July 31, 2008
Oakland Raider News: Another day of Raiders' training camp brings concerns and optimism
The biggest news is that JaMarcus Russell is OK. Any major injury to Russell would be a catastrophic calamity for the Oakland Raiders. Fortunately, this is not a major injury. Derrick Burgess and Darren McFadden are getting extra work in with other position groups. There are a couple of potential upsets brewing in the camp battles, and overall the Raiders are getting ready to face off with the Niners a week from tomorrow.
Russell is OK-
This is a huge sigh of relief for the Raider Nation. Rob was giddy in happiness over Russell's lack of injury. If Russell were to go down, the Raiders would have limited options on what they could do. There is a dearth of replacements available, and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of faith in Andrew Walter or Marques Tuiasosopo to be able to take over if Russell goes down long term.
I went over this much more in depth in my article over on examiner.com entitled Oakland Raiders Worst Case Scenario:
With the news of JaMarcus Russell missing one session due to a minor elbow injury coming close to causing a full blown panic in the Raider Nation, it begs the question to ask what if? What if the line fails Russell and he gets hit hard enough to cause a season ending injury when the Raiders square off against the 49ers? As of right now Russell is the man in Oakland, and all plans center around him being under center
Not a fun situation to look at.
Catching on-
It is being reported that Ronald Curry and Javon Walker both struggled in catching drills, with James Lofton throwing the ball to them. Curry has been the most reliable receiver in Oakland for the last few years, and Walker has been known to have good hands so it is probably just a fluke. Drew Carter, on the other hand, has been looking very good and catching nearly anything thrown in his zip code.
McFadden and Burgess doing Fred Wakefield impersonations-
Fred Wakefield has played four or five different positions on different sides of the ball in his career. Darren McFadden and Derrick Burgess are working with different position groups than their normal running backs and defensive ends respectively. McFadden has been working with the wide receivers, which is a good thing considering he was having problems holding onto the ball the other day when trying to make the catch from the wide-out position. Derrick Burgess continues to work with the linebackers and even spent some time in coverage. Burgess as a stand up pass rush linebacker, I could see. Burgess dropping back in coverage seems a bit like grabbing the wrong tool for the job. It really sounds like the Raiders are looking to have a more dynamic style on offense and defense this year.
Grove the center of attention-
It is still early in camp, but it is looking like Jake Grove is taking an early lead over free agent acquisition John Wade for the role of starting center.
Projected Starter: John WadeWade was signed away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this last off-season to replace Jeremy Newberry. He has been a workhorse only missing eight games in his career.
Projected Depth: Jake Grove and Chris Morris
Jake Grove has not yet lived up to the expectations placed upon him as the second round pick in 2004. He has endured the same problems as Robert Gallery in that the Raiders line coaching has been very inconsistent, and essentially a textbook case in how not to properly develop a young player.
If Grove can make the job his, this will be a vindication for him after having struggled.
When Tuis Attack-
Marques Tuiasosopo ripped into Chaz Schilens after he didn't go out of bounds during a two minute drill. Tui was Rich Gannon's understudy, and he was channeling Gannon for sure with this one, "Unless the guy falls down and there's nothing but grass get your (butt) out of bounds." That is fundamentals right there. Maybe Tui will be the next Gary Kubiak, a quarterback who never had much time as a player, but thrives drawing out the playbook.
Camping out and waiting for the season here at TFDS.
Discussion
19 Comments on "Oakland Raider News: Another day of Raiders' training camp brings concerns and optimism"
#1
Posted by Thoughts from the Dark Side: Oakland Raider News: Another day of Raiders’ training camp brings conce, July 31, 2008 7:43 AM
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#2
Posted by azraider37, July 31, 2008 11:53 AM
Russell getting injured is a major concern. I don't think it will happen in the preseason, but it could when the games start to count. That's why I was ok with signing Tui. I think he could be servicable in Kiffin's offense. Let's hope we don't need to find out.
I still hope we can get a space-eating d-tackle for depth and run support. Then it's up to the coaches to keep the right players on the team.
#3
Posted by azraider37, July 31, 2008 11:55 AM
Too bad we ran out and got Wesley, I would rather have Lynch.
#4
Posted by KUSHMAN, July 31, 2008 2:00 PM
good article pat . yea things could be scary if russell goes down.. but he's tough enough to withhold more than a few smackdowns me thinks.. and if kwame doesnt do as projected.. that could very well be the case. Yes pat it seems like these '08 raiders will look more like a football team on both sides of the ball instead of a staggering group of clowns runnin around trying to improvise on every play hoping to get yardage or a RB down to the ground.
#5
Posted by Snowyfish, July 31, 2008 2:11 PM
Great write up again Pat. Also loving the new link to other sites giving updates that you have added recently - so handy to those of us in the UK who wouldn't know where to go to get news.
Any chance of doing a recap of camp so far collating all the news we are getting through drip feed? Would be great to get an overview giving each player a mark out of 10 for their efforts so far?
#6
Posted by LDizzle, July 31, 2008 4:52 PM
So it looks like Mike Williams has worn out his welcome in Tennessee now. Wow what a tragic fall that guy has made.
#7
Posted by Coach Elkins, July 31, 2008 5:12 PM
Jamarcus Russell getting injured should NOT be a major concern.
If Coach Kiffin was the coach he should be, he would be taking all the responsibility for any performance of both his QB and his team. Essentially, this is his job. He cannot worry about variable's outside of his control. He should be building his team through hard work and sacrifice. Training camp, sadly, has become an afterthought. Where this time was once spent building a foundation of team concepts, it has now been reduced to a country club atmosphere with no one's feeling's being hurt. Every word coming out of his mouth is positive, which tells you one thing, he is full of @@@@!
Kick someone in the butt, find out how tough your guys are: telling them how great they are isn't your job.... Lane, you won 4 games last year. A sense of urgency would be nice..... Dude, you can't even read the writing on the wall? Listening to you do an interview sounds as if you' re a golf coach!
Wake Up Kiffin!
Russell, while extremely talented with a huge potential upside, is only one man. He is a member of the team. He cannot survive without his line, his WR's, or his Defense. All of these aspects affect one another. Sadly, our head coach, does not realize the power he has at his fingertips. Everyday is an opportunity. An opportunity to showcase his talents as a coach, a leader. Leadership, as has been touched on by a number of bloggers, is the issue. With Russell out for a couple practices, you again drop the ball...you have no contingency plan for your QB, or your own job!
I wish I coulda been a fly on the helmet of one of the Raiders when Russell bruised his arm. The coaches reaction to this unfortunate injury would tell me everything I need to know. You know what, I already can imagine how concerned you were for your golden boy. Your reaction, should have gone something like this:
Russell, sit your ass down, Tui, you're in....
With an immediate look as to the reaction given by Walter, who should have been expecting to go in....
Coaching is about dealing with men. These men should never know what you're thinking, but should always know what you EXPECT!
Kiffin, you have no idea how to build a team, and no idea how to turn negatives circumstances into positive results....
On a side note, the fact that the 49ers are practicing with our Raiders 4 days prior to the pre-seasaon game smells funny to me....sounds to me like a script is on the way...
This season is going to be worse than I previously expected,..
Coach Elkins
p.s.
I'm just warming up! For those of you who read this and become upset. You may want to ask yourself why that is?
#8
Posted by IN J-RUSS WE TRUST, July 31, 2008 5:45 PM
COACH ELKINS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT OTHER HC'S. WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HATE ON KIFFIN. SINCE YOU THINK YOU'RE MORE QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB HOW COME THEY DIDN'T BRING YOU IN FOR A INTERVIEW. YOU SEEM TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS BUT YET YOU'RE STUCK COACHING THE LITTLE LEAGUE OR MAYBE EVEN HIGH SCHOOL. ARE YOU REALLY MIKE 49ER IN DISGUISE, BECAUSE YOU SOUND ALIKE.
#9
Posted by KUSHMAN, July 31, 2008 6:00 PM
i understand your concerns there elkins... but if you think that the raiders are worse off this year.. i totally disagree you. Kiffen is inexperienced in talking to the media .. simple as that. of course he's going to say some things that shouldnt be said. his voice.. yes i agree ... doesn't seem to enthused about what he's got going. but i don't think you've been at the camps yourself right? you really think him and the other staff members don't get down their player's throats at times for making dumb mistakes? so what you're saying is, he coddles his players too much.. i don't feel thats it at all, it's just inexperience, the man has to learn as he goes along.. which i agree will be hard to do. fact of the matter is, i don't think you should read too much into all of this THIS EARLY in training camp... where they might have their problems during preseason and probably the first few games, i really think this team will come together as a unit(on both sides of the ball).. and i know for a fact that kiffen is in do or die mode for himself and his staff... and will do anything it takes to get the raiders more wins than usual. his family and others depend on it! and unlike last season where you COULDNT EVEN COUNT THE TALENT ON THE TEAM WITH ONE HAND...i really believe he has a lot more play makers to work with this season, that much at least you cannot deny there coach.
but like i've said to you before, you're more realistic than most of us... most of us in the raider nation are in the blind faith mode(as usual).. and your realism does bring guys like myself back down to earth.. so we'll just have to wait and see what happens, until then, don't bag on em too much.. have a little faith damnit! :)
#10
Posted by KUSHMAN, July 31, 2008 7:59 PM
yea if it is mike whiner.. some simularities. if so im not suprised.. as he's being a pussy as usual... can't even answer me when i called him out at the battle of the bay... I STILL AM MIKEY 1ON1 DUDE... BAD UP YOUR SHIT TALKING SON!!
#12
Posted by Bill, July 31, 2008 8:06 PM
I've never heard someone bag on Kiffin as much as Elkins. Hey Elkins are you a former USC player who was benched by Kiffin or something. What do you really have against the guy? There is only 32 head coaches in the NFL. 32! If Kiffin is one of them then he gets my props. I coach HS Oline for the freshmen. JV and Varsity. I think I know a little about football. I could not even work on this guys staff. Kiffin did some great things at USC and I think he will do some great things for the Raiders too. As far as our coaches are concerned we have a great staff. The only weak one I see is Knapp. His O has always been predictable. Hopfully we won't see to much of that this year.
#13
Posted by silver&black88, July 31, 2008 8:19 PM
Pat or Rob, are there any other good position battles goin on other than the centers?
#14
Posted by KUSHMAN, July 31, 2008 8:19 PM
i really do agree bill... he had some bad play calling going on last season as well... knapp needs to throw some trickery in there. but you have to think about it, he didn't have much for playmakers (like i previously stated) ... but yes he needs the element of unpredictability on his side this season. WE BELIEVE IN GREG KNAPP!!
#15
Posted by Raider Blues, July 31, 2008 10:04 PM
Elkins What...
Kiffin is the absolute right guy for the job. Did they not consult with you? Give the guy a chance. You make some good points but reverting back to the 4 wins last season was low since he deserved better and I believe he'll get more out of them this year. I'll bet he isn't mr. nice guy all the time or I'm on board with you on this matter. I'll bet Kif is doing what he needs to do.
Respectfully
#16
Posted by Coach Elkins, July 31, 2008 10:12 PM
J-Russ, although your comments hardly deserve a response, I'll bite tonight, call me hungry if you want to...I pick on Kiffin because the Oakland Raiders are the NFL's last hope to bring honor back to this dying country through the sport of football.
Look around....this country has no leadership whatsoever. Everyone is afraid of some illusionary injustice that does not exist. The NBA is about to lose its players to over-seas leagues if our Olympic team doesn't win the GOLD. Our dollar isn't worth the ink and paper it costs to print it, and our world leaders lie through their teeth at each and every turn.
The sport of football is life...it is the only hope to teach our children any sort of valuable morality. The Oakland Raiders and Al Davis stand at the top of this WHOLE IDEA.
I am not hating on Kiffin as it would seem. I am proving to all of you that the Oakland Raiders lack one key component. It's not about money, it's not about talent, it's about something much much more. That something has been forgotten by almost each and every person associated with the NFL.
I know football. Even more than that I understand people. I am rarely if ever incorrect when it comes to dealing with this sport. This comes from years of watching and keeping my mouth shut regarding all I have come to understand. People like Kiffin, who no doubt is in his position because of his father, learn as they go, and lie their way to the top. The only problem is, Kiffin isn't headed towards the top. If he had resigned as Mr. Davis asked him to ealier in the year, he may have had an opportunity to get on in the NFL someplace else. After this season, with the talent he has, it will be proven that he, along with coaches like him are the problem. Why should players follow a man like Kiffin? He cares about himself, as proven by his willingness to leave USC before he was ready. Kiffin left USC for the $$$ and his ego. His opportunity in the NFL was sure to come, but yet, he wasn't ready. Well, the bill is due Mr. Kiffin, and unlike myself, who never made a move until I was ready, is what you are faced with...
I haven't even begun to start to uncover all the many inconsistencies in Kiffin's coaching knowledge. Your poker hand with Mr. Davis is truely laughable. Mr. Davis knew Kiffin would not resign, however, with this type of interaction in place, now Kiffin knows, along with the fans, that this is HIS responsibility.
If the Oakland Raiders are to be successful, it has to be because of the man they play for, their Head Coach. Madden and Flores had 1 thing in common, and it was called Leadership. "Leaders do not create followers, they create more leaders"! Kiffin looks to create excuses. Last week he blamed his OC for jinxing the offense, lol!
Kiffin does little to instill any sort of leadership in his team. How can one give away what one doesn't even have for himself? If he can't stand up for himself against his own boss, then how is his team supposed to respect him? It is not Mr. Davis' job to help Kiffin in his relationship with his owner, rather, it is Kiffin's job. Everyone who has worked for Mr. Davis who was unhappy has choosen to point their finger at the man, does that make them correct?
Does anyone define Mr. Davis with their judgemental comments? No, they do not. They instead, define themselves as persons who have to judge because they were unable to get the job done themselves. It's a basic fear response. You don't hear Mr. Davis blaming anyone, do you?
My personal judgements regarding Kiffin are personal opinions regarding his leadership of the Oakland Raiders. I stand by these opinions because I feel as if I am the answer to his inadequecy as a head coach. If feel Kiffin could learn a great deal from the knowledge I possess regarding the sport of football. His titles and resume will mean little to nothing when and if we have a chance to meet. I can tell from watching film last season his attempts to make on the field adjustments are poor at best. I could include his staff in that analysis but that would be unfair, as the head coach is the knot that should hold the strings together. He is the mirror.
Kiffin should have known what he was getting himself into when he met Mr. Davis. Kiffin, choose to listen to his own ego and believed Mr. Davis's time had passed him by, and as he now knows, he couldn't have been more incorrect.
Kiffin & Company, along with the Dallas Cowboys, have much talent as any team in football. Mr. Davis has called Kiffins bluff, given him all the soldiers needed to win the trophy, and he will not even get into the playoffs.
Every NFL team is loaded with talent. However, most have no idea what to do with their talent. This is because almost each and every team relies solely on that TALENT. What happened to the word TEAM?
#17
Posted by Raider Blues, August 1, 2008 8:48 AM
Uh Coach... A Football Player is not a Soldier! Or do you happen to possess years of experience as a Soldier as well? Also your comment about football is life is merely your opinion because there is much more to life than football. I do like some of the things you've stated here but believe you're giving yourself and football more credit than it really deserves.
Respectfully
#18
Posted by KUSHMAN, August 1, 2008 4:33 PM
haha how are they supposed to respect lane? dude they have the upmost confidence in the guy.. he turned that team into a fun loving team last year, despite losing many games.. the whole lockerroom attitude completely switched around with him at the helm. you have 0 faith in the raiders.. so GTFO idiot. thanks.
#19
Posted by Mike49er, August 3, 2008 12:58 AM
"fun loving team"??? LMAO..."funny" how none of those players who have recently left said word one about that "fun loving" guy keeping everyone lose.
As I recall, from Sapp to Simms to pretty much everyone who left, the chaos that reigns supreme in Oaktown starts at Al, passes Lame without collecting $200, and ends up, quite obviously, in the play on the field.
but hey, Kushy, as long as YOU think they're having "fun", at least someone is happy.
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