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

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

Quarterback

JaMarcus Russell: Russell shook off that poor performance in New Orleans and appeared more comfortable and decisive in the pocket. He had a touchdown in the first half negated by a penalty, as he hooked up with Zach Miller on a nicely executed toss near the goal line. His 17-of-30 for 203 yards and one touchdown were not overly impressive. But when Oakland needed to move the ball late in overtime, after becoming predictable in their play-calling, the confident passer hit Javon Walker for 16 yards and Miller for 27 yards to set up the game winning field goal. He almost committed a turnover after losing the grip on the ball and was hesitant on a 3^rd and 2 to run for a first down. But he did show signs of maturation with his game management and ability to make key throws in certain spots.

Grade:B-

Running Backs

Justin Fargas: He carried the ball 28 times for 74 yards. And at times it appeared like he was running into brick walls. Fargas brought his lunch pale and found a way to get positive yardage against a defense was stacking the line of scrimmage and not afraid of the Raiders passing attack.

Grade: B

Darren McFadden: Oakland needs to find ways to get him the ball more often, or make team’s aware of his presence on the field. Johnnie Lee Higgins picked up 18-yards on a reverse pitch after it was initially given to McFadden, as the Jets were focused on stopping the rookie on every play he touched the ball. He showed explosiveness on various runs and was a factor in the passing game taking short tosses and getting nice yardage for the offense when it struggled to move the chains.

Grade: B-

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT END

Javon Walker: He recorded his first touchdown as a Raider in the third quarter after hauling in an 8-yard toss from a scrambling Russell. Walker’s team high 5 receptions for 75-yards was the Raiders best receiver performance this year, on a unit that is starving to get anything positive from that position.

Grade: B

Zach Miller: Solid game for Russell’s favorite target, compiling 4 receptions for 57 yards. His 27-yard reception to the New York 38-yard line set up the winning score in overtime.

Grade: B

Chaz Schilens: Started in place of a benched Ronald Curry, but did not impact the game.

Grade: C-

OFFENSIVE LINE

Kwame Harris: Many times put the offense in tight spots with his slew of penalties. A holding call in the 2^nd quarter while the Raiders were in Jets territory hindered that drive, which was capped off with a false start flag by Harris on a 3^rd and 11 that pushed back the Raiders another 5 yards. Penalized a total of four times, the Raiders should consider replacing him with Mario Henderson, who played well during Harris’ absence.

Grade: D-

Jake Grove: Played possibly his best game as a pro. His assignment all game was against mammoth nose tackle Kris Jenkins, who came into the contest the leader of a front seven that was among the leagues best at tallying sacks and slowing down opponents on the ground.

Grade: A

DEFENSIVE LINE

Trevor Scott: The rookie compiled the first two sacks of his career. Both of them came on 3^rd down, ending Jet drives. And with ith the defensive line slowing down and needing a presence on the edge with the absence of Derrick Burgess, Scott gave the Raiders the jolt they needed in the second half and overtime.

Grade: A

Kalimba Edwards: Had the burden of starting for Burgess for the second straight game. Edwards got in Favre’s face frequently and collapsed the pocket enough to disrupt the rhythm of the Jets aerial attack in key spots.

Grade: B

The run defense:

Allowed 242 yards to a team that has struggled to run the football. Thomas Jones had many big runs, while Leon Washington and Brad Smith had their moments. The Raiders offense couldn’t maintain drives and many of those three and out they had directly affected the defenses’ performance. But at times spotty tackling and a inability to put up a fight at the line of scrimmage led to the Jets best ground attack this season.

Grade: D

SECONDARY

Nnamdi Asomugha: Blanketed whoever was going against him.

Grade: A

DeAngelo Hall: Favre attacked Hall, and at times, took advantage of the cushion he gave his targets. But the speedy corner did record a interception late and almost had a pick earlier in the game on a poorly thrown slant.

Grade: C+

SPECIAL TEAMS

Sebastian Janikowski: His only miss was a 40-yarder, the first time he was unable to boot a field goal under 50 yards through the uprights in 2008. The 57-yard game winner is the longest field goal in Raiders team history.

Grade: A

Sam Williams: He recovered a muffed punt which led to Raider points in the first half and followed that up with a solid stick on Leon Washington on kickoff coverage.

Grade: A

COACHING

Tom Cable kept the football on the ground mostly, but he let loose his quarterback when they needed it most in overtime. At times, the conservative coach hurt the team with his predictable approach, and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp played the game close to the vest. Rob Ryan’s group was at their best when they attacked the line of scrimmage and kept Favre moving in the pocket. One of their finer moments was the fake punt on 4th and 2 that picked up 22 yards.

Grade: C+

Over the last two days at Napa, our on the site reporter has been able to snag some quotes from players and visitors at the Oakland Raiders training facility. First year Raider DeAngelo Hall and recently acquired Greg Wesley talked about the secondary; while Jake Grove summed up his chances at earning a starting nod. Jim Fassell also dropped in on an invite from head coach Lane Kiffin.

 DeAngelo Hall on Michael Huff…

 I like him. The place I trained at when I came out of college, Mike went there a couple of years later.

 

I got a chance to meet him when we were first coming out. I liked the guy then, I like the guy now. I can’t wait to get on the field with him, help him become a better player. And hopefully he can do the same for me.

 Jim Fassell on his visit…

 I came ‘cause Lane invited me to come. Very nice of him and I appreciate that. My son is here and I know all the people here.

Greg Wesley on his new home…

 That’s the NFL for yah. Guys switch teams all the time and I’m just looking forward to playing with the Raiders.

 On staying in the AFC west and his decision to stay within the division…

 No doubt, that was one of my reasons to making the choice of the Raiders.

 And also, with some of the transactions they made this year. Some of the players they got coming back. I feel that they will be a pretty good team this year.

 On what he will bring to the Raiders…

 I bring the physical part, tough part, everything. I’m going to try to make this an intimidating defense. 

Jake Grove on his chances of starting at center…

 I don’t know. I’m planning on starting, well see what happens. I feel if I go out there and do what I can do, then I don’t think it will be a problem, I think I’ll start.

What’s going on with LaMont Jordan – is he being released or traded?

Ideally, the Oakland Raiders would love to deal Jordan and get some compensation in return. The organization already told him he can seek a trade and to stay off the practice field; and that may be a reason why other teams are not lining up and embracing the idea of a trade with the Silver & Black knowing they will release him eventually if he stays on the roster. Oakland could definitely go into camp with Jordan on board. But the facts are, Justin Fargas and his new deal is locked in as the starter, first round draft choice Darren McFadden is going to be their multi-purpose weapon and Michael Bush is looked as the change of pace back-up for either and a player they expect big things out of.

Jordan visited the Detroit Lions stated his agent Alvin Keels in an effort to gauge interest and possibly facilitate a trade for the expendable rusher.

Other reported suitors for his services are the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears.

The Raiders would save $4.7 million in 2008 cap space if they cut ties with Jordan. But with teams looking for a running back, bringing back a late round draft choice is an opportunity Oakland hopes to take advantage of.

How will the Javon Walker incident effect his participation in training camp?

Walker will be in camp with the team and they expect him to be the top target for JaMarcus Russell in 2008.

A few weeks ago during an OTA, Lane Kiffin stated that the wide receiver needed to be in better shape. That is not a major concern at this point and once camp is in full swing, it will be more about Walker getting in tune with his quarterback, and showing that they are no ill effects from the varying injuries that limited him last season.

Which position on the team are you most worried about?

Both tackle spots along the offensive line. When you have a number one overall draft choice at quarterback who is getting paid record money, there should be no questions surrounding who will keep his blind side safe. The Raiders hope that Kwame Harris is their left tackle for years to come, but his track record does not forecast success on the other side of the bay area. He struggled with the 49ers, but many point to Tom Cable and his teachings being a perfect fit for the 6’7” 322 pound former first rounder. His footwork has been of concern, and since the Raiders use a zone-blocking scheme, it is of utmost importance that Harris moves well and understands the concepts of what the Silver & Black are trying to implement in the trenches.

Final cuts are not on the horizon, but what player(s) can surprise and make the team, and who could be in trouble?

Chris Morris is a player that may be able to earn a spot. Consequently, Jake Grove’s days as a Raider could be numbered if they feel that Morris is a better fit for the club and other linemen have a solid camp. Slated to make $1.3 million this upcoming season, Grove has been a bust and at this point, is barely hanging on to a reserve role.

The SBReport will try to answer any Raider related questions on a weekly basis. Please make sure to state your name and city prior to submitting your questions and we’ll select a few to inform the Raider Nation on what’s going on in the world of the Silver & Black.

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.