Silver and Black Report

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable addressed the attending media following today’s single training camp workout session. Cable updates the media on team injuries and where the team is at this point of camp.

Raiders Wide Receiver Louis Murphy stopped by to update his injury status following his concussion.
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Wide Receiver Nick Miller is putting together plays in camp and is beginning to make a name for himself on the offense and on special teams. Miller talks about his improvement.
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Luke Lawton during training camp drills

Here are some highlights of the Oakland Raiders training camp session on Saturday:

• Chaz Schilens was dressed, but did not participate in drills.
• Louis Murphy was “kicked in the head” per Tom Cable and sustained a concussion that will keep him from contact drills.
• With Luke Lawton’s suspension looming at the start of 2010, Marcel Reese looks ‘particularly confident per SBReport.net journalist DeMarcus Davis.
• Tyvon Branch picked off a Jason Campbell pass intended for Zach Miller. A few plays later, the tight end hit paydirt against the young safety.
• Monday, the team will be in full pads and go all out…
• Raiders owner Al Davis made an appearance on the practice field. Several players walked over to shake his had; RB Rock Cartwright, WR Jacoby Ford, RB Michael Bennett, OL Bruce Campbell, QB Kyle Boller, and OL Jared Veldheer.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Here are more looks into the Oakland Raiders OTA sessions captured by photojournalist DeMarcus Davis. The Raiders are days away from starting their Summer training camp. Here’s a glimpse of what we saw in the Spring:

Swayze Waters, Kicker (#1)

Louis Murphy, Wide receiver (#18)

Chaz Schilens, Wide receiver (#81)

Jacoby Ford, Wide receiver (#12)

John Owens, Tight end (#82)

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

OAKLAND — Oakland Raiders wide receiver Louis Murphy spoke to SBReport and other media following today’s highly productive OTA offensive practice session. Murphy touched on the team camaraderie, coach Hue Jackson and the emergence of fellow wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable made an appearance on the Murph and Mac show on KNBR 680 this morning. The coach talked about various topics, including the start of the OTA today and his quarterback situation. Here’s a transcript of some of the interview:

About the Organized Team Activities:

We start our OTA practices today. And we’ll go Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday this week, the same next week and it I’ll be about a lot of situations and kind of just putting the team back together again. Getting the rookies caught up and kind of advance where we at on offense and defense.

About attendance and the voluntary nature of OTAs:

The most important thing about OTAs is taking the bottom half of your team and raising its level. You’ll like to have everyone here, but it’s not the most important thing right now. You want your young guys here and your guys that you felt like, maybe you drafted a year ago that are still developing. Those are really the most important guys. But certainly having as many as you can make sit easier to do as many drills and situations as you can.

About the attendance of the draft picks:

They all are here.

About Roland McClain:

Well, I think that he fits a very important issue for us in trying to make our front seven better on defense, in terms of stopping the run and getting better, letting the secondary be able to perform on third down. So it was a big need.

What we got him from him was a guy who is a champion. He comes from a very good program, he’s been taught well his mind sight is whatever it takes and he’ll work all day. So I think is a breath of fresh air that you got a young guy in here that is committed to working and to being good.

About Jason Campbell and whether he’s the starter:

Jason is here. We’ll have Jason, Charlie Frye, Kyle Boller – all three of those guys will get work. Probably, pretty equal amount of work as we go here. Then when we get to camp, really at Napa, that’s when the competition will really get going.

On Bruce Gradkowski’s status:

Well he is [still injured]. He’s coming along fine and the [pectoral muscle] should be healed. He’ll be done, ready in time for camp certainly, but he’s here every day working and learning, but physically he won’t do anything until we go to camp.

About the wide receivers and how Campbell at QB will help:

Well, I think its going to be a little of both. You know, first of all, you got Chaz Schilens, you got Johnnie Lee Higgins, and then you got Louis [Murphy] and Darrius [Heyward-Bey] who you already mentioned, and when you look at those guys, they are all a year older. Johnnie and Chaz are really just third year guys and then you got Darrius and Louis being second year guys. So their maturity is going to happen just by being in the league and understanding what it takes to perform at this level, how to take care of your body, how to study, all those little things. Then you put a guy like Jason in the mix with them, who literally, if they wanted to go out and throw balls all day, he’ll go out with them, play catch, throw routes, work on ball handling, whatever- they are all kind of gym rats.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

LOUIS MURPHY

• WIDE RECEIVER
• No: 18
• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 200
• Birth date: 05/11/1987
• College: FLORIDA
• Acquired: Selected in the 4^th round (124^th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Louis Murphy was one of the few bright spots in a dreadful 2009 campaign. The rookie posted 34-receptions for 521-yards and 4 touchdowns, all team leading stats on the receiving corps.

Some of Murphy’s best moments came in big spots; especially during Oakland’s victory at Pittsburgh, scoring from 75-yards late in the 4^th quarter and the game winning touchdown with nine seconds left from 11-yards to seal the win. In his first game as a pro, Murphy almost was the Raiders savior with a 57-yard touchdown haul with 2:34 remaining on a 4^th and 14, but the San Diego Chargers scored as time wound down, preventing the Florida product from being the hero in that contest.

Murphy had his ups and downs, but on a grounded aerial attack, he showed good spirit and enough production to project him as a solid prospect that may contribute to this team in a major capacity.

He even impacted the team with his blocking, springing Zach Miller loose for 86-yards and a score with two vital blocks on the same play against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Chaz Schilens is a major question mark going into the 2010 campaign.

The 24-year old target is Oakland’s ‘go to’ target by default since their wide receiving corps is one of the thinnest and least intimidating in the league. And while Schilens has shown glimpses, the facts are, the San Diego State product has a long way to go before he can boast about being a reliable starting caliber wide receiver in this league.

Schilens was held out of minicamp due to off-season surgery on his left foot – the same appendage that he injured in 2009 and kept him off the field the majority of the season. Head coach Tom Cable stated that the procedure was “follow up work” and that the club was being very cautious with Schilens, but his fragility so far should be something to worry about.

He’s never played an entire 16-game schedule. More importantly, he’s never played a full season expecting to be a major contributor facing opponents that have targeted him at practice all week.

And until Schilens plays a pivotal role on this team and produces with consistency, no one should feel comfortable with him in the starting line-up.

Especially when the Raiders are projecting Darrius Heyward-Bey as the other starter.

Where does that leave Louis Murphy?

As the team’s most polished, but most volatile wide receiver, coming off the bench or the third wide-out when they spread out the field.

Murphy has legitimate tools to become a solid pro. And in his rookie season, the former Florida Gator had his ups and downs. But when he played well and made big plays, Oakland greatly benefited from his exploits and showed that he can be a legitimate producer, especially if the rest of the unit can elevate their play.

One thing will surely help; a passer who can be more accurate and that can absorb a deeper playbook, giving these wide receivers some diversity in their attacks.

But ultimately, they all have to develop and show they can handle the reps.

WR AT A GLANCE:

Shaun Bodiford during minicamp last weekend

• Chas Schilens career stats: 44 receptions 591 receiving yards 4 touchdowns
• Louis Murphy career stats: 34 receptions 521 receiving yards 4 touchdowns
• Darrius Heyward-Bey career stats: 9 receptions 124 receiving yards 1 touchdown
• Shaun Bodiford: 1 reception 13 yards 0 touchdown
• Johnnie Lee Higgins: 47 receptions 676 yards 4 touchdowns
• Todd Watkins: 8 receptions 90 yards 0 touchdowns
• Nick Millier: no stats
• Paul Hubbard: no stats
• Jacoby Ford: no stats

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Raiders 2nd round pick, Lamarr Houston in action

SBReport.net photographer DeMarcus Davis was in camp at Alameda on Sunday taking shots of the Oakland Raiders as they wrapped up their three-day work weekend. Here are some observations he made of the Silver & Black in action:

• Jason Campbell was nearly picked off by safety Michael Huff. The former Redskins’ passer bounced back with out route on the money to Todd Watkins.
• Darrius Heyward-Bey continued with his solid start, trying to use his hands to catch tosses his way and not allowing the ball to tie him up, as he did last season letting the ball get into his body. Tom Cable has boasted about his growth, which has been substantial, but still not where it needs to be to justify his high first round draft status.
• JaMarcus Russell at one point made three-straight errant passes.
• RB Michael Bush “juked” the linebackers out of their cleats on a run after a catch. The offense barked afterwards.
• Rookie Travis Goethel saw action at middle linebacker.

WRAP-UP – Other notes from minicamp…

Lamarr Houston has attitude that will only inject energy into a defensive line that needs to play more aggressive. This weekend was a solid start to his career.

Russell wasn’t the only erratic passer on the field. Charlie Frye was also missing his targets, especially on deeper routes.

Rookie Walter McFadden showed he has potential to contribute right away on some plays. He needs more seasoning, but the athletic cornerback surely has a nose for the football.

Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy missed action – Oakland’s best two wide receivers still.

Organized Team Activities (OTAs) will begin on May 18.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Slowly but surely, a handful of Oakland Raiders are trickling into Alameda, as the full team mini-camp is set to begin on Friday.

Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler are some veterans already on the premises.

Per an interview this week with defensive end Jay Richardson, “We got mini-camp this weekend, we finally get to have the whole team together. This whole new team we have here. Have good practices: we have two on Friday, two on Saturday, one on Sunday and kind of see where we are at. Get everyone up to speed and then the next few weeks, we’ll be polishing that up, working out and building some sort of chemistry and get guys going. It should be fun.”

Here are some things to look out for as the team comes together in their first action after the draft:

Rookies, rookies and more rookies…

How will Rolando McClain, Lamarr Houston and the rest of the new grouping of Raiders react to life in the NFL? This is their first taste of lining up against professionals. More importantly, its their teammates first glance at players that are needed to make an impact immediately and help them turn around a seven year losing stretch. The defensive heavy draft features players in vital spots.

Signal caller action…

Obviously, the news will surround JaMarcus Russell and what will happen in his future. But Oakland has a crew of passers, including newly acquired Jason Campbell. Bruce Gradkowski’s injury will keep him out of action for a few more weeks, so Charlie Frye and Kyle Boller will be at the helm during certain drills.

How far along are the wide receivers…?

Louis Murphy had a respectable rookie campaign; Darrius Heyward-Bey did not. Both need to show major growth in 2010, as well as Chaz Schilens, who needs to demonstrate an ability to stay healthy and produce over the course of 16-games.

Who’s lining up where along the offensive line?

All eyes will be on Jared Veldheer and Bruce Campbell, but where will the veterans line up and who will be in the mix for what spots at the end of the weekend? Especially at right guard, center and right tackle.

Will the defensive ends please step up…

Oakland will have to start finding out what players fit best along the trenches and which ones are deserving of major reps. That won’t be decided after one weekend in May, but first impressions can go a long way.

SBREPORT.NET will be in attendance covering the three-day minicamp. Stay tuned for updates and observations from Alameda.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

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SBReport.net will now look at the current status of the Oakland Raiders wide receiver corps, tight end situation and special teams prior to the NFL draft. In this second series of outlooks prior to the selection special later this week, we detail what the Silver & Black needs in those spots and what they may target during the draft.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Oakland needs this young crop of targets to develop and produce – quickly. Tom Cable and Hue Jackson will give the incumbents every chance to try to succeed and make their mark in this league. But Chaz Schilens needs to stay healthy, have a full summer and go into 2010 as a starter. Schilens’ size and development gives Oakland a lot hope. His 44 receptions for 591 yards don’t give you the impression of a top target or a starter in this league, but he is on Oakland’s roster and they need him to prove he is a reliable and consistent threat. Louis Murphy demonstrated in his rookie campaign that he has the potential of being a legitimate producer for years to come in this league. He’ll have to mature, control his emotions and display steadiness in his play to really be true starter in the NFL. Darrius Heyward-Bey is the wild card. Will he look like the overwhelmed rookie who is un-polished and lacks basic wide receiver skills? Or, will he take steps forward in proving that the project can actually produce? Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jonathan Holland, Nick Miller and Todd Watkins are all options that just show how feeble this unit is.

OUTLOOK:

Oakland will not likely target any wide receivers within the first five rounds of the draft. They have far too much inexperience already at that spot and a plethora of questions surrounding the current crop of targets. The Raiders have no clear-cut ‘go to’ guy at wide receiver. Nor do they have anyone who they can depend on game-in and game-out. At this point, they will just have to hope that their decisions the last few years and the growth of their youths is what will alleviate the woes this unit has had in recent years.

TIGHT ENDS

Zach Miller is the closest thing Oakland has to a dependable target. And its quite remarkable that the tight end has improved on his numbers every year since entering the league with opponents knowing that there is very little on this attack that can hurt them. But he needs help and Brandon Myers will have to carry a bigger load in 2010. In the summer of 2009, Myers showed he had better hands than advertised and could be used as a route runner. His impact in that area was non-existent during the regular season and he was mainly used on special teams. Tony Stewart was a dump off option and a safety valve, but his assets were best used on the edge as an extra blocker.

OUTLOOK:

The Raiders are happy with the talent at this spot. They just need to incorporate more sets where they can free up Miller and use another tight end to occupy the blocking duties. If Myers is still a prospect they feel high about, it is unlikely that they’ll add to this position on draft weekend.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Where did the pop and excitement on the return units go in 2009? Oakland did not get much out of Higgins and will expect the version they saw in 2008, which provided a spark and changed field position with scintillating returns. Nick Miller will get a shot in the summer to prove he was deserving of being kept on the roster in 2009. Yamon Figurs could handle both kickoff and punt return duties and will challenge Miller. That has to be far better option than the revolving door they had returning kickoffs in 2009 that were very uninspired and lacked any explosion.

OUTLOOK:

With far more needs in other areas, the Raiders won’t look to add any specialist with a draft pick. After the draft, they could attempt to sign some un-drafted free-agents to provide competition, but with Higgins, Miller and Figurs on the roster, they could find their options for 2010 from within.

SBREPORT.NET will bring you coverage from the draft, live from New York City.