Silver and Black Report

JAKE GROVE

• CENTER
• No: 64
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 300
• Birth date: 01/22/1980
• College: Virginia Tech
• Acquired: Selected in the 2^nd round (45^th overall) of the 2004 NFL Entry Draft

When the Oakland Raiders selected Robert Gallery and Jake Grove in back-to-back rounds of the 2004 draft, they envisioned both players anchoring the offensive line for many years.

Gallery has not lived up to the hype at left tackle, but has found a home at guard, while Grove has not been able to lock down a job when given chances to play at guard and center.

Grove struggled in 2006 at center, which forced Oakland to acquire veteran Jeremy Newberry to solidify the interior of the offensive line. Since, Grove has been relegated to back-up duties and special teams play. He ended 2007 on injured reserve with an injury to his knee.

During recent practices and Organized Team Activities (OTA), Grove was limited to light work on adjacent fields, as he will have to wait till training camp before he competes for a job on the roster versus the likes of John Wade and Chris Morris, two players that have shared reps so far and that have impressed the staff.