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Thoughts from the Dark Side
Al Davis and the combine freaks
I caught a recent article by Mike Sando of ESPN.com on my cell phone regarding the lack of success of combine “freaks,” and I was expecting to read a laundry list of Raider draft picks that are underachieving or have busted their way out of football. After all, Al Davis always goes for the cornerback with the fastest 40 time, right? Much to my surprise there were corners discussed in that article and none of them have ever donned a Silver and Black jersey. Fabian Washington and Stanford Routt’s 4.29 at the combine notwithstanding, there must be more to an Al Davis pick than 40 time.
In the year 2000 a corner back by the name of Sedrick Curry ran a 40 at the combine with a 10 yard split of 1.43 seconds. By conventional wisdom, Al Davis would be salivating at those numbers mumbling something incoherent about greatness and speed and Raiders. Instead, Curry was never drafted and didn’t even play a down in the NFL. What gives? He had one of the fastest 10 yard splits in combine history and he wasn’t even brought to Oakland as an undrafted free agent.
It is undeniable that Al Davis is fixated on speed. The Raiders have drafted three of the players in the top 20 in 40 times between 1999 and 2006 including two in the same draft class. Fabian Washington and Stanford Routt both lit up the track with a 4.29 in 2005 and in 2004 Carlos Francis ran a blazing 4.33. Notably, Washington and Routt were taken in the first and second round respectively, while Francis was a third round pick.
Now that Darren McFadden has run a sub 4.3 (4.29 or actually a 4.33 depending on the report) 4o, he has again become the talk of the Raider Nation. The buzz is that despite the desperate NEED of a defensive tackle to stop the run, Al Davis will grab McFadden if he is on the board even if Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis are both still on the board.
Al Davis has long been known for his love of speed dating back to should be Hall of Famer Clifford Branch at wide out, and the numerous defensive backs over the years. In fact, in an article back in January I looked at the genesis of Al Davis looking at physical attributes first as far back as 1955 when he as an assistant coach at The Citadel. He believes that playing can be taught, but that speed can’t be taught.
Al Davis may not always pick the fastest corner in the combine, but he will always look at speed as an important factor.
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on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 6:14 pm and is filed under 2008 Raiders Offseason, 2008 NFL Draft.
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22 Responses to “Al Davis and the combine freaks”
February 25th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Speed clearly is important, but I couldn’t disagree more that at this level playing can be taught. Speed can’t catch, cover or tackle. And I don’t care how fast you are, by the time you get to the NFL you better not be shy about contact. You better know how to play by the time you get here. Raiders need to draft FOOTBALL players.
February 25th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Dudes, McFadden cannot be passed up at the #4 pick in the draft. Not Happening. If Al does pass on McFadden, w/o trading down, then he really should be institutionally committed.
OakFoSho
February 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
PP wrote: >> Al Davis has long been known for his love of speed dating
February 25th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
PP wrote: “Al Davis has long been known for his love of speed dating”
I had no idea. I would have thought that Mr. Davis was too advanced in years to participate in such novelty matchmaking activities.
Oh, wait a minute; did someone drop a comma? LOL
February 26th, 2008 at 8:25 am
It seems that Al runs his team as if it were a Madden video-game Franchise: speed matters, technique doesn’t. Chemistry and work ethic can’t be measured, and thus don’t matter. Why is it so hard for this guy to see the big picture?
February 26th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Get real…Dmac is even the best RB in the draft! He will be a good RB but Mendenhall is a better all around RB. Why would any GM take such a huge risk on the big money DMac will demand with all the off field issues. The Raiders are set at RB and Al Davis will not pay big money for another RB, especially at the #4 pick. The Raiders desperately need linemen and its the only pick that will pay dividends for the Raiders for their future.
February 26th, 2008 at 9:31 am
When I consider the Raiders passing on McFadden, at 4, and taking Dorsey, for example. I ask myself when was the last time the Raiders had a “Francise” RB, Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen? A guy, that can be your guy for the next 10 years? Justin Fargus is a good backup, but he’s no Francise RB. What do we have in Michael Bush, who knows after basically two years on the shelf. Yes, he’s only 23 yrs old, but what did he lose over that period. Realistically, the very best I would see the Raider improving to 6, or maybe 8 wins. Make progress this year, get your guys better, and make the push for 2009 with McFadden, and JRussell
February 26th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Comit:
What good are top-pick talent (JR, DMac) if we can’t get the defense off the field? If we don’t upgrade the D-Line, we’ll never get off the field against the better running teams in our Division and the League in general. It would be one thing if we had an explosive passing offense (think Indy) that could score at will. Instead, we currently have an Offense built around running the ball- which they do VERY well. In order for that plan to work, we need to make sure they have plenty of time on the field to move the chains.
When it’s all said and done, you can’t have a running game with a crappy run-defense.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Chris long, Dorsey, Jake Long or Ellis should be first priorites in the First round if the Raiders stay in that 4 spot. Dmac….he has skinny legs and falls with first contact. NFL players are much faster and stronger then what he saw in college.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:11 am
did i just see darren mcfadden put in the same category as bo jackson and marcus allen? what kind of inbred backwards logic could possibly arrive at the conclusion that mcfadden is even near that level.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:21 am
hehe…al speed dating in his white jumper and walker…at the bingo parlor?…maybe he should move to Miami
Bush and Fargas will do well enough. We gotta have a dominating DL !!
February 26th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Al in his white jumper and those stylin glasses he wears. DMAC??? J Stewart is the best back in the draft so that places this overrated DMAC at third best in the draft or lower. Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen were far better than this overrated / overhyped Arkansas kid. I’m glad he plays hard, blocks and so forth but he goes down too easy. Besides, we’re just fine at RB. We need a quality WR with blazing speed and run stoppers. We have to get off the field on 3d down as well as stretch it to assist the running game. Keep Al, Coach Kif and Coach Ryan where they are and make J Russ earn some of that cash he received. J Russ should be all everything to earn the money we’re paying him.
February 26th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I don’t know what college football season yo all watched, but McFadden is legit, and I am beginning to think some of you are blind. Plane and simple, McFadden cannot be passed up at the #4 pick. You must take McFadden or trade the pick for volume later in the 1st round and draft.
OakFoSho
February 26th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I don’t agree at all that Al would go for McFadden over any improvement on the defensive line. He must have kept Rob Ryan around for a reason right? -Al’s got talent for making people look left when he intends on going right -sneaky little S.O.B. huh? We have plenty of trade bait with Culpepper, Walter’s, Porter, and Rhodes. Watch for Parcells to trade that pick for patch work on a team that needs it everywhere. As far as the Raiders are concerned, offensive needs may come later. Scoring isn’t the problem, but keeping opposing offenses the field is a bigger issue. Go for Chris Long Al!
February 26th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
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February 27th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
It doesn’t matter who we pick in the draft, Al Davis is destroying our (and his) team w/his crazy nonsense with the coaching carousel. Why can’t he just stop it, it’s killing me?!
February 27th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
I say trade Al Davis for a draft pick
Lets get a good receiver for him 
February 28th, 2008 at 10:26 am
if the raiders pass on McFadden because they think they already have a running back in fargas, I will disown them as my favorite team.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
raiders get 1 DMAC 2 get free agent DL and 3 get a fleet receiver
February 29th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Raiders NEED to get a big time D-Lineman and Sed Ellis is the BEST one to get. Dorsey has way too many injury issues to worry about and he is hiding one big one.
I have seen Ellis play for USC for 4 years now and he is a STUD!
February 29th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I would draft Sedrick Ellis, grab M. Turner and Billy Volek through FA, along with Berrian. Apparently Gibril Wilson is visiting, and there is a rumor of Kwame Harris. If they get Harris and believe him and Kelly will hold, then they’ll probably chase DMac in the draft. Dt’s have higher value than RB’s , who have a short shelf life. Trade Al for a water cooler………..
February 29th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
The Raiders need to trade down.
Preferably with Dallas who has two number 1’s.
You might be able to get a Johnathan Stewart (who could be better than McFadden) and a good defensive end or tackle.
The needs are too great to roll the dice on McFadden.
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