February 17, 2008
Oakland Raiders Free Agent Wish List-Thoughts from a Reader's Side
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During the offseason, I will be welcoming submissions from readers who would want to have a guest slot here on Thoughts from the Dark Side. The first "Thought from a Reader's Side" was submitted by L Dizzle. He gives his Free Agent wish list, and it is a list I can agree with. He suggests that the Raiders go after Corey Williams, Antwan Odom, Bernard Berrian, Flozell Adams, Max Starks and more.
Raiders Free Agent Wishlist
By: L Dizzle
Special to Thoughts from the Dark Side
This is my first article for Thoughts from the Dark Side, and hopefully it will be the first of many. Since free agency is upon us, it seems fitting that I would write about which players may be out there that would fit nicely with the Silver and Black. Here is a list in order of importance of the Raiders' needs as well as who is available in this year's crop.
DT Corey Williams, UFA, Green Bay Packers
A starting defensive tackle for one of the best defenses in the NFL in Green Bay certainly helps his stock in Free Agency. Williams has been able to tally seven sacks (which places him among the top tackles in that department) along with 32 total tackles and three forced fumbles. He will not come cheap though because with Albert Haynesworth being tagged by the Titans, Williams becomes the premiere tackle on the market. But the Raiders have some cap money to spend and there is no bigger need than DT so spending it on Williams would be a wise investment.
DE Antwan Odom, UFA, Tennessee Titans
Odom had 8 sacks from the Defensive End spot. Helping the Titans have the #1 rushing defense and #9 total defense in the NFL. 8 sacks is a decent number and albeit not spectacular, but Odom will take some pressure off of Burgess, while his opposite DE in Tennessee had just 6 sacks which won't get all that much attention. He would compliment Derrick Burgess nicely on the other side where Chris Clemons has been serviceable at best.
WR Bernard Berrian, UFA, Chicago Bears
Berrian is just 27 years old and is the deep threat that the Raiders have been lacking. In fact he is one of only two real deep threats available in Free Agency this year. The other one's name will not be mentioned. Berrian posted 951 receiving yards and 5 Tds for the Bears this season. In fact, he has posted good numbers two years in a row and all with uncertain and erratic quarterback play. With the addition of Berrian, the Raiders could try and grab a good posession reciever either in the draft or later in FA for a bargain price.
LT Flozell Adams, UFA, Dallas Cowboys
A good veteran left tackle may be just what this team needs. Barry "false start" Sims can at very least move back to Right tackle where he belongs until we can find a suitable replacement for him or he retires (whichever comes first). The Cowboys have young talent behind Adams to take over that LT spot and are likely to let him go to try and save some money. With the shortage of LT out there Adams will probably get a lot of interest and therefore earn a decent contract.
OT Max Starks, UFA, Pittsburgh Steelers
I have a few numbers for you: 25, 6'7", 337. That's his age, height and weight. Now those are impressive enough all by themselves. But Starks has shown a lot of potential and he could very well be a top tier tackle in the market this year because of it. On the other hand he may come at a great price. Either way, he would be a smart pick up on a team with a lot of bodies on the offensive line but few worthy of starting.
LB Kawika Mitchell UFA New York Giants
Prior to Mitchell's 69 tackles this season with the Giants, he had two straight seasons over 100 tackles (104, 105). But don't let this stat fool you. With the Chiefs he was asked to carry a large load on a terrible defense. This year he was surrounded by a stellar defense and was spelled by depth at the LB spot. What this says to me is that he can be the guy when he needs to be as well as compliment a great defense. The Raiders are set at Middle and Weakside Linebacker with Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard. Michell is that Strongside Linebacker they desperately need. And with Mitchell's Superbowl performance and Al Davis' penchant for swiping up guys who perform well in them (ie Giants: Jeff Hostetler, Cowboys: Larry Brown, and Packers: Desmond Howard) there stands a pretty good chance of there being some interest in Mitchell's services. However, with Terrell Suggs and Karlos Dansby likely getting the franchise tag put on them the market should be pretty thin. That along with the Superbowl win will mean that someone might just overpay for Mitchell. Will it be the Raiders?
Now some of you may be thinking "We need a Safety! Why is there no safety on this list?". Well the reason is because the Raiders need a Strong Safety so that Michael Huff can return to his natural position of Free Safety and there just aren't any Strong Safeties out there that would be an upgrade. So it stands to reason that the draft would be the best place to look for a Strong Safety.
You might also be wondering "why is Lance Briggs not on this list?" Well, because Lance Briggs is a Weakside Linebacker and the Raiders are set on the weakside by Thomas Howard. Granted Briggs would still be an upgrade but he is the best LB on the market and is set for a HUGE payday and the Raiders have bigger fish to fry.
All in all I believe that if the Raiders sign one or more of these players this offseason, this team will look pretty good heading into the draft and very formidable heading into next season. If not then it looks like another year of rebuilding...or dismantling...sometimes it is hard to tell which direction Al Davis is moving.
L. Dizzle is a regular reader of Thoughts from the Dark Side. If you would like to contribute an article to Thoughts from the Dark Side, send me an e-mail at mvnraider at yahoo.com with the subject about which you would like to write.
Discussion
46 Comments on "Oakland Raiders Free Agent Wish List-Thoughts from a Reader's Side"
#1
Posted by LDizzle, February 17, 2008 12:07 AM
OakFoSho all I can say about your Chris Clemons assessment is "Exactly". He had 8 sacks. While Burgess was getting all the attention and we had the 2nd worst run defense in the NFL. Sometimes sack numbers can be decieving. Odom is a guy who had an equal number of sacks as Clemons while he had no one to take pressure off of him (Laboy opposite him had 6 sacks) and he was part of a defense with the #1 run defense in the league. Our Dline (with the exception of Burgess) needs a complete overhaul. And that means even if we keep Kelly or any of the other guys, they should be coming off the bench because they clearly are not getting it done.
#2
Posted by J.Rasmussen, February 17, 2008 12:34 AM
Dizzle, Gibril wilson has played both strong and free saftey. As the SS in 2005 he led the team with 110 tackles and had 2 ints 3 sacks and 2 FFs. He is also a hitting machine. I agree with you on Doss though, injury prone and a better fit at FS.
#3
Posted by Andrew, February 17, 2008 12:45 AM
The Raiders arent going any where there going to win 3 games so why do you guys even comment
#4
Posted by Corsair214, February 17, 2008 2:18 AM
Mike Doss would be a good strong safety. He's good against the run, fair in pass defense, and would come really cheap. His only real knock is he's small.
#5
Posted by OakFoSho, February 17, 2008 2:44 AM
I agree that DT is the first and most important hole for the Raiders to fill. I think that the Draft is the Best place to look for an upgrade at this position however due to the talent available in the first 10 picks.
I completely disagree with the DE position placed at the 2nd level of importance. To call Clemons "serviceable at best" is a huge understatement. The man had 8 sacks playing about half the season as the #1. Richardson has shown flashes and is a quality backup at the least.
OT is the Raiders second biggest need by far, and assuming the Raiders choose to address DT through the draft, the Flozell Adams should be the biggest target of the off-season. If there is one thing I have learned over the last few seasons, its that quality left tacles don't grow on trees, and the Raiders NEED to get Flozell. I believe that this is the best rout to get the best talent at the beggest areas of need for the Raiders. OT Long from Michigan, and Antwan Odom would be a definate plus/upgrade, but the possible DT Ellis/Dorsey and OT Flozell upgrade is much better.
WR is definitely the 3rd need this off-season. Free agency is one rout, and if the Raiders can get Berrian, then OK, but I don't think he is that much of an upgrade over Porter. However, with the talent at the WR position in the draft, if the Raiders trade down to the bottom half of the top 10 for Ellis, then they might be able to pick up one of the Elite WRs in the draft like Manningham, Malcolm Kelly, Limas Sweed, and DeSaun Jackson. Other than a trade for Ocho Cinco, or Roy Williams, the options get pretty slim beyond these guys.
Again, the most important FA is Flozell in my opinion, and DE should not really be on this list.
OakFoSho
#6
Posted by El Tato, February 17, 2008 5:30 AM
Berrian would be a great player for the Raiders, he is a deep threat and will solve an area of need, because only Ron Curry and J.L. Higgins are the only WR are under contract.
I dont see Oakland going after Starks, Adams, and Corey Williams.
And Corey Williams is a good DT, and the Raiders need DT's, especially after Sapp retirement. But Oakland, after re-signing Fargas, will go after DL help in the draft: Chris Long, Ellis and Glenn Dorsey. So, I dont see Oakland breaking the bank for a FA DT.
Max Starks was benched last year, and is a RT, not a LT. Flozell Adams is old, not an answer for a very important position. Both are too big and slow for the Raiders cut-blocking scheme, who uses more agile and faster linemans.
If Detroit wants to trade Roy Williams, Oakland could go after him, Al Davis consedered taking him instead of Gallery back in 2004.
Go Raiders!
#7
Posted by Robert, February 17, 2008 5:38 AM
I can't see Berrian going to Oakland for the same reason that he may not stay with the Bears, erratic QB play. He wants to have consistency at the QB position and stated that if the Bears were to get more consistency at the QB position he would love to stay. Oakland has the same problem, so I can't see Berrian going to Oakland or any other team who doesn't have a consistent passing attack. Look for him to sign with a team who has an established QB. I'm hoping he resigns with the Bears!
Go Bears!
#8
Posted by Steve, February 17, 2008 6:24 AM
hey patrick you complained about false start sims, wich I agree he needs to go. But your solution makes no sense, when you are trying to replace him with false start adams. the cowboys had the offense to cover up for his penalties and the raiders don't. so let's look somewhere else.
#9
Posted by rdrfan, February 17, 2008 7:24 AM
DT via the draft could not work out any better big team need two of the top six(on the boards i watch)postions are DT help at LT will be good(GalleryBust) Adams too old and slow,any word on Mario Henderson?WR dont spend alot here we are a work in progess,speed for Russel is a must give Higgins a chance.Al can make 25 mil strech pretty far in free agency.........RAIDERS.
#10
Posted by Jerry, February 17, 2008 7:41 AM
Berrian is a East Bay Area native and has said publicly he would love to come home so don't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of him signing with the Raiders.
#11
Posted by J.Rasmussen, February 17, 2008 7:52 AM
For the most part you are correct, Although there are a few holes in your analysis. I agree DT is the most pressing need this off season. Williams would be a nice addition and a great fit. unfortunately, with the Giants success, d-line will be the hot spot in FA this year and if you want the top guy your gonna pay out the nose. With the Raiders recent performance it will be a hard sell getting top FA to come to Oakland. Look for Kelly or Rod Colman to come back and fill Sapp spot as the pass rush DT. We may have to find dline help in the Draft.
I completely disagree about the evaluation of the FA safeties. I think Gibril Wilson could be the token super bowl champion Al Davis brings in. After all the whiffs the Raiders have had with safeties in the draft, look for Al to find a FA that's worth plugging in as the starter.
We all know Al likes massive O-lineman but, remember the Denver cheat blocking scheme is built on mobile, lighter lineman. For this reason Kiffin may go with Jake Long in the draft. He has played in the zone blocking scheme and still has some size. If not they might go after locklear from Seattle and hope Mario Henderson beats out Sims on the left side.
I think we all can agree that Berrian Has raider written all over him. Al WILL throw big bucks at him and the prospect of catching deep passes from the strongest arm in the game will be enough to bring him here. Sorry bears fans. I also love the idea of picking up Early Doucet in the 2nd if he's still there. That would be added comfort for Russell and with those 3 WR's we can really open holes for Fargas and Bush.
My personal dream is to reel in Howie's Son in April. I'm with FoSho's take on the DE depth but a run stuffing DE is a must for us. If Justin Smith doesn't get the Franchise tag he would be an ideal, yet expensive fit.
Look for Al to find a washed up "name" strongside LB or just go with who we have.
#12
Posted by Bruce Milroy, February 17, 2008 8:21 AM
All of this talk right now about the draft and free agency is an exercise in futility. First of all we have to go through free agency and then this will indicate where we are going in to the draft. If we get a serviceable DT in FA then we go after OT Long (OSU) in the draft. If we go with the flow and get Adams for the LT spot then we can look to decide between Ellis DT and Long DE. So we cannot take the last step of this journey without taking the first step.
#13
Posted by antispy3, February 17, 2008 8:50 AM
You start out in a resonable way but begin to labor when you "reach" for the stars.
The Raiders could become viable suitors for Corey Williams. If preception that the Raiders, in fact, are on the upswing FA acquisitions such as Williams and Antuwon Odom could attract a "few more good men."
Bernard Berian &/or DJ Hackett of the Seattle Seahawks could then look more favorably upon the Raiders as their next employer. Flozell Adams, however, would seem a little miscast in the Raiders zone blocking scheme and, being a few years older than the aforementioned candidates probably would opt for a more "solvent," veteran laden team.
However, since this draft is favorably stacked @ the left tackle position, an acquisition such as Sean Locklear of the Seahawks would prove an immediate upgrade @ the right tackle slot.
So, if the Raiders re-sign Tommie Kelley (since in the midst of ACL rehab, more than likely he will re-up with the Raiders rather than go elsewhere. Injured FA's usually travel down this avenue) and move him to the "Under," or "3-technique" tackle spot (his natural position. No greater authority than Warren Sapp has publically predicted stardom for his ex-teammate once this switch is realized). Thus, if the Raiders opt for Sederick Ellis as their first round selection a threem an rotation of Williams, Kelley and Ellis would more than ignite the requisite keg of dynamite under the ample posterior of Terdell Sands.
I'm hoping the Cowboys relinquish their prospective trading partner, the 'Fins, for a deal with a team picking a bit lower, like the Raiders, in their pursuit for Darren McFadden. Now, contemplating he will "wow" those in attendance @ the upcoming Pre-Draft Combine, perhaps teams like the New York Jets and Detroit Lions would provide competition to move up and acquire his services.
That would allow the Raiders to reclaim a draft choice to replace the 2008 third round pick relinquished for Mario Henderson. Here's to his significant growth in the offseason conditioning (conditioning? Seems he requires an entire "makeover") program. His development would prove a boone to the Raiders further OL development. If he proves worthy a Locklear acquisition could possibly relocate him inside @ RG.
Anyway, the Raiders will need to address the LOT, WR, and SS holes currently retarding their future advancement. If they could extract, say, an additional second from Ny (the price for the services of the coveted McFadden) perhaps the Raiders could exchange two seconds for the rights of Chris Williams, the on the rise LT from Vanderbilt.
Of course, this would reduce the possibilities of the Raiders utilizing precious draft picks to plug said holes. Thus, diamond in the rough acquisitons/development types would be the flavor of the day. Tyrell Johnson, a smaller, more athletic version of Roy Williams, Dallas' meteoric (ableit "overrated") SS, could prove a fine fourth round selection, precipitating the movement of Michael Huff to a more naturalfit @ FS.
Angelo Craig, whom really jumps off the screen @ you yet has effectively flown under the radar all season could materialize in the fifth round as the much needed upgrade @ the SAM linebacker.
Now, think of some of the more prominent fifth round selections by the Raiders @ #%; Rod Coleman, Shane Lechler, Eric Barton, Leroi Glover. Who knows?
One has to harbor visions to be a visionary. Tune in in about 11 days as the future of the 2008 draft class gains a measure of clarity. And about a month from now some new talent may make it's way west. Hopefully Horace Greeley proves more prophetic than Gertrude Stein.
I'm always in (except when I'm out. Then jast as soo I'm bck in. And so the events continue.
#14
Posted by Sonny, February 17, 2008 8:58 AM
Berrian is from the small town of Merced CA just an hour and change ride from Oakland. I would bet he would love to come home. Also being 27 and having J -Rock AT QB the sky could be the limit for years to come for the both of them.
#15
Posted by Godfather, February 17, 2008 9:40 AM
Alot of nice ideas, but lets get this straight - AD will take a DL with his first pick, whether he stays put or trades his spot away. And this will happen regardless of corey williams coming or not. LT depends on how they feel MH is coming along. And that hand will not be played till after we had our draft. Anyone have thoughts on Newberry/Grove position for 08?
#16
Posted by jimsocks, February 17, 2008 10:04 AM
LT and DT HAVE to be addressed. Any need solved in free agency won't have to be addressed in the draft...Remember, rookie DT's seldom have a first year impact....making the case for a proven DT in FA a better strategic move. In fact, drafting an Ellis or Dorsey on top of a top DT FA signing would make our DL a strength rather than a liability. Lastly, if we don't sign a starting calibre LT in FA, we must take Jake Long. MUST HAVE a franchise LT either thru FA or the draft to protect the franchise QB.
#17
Posted by LDizzle, February 17, 2008 11:57 AM
Antispy you talk about the draft like the Raiders can just pick and choose who they want in each round. As if there are no other teams out there with their eye on these prospective players. And besides, this article isn't about the draft. Best to copy and paste your "nostrodamus" style draft predictions as a comment on a future draft post.
J Rasmussen Gibril Wilson is a FREE safety and we need a STRONG safety. Whether Al Davis would go after Wilson or not is not the issue here. The issue is what will make this team better and another FREE safety is not the answer. Hell, and if it were a need then Ken Hamlin is out there too. Although as far as Chris Long is concerned, it is also my dream that the next generation of DE Long play for the Raiders.
Corsair Mike Doss is terrible. He hasn't even played well enough in Minnesota to start. And he has a total of 6 tackles with no other stats. He is in no way the answer. If the Raiders were to sign him it better be as a bargain basement experiment.
#18
Posted by TheGame720, February 17, 2008 1:23 PM
I disagree with the choice of LB. I would much rather go after someone who is young and has more upside than Mitchell. That's why I say Boss Bailey is the right choice at OLB.
#19
Posted by LDizzle, February 17, 2008 3:16 PM
Well I like Gibril Wilson don't get me wrong and honestly I was unaware that he had those stats as a Strong Safety. There had been a lot of guys saying that the Raiders should pick him up and it seems he would certainly be an upgrade from Stuart Schweigert (and yes I realize Schweigert was playing free safety not strong). So JRass you have convinced me. Throw Gibril Wilson on the list too.
Andrew take you Raider hatred and ignorance and go back to rooting for whichever bandwagon team you are with this year.
#20
Posted by BamaRaider, February 17, 2008 4:00 PM
Everyone's overlooking a couple of things. First, Paul McQuistan played his butt off at the end of the year and impressed the coaches. He was a tackle in college and we tried to turn him into a guard. RT is a much better fit for him and he showed that he deserves to play there next year. Not even Aaron Kampman could get a sack against him.
Next, Berrian was with Kiffin at Fresno State. Add that to his desire to come home to No Cal and we'd have to toally screw up the negotiations NOT to land him. He's got every reason to come to the Raiders. I disagree with the "unstable QB situation" comment someone made above. JaMarcus will be the starter on opening day. He is going to kick tail this year and BB would love to catch TDs from him for the next five years.
By the way, OLT is a big concern, but look for Sims to play one more year, or a lot of it as Henderson develops. We knew he was a project when we drafted him, but heck, the guy shut down some of the top DEs in college when he was at Fla St. If he is coming along, I look for him to get more and more playing time and just take the starting job from Sims.
Second BTW. Kiffin said after the season that his biggest regret on offense was not getting JL Higgins more involved. If we have JLH and a speedy guy like Berrian or Doucet flying down the field, our entire offense opens up. We were too one-dimensional this year and that was due to both QB instability and slow WRs.
Not only will the passing game become a real threat, but the running game will get even better. We more than doubled our number of running plays over 20 yards last year as opposed to the previous year. Think what we could have done if we had a good passing game! Kiffin had to keep the play book limited due to the above and also the OL learning the ZBS and all the new stuff any new HC and OC brings in. Look out for the Raiders O this year!
#21
Posted by LARaider70, February 17, 2008 4:00 PM
FA's that must be nabbed early in order of importance-
LT-Travelle Wharton Panthers
I agree the DT is our biggest need but can be addressed through draft and more affordable FA pick ups.
WR-Bernard Berrian Chicago
With Curry as an up and coming 2nd reciever this should provide the field stretching we need from our WR corps!
Zach Miller should benefit from this pick up as well as the running game.
LB-Kawika Mitchell Giants
Agreed Mitchell is the missing piece to the LB puzzle
and should immedialtely improve us against the run
Other positions are addressed at draft day include-
1st pick(3/4), as much as I would like to see Chris Long in silver & black, I think Glen Dorsey is the #1 defensive player in this yrs draft. He is a game breaker and if we get him we are instantly a formidable D once again. Ellis should be the pick if Dorsey is gone as the NT position superceeds DE, RB & OL. With the 2nd(34) pick they should pick up Jamar Adams from Michigan or I prefer Tom Zbikowski a fast & BIG proven SS from Notre Dame who is tied w/ Tim Brown for most return touchdowns from the return TD's in school history and most tackles as a defensive back, which allows Huff to return to FS. 3rd pick we’ll just have to watch since we gave that to New England. 4th pick(100) Center, Matt Spanos or Adam Kraus should be picked up if available at the fourth pick(100).5th spot not available. 6th pick(160) they should look at WR I like William Franklin from St. Louis, MI. 7th pick (195) another wide out.
players we let go:
WR-Porter
DL-Braton
RB-Jordan
RB-Rhodes
FS-Schwiegert
Key positions that need to step it up in 2008:
WR-Lee-Higgens
CB-Washington,Routt
OT-Henderson/Mcquistan
By leting go the 5 above mentioned players and using the current cap reserve we should jockey strongly for the three quality FA’s, combined with smart drafting should make for some interesting incredients for a solid 2008 campaign.
#23
Posted by JSpicoli, February 17, 2008 6:00 PM
I want Haynesworth and Justin Gage from TEN. And a good draft and an effing call once in a while.
#24
Posted by LDizzle, February 17, 2008 6:37 PM
JSpicoli wanting Haynsworth will not make him any more available. He will be tagged so kick and scream all you want but that is the facts of life. And when it is possible to pick up an "effing call" in Free Agency, I will let you know.
#25
Posted by Al Davis Jr, February 17, 2008 7:51 PM
Donte Stallworth is going to be cut by the pats. He is the type of deep threat we need. Hopefully Moss has not convinced him against signing with the Raiders.
#26
Posted by J. Rasmussen, February 17, 2008 8:35 PM
If you think for one second that Moss hasn't opened his big mouth and disrespected the Raiders to that whole team, then your kidding yourself little Al. I'll settle for Berrian.
#27
Posted by Raider Blues, February 17, 2008 8:48 PM
Berrian is fast but can anyone say Willie Gault?
#28
Posted by OakFoSho, February 17, 2008 10:00 PM
LDizzle,
Clemons only had the chance to show what he could do full time for about 8 games, and he got 8 sacks. To say that Derrick got all the attention is not reality, as Burgess was playing injured for most of the season and the opponent kew that he was not the same. Clemons on the other hand went on a tare in the mid way point of the season while Derrick was still way below 100%.
Also, Run D starts on the INSIDE. Just ask Ray Lewis who gives all the credit to Gussa for their success earlier in the decade. Face it, while the Raiders could improve at DE, its not even close to a need as compared to DT, OT, WR, LB, SS. I don't know what you have against Clemons, but I am beginning to think you are blind. He is better at his position than anyone else is at the other possitions of need.
Some people mentioned Mario Henderson, and he was dominant in the passing game in College. The main knock against him was his need to put on weight/muscle to deal with the power game in the NFL. Technique wise he was not at all a project, and I believe he is definitely the future at LT. Flozell is still the better option this season however.
OakFoSho
#29
Posted by LDizzle, February 17, 2008 11:08 PM
OakFoSho: Of course Run D STARTS on the inside but do you not think that DE have anything to do with run defense? You seem so bent on his 8 sacks as if the DE entire job is to rush the QB. You think that a NT is going to be able to run down a back when he breaks to the outside? I have nothing against Clemons except that he was part of the 2nd worst run D in the league on which the only people that have ever proven their worth were Burgess and Sapp. Well Sapp was past it and now he is retired so as I said, that Dline needs an overhaul. Clemons may just end up keeping his job. Not EVERY position on this team that is weak will get fixed this offseason but we can hope that at least most will be upgraded. But as we just saw with the Giants, having two great DE makes everyone else on the D better. If you give the opposing QB enough time, no number of great SS or LB are going to stop him from making a play. It starts on the line and that means the ENTIRE line which as a WHOLE is responsible for the Raiders terrible run defense.
Me putting DE 2nd on the list seems to be a pretty big deal to you but this is just one guy's opinion so you can put it wherever you want on your list. I am glad you agree with the rest of the list though. I grew tired of waiting for ESPN or NFL.com to come out with a list like this so I did the research and put together my own. And it seems quite a few others wanted to see a FA wishlist as well. Always glad to start a conversation.
#30
Posted by Titan Andrew, February 18, 2008 2:13 AM
Hey guys, I'm not the same Andrew who commented here earlier - I write here on MVN for our Titans site. Here's a few things you might want to know about the Titans mentioned earlier.
Regarding Antwan Odom, he did not play opposite Travis LaBoy. They both shared time at LDE and combined for 14 sacks. Kyle Vanden Bosch played opposite them at RDE and had 12 sacks. When you factor in the presence of KVB and Haynesworth on the right side of the d-line, who both went to the Pro Bowl, it would be a mistake to say that Odom had no one on the other side to take the pressure off him. On the contrary, opposing lines focused their efforts on trying to stop KVB and Big Al, enabling Odom and LaBoy to have their best years yet. Odom will definitely make some serious coin with somebody, though. Whoever wants him the most will have to show him the money.
Also, as pointed out, the Titans will definitely slap the franchise tag on Albert. He's not going anywhere.
Gage is something of an enigma. He caught only four passes in Chicago in 2006 before signing with Tennessee last year. I know that Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt is trying to work out a deal with Gage but as they say, talks are still ongoing.
By the way, some of you may remember Reinfeldt as a former Raider, both as a player and in the front office. He was only on the team in his rookie season, where he was on IR, which in those days was a way to keep extra guys on the practice squad. After his career (Oilers) was over, Al Davis gave him a job as the team's Chief Financial Officer. He then worked in the front offices of Southern Cal, the Packers and the Seahawks before coming to Tennessee.
To get the lowdown on some of the other players mentioned here, I can recommend a brief visit to the MVN sites for the teams those guys are with now to see what those writers think. Thanks for reading Thoughts from the Dark Side here on MVN and taking the time to comment.
#31
Posted by OakFoSho, February 18, 2008 2:57 AM
LDizzle,
OK, so you get bent because I place so much weight on 8 sacks, but then you talk about Stray and Osi getting to the QB, and how important that was for the G Men against Brady. You are confusing me. Clemons gets to the QB just fine. You were concerned because of run D, and again, that starts inside, period.
OakFoSho
#32
Posted by LARaider70, February 18, 2008 9:58 AM
LDizzle,
I agreed with almost everything you had to say. I think the point that OakFoShure is trying to make is that we don't need to spend money on FA for a DE & NT, because the NT position to be had through the draft; Either Dorsey or Ellis will provide the same results your talking about that a FA DE would do for the D'.
What you need to see is that by acquiring either Dorsey/Ellis as NT's, the defense becomes more capable at doing what a 4-3 defense does best. By playing with a solid NT, this does three things to the opposing offense,
1. It makes it more difficult to run the ball, as this will free up the LB's. This is why I put more importance on a good LB as I would have Mitchell as our MLB to hit the gaps and stop the run, while the legal offices of Howard & Morrison can do what they do best tackle & intercept the rock.
2. It creates more pressure for the QB as they won't be able to double team D'Linemen, this will allow the DB's to get more picks
3. This would translate into more sacks and more plays broken up.
I seem to think the sounds of Burgess, Kelly, Dorsey & Clemons or second yr more improved Richardson would make for more than a serviceable lineup; I think they would be a solid front four.
Otherwise I agree with everything else you had to say.
#33
Posted by LDizzle, February 18, 2008 2:22 PM
OakFoSho you are so predictable. I KNEW exactly what you would say because you don't have a leg to stand on in your argument so you point out that, as you see it, I made a contradiction. The fact is that a DE must have the smarts and ability to both rush the passer AND stop the run. You can't seem to get past the sack totals so you miss the bigger picture. THAT is the point and you can say "period" all you want but it doesn't help you any. Until you can prove that adding a guy like Odom wouldn't help this team then you are wrong. If you will also recall I also said you were entitled to your opinion that we should move the DE position further down the list of priorities.
#34
Posted by LDizzle, February 18, 2008 2:25 PM
Oh and LARaider I didn't say we should spend FA money on both a NT and a DE. I distinctly said that "If we pick up one or more of the players on this list we will look pretty good going into the draft and very formidable heading into the season". Read the end of the post.
#35
Posted by RaiderKev25, February 18, 2008 3:29 PM
I like some of the moves that people are thinking about this off-season but this is my take on what we should do for our team. First, OT is first important key need in free agency. Showing the money to Max Starks is worth it! People complaining about the zone blocking scheme but who knows what kind of scheme we may have the following year if Al fires everyone on the offense staff this year? I think this is a MUST for the raiders to grab him in free-agency. Secondly, SS Gibril Wilson would be a very good acquisition if he decides not to re-sign with the Giants. He has the most upside of any free agent SS's and he's young, a hitter, and very productive. When Shaun Rogers get released we should give "BIG BABY" a good contract! This move will allow our defense to play more effectively in 3-4 schemes which Rob Ryan is known for. Cut ties with injury prone DT Gerard Warren who's due to make like 4mil this year and is not worth the risk! I'd rather give that contract to Shaun Rogers! Give versatile DT/DE Tommy Kelly a good contract which he deserves and the kid will get better. Kelly can play in both the 3-4 and 4-3 systems so he's a definite keeper. I would start Kelly at Left End opposite of Burgess. Burgess is too small at LE on 1st and 2nd downs where teams run at us alot. Alot of Raider fans seem to think that we don't have a problem at LOLB? Resigning Sam Williams was a solid move but there needs to be an upgrade here. I've been saying it for awhile now, that we need a very serviceable vet at LB. I like LOLB Napoleon Harris if he gets cut by the Chiefs. I like Kawika Mitchell also and Boss Bailey. But I hope that we can pull off a trade at the draft with the Jets to acquire middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and finally move Kirk Morrison to the outside. So for me, the free agent wish list is as followed: 1) OT Max Starks 2) SS Gibril Wilson 3) DT Shaun Rogers 4) MLB Johnathan Vilma via trade 5) WR Andre Davis
#36
Posted by RaiderKev25, February 18, 2008 4:03 PM
As for the draft: 1) DT Dorsey or DT Sedrick Ellis whichever is available, but I'd prefer Ellis next to Shaun Rogers. 2) WR Not supermario but Arrington from Michigan 4) RB Reggie Slaton but i doubt he would fall this far. If we could some how trade down and pick up an extra 3rd round pick. I believe we can get an extra 3rd round pick if we win the toss between us and Atlanta. If RB Mcfadden has a hell of a private workout I think the Jets will think hard on trying to acquire Mcfadden. They could move up a couple spots and we could move down a couple spots and get a 3rd round pick from them allowing them to draft Mcfadden. We could still draft Ellis at #6 and pick up a 3rd round pick which makes sense for both teams. We could further trade with the Jets if they are still shopping MLB Vilma. We could offer a combo of DT Terdell Sands & FS Stu Swigert. These are the type of players the Jets are seeking for their 3-4 system. If this happens, I say draft RB Reggie Slaton with the 3rd round pick, cuz it seems like Dominic Rhodes is on his way out and he would be an excellent 3rd down back. 4th round pick I would select FS/SS Tom Zbowski from Notre Dame. 5th Round I would go best available NT/DT. Note: If i were the Raiders I would consider trading CB fabian washington if i could acquire a 2nd round pick. If so, I would take DE Lawrence Jackson from USC with this pick if available. Tell me what u think NATION?
#37
Posted by Brien, February 18, 2008 5:36 PM
Sedrick Ellis freaking sucks. You guys should never mention him again. Al wont draft dwarfs to play DT. Name a DT that has done squat in the top 5 lately..............I'll wait. We made a mistake resigning Farglass. We better take Dmac or we are toast. Might as well get a DT in FA. Makes the most sense.
#38
Posted by OakFoSho, February 18, 2008 11:27 PM
LDizzle,
Thats right, playing full time half the season Clemons got 8 sacks. That projects to 16, and thats damn good. Clemons and the rest of the D have no chance to do well against the run without good DTs. Until that day comes, Clemons cannot be blamed for the run D troubles. If the middle collapses, it doesn't matter what the DEs do. Clemons is far better than serviceable, as serviceable DT will never get you 8 sacks regardless of the run support. This is the main problem I have with your assessment of Clemons. Its fine if you don't think he is very good against the run, even if I do disagree, but to call him serviceable is not doing the man justice. I am happy that I could influence your thinking to re-factor the importance of DE on the Raiders wish list, but I am still concerned with your undervaluation of Clemons contribution and ability.
OakFoSho
#39
Posted by George, February 18, 2008 11:55 PM
Ok, Brien you need to check yourself talking about Ellis like that I've seen him in a lot of mock drafts going #1 over Dorsey. But back to what this is about. We have a lot of needs both offensively and defensively, but mainly offensively. I do agree that we made a mistake resigning Fargas, but since we did we'll have to work with it. No matter what we do, we won't be able to fix everything, so this is what I say we do this free agency. First thing we need to address is DT, and since Haynesworth will get the tag I like Williams as he would step in and improve us immediately against the run. as well as be able to press the QB with his 2 straight seasons with 6 sacks. Our second need is WR, I mean J. Russell is good, but how is he supposed to show it with the core we have now. I'm sorry but Porter's got to go. Curry is good, but a good number two. And I really like Zach Miller who should develop into a very good TE. That leaves us with the #1 WR spot. If we can't get Roy Williams via trade, then we pick up Bernard Berrian, a great deep threat who has played well with the Bears even with all their QB problems. And heck, the Bears just released Muhammad which would be a nice veteran addition as well. But Berrian with J russell throwing him the ball could be a star in 08.
You know I was actually really impressed with our OL this year especially after watching them in 06. And although I would love to see Flozell Adams come in I don't see that happening. I think with the Free Agency we are going to try to improve our biggest problem, defending the run, which is the front eight. Our linebackers are good except maybe strongside, and the looks are that Boss Bailey is probably our most probable option, which would be an improvement and should help a little but not a huge improvement. I think having Burgess 100% will do wonders, and Cris Clemons has shown signs of success, I'm just not sold on him being a full time starter. I know he wasn't that successful this year but I really like Justin Smith of the Bengals. He's on a terrible defense which has contributed to his lack of success this season and shouldn't be commanding huge dollars like Jared Allen. I think with those additions and the resigning of Tommy Kelly our run D should be in the top 10 or 15 in the league.
Now with WR and run D taken care of and all before the draft who should we pick. Even though we resigned Fargas I would love to take McFadden and I know Al Davis would too. He's a superstar in the making and will be a bad ass teamed up with J Russell. Not only can he dominate you with the big run, but he can also be a dangerous receiver and will ignite this Raider offense. McFadden, Fargas, Bush, ouch, that would be a nice backfield trio eh? with the second pick I would like Manningham, Doucet, or Sweed, if their available which would give us another weapon for J Russell, but if their not available I say take the best OT available. Maybe a Sam Baker, or even Carl Nicks, or Gosder Cherilus would come and compete for a job, and give us some depth.
I know it's a stretch to see all this happen but I think personally that this would put the Raiders in the race for the playoffs. I'm probably the biggest Raiders Fan ever and I would love to see the front office go to work and get some of these studs available, and get our team back in the mix
#40
Posted by rodmoney, February 19, 2008 12:56 AM
Most of these players we want so bad either will be tagged or will sign with a winner and hopefully we don't overpay FA's that will not be productive for us in 08. Do not sign players that just want the money and watch us play as poorly as 06. (Desmond Howard , the bum that caught two lame ducks in SB30) Instead, let's concentrate on the draft where if we trade some of the players that can tackle or cover on D (Stu, Eugene, Sam Williams, Sim's , pay cut for Gallery) for picks we can get players eager to make plays. We don't have a 3rd or 5th so we must get at least a 3rd to get a snot knocker at SS. I don't think we can get a good one in the 6th or 7th. A good C or RB can be drafted here though.
#41
Posted by rodmoney, February 19, 2008 1:00 AM
We don't need Muslim. We would keep Porter for at least he can catch the ball. Check out the dumpster on Profootballtalk.com George.
#42
Posted by Dan, February 19, 2008 9:51 AM
Rod Coleman is the player we need to have. Gerrard Warren showed he can be very disruptive and if we can get C long in the draft and find a SS maybe the unfiled papers of Sapp will remain unfiled and we're back to respectablity. Clemens maybe the answer at OLB we need. Coleman can play, last year he was on a team that had given up. Berrian is the deep threat we need and possibly Stallworth will come thinking he can be the #1. A SS and maybe WR Malcom Kelly in the draft would help change are future. There are some FA OT's out there that maybe better than Flo for our scheme.
#43
Posted by fansince76, February 24, 2008 5:40 PM
B.Johnson(wr)Cards. trade for C.Jenkins(dt)Panthers. DRAFT A DT 4th. 32nd against the run!
#44
Posted by GET THE POINT?, February 28, 2008 2:39 PM
we need gosh darn wide recievers!! we have curry and that's it. we just re-signed kelly who is decent, but not deserving of the largest contract in defensive tackle history. we suck at drafting, and we suck at free agency. i hate football now.
#46
Posted by STINKY PETE, February 28, 2008 2:43 PM
the raiders need to get some bitches pregnant already!!
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