SB Nation User Blog: LiveAdam

The Delhomme Connection

LiveAdam — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:58:49 -0000

The Delhomme Connection

On Sunday, JaMarcus Russell became the second quarterback in the past 14 seasons to throw at least 20 passes, complete less than 30 percent and still win a game. The other QB was the Panthers' Jake Delhomme, who went 7-27 with 1 TD and 4 INTs against the Raiders last season and still eeked out a 17-6 win over the Andrew Walter-led Raiders.

Weird that the Raiders would be involved in both those games.

RICHARD SEYMOUR SPEAKS From the Boston Herald: "First of all, I was blindsided by this whole...

LiveAdam — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:09:46 -0000

RICHARD SEYMOUR SPEAKS

From the Boston Herald:

"First of all, I was blindsided by this whole event," Seymour, the five-time Pro Bowler, told Borges. "When you get blindsided, you should take a moment to gather your thoughts. I have a lot of personal issues more pressing than football."

Seymour said if you want to watch for him with his new team, he’ll be wearing No. 92 on Monday Night. "I’ll be the guy on top of the quarterback," he said.

Seymour does plan to play in the opener, obviously. Oh, and did you know he grew up a Raiders fan? Apparently, there are a bunch in South Carolina.

Before we go further, it’s worth noting that Seymour has been in regular contact with Raiders coach Tom Cable and owner Al Davis about his issues. And what are they?

Well, Seymour has four children, plus, he is the guardian of his 15-year-old cousin whose mother has passed. The 15-year-old had been in school in South Carolina until this year, at which point he was starting in North Attleboro… until the trade.

Now, Seymour’s wife and family are moving back to South Carolina (where they are from) and Richard will head to Oakland by himself.

"There are a lot of different emotions," Seymour said. "Football was not my main concern at that point. I have had discussions with the Raiders… I’m excited and happy with the way they’re looking at me."

Did he ever demand an extension or a guarantee of not being franchised?

"There have been conversations," he told Borges, "but I didn’t demand anything to go there. I’m happy to go there, and I told them that. But me and my family have never been separated. This was a difficult transition."

He also noted that the NFLPA filed a grievance on his behalf about the five-day letter, arguing that it was not the Raiders’ right to send it to him.

"But that’s more of a procedural thing," Seymour said, not really specific to his situation.

Spotlight Matchup of the Week: Chris Morris vs. Jamal Williams My apologies, unforeseen familial...

LiveAdam — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:56:26 -0000

Spotlight Matchup of the Week: Chris Morris vs. Jamal Williams

My apologies, unforeseen familial obligations prohibit me from posting a more in depth analysis of the matchup between Raiders center Chris Morris and Chargers nose tackle Jamal Williams. This post is to serve as an open thread for all of you to discuss how this matchup may affect Monday night's game.

Cable Says He Talked to Richard Seymour; Seymour Wants to be in Oakland: Cable: Real quickly about...

LiveAdam — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:49:01 -0000

Cable Says He Talked to Richard Seymour; Seymour Wants to be in Oakland:

Cable: Real quickly about the Richard Seymour issue. We have attempted to make a deal. There are some issues still between him and the Patriots that are being worked out. Hoping that will be resolved as quickly as possible. We know that the player wants to be here, but we have no control really over those issues. That’s really all I’m going to talk about it for now.

Q: Can you tell us how you know he wants to be here? Have you spoken with him?

Cable: I have talked to him.

Q: So he said he wants to be here?

Cable: Yes.

Q: Is there a day you have to have him by to play in the opener?

Cable: As soon as possible. That’s really the only way to answer that right now.

Is Shawn Merriman Going to Have to Choke a Tila Tequila?

LiveAdam — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:56:19 -0000

Is Shawn Merriman Going to Have to Choke a Tila Tequila?

Shawn Merriman arrested for "Maybe" choking his girlfriend Tila Tequila. Suspend his ass Goodell!!!!! Keep him out of Week 1!

Raiders Bringing DT Boone/OL Mahan for Workout

LiveAdam — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:06:57 -0000

Brad Biggs of NationalFootballPost is reporting that the Raiders are bringing in defensive tackle Alfonso Boone and that the Raiders are likely to sign the veteran if his passes a physical.

Boone was released by Kansas City on Tuesday, and has also drawn interest from Carolina and his former team Chicago, according to a league source. The Raiders, however, are the favorite to sign the nine-year pro.

He signed a $7.2 million, four-year contract to join the Chiefs in 2007, and appeared in 15 games last season making four starts. In their switch to the 3-4 defense, the Chiefs were using Boone at left end but after first-round draft pick Tyson Jackson reported to camp, Boone soon dropped on the depth chart. Although he can play anywhere on the line, he’s best at tackle.

The Bears offered a contract to Boone in 2007 before he left in free agency but were willing to pay him only the minimum. They took a hit at tackle when Dusty Dvoracek was lost for the season to a knee injury in Week 2 of preseason. The Panthers have been seeking a replacement for starter Maake Kemoeatu, who suffered a torn right Achilles tendon on the first practice of training camp. Carolina traded with Cleveland to acquire tackle Louis Leonard for an undisclosed draft pick on Tuesday.

With the Raiders' last preseason game occurring at the same time as this potential signing, the Raiders will be going entirely on reputation and past performance if Boone makes the final roster. The news should affect Terdell Sands, William Joseph, and Desmond Bryant, who may all be fighting for the same roster spot at this point. Bryant would seem to have the upper hand at this point.

At least the Raiders are attempting to do something about their areas of weakness. Look for the Raiders to comb the waiver wire for backup OL, CB, and possibly a WR. I've heard Sinorice Moss may be done with the Giants, he'd be an upgrade over Nick Miller.

UPDATE:

KFFL is also reporting that the Raiders are bringing in C/G Sean Mahan for a workout today. Mahan was released by the Bucaneers yesterday, and they signed OL Marcus Johnson. It appears as though the Raiders are still looking for an upgrade for backup C/G over Wade and Morris.

Bucs Sign G Marcus Johnson

LiveAdam — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:41:25 -0000

Bucs Sign G Marcus Johnson

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to like our discarded offensive lineman, bringing in backup G Marcus Johnson a day after bringing in C Jonathan Compas. Johnson's starting experience and versatility will get him a roster spot somewhere, I had just hoped it was with the Raiders.

Bucs Claim Compas Off Waivers

LiveAdam — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:34:21 -0000

Bucs Claim Compas Off Waivers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed center Jonathan Compas off waivers from the Oakland Raiders. Good luck to you kid. Go Aggies!

Working Toward The 53-Man Roster: Linebackers

LiveAdam — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:35:53 -0000

In this installment of Working Toward the 53-Man Roster, we’ll discuss the Raiders linebacker ranks. The Raiders only have 10 linebackers on their 80-man training camp roster, and kept 7 on the 53-man roster last season, so most of the players discussed today will end up making the final roster. The bigger question for the Raiders seems to be which 3 linebackers will make up the starting rotation. Continue reading after the jump.

While the tandem of Morrison and Howard make up one of the best coverage linebacker corps in the NFL, Raiders linebackers take a lot of heat from us fans regarding the run defense. A good deal of that blame, however, has to be placed back on the defensive line for poor gap responsibilities. It’s hard for guys like Morrison and Howard to make tackles when they have to engage an offensive lineman first. Here is a breakdown of the Raiders linebackers based on the unofficial depth chart.

MIDDLE LINEBACKER

Kirk Morrison

via www.raiders.com

Many of us consider Justin Fargas to be "Mr. Raider", but many would argue that the title should go to Kirk Morrison (or Nnamdi Asomugha). Few NFL players get the opportunity to play for the team they grew up rooting for – so count Morrison as one of the lucky few. Drafted in the 3^rd round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of San Diego State, Morrison was plugged into the starting lineup immediately, playing at strong-side linebacker in 2005. Since then, Morrison has been holding down the MIKE position and has not missed a single game due to injury. Morrison is one of the better pass defending middle linebackers in the league, and Morrison has racked up over 100 tackles in each of his first four years, but astute Raider fans have begun to realize that many of Morrison’s tackles come too far away from the line of scrimmage for our liking. Morrison is in the last year of his existing contract and is being pushed by Ricky Brown for playing time at the MIKE position.

Morrison dislocated his left elbow during the first defensive stand against the 49ers last weekend, but Coach Cable has stated that Morrison should be ready to go for Opening Night against the Chargers. If for some reason he’s not ready to go, Ricky Brown should start at MIKE.

Ricky Brown

via www.raiders.com

Ricky Brown joined the Raiders as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2006. After training camp Brown joined the Raiders’ practice squad before being signed to the active roster in Week 4 of the 2006 season. Brown spent most of the 2006 and 2007 seasons on special teams, playing as a LB only toward the end of the 2007 season. In 2008, however, Brown was given an opportunity to unseast Sam Williams at strong-side linebacker, and won the starting job in training camp. Brown played in 7 games, starting 6, before suffering a groin injury and being inactive the remainder of the ’08 season.

A restricted free agent after the ’08 season, the Raiders re-signed Brown to a one year, $1.545M contract, and have been testing his versatility during the offseason. The Raiders have had Brown split time at both the SAM and MIKE linebacker positions to see where he is best suited. Coach Cable said it was to create competition at certain positions and to push the incumbent starters, while Coach Marshall indicated the idea was to ensure that there were suitable backups in case of injury. If Morrison’s injured elbow keeps him out of Opening Night, look for Brown to start at middle linebacker for at least the first week.

Isaiah Ekejiuba

via www.raiders.com

Isaiah "Zeke" Ekejiuba initially entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in 2005. The Cardinals cut Zeke before the regular season, and the Raiders signed him to their practice squad, then signed him to the active roster in Week 8 of the ’05 season. In 4 seasons with the Raiders Ekejiuba has seen very little time at linebacker, but has been a special teams standout, so much so in fact that the Raiders made him one of the highest paid special teamers that don’t kick the ball in the NFL. Ekejiuba has been working hard on his skills as a linebacker, but is still the 3^rd string MIKE, and is unlikely to see much playing time except as an injury replacement. Ekejiuba is currently suffering from a shoulder stinger injury, and his status for Opening Night is unclear.

Napoleon Harris

via www.raiders.com

With injuries to both Morrison and Ekejiuba, the Raiders needed more depth at middle linebacker for the last two weeks of the preseason. To resolve the issue, the Raiders signed former first round draft pick Napoleon Harris to a contract yesterday. Harris has played in 100 games, making 73 starts, and amassed 281 tackles. He played for the Minnesota Vikings last season at middle linebacker when starter E.J. Henderson suffered an injury. Harris is a long shot to make the final 53-man roster unless he can show some versatility by playing multiple LB positions.

WEAK-SIDE LINEBACKER

Thomas Howard

via www.raiders.com

The Raiders drafted Thomas Howard in the 2^nd round of the 2006 NFL Draft after his impressive college career at UTEP. Howard stepped into the starting rotation immediately at weak-side linebacker and instantly became a playmaker, collecting 110 tackles in ’06. In 2007 Howard established himself as one of the best cover linebackers in the game, amassing 7 interceptions (2 for TDs). Last year opposing QBs got wise to Howard and seemed to work around him, though he still collected 97 tackles and an interception. Like Morrison, Howard is one of the best cover linebackers in the game, but struggles at time stopping the run. Under new defensive coordinator John Marshall, look for the speedy Howard to blitz more often.

David Nixon

via www.raiders.com

David Nixon is a rookie undrafted free agent from BYU. At 6’3", 225lbs, Nixon is a bit undersized for an NFL linebacker, but what he lacks in size he seems to make up for with speed and tenacity. Still, Nixon is a huge long-shot to make the final roster.

Sam Williams

via www.raiders.com

The Raiders drafted Sam Williams in the 3^rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and ever since has seemed to take the brunt of fans’ anger regarding Al Davis’ drafting habits and "scholarship program." Williams has been injury-prone during his 6 year career, and has generally struggled at strong-side linebacker. Still, Williams make a fairly nice contribution on special teams and actually made strides at SLB last season in limited time, collecting an interception and a fumble recovery. Like every year, Williams seems to be on the roster bubble, but may stick around for one more year, much to the chagrin of the scholarship haters.

Morlon Greenwood

via www.raiders.com

The two players discussed above are listed as the primary backups to Thomas Howard at weak-side linebacker. It’s no wonder then that the Raiders felt they needed to go out and bring in a LB with a better skill set for the position and much more experience. The Raiders kicked the tires on both Greenwood and Derrick Brooks and decided on Greenwood, signing him last Sunday.

A 3^rd round draft pick by Miami in 2001, Greenwood started at both strong-side and weak-side LB for the Dolphins for 3 years before signing a 5-year deal with the Houston Texans prior to the 2004 season. In 4 years with the Texans Greenwood was able to amass over 100 tackles each season. Greenwood played both inside linebacker in the 3-4 defense and weak-side linebacker in the 4-3 defense for Houston.

Greenwood’s role in the linebacker corps is yet to be seen – I see him as the primary backup to Howard at weak-side linebacker, as well as an option at strong-side linebacker if Brown and/or Alston struggle with the position. Others see Greenwood as an immediate starter at strong-side linebacker, but I’m not so sure about that. Now that Greenwood is on the roster it will be interesting to see where he lines up in the upcoming preseason games.

STRONG-SIDE LINEBACKER

Ricky Brown

Brown was already discussed in the middle linebacker section. If and when Morrison returns to the lineup, expect Brown to shift back over to starting strong-side linebacker.

Jon Alston

via www.raiders.com

Jon Alston was drafted in the 3^rd round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. In 2007 Alston was signed to the Raiders’ practice squad before being signed to the active roster in Week 4 of the ’07 season. Alston played sparingly at OLB in 2007, mostly making his contribution on special teams. In 2008 Alston saw his playing time go up, making 4 starts at OLB as well as becoming a stand-out special teams player. Coming into the 2009 season Alston has put on almost 10 pounds in an effort to win a starting position at strong-side linebacker. That is unlikely to happen, but Alston’s roster spot is safe because he can play both OLB positions and makes a significant contribution on special teams.

Slade Norris

via www.imageofsport.com

The Raiders drafted Slade Norris in the 4^th round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Oregon State, where Norris spent time at safety, linebacker, and defensive end. While Norris struggled against the 49ers last weekend, he has generally impressed this preseason and should provide depth at both OLB positions and on special teams.

Sam Williams

Discussed above.

Adam’s Projected Roster:

SLB – Brown

MLB – Morrison

WLB – Howard

Backups: Alston, Norris, Ekejiuba, (????)

Your thoughts regarding the Oakland Raiders' linebackers Silver & Black Pride?

Raiders Claim DT Joe Cohen, Waive CB Jason Horton

LiveAdam — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:38:13 -0000

Raider fans, your prayers have been answered.....sort of: The Raiders have acquired a new defensive tackle.

The Oakland Raiders Transactions page indicates that the Raiders have claimed defensive tackle Joe Cohen off waivers and waived/injured CB Jason Horton.

Cohen was a 4th round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2007, spent 2007 and the 2008 preseason with the Niners before being released and signed by the Miami Dolphins. Cohen played sparingly with the Dolphins, and was released yesterday.

It is unclear what Cohen's role will be for the last two weeks of the preseason. Does he have a chance to overtake Terdell Sands for the backup nose tackle job, or is he simply a camp body to keep starters fresh and healthy through these last two weeks? It will be interesting to see what Coach Cable has to say about the acquisition tomorrow.