Recently acquired lineman Richard Seymour ended his sit-out and was primed to join the Oakland Raiders on Saturday a week after being traded from the New England Patriots for a 2011 first round draft choice.
There was much speculation whether or not the soon to be 30 year old hybrid lineman wanted to be a member of the Silver & Black, but reports indicate that his personal issues involved relocating his family.
“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 stated to Ron Borges of the Boston Herald in his first comments since the trade.
Former teammate Vince Wilfork stated, “Personally, Seymour is a good friend. I wish him all the best. He knows it’s a business, and so he’s willing to move on.”
Oakland is enthused about having their newest acquisition for their Monday night opener versus the San Diego Chargers after several days of uncertainty and the prospect of an unhappy Seymour.
“It is a morale boost,” cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. “I think guys are pretty excited to have him because guys know what he’s done in the past.”
Seymour is expected to help the Raiders leaky run defense, add versatility to the front-four and provide better leadership to a defensive line that has been one of the league’s worst for some time now.
Can you expect him to play at his typical pro-bowl level on Monday?
Maybe.
Seymour has always played very well in big games, has a knack of performing when the lights are on and even though he has missed valuable time that could have been used to adapt to the scheme and practice with his new mates, the 6-6 310 pound lineman will become the team’s best defender in the trenches as soon as he dons Oakland’s jersey.
“I didn’t demand anything to go there,” he said. “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.”
Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist
