SB Nation - Michael Huff

Oakland Raider Defensive Progress Report: It's Better Than You May Think

saint — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:47:05 -0000

We all know how GAWD awful our offense has been for 3/4 of the season, and we have beat J-Russ's dead hyde to DEATH, so let's get off the bad stuff and get onto the nitty-gritty defense.

Through the first 4 games the Raiders numbers stack up like this:

The passing defense is ranked 11th in total yards allowed, 23rd in passes attempted against (120), 18th in Passing Percentage Against (60.0), 7th in passing TD's allowed (4), 9th in INts (4), 12th in Sacks (9) and 10th in rating against (79.7).

The Rush Defense is ranked 28th in the League in yards allowed (585), 1st in rushing attempts against (147), 22nd in rushing touchdowns allowed (4), 13th in yards per carry allowed (4.0), have only allowed 3 runs over 20 yards and NONE over 40 and have forced two fumbles.

The key stat that quantifies all of these numbers is the time of Possession stat where the team ranks second to last. The Raiders have had the ball for an average of 25:38 minutes a game. They are ahead of ONLY Buffalo who has had the ball for 12 less seconds a game.

Time of possession is nowhere near the "End All Be All" of stats, the Colts are ranked 27th with a TOP of 27:21(Because they are the top offense in the League and score QUICKLY), but, for the raider defense, this has to be weighed in because the offense has been incredibly anemic.

What these stats tell me is what we already knew. Our defense is coming into it's own. I am especially impressed with the 4.0 yards per carry stat.

Last season the team allowed 4.7 yards a carry and in 2007 that number was a gaudy 4.8. (By the way, Rex Ryan's less fortunate twin brother has the Browns giving up 5.4 yards a carry!)

I believe that we can give our defense a solid B for it's effort, so far in 2009, and here are some of the standouts:

1) Michael Huff - Huff is second in the NFL with 3 interceptions, and he has also gotten his hands on plenty more as he, playing a part time role, is tied for the NFL lead in passes defensed. He is definitely the surprise of the 2009 season, for the Raiders, to this point.

2) Greg Ellis - Ellis is 7th in the NFL with 4 sacks, although he was not given credit for a half sack in the first game that was given to Seymour. He has been an outstanding pick-up from Dallas and I am sure that he has something special planned for Thanksgiving Day in the Big D!

3) The Law Offices of Morrison, Howard and BRANCH?- Howard and Morrison are tied for 17th in tackles with 31 and Tyvon is 5th among all safeties with 29 of his own. Morrison and Howard have really stepped up their games and are each tracking 124 tackles while Tyvon is proving to be one heckuva Fourth Rounder and is tracking 116 in his first full season starting in the NFL.

4) Richard Seymour 0 Seymour does have 2 sacks this season, but his leadership has been invaluable in galvanizing the front 4.

5) Nnamdi - The man with ZERO stats. As they once said, a long time ago, if your name is being called a lot and you are on the offensive line or the defensive backfield, it is NOT usually a good thing. So, Nnamdi is doing his Nnamdiest to stay out of the stat column but has made nearly every play that has come his way.

This defense is young and getting better, what do you think Raider Nation?

Texans Five on Five: Week Four

Jake — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:02:10 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

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The battle between two 1-2 teams might not be very exciting for the majority of the league outside of fantasy football geeks, but the game between the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders may be a huge determining factor for the future of the Texans franchise. Kubiak and Co. will need this win to get back to .500 and have a chance of putting a winning season together. Here are the five matchups that are most important for that to happen:

1. Darren McFadden vs. Bernard Pollard - You knew McFadden was goingto be first on this list. We've given career days so far to both Maurice Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson, mostly because of our inability to tackle and position correctly in the secondary. Kubiak has given Pollard first team reps all week long, and it looks like he will be getting the start over John Busing and Domanique Barber. Pollard is known for his sub-standard coverage skills but his exceptional run support. Hopefully he can keep McFadden's 3.9 yards per carry average at its current low level.

2. Michael Huff vs. Andre Johnson/Kevin Walter - You might have expect to see Nnamdi Asomugha's name here, but Scrabble hasn't been himself this season. He has allowed a TD to each of the No. 1 receivers he's faced this year--Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe and Brandon Marshall. Huff, however, has finally started to show why he was picked 7th overall by picking off 3 passes so far. Considering the Texans' inability to run the ball so far, it is imperative that the deep ball stays a viable option for this offense to succeed.

3. Brian Cushing vs. Zach Miller - Miller may play for one of the worst offenses in the league, but he is one of the most talented TEs in the game. JaMarcus Russell is terrible at throwing outside of the hash marks but is decent at throwing down the seam, which would explain why Miller was the Raiders' leading receiver last season. Miller is very good at breaking off routes and finding an empty spot for his quarterback, which scares me given Cushing's deficiencies in coverage thus far. If Bush continues to strive for regular pressure, Russell will look Miller's way often on Sunday.

4. Mario Williams vs. Mario Henderson - Henderson won the Battle of the Marios last year by keeping Williams without a sack in Oakland's Week 16 win over the Texans. Williams has only one sack this year, although he has produced the most pressure of anyone on the defensive line. A breakout game by #90 would go a long way to helping compensate for the struggling secondary.

5. Eric Winston vs. Greg Ellis - Most people think of Richard Seymour as the best defensive lineman for the Raiders because of his recent high profile trade and his 6 tackles and 2 sacks against the Chargers' beleaguered offensive line. Since then, though, Ellis has far outshined Seymour, with 7 tackles and 2 sacks in the last two games, not to mention that his game against San Diego wasn't that shabby either (1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 3 tackles). Winston is a terrific run blocker but has been beaten by better pass rushing LDEs recently.

The key to this game, in my opinion, will be to build an early lead. JaMarcus Russell has a 41% completion percentage this season, so needless to say, the Raiders aren't designed to surmount a large deficit. If the Texans allow big plays like they have been this season, the Raiders are more than capable of running the ball and controling the clock. I predict a win for the Texans this week, 27-17.

Chalk Talk -- 2009 Game 3; Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

Steve Nichols — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:30:15 -0000

Well, here it is. The classic clash of good versus evil, and one of the best rivalries in football. Join MHR's Chalk Talk for the pregame breakdown as we look at both teams' systems and players to determine the match-up issues and strategies that each team may look to.

First, these are two teams that should know each other well, given the division rivalry. Nevertheless, both teams have undergone some serious change in the offseason, so the preparation may not be a smooth as in the past.

Second, both teams are trying to answer major questions from the masses. Is Kyle Orton too careful for Denver fans (no glitz, but no INTs)? Has the Denver pass protection on the OL lost some luster? Is the new-look defense really that good? For the Raiders, will the QB ever click? Did the team deserve to beat KC, or to lose to SD? Which Oakland team will show up for the Denver game?

(All player photos courtesy of the National Football League)

Denver's Defense vs. Oakland's Offense

Elvis Dumervil (Codename DOOM) - Sackmaster

Right now, Denver's strength is the defense. Denver has a terrific pass rush (featuring DE/OLB Elvis Dumervil), and an elite secondary (featuring future HOFers CB Champ Bailey and FS Brian Dawkins). Denver's 5-2 look is plugging gaps against the run and protecting the LBs, allowing Andra Davis and D.J. Williams to look great at LB.

On the other side of the ball, Oakland's offensive line has injury concerns and looks suspect. QB JaMarcus Russell hasn't looked good (with the exception of a terrific game-saving drive at the end of Week 2's game). The strength of the Raiders' offense seems to be more geared towards the run, but Oakland hasn't been consistent in this role. They gained 366 yards against the Chargers in Week 1, but couldn't put together much of an effort against KC. Despite depth at RB, Oakland has stuck to inside runs, when perhaps they could vary their running plays more. Are they lying in wait for Denver?

Oakland is a vertical passing team, relying on speed to get the receivers down the field. Because of questionable play on the OL, Oakland is keeping the TEs and RBs in to protect the QB. This limits options for the QB, and in the case of playing against Denver, allows the elite Denver secondary to be the prime match-up on Oakland's offensive plays. Russell would probaly perform better throwing quick screens and short hooks (I wouldn't go for quick outs against Denver's ball hawks), but so far the playcalling hasn't shown this approach.

For their part, Denver can rely on the 5-man rush from their 5-2 look, and hold back the LBs to zone. The gap plugging should allow the LBs to stay unmolested, giving them opportunities for tackles in the middle, or to get to the edges in the event of runs there. Denver features 3 solid CBs (legendary Champ Bailey, solid Andre' Goodman, and rookie sensation Alphonso Smith), so Denver can afford to play man to man, while holding their SAFs back for deep coverage over the top.

Denver doesn't need to make many adjustments for this game. They can play their own style, and do well.

Oakland needs to spread the field, both in terms of runs and passes. If the 5-2 has a weakness against the run, it should be the edges. Oakland has good RBs, and should vary their runs to keep Denver guessing. A continuous assault up the middle isn't likely to faze a defense built to stuff the middle run (nor to faze a defense that hasn't gotten tired in the first two games), but misdirection and sweeps could force the Broncos to make adjustments. Not only that, but concern in the ground game would make Russell's job easier.

(Denver's elite secondary awaits a pass)

For Russell's part, he would do much better with shorter, higher-percentage passes. Denver has interception threats all over the field and is built to create turnovers. Going deep (the typical Oakland practice) shouldn't work here. Screens can take advantage of the two (somewhat) centralized Denver LBs. Instead of protecting the QB (allowing Denver to focus on ball targets), Oakland should probably try to get their TEs involved. A TE that breaks out to the seam is a bigger threat against Denver than any pass to a WR elsewhere.

Denver's Offense versus Oakland's Defense

Denver's offense has a lot of the same personnel as last year, but plays a completely different kind of football. Gone is Jay Cutler and the laser throws downfield, but also gone is the high-risk passing that led to many heartbreaking INTs. Instead, Kyle Orton plays a very careful, boring style of football that doesn't "entertain", but does keep Denver in games.

( "The Spleen" from the movie "Mystery Men" may have more in common with Chris Simms and his old injury, but looks more like Orton)

Kyle throws the ball away here and there, leading many booing fans to think his passes are off. But Orton picks his targets, and despite what the media will tell you, has shown that he can make the deep pass along with the dinks and dumps. With Brandon Marshall catching up on the playbook on the sidelines for much of the game, other receivers have stepped up and looked good. In fact, receiving star Eddie Royal hasn't gotten as much attention as in the past because the glory has been spread amongst fan favorite Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney, and Brandon Lloyd.

Denver also has receiving options from a trio of TE threats, but Denver has no problem showing off the TEs in the dangerous 3-TE set, featuring Daniel Graham (an amazing blocker with good hands), Tony Scheffler (a great mismatch against most defenses in the air) and rookie star Richard Quinn (who has silenced critics).

Correll Buckhalter has demonstrated an ability to run and catch indifferently, and rookie Knowshon Moreno is showing improvement whenever he touches the ball. Peyton Hillis remains a threat up the middle.

But despite the abilities of these individuals, the overall offense hasn't seemed to click yet. Orton gets some pressure from opposing rushers, and Denver seems to rely on big plays on 3rd down to make up for inconsistencies. The offense is not "high powered" this year, and so far seems oriented towards intricate screens and yards after the catch (YAC).

Oakland's 4-3 defense has a lot of potential. On the line, the DTs are solid (featuring newcomer Richard Seymour). The LBs are fast, and the starting CBs are very good (Nnamdi Asomugha is one of the best in the game), and the safeties are legitimate threats (see Michael Huff's two INTs last week, to go with the one he had in the first week).

Denver should make some adjustments for this game. First, the weakness for Oakland may be lack of depth at CB. If Denver continues to use screens, they are using receivers as blockers instead of as potential mismatches against the Oakland CBs at nickel and beyond. On the other hand, Denver minimizes CB abilities with screens by using run blockers to clear them instead of challenging them in the air with the ball. It is a tough choice. I don't expect Denver to drop the screens, but I think this is one game where classic passing would hurt the opponent by targeting the nickelback. Denver can do this with the many 3-receiver sets they show opponents. Given the strength of Oakland's secondary, I wouldn't challenge them deep.

Andra Davis may hold the key to beating the Raiders

Denver also needs to decide how to attack the Oakland run defense. Oakland has a stout DL to protect the middle, and is experienced against the zone-block scheme. Oakland's DL also effectively protects their LBs, and those protected LBs have the speed to get to the edge of the field. So Denver will likely take one of two approaches here. One, they run at Oakland and try to wear them down. The other option (and the one they likely pursue) is to set up misdirection and disguises. Denver will show run, then send the RB into the slot to receive (or to block on a screen). Denver will use multiple-TE sets (both 2- and 3-) to further confuse the defense. Denver's TEs can run block, and they can jump out into routes, and this alone is enough to cause problems for most teams. (Note - Oakland prefers to use safety coverage on TEs, despite the speed they possess at OLB).

Special Teams

Sebastian Janikowski is a solid kicker, and the Oakland coverage units look reasonably good. Denver has had solid efforts from both the kicking and punting units, and coverage is much improved over previous years. Neither team fields breakaway return talent, though Denver has looked close on a few occassions.

Notes

The game is blacked out in Oakland, as the Raider Nation has failed to sell out their home game. Regardless, expect the passionate fan base to be involved unless Denver gets out to a domineering start.

Keys to the Game

Denver -

Stop the run. Oakland will not win this game with a one-dimensional offense, and their running game is their potential strength. Russell needs the running game to help his passing efforts.
Continue to be conservative in the passing game. Both teams feature ball hawks, and a key INT would be a game changer.
Leave the blitzes at home. Denver's pass rush doesn't need any help. The CB/WR match-ups favor Denver, and any players held back to protect the QB limits Russell's pass-receiving options. Instead, hold back the LBs for the expected runs, and to zone the field.

Oakland -

Don't commit penalties. The bad boys of football will need to find a role model other than their head coach, who seems to enjoy assaulting his staff. Oakland is known for penalties, but they ought to play a penalty-free game if they want to get a win in Week Three.
Mix up the runs (more runs to the edges). Oakland will need the run game to win this game. Denver has a lot of options with a 5-2 look to stop the interior runs, but the outside sweeps are tougher to deal with. Oakland didn't do well with the run against KC, and Denver's stout protection in the middle should be hard to crack.
Get the TEs involved in the passing game. Denver's CBs should have a field day with the Oakland WRs, but Denver wants their LBs focused on the run and their SAFs stopping deep passes. If Denver is forced to decide between covering the run or covering TEs out in the seams, Oakland can exploit either the run, the passes to the TEs, or both.

I expect a conservative game plan from both teams. I also expect a close game. Denver is built to create turnovers, and if Oakland wins big I expect it will be because they net more turnovers or the Denver defense collapses against the run. If Denver wins big, I think it will be because Oakland's offense is shut down more than because Denver lights up the scoreboard. I think the key match-up to watch is Oakland's run against the Denver Defense, but I expect Denver to win that match-up.

I'll take Denver in a close game. The game is key for Denver, since the schedule ramps up over the next few weeks. Denver needs the early momentum to stay alone atop the AFC West. A loss for Oakland gives them a losing record, and would be a blow to morale. A win gives them a respectable 2-1 record, and a tie-break with what would then beat a 2-1 Denver team. Oakland really needs the game more than Denver, and will need to play like it.

Poll

Denver...

Wins big

287 votes

Wins moderate

568 votes

Wins close

310 votes

Loses close

92 votes

Loses moderate

38 votes

Loses big

45 votes

I'm a raiders fan, and just came over to screw up your poll.

81 votes

1421 votes | Poll has closed

Horse Tracks 9/25/09 - Hamilton misses practice with hamstring issue, Stokley limited by thigh injury

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:45:55 -0000

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GURU!!!!

NFLN - Week 3: Broncos vs. Raiders Preview - Broncos TV

DB - Secondary To None - Chris Gentilviso
What were they thinking signing 3 old guys and drafting 12 more d-backs?!?!?!?!

DB - A Ring-of-Fame Caliber Entrance - Gray Caldwell
Video of Shannon's skydive into the Big IF, along with an article by Caldwell.

DB - A Speedy Challenge - Zach Eisendrath
Jokeland is starting two young speedsters at WR.

DB - Week 3 - Thu: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Week 3 - Thu: Bailey - Broncos TV

DPP - Denver Broncos face big test up front - Lindsay Jones
New Raiders RIchard Seymour and Greg Ellis already have 5 sacks, so the Broncos O-Line will have their hands full come Sunday.

DP - Broncos' Royal sees production drop - Mike Klis

CSG - Broncos notes: Run defense holding up well - Frank Schwab
Runs up the middle versus the Broncos have only gone for 1.64 YPA so far, compared with 5.33 YPA last season.

LTC - Raiders’ QB is no easy target - Brian Howell

AP - Veteran Group Building Bonds In Broncos Secondary

CSG - Ramsey: Raiders' Davis still scary, but lacks fire

DPP - Rivalry game blacked out in Oakland - Mike Klis
Renaldo Hill's replacement in Miami (Gibril Wilson) isn't exactly filling his shoes. Kyle Orton is still practicing with his glove but hoping to play without it come Sunday.

LTC - Marshall adapts to lesser role - Brian Howell

LTC - New Broncos ready to see Raiders rivalry up close - Brian Howell

DPP - Spotlight: Safety Renaldo Hill - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Analysis: Running game won't likely eclipse passing yet - Mike Klis
Klis predicts a pass-heavy attack for the Broncos on Sunday.

CSG - Broncos' Royal not worried about lack of production - Eddie Royal

DPP - Q&A: What about Cassel? - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Numbers: Immaculate deflection makes franchise history

SI - Johnny Knox, Elvis Dumervil, Michael Huff have early NFL impact - Don Banks
Banks cites some really dumb stats in talking up Doom's season thus far.

AFC West News

SFC - Ostler: 49ers, Raiders need to apply makeup

SFC - Russell's troubles dissected - David White

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Notes - David White

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : WRs - David White

OT - Raiders aide Tollner: Russell's struggles are on him - Steve Corkran

CCT - Raiders-Broncos blacked out locally on Sunday

SJMN - Kawakami: I'm sticking with Russell

PD - JaMarcus off-target? That's accurate - Phil Barber

NFL - Cassel believes performance, not contract, is why he's Chiefs' QB

KCS - Cassel will continue to compete for his job - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs notebook | Derrick Johnson says he won’t play Sunday - Kent Babb

NFL - L.T. still on the mend, pledges not to rejoin Chargers too soon

SDUT - Chargers defense can't hide from the run - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Sproles more sore, but workload doesn't worry Turner - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Fouts cautions against writing off wounded Chargers - Jay Posner

SDUT - Anxiety over Bolts' future home a reality - Tim Sullivan

NFL News

NFL - Disappointed safety Phillips lost for season; Giants bring in Rouse

NFL - McNabb likely out for Eagles; Westbrook, Jackson miss practice

NFL - Jets QB Sanchez deals with knee tendinitis, should play vs. Titans

NFL - Laughing matter: Vikings' Peterson cracks jokes about back injury

NFL - Hasselbeck among three injured Seahawks who don't practice

NFL - Barber's status for Cowboys' Monday night game uncertain

NFL - Sparano: Dolphins LB Porter limited with 'a little hamstring tweak'

NFL - Browns rookie RB Davis says he's ready for Ravens if Lewis can't go

NFL - Diggs, Hoover become latest Panthers starters sidelined by injury

NFL Opinion

Y! - Tampering accusation worse than Spygate if true - Charles Robinson

NFP - Tavern talk: the heat is on Zorn - Mike Lombardi
Looks like I'll be rooting for the Skins next year when Shanny lands...

NFP - NFL notes: No need to panic in Tennessee - Matt Bowen
Bowen is impressed by the Broncos D, or at least the numbers they're putting up.

NFL - Delhomme, Romo face off under the Monday night spotlight - Gil Brandt
Brandt thinks Orton & Co. will need to beat Chris Johnson, with Nnamdi Asomugha sitting on the other side. Of course, that only accounts for 2 WRs...

Y! - Vick turns tide against dogfighting - Dan Wetzel

NFL - 'Wildcat originator' gives Eagles ultimate option quarterback - Steve Wyche

SI - Tom Brady's had a storied career, but what if he never gets it back? - Michael Rosenberg

Y! - Singletary stresses the evil of overconfidence - Mike Silver

Y! - Burress had profound impact on Giants WRs - Jason Cole

PFW - Underrated assistant coaches make big impact - Nolan Nawrocki

NYT - Drew Brees and the ‘Four Verticals’ - Chris Brown

CBS - Brees makes short jump to Brady, Peyton stature - Pete Prisco

FOX - NFL Truths: Brady will always hear the footsteps - Jason Whitlock

ESPN - The saga of the Crabtree holdout - Elizabeth Merrill

SI - The Peter King Challenge
PK thinks the Broncos will squeak by the Raiders

ESPN - John Clayton breaks down the biggest NFL games of Week 3

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

2 months ago: Former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe reacts as he is inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame during ceremonies at half time during the Broncos - Cleveland Browns NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/ Jack Dempsey )

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Happy Tuesday, friends. We're back with another edition of ST&NO, because this train can't be stopped. Fresh off a weekend full of football, we have a lot to discuss; so read it, ponder it, and share your thoughts.

1. Respect. It's almost as if a whole song could be written about it or something. Picture Eddie Murphy's dad drunkenly hollering "R-E-C-C-C-T-P, mother-%^$er you know how to spell it." The 2009 Denver Broncos have gotten no respect, still, after being 2-0. There have been a tepid acknowledgment or two, but no mea culpas.

From John Clayton at ESPN:

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels is off to an impressive start -- thanks largely to a defense that appears to be much better than last year's version.

From his colleague Bill "Pork Chop" Williamson:

The defense has been a problem area for Denver in recent season. (sic) Yet, the new 3-4 system in Denver seems to be working. If the Broncos can continue to play well, they could have a decent season. So far, it’s been a good start.

Clayton, remember, thought the Broncos would win 3 games this season, that they were in disarray, and that their defense was terrible. It's all right here and here.

DIVISION FINISH: 4 Face it, the Broncos are a mess. They could be a three- or a four-win team if Kyle Orton struggles, the running game gets off to a slow start and Brandon Marshall continues to pout and be immature. To add to things, the defense that gave up 28 points a game is trying a completely new scheme. Ouch.

If you watched any Broncos preseason football, you'd draw a conclusion from all 4 games that the defense was vastly improved, right? I mean, it didn't take a professional scout to see; it was clear as day. And, where I am from, when something is completely broken, you throw it out, and start over. So, I'll take a completely new scheme after giving up 28 points per game, thanks.

No word yet from Adam Schein, Jamie Dukes, or the other disrespectors from the echo chamber.

Today, I am going to hypothesize a hypothesis for y'all. One should never claim to be an NFL expert, because nobody knows it all, or sees it all. For the first 7 weeks of the 2008 NFL season, I watched every snap of every game played, while also working my full-time job. I wanted to be an NFL expert, and I figured, if DirecTV is going to provide each full game in 30-minute-or-less blocks, I should watch them all. I'd been complaining for years that football writers could, and didn't, and hell, I was going to do it. I was also going to launch a website, attract millions of readers quickly, and make long dollars. Well, after 7 weeks, I got really burned out from working 9-10 hours per day at my job, and then watching games and writing for 3-4 more, and I didn't really want to do it anymore. Not too long after that, John Bena approached me about becoming a member of the staff here at MHR, and I decided to do so. It was a good decision for me, and I still get to focus a lot on league-wide stuff, with the thought being that the Broncos don't play in a vacuum, and that everything which happens around the league ultimately affects our team.

The marketplace of football ideas is wide and varied, and you can usually find somebody to take any position on anything. The internet and Twitter have made it so that anybody can contribute to this marketplace, and those ideas which have merit tend to be taken seriously, while those which don't, don't. For my free market capitalists out there, this is the way an efficient market is supposed to work. Consumers are free to judge the quality of the products available, and choose which ones to consume. Quality rules.

Well, this is not a perfectly efficient market, but none of them really are. While this market's barriers to entry are low, (meaning anybody can start a football blog), getting people to want to read your content is the hard part. Those who were first to the party have a built-in advantage, the ESPN's and Sports Illustrated's. If you've always gotten your football opinions from the Boringest Man In America, chances are you will continue to do so, unless some compelling reason to stop emerges.

My view of the football ideas market is this; there are a lot of people shouting, mostly the same, or similar things, and it gets to be the aforementioned echo chamber. The thing is, many of the echoes start from people who don't really know what they're talking about. There are a few flavors of football commentators.

a. The Classically Trained Reporter - These people generally went to journalism school, and instinctively, always revert to wanting to report the news. These are people who cultivate sources, and build relationships with agents, players, coaches, and each other. SOMETHING is happening, and these people are going to find out what it is, and tell everybody. There actually doesn't tend to be a lot of writing talent among this group, and they're given to use of a lot of clichés and bad puns. Also, there is very little real football knowledge, either. These are the classic repeaters of information, which I reference from time-to-time. The gathering of information is value-adding to our marketplace of ideas, but these people don't contribute much else. If you think about it, a sports reporter is to a reporter, as a gym teacher is to a teacher.

b. The Bloviator - I don't have to spell out specifically who I mean, here, right? Every city has these guys (they're nearly all guys), and after years of paying their dues, beating the bushes for information about who the QB is dating, and what he had for breakfast, they have graduated from being mere reporters. They are actually worse than the reporters, because they get far away from the work of actual information gathering, and they just spew their opinions, in as obnoxious and confrontational a manner possible. Those opinions come from 30,000 feet, and are only designed to get people arguing; they're basically agent provocateurs. The bloviators tend to be the slightly more talented wordsmiths, coming up from the ranks of the beat writers, but that still isn't saying a whole lot. Only the local newspapers have these guys, and they're slowly sinking with their papers. In the era of globalization, local institutions quit mattering when they can't compete anymore. Living in Cleveland, you see that firsthand, all the time, as you drive by idled steel plants. These are the people who appear on Around The Horn, and the biggest problem with them is that they work for overtly journalistic enterprises, and act like quasi-journalists, but they make themselves the story. ESPN encourages a few of their reporters to become Bloviators, but they don't go all-in with it, like the local potentate at the money-hemorrhaging newspaper.

c. The Former Participant - The football ideas marketplace is full of these guys, too - former players, coaches, and executives, mostly in the televised space. These people have something general to add, but they tend not to work hard enough to know the teams and players at a very detailed level. They can see how a blitz unfolds, and describe it credibly in general terms, but they think that Todd Lyght is playing Left Tackle for the Patriots. Many of these people struggle mightily with coherent communication of their thoughts, and they tend to contribute very little in the written space, with the notable exceptions being Bucky Brooks, Matt Bowen, Pat Kirwan and Michael Lombardi.

d. The Radio Idiot - Radio is a really strange medium, because you have to be able to communicate entirely verbally to be successful at it. Even in the written form, you can use diagrams, but in radio, you have to just keep talking. It's a rare skill-set, and for the most part, it tends not to accompany great intelligence, knowledge, or command of facts. Radio people tend to be really antisocial on a person-to-person level, and it's almost like you need to have some psychological problems to be good at radio. I definitely couldn't be a radio personality, because I don't speak or think in short, simple, easily digestible soundbites. (For as smart as he is, our fearless leader John Bena does a great job with MHR Radio, which works against my thinking, but no theory is perfect.)

Adam Schein is the classic Radio Idiot, and FOX actually lets him write a lousy column, in which he regurgitates what his Sirius NFL Radio guests told him during the week. He's an "Insider," you know. Colin Cowherd, another MHR favorite, also qualifies, though he is thankfully confined to the airwaves.

Into this landscape entered the sports blog, and they're growing and getting better all over the place. At MHR, we're really lucky to have a tremendous amount of talent and dedication in the community, making the this site a living, self-sustaining thing. With every game, and every post, MHR asserts itself more and more as the preeminent source of Broncos information, discussion, and commentary.

As the marketplace of ideas becomes more and more efficient, our position will continue to strengthen, because quality rules. All members are stakeholders. If you're a frequent contributor, keep up the great work. If you comment once in a while, consider writing a FanPost. If you're a lurker, sign up and join the conversation. And if you have friends who are Broncos fans, encourage them to check us out, even if they start out as lurkers.

As a community, we'll continue to be all over all things Broncos, together, because we all have a stake in the output. And, eventually, we'll defeat the echo chamber, even if they never admit to completely misjudging this team, due to a lack of inclination to putting any effort into understanding it. Who could have seen this coming? We saw this coming, that's who.

I will finish this diatribe by sharing my approach to being knowledgeable, which I am sure is similar to the approach many of you take. Step one is to pay attention to everything at a high level, and wonder about something. Step two is to investigate that specific item I wondered about. Step three is to consider and evaluate the findings, and what they mean in the larger context of my existing understanding. I never trust what anybody says, and if I am going to repeat/agree with something smart that I heard somebody say, I attribute the thought to them. Pretty straightforward, right? This is not what is largely going on, though, throughout the media landscape, sports and otherwise. It's a lot easier to repeat some idiot/blowhard's words when they confirm your own assumptions and leanings, than it is to work, and figure out the right answer. That's not what we do here at MHR, and I am personally proud of that.

2. Information from my eyes on the Broncos game: (From the live broadcast only, as I was unable to watch a second time yet).

a. It was great having Chris Kuper back. He's very underrated and reliable at RG, and the group played much better with him in there.

b. Casey Wiegmann had a pretty tough time with Shaun Rogers, which isn't really a major indictment of him, but it's a fact. Rogers is a great player, and got a lot of penetration Sunday, making him Cleveland's lone bright spot, on either side of the ball.

c. I wouldn't trade Alphonso Smith for any other nickel CB in the NFL. His skill-set is tremendous for that role, and it won't be long before he is taking an interception back for 6 points.

d. I feel a little bad for Matt Prater, because the gusting wind really got a hold of those two missed Field Goals. I think the criticism he is taking is a little bit unwarranted, at least for the moment. He needs to be making his kicks, but 40-mph gusts can move anybody's ball. I was pleased with his kickoff work on Sunday, which was really important, too.

e. How nice is it to have coverage teams that can tackle a return man? Josh Cribbs is as good as it gets in the return game, and the Broncos did a fantastic job of containing him.

f. I would still like to see more of Peyton Hillis with the ball in his hands, on offense. The only time he got it, he scored, but he has a lot to add in the passing and running games.

g. Nobody has mentioned this yet, that I have seen, but Tony Scheffler has grown into a very good blocker. In the second half, particularly, I made a note that the Broncos were motioning him into position to seal the edge of running plays, and he was hitting his man hard, and maintaining his blocks. That 3-TE package (Scheffler, Daniel Graham and Richard Quinn), which we saw a lot of in the second half, was knocking some heads in the running game. The local Cleveland media says that the Browns defense collapsed in the second half, but really, the Broncos started dominating up front in the second half.

h. Knowshon Moreno seems to be a pretty quick study, huh? I think Bobby Turner spent a good amount of time last week "encouraging" him to take one cut and go.

i. I wrote this on Twitter Sunday (@TedBartlett905) but it bears repeating.

Really good things happen when Brian Dawkins blitzes. He made the play, and Dumervil gets the stat.

Elvis Dumervil's first sack was actually caused by Dawkins blitzing, and jumping high into the air in Brady Quinn's throwing lane, which he frequently does. Quinn couldn't throw it, turned to his left, and met Dumervil for the first time.

j. Interesting stuff from Eric Mangini, via Steve Beuerlein, the color analyst for the game. Paraphrasing, he said that he considered it futile to have a good pass rusher try to beat Ryan Clady, because it was practically impossible to do. We all know Ryan is the best offensive lineman in the NFL, because we pay attention to such things.

Len Pasquarelli, not so much:

Young tackles thriving

Surprisingly, given its perceived difficulty, the position that has produced the most opening-day rookie starters over the past two seasons is offensive tackle, with 11. Even more surprising is that seven of the 11 are left tackles, a position that is among the most difficult to fill and is regarded as the most critical spot on the offense line. There were six rookie opening-day starters at tackle in 2008, and there are five this year, all of whom were selected in the first or second round. Arguably the best of the lot might be Ryan Clady of Denver, a 2008 first-rounder from Boise State who started all 16 games as a rookie. Some pro scouts already rate the relatively unknown Clady among the NFL's top 5 tackles and say he has made more progress than Jake Long of Miami, the top overall pick in 2008.

OK, this is not a news flash, that Clady is good. I want to talk to the pro scouts who don't rate him among the top 5 at that position, but I doubt there are any, unless there are some unqualified people in that role. This is what I mean about repeating information. When you talk to 3 pro scouts, and they all tell you Clady is great, you come to "some pro scouts."

As for Jake Long, he is what he is. He's athletically limited, but a solid player who is very valuable in the running game. Against elite pass rushers, he'll always struggle. I watched Dwight Freeney dominate him in the first half Monday night, bull rushing him to the ground several times.

3. Information from my eyes from other games:

.a. The main game I watched in the 1 ET slot was New England against the Jets. Guru's wife and other Patriots fans ought to be pretty alarmed by the Patriots' inability to protect Tom Brady with any consistency, for the second week in a row. It really limits their offense, by wrecking their timing, and I saw Brady looking really frustrated on Sunday.

I was all over picking this game correctly, because I was certain that the Patriots couldn't block the Jets' pressure packages. They are going to need to re-evaluate their protection schemes, and max-protect more often, because what they are doing simply isn't working.

b. Scheme is really important, and can add as much as value as talent, as we've seen from Mike Nolan this season. Rex Ryan's scheme is just outstanding for the Jets, and he gets a lot of pressure from the design alone. It's worth noting that they're doing this without their best pass rusher, Calvin Pace, who is still suspended for two more games.

c. Darrelle Revis is a fantastic player, much better than the football-watching world knows him to be. His game has no weaknesses, and he shut down Randy Moss on Sunday, which is obviously no small thing. He and Lito Sheppard, who is very good on the other side, allow the Jets to blitz so often without worrying too much.

d. I caught a great deal of the Texans-Titans game, too. The biggest impression I took from that game was that the Titans defense is really underachieving this season, especially in coverage. I like Matt Schaub, but he and the Texans shouldn't be slicing up Tennessee like that, especially missing a starting WR (Kevin Walter) and with Steve Slaton continuing to struggle a bit. With the Titans' record at 0-2 now, you have to wonder how long it takes for new Defensive Coordinator Chuck Cecil to come under a lot of fire.

e. From Chris Mortensen on Twitter Monday Night:

Packers have me very confused but 1 thing is clear after 2 games - their O-line is a much bigger weakness than they anticipated.

If they hadn't anticipated it would be a problem, then their anticipators are a problem, too. If Mort means it's a bigger weakness than HE anticipated, okay. He's more or less a repeater of information, and if nobody told him, he probably wouldn't know.

I have been ripping the Packers O-line for two years now, and I beat them up for taking B.J. Raji instead of Michael Oher. It was obvious that the Chad Clifton-Mark Tauscher combination at Tackle was terrible last season, and it's even more clear that Clifton and Allen Barbre are even worse. Clifton got hurt on Sunday, and was replaced by Daryn Colledge, who needs to stick to being an average Guard.

f. What in the world has gotten into Antwan Odom? After two sacks last week against the Broncos, he got five against the Packers. This is a guy who has had a thoroughly average career so far, so it's a little surprising to see this burst of production all of a sudden. He looks bigger and quicker than in the past, so it will bear watching whether he can keep it up.

g. I picked the Lions to beat Minnesota this week, and I admittedly missed on that one. I felt pretty good when the Lions got out to an early lead, though. I think the Vikings are going to really disappoint this season. Brett Favre hasn't looked very good to me in the first two weeks, and hasn't thrown the ball downfield. Going 23-for-27 is good, but 155 yards? That's really un-Favre-like. If I were an opposing defensive coordinator, with two games of film now, I'd be having my corners sit on every short route, and force the guy to beat me deep. I never thought I'd say that about Favre, but I am.

h. Michael Huff seems like he may finally be putting it all together. He has now caused turnovers in each of the Raiders' first two games. He looks much more sure of himself in play diagnosis than in past years. Maybe he is just a late bloomer, but there was some speculation he could be cut in camp this year, if he didn't improve a lot.

i. I have been pretty complimentary of JaMarcus Russell lately, but he played terribly on Sunday, until the final game-winning series. That throw he made on 3rd and 15 is the reason you live with his growing pains. The Raiders could help him out by giving him some higher-percentage options to throw to, but he needs to make plays, too.

j. Really nice throw by Matt Cassel and catch by Dwayne Bowe to give the Chiefs the lead against the Raiders. The Chiefs really dominated the game on offense, but made a lot of mistakes to keep the game close. They held the ball for 38 minutes and 39 seconds, which really goes to illustrate the sometimes-deceiving nature of the time-of-possession statistic.

k. The Eagles missed Donovan McNabb, obviously, but I was a little surprised that they didn't do better on defense. That was a Philly Steamer their defense laid. Incidentally, it didn't help my fantasy team much, in the official MHR League, this week, either.

l. Mario Manningham is really starting to emerge as the best WR for the Giants, and he had a huge game Sunday night against the Cowboys. He ran a slower-than-expected 40 coming out of college, and had some maturity questions, but the guy was a big-time player at Michigan. For a team with a lot of 3rd-WR types, the Giants desperately need somebody to emerge, and it looks like Manningham can be that guy. We'll have to see what happens when teams get some film on him, but for now he is carrying it well.

m. The Cowboys are not a legitimate contender this season. Their defense is very suspect, particularly against the pass, and their only legitimate pass rusher is DeMarcus Ware, at this point. I've never seen anything from Anthony Spencer, either in college or the pros, to convince me that he is the answer on the other side. They had Greg Ellis, and really erred in letting him get away. If you can't cover, and the 'Boys can't, you'd better be getting to the QB. Most teams, other than the Broncos, can't handle Ware one-on-one, but if you double him, you'll almost certainly have time to throw the ball.

n. Felix Jones is downright scary for the Cowboys. They pretty much struck out on Mike Jenkins in the first round in 2008, but hit a home run with Jones. I guess one-for-two isn't that bad, all things considered.

o. Some fool took me to task on YouTube when I did the pilot program for Lighting Up The Scoreboard. Apparently, I should have known that "Kevin Payne is really, really good." Well, this week he got benched in favor of Danieal Manning, and when he did play, he took a really bad angle on Rashard Mendenhall's 39-yard run, which set up a Ben Roethlisberger TD run. Really, really good, indeed.

p. Jay Cutler had a good game for the Bears, and didn't throw the ball to the other team, keeping them in it long enough to benefit from a missed Steelers FG. I think everybody had that impression, and I don't personally care what he does, like the ex-girlfriend I compared him with a few weeks ago. I think some people have me pegged as an Always-Rip-Cutler guy, though, and I am not. I am actually pretty indifferent, and I don't miss him. When he plays well, I will say that he played well.

q. Matt Forte is another story, entirely. The Bears offensive line isn't very good, but Forte really didn't show much individually on Sunday. My brother texted me recently asking me if I'd take Michael Turner, Forte, or Maurice Jones-Drew second overall in a fantasy draft. I told him Turner, but Forte would be last choice of the three. Cutler's arm has a way of seducing play-callers into wanting to use it all the time (we sure know this), and he's nowhere near as apt to check down as Kyle Orton was/is.

r. Circling back to the Green Bay-Cincinnati game, Cedric Benson is extremely talented, and he looks like he is finally coming into his own. He got a reputation for being soft at Chicago, but his teammates never liked him personally, as he displaced locker-room favorite Thomas Jones. Benson is in the top 5 in the NFL, in terms of pure talent at the RB position, and the Bengals really made a good move to bring him to town, and then to re-sign him pretty cheaply in the offseason (2 years, $7 Million).

s. Every week, my glowing reviews of Joe Flacco just look better and better. I got ripped for that a bit, but I knew and continue to know that I was right.

t. The Chargers are in big, big trouble on defense. Losing Jamal Williams was just a killer, even if his play had sharply declined in the last two seasons. The Chargers aren't pressuring anybody, and without Williams, they aren't terribly stout against the run anymore, either. Alfonso Boone isn't the answer, in case anybody was wondering. San Diego can score with anybody, and they're going to need to.

u. You know who looks like a really good young player? Sean Smith for the Dolphins. Yeah, I was all over that one before the Draft. The Broncos value ball skills over size at CB, which is why they preferred Alphonso Smith over any CB in the Draft, but I have love for a tall, fluid guy who can play press coverage. He had Reggie Wayne blanketed on that deep throw near the end of the first half which Gibril Wilson intercepted off of Smith's tip, which seems to have been overturned. (I left the bar I was at right after that play.) Anyway, Wayne was targeted 6 times, catching 3 passes for 37 yards. That's really good work from the RCB position for the Dolphins.

4. I had a power outage at home on Monday night, and it precluded me from watching any of the DVR'd games I was going to watch, making my other games analysis a little lighter than I wanted. I will run Between The Lines Tuesday night as a FanPost, since it's not able to be included in this edition.

I am writing from the library, since I have no power, and it's closing soon, as I write this. If my power has come back when I get home, I will write more. If not, look for at least Between The Lines Tuesday night. Have a great week.

Story Lines from the Kansas City Chiefs 13-10 Loss to the Oakland Raiders

Joel Thorman — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:19:03 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

2 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley argues a call with an official at the end of the second quarter of a NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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In a game that tests your team devotion, the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Oakland Raiders 13-10. It's the third consecutive game the Raiders have won in Arrowhead Stadium.

Two things we learned:

This offense can put up decent numbers but, for a variety of reasons, can not score touchdowns
The defense breaks down in the most critical of situations.

Yeah, there were some good moments on both sides of the ball. Ultimately, though, the Chiefs only had three points on the board until 2:38 left in the game.

Frustrating is the way to describe it. Here are a few notes on the game:

The Return of Matt Cassel

If it weren't for the Chiefs loss, Matt Cassel's return would be the story. He made a couple of mistakes to Michael Huff, one of which was in Raider territory.

He completed 24/39 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown.

With 2:38 seconds to play in regulation, and Stanford Routt in for Nnamdi Asomugha, Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe 29 yards down the field for his first touchdown pass as a Kansas City Chief. If it weren't for the defensive breakdown on the next Raiders possession, that would have won the game.

LJ's Big Day

Some will tell you it was the offensive line, and to a degree it was, but the LJ of old returned today. He made defenders missed and brought back his trademark bulldozer style of running.

Still, though, it wasn't enough. He rushed 24 times for 78 yards, which comparatively speaking, aren't amazing numbers but they represent and upgrade for the Chiefs running game.

Penalties

Count me as one of the folks that did not see this coming.

After committing just three penalties last week, they drew a flag on nine occasions.

The good news is that the Raiders weren't much better. The Raiders last drive had three penalties alone. In the whole game, the Raiders committed seven penalties.

JaMarcus Russell Is Not Very Good

One of the most frightening realities for the 2009 Raiders: JaMarcus Russell's 12/30 performance last week is his most accurate game of the season.

Today he completed 7/24 passes.

Seriously. Look at his career stats. Hitting less than 50% of his receivers is not uncommon.

In the first half, he threw a wounded duck after being hit by Mike Brown. Of course, Zach Miller dropped it.

Down Goes Waters

It's no big deal now - but Brian Waters went down in the second half. He was helped up by trainers and limped off under his own control.

Good news: He was back just a few plays later.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

3 months ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, left, talks to quarterback Tom Brandstater during a break in the action at a NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/ Ed Andrieski )

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It's a regular season Football Tuesday, friends. What could be better? Welcome to another edition of ST&NO. I didn't watch a lot of Week 4 preseason football this week, because, let's face it, most of those games feature very little play by regulars. I did get into college football though, and I did put together some thoughts toward a season preview. Without further ado, let's jump right into it. Ready......... BEGIN!!!

1. You have to love the MSM echo chamber. A couple of these guys get to saying something, and next thing you know, the (mostly uneducated) opinion of a few becomes FACT. The funniest example to me was the 2006 Draft. The evening before the big day, the Texans, who had been assumed by everybody in the media to be preparing to draft Reggie Bush first overall, announced that they had agreed to terms with Mario Williams, and would be picking the Defensive End first the next day.

The Texans got brutally hammered by the instant analysis, as you'd expect. This must be about money, the punditry said. Charley Casserly must be cheap and/or out of his mind. Why would Bob McNair even let him run this draft, when he knew he was being let go? Was Casserly trying to sabotage the team on his way out?

After one year, it was ACCEPTED FACT that the Texans had screwed up. Williams struggled a bit, like young defensive linemen usually do, and Bush showed some flashes, especially in a playoff game against the Bears. The Texans screwed up, and they should serve as a lesson to other teams who are blessed have the first overall pick, and who don't want to screw it up themselves.

A funny thing happened in 2007, though. Mario Williams turned into (and continues to be) the best Defensive End in the NFL, and Reggie Bush proved to to be an injury-prone, part-time player. You haven't heard any mea culpas from Len Pasquarelli or John Clayton, in the aftermath of this. They were sure, and they had it DEAD WRONG, and there's no acknowledgment of that fact, whatsoever. I personally think that makes them cowards, and I remember it as an example of how not to behave, when I get something wrong, which I do from time to time (but far less often than they do.)

Remember when Bill Belichick stuck with Tom Brady for the playoffs, even when Drew Bledsoe got healthy back in 2001? He got killed, until Brady won their first Super Bowl against the mighty St. Louis Rams. This happens all the time.

Fast-forward to 2009. Clayton projects that the Broncos will go 3-13 this season, and be the second worst team in the NFL, behind Detroit. Unless a New York Mets-like spate of injuries befalls the team, he is DEAD WRONG. If I am wrong, and he is right, I will man up to it publically, like I always do, but that's not going to happen. The 2009 Denver Broncos are a competitive football team, I am sure of it.

I fancy myself, among other things, to be something of a football philosopher. The following beliefs dominate my thinking about the game.

a. The most important determinant in winning or losing football games is turnovers. The second most important determinant is field position. (Turnovers get the edge, because they usually afford the opponent excellent field position, in addiiton to the ball.)

b. Successful offensive teams must be able to pass the ball in the first half to get leads in games, and run the ball in the second half to protect leads. The ability to throw is of foremost importance, though.

c. Successful defensive teams must understand item b. and be prepared to act accordingly.

d. Scoring area offense and defense are always the difference between average teams and excellent teams. At the end of the day, your offense needs to score more points than your defense allows.

This 2009 Denver Broncos team has been put together brilliantly, and it adheres very closely to the philosophy which I just laid out. Consider the following facts about the Broncos, as presently constructed:

a. Kyle Orton has a pretty good history of protecting the football, where the previous Quarterback had a history of giving the ball to the defense a lot.

b. The Broncos, in the preseason, at least, showed better punt and kick coverage outcomes than we've seen in years, the one long Devin Hester return notwithstanding.

c. Alphonso Smith didn't get to return a lot of kicks, but he looked explosive every time he touched the ball, and that's something to be excited about. We know Eddie Royal can make plays in the return game, as well.

d. This team will pass the ball very well, regardless of who is doing the throwing. The offensive line is outstanding in pass protection, and there is no better group of players catching the ball (between WR, TE, and RB) in the NFL. Trust me, the ball is going to move through the air, and a lot of teams who rely heavily on rushing the passer are going to struggle to contain the Broncos, when their guys don't get close to Orton.

e. I believe the Broncos are going to run the ball very effectively as well. We didn't get to see Knowshon Moreno much in the preseason, but he looked tremendous when we did. Peyton Hillis and Correll Buckhalter are also capable runners, and Lamont Jordan at least used to be one.

f. The defense, which was one of the worst in NFL history last season, is much improved, against both run and pass. I particularly like the physicality I see from the front 5 in the running game, and Elvis Dumervil's ability to get pressure off the offense's left edge. Robert Ayers has been steadily improving too, and it won't be long before he starts on the left side of the defense. The secondary is older, obviously, but has shown a very nice ability to cover on the outside. If we see a lot of Wesley Woodyard in for Andra Davis in second-and-long situations, this can be an above-average defense, against both run and pass.

g. The scoring-area performance is the wild card. This is an 8-8 team with average performance there, and a better team with better performance. I believe that scoring area defense will be excellent, and that scoring area offense will be above average, and improve as the season goes on.

This is an 11-5 football team, and it's one that is only going to improve as it adds more quality talent in the next few years. I put my money where my mouth is too, donating $11 to the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, on John Bena's wife's behalf. Please do the same thing, if you can, by donating $1 for every win you think the Broncos will get this season. Things have to break right for that to happen, sure, but I think they will. Forget last season, this is a totally different thing.

"Professor" John Clayton thinks that so much roster turnover is bad, but when you were terrible on one side of the ball, it's actually really good. I personally like having 8 new starters on defense, from last season. And remember, there's only 1-2 new starters on offense, depending on how RB works out. And, by the way, Clayton couldn't be a professor at The College of Wig Design and Basket Weaving. Knowledge doesn't come with looking like a complete nerd, I'm sorry. He is going to be proven wrong again, and all anybody in the MSM will say is "They came out of nowhere. Who could have possibly seen it coming?"

2. Wow, 11-5, huh? I actually went through the entire NFL schedule, and picked it game by game for all teams. It satsified my accountant's need to have the total wins equal the total losses, and it seemed more scientific than just throwing a high-level WAG (accountant-speak for Wild-Ass Guess) at each record. The following is my prediction for team records.

As I indicated, I did this game-by-game, with no thought given to what final records should end up being. For example, I thought Green Bay might have the best record in the NFC, but their schedule played out to 11-5, the way I figured it. I feel like I have the Jets, Bengals, and 49ers somewhat too low, but that's how it came out.

By the way, the Broncos five losses are to the Patriots, Giants, and Raiders at home, and the Chargers and Eagles on the road. I know a lot of people will groan at the thought of losing to Oakland at home, but let's face it, the Broncos annually lose a game they have no business losing, and I had a feeling that that would be the one. I think they can beat Baltimore and Pittsburgh, because they protect the QB, and will be strong defensively against the run. It's about matchups, in those cases. Really, I believe that the Broncos can beat any team on their schedule if they execute, and consistently do the things you need to do to win football games.

At a league-wide level, give me Pittsburgh and Indianapolis as AFC Wild Cards, and Philadelphia and Minnesota in the NFC. I'll take the Eagles to beat the Titans in the Super Bowl, as things stand today. Of course, I speculated all of this, but I think I put more time into it than most MSMers did, and I feel pretty good about the results, for the most part.

3. Some random college football thoughts, from the opening weekend:

a. Notre Dame is a lot better than I thought they were. They have a lot of speed on defense, now, and I think they're primed for a big season. Of course, as we know, anybody who ever worked under Bill Belichick is doomed to failure, but expect Charlie Weis' seat to cool considerably, because the Irish should be in a BCS bowl game this year.

b. How about BYU, beating Oklahoma? People will point to the Bradford injury, and they have a point, but the Cougar defense was fast and physical, and they won the game. BYU may have a shot to play in the National Championship game, if you look at their fairly-strong schedule, and consider the credibility that Utah gave the Mountain West Conference last season.

c. Greg Paulus is a good QB for Syracuse. He may even emerge as a decent NFL prospect, though I am not ready to call him that yet. Remember, the Packers looked at him this offseason, before he decided to go to grad school at Syracuse.

d. Florida is still definitely the team to beat, and only Alabama looks like they have a chance of doing it, in the SEC. They wouldn't see each other until the SEC Championship game, which would be a rematch of a pretty tense, close game from last December, if it happened.

e. I'd like to see USC's restocked defense against a real team. Since there aren't any on their schedule until they play California the first weeknd in October, and there are none after that, Ohio State will have to do, this weekend.

f. Big up the Naval Academy for going toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes in Columbus, which is a really tough place to play. I expect the Midshipmen to have a nice year, and play in a solid bowl game. Their QB, Ricky Dobbs, might be the best one they've ever had.

g. I don't mind beating up on ESPN from time to time, but I do give them a lot of credit for being progressive with gender roles on their broadcast teams. I watched a lot of the Syracuse-Minnesota game on Saturday, because I was curious about Paulus, and Pam Ward did a fantastic job on play-by-play. She and Ray Bentley make a very nice team, and really, they should be on some better games, instead of the terrible Mike Patrick and the just-OK Craig James.

ESPN also has Doris Burke as an analyst for men's college and pro basketball, which is even more progressive. She does a great job too, and she really knows the game, having been a coach in the past. Despite the sort of chauvinistic slant of sports media over the years, it's good to see women who have something to contribute being given the chance to do so. Here at MHR, we get outstanding contributions from women like Colorado Kitten, mhrsgirl, batgirl, Silverblood, and others, and it's great to see that happening in the broadcast media, as well.

h. I'm with SI.com's Stewart Mandel on one thing at least:

Only one weekend in, and I already want to pound my head into a wall every time I hear that Kenny Chesney snippet. Why, ESPN? Why?

I think Kenny Chesney totally sucks anyway, but usually I can just choose not to listen to him. Now, ESPN/ABC is forcing him on me. I hate this song already, like Bill Simmons quickly came to hate "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon over a recent weekend in Vegas. You see that, Kenny? I compared your awful song to the vacuous, peppy nonsense they play in casinos to keep people smiling and playing. I'll just need to have a steady supply of minimal-damage things on hand to throw on Saturdays, I guess. Sigh. Why can't these producer types just let football be FOOTBALL? I tell you, the best telecasts are the standard Sunday afternoon NFL games on CBS, where they just have a football game.

4. Having watched a bunch of college football on Saturday, I had occasion to see several future professional QBs play. It got me thinking that there were a lot of guys playing college football right now who can be first or second round picks in the NFL Draft, and challenge for starting jobs. You always hear that all of the spread-out schemes that are being used nowadays dilute the ranks, but I really disagree. I think that kids are getting better coaching at younger ages, and it's resulting in a lot of them maximizing their natural ability. Consider the following list:

a. Sam Bradford Oklahoma Junior 2010 Draft - The leader in the clubhouse right now to be the first pick in the 2010 Draft, if his shoulder injury isn't too serious. (As of Monday night, it sounds like it isn't, in the long-term sense.) Bradford is tall and very accurate, and has an average NFL arm. I like him, but don't love him, personally.

b. Jevan Snead Ole Miss 4th year Junior 2010 Draft - Snead flashes outstanding ability as a passer, and is a pretty good athlete. He's not as experienced as the other big name guys, because this will only be his second season as a starter. (He backed up Colt McCoy at Texas as a freshman.) Snead has all the tools you look for, and somebody will draft him very high. He looked rusty on Sunday, but you can see the nice ball he throws.

c. Tim Tebow Florida Senior 2010 Draft - Tim Tebow is almost certainly going to finish up his career being known as the greatest player in college football history. A lot of MSMers say he can't play QB in the NFL. They are wrong, and I am 100% sure that time is going to prove me right. Unlike most unconventional QBs who think they're going to change the QB position in the NFL, (think Vince Young or Michael Vick,) Tebow is humble enough to let the QB position in the NFL change him. Tebow has better arm strength than any of these 2010 guys, except Snead, and he's a huge threat on the ground, as everybody knows. He is the best short yardage runner I have ever seen, and is just different than any other QB to play the game in the modern era. The downside of Tebow is a slowness in his delivery, but that's coachable, and it's being worked on by his new QB coach, Scott Loeffler. Scouts are going to come around to this, and realize that Tebow is very similar to Donovan McNabb, when he was coming out of Syracuse 10 years ago. He is from a college-only system, and needs NFL coaching, but has all the tools. The MSM will still say that he should be an H-Back, which nobody even uses in the NFL, but they're wrong. Tebow is going to be a first round pick, and he'll win championships in the NFL, because a winner is a winner.

d. Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame Junior 2010 Draft - It's kind of hard to imagine a Notre Dame QB who was a top recruit being under-the-radar, but Clausen really fits that description, due to the Irish being down in recent years. He is poised for a huge junior season, having gotten started Saturday against Nevada (15-18, 315 yards, 4 TDs.) Clausen has been coached by a pro coach, (don't forget that Charlie Weis is excellent as a QB coach) and he is the most ready to run a pro system of any of these guys. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Clausen ends up actually being the first pick in 2010, if he measures OK at the combine. He'll leave, and Weis won't try to stop him, because he has a really good backup in Dayne Crist, waiting for his own chance.

e. Colt McCoy Texas 5th-year Senior 2010 Draft - McCoy is accurate, athletic, and has had an excellent career at Texas. His arm is the weakest of this 5 man group, he's thinly built, and I personally like him the least. He will probably shake out with a Jake Plummer or Drew Brees-like grade, and be a late first or early second rounder. If he can maximize his talent, like Plummer and Brees did, some team will have something. McCoy could also easily end up being a career backup in the NFL, though, like Kellen Clemens or Patrick Ramsey.

f. Tim Hiller Western Michigan Senior 2010 Draft - I got to watch Hiller some on Saturday against Michigan, and while he is said to be well-regarded by scouts, I didn't love him, from what I saw. He has a strong arm, and good pocket awareness, but he didn't look like a playmaker to me. I will be keeping an eye on him, as the season progresses.

g. Dan Lefevour Central Michigan Senior 2010 Draft - A highly productive run-pass player from another directional Michigan school. I like his quickness, and his ability to throw the ball is solid. Lefevour may rise into the bottom of the first round, once he gets tested at the combine, because he's just behind Tebow as an athlete, and ahead of the rest of the 2010 guys.

h. Terrelle Pryor Ohio State Sophomore 2011 Draft - This guy is going to be the first pick in the 2011 Draft, and you can almost write it in ink now. He can throw it, and run it, and he's not a spread guy. He plays under center a lot at OSU, in a pro-ish scheme. There's never been a 6-6 guy who is so fast and fuid with the ball, and he can really fire it down the field, with both strength and accuracy.

i. Jake Locker Washington Junior 2011 Draft - Locker is another first round lock, if he waits until 2011. He's a junior, but he missed most of last season, so he'd probably be best served to do so. He has a fantastic arm, and excellent athleticism. He's also going to get excellent coaching from Steve Sarkisian, and I expect big things from him.

j. Ryan Mallett Arkansas Third-Year Sophomore 2011 Draft - Mallett started a lot of games as a freshman at Michigan, and transferred to Arkansas when Rich Rodriguez brought in his option offense. Mallett is 6-7 and 238 pounds, and is a prototype NFL thrower. Nobody thinks much of Bobby Petrino as a man in the NFL, but everybody remembers that he can coach the hell out of the QB position, though.

k. Matt Barkley USC Freshman 2012 Draft - Will probably be the first pick in 2012. Barkley is the first true freshman to start at QB for USC in more than 30 years, and he looks like the real deal already.

l. Dayne Crist Notre Dame Sophomore 2012 Draft - He played some snaps on Saturday, and completed both throws he attempted. He has all the ability, and will get the benefit of outstanding coaching from Weis. He's eventually a first round pick, after starting for 2 years once Clausen leaves.

m. John Brantley Florida Third-Year Sophomore 2012 Draft - Brantley is much more of a Pro-style prospect than Tebow, and he projects very well to the NFL. He'll have the same college system concerns, but he's a good-sized player who can throw the ball with strength and accuracy. After 2 years as a starter, he'll be well-regarded by NFL scouts.

That's 13 guys playing college football right now, and probably 10-11 will be first round picks in the next 3 years. Are there 13 current NFL starters who are on their way out during that time? You'd have to say the answer is yes, because the talent replenishes itself. You can make a case for some other guys emerging as prospects, like Zac Robinson, Jonathan Crompton, Jacory Harris, Christian Ponder, Greg Paulus, Greg McElroy, Kevin Riley, Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger, Tom Savage, and Tate Forcier too. There is plenty of talent on the way in the next 3 years.

5. Welcome back, Brandon Marshall. Now, don't screw it up. Really, it's pretty simple with Marshall at this point. He needs to swallow his pride, work hard, and produce at a high level on the field, while staying out of trouble off of it. It is the only way he is going to get what he wants, be it from the Broncos or another team. Since I am not the arbiter of what is right and wrong, I am happy with him if he plays well and helps the team win. Hopefully, he can do that, because he'll be a Bronco all year, that much is clear.

6. Speaking of people who have been alleged to assault their girlfriends, we should all remember that we weren't there when whatever happened, happened, between Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila. If he's guilty, I hope justice is done, at both the NFL level, and the judicial level. We just can't know whether he is or not, until a judge and jury say so, so please resist the temptation to gloat or moralize about it. It will work itself out, with or without any of us paying attention to it. Remember that each of us would appreciate the presumption of innocence, until proven guilty, if we were accused of a crime.

The same obviously goes for RIchard Quinn, who got arrested Monday, and spent the night in jail.

7. Retired for John Elway

8. Really interesting stuff going on with Offensive Coordinators getting canned lately, on the eve of the season.

a. First, Chan Gailey got whacked in Kansas City. The surprise was that Todd Haley kept him from the previous staff in the first place, not that he got fired. Haley wants to call the plays, and now, it seems that he'll get a chance to do so. It's clear that Scott Pioli is in charge in Kansas City, so the timing of the decision strikes me as a little strange.

b. Jeff Jagodzinski being canned in Tampa Bay was also interesting. Have you ever heard of an Offensive Coordinator delegating the play-calling to a position coach (RB coach Steve Logan, who was his corrdinator at Boston College)? It's bizarre, almost like Jagodzinski thought he was the head coach. It's clear that Raheem Morris didn't quite know what he was getting with Jagodzinski, and he acted decisively to correct a mistake from the past. Morris and GM Mark Domenik, two young guys, have been getting beat up in the MSM for this, but correcting a mistake is always better than living with one to avoid criticism. It shows me that Morris has strength in his convictions, an essential character trait for success as a head coach. A LOT of people, in all professions, stick with mistakes rather than admitting making them, and cutting their losses, which is always the right thing to do. Now, Morris will just have to get better at interviewing assistants, but that comes with experience. I'm not particularly high on Tampa's chances this season, but I think they and Morris have a bright future, once they get some more talent in there.

As for Jagodzinski, he might be out of work for awhile. He left Boston College, on bad terms, because he wanted to get back into the NFL. Now, the NFL found him to be lacking as a coordinator, so where does he go? He could maybe be an NFL Tight Ends coach again, like was at Green Bay. More likely, he tries to get back into the college ranks after this season, and lands somewhere less prestigious than BC.

c. The most Jerry Springer-ish divorce comes from Buffalo, where Dick Jauron let Turk Schonert go this week. Schonert claims that Jauron wanted a Pop Warner offense, and handcuffed his ability to be successful, by limiting the number of formations and plays he could use. Going public with that stuff is juicy for the fans, but may get him black-balled for awhile in the NFL. Look for Schonert to possibly re-materialize in college next season.

9. This is going to sound contrarian, but I actually like the Raiders trading for Richard Seymour. Even at Silver and Black Pride, SBNation's Raiders blog, the opinions are wildly mixed.

Only 42% like it there, so why do I? I doubt anybody in Oakland is thinking really far ahead, because if Michael Lombardi is to be believed, only Al Davis does any thinking that counts there. The long-term is why I like the move, however. To get there, I will start with the here-and-now, though.

In the last 6 years, the Raiders have selected Robert Gallery (2nd), Michael Huff (7th), JaMarcus Russell (1st), Darren McFadden (4th), and Darrius Heyward-Bey (7th.) They paid huge money for these players, and have gotten minimal Return On Investment. Their salary structure dictates that they quit making Top 10 picks, because with a salary cap, (and with the small-market economic reality of Oakland, even absent a cap,) they can't build a team full of those high-priced guys.

Seymour comes to Oakland, with a chance to help them be more competitive than they've been in recent years. That would get them out of the Top 10 business, anyway. He'll personally be motivated to produce at a high level, because he's in a contract year. The Raiders can franchise him after the season, they could overpay to keep him, or they could let him walk, and get a pretty sure 3rd round compensatory pick for him.

As for the price Oakland paid, it sounds steep, but remember that you have to discount the pick one round per year of waiting for it. That makes it worth a 3rd rounder in today's dollars, and it also prevents the Raiders from having to exercise another high pick in 2011, if their efforts to improve fail.

So, you get a chance to be better this year and for the next few years, with at least a 3rd rounder coming back, for the price of a 3rd rounder today. That makes sense to me, for the Raiders. (Admittedly, it would make less sense for the Broncos.)

I like Oakland making a move to be better now, because they've sure been terrible and irrelevant for a long time now, and what they've been doing just hasn't been working.

That's all I've got for now, but I'll be working on Lighting Up The Scoreboard, to run on Friday night, for the Bengals game. Have a great week, friends, and let's get fired up for some regular season Broncos football.

Weekly Raider: Issue #7

KA1Z3R — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:42:32 -0000

via i221.photobucket.com

Greetings all, Weekly Raider Issue #7 is here. Today we feature none other than the Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell. You'll also get my thoughts on the upcoming position battle at safety for the Raiders, and of course the featured fan. So kick back, relax, and enjoy some Raiders goodness.

-Weekly Raider: QB #2 JaMarcus Russell-

via i116.photobucket.com

The Raiders 6-6 260 lbs man beast of a QB, JaMarcus Russell will be looking to capitalize on the success of his last two games of the 08 season. But in order to do this, he has fix his greatest weakness, inconsistency.

Russell is like any other QB, he has his good games and he has his bad games, but for him it's either a great game or terrible game. No middle, no median. To me, this season for Russell will be about solidifying a consistency point. Where instead of great game, terrible game, great, terrible, so on and so forth; he'll have good game, okay game, good game, bad game, okay game, great game, good game, etc. I mean just look at his game log last year.

Week 1 vs. Broncos: 17 for 26, 180 yards. 2 TD's, 0 INT. 3 sacks. 111.1 rating

Week 2 vs. Chiefs: 6 for 17. 55 yards. 0 TD's, 0 INT. 0 sacks. 45.0 rating

Week 3 vs. Bills: 9 for 19. 156 yards. 1 TD, 0 INT. 1 sack. 93.3 rating

Week 4 vs. Chargers: 22 for 37. 277 yards. 1 TD, 1 INT. 6 sacks. 80.6 rating

Week 6 vs. Saints: 13 for 35. 159 yards. 0 TD, 1 INT. 2 sacks. 40.1 rating

Week 7 vs. Jets: 17 for 30. 203 yards. 1 TD, 0 INT. 2 sacks. 88.6 rating

Week 8 vs. Ravens: 15 for 33. 228 yards. 1 TD, 1 INT. 4 sacks. 66.2 rating

Week 9 vs. Falcons: 6 for 19. 31 yards. 0 TD, 1 INT. 4 sacks. 19.0 rating

Week 10 vs. Panthers: n/a

Week 11 vs. Dolphins: 15 for 22. 156 yards. 0 TD, 0 INT. 4 sacks. 88.5 rating

Week 12 vs. Broncos: 10 for 11. 152 yards. 1 TD, 0 INT. 0 sacks. 149.1 rating

Week 13 vs. Chiefs: 10 for 28. 132 yards. 0 TD, 0 INT. 0 sacks. 51.5 rating

Week 14 vs. Chargers: 9 for 13. 68 yards. 0 TD, 2 INT. 1 sack. 42.0 rating

Week 15 vs. Patriots: 17 for 32. 242 yards. 2 TD, 1 INT. 2 sacks. 85.7 rating

Week 16 vs. Texans: 18 for 25. 236 yards. 2 TD, 0 INT. 1 sack. 128.1 rating

Week 17 vs. Bucs: 14 for 21. 148 yards. 2 TD, 1 INT. 1 sack. 98.9 rating

One big reason for this inconsistency is the enormous amount of sacks (31) with as much as 4-6 in one game. However, the O-Line looks much improved thus year. For one, Harris is out and Henderson is in. Harris was terrible guarding Russell's blindside. Whether it was allowing a sack, getting a penalty, or letting the pressure get to Russell, harris was a flat-out failure. But now we have Mario Henderson, who gave up 0 sacks and committed 0 penalties when he was guarding Russell those last couple of good games. There's also Khalif Barnes who should be the starter at right tackle, creating what should be a very solid tackle duo. And with the great guards and centers in the middle, Russell shouldn't have to worry about defensive tackles very often.

He also had some low pass completion and pass attempt numbers. Mainly due to the fact of an abysmal receiving corps which didn't get the proper lineup in until about Week 15. This year we should have the right receivers starting from the get-go with Schilens and Higgins coming off great finishes to the season. There's also the new additions of rookies Heyward-Bey and Murphy to give Russell even more downfield and big play threats. Also, I look for Walker to have a good year now that he's back and healthy thanks to surgery on his knee. Then of course there's the receiving talents of Miller and backs like Bush and McFadden will se more play time and more time in the passing game.

My expectations for Russell aren't major since this is still a run heavy team. But I definitely expect a lot of improvement when passing situations come up. Expect around 18 to maybe 20 touchdowns, 7-10 interceptions, 2800 passing yards, and probably about 25 sacks if not fewer.

-Random Thoughts: Safety Position Battle-

The battle for the starting safety spots will probably be the fiercest position battle in this year's training camp, and arguably the most important. With the cornerbacks very solid this year, the safeties have to step it up big time to keep that Raiders passing defense in it's usual top-10 spot. So let's look at who competing for the spot.

With Eugene, you get a good cover safety who showed some good tackling late in the year when he started. I doubt this will change and I think he'll be the starting FS because he's the best cover man of the group.

Huff has one more year before solidifying that bust status. I'm far from waht you'd call a Huff fan, but I think he'll get every possible chance to prove himself. However, I don't think it'll be good enough. He's a good cover SS, but a miserable tackler; and as a FS he can do neither. Everyone says it was ryan's scheme, but I don't buy it. Schemes don't affect your ability to tackle. He'll be a good backup SS option

Branch is the picture of what being a Raiders safety means. Branch is fast, so fast he's probably the backup kick returner. He's also a sure tackler, something Oakalnd has lacked at safety since Rod Woodson. I like what he can bring to the table this year, we just have to hope injuries won't be a problem for him, though I doubt they will be. Branch to me should be the starting SS.

Then there's the second round pick, Mike Mitchell. To summarize him, he's Tyvon branch, but a harder hitter. He has that amazing speed that Branch possesses, but man can he lay a wallop. Which could prove to be very useful in the future for popping the ball out of a receiver's hands. To me, Mitchell is a young LaRon Landry. However I think his hammy issues will keep as a backup at the start of the season. Though he may very well be starting alongside Branch later in the season.

My projected safety depth chart:

Free safety- Starter: Hiram Eugene/Backup: Mike Mitchel

Strong Safety- Starter: Tyvon Branch/Backup: Michael Huff

-Featured Fan: Laoren-

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Poll

Next Weekly Raider (defense only, no rookies)

Tommy Kelly

128 votes

Gerrard Warren

22 votes

Trevor Scott

152 votes

Ricky Brown

18 votes

Chris Johnson

198 votes

Greg Ellis

209 votes

Derrick Burgess

133 votes

other (please specify)

12 votes

872 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs Shouldn't Mess with Texas in NFL Draft

Joel Thorman — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:50:59 -0000

via blogs.chron.com

I made the trek out to ~~the site of the 1904 World's Fair~~ St. Louis this weekend which made for plenty of time to listen to the NFL channel* on Sirius Satellite Radio.

*Seriously, the NFL world is obsessed with the Jay Cutler trade. Every couple of hours when a new set of hosts would come onto the show they would break down the Cutler trade again. And again. Then they would take calls from folks who wanted to talk about the ramifications of the trade for their team. I'm obsessed with the NFL as much as the next guy but I am so tired of talking about this trade.

One of the topics discussed was the success, or lack thereof, of University of Texas players in the NFL draft, specifically the first round. UT has fielded dominant teams in the NCAA, even winning the Rose Bowl in 2006. But the talent they send to the pros is lacking.

For some reason, a good chunk of Texas players selected in the first round don't pan out in the NFL. Take a look at the players drafted in the first round since 1998 to get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

DB Michael Griffin (19)
DB Aaron Ross (20)
QB Vince Young (3)
DB Michael Huff (7)
RB Cedric Benson (4)
LB Derrick Johnson (15)
WR Roy Williams (7)
DT Marcus Tubbs (23)
T Mike Williams (4)
DB Quentin Jammer (5)
T Leonard Davis (2)
NT Casey Hampton (19)
RB Ricky Williams (5)

From my perspective, there's one player (Casey Hampton) whose justified his draft position. There are a few players, like the DBs selected in the last few years and Vince Young, who could still blossom into 1st round-type talent but have yet to demonstrate that.

That brings us to Brian Orakpo. Is he going to be the 3-4 rushbacker everyone says he can be? Or is he going to be the next Derrick Johnson, who's a good player but not a perennial Pro Bowler like we expected with the 15th overall pick in 2005?

I'm not putting much stock into Orakpo's potential based on a handful of other flameouts to make their way through Austin before hitting the league but it does make me wonder what's going on down there that such a stellar college program produces an unusual amount of busts.

Recent Draft History: Oakland Raiders

Jeremy Bolander — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:00:11 -0000

2008 Draft:

1 (4) Darren McFadden, RB STARTER

No one doubts his talent, but better backs have faltered with fewer problems. McFadden spent he season never quite getting on track with various injuries, including the dreaded turftoe, which is the bane of speedsters everywhere. He will likely benefit from the new coaching regime in Oakland, and is a huge part of helping QB Russell develop.

4 (100) Tyvon Branch, CB STARTER

Multiple injuries put the kid on reserve, but in his short time starting, he made Michael Huff expendable. A key component going forward.

4 (125) Arman Shields, WR Backup

After missing most of offseason practices with a bum knee, he was finally IRed and missed the entire season. He'll get a chance to prove himself all over again in 09.

6 (169) Trevor Scott, DE Backup

As a rotational starter this late pick showed the kind of workethic that could elevate him to a star. WIth 5 sacks in only limited reps he looks to be a key piece moving forward, but his slight frame and lower weight than ideal for the position may cap his ceiling at exceptional backup, or roleplayer.

7 (226) Chaz Schilens, WR Backup

Another solid late round pick, injuries hampered him, but whne he was given opportunities, this big WR managed to make Russell's life a lot easier. A big third down target, Schilens could have a possession role for the rest of his career and thrive.

2007 Draft:

1 (1) JaMarcus Russel, QB STARTER

While his development may not be going at ludicrous speed, lost in all of that he is still the youngest QB in the league, who was drafted on upside. With his arm, he has the ability to get out of any predicament, but he still needs to get the nuances of NFL QBing under his belt. Development, development, development is the word with Russell. he can't be asked to dumb his game down with dink and dunk Flacco-style playcalling, or he will never see his full potential. The Raiders knew they would have some growing pains with this QB, and more important than laboring over every little flaw in his game, is the addressing of the offensive line to give him the opportunity to continue to grow.

2 (38) Zach Miller, TE STARTER

By far the most potent and consistent weapon on the offense, Miller will only get better as the team upgrades around him. Tough, no-nonsense, and a willing and capable blocker make Miller one fo the top finds for Oakland in this draft.

3 (68) Quentin Moses, DE Backup/Miami

Moses made no impact for Oakland, and was shipped out before the 2008 season. In Miami he has been injured and deactivated.

3 (91) Mario Henderson, OT STARTER

Henderson has been a huge part of Russell's development, and looks to continue to be so. With his ability to shift to RT, it will give the Raider's plenty of options in the draft.

3 (99) Johnnie Lee higgins, WR STARTER

One of the few Raiders WRs who isn't mired in personal problems, Higgins is their most legitimate threat at the position. He is better served in the #2 role however, so the Raiders will be hoping someone else steps up and allows Higgins to slip back into a less central role.

4 (100) Michael Bush, RB Backup

After failing to be activated in his rookie year, his development was even further delayed under oustered coach, Kiffin. When he can get into a game, he tends to have a dramatic effect, and his bruising style should be jsut what the 2009 Raiders are looking for. He has the potential to be a "breakout" player, just from being used consistently and correctly.

4 (110) John Bowie, CB Backup

After playing the role of weekly inactive his first season, his second season was over before it started with a trip to IR. Bowie will be retained for depth reason, but should be jettisonned once the team clears the high water mark in this rebuilding phase.

5 (138) Jay Richardson, DE Backup

Richardson has stepped in adequately the last two years in the event o fiinjury, and has a good, teamfirst attitude. he will likely serve a depth role for a while with Oakland, and has just enough potential to not be written off in the future as a player who could deliver some impact.

5 (165) Eric Frampton, S backup/Vikings

After failing to turn heads in Oakland, the Vikings poached Frampton and struggled to get him on teh field, deactivating him initally for depth reasons,a nd eventually for injury reasons. his future looks pretty uncertain.

6 (175) Oren O'neal, FB Backup

After an inconsistent rookie year, injuries reared again in 2008 and cost him the whole season. His rehab has been reported as going well, and he expects to be ready for 2009.

7 Jonathan Holland, WR Backup

After being waived with an injury settlement as a rookie, Holland was brought back to the practice squad in 08, and eventually promoted to teh active roster. He will be in the mix for reliable receiver depth in the 09 training camp.

2006 Draft:

1 (7) Michael Huff, S STARTER

Though the team was expected to let Huff go, the loss of Wilson in FA forced their hand. This highly touted prospect is essentially down to his last chance. If he fails to improve by leaps and bounds in his fourth year, there is no chance he even makes it through the whole season.

2 (38) Thomas Howard, LB STARTER

Howard has developed into a young stud, and has prompted comparisons to all time greats at the position. He is definitely an anchor that the team can rely on, and is a devestating force in the middle. 2008 seemed to expose some flaws in his coverage, but he will probably rebound from that in 09, along with the rest of the defense.

3 (69) Paul McQuistan, G backup

With Jake Grove leaving in free agency, the interior of the line should see some shifting to go along witht eh shifting on the ends. McQuistan is one of the bigger more powerful guards, but he will have a tough battle with icumbent Cooper Carlisle, who has done a good job and held his own.

4 (101) Darnell Bing, LB Backup/Detroit

After failing at LB in oakland, the 49ers picked him up and tried hima t safety, followed by an experiment witht he Jets, and finally an inactive roster spot on the Lions.

7 (214) Chris Morris, C Backup

Morris has amounted to little more than safe depth at the center position. As a value at #3, it is unlikely that the Raiders will part with him anytime soon, especially with the loss of a free agent C.

7 (255) Larry McMahan, WR Out of NFL

McMahan disappeared sometime during the 2006 training camp,a nd was never seen nor heard froma again...