September 4, 2008
Raiders add to their myriad of moves before the season
Root Zoo
Shoutwire
Lechler should be ready by season opener
Prior to seeing the added moves, I already had gone back and forth in my head about what type of message I wanted to post in this space regarding the Ashlie Lelie move. Let's just say that it wasn't the most complimentary message that I've ever thought up about the Raiders. If you follow the Raiders or are a fan of the Raiders, one thing is certain...nothing is ever what it seems to be. That's definitely true of the latest moves as well.
Robert Thomas was released on an injury settlement. This allows the team to sign other players without counting him against the roster numbers. It also allows the Raiders and Robert Thomas to reunite later in the season when he's no longer injured. Unless I'm mistaken, his $2 million per annum is now taken off of the cap as well.
As has been reported, Luke Lawton was signed to backup Justin Griffith and Glenn Pakulak was released to make room for re-signing Derrick Gray to the practice squad. That's good news because it means that Shane Lechler will be able to punt come game time Monday night. Gray could move up to the regular roster if one of the defensive tackles get injured. As it stands, the Raiders only have three of them (Kelly, Sands, Warren).
Don't expect Lawton to be Oren O'Neal. During the final preseason game, Lawton missed several blocks that could have sprung McFadden loose for some yards. On one play that stuck out for me, with the Raiders inside of the Seahawks ten-yard line, a right off-tackle run had a defender coming from the middle and one from the edge converging on the hole that Lawton was running to. Lawton blocked neither defender, running directly between them and McFadden got stuffed at the line. Lawton was already blocking a defensive back at the second level when the play ended.
Releasing William Joseph was probably a good move on the Raiders part, but to replace him with Ashley Lelie was puzzling. From some reports, Greg Knapp may have been the reason that the Raiders signed him. The two worked together in Atlanta.
Although, I think the Raiders should have six receivers instead of five on the roster, there were other guys that could have come in that I would've been a little more convinced could contribute. Lelie, in my opinion, was overrated coming out of college and then too immature to handle the pro game. While most reports of Lelie discuss his speed, I've never watched a game with him playing where he was able to get any separation from a cornerback, unless the corner slipped or misdiagnosed a play thinking it was a run.
The Raiders website boasts that Lelie "Lelie has owned the NFL’s highest yards-per-reception average in 2005 (18.3) and 2004 (20.1)," and 2004 was his best season as a pro. In 2004, he caught 54 passes for 1084 yards and 7 touchdowns. That's a good season. In 2005, he caught 42 passes for 770 yards and 1 touchdown. That's NOT a good season. What is overlooked when talking about his long catches is that he has never been able to establish himself as a receiver that can run a good enough pattern, get open, and make the tough catches over the middle or on the sidelines.
Unless Lelie proves me wrong, he's no better than the fifth receiver on this team and he may be the guy cut when the Raiders want to bring Thomas back...if they want to bring him back at all. It could've been worse though. The Raiders could've re-signed Travis Taylor.
Javon Walker's hammy
I'm not too concerned over Walker's hamstring. If there was 'real' concern over his hamstring, he wouldn't be practicing. The Raiders desperately need him healthy and even though Kiffin is now talking about the 'tweak', I think it's the same old misinformation that happens prior to any NFL game. Walker will be playing, unless he gets hit by a truck before game time.
Darren McFadden blogs
Check out his blog here. Here's a quote from his latest post about Monday Night - " I know the Black Hole will be ready and so will I, ready to make some big plays."
Discussion
29 Comments on "Raiders add to their myriad of moves before the season"
#1
Posted by KUSHMAN, September 4, 2008 12:33 AM
i agree with you on most levels bill.. but terry glenn or parker would have been the better choice.
#2
Posted by KUSHMAN, September 4, 2008 9:51 AM
good article.. and the mcfadden blog rob! yea man theres so many other good free agent WR's out there... but really it sounds like more of a typical al move... spite the niners while getting revenge on the broncos, no matter how crappy or unproven the player is.
#3
Posted by Bill, September 4, 2008 10:11 AM
Lets give Lelie a chance. Who on our roster is better? Walker, that remains to be seen. Curry, I'd take Curry over Lelie any day. Wakins, I don't think so. Higgins, Yes the same Higgins everyone on this site bags on. Chaz, Never played in the NFL. Now what WR was better the Lelie that was an availible free agent. We are talking about AVAILIBLE FREE AGENTS, not Boldin or Williams or Ocho Cinco. Horn, better hands, route running, but no speed left. We have a WR like that his name is Curry. I see Lelie as a replacement for Higgins (same type of guy just better NFL success). Again Al Davis needed a WR and again Al got the best he could get for his team. What do you all want Al to do? get Randy Moss back? Trade everything for Boldin or Williams? Its a one year contract (like Carter) which tells me that WR is going to be a priority in next years draft. This year Al did the best he could with the availible talent that was there to get. What else can the guy do? I think Lelie fits in as our #3 WR. Its not like we are going spread and firering passes all over the field. 700yds and 1 TD sounds like a #3 to me. Mabey in our offense that sounds like a #2 to me.
#5
Posted by Logan, September 4, 2008 11:28 AM
Bill, I'd have taken a shot on Chris Henry, who's talented and young, or Koren Robinson. Even a Joe Horn, who's had a few good seasons would be good as a stop gap until we can get a WR in the draft.
#6
Posted by SpokaneOakfan, September 4, 2008 1:44 PM
I'll agree with Parker, but damn, guys, can we let Lelie unpack his locker already? He has some ability and an opportunity, and that's all he gets for now, so let's just agree that the onus is on him to prove he belongs, okay?
Joe Horn is 1000 years old. He is done. Koren Robinson couldn't catch the clap in a brothel. Chris Henry is a little nuttier than we need right now.
Let's get the good vibes going and watch the Raiders dismantle the Doncs at home on Monday night.
#7
Posted by UK Raider, September 4, 2008 2:40 PM
Nice article Rob. I think Lelie is in the last chance saloon so knowing that he may have a point to prove. I still dont see him playing a big part in the opener tho'.
Our ground game and time of possession are going to be the deciding factors monday night. I still think our starters are good enough to beat the Broncs. Let's hope we can get the win without any injuries. Both lines look thin in depth right now with Joseph gone.
#8
Posted by LDizzle, September 4, 2008 2:48 PM
LMAO SpokaneOakfan "Koren Robinson couldn’t catch the clap in a brothel" That is good stuff. All well said bro.
On a side note: I just watched RaiderHater Live aka "NFL Live" which was doing their AFC West roundup. Can you guess what they predicted the Raiders would finish this season? That's right, dead last. Also in the little montage of the AFC West teams which lasted about 30 seconds, the Raiders were featured a total of (you ready?) FOUR SECONDS. And that was all from the draft when they picked McFadden. The rest was of the other teams making plays on the field and waving their flag around. Talk about discrimination.
Good ole "no question" Mark Shitbreath was there to spout his anti-Raider, pro-Donkey shit. Low and behold he has the Jackasses finishing 2nd (he would be laughed off the set if he picked them ahead of the Chargers), Jay Cutler as the breakout player, Eddie Frickin Royal as the impact rookie (Darren Mc-who?), and of course Lane Kiffin as the guy on the hot seat. He and Wingo are the sports equivelant of team bigots. So much for being a valid source of NFL news.
#9
Posted by The Fifth Horseman, September 4, 2008 2:54 PM
The Raiders have not won more than 5 games since the 2002 season and yet ESPN NFL Live picked them to finish last. Gee, I wonder why they think that? Could it be because the Raiders are a pathetic team being run by an owner that thinks it is 1978? Yeah I think that is the ticket. And were the Raiders really featured for four seconds? Because if that is the case, that is about twice as much airtime then those losers deserve. You losers should be happy with four seconds of coverage. Now I know what you Raider clowns are going to say next. You are going to talk about how much improved you are, and how many players you signed over the offseason, and how Lame Kiffin is in his 2nd season as the head coach and how you finally have stability. Well didn't I hear the same thing back in 2005? The Raiders were going to be so unstoppable because you traded for Randy Moss and signed Lamont Jordan. Moss and Porter lining up at the WR positions, Jordan in the backfield, finally free from the shackles of backing up Curtis Martin. Plus it was Norv Turner's 2nd year and there was finally some coaching stability. How can the Raiders not be an offensive juggernaut? How can they be stopped? Randy Moss was in the Silver and Black!! hahaha what happened? 4-12 you losers!!! Are you all set for an encore performance in 2008? Because that is exactly what you are going to get. Have a good weekend Raider clowns, and I will be back here Tuesday to rub it in your faces after Denver kicks your asses!! lol
#10
Posted by MrMojo4321, September 4, 2008 2:56 PM
First of all, cool article Rob; secondly I'm going to have to agree with 93.6% of what Spokane had to say. It's looking like Lelie is the new Stu without having played a down. Isn't a little early for a whipping boy? With that being said, the ability to not be able to, "catch the clap in a brothel," has got to be the most self indulgent super power ever.
One Nation...
#11
Posted by Bill, September 4, 2008 4:45 PM
I'm through making comments until after Monday, except to say.
BRING ON MONDAY ALLREADY!!!!
#13
Posted by ArtDog, September 4, 2008 7:35 PM
give the man a chance. former broncos love to play there old teams and shine(romanowski)
#14
Posted by juice, September 4, 2008 9:04 PM
Fellas don't worry about BSPN and all the raider hating. Those guys don't know shit. It amazes me how they can get paid to consistantly offer their "expert analysis" and constantly be wrong. Them picking the Raiders last is a bessing, because when the time comes in November and they're making a playoff push it will make it that much sweeter to see those biased morons complement the Silver & Black, Schlereth especially. He should fall back on those fairy soaps that he got into a while back. So let them gush about the Cowboys and Patriots all year, our boys are going to fly right uner the radar and that's fine with me.
#15
Posted by xobn1050, September 4, 2008 11:45 PM
Something is going on because Paul Zimmerman on CNNSI gave the Raiders a 3-13 mark for the season,and Pro Football Weekly gave the a 6-10 record. Also Sporting News gave them a 3-13 record so where is it that's obviously missing? Why are the Raiders so lowly rated they even have the Chiefs with better record?
#17
Posted by raiderdoc, September 5, 2008 1:14 AM
A lot of "experts" have us doing pretty poorly. I think some of it may be bias, but most is probably our recent history plus the fact that they don't wear the rose colored glasses all of us do. I am cautiously optimistic, but not holding my breath. I think we have so much potential, but it is still young, and could easily colapse (again) on us. Let's just hope Al sticks with it regardless and continues to give Kiffin time. The good news is that if the run game is anywhere near what it was last year, with the slightest effort from the defense, we should be at least in every game. And if that is the case, it could be a great year!
Bring on Monday night! Go Raiders!!!!
#18
Posted by Raider Scott, September 5, 2008 9:25 AM
It is easy for them to kick our team because of our recent record. On top of that we still have many unproven or questionable areas (pass protection, wide receivers, and run stopping ability). Given the fact that we have been running a Swiss cheese defense against the run for years, why would any outsiders stick up for our team? I agree that we are unjustly being shoved to the bottom of the division but we haven’t done much to prove anyone wrong in the recent past. In my opinion the first step is to finally stop the run. We have the secondary to shut down most any opposing teams pass game. But as a die hard fan, I am not certain what we have in the way of a run-stopping defense. We just don’t know. Walker is an unknown quantity, Carter is out, Lelie is a very last second addition…..I have no idea what to expect from our receivers. I have said it numerous times, when JRuss drops back to pass, I hold my breath and hope he doesn’t get killed from his blind side. That’s not counting the penalty prone mistakes we have been notorious for. If we can clean up the drive-killing idiotic holding/false start penalties, finally stop the run and we will get the respect we are seeking. I am hoping that the three headed monster (Fargas, Bush, DMac) can carry us this year and we can develop the passing game off of our run. The best advice I think is to stop listening to the douche bags on NFL live. Every time we try and answer a critic, they claim we are belligerent fans and that our record has been $hit for the last 5 years. It is time for our team to do the talking for us by winning.
#19
Posted by UK Raider, September 5, 2008 11:14 AM
Just found out the game is being televised live over here on Sky sports!!!!!! Absolutely awesome.
The alarm clock will be set for 3pm Tuesday morning so the UK branch of the Nation will be in full voice. Work at 7.30? A necessary evil in the pursuit of Excellence.....
Come on Raiders!!!!!!!!!!
#20
Posted by UK Raider, September 5, 2008 2:14 PM
Tivo???? Is that a hard drive or a medal of dedication? Can I swap the Tivo for a slab of beer and a taxi to work?
Luckily for me I work in a hospital. A couple more of those pills please nurse. Better still I feel a sicky coming on.
3am and I'm gonna be there, LIVE and glorious. It may be the only live Raider game I see this year so I'm not missing it!
#21
Posted by UK Raider, September 5, 2008 3:20 PM
Just noticed that Lelie is listed behind Curry and Watkins on the unofficial depth chart. I hope that chart has some substance to it. Watkins deserves some playing time.
#22
Posted by pat. T, September 5, 2008 8:15 PM
GO RAIDERS!!!!!!!! CAN'T WAIT 'TIL MONDAY NIGHT! ONCE AGAIN GO RAIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#23
Posted by Rada4life, September 5, 2008 10:41 PM
Talk about jackass butt love,the fifth jackass always seems to hang around,kinda like a pile of crap no one wants to pick up and throw away.The jackasses are gonna get burnt up by our running game,it's gonna be pathetic for that team trying to stop it.Our defensive backfield tandem will outshine the jackasses with at least a min. of 2 picks.Enough of the tlk Raiders,Lets walk the walk!
#24
Posted by Raider Blues, September 5, 2008 11:22 PM
Uh... Ok... I'll set my alarm for 0430am and represent Afghanistan
Just Win Baby!
#25
Posted by LDizzle, September 6, 2008 12:07 AM
Rada4Life:
Douchebags like Filthy Whoresman are the ultimate pussies because they do these drive-by hate rants beforehand and when the Raiders win, you won't be able to say "I told you so" because they will be nowhere to be found. They yammer on and on about things they can't prove and can't control knowing that there can be no repercussions. They need to get the talking in while they still can because Monday they won't be able to talk anymore. Their goal is simple: to make every attempt to insult and anger Raider fans. If Karma exists then the Raiders will win this game. And you will never see Filthy Whoresman or weasels like him again.
#26
Posted by LDizzle, September 6, 2008 12:08 AM
This site needs a countdown to the Monday night game. I am going to need a padded room to watch this game in because I may just break something with all of the build up.
#27
Posted by Raider Raul, September 6, 2008 1:53 AM
I'd rather have Lelie out there than Higgins. We'll certainly see if Walker doesn't play, but no way that's happening.
Btw, I'm taking a break from Jerry's blog. There are a couple guys who know what they're talking about, but 90 percent is troll-city. Things are still considerate and thoughtful here.
#28
Posted by Patrick Patterson, September 6, 2008 2:42 AM
Glad you enjoy it here, Raul. Rob and I try to keep it that way.
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