MVN: Most Valuable Network

Watch out! Boone is not playin'!

Day 8 of the Raiders 2008 training camp is in the books, and so far the team is still a work in progress, not unlike the other 31 teams at this point in the season.  The stars of the team continue to provide highlights, the underachievers are, for the most part, still underachieving, but all around this team is not like the teams of the past five years.  There is an excitement in the air that is being created by the determination that these guys are showing to not only get better individually, but to get better collectively.

A favorite player of mine, Jesse Boone, created new meaning to the term, "turn the other cheek."  After getting a shove from Josh Shaw at the end of the play, Boone went back, shoved Shaw and both attempted to open a can of you know what on each other.  I've liked Boone since his first day.  That's when he got into it with Warren Sapp.  Here's an excerpt from a report of it last year:

'"You got a problem with me?" Boone asked Sapp. When Sapp confirmed the obvious, Boone said, "Buckle it up, and let's go."

At that point, Boone and Sapp went at each other before being separated by teammates. Sapp waited until practice ended and then attacked Boone head-on'

Now imagine an undrafted free agent center out of Utah walking on to the Raiders practice field and the first thing that he's asked to do is block a future Hall of Fame defensive tackle and notorious trash talker, Sapp.  Not only does he get his work done by holding his own, he goes toe to toe with Sapp, angering the defensive great so much that he was still angry after practice.  Now, that's my kind of Raider.

You might also remember that it was nearly two months ago in minicamp that he and Wakefield also got into a light scuffle.  It seems that every time he has to block someone, he's ready to take their head off too.  If he could become as talented as he is nasty, the Raiders would have one heck of a player.

Maybe Boone is a long lost cousin of the Hanson Brothers.  (For you young guys, that's not a reference to the famous boy band).  On second thought, maybe Kiffin should bring Boone in at the start of a game to get the opposing starting defensive tackle ejected for fighting.  I wouldn't mind seeing a Boone vs Merriman cage match either.  Hmmm...

NO! NOT THESE GUYS!

THESE GUYS!

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Another lineman not in line to receive praise would have to be Mario Henderson.  Prior to training camp, there was a buzz around Raider Nation that the second year player would challenge for the right tackle spot or be the starting left tackle for the Raiders.  Not only was Henderson last year's third round pick, he was this year's too.  The Raiders traded this year's third round pick to move up and grab him last year.

It's not like the Raiders weren't informed about this guy.  The book on him coming out of college was that he was slow to learn the offense and it was questioned if football was something he really wanted to do.  To translate Kiperism for you, that means the kid is considered dumb and without heart, but he's got the athletic potential to be something special.  That doesn't usually translate well as an NFL lineman.

When Kiffin was asked if Henderson was threatening Green for his position, Kiffin responded directly:

"No, he’s not pushing him. We’ll continue to move Mario around to both sides.  Mario is not improving the way we’d like him to so we’ll just continue to push him. But it’s not close right now...No, it’s everything right now. Unfortunately."

First of all, if this guy isn't good enough to break into the second string prior to the start of the regular schedule, the Raiders need to revoke his scholarship.  He's been in the system for a year now, and a guy that the Texans or Titans didn't want, Seth Wand, is starting over him.

If the Raiders revoke his scholarship, then you have to go back to last year's draft and look at all of the wasted picks.  I'm not usually, if ever, critical of Kiffin, but he was brought in specifically for his knowledge of the 2007 draft.  The entire third round, (Henderson, Moses, J.L. Higgins), is a bust from that draft.

John Bowie (4th round) and Eric Frampton (5th round) were a couple of other picks that you might scratch your head about.  Jonathan Holland (7th round) also has yet to make an impact.  In Kiffin's defense, there is still Russell, Miller, Bush, Richardson, and O'Neal.  So at least he batted .500 in that draft, but only time will truly tell on that.

Other highlights include Nnamdi Asomugha continuing to dominate along with Derrick Burgess.  The way the two are playing already, they are going to be incredible when they've gotten into game shape.  Apparently Jarrod Cooper is still knocking people silly and showing the rest of the defense how it's done.

What is really getting to be an exciting development for the Raiders is their nearly unbeatable against the pass and they're getting better at the run.  A big part of the reason for that is the signing of Gibril Wilson.  Kiffin had this to say about him:

"He has looked great. He is really showing a lot of leadership in the huddle and in the classroom.  With Michael Huff being a shadow right next to him, he is paying off extremely well for us with his play, but also with his affect on the rest of the secondary."

I'm sure that Wilson would like to the compliment he's getting from his head coach, but he has more important things to worry about, like helping the team get better.  Here's what he said about that:

"Every day I am learning new things, especially being in a new environment.  My main motivation at camp is to get better everyday and challenge myself everyday. I’ve got to keep challenging myself...We all come from different systems but we all have to get to know each other.  I have to know what Nnamdi is thinking at all times, I’ve got to know what page Huff and DeAngelo are on. It’s just one of those things that we need to know where we all are and play off each other. Then it will be great.  I have to learn the style of each of these guys, we have no choice but to pick it up right away.  We’ve got to keep each other motivated and make each other better."

Defensive Coordinator, Rob Ryan, thinks that he's already doing those things.  He chimed in with this:

"He’s looked at the communication of the defense.  We’ve only been out here for five days but ultimately, you can tell from the practices that he has great communication and he is very smart.  He cares about what he is doing and he cares about his job. I really feel his leadership is helping everybody. I feel like this group is going to be very special."

The Raiders will be practicing once on Friday, twice on Saturday and taking Sunday off before resuming on Monday twice against the 49er's, what was that you were saying Barry?

Speaking of Sims, he seems to have found a home in San Francisco.  Look for him to be starting by week four at tackle...hopefully, we're not regretting cutting him loose.

Another left tackle that used to backup Sims, Chad Slaughter, is starting for the Baltimore Ravens.  You may recall that he was sort of a scholarship player who played decent when called upon by the silver and black.  He wasn't mobile enough for Cable's system so he was 'axed' to leave at the end of 2007's camp.

Having good thoughts here at TFDS