the start of a magical season or the start of yet another disaster. For the Raiders, a winning record and/or a playoff appearance would be a magical season. Seven years of losing takes a toll on any fan base. California's economy aided the Raiders step backwards in 2009 in regards to television blackouts. Can the Raiders climb out of the basement and back into respectability? It all starts today with a non-contact minicamp. Last season minicamp was plagued by injuries, dropped passes and work ethic question. Not a very good way to start of a season; a season in which the Raiders won five games. This season feels different. There is a positive vibe coming from the Raiders organization, the fans and the media. There is one black eye on the Raiders organization., but no...

There were approximately four major needs the Raiders wanted to address this offseason. 1 - The Quarterback 2 - The Run Defense 3 - The Offensive Line 4 - The Return Game Time will tell if the offseason moves will actually improve these areas, but the Raiders took significant steps to that end. The Raiders have done just about as much as they can do to address the quarterback, the run defense and the return game. The offensive line has some depth, but will Bruce Campbell and Jared Veldheer be immediate starters? Can either play left tackle? It would make sense at this point for both guys to compete for spots at right tackle and right guard. Tom Cable has made comments alluding to this kind of start for the Raiders young lineman. This leaves incumbent start Mario Henderson the lone man at left tackle, with very little competition to push him. The good news: - Both Bruce Campbell and Jared Veldheer have the potential to be a good left tackle - The line has depth - Khalif Barnes and Coope...

The Raiders had a few basic goals this offseason: Improve the rush defense without sacrificing a pass rush, protect the QB, improve the return game, and acquire a better QB. I'm not sure even the Raiders believed they could address all these goals like they wanted to, but they did about as good as you could hope for them to do. There are still lingering questions the Raiders must answer before they play a regular season game in 2010. 1 - Can Rolando McClain play three downs and cover a running back or tight end? 2 - Will Lamarr Houston make an impact against the run in the base 4-3 and 3-4? 3 - How long will it take Jared Veldheer to catch up to the speed of the NFL game? 4 - Will Bruce Campbell put the effort in to improve his technique? 5 - Does Jacoby Ford have the ability and hands to go along with the speed that will make him a good return man and slot receiver? 6 - Will Quentin Groves develop into something more than he was for two seasons in Jacksonville? 7 - Will Jason Camp...

The Oakland Raiders 2010 draft is over and Raider Nation should be happy. The Raiders selected productive football players early and saved projects with potential for the later rounds. Round 1 (8) - Rolando McClain, LB, 6-3, 254, Alabama Round 2 (49) - Lemarr Houston, DE, 6-2, 305, Texas Round 3 (69) - Jared Veldheer, OT, 6-8, 321, Hillsdale Round 3 (85) - Traded to Cleveland for Kamerion Wimbley Round 4 (106) – Bruce Campbell, OT, 6-5, 310, Maryland Round 4 (108) – Jacoby Ford, WR, 5-9, 181, Clemson (Acquired by trade for Kirk Morrison & a 5th) Round 5 (138) – Walter McFadden, DB, 5-11, 175, Auburn Round 5 (153) - Traded to Jacksonville for Quentin Groves Round 6 (190) – Travis Goethel, LB, 6-2, 240, Arizona Round 7 (215) – Jeremy Ware, CB, 5-10, 180, Michigan State Round 7 (251) – Stevie Brown, S, 6-0, 211, Michigan 2012 Round 4 pick - Traded for Jason Campbell The top undrafted free agents that should be on the Raiders radar: Tony Washington, OT, 6-6, 311, Abilene Christian LaGa...