Raidersblog.com

Rolando McClain #55 College: Alabama Height: 6'3" Weight: 254 lbs Arm Length: 33" Hand Size: 9 3/8"   40 Yard Dash: 4.69 3 Cone Drill: N/A 20 Yard Shuttle: N/A Bench Press: 24 reps Vertical Jump: 35" Broad Jump: N/A   In the last decade there have been a lot of Raiders first round picks that were scrutinized far before they ever put on a uniform. A lot of the scrutiny was justified, but should not always be directed at the player. After all, the players can't control where they are selected. Rolando McClain "broke the mold" if you will, when it comes to first round picks by the Raiders though. He was thought of by many to finally be one of those "sure thing" draft picks. Well the start of McClain's career in the NFL has been anything but "sure". McClain struggled to make the transition from a one gap linebacker in Nick Saban's 34 defense at Alabama to a two gap linebacker in the 43 defense the Raiders ran in hi...

Aaron Curry #51 College: Wake Forest Height: 6'1⅝" Weight: 254 lbs Arm Length: N/A" Hand Size: N/A" 40 Yard Dash: 4.56 3 Cone Drill: 7.15 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.51 Bench Press: 25 reps Vertical Jump: 37" Broad Jump: 124"   Curry was a very highly touted linebacker coming out of Wake Forest who seemed to be the total package. After being selected fourth overall in 2009, many assumed that Seattle would have a young star on defense to build around for years to come. To the surprise of many, Aaron Curry was traded to the Raiders in 2011 just five games into his third season. Of course the first thought that goes through everyone's mind when a top five draft pick is traded that early in his career is that they turned out to be a bust. However, I don't believe that to be true with Curry. In his rookie season he started 12 games and had 61 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He didn't light the world on fire but had a pretty solid year all th...

The Oakland Raiders came into the offseason with salary cap issues and needing to improve a team that finished a disappointing 8-8 last season. New general manager Reggie McKenzie was hired to reshape the Raiders' front office and establish a new philosophy to guide the team into the future. McKenzie has a plan and as time passes his philosophies will slowly be revealed. So far, McKenzie has made a flurry of moves designed to help the Raiders reach short-term and long-term goals such as getting under the salary cap and shedding back-loaded contracts that would have handicapped his plans in 2013 and beyond. A lot of activity doesn't always indicate a lot of change. As it stands, the Raiders will return 16 of 22 starters.   What does the Raiders activity or lack of activity mean for the team in 2012?   1. Reggie McKenzie wants to win and knows how to build a team to do it. Overreacting, overvaluing and overpaying is not a recipe for success in the NFL. The most successful teams ...

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...

At 1 p.m. PDT, March 13, 2012 the NFL's free agency period starts and the Raiders must be under the salary cap. There are a number of player contracts that have not yet restructured or otherwise addressed which will likely have an impact on the salary cap and the Raiders' free agency plans. Kamerion Wimbley The two sides aren't talking and extra guarantees are triggered on Friday and Wimbley is likely to be released before they do. Wimbley's release would save the Raiders just $2 million in cap space and leave the Raiders without a strong-side linebacker on the roster. John Henderson His contract is due to pay him $4.75 million in 2012. It's far too much for part-time backup with Henderson's miles. The Raiders would save approximately $4 million by releasing Henderson, but that also leaves the Raiders with a need for a run-stuffing defensive tackle Tommy Kelly Kelly's cap number is nearly $9 million and one would expect a restructured contract would have ...

This is the time of year where general managers earn their money. They are paid to make the right decisions for the team, whether it's the most popular one or not. It is also the time of year when fans like to express their feelings on how the roster should be shaped. While the Raider Nation does know the Raiders very well, the reasoning behind each decision goes way deeper than whether or not the player fits under the salary cap. Here are just a few of the questions that coaches and general managers have to answer before making a decision on any given player. How does the player fit into the scheme? The amount of success a player has on the field has a lot to do with how their skill set fits the scheme they are playing in. The Raiders are in the middle of a complete overhaul this off-season. There are changes across the board from new general manager all the way down to the strength and conditioning program of the players. Those changes bring even more uncertainty when your trying...

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Raiders strong safety Tyvon Branch will receive the franchise tag. With only a few days to go before the deadline to apply the tag the two sides remain far apart to reach a long-term contract. It's not impossible that the Raiders will reach a long-term agreement with Branch at some point in the future, but at least one side feels a deal can't be reached before the deadline on Monday. Branch just completed his rookie contract worth about $2.2 million and is looking for pay in-line with starting role. Branch averaged 112 tackles per season since becomming a starter at the beginning of the 2009 season. Branch has been used as a box safety to help support the run, something required because of the Raiders problems in the front seven. It is believed Branch will be an excellent fit in Dennis Allen's defensive scheme and was immediately mentioned as a top priority for the Raiders.    

Al Davis carefully planned his estate so his son could retain full control of the team. It will be Mark Davis who leads the team into an era of Raiders football without his legendary father. Mark Davis waited three months before making any changes on the football side of the organization, but changes were inevitable. Perhaps the best slogan for the 2012 Raiders would be, "Under New Management." The Raiders have hired 21 new people on the football side of the organization and whereas a quality control coach will have little to no impact on the immediate or long-term success of the team, a general manager will have significant impact.   21. Eric Sanders, Quality Control - Defense He's been with the team for two years and even the most die-hard fan doesn't recognize the name. Sanders coached linebackers at U.C. Davis for two seasons and he was a psychology major before joining the Raiders. He'll make copies of play sheets and get the rest of the staff coffee. That...

The Raiders don't have many draft picks, but it doesn't mean there aren't several holes the Raiders would like to fill through the draft. Reggie McKenzie may try to add more picks via trade and will also look to add players that aren't drafted. Not all of these holes will be filled with draft picks, but McKenzie would do well to address as many as he can. 1. Inside Linebacker If the Raiders plan to play more 3-4, they will need to add one or two inside linebackers. Rolando McClain is likely to get one more year to prove he isn't a draft bust, but he will need help inside. Travis Goethel has been given an opportunity to play, but he can't stay healthy. Aaron Curry may be able to move inside when the Raiders decide to play 3-4, but that leaves a large hole at outside linebacker.   2. Outside Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley is the only lock to make the roster from last year's group of outside linebackers. Curry will need to restructure his $5.7 cap number to stick...

As seen on Bleacher Report. The first offseason without the presence of legendary owner Al Davis will prove to be the most intriguing one in decades for the Oakland Raiders. Reggie McKenzie takes over as the main football executive and has already been working to shape the Raiders into his team. McKenzie started with the head coach and has been interviewing and evaluating his front office staff and scouting department over the past few weeks. Raiders fans are accustomed to coaching change, but front office and roster changes have always been subtle from year to year. Al Davis was the final decision-maker for the Raiders and he would slowly sour on players and wholesale changes would always come at the expense of the head coach.   McKenzie's philosophy will differ from the late Davis' philosophy. Davis loved speed, but he was just as interested in his size, strength, speed and other measurable traits as he was with a fast time in the 40-yard dash. Former Raiders and Packers gene...

It's clear that Dennis Allen is ready to take the reins as a head coach in the NFL. Allen is praised by his peers, he has earned the respect of his former players, he has even been mentored by some of the games finest, but the challenges of being a head coach are never fully realized until you become one. Allen is just getting his first taste of those challenges. Since the day Dennis Allen was offered the job to be the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders, there has been speculation surrounding who he would choose for his staff. Allen is now ready to start answering some of those questions, but the answers didn't come nearly as easy as he thought they would.   Being the last head coach officially hired for the 2012 season and with the majority of the available coaches already finding new teams, Allen was starting from behind. It didn't affect Allen too much at first because he had a short list of coaches he wanted to bring in. As a head coach, especially a first time head...

Defensive Coordinator   Bill Johnson - Raiders denied permission to interview. Age: 65 Current Position: Defensive Line Coach, New Orleans Saints Previous DC Experience: None Notes: Coached at Texas A&M during Dennis Allen's playing career and got him hired by the Falcons. Johnson followed Allen to New Orleans. Too much history here to ignore.   Billy Davis Age: 46 Current Position: LB coach, Cleveland Browns Previous DC experience: 2005-2006 49ers, 2009-2010 Cardinals Ed Donatell Age: 53 Current Position: DB Coach, San Francisco 49ers Previous DC experience: 2008 (Univ. of Washington), 2004-2006 (Atlanta Falcons), 2000-2003 (Green Bay Packers) Brett Maxie Age: 50 Current Position: DB coach, Dallas Cowboys Previous DC experience: None Richard Smith - Raiders denied permission to interview Age: 56 Current Position: LB Coach, Denver Broncos Previous DC Experience: 2006-2008 (Houston Texans), 2005 Miami Dolphins Joe Whitt Jr. - Interviewed Age: 33 Current Position: Seconda...

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...

There is always going to be a good debate between fans on how the Raiders should scheme on defense. It really doesn't matter what side you are on, because there are good arguments for both sides. There has been speculation on what Reggie McKenzie prefers as his defense and he was asked in his introductory press conference if he preferred the 3-4 to the 4-3 defense and he indicated that he did not have a preference, although he later said "3-4 is what I know." McKenzie has made it clear many times to the public that he intends to let the head coach hire his own staff and that the coaching staff has the freedom to run what ever scheme they feel gives the team the best chance to win. We know that McKenzie comes over from Green Bay where they ran a 3-4 defense and won a Super Bowl while running the 3-4 defense. However, the Packers didn't always run that style of defense. In fact, they just recently made the transition to the 3-4 defense in 2009. What this means: 1) McKen...

Unlike in the past, the Raiders are not just looking to plug-in a new head coach to lead the team after the last one was fired. This time the Raiders are looking to rebuild from top to bottom. Starting with the hire of Reggie McKenzie as the new general manager, there are and will be a lot of things different in Oakland this time around. Reggie McKenzie isn't looking to hire a coach based on who has the best scheme or who has the most experience. While those things do matter, and will factor in on the final equation, they are not the only selling point. Reggie is looking for someone he can work closely with on a day-to-day basis. He wants someone who he can trust, who has the right mindset, and shares the same philosophies as he does. That is why he is making sure that the man he decides to hire as the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders is the "right guy". McKenzie comes over from Green Bay where Mike McCarthy has been the head coach since 2006. He is a guy who wants ...

Pete Carmichael Jr. Status: Interviewed 1/13, no longer under consideration Age: 40 Specialty: Offense/Quarterbacks Current Position: Offensive Coordinator, New Orleans Saints Head Coaching Experience: None McKenzie link: unknown Notes: Carmichael has been Sean Payton's offensive coordinator for many years. He's relatively young and took a greater role in playcalling this season when Sean Payton was injured. If the Raiders decide to go with an offensive mind, they could do much worse. Todd Bowles Status: Interviewed 1/14 Age: 48 Specialty: Defensive Backs Previous Position: Defensive Backs Coach & Interim Head Coach, Miami Dolphins Head Coaching Experience: 2-1 (2011 Dolphins) McKenzie link: unknown Notes: Bowles seems to be a rising star, but he's never been a coordinator at the NFL level. If hired, Bowles will need to bring in strong offensive and defensive coordinator. He's got a long history with the Bill Parcells coaching and front office tree. Has potential to...

Allow me for a moment to walk the Raider Nation through a timeline of Hue Jackson's tenure with the Raiders. 2010 Al Davis hires Hue Jackson to revamp an offense that hadn't been good in many years. With the aide of competent quarterback play and a healthy Darren McFadden, Jackson is wildly successful in his first year. 2011 Tom Cable is fired for an 8-8 season and Hue Jackson is promoted to Head Coach. Situation He is working with a roster constructed by Al Davis and defensive coaches hired by Al Davis. October 8, 2011 Al Davis dies and Hue Jackson is forced to take a more active role in managing player personnel because-although unqualified-he is the most qualified person in the building. Mark Davis begins to gather his advisory team or John Madden, Ron Wolf and Ken Herock. Problem 1 Hue Jackson loses his starting quarterback to injury for the season. Jackson knows with the passing of Al Davis that a new front office would be coming in and in all likelihood he would be fired ...