According to Yahoo sports the Raiders claimed him off of waivers.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Raiders claimed quarterback Bruce Gradkowski off waivers from the Cleveland Browns.

Gradkowski spent his first two NFL seasons with Tampa Bay, starting 10 games as a rookie in 2006. He briefly played for St. Louis last year before joining the Browns, appearing in two games and starting the season finale against Pittsburgh.

Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo were the Raiders’ backups for former No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell last season.

I for one am glad to have him because to be honest with you Andrew Walter and Tui posed no threat to taking over JaMarcus' job. This at least pushes him to concentrate because no he knowas there is a guy that can step in and take his place. I for one love a healthy competition.

2008 All-Pro Team Voting

 OFFENSE

Quarterback
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis, 28; Drew Brees, New Orleans, 10; Philip Rivers, San Diego, 9; Chad Pennington, Miami, 2; Kurt Warner, Arizona, 1.

y-Running Backs
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota, 45; Michael Turner, Atlanta, 40; DeAngelo Williams, Carolina, 13; Clinton Portis, Washington, 1.

Fullback
Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore, 38; Madison Hedgecock, NY Giants, 5; Mike Sellers, Washington, 4; Tony Richardson, NY Jets, 2; Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta, 1.

Tight End
Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City, 33; Jason Witten, Dallas, 14; Dallas Clark, Indianapolis, 2; Antonio Gates, San Diego, 1.

Wide Receivers
Andre Johnson, Houston, 45; Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona, 21; Steve Smith, Carolina, 16; Wes Welker, New England, 6; Anquan Boldin, Arizona, 5; Roddy White, Atlanta, 4; Brandon Marshall, Denver, 1; Randy Moss, New England, 1; Calvin Johnson, Detroit, 1.

Tackles
Jordan Gross, Carolina, 34; Michael Roos, Tennessee, 32; Ryan Clady, Denver, 14; David Stewart, Tennessee, 3; Walter Jones, Seattle, 3; Jason Peters, Buffalo, 3; David Diehl, NY Giants, 3; Joe Thomas, Cleveland, 3; Chris Samuels, Washington, 2; Jon Runyan, Philadelphia, 1; Levi Brown, Arizona, 1; Ryan Harris, Denver, 1.

Guards
Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota, 40; Chris Snee, NY Giants, 32; Kris Dielman, San Diego, 10; Alan Faneca, NY Jets, 7; Logan Mankins, New England, 4; Leonard Davis, Dallas, 2; Travelle Wharton, Carolina, 2; Harvey Dahl, Atlanta, 1; Ben Grubbs, Baltimore, 1; Justin Smiley, Miami, 1.

Center
Kevin Mawae, Tennessee, 25; Shaun O'Hara, NY Giants, 18; Nick Mangold, NY Jets, 3; Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis, 2; Casey Wiegmann, Denver, 1; Todd McClure, Atlanta, 1.

Placekicker
Stephen Gostkowski, New England, 28; John Carney, NY Giants, 13; Rob Bironas, Tennessee, 3; Jason Hanson, Detroit, 3; Phil Dawson, Cleveland, 2; Jason Elam, Atlanta, 1.

Kick Returner
Leon Washington, NY Jets, 19; Clifton Smith, Tampa Bay, 16; Leodis McKelvin, Buffalo, 4; Josh Cribbs, Cleveland, 4; Darren Sproles, San Diego, 2½; Johnnie Lee Higgins, Oakland, 1½; Roscoe Parrish, Buffalo, 1; Justin Miller, Oakland, 1; Reggie Bush, New Orleans, 1.

DEFENSE

Ends
Justin Tuck, NY Giants, 26; Jared Allen, Minnesota, 21; Julius Peppers, Carolina, 20; John Abraham, Atlanta, 17; Mario Williams, Houston, 8; Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis, 4; Aaron Smith, Pittsburgh, 2; DeMarcus Ware, Dallas, 1; Trent Cole, Philadelphia, 1.

Tackles
Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee, 49; Kevin Williams, Minnesota, 25; Kris Jenkins, NY Jets, 11; Haloti Ngata, Baltimore, 6; Jay Ratliff, Dallas, 3; Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh, 2; Shaun Rogers, Cleveland, 2; Pat Williams, Minnesota, 1; Fred Robbins, NY Giants, 1.

Outside Linebackers
DaMarcus Ware, Dallas, 45; James Harrison, Pittsburgh, 38; Joey Porter, Miami, 13; Terrell Suggs, Baltimore, 2; LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh 1; Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay, 1.

y-Inside Linebacker
Ray Lewis, Baltimore, 39; Jon Beason, Carolina, 18; Patrick Willis, San Francisco, 17; James Farrior, Pittsburgh, 12; London Fletcher, Washington, 8; Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay, 1; James Harrison, Pittsburgh, 1; Stewart Bradley, Philadelphia, 1; Bart Scott, Baltimore, 1; Jerod Mayo, New England, 1.

Cornerbacks
Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland, 32; Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee, 31; Charles Woodson, Green Bay, 17; Antoine Winfield, Minnesota, 10; Asante Samuel, New England, 3; Darrelle Revis, NY Jets, 2; Champ Bailey, Denver, 1; Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay, 1; Corey Webster, NY Giants 1; Will Allen, Miami, 1; Terence Newman, Dallas, 1.

Safeties
Ed Reed, Baltimore, 50; Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh, 46; Adrian Wilson, Arizona, 2; Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia, 1; Nick Collins, Green Bay, 1.

Punter
Shane Lechler, Oakland, 25; Donnie Jones, St. Louis, 10; Jeff Feagles, NY Giants, 6; Sam Koch, Baltimore, 5; Mike Scifres, San Diego, 3; Brad Maynard, Chicago, 1.

• x-one voter selected only one running back.

• y-one voter selected only one inside linebacker.

Continue reading this post »

Nnamdi and Lechler are named to the Pro Bowl. Lechler we knew was going to get in but i am glad Nnamdi finally got recognized. He should've been there last year.

 

AFC
Offense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Quarterback	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis	Brett Favre, New York Jets Jay Cutler, Denver
Running back	Thomas Jones, New York Jets	Chris Johnson, Tennessee Ronnie Brown, Miami
Fullback	Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore
Wide receiver	Andre Johnson, Houston Brandon Marshall, Denver	Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Wes Welker, New England
Tight end	Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City	Antonio Gates, San Diego
Tackle	Joe Thomas, Cleveland Jason Peters, Buffalo	Michael Roos, Tennessee
Guard	Alan Faneca, New York Jets Kris Dielman, San Diego	Brian Waters, Kansas City
Center	Kevin Mawae, Tennessee	Nick Mangold, New York Jets
Defense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Defensive end	Mario Williams, Houston Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis	Robert Mathis, Indianapolis
Defensive tackle	Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Kris Jenkins, New York Jets	Shaun Rogers, Cleveland
Outside linebacker	James Harrison, Pittsburgh Joey Porter, Miami	Terrell Suggs, Baltimore
Inside linebacker	Ray Lewis, Baltimore	James Farrior, Pittsburgh
Cornerback	Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee	Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Free safety	Ed Reed, Baltimore
Strong safety	Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh	Chris Hope, Tennessee
Special teams
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Punter	Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker	Stephen Gostkowski, New England
Kick returner	Leon Washington, New York Jets
Special teamer	Brendon Ayanbadejo, Baltimore

It is being reported on Profootballtalk that Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is a possible name for the head coaching job here in Oakland.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Raiders owner Al Davis is interested in possibly hiring Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride to be the team’s next head coach.

Gilbride, who has spent nearly five full seasons with the Giants, worked as quarterback Eli Manning’s position coach for three seasons before taking over the offense.

And Gilbride fits the profile of a potential Raiders coach.  The 57-year-old had one prior stint as an NFL head coach, losing 16 of 22 with the Chargers before being fired six games into the 1998 season.  In the following ten years, his name has yet to percolate back to the short-list of head-coaching candidates — possibly due to his failure in San Diego and possibly because his name still triggers for many images of the fist to the face he took from Buddy Ryan when both were working for the Oilers in the earlt 1990s.

“He has no business coaching the pros,” Ryan later said about Gilbride.  “He should be selling insurance. . . .  He’s a wimp.”

Still, Gilbride has presided over the developed of Eli Manning, and Gilbride might provide the Raiders with the last, best chance at salvaging the career of JaMarcus Russell, the first overall pick in the 2007 draft, three years after Eli was the top selection.

Of course, if Gilbride were to take the job in Oakland, Davis might finally have to part ways with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, whose father is Buddy Ryan.

I normally don't like talking politics on a football blog but this article on Yahoo made me laugh.

A plane pulling a banner saying “McCain is a Raiders Fan” flew over Invesco Field on Sunday as fans gathered for the Denver Broncos’ game against the Miami Dolphins.

The liberal group ProgressNow hired the plane to link McCain to Denver’s archrival after hearing about the plans of John McCain supporters to hold a “hibachi tailgate” party in one of the stadium’s parking lots.

Here is the full link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Accusation-John-McCain-is-a-gasp-Raiders-fan;_ylt=ApXhIvgIj_8DhSQ5gyucJjpDubYF?urn=nfl,119245

Thats enough politics for me. Go out and vote!

Damn. Damn. Damn. Another blow to our running game. First we lose Oren O'neal our best blocking fullback, then McFadden gets turf toe and now we have lost Justin Griffith for the season. Here is the article taken from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AqOY.oXpyimQ0HCyHLFTeq2R2bYF?slug=ap-nflbriefs&prov=ap&type=lgns

The bad news from the Oakland Raiders’ blowout loss at Baltimore carried over into Monday with the news that starting fullback Justin Griffith would need season-ending surgery on his knee.

Griffith tore the ACL in his right knee late in the third quarter of a 29-10 loss to the Ravens. He stayed in the game for a few plays and managed to score Oakland’s only touchdown on a 2-yard catch. He was hit hard by Ray Lewis on the play and knocked out of the game.

An MRI on Monday determined the severity of the injury. Oakland will place Griffith on injured reserve and look to sign another fullback.

“You lose a terrific person, a lot of leadership,” coach Tom Cable said. “He’s solid as a rock. He comes to work every day. He does things to the best of his ability every opportunity he gets. Someone who’s familiar with the system. You’re losing quite a bit there.”

The only healthy fullback on the roster is Luke Lawton, who has mostly played special teams after being brought in late in training camp when Oren O’Neal went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Lawton played in 11 games last season for the Colts at running back and on special teams. He had five rushes for 13 yards and four receptions for 29 yards, including a one-yard reception against Jacksonville on Dec. 2 for his lone career touchdown. Lawton also played four games for the New York Jets in 2005.

Cable said moving tailback Michael Bush to fullback, a position he worked at briefly in training camp, was an option, but that the team would probably have to bring someone in this week.

    In reading about our woes at the reciever position it looks like we might see more Chaz in the next couple of games.  In this article found in Yahoo Sports talks about the changes we are going to see at WR.

Cable wouldn’t say exactly what other changes he might make but acknowledged rookie Chaz Schilens will be more active in the passing game. Schilens has only three catches for 38 yards, but the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is the biggest receiver on Oakland’s roster and has shown the ability to get open deep.

“Schilens is going to be involved more this week, that’s one thing I’m prepared to say at this point,” Cable said. “What we’re going to try and do is play guys a little more continuously and maybe not so much in and out.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AiZ4MlghflKv1hExJtq3UCOR2bYF?slug=ap-raiders-receivers&prov=ap&type=lgns

     I myself was excited because he played well in the preseason and has a tremendous upside. Our recievers have been a huge disappointment this year compounded with JaMarcus' accuracy problems(Lane was Right about our passing game). Too many dropped passes, lazy routes aren't helping out JaMarcus either. This should bring energy to our lifeless reciever corps.

Updated:

Per Jerry McDonald Schilens is starting over Ronald Curry:

Schilens, coach Tom Cable said, would start in place of Ronald Curry, who caught 117 passes the last two seasons but has been plagued by drops and inconsistency for all but about the first two weeks of training camp.

Javon Walker will continue to be the starter at split end.

“I’m excited. It’s like a dream,” Schilens said quietly, a smile splitting his face following practice. “I couldn’t tell you how excited I am.”

When told he didn’t sound that excited, Schilens said, “Trust me. Come Sunday, I’ll barely be able to contain myself. It’s a great opportunity.”

Schilens has three receptions for 38 yards through five games with no drops. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, he makes for an angular target for quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and he has shown no fear at making difficult catches in traffic over the middle.

When asked what attribute Schilens has he likes, Cable said, “I think his competitiveness for the football when it’s in the air. You look at a couple of the plays he’s made, some tough catches, having to get it in traffic, or having to get a high ball up in the air. Something that maybe wasn’t quite on target, he’s been able to go get those things out of the air, and the fact that he’s really starting to develop. And it shows every day at practice.”

I'm still a little bitter over everything that transpired last week but I'll get over it. It's time to forget and start talking about the players. Here are some notes from Jerry McDonalds blog:

Cable was pleased to see Justin Fargas back on the field as much for the potential of positive yardage as his positive influence.

Cable sees Fargas as part of the equation when the Raiders are attempting to get first downs and work the clock with a lead.

“In this system, we use the term ‘Gain a blade. Gain a blade of grass.’ Everything’s positive. Typically we don’t have but maybe one, two, maybe three at the most negative runs in a game,” Cable said. “If you look at the last couple, we’ve been at three, four five. (Justin) will go in there and get something positive and make the chains move, somehow, some way. And he really is a terrific finisher. He runs so violent it’s a great change-up with him and Darren and now Michael, it’s a good mix with all of them. But he can definitely, definitely make something positive happen at the end of a game.”

– Fargas said he wasn’t quite 100 percent, but expects to face the Saints Sunday in New Orleans.

“I feel pretty good. I’m going to keep rehabbing it, keep treating it, and get ready to go,” Fargas said.

– Darren McFadden was being held out as a precaution, not because of any sort of setback, Cable said.

“We probably could have done a little with him out there today but we thought, ‘Hey, why not? Let’s just rest it, be smart about it, give him a couple more days off it with tomorrow off and then we’ll go for it Wednesday,’ ” Cable said.

– Cornerback DeAngelo Hall, the only Raiders player who attended the press conference last week during which Al Davis detailed his reasons for firing coach Lane Kiffin, said the switch in coaches is nothing like what went on in Atlanta last season when Bobby Petrino bolted for Arkansas after 13 games.

“When Petrino packed up and left . . . it was hard to put the pieces back together,” Hall said. I don’t think Tom Cable has to do a whole lot in terms of getting us to win games. It’s just a matter of finishing games and not getting into back-and-forths in the newspaper with the owner. I’m sure he can definitely do that.”

Hall said he was having some work done at his home on the player’s day off, was going to work out anyway, and that he had “heard there was something going on, so I’m going to come on down. And I came on down, and the circus was on.”

His reaction? Hall said he was stunned so much has gone on between the owner and the coach, adding, “Maybe I was naive about it.”

Not suprisingly, Hall is standing behind the man who authorized $24.5 million in bonus money on a new contract when he was acquired from the Falcons.

“I definitely think this is still a great franchise,” Hall said. “This is Al’s baby. He treats it like a kid. He wants the best for it. He wants the best the same way I do for my children and I’m sure you guys
do with yours. You can hear the way he talks about the Oakland Raiders. It’s a passion of his. That passion is his life. You have to protect it and cherish what is yours. That’s what he did.”

– Hall said he would have no problem recruiting free agents to come play in Oakland, but inadvertantly touched on one of the problems with a franchise in which the head coach is not viewed as the absolute authority figure with regard to the on-field operation.

“Obviously there’s going to be a whole lot of stuff this offseason with trying to figure out who is going to be the head coach and all that all over again,” Hall said. “From the top down, I like it. We answer to Al. Al knows us personally.

“It’s nice when you have that personal relationship with the owner as opposed to trying to kiss up to every head coach who comes in. That’s when you probably have a problem. When you can sit down and talk to the owner about any problem, it makes it a little easier.”

– It remains to be seen how it will all play out Sunday, but Cable sounds as if he wants legitimate balance. Kiffin never fully trusted his passing game, and would occasionally throw the ball in clusters _ he called for six passes in eight plays early against the Bills _ before reining it back in.

“I don’t want to go out there and have drives where we threw it three times and we’re out or we ran it three times and we’re out. I don’t want that anymore,” Cable said. “I want to see balance. I want to see us take our shots down the field, and I want to see us get the lead, then I want us to turn it over to that backfield.”

– Tight end John Madsen was surprised to find himself back in a Raiders uniform. One week after being inactive for the first time since early in his rookie season, he was inactive against the Chiefs.

He was informed of his relief while getting dressed following the Friday practice as the Raiders were getitng ready to depart for Buffalo.

“I thought it was the end of my Raider career, actually,” Madsen said. “It kind of came out of the blue.”

Madsen said he had a workout with Baltimore and had another scheduled for this weekend in Cleveland.

– Ben Troupe, the tight end signed when Madsen was cut, could practice Wednesday, Cable said. Troup has practiced one time since Sept. 19, injuring his foot halfway through his first practice.

The Raiders continued to take it easy with cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (elbow) safety Gibril Wilson (back), cornerback Stanford Routt (ankle) and are expecting all to go Wednesday.

– As good as second-year man Johnnie Lee Higgins has been, rookie Tyvon Branch will get some work returning kickoffs.

“That was the plan originally before the injury,” Cable said. “Johnnie’s done a terrific job but one thing that Branch is going to give us now, he’s going to give us some depth and he’s going to give us a chance to have two returners that we feel good about. He’s a super fast guy that will hit it and hit it quickly. So I think that’s a big bonus for us.”

Among kickoff return specialists with 15 or more returns, Higgins ranks six in the NFL with a 26.8 average and a long of 69 yards.

– Hall of Fame defensive end, Raider legend and Fox analyst Howie Long thinks Kiffin shouldn’t have been surprised regarding Davis’ level of involvement.

“I played there 13 years and 95% of the time Al Davis was a great owner,” Long said on Fox NFL Sunday. “It’s been 15 years since I’ve been part of the organization so I can’t speak to the day-to-day operations. But if you’re Lane Kiffin, you should know what you are getting into. He has access to a guy like Jon Gruden who coached there. Don’t be surprised when the owner who coached in the league and built three world championships gives input on a day-in-day-out basis on the goings on of the football team. Don’t be shocked by that.”

 

 

I felt this needed to be a fan post so more people can read this. Not everyone here is pro Al. I appreciate what he has done but enough is enough! I don't expect this to be put on the front page but someone needs to be objective.

     I was relectant to comment on this because I hadn’t seen the press conference yet but after watching iit last night on youtube I was intrigued. This was a very impressive performance on Davis’ part. How much of it I believe I don’t know. We all believed the president when he said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Davis is no Bush and Kiffin is not Saddam, but you see what I’m getting at. This is not settled and the truth will all come out eventually. Al Davis said he called out his players. Ok I played football in high school and basketball in high school and the collegiate level and my coaches have called me out many times what coach hasn’t. This is another form of motivation. Also the players loved playing for Kiffin here are some quotes I saw from yahoo sports:

So why fire him? Did the locker room hate him (as you’d think they might, if you believe the claims in Al Davis’s insane letter blasting Kiffin for being critical of individual players)? I don’t know. Let’s ask linebacker Kirk Morrison, via ESPN’s Chris Mortensen:

“Kirk Morrison said the players in this locker room want to play for this coach [Kiffin]; want to play hard for this coach. Observers who have been at the practices see that. And certainly, it was reflected in the way they were competitive.”

Don’t believe Morrison? Alright, let’s ask Nnamdi Asomugha, who made an appearance on the NFL Network yesterday afternoon:

“It definitely wasn’t a split locker room. I think pretty much the majority of the locker room wanted Lane there. A lot of the guys really appreciated what Lane did when he came in, and tried to change the culture; the losing culture that we’ve had that past few years. Guys were really on board with him.”

Kiffin is a good coach, yes he’s young but let’s not put this on him. We have been consistently bad over the decades. Who is at fault for this mess if the coaches change every other year but management stays the same? I know Al want’s to win and he is taking the right steps because he did say he wanted to hire someone for the football operations (as long as it isn’t Matt Millen).

This was reported on the rumor mill section on ProfootballTalk.com.

Several readers have pointed out to us a fairly recent item in the East Bay Express, in which Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman is outed (not in that way . . . not that there’s anything wrong with it) as a part owner of the Oakland Raiders.

Here’s the money quote from the September 3 article:   “Davis was apparently so hard up for cash ten months ago that he sold a 20 percent stake in the team to some silent partners, reportedly including former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, according to County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, who sits on the Coliseum Joint Powers Authority.”

Regardless of whether Aikman is or isn’t a minority owner in the team, there’s strengthening talk in league circles that some of the minority owners have begun the process of determining whether and to what extent they can bounce Davis out of the captain’s chair.

The rights will be determined by the operating agreement.  And if Davis is as shrewd as he has always seemed to be, our guess is that there’s really nothing anyone can do to wrest control of the team from him.

Sounds like a mutiny might be brewing or just another rumor. You decide

Note: This was written about a month or so ago and it's been sitting unfinished in my unpublished drafts.  I just wasn't motivated enough to complete it until now. Due to the recent turmoil in the organization I felt it needed to be posted. Like it or not I don't care just expressing myself. 

Dear Al,

   I have been a Raider fan since February 1976. It was fitting that 76' Raiders would go on to win their first Super Bowl (damn I'm old).  I was born into a Raider family. My mother, father, uncles, aunt's (except one Cowboy fan) and even cousins. You see my father used to work for Clem Daniels when he had a liquor store on East 14th and he would give him tickets to the game. He became a fan and made sure I was one too. Eventhough I was too young to remember he would take me to games.

   By the age of four you had won your second Super Bowl. Even after you won the Super Bowl you wanted out of Oakland. It was devestating because what you meant to the city of Oakland. You see you brought pride and alot of swagger to the city. You don't know what the Raiders mean to the city. Ticket sales might not show it but Raider love is strong in the Bay. When you left us in Oakland to go to Los Angeles I remember my father was upset. You left Oakland with no football team. Then a USFL team came to Oakland. I faintly remember going to Oakland Invader games. It was not the same. My father eventually turned to the darkside and became a Niner fan. Even though you left I held strong. It hurt but I was still a fan. While you were over in Los Angeles you happened to win your third and final Super Bowl. I think the only thing I could remember was Marcus Allen's run.  Imagine that three Super Bowls by the time I was 7.

     I questioned your firing at the time of Art Shell. I felt he brought something good to the Raiders (However I didn't question his recent firing). In 1995 you came back. After 13 long years in LA the Silver & Black was back in Oakland. Alot of people where hurt by you leaving and it took some people a while to finally root for the Raiders.

    The Raiders struggled during the late 90's during the early stages of the Gruden years. Gruden I felt was a great hire because he was bringing accountability and respectability to the Raiders. I was in college when the hated Bronco's won their Super Bowls. I could feel you cursing at the screen with me. I felt your pain. I was literally pissed for weeks because of that. We both wanted one thing only and that was to get back into the playoffs and into the Super Bowl.

     The reason why I am writing this is because Al I want you to know you have done great things for this organization but now it is time to loosen up the reigns. You have a good coach in Kiffin and should let him coach. When he came to the Raiders he brought the energy back to us that we hadn't seen since Gruden, but now the wear and tear of this battling between you two has sucked up that energy and emotion that I saw before.  You might not see it but your actions affect this team. How are players to respect a coach when they know he has no power over his own players or his coaching staff? This does not sit well in the lockerroom. 

     Right now the Raiders are a mess and the only way to fix this is for you to just be an owner and not soo hands on.  One thing I learned as a business major in college is that competition is healthy for the organization. You have to do away with these scholarship players! Players need to be kept based off of their merit and not because you like them. This is a business! These players are taking roster spots from people who can actually push the starters for time. When their is no competition players seem to get relaxed because they know their is noone there to take their spot. These players need to be pushed!

     It doesn't do the team any good either when we have a young impressionable team and you are changing coaches every two years. From 2002 till present the Raiders have had 4 different coaches. This is not how you develop young talent. Every other year they are learning a new system. We have too much money invested in McFadden and Russell to keep following this trend. They need time to develop instead of spending the time to learn a new system. Keep Kiffin and let him control this team. He is a great offensive mind that just needs to be able to develop this team.

     Al I know it's tough to admit when you are wrong because I am the same way. For the team and the fans you need to be the bigger man and let Lane do his thing. Who knows he might surprise you. The Raider Nation is waiting to Rise again but it can't until you change. Listen to us fans, we buy season tickets and merchandise and support the Raiders but you need to hear our calls for change. Al I ahve nothing but love for you but I want us to "Just Win Baby."

One Love, Nation

Raider76 

  There is a new website out there started by disgruntled Raider fans tired of the mismanagement of the team by the owner Al, that is devoted strictly to keeping Lane Kiffin. They have a petition with signatures already on them. The site was just created yesterday. For all those interested you can sign the petition.

In al honesty i don't think a couple of signatures will make a difference. Al is gonna do what he wants to do.

http://www.keepkiffin.com/Home_Page.php

     Javon Walker and Kalimba Edwards practiced today.  Edwards ran through some defensive drills and didn't show any signs his groin was hurting him. Walker caught passes but didn't do any running (precaution). Walker said he is ready to go. Monday can't come soon enough. We will see what type of team we really have.

Also if you want to catch up with D-Mac he has a blog on Yardbarker. Check it out.

http://www.yardbarker.com/users/DarrenMcFadden

    The Bronco's today have signed DT Josh Shaw to their squad. Yes the same Josh Shaw that we had just cut. Shanahan is definately not happy with the players he has so he is trying to add more defensive tackles in an effort to stop the run. You can argue that he signed Shaw to get inside info on what the Raiders are going to do with D-Mac but I also see it as a sign that he feels they still have problems stopping the run.  They had about 10 defensive lineman on their roster before they signed him. Is this a sign? I want to know what people think.

Shanahan don't be scurred! 

      According to Yahoo Sports the NFL will honor the Great #63 this year.

     NFL players will wear a uniform patch this season to honor NFL Players’ Association leader Gene Upshaw, who died Aug. 20.

The league announced Monday that the patch will have the initials GU and the number 63, which he wore while playing for the Oakland Raiders.

     It is about time I was beginning to wonder what they were going to do for him. I am glad to see the players honor the man who has done soo much for them and this league. He took alot of flack on the retirement issue but he also made them fatter in the pockets. It's sad that it took his death to get people to recognize the good he has done.

Now that we have the 53 man roster set it is time for our practice squad to begin to take shape. The following names have been added to the practice squad today.

DB    Darrick Brown
DE    Greyson Gunheim
WR   Jonathan Holland
DL    Mauricio Lopez
P      Glenn Pakulak
RB    Louis Rankin
FB    Marcel Reece
TE    Darrell Strong
OL    Brandon Torrey

 I hope we can pick up some linemen and be able to place not so super Mario Henderson to the practice squad or cut him altogether. He is a liability.

     Ok so last night I was watching Sportscenter trying to get some college football highlights when it happened. The announcer said "let's take a look at the Nation," and what did they show. It was a highlight for the Boston Red Sox. What the hell. Being an A's fan I can't stand the Red Sox, but I was even more pissed because now they are calling it the Red Sox Nation. Like the saying goes "There is only one Nation and that is Raider Nation." Since when are they the Nation. That is our word. ESPN stop stop stop stop calling them that. We need to reclaim that word. It just doesn't sound right with any other team but the Raiders. Al if you are reading this trademark it now before it gets out of hand!!! If I knew my letter would matter I would write to ESPN and tell them to stop. It just bugs the hell out of me when I hear it.

I'm just ranting now but sorry I had to get that off my chest.

One Nation!! Don't let them name it, let's reclaim it.

The 53 man roster is set. No real surprises. Here are the ones that didn't quite make it:

Waived
C Jesse Boone
CB Darrick Brown
DE Derrick Gray
DE Greyson Gunheim
WR Jonathan Holland
FB Luke Lawton
CB-S Nate Lyles
WR Chris McFoy
P Glenn Pakulak
RB Louis Rankin
FB Marcel Reece
G Brandon Rodd
CB Nick Sanchez
LB Shane Simmons
TE Darrell Strong
DB Marviel Underwood
CB Michael Waddell
TE Chris Wagner
LB Adam Archuleta
RB Adimchinobe Echemandu
DT Josh Shaw

Injured reserve
Arman Shields

 Nine days left till the Raiders play the Broncos. Or should I say nine days left till D-Mac's coming out party. The campaign season is amoung us. D-Mac for ROY.

 Reports are out that the Falcons have released veteran reciever Joe Horn. This is the kind of pickup the Raiders need desperately. It will take some pressure off of Jamarcus and even some off of Walker. I hope we can get him soon.  Here is the article from profootballtalk.

Joe Horn got his wish: He’s no longer an Atlanta Falcon.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network is reporting that the Falcons have given Horn his unconditional release, meaning he’s now an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any team.

Per Schefter, the Falcons paid Horn the $2.5 million that was guaranteed in his contract, which may explain why Horn gave an interview on ESPN shortly after his release in which he had nothing but good things to say about the franchise.

The 36-year-old Horn started 12 games for the Falcons last season, catching 27 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown.

Wednesday nights practice notes.

– So much for the theory of Edgerton Hartwell providing a run-defending presence inside. Hartwell was released to make room for punter Glenn Pakulak, who will punt against the Tennessee Titans Friday night after a quad injury suffered by Shane Lechler.

Pakulak boomed several punts inside the 5-yard line, with impressive hang time and distance. Johnnie Lee Higgins dropped one punt, which likely owed to Pakulak’s being a left-footed punter and the ball rotating differently than those from Lechler.

At one point, safety Jarrod Cooper yelled: “Hey, we got ourselves a punter.”

– Cornerback Michael Waddell, defensive tackles Terdell Sands and Tommy Kelly, center Jake Grove and right offensive tackle Cornell Green returned to practice

– The following players missed practice: running back Justin Fargas, safety Tyvon Branch, tight ends Darrell Strong and Tony Stewart, wide receivers Javon Walker, Ronald Curry and Arman Shields, cornerback John Bowie, kicker Sebastian Janikowski and running back Adimchinobe Echemandu.
Kiffin said Echemandu was in Los Angeles to take his citizenship test and will meet the team in Nashville.

– The final play of camp was one the Raiders would rather forget. Fourth-string quarterback Jeff Otis turned to his left, pitched the ball in the general vicinity of running back Louis Rankin and watched as the ball sailed well behind and past Rankin. Seconds later, three horns sounded, Kiffin huddled his players and declared camp over.

– JaMarcus Russell connected with wide receiver Drew Carter on back-to-back touchdown passes in full-team drills.

– On one play, running back Darren McFadden, left guard Robert Gallery and left offensive tackle Kwame Harris moved before the snap. McFadden jumped first and was ordered to take a lap.

– Defensive back Nick Sanchez intercepted a Russell pass that hit off Carter’s hands and returned it for a touchdown. This marked Sanchez’s second interception in two days since joining the Raiders.

– DeAngelo Hall practiced without a cast on his injured right hand. He avoided contact, for the most part, and didn’t catch any balls during individual drills. At one point, he appeared to aggravate his injury by bumping into a receiver. He remained on the field, however, and didn’t require treatment.

– John Wade and Jake Grove split time with the first-team offense at center. Kiffin said after the morning session that Wade would start against Tennessee.

– Higgins and Carter spent most of the time working with the first-team offense in Curry’s and Walker’s absence.

– Tight end Tony Stewart’s left foot was in a protective boot.

The Raiders offense looked much sharper in 7-on-7 and full-team drills than it did either of the past two days. The quarterbacks completed numerous passes to wide receivers and didn’t rely as much on checkdowns to running backs.

Notes from Wednesday morning practice:

– Cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall, two of the most significant investments of the Raiders’ offseason, are hurting.

X-Rays were negative on Asomugha’s right foot, which isn’t the same as saying there is no discomfort.

“Right now it hurts when I walk,” Asomugha said. “It definitely hurts breaking on the football. I’ll continue to be limited in whatever I’m doing but I don’t think it’s a big issue.”

Said Kiffin: “He’s fine and ready to go. He worked really hard today, too. It was good to see.”

Hall continues to play with a cast on his right hand. He told the San Francisco Chronicle Tuesday there was a broken bone in his hand.

“We’re getting another opinion on it, another person to look at it,” Kiffin said. “(The) only thing that we know for sure is that it is a bruise. It’s a bruise with a possible sprain. So we’ve got got to make sure it’s not broken. There has been nothing so far that has said that it’s broken, none of the readings. But we want to make sure of this.”

Hall shrugged his shoulders and went with the program.

“Somebody asked me, `How do you feel knowing it’s not broken?,’ ” Hall said. “That was the first time I heard that. I guess I feel good. I know something hurts, though. We’re just going to try to get to the bottom of it. I still can’t touch anything. I can’t put my hand down. Still very painful.”

Kiffin said it’s possible Hall might sit out the Titans game Friday night. Don’t be surprised if Asomugha follows suit _ or plays a series or two before taking the rest of the night off.

– Maybe it was a coincidence, but Asomugha found himself losing track of Drew Carter twice in coverage. The first came when he was sucked inside on a reverse roll by JaMarcus Russell, who overthrew a wide open Carter on the sideline for what would have been a big gain.

Later it happened again _ and Russell obliged by again missing the open Carter.

– It seems like twisted logic, but while it seems the Raiders are doing whatever they can to make sure their injured cornerbacks take the field, they quickly bring in replacements when their kickers go down.

Shane Lechler sustained a quadriceps injury late in practice Tuesday which Kiffin said would take seven to 10 days to heal. A new punter was on the way, and off the podium following his press briefing, Kiffin said he wasn’t even sure who it is.

And he may not know even when the punter arrives. It’s not clear if Kiffin knows the name of Aaron Elling, brought in to place kick for the ailing Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring).

“We’re flying another punter in here,” Kiffin said. “He’ll be in here in a little bit, to try him out, and most likely we’ll sign a punter. That other guy we have can punt but we’d prefer have a guy who’s a punter firsthand.”

– Kwame Harris sat out with a shoulder injury, and if he can’t go in the night session, it’s conceivable that Mario Henderson will be protecting the blind side of Russell against a very strong Tennessee defensive front.

Kiffin has been unsparingly blunt in his assessment of Henderson, a third-round draft pick in 2007 who was expected to mount a challenge to Cornell Green on the right side.

There was more than a little dry sarcasm in Kiffin’s voice when he said, “We’re going to push (Harris) out there tonight. If he doesn’t play, super Mario would start for us on JaMarcus’ backside and that will be interesting versus (Kyle) VandenBosch.”

Kiffin said Henderson has improved, but noted he is “still a long ways away from being ready to play.”

– Russell, assuming he makes it that far, will play a half. He had another subpar day passing the ball. He had just one turnover, a pass stolen by linebacker Thomas Howard, with whom the quarterback seems to be developing an unwanted chemistry.

Kiffin kept it bland for Russell against the 49ers and may do much of the same against Tennessee. He simply doesn’t believe in emptying the playbook in the preseason.

He attributed Russell’s erratic passing to being tired.

“JaMarcus has pushed through and hasn’t had a day off,” Kiffin said. “So he’s tired. He’s supposed to be. It’s training camp.”

As for the development of his young quarterback, Kiffin remained upbeat regarding Russell’s ability to operate within the system.

“We’re going to get to see this week and next two games will be a big test for him to see where he’s at,” Kiffin said. “All the stuff out here he’s taken care of now let’s see if he can carry it over into the game.”

Russell did close out a team session with a laser beam of a touchdown pass to John Madsen in the seam _ his best pass in three days.

One team session featured four dropped passes from Russell and Tuiasosopo in five plays by Bush, Justin Fargas, Todd Watkins and finally Chaz Schilens.

Said running backs coach Tom Rathman to Bush: “C’mon, Michael, get your head right!”

– Wide receivers James Lofton didn’t find it amusing, but when a Russell pass exploded off the facemask of wide receiver Jonathan Holland and then fell to the ground, it provided some comic relief for his snickering teammates, who were probably wondering why Holland’s hands weren’t at least in the way.

– Three positions which Kiffin remain up for grabs _ Carter vs. Ronald Curry at wide receiver; Jake Grove vs. John Wade at center; and Ricky Brown vs. Robert Thomas at strong side linebacker.

The starters against Tennessee will be Curry, Wade and Brown. Curry, who drew early raves from Kiffin for working so hard at remaking his body, has been plagued by drops of late. He did make one nice catch for a first down against Asomugha Wednesday.

– Those who won’t play against the Titans other than the kickers include wide receiver Arman Shields (knee), tight end Darrell Strong (shoulder) and cornerback John Bowie (knee).

– Another day, another good practice for Javon Walker. He hasn’t exactly been the gamebreaker the Raiders expect him to be, but Walker has at least made the routine catches and is playing aggressively and with enthusiasm.

“I’ve been very critical of Javon throughout this camp and throughout the offseason and he’s had a string right here of the best practices he’s had,” Kiffin said. “He looks to be in the right frame of mind lately and so if we can continue to work on that and push that, it’s going in a positive direction.”

Walker said he weighs 206 pounds _ the lightest he has ever been _ and laughed when asked about whether he had any doubts about going through the grind of a season in the wake of his “retirement” offer early in camp.

“Obviously if you can make it through the training camp the hard part is done,” Walker said. “So it’s kind of like why make it through training camp and stop now. You made it through the hard part, the fun part is about to start. I’m looking forward to that and hopefully being apart of the turnaround that we can hopefully have this year and hopefully a big year.”

– Walker was one of four joggers for pre-snap violations.

“I’m always punished, dawg,” Walker said to no one in particular as he jogged past invited guests along the sideline.

Other joggers were running back Michael Bush, linebacker Grant Irons and defensive end Derrick Burgess.

– Quarterback Andrew Walter was rested for the morning session but is expected to face Tennessee.

Let's hope that Kwame is feeling better because the last thing we need is for Henderson to be protecting Russell's blindside. Especially against Van den Bosch on the Titans.

Notes from Tuesday's practice: So far not really good news coming out of camp right now. The passing game looks bad and Nnamdi left early because of an injury. First Hall now Nnamdi. We need to get these guys some help.

– Nnamdi Asomugha left the field with a foot injury that was getting a close examination from the medical staff.

“(Nnamdi’s) foot was bothering him about a third of the way through practice,so we sent him to get an X-ray,” coach Lane Kiffin said.

Asomugha sat out a good deal of Monday night’s practice as well, but Kiffin said the first the team heard about any problem was Tuesday.

– Tuesday’s practice in terms of the passing game wasn’t as bad as the previous evening, perhaps. Well, other than than the four interceptions.

But on the second-to-last day of training camp, Kiffin figured a public assessment of the Raiders’ play was in order before they board a plane bound for Nashville, Tenn., and a date with the Tennessee Titans.

When it was suggested that maybe it was time for camp to be over, Kiffin begged to differ.

“No I don’t think so. I wish we had more time. The reality is I don’t think we’re very good right now as a team,” Kiffin said. “Whatever that first game was, I think we’re going to have a big test going into Tennessee against that team. If we don’t have our stuff right and our guys aren’t right we’ll get run out of that stadium real quick.”

Veteran fullback Justin Griffith did not disagree.

“I agree with coach Kiffin. We’re in the development stages right now,” Griffith said. “In the first preseason game, you’re out there and you’re all excited. You see what you have and I’d say we did pretty good. But Tennessee is a different team, the coach has been there for a long time so their system has been in for awhile and their defense is one of the best. It will be a good test for us, going into a different environment.”

Kiffin hasn’t minced many words since camp began, and it’s true the Raiders offense _ particularly the passing game _ has been poor for the last two days. Still, it’s precisely the kind of comments a coach gives when a team is coming off a promising preseason opener and headed on the road.

He wouldn’t rule out double sessions when the team got back to Alameda if things don’t progress as hoped.

– The Raiders had at least a few decently timed plays in the passing game, as opposed to the debacle Monday night. There was also the encouraging sign of Javon Walker having the best day of any Raiders wide receiver, catching at least five passes and playing with some burst and enthusiasm.

On a reverse roll by quarterback Andrew Walter, Walker came back a good five yards to make a catch before going out of bounds.

“Good job working back, Javon,” offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said.

Then again . . .

Marques Tuiasosopo overthrew Drew Carter, who tipped the ball directly to a waiting Michael Huff at free safety.

JaMarcus Russell threw an inexplicable pass directly to diving newcomer Nick Sanchez during a seven-on-seven drill (the ball may or may not have hit the ground).

Russell appeared to be trying to hit Johnnie Lee Higgins, but somehow their wires got crossed and it ended up as a gift interception to Thoams Howard.

Andrew Walter threw a sideline pass that glanced off the hands of Johnnie Lee Higgins and into the hands of DeAngelo Hall.

There were other unsightly plays.

Walter threw a up a duck intended for John Madsen which fell well short and was broken up by Rashad Baker. Higgins had a ball sail through his hands moments after the pass that bounced off his hands for a pick. Ronald Curry dropped two more passes _ one easy, the other more difficult, although certainly within the realm for someone worthy of his own highlight reel of difficult receptions.

Russell threw a swing pass to running back Darren McFadden which was telegraphed to the point where Howard had a better chance to catch it than McFadden did. The ball fell incomplete.

There were some good passes as well. Walter found Madsen for a touchdown drill behind Howard, and again for a touchdown at the other end of the field during a goal line session at the end of practice.

– During the longest seven-on-seven session of practice, seven of the first eight passes, six of them by Russell, two by Walter, were to underneath receivers. Russell threw to Justin Griffith, McFadden and Chris Wagner before finding Chaz Schilens a whole seven yards down field. Then he dumped one off to Michael Bush on the right flat and Walter followed with passes to Madsen and McFadden.

At that point, someone from the defensive side shouted out, “It’s check down Tuesday!”

It got a little better from there. Five of the next seven passes were intended for receivers, although one was the Sanchez interception.

“A number of those were check downs but that’s what was there,” Kiffin said. “In that drill our linebackers play really deep in general in zone coverage so you’re going to deal with a lot of check downs versus our defense. And when you’re in seven-on-seven you’re going to deal with check downs.”

– During one late drill, tackle Mario Henderson essentially blew up a play before a defender by going the wrong way.

“Mario, it’s a sprint left!,” Knapp said.

– Kiffin conceded the Raiders’ defensive backfield can make things tough on the passing game, but declined to use it as a hall pass for each poor pass. It’s equally try that the Raiders have had trouble throwing even against second-teamers.

“I think we get tested with our first unit because our defense is so talented, especially the first secondary and Stanford (Routt) being the third corner,” Kiffin said. “That’s part of it but that’s no excuse. We have to improve our timing, consistency. It’s going to continue to hurt us until we have all of our receivers practicing every day with our quarterback and we’re in good enough shape that they can do that.”

– Safety Tyvon Branch underwent surgery on a broken thumb. Kiffin expects the rookie to put on a cast and face Tennessee. Those who did not practice included cornerback John Bowie, tight end Darrell Strong, wide receiver Arman Shields and kicker Sebastian Janikowski.

– No egregious errors from McFadden after his first tough day at the office during the Monday sessions, where he had fumbles and dropped passes in both practices.

“He made some normal mistakes that rookies make over the last two practices,”’ Kiffin said. “So it will be good to see him rebound. He’s getting tired, he’s getting overloaded with a lot of plays and that’s how it should be now.”

McFadden said he hasn’t hit a rookie wall.

“The last two days haven’t been as good as the rest of camp has been,” McFadden said. “There’s always those days where you have those ups, and there’s days where you have those downs.”

– Kiffin said running back Justin Fargas is probably the most “game ready” player on the offense and would see limited action against Tennessee, with McFadden, Michael Bush and Louis Rankin getting most of the work.

Notes from monday nights practice:

– The 23rd practice of training camp and the second-to-last night session of double days may very well have been the worst in terms of the passing game.

Included in the mishaps was a red zone pass by JaMarcus Russell which squirted more than 10 feet high in the air, with DeAngelo Hall coming up with a gift interception, and another by Russell which glanced off the hands of rookie running back Darren McFadden and in to the arms of linebacker Thomas Howard.

Practice ended with a four-down sequence which the Raiders attempted to get into field goal range. They got nowhere, with Russell’s fourth-and-10 pass sailing behind Drisan James, with Stanford Routt knocking it to the ground.

Mercifully, the three horns signifying the end of practice arrived. They ending a practice that in terms of the passing game brought to mind some of the poorly executed sessions of the last two years.

Kiffin scuttled plans for a full padded practice because he said the team was “too banged up.”

– McFadden, who fumbled and dropped balls in the first practice, continued to struggle in the second _ easily his worst day in a Raiders uniform.

– Running back Louis Rankin caught two routine passes over the middle which he at first juggled before securing.

– Wide receiver Ronald Curry missed practice with the sore hamstring which kept him out of the 49ers game. After a recent practice, Kiffin talked about how the receiving corps was worn down, and they looked it Monday night.

Drew Carter, who opened camp as one Oakland’s best receivers, has dropped off of late and had a drop in Monday’s practice. Javon Walker practiced both sessions in a day for just the second time this camp, but continues to struggle to regain his form. Jonathan Holland, another receiver who had solid moments earlier in camp, rarely gets reps with even the second team.

– Hall is playing with a cast on his right hand, the result of what Kiffin said is a sprain. He was pleased to see Hall remain on the field for a goal line drill rather than pull himself off the field.

“Even though we weren’t live, he came up and hit the guy almost as live as you could. Most guys right there you tell them to stay up, but our team needs to feel that. For a corner to go up inside a C gap, fit inside like that on a goal line and make a hit, I’m not going to slow that up.”

– Among those who did not practice were defensive end Derrick Burgess, left guard Robert Gallery, tight end Tony Stewart, defensive tackle Terdell Sands, wide receiver Arman Shields, cornerback Michael Waddell, cornerback John Bowie and tight end Darrell Strong. Burgess and Gallery were rested.

Running back Adimchinobe Echemandu left with a hamstring strain and may not be available to face Tennessee. Running back Michael Bush was limited with a stinger, but Kiffin thought he would play against the Titans.

– Kwame Harris was sent jogging twice for false start penalties and was joined by Walker and Mario Henderson. Tommy Kelly was penalized a lap for an offsides call, and responded by making it about six-tenths of a in a near comical walk-jog which lasted nearly two and a half minutes.

– Defensive end Trevor Scott easily got around Henderson on one pass rush attempt, only to have Henderson counter with a two-handed “punch” which knocked the smaller defensive end off his feet on the following play.

– Adam Archuleta, the Raiders’ newest acquisition, is wearing No. 42 and will get a look at both the strong side and weak side linebacker spots as well as on special teams. He got his feet wet Monday night, getting blocked successfully by the much larger Henderson on one play but getting in position for what would have been an open field tackle on a swing pass to Rankin on another.

After playing five years as a safety for the St. Louis Rams, Archuleta signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Washington Redskins but was out after a year. He joined the Chicago Bears and a familar system with coach Lovie Smith, his defensive coordinator in St. Louis.

Things didn’t work out any better in Chicago. Archuleta was hoping to land a job somewhere as a linebacker.

“It’s been in the back of my mind for awhile,” Archuleta said. “Once I got released from the Bears, I decided I wanted to. I enjoy playing in the box. That’s what gets me jazzed up so I decided I was going to try to make a run at linebacker.”

Archuleta is listed at 225 pounds and said he has put on some weight from the “215 or 216” he was at in recent weeks. The Raiders already have smallish starters in Kirk Morrison and Howard, and reserve Jon Alston is also in the 225 to 230 pound range.

“You’ve got to be smart, use your speed,” Archuleta said. “I played four years at ASU at 200 pounds. I played inside the box my whole career in the NFL . . . being down there with the big boys is really nothing new to me.”

He made no excuses for his time in Washington and Chicago.

“It was just a matter of not taking advantage of my opportunities and here I am,” Archuleta said. “It just didn’t work out. I just didn’t play very well.”

Said Kiffin: “We’re going to give him a chance like anybody else we bring in . . . there’s two (linebackers) right now that have made this team. The rest of the guys are battling so we’ll throw him out there and mix him around, see how it goes.”

Strong side linebacker Ricky Brown, running with the first team as the strong side backer until injuries struck, was back at practice.

Notes from Monday mornings practice. 

– The Raiders went through a light session in shells, with their more physical practice scheduled for tonight.

– Adam Archuleta was seen leaving with trainer Rod Martin, probably to undergo a physical that would be the final step before signing him as a free agent.

A safety throughout his career, Archuleta could also figure in at linebacker for certain defensive packages. The strong side position remains an open competition between Robert Thomas, Ricky Brown and Sam Williams, with Kiffin saying that special teams will play a big role in deciding the eventual starter.

Archuleta was a weak side linebacker at Arizona State. He had issues with pass coverage as an NFL safety.

With Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard playing virtually every down, the strong side starter is essentially a part-time player, coming off the field whenever the offense adds a third wide receiver.

Thomas, whose role could conceivably be affected by Archuleta’s presence, said, “He’s very versatile, can cover tight ends, play defense, play the run. I’m excited to have him.”

– Brown didn’t practice, working off to the side with the athletic training staff, but Kiffin termed him “probable” to face Tennessee Friday night.

– Tight end Darrell Strong sustained a shoulder injury late in practice that could leave him out for an extended period of time. Tight end Tony Stewart (toe) and cornerback DeAngelo Hall (hand) did not practice.

Also missing practice included cornerback John Bowie (knee), cornerback Michael Waddell (back), kicker Sebastian Janikowski (leg). Safety Greg Wesley, left off the morning roster, was in uniform and warmed up with the team but did not practice.

Kiffin said there is about a 25 percent chance Sebastian Janikowski could kick against Tennessee, meaning Aaron Elling is likely to remain on the roster through the weekend.

– Kiffin’s “I can only control what I can control” quote regarding the lack of players being brought to camp for evaluation can be construed as a jab at the team’s personnel department _ which has always been the domain of the owner.

Sounds as if Kiffin doesn’t want to stop the transactions with bringing in Archuleta.

“I hope so,” Kiffin said when asked whether there would be some roster moves. “There’s a number of things we need to look at. We need to improve our depth and our competition on this roster.

– During drills with the defensive backs, Tyvon Branch attempted to catch a pass with both hands, with the right one encased on a cast to protect a broken thumb, and had it sail through. On his next attempt, Branch was successful with a left-handed grab, holding it against his body and drawing a shout from defensive teammates.

– McFadden fumbles! Rookie Darren McFadden, who came to camp with a reputation for the occasional fumble, finally lost the handle on one during a team session. It came when on a slightly high pitch from JaMarcus Russell, but was recovered by wide receiver Ronald Curry.

Also fumbling was Miller on a strip by Morrison, with Howard recovering.

The Raiders kept the ball off the ground in the preseason opener against San Francisco despite 17 different people (including centers, by Kiffin’s count) touching the ball.

“We really emphasized it at the beginning of practice, about the defense going after it because we didn’t want our offense to feel great about themselves just because they had a perfect game the other day,” Kiffin said. “It was good to see our defense get it out and the offense needs to come back out and not do it tonight.”

– Linebacker Grant “Game Ready” Irons was finally practice ready. He got some defensive snaps, at one point wrapping one of his giant arms around Justin Fargas on a running play. He was kept out of special teams sessions as to not overtax his hamstring.

“It will be important to see him on special teams, moving around,” Kiffin said.

Irons also dropped Walker in traffic during one seven-on-seven drill, with Walker angrily rising and punching the turf with his fist.

– Curry and Javon Walker had consecutive drops during a seven-on-seven drill, with Russell getting most of his completions in team sessions and seven-on-sevens with running backs and tight ends.

During Russell’s first seven-on-seven, his only pass to a wideout came to McFadden when he was split wide _ and it was a route in which he came shallow across the middle.

Andrew Walter went the same route during his first seven-on-seven, throwing to John Madsen and John Miller, while Marques Tuiasosopo opted for Marcel Reece and Louis Rankin.

– With the lack of depth in the secondary, safety Hiram Eugene has been getting some work at slot corner and has been playing well.

Quick hits from Sunday’s “Raider Nation Celebration” at McAfee Coliseum:

– Not happy with last year’s wink and stroll session before the home fans at his first “Raider Nation Celebration,” coach Lane Kiffin wanted things to be different this time around.

So he put them in full pads, and while it wasn’t a full-contact practice, what the Raiders did wasn’t much different than what they do the practice fields behind the Napa Marriott.

The put in a fairly routine practice at a normal practice tempo before an appreciative crowd of approximately 14,000.

“I think we did a better job than a year ago,” Kiffin said. “It was very important we got our work in and I think our guys practiced better than they did a year ago.”

– Those who missed practice included cornerback John Bowie, cornerback Michael Waddell, safety Greg Wesley, wide receiver Arman Shields and kicker Sebastian Janikowski. Linebackers Grant Irons and Ricky Brown participated in drills and stayed away from contact.

Wide receiver Ronald Curry, who sat out the 49ers game when his hamstring tightened up, missed practice.

– Quarterback JaMarcus Russell practiced with a protective sleeve over his right arm, with a pad over the elbow which was injured early in camp. Kiffin said there are no issues with Russell’s arm, and that the elbow played no part in his decision to give Russell limited time and a safe playbook against the 49ers.

“You’ll see him throw throw more in this next game (against Tennessee). You’ll see him for a number of more series,” Kiffin said. “Games 2 and 3 are real big for our whole team, especially the offense.”

– Russell dropped in one nice medium deep throw to running back Michael Bush downfield, with Bush beating speedy linebacker Thomas Howard on the pattern. His longest pass during team sessions was a rainbow to Jonathan Holland that held up just long enough to be stolen by safety Hiram Eugene.

– Russell closed out a two-minute drill with a perfectly thrown corner route for a touchdown to John Madsen behind safeties Gibril Wilson and Michael Huff.

– Wide receiver Chaz Schilens made a leaping catch on a back-shoulder throw by Andrew Walter which was defended by Darrick Brown.

– Strongside linebacker Sam Williams dropped a potential interception thrown directly to him by Walter just beyond the line of scrimmage.

– Irons, who injured his hamstring on the first day of practice at Napa, has been dubbed, “Game Ready” by teammates.

As practice was winding down, defensive tackle Terdell Sands was pleading with Kiffin.

“Put `Game Ready’ in! Put `Game Ready’ in. You want to win? Put `Game Ready’ in!,” Sands said.

Irons didn’t get to go in, settling for a fist bump from the coach.

“He had a great workout yesterday, so he’s about as ready as he’s going to get,” Kiffin said. “Hopefully we’ll get him back out there and get to take a look at him.”

– Safety Tyvon Branch played with a heavily wrapped cast protecting a broken right thumb. He is apparently on a need-to-know basis regarding treatment. After practice, Branch said surgery was an option but it hadn’t been decided upon.

Kiffin said surgery would take place within 48 hours.

Regardless, Branch will continue to play and he isn’t overly concerned about the club on his right hand.

“I mean, maybe it will help me,” Branch said before endearing him to Raider fans everywhere. “I can use it as a weapon a little bit. You’ve got to look at the cup as half full instead of half empty.”

Kiffin, when asked if Branch’s hand could hurt him when it came to tackling, said, “I think it does a lot. There was a missed tackle in the game, and it’s hard to tackle with one hand.”

– Cornerback DeAngelo Hall is playing with a soft cast on his right hand. He injured in camp during the week and appeared to re-injure it during the game.

– Running back Darren McFadden was fielding punts along with Johnnie Lee Higgins during a drill, but Kiffin said he was merely sending McFadden out to excite the fans.

He had another trick to end practice that was foiled by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

As Aaron Elling was lining up to kick a field goal, Kiffin, with McFadden at his side, sent the running back into the play running downfield. Holder Shane Lechler rose and threw the ball toward McFadden.

Eugene, who was standing on the sideline, helmet in left hand, cut in front of McFadden and stole the pass with his right hand.

Rob heard me whisper that, so he whispered to Hiram about 10 yards ahead of him to go cover him,” Kiffin said. “So, it really didn’t work.”

– Kiffin said wide receiver Todd Watkins had a solid special teams game against the 49ers, an area which could be another mark in his favor as he attempts to beat out two rookie draft picks (Shields and Schilens) for a roster spot.

Kiffin said earlier in camp he hopes to keep five receivers and four spots _ Javon Walker, Drew Carter, Ronald Curry and Johnnie Lee Higgins _ appear to be secure, based on Higgins’ efforts as a return specialist.

– Raiders CEO Amy Trask said the ticket stub count was 13,988, and that didn’t include another 289 suite holders who had a VIP area along what would be the visiting team bench, an area with cold water, lemonade and lounge chairs.

Suite holders were also able to adjourn to a food area where they could sample cuisine available to them on game day.

– Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha got the crowd’s attention by throwing a ball into the stands, with a female fan making a clean catch on a throw which traveled more than 30 yards.

– Players made their way to the stands to sign autographs before heading back to Napa and watch film, while a selected group of players answered questions sent in by fans aged 7 through 14.

– Entered the stadium to the sound of the rock band “Raiderhed,” giving a rousing rendition of, “I Hate the 49ers.”

The Raiders have three more days in Napa before breaking camp. They practice twice Monday (9 a.m. and 7 p.m.), once Tuesday (3 p.m.) and twice Wednesday (9 a.m. and 7 p.m.) with the second practice Wednesday serving as a light service workout to simulate Tennessee.