Silver and Black Report

In this final installment of SBReport’s interview with Isaiah Ekejiuba, the special teams standout detailed the importance having Tom Cable as head coach, gives you insight on how he handled being a free-agent this off-season and reminisces about Marquis Cooper.

SBREPORT: The organization believed enough in Tom Cable to take the interim label off and will look to let him lead this team after a solid end to the 2008 campaign. How do you feel about the front office giving Cable the opportunity to continue his work on the sidelines?

EKEJIUBA: “I think between the players and the fans, there is a lot of new energy right now with coach Cable. This guy from time he took over, he had a strong belief on this team and he kept saying, ‘this is a good team.’ And he would say that almost everyday. ‘This is a good team – win or lose.’”

At the end of the year, when we had nothing to play for, we were out of the playoffs, he kept saying, ‘this is a good team.’ And we went out there and showed we can play some really good football the last two games of the season. So that brought a lot of energy and a lot of doubters came back on board.

A lot of fans stuck with us and we appreciate that. But when we won the last two games, a couple of people that slipped off the bandwagon were coming back on. They started seeing what the players had already seen in coach Cable in the locker room. He loves the Raiders. He loves winning. And he loves this team. When you have somebody like that that is willing to do anything to win, its fun to play for a guy like that.”

Raider fans have had unwavering support of their team through the recent dark days. Ekejiuba’s family, particularly his sister Felicia and her friends, have had a safe haven to watch, experience and take part of the happenings within the Raider Nation family through the welcoming arms of The Jersey Shore Oakland Raider Booster Club. The JSRBC has helped bind the ties of unity within the Ekejiuba family, who have that New Jersey connection and Raider fans located in the east coast.

Club President and Founder Gary M. Brown, who was a driving force in facilitating this exclusive interview also helped contribute to the content found in this three-part dialogue, received the Ekejiuba’s into the club and Isaiah commented about the loyalty and warm-heartedness the members have shown in making life away for his sister a lot easier when she watches games with the fleet of Raider fans in Jersey. “That’s an awesome group and they show dedication and commitment. Like I’ve said, it’s wonderful knowing there is that type of love and support that the fans give the team. My sister has talked about [JSRBC], I’ve heard nothing but classy things and when there is support in Oakland to  New Jersey like that, it binds all together.”

 He continued, “I’ll try to get back there [to the east coast] in June.

 “My sister and her boyfriend are always, after I go home, they are always on ‘em [Raiderfans.net and SBReport.net]. Matter of fact, that’s where I get a lot information, that I don’t know, that everybody else knows before me. Those guys from Jersey are as good as it gets and knowing that is really encouraging.” 

Ekejiuba has high hopes for the special teams as well. Partly because of the continuity they will have after re-signing most of the players he feels are cornerstones on that unit. When asked about his expectations regarding John Fassel’s group, he stated, “We talked a lot; we want to be the best unit in the league. You don’t want to be second to anybody. People do, people from different teams, we talk about other players, watch other teams. They are going to give you an example, well, here are the top four special teams from last year. So our group, being in tact, its one year to be comfortable. We re-sign a pro-bowl punter, the best in the league, and there is no question to me that with him, he’s our captain and the way Shane [Lechler] controls things, and coach Fassel being with us last year, I think we are just going to keep getting better. I see a lot of good things for us.”

The Raiders inked Ekejiuba to a 3-year deal for $5.4 million with a $1.25 million signing bonus. In the first year of the contract, the Pro Bowl alternate last season will earn $2.45 million. SBReport inquired about the negotiations and whether or not he had interest from other clubs when free agency began.

“With the whole negotiation, I really didn’t deal a lot with that. My agent did a great job talking to the Raiders and in trying to take a lot of stress off of me. It’s a very stressful period; you don’t know what the future holds, so he did a lot, helping me trying to relax and getting my mind off that.

I expressed to him I wanted to come back. They told me we want you back. It would be nice to have you back. So that’s how we started to talk. There were a couple of other teams that were interested in me. I was going to go on some visits, but I talked to coach Cable and Al Davis and we ironed a lot of things out and got the deal done without me having to go visit any of the other teams. So that took a lot of pressure off and it showed that the Raiders appreciated me and its good to be back.”

SBREPORT: The deal is among the highest in the league for a special teamer. Do you now feel that there is more of a burden on you to play at a high level to justify the contract?

EKEJIUBA: “Yeah, I think so. You getting a lot of money to do a job and if you are getting paid for it, you have to do an excellent job, or they wouldn’t give you that kind of money. There is pressure to play better.

I don’t think the Raiders are putting more pressure on me than what I put on myself. I know how good of a player I can be. I know where I am and I know where I want to get. I put more pressure on myself with or without the contract to go out there and prove that I am the best, because that what it’s about. At the end of the day, are they going to say, ‘wow, he was a great player’, or, ‘yeah, he was alright.’

You don’t want them to talk about you and say, ‘he played well when he didn’t have money, now he has a little money and his level of play has fell off.’ I want to go to the Pro-Bowl every year, I want to go out there and make plays. And don’t let that drop-off. There is a lot of pressure, but there is more from myself than from the organization.”

Ekejiuba is looking forward to continue his career in Silver & Black. Something he is proud of, especially playing in front of one of the most rabid fans in the NFL. He talked about ‘the Black Hole’ and the dedication of the Raider Nation:

“Oh, the Black Hole is crazy. You can’t really explain it in words. I try to talk to a couple of my friends that are on other teams that talk about their fan base and I tell them, ‘if you come to the Black Hole, its an experience you will never forget.’ And those guys, I have a couple of friends from other teams and they come out here and play us and they say, ‘damn those fans are crazy.’ And yeah, that is what we go through every week we play here. We have great fans, rain or shine, win or lose, they are there supporting us. It’s wonderful being out there seeing the kind of love and support that the fans give the team. That makes you want to give back. They are giving up their time and effort to come here and watch us play; we want to win for us, but we want to win for the Raider family, fans, players and the whole organization.”

This off-season has been a tough one for the Raider family due to the unfortunate incident that has occurred to Marquis Cooper and the boaters he was with near Clearwater Florida. Cooper set out on a fishing trip early March 1 from the Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater with three friends — former Buccaneer Corey Smith and two former University of South Florida players, Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler. Since, only Schuyler has been found clinging to the overturned raft and the rest of the groups has been presumed dead.

An emotional Ekejiuba shared some moments about his time with Cooper and recollections about the missing Raider:

“Well, [if anyone has said], ‘he wasn’t a Raider that long’, man, but he was a Raider long enough. I came into work one day and I saw Cooper on the depth chart and this was after Jarrod Cooper had retired. And I was like, did they sign him back without letting anybody know? And I come in, and this guy was sitting there and he was like, ‘Hi I’m Marquis Cooper.’ Quiet guy, quiet type. And it was a short period of time but he gelled quickly. And there was nobody that talked to him, a player or coach, that didn’t like Marquis. He was that type of guy. There is a lot of times I played on the kickoff returns where we played the center, right there in the middle and we always talked right before the team kicked the ball off on how things were going. Sometimes you are just so nervous, you don’t even talk about football. Talk about little things. I mean, he was just a great guy. He was such a great family guy. That is what he was about. He loved his wife [Rebekah] and his daughter [Delaney].

We used to go over to Sam Williams’ house and he showed us pictures of his wife and daughter. And he was just real proud. There was an air about him when he spoke about his family. And you appreciate that and a lot of guys that age don’t have their life together. But he had everything together.

He was a great friend. He will definitely be missed. His family misses him. I miss him personally. We became real cool.”

SBReport thanks Isaiah for a great interview and the opportunity to get to know him better, gain insight regarding his football career and thoughts about the Raiders, their fans and recent happenings in his professional and personal life.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

For the fourth time in five seasons, the Oakland Raiders will open the regular season in prime time.

The Silver & Black will host the three-time defending AFC West champions San Diego Chargers on Monday September 14^th, on ESPN, as part of their traditional double header to kickoff Monday Night Football’s schedule. All four teams playing on that night began play in 1960, as the NFL will commemorate the 50th anniversary season of the American Football League.

Oakland, which has a 36-24-1 record on Monday Night Football, lead the all-time series versus the Chargers 54-42-2. In 2005, the Silver & Black opened the NFL season on a Thursday night versus the New England Patriots, in 2006 they hosted the Chargers on Monday night and in 2008, they faced the Denver Broncos in another prime time contest to kickoff the season.

The Raiders will also play on Thanksgiving at Dallas. That marks the first time since 1970 that the Silver & Black play on the traditional American holiday.

The announcement of the Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving games was made Monday by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the NFL Annual Meeting in Dana Point, Calif.

The rest of the 2009 regular-season schedule will be completed and announced in April.

NOTES

• The Raiders have lost 10-straight nationally televised games by a combined score of 279-122.
• Oakland has lost six straight Monday night games by a margin of 173-31.
• Oakland’s other road games are at Denver, Kansas City, San Diego, the New York Giants, Pittsburgh, Houston and Cleveland. They will host: the New York Jets, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Denver and Kansas City.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders acquired a starting center on Monday when the Miami Dolphins sent 24-year old Samson Satele to the Silver & Black for a sixth round selection in April’s draft.

The trade also included a swap of fourth round selections, as the Raiders dropped from the 104^th overall slot to 122^nd.

Satele was expendable after the Dolphins signed ex-Raider Jake Grove to a five-year, $29 million contract, with $14.5 million in guarantees. Their second round draft choice in 2007, which started every game the past two years, was not what Tony Sparano wanted in the middle of the trenches, looking for a more physical presence in the interior to go along with the more power running game they are trying to adopt.

Grove, who played in Oakland the past five seasons, has had durability concerns and has only started 16 games only once in his career.

“We signed another center and feel like we had to get better in that area,” Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland said on Monday. “It’s pretty critical that we did.

“We saw there was some value out there with Samson. We felt like if we kept Samson we would have moved him to guard and let him compete.

He continued, “But we found out there was significant value for Samson.”

This trade may sway the Raiders away from drafting a center in next month’s draft. Oakland had a need at center, filled it with a player with starting experience in the league, and with both guard spots locked up, Satele quickly becomes the distant front-runner to nab the job in 2009.

Chris Morris and John Wade remain on the roster, but it will take a miracle for either to surprise Cable enough to earn the top spot. Morris is not physical nor is imposing on the field, but his style does lend itself to the zone blocking system Cable teaches.

Having stability with Cooper Carlisle, who just signed a five-year deal, and Robert Gallery at guard will go a long way in trying to bring back a steady presence in the trenches.

It will be interesting to see what they do at right tackle especially after making it clear that recently inked Khalif Barnes will be protecting JaMarcus Russell’s blind side. Mario Henderson is the leading candidate to win that job. And owner Al Davis has talked up his play at the end of 2008 in various occasions during the off-season.

So if Henderson shows consistency and takes well to right tackle, we may be seeing a line that will have Barnes (LT), Gallery (LG), Satele (C) and Carlisle (RG) barring any injuries in the summer.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Isaiah Ekejiuba was signed to the Oakland Raiders practice squad on September 6, 2005. This after the Arizona Cardinals released him prior to the regular season.

I asked Ekejiuba how he felt about being released and what he thought about his football career at that point:

“I didn’t think I was going to go too much further than that. From the time I was in camp [in Arizona], it was my understanding that a lot of un-drafted guys don’t make it you don’t make it to camp and when you get released, it’s hard to get picked-up.”

Then the Silver & Black called and Ekejiuba recalled his first thoughts regarding his next landing spot.

“When I got released, I didn’t know what to do. Then I got a call from my agent and he said how I would feel about going to Oakland. And we just had played against the Raiders two weeks prior to that so I said, ‘Oh man, out in Oakland?’ You hear all the stuff about Oakland and hear I am.”

What ‘stuff’ did you hear about Oakland?

“You hear all the stuff about the penalties, how they going to cheap shot you all the tough and scrappy type guys. You hear people say, ‘get ready for a bar fight.’ That’s the impression I had, I knew about the Raiders. And as a kid growing up, you hear about the Raiders, you know about Al Davis, the greatness of the Raiders. It was crazy when I finally came out here and I saw what everyone’s been talking about.”

His cautious nature after being un-drafted and hearing all the stories about how hard it is for such players to make it in the league had Ekejiuba wondering if this was the team he could latch on to.

“I didn’t know how long I was going to be out [in Oakland]. I stayed in a hotel for most of the year because I didn’t know when I had to pack up and leave again.”

Ekejiuba hasn’t left. And during his 48 games in Oakland, the 27-year old has established himself as one of the better special teams players in the conference. I asked him what does it take to be a standout on special teams?

“I think, one, you need to have an extra gear because there are some plays that you are running 70-yards and then you have to turn around and run another 70-yards in full speed. If you have heart, you have to be willing to go just a little harder than the next guy. Because you have to see, if anyone tells you on special teams they are not tired, maybe it’s the field goal unit, but if you are playing in the core of the special teams, there is a lot of running, it is very physical so you need to have the mind-set that yeah, this is going to hurt, I’m not going to enjoy this but you have to outlast whoever you are playing against. You have to have that mentality that every play, you are going to last one second longer than this guy and you are going to win out a lot that way.”

He continued, “You are not going to win every battle you have in football. That’s just life. You try to go out there and have heart play harder and a little longer than the guy opposite you.”

Many of the players at the glory positions in the NFL envision the perfect play or have dream scenarios that they play out in their head. Ekejiuba gave us some insight about what would be his perfect play:

“Obviously, it would be a kickoff. Kickoffs are unique because you run a very long way and you want to hit something – somebody. So ideally, if I run down and I can beat my blocks, and I have a vision of splitting a double team [laughing], split the double team, and have a returner cut back into my lane. One of those hits where you blow them up on the ball and it comes loose.”

And to cap the play off, “Take that [fumble] and score with it. If you could score covering a kick, then your unit is pretty good.”

Its not often a special teams player gets into the end zone. When asked about how he would react if he hit paydirt, and what celebration he would unveil, the reserved talent said, “I don’t stand in front of a mirror and try to learn new dances and stuff like that. It would have to be a spur of the moment thing. To me, that’s what it should be.”

In 2008, Johnnie Lee Higgins made a splash with his incredible returns. What was it like being a part of that and having a front row view during some of those notable plays?

“It was great watching Johnnie Lee. Watching him grow. Early in his career he had maybe a little trust issue within himself, where I don’t think he trusted himself completely. But this past year it’s been great watching him, just the returner he has become. People hear Johnnie Lee Higgins, and you know whom they are talking about.

He is someone that has the potential to score on you on any given play. And its wonderful seeing someone like that, somebody who is so young, just unsure about himself, now really making a splash.

That is what special teams are about; creating a short field for your offense and a long field for your defense. And when [Higgins] is returning touchdowns like that, the offense can just keep resting. It’s great watching people like that [Higgins’ play].

He always brings energy. You play with someone like that, I don’t know how you can’t get excited.”

Ekejiuba will now be lead by John Fassel, as he takes over for Brian Schneider as special teams coordinator. What are his impressions of the second year Raider staffer?

“It’s not really a new coach. He was there last year as an assistant and he worked very closely with us and coach [Brian] Schneider. They shared a lot of ideas, they were real close. These are two guys that loves what they do.

I don’t think, in my opinion, there isn’t going to be any drop-off from last year in terms of the effort and the time put in at preparation because coach Fassel will work as hard as coach Schneider did, they like to win and they have good ideas and how to use their guys. So we have a lot of the guys coming back this year, so you know when we put that unit together after a year of knowing each other, I think we are going to go up there and show some guys some things.”

Log on to SBReport.net in the coming days for part three of the exclusive interview with Isaiah Ekejiuba, where he talks about: Tom Cable’s hiring, Raider fans, his three-year contract and negotiations with the Silver & Black and his teammate Marquis Cooper.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Oakland's special teams recovering a blocked punt

The Oakland Raiders have made it a point of emphasis to bring back the same cast of characters on special teams this off-season. The Silver & Black will have Justin Miller returning kickoffs again in 2009 after he signed a two-year deal.

Miller, 25, gave a jolt to the Oakland return teams midway through the 2008 season after being cut by the New York Jets. His 32-kickoff returns for 794 yards and two scores helped the Silver & Black finish strong and gave a boost to a special teams that already had one of the top punt returners in the league.

Miller handled kickoffs once acquired, and with punt returner Johnnie Lee Higgins having a breakout season, the pair accounted for five of the team’s 27 touchdowns.

Tennessee was reportedly pursuing Miller’s services, as ex-Raider and current Titan return man Chris Carr was shopping himself around the league.

With the move, Oakland continues to keep continuity on special teams with players they feel can come together to form one of the better units in the league. They re-signed Isaiah Ekejiuba, Tony Stewart, Jon Alston, and Jon Condo since the season ended. John Fassel, who the team feels will inject more life to the coverage teams, will now coordinate that group, and with the return of Tyvon Branch, Oakland will look at special teams as one its strengths and a unit that will help them win more games.

RAIDERS ADD COACH

Aaron Pelch, who was an assistant coach at Millsaps College, will join the Raiders as an assistant to John Fassel.

“Aaron did a tremendous job for us these last three years at Millsaps” Mike DuBose said.  “He is a very talented individual that will be in this profession for a long time.  We wish him the best.“

WILLIAM JOSEPH ALSO KEPT

Defensive tackle William Joseph also signed a deal, but terms have not been disclosed. The former first-round draft pick of the New York Giants played sparingly in 2008. According to reports, he was in for Monday workouts in Oakland.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

It seems like the never-ending saga of Lane Kiffin and his relationship with Oakland Raiders’ owner Al Davis takes turns for the worse instead of fading away.

On Friday night, the now head-coach at the University of Tennessee fired back at Davis after a letter sent to the program by the Raiders became public. Per a report on ESPN, Kiffin will give a deposition next week for the grievance he filed against the Silver & Black in which he will seek two months of pay for the time he was unemployed before being hired at Tennessee.

“Starting with Al Davis’ nationally televised press conference publicizing the firing the head coach Lane Kiffin last fall, the Raiders have continued to attack coach Kiffin in the media,” Kiffin’s lawyer, Alan Loewinsohn said in a statement. “That assault continued today, long after he left the Raiders, when the Raiders issued a statement and ‘leaked’ a letter, a letter they wrote months ago to coach Kiffin’s new employer, the University of Tennessee, in which the Raiders again attacked coach Kiffin’s character.

“Starting next Tuesday at a hotel in Oakland, the Raiders will no longer be able to rely on unsupported allegations made in the media, as a key Raiders personnel, starting with Al Davis, will finally have to answer questions under oath at their depositions, a process that coach Kiffin is confident will demonstrate that he was fired by the Raiders without cause and show that the continuing assault of allegations being made against him are false.”

Kiffin was terminated in September by the Raiders, and during a press conference in which Davis detailed Kiffin’s reluctance to draft JaMarcus Russell, the rocky relationship between himself and the former USC staffer and the notion that he wanted out and attempted to do so through insubordinate acts, the seeds of contempt on both sides were planted and in full bloom which has led to continued unnecessary jabbing.

In September, Davis stated during a press conference, “I just couldn’t go on much longer with what I would call, propaganda, the lying that had been going on for weeks, and months, and a year, and time. And he had a few questions, he says ‘does that mean I don’t get paid’, I said that’s what I’m saying to you”

He later continued, “It was after a short period of time that I realized I didn’t hire the person I thought I was hiring.”

The Raiders will have a full round of ammunition when they battle Kiffin and one-complaint will be how Kiffin violated the league constitution, which was amended in March 2008 to require coaches to communicate with, respect and not embarrass ownership.

Davis continued his candor in February when he talked about the former coach’s reluctance to go younger with the roster stating, “[Kiffin] wouldn’t do it. Yeah, he wouldn’t do it. That’s why he got fired.”

He continued, “I tried to reason with the guy [Kiffin]. I thought we could get something out of him. And I wanted to push it through to see if I could push it through. I guess it was my stubbornness too. But he was bad, He was a liar – flat out. Which I told you. I’m never broken away from it. They know it. The players know it.”

Davis has not let up with his bashing of Kiffin in the media. It has gotten ugly. How much uglier can it get though? With Davis making statements like, “All he wanted to do is get out of here and get his money,” back in February, we can only sit back, grab some popcorn and let the drama unfold. 

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

There is more than meets the eye when you see Isaiah Ekejiuba. The Oakland Raiders’ special team standout is a football player that is well rounded, diverse, has an understanding of life on and off the field and that has accomplished much in his lifetime.

In my conversation with the 6’4” 240 pound Nigerian born linebacker, I gained an understanding of how important his early life was as he made his travels through varying continents because of his late mother’s job with the United Nations and eventual landing at Colgate University where she taught.

How was it growing up; having a distinct up bringing, being born in Nigeria, living in different continents and eventually settling in the United States?

“That was a big influence, living in different places, because you learn a lot of different things in terms of dealing and appreciating other people for their beliefs and their culture. And I think that translates, when you work and go out here and play football you play with people that you do not necessarily interact with prior to football. Now you are working together and lone and behold you are best friends.”

Ekejiuba continued, “That helped me a lot, that transition to learn and appreciate people for their beliefs and their thinking; looking things outside the box and it helps in football meeting a lot of new people.”

His mother Felicia was very influential in his life. Ekejiuba proclaimed this and explained how she succeeded in presenting him a dynamic environment for him to develop in.

At a young age she tried to get me interested in a lot of things. Not just video games or books, it was a balance of things. You read a little, you travel a little and you learn to do all those things – you are just not one-dimensional. And I think that was instrumental in my growing. Through her teachings it helped with one; my work ethic, which she believed before sports, that you do all your schoolwork. That work ethic helped me believe that there was nothing I couldn’t do. And she made me believe that.

That ethic had him hitting the books in college at Virginia before he started playing football. In college is where he got his first taste of the football field as a mean to take his mind off some of the studies he was focused on – a path that would take him to unexpected heights in his life.

I was doing electrical engineering and it always seemed like I was always doing schoolwork. I needed a little bit of a distraction. And at the time, I knew a guy on the football team and he was talking about the team and how much fun they had.

It was something different to do; something outside of school. I didn’t think I would come this far. It was something that I wanted to do at the time and I have just been blessed to be at this point in my career.

After college, Ekejiuba went un-drafted. He may have not seen himself being one of the better special teams players in the NFL at that point of his life, but he also didn’t put his eggs in one basket and depended on his NFL career as a lone way of making it in this world.

I honestly didn’t see myself where I am right now. When the draft was coming up, I was a little nervous and I had just worked out for a couple of scouts on our college pro-day. I knew I was not going to be a guy that was going to get drafted because I didn’t have that much film. But there were a couple of scouts that had talked to me and said, ‘well listen, you did pretty good, we may take a look at you’, but it was just people talking and I didn’t believe anything.

Log on to SBReport.net in the coming days for part two of the exclusive interview with Isaiah Ekejiuba, where he talks about his arrival in Oakland, his views about being a solid player on special teams, his dream scenario on a kickoff, his thoughts on Johnnie Lee Higgins’ breakout campaign, first-year coordinator John Fassel, Tom Cable’s hiring, Raider fans, his three-year contract and negotiations with the Silver & Black and his teammate Marquis Cooper.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

In an exclusive interview with SBReport.net, Oakland Raiders’ special team ace Isaiah Ekejiuba talked about his missing teammate Marquis Cooper.

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to ask Ekejiuba about his relationship with Cooper and what were some recollections of his mate.

“Quiet guy, quiet type. And it was a short period of time but he gelled quickly. And there was nobody that talked to him, a player or coach, that didn’t like Marquis. He was that type of guy,” stated Ekejiuba.

Just recently, Cooper’s wife, Rebekah, filed a petition for a presumptive death certificate in civil court a week after the Coast Guard called off its search for the missing boater and two friends.

Cooper departed from Clearwater Pass in a 21-foot boat with free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith and two former University of South Florida football players on Feb. 28.

Their boat overturned after encountering rough waters in the Gulf of Mexico and since, only Nick Schuyler was found clinging to the boat days later while the other men have not been located.

The Raiders on March 3^rd released a statement stating:

We continue to hold out hope that Marquis Cooper, Will Bleakley and Corey Smith will be located and rescued.

However, with the Coast Guard’s decision to cease search and rescue efforts, we are faced with the reality that this mission may not turn out the way that we all desire.

Again, the Raiders would like to express our deep appreciation to all involved in the search and rescue efforts.

We also wish to express gratitude to everyone around the world who has offered their support. We ask everyone to continue to remember these men and their families in their thoughts and prayers.

Ekejiuba fondly remembered during our conversation Cooper’s disposition stating, “We used to go over to Sam Williams’ house and he showed us pictures of his wife and daughter. And he was just real proud. There was an air about him when he spoke about his family. And you appreciate that and a lot of guys that age don’t have their life together. But he had everything together.”

He continued, “He was a great friend. He will definitely be missed. His family misses him. I miss him personally. We became real cool.”

Everyone at SBReport.net will continue to keep the families of those suffering in our thoughts and prayers. We will continue to keep these men in our hearts and hope that the families get through this situation, remembering the good times and precious moments they shared.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Let the Terrell Owens to Oakland rumors begin!

Yes, the Dallas Cowboys made the right move in cutting the controversial drama queen and salvaging a locker room that probably was not going to handle another year of ‘TO’s’ presence.

In his career, he has alienated Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and in 2008, Owens reportedly was at odds with Tony Romo due to his jealousy of the quarterback’s relationship with tight end Jason Witten. Since, Owens name has come up as a key antagonist in the demise of the Cowboys chemistry in their lackluster effort to attain a playoff spot this past season.

Owens, 35, signed a $34 million extension last June that included a $12.9 million signing bonus. But with the Cowboys needing more stability and some sanity within their inner circle, they decided to part ways with a player that in the past has even questioned offensive coordinator Jason Garrett’s play calling while in Dallas and has been in the middle of run ins with coaches at his other stops.

This is the last thing the Raiders need on their roster.

Owens is a big target, a legitimate ‘go to’ receiver and in football terms, exactly what they need for a quarterback like JaMarcus Russell.

What they don’t need is the baggage, diva mentality and me first attitude he comes with.

Owens will never change. He has not shown the ability to do so.

Even after proclaiming his love and weeping after a playoff loss in defending his last quarterback in front of the media.

How quickly things change…

And this dysfunctional behavior is what Al Davis must pass on, as it will just hang a dreary cloud over Tom Cable’s program, with hopes in finally turning the Raiders around.

He has a young quarterback that is starving for some playmakers at wide receiver and an offense in dire need of explosiveness.

Even with these missing components, there is no need for them to gamble on Owens. Eventually, he’ll come back to bite you. And after dealing with a disgruntled Randy Moss a few years back, the last thing the Raiders want is an aging loudmouth who will demand the ball, disrupt the team’s chemistry and hinder any chances of progressing with sanity.

Owens has all world talent. He takes care of his body and even at the latter stages of his career; the six-time all pro can demonstrate brilliance on the football field.

Some will question his ability to continue his dominance on the football field. I won’t question that.

But I will question is his presence on any football team that will look to brighter days. And with Owens on any roster, especially this Raider one, the chance of storms is always in the forecast.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

As expected, the Oakland Raiders are not a major player in the frenzy that is the first few days of free agency.

After inking Chris Johnson, Shane Lechler, Nnamdi Asomugha and Isaiah Ekejiuba to deals; and tendering restricted free agents Jon Alston, Jon Condo and Ricky Brown, the Silver & Black are just passive observers and looking for cost efficient ways to improve a team that has approximately $6 million in cap space to play with.

With the draft coming up and the likelihood of them keeping their 7^th overall selection, a lot of creativity will be needed if they plan to bring in any significant free agents.

Some believe that Javon Walker may still be cut before he gets his roster bonus. But that will just hinder an already tight salary situation.

Jake Grove is still a free agent and the Raiders have expressed interest in bringing him back. Tom Cable wants him to stick around and Grove, who was happy about the coaching hiring, wants to remain in Silver & Black. But negotiations have been stalled due to monetary terms, as the Raiders would like to get him signed to a multi-year deal.

It’s imperative they keep some semblance of continuity on that offensive line, especially since guard Cooper Carlisle has been fielding offers from other clubs and could be lost.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have contacted Carlisle and reports indicated that they might be interested in bringing him in as a reserve. Carlisle still feels he can play at a high level, which bodes well for the Raiders, because he was their best lineman in 2007 and was a steady presence throughout 2008, although his level of play slipped as the year went on.

Carlisle, 31, fits Cable’s zone blocking scheme, but the Raiders may try to deviate from that some in 2009 in their efforts to return to a more power ground game.

If that is the case, it will be interesting what occurs to both Grove and Carlisle, both who fit better Cable’s philosophy.

As for the Michael Bush rumors, its hard to believe that Oakland will entertain any offers for a young rusher who is making very little money and that can spearhead an offense that has no pop.

Oakland must rely on their ground game in 2009 and hope that Bush and Darren McFadden can develop into studs to alleviate the pressure on JaMarcus Russell.

Justin Fargas is still around. So if the Raiders do plan on trading from an area of strength, they should part ways with Fargas, who signed last year a three-year $12 million deal and is expected to get a $1 million roster bonus.

The Raiders have kept a lot of their own players to start this off-season.

That may not seem impressive because they did only manage five victories in 2008.

But considering that Asomugha and Lechler were two of those players –probably the best at their positions in the NFL – its good to see that the Raiders are trying to make the right transactions, not the flashiest ones.

Then again, they are trying to fix the mess that was last season’s flashy spending spree. 

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist