Silver and Black Report

NEW YORK — SBReport takes a look back at the Oakland Raiders’ draft class and the outlooks for each player in Silver & Black:

Round 1, Pick 7 (7) – Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR Maryland

The Oakland Raiders coveted Heyward-Bey’s attributes and big play potential. At the time of their selection, not one wide receiver had come off the board. This lead to the overwhelming critique of the pick especially considering that Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin were recognized as superior talents than the speedster out of Maryland. Oakland got their guy and only time will tell whether or not he will be the downfield menace that will help JaMarcus Russell stretch the field. But what can be questioned is the value they got with this pick and how they probably could’ve traded down and paid Heyward-Bey less while picking up an extra pick or two.

The draft is a crap-shoot, and it’s hard to find out other team’s intentions. So you can see the Raiders approach in taking Heyward-Bey at no. seven. The possibility of trading down and then having another club take the player you covet is a risk. But with Crabtree going to San Francisco at 10, and Maclin going 19 to Philadelphia, it would have been profitable and realistic for the Silver & Black to move down below their seventh slot and still take their target. With the economy influencing personnel decisions since the start of the off-season, it would have been economical for the Raiders to make this move. The only question remains is whether or not any teams would have been interested in moving up?

PROS: Speed and big play potential. Gives the Raiders a receiver that can chase down bombs from Russell.

CONS: Very raw, not a precise route runner and still needs a lot of polishing to become a number one go to target in the NFL. And when you take a receiver with the seventh overall pick, he better become a top flight pass catcher.

Round 2, Pick 15 (47) – Mike Mitchell, SS Ohio

Another player Oakland had high on their draft board. Many suggested that he was a second day pick at best, or an un-drafted free agent candidate at the time of the selection. Rumors circulated that the Bears were locked in on Mitchell with the 49^th pick, so Oakland nabbed a talent they have high hopes for. Mitchell has speed, can clobber ball carriers and is expected to compete immediately for the starting SS spot. He said prior to the draft, “It’s so weird that I’ve been flying under the radar, and at times it’s been frustrating,” he said. “I’ve been playing well, I’ve never been in trouble, I truly believe I’m a good person with a good heart.

“If you ask people about Mike Mitchell, they’ll tell you he’s a hard worker and a great leader. He’s a guy who’s going to give 110 percent every time he steps on the field whether it be a workout or anything regarding football, he’s always putting his best foot forward. And I’m definitely proud of that.”

Michael Huff has been a bust so far, but if he can re-energize his career at FS under a new coordinator, the only players standing between Mitchell and a place in the starting line-up will be Hiram Eugene and Tyvon Branch.

PROS: Good character, adds more quickness and toughness to the defensive backfield.

CONS: From a small school, did not face elite competition, and when you step up to the NFL, the game gets faster and more complex. Can he handle that, or is he just a physical specimen?

Round 3, Pick 7 (71) – Matt Shaugnessy, DE Wisconsin

Tom Cable adds a tough competitor in Shaugnessy, as Oakland continued to fill voids on their roster with position specific selections. He will be a project at end and is similar to Jay Richardson in that he won’t bring a lot of heat off the edge, but can fight along the trenches and wrap up ball carriers around the line of scrimmage. He lacks explosion and because of his size, Shaugnessy will get pushed around early in his career. Oakland took a shot at Trevor Scott last season and found a high motor end that tallied 5 sacks. But that was in the 6^th round, and when you take a player in the 3^rd round, teams expect them to contribute or not be so much of a project as Shaugnessy is.

Shaughnessy reportedly talked to Raiders’ defensive line coach Dwaine Board, who told him the Silver & Black expects him to work hard and compete for a spot in the rotation.

PROS: Will work hard, add toughness and with the right coaching, can become a reliable edge defender.

CONS: Oakland still does not have a starting caliber end opposite Derrick Burgess. The are questions whether or not Scott can handle being an every down defensive end, Richardson is pedestrian and Shaugnessy needs to be groomed for a year or two before you see what he can do at the pro level.

Round 4, Pick 24 (124) – Louis Murphy, WR Florida (From New England)

It was good to see Oakland address their weak wide receiver unit in this draft. Murphy is another big target for Russell and a player that could challenge for reps due to his abilities when the ball is in his hands and large frame. The Raiders need a receiver that can work the middle of the field, run precise shorter routes and give Russell and intermediate target from 5-10 yards off the line of scrimmage. That is not Heyward-Bey’s forte, and others on the roster like Chaz Schilens and Johnnie Lee Higgins have not shown they can be that type of player with any regularity.

PROS: Injects more pop to the Raider offense, adds talent to a weak crop at WR and is from a winning program.

CONS: Florida receivers have not fared well at the pro level, not very physical, which can be a big problem on Sundays when getting off the line and facing press coverage and needs to get more sure-handed.

Round 4, Pick 26 (126) – Slade Norris, DE/OLB Oregon State (From Miami)

Oakland emphasized adding speed to their roster with this pick in the 4^th round. Norris could compete for the lone available OLB spot that Oakland has tried to fill in recent years with Robert Thomas, Sam Williams and Ricky Brown.

They may be able to live with Norris on the same unit as Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison due to his quickness, willingness to learn and solid character. “He’s been here long enough, and I think guys look up to him,” Oregon State defensive line coach Joe Seumalo told the Gazette-Times newspaper. “He’s contributed enough that guys can look to him as a leader and a mentor. The young guys lean heavy on him.”

PROS: At best could round out the linebacker corps, at worst, could add speed to an already solid special teams coverage unit.

CONS: Another project/hybrid player. Oakland rarely develops nor can max out the potential of players that have been ‘tweeners.’

Round 6, Pick 26 (199) – Stryker Sulak, DE Missouri (From New England)

Sulak got better every year in college. He has good quickness, a solid initial burst and is solid in pursuit. But he lacks bulk and is another ‘tweener’ that may not have a position in the league.

This pick may not make the roster unless he can handle playing at strong side linebacker.

PROS: Has a good motor, the desire to get better and is a good team guy.

CONS: At best he projects as a back-up at this point, and with Isaiah Ekejiuba, Sam Williams and other special team’s specialist, the Raiders cannot afford to keep players on their roster who cannot contribute to many facets of the club.

Round 6, Pick 29 (202) – Brandon Myers, TE Iowa (From Carolina)

Oakland has needed a tight end who can be a solid edge blocker for some time. Zach Miller is arguably the team’s most reliable target, and Russell’s security blanket, but he is also the team’s most reliable wall in pass protection. The Raiders hope Myers can make the team and model his game to Roland Williams, a tight end who provided a lot of edge support in the run and pass game some time ago. This will free up Miller and give the Raiders a hefty two tight end set in goal line and short yardage situations.

PROS: Will help the run game and free up Miller.

CONS: Not a pass catcher and will need to work on technique to make a living as a full time blocker at the pro level.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Why character has been a position of need — even 7th overall

When Tom Cable took over as interim head coach of the Raiders four games into the 2008 season, he was a breath of fresh air after the disastrous Lane Kiffin/Al Davis feud.

The former offensive line coach managed to bring a positive, blue-collar attitude to the job, in stark contrast to his young, ambitious, often-tactless predecessor. And, although he built what appears to be a strong working relationship with the Oakland owner, he managed to avoid becoming a Joe Bugel-esque “yes man.”

Cable got the permanent job this offseason. And if the 2009 NFL Draft is any indication, he has set about addressing one of the team’s most pressing needs.

No, I’m not talking about wide receiver, although that unit was certainly bolstered with Top-10 pick Darrius Heyward-Bey and fourth-round pick Louis Murphy.

I’m talking about attitude. Character has often meant something else entirely in Oakland, but the “Bad Boys” of the 1970s were football players first, and party animals second. In the “me-first” 21st century of professional sports, that football-first type of character has often fallen by the wayside.

Never was that more evident in Oakland than in 2008, when the Raiders gambled on talented players with dubious attitudes. Corner DeAngelo Hall didn’t last the season, safety Gibril Wilson won’t see a second season and wideout Javon Walker is only back because he’s too expensive to cut. On the upside, rookie running back Darren McFadden was a model citizen, belying questions about some college off-field troubles.

Meanwhile, of course, Kiffin sabotaged his NFL career before fleeing to the University of Tennessee, where he is already winning friends and influencing people around the Southeastern Conference.

Young players, young coaches … that’s not always a mix that works. Just ask Josh McDaniels, Jay Cutler and the fans up in Denver.

The Cable Guy is doing something different entirely.

First, the team added some old hands to its coaching staff: Noted quarterback gurus Ted Tollner and Paul Hackett to work with the offense, replacing among others John DiFilippo, who had promise, but was one of the youngest assistants in the NFL. If popular defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had to be replaced, at least it was with a man who can bring many years of experience and wisdom to the job in John Marshall.

Then, the team made it a point to re-sign a pair of highly-regarded leaders in Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler.

Most recently, Oakland brought in self-made veteran Jeff Garcia to push, and set an example for, young quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Finally, the team put an emphasis on a characteristic of need as much — if not more — than a position of need.

Say what you want about the Raiders’ draft picks in terms of talent versus where they were chosen. The fact is, if scouting reports are to be believed, all seven of the newest Raiders come in with scintillating attitudes and work ethics.

Face it, with the Raiders trying to return to respectability, losing with malcontents such as Jerry Porter on board just adds insult to injury.

No matter what the 2009 team does, if Cable has his way, it will play hard and do the best it possibly can. After six years of double-digit losses, that’s a big step forward, whether or not the team reaches the magic .500 mark — or even the playoffs.

Anyone who has witnessed the loner Randy Moss, or the flamboyant Porter, or even the (rightfully) downtrodden Andrew Walter, should be able to see that attitude is as important as the interior defensive line when it comes to turning things around.

Even a Charles Woodson, who played hard every Sunday, but practiced lazily Monday through Saturday, is the wrong kind of player for a young team desperate to improve.

Give me more Kirk Morrisons, more Asomughas, more Robert Gallerys — yes, he’s taken more than his fair share of grief, but he works hard and desperately wants to succeed.

Positive attitudes are contagious. They can make a bad team decent, and a decent team good. Strong leaders help bring out the best in their teammates, and strong workers push their teammates to match their effort.

And if that is the reason the Raiders overdrafted Heyward-Bey with the 7th overall pick instead of the ego that is Michael Crabtree, you know what? I’m at least somewhat okay with that.

Because the Raiders need more than a guy who can catch passes. They need a guy who wants to be there catching them.

The tragic Darrell Russell put up his best seasons when he worked alongside veteran Russell Maryland and not underachieving Chester McGlockton. Russell followed the example of the man next to him — with McGlockton at his side, he underachieved; with Russell there, he was an All-Pro.

When young running backs like McFadden and Michael Bush see Justin Fargas giving his all on every play, how can they help but try to do the same if they want to take his job, and carries, away?

The party line is that the Raiders never rebuild. But this year, it seems like they are rebuilding something: The atmosphere in the locker room.

I, for one, am grateful. If nice guys really do finish last, at least the 2009 Raiders should be a losing team with players I care about, players I want to see do their best. There’s plenty of evidence out of Oakland in recent years that jerks finish last, too.

After all, the surest way to alienate even the most loyal fans — the Raider Nation — is not just to lose. It’s to lose without giving a damn. And there has been too much of that in the Bay Area lately.

Tom Cable is sending a message, and I can read it loud and clear. I hope the players and the rest of the organization do the same.

The Class of 2009:
1. Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland: “Elevated his draft stock at the Combine with a superb workout and even better interviews.” — Pro Football Weekly
2. Michael Mitchell, S, Ohio: “Michael is one of the most impressive guys that we’ve had here in our program. When he comes in to work, his demeanor is all business. He attacks all his workouts and drills.” — Cliff Marshall, Ignition Athletics Performance Group, as quoted in the Dayton Daily News
3. Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin: “Productive high-motor player that gives it up from snap to whistle.” — Ourlads’ Scouting Services
4a. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida: “Coach Urban Meyer has said Murphy improved as a player and a person as much as anyone he has coached.” — Lindy’s
4b. Slade Norris, LB, Oregon State: “He’s been here long enough, and I think guys look up to him. He’s contributed enough that guys can look to him as a leader and a mentor. The young guys lean heavy on him.” — Joe Seumalo, Oregon State defensive line coach, as quoted in the Gazette-Times
6a. Stryker Sulak, DE, Missouri: “High-motor overachiever.” — Pro Football Weekly
6b. Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa: Myers may be the exception to the rule, with an arrest and conviction in his background. But his biography on Raiders.com indicates he won the Coaches’ Appreciation Award on offense, and that’s something.

A safety makes Oakland 2-for-2 filling holes

NEW YORK — Two months ago, Ohio safety Mike Mitchell wasn’t on anyone’s radar screen. Then came the Bobcats’ Pro Day workout in March.

And Mitchell made up for an NFL Combine snub by running a sub-4.4 40-yard dash.

Suddenly, everyone was talking about the defensive back — who wasn’t even ranked in many major NFL Draft guides.

If that wasn’t enough, today, Oakland made the small-school heavy hitter a surprise second-round pick.

The Raiders, who held the 40th overall pick, traded it to New England for one of the Patriots’ later second-round picks, 47th overall, and the Patriots’ fourth- and sixth-round picks (124th and 199th overall). They used that second-round pick to take Mitchell.

Mitchell first got Raiders fans’ attention when the team brought him in for an interview.

“There stood Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown, telling Mitchell what an instant difference he’d make in the Raiders’ secondary during last week’s predraft visit,” according to David White of SFGate.com. “Making matters all the more overwhelming, Raiders secondary coach Lionel Washington — a former NFL player himself — was reading from the exact same script.

The Raiders must be counting on Mitchell to elevate his game quickly. They have only three safeties on the roster: Disappointing former first-rounder Michael Huff, second-year man Tyvon Branch and former undrafted free agent Hiram Eugene.

Mitchell is considered a strong safety, but thinks of himself as something of a combo free and strong safety.

“I can do both things. I can do both very well,” he told White in an interview. “At strong safety, I can be a very imposing force against the run and in the pass game. At free, I can be a guy who covers well and gets interceptions. I have a lot of God-given gifts than can really help, especially an organization that needs a safety.”

Mitchell, who stands a shade over 6-foot and weighs 220 pounds, registered 212 tackles and seven interceptions in four years for the Bobcats.

“I feel like God has blessed me with pretty good physical ability,” Mitchell told SunTimes.com’s Brad Biggs. “The thing that is intriguing to most people is I’m 6-0.5 and 220 pounds. They look at my body and I’m a lean guy, I’m strong, I’m fast, I run a 4.43 40 so I’ve got some pretty athletic tools to go along with size.”

And the small-school star may have become one of the first players to truly take benefit from the Internet age, as his “greatest hits” reel on YouTube quickly made the rounds.

“My highlight tape is out now, my agent has done an amazing job, and I think people are starting to see,” he told Biggs.

Even with his growing reputation, Mitchell was thought to have worked his way into the middle rounds.

But the Raiders are never afraid to take a player they want, regardless of what round that player is projected at. Sometimes (Langston Walker, Round 2, 2003) it doesn’t work out for them. Other times (Nnamdi Asomugha, Round 1, 2003) it works out very well, indeed.

Football.com also touted Mitchell’s football intelligence, quoting Ohio defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow as saying, “He watched more tape than really anybody I ever had, to prepare for a game.”

Ohio head coach Frank Solich didn’t hesitate to praise Mitchell to Football.com: “As the years went on, he just continued to mature as a player and as an individual. … I enjoyed being around him. We can always count on him in terms of being a physical player, and that’s always where you want to start. … Mike was exceptional at that.”

The only possible concern: Biggs pointed out Mitchell was banged up his senior year, with a late-season knee injury.

The Raiders will have three picks on the draft’s second day: Third round, fourth round and seventh round. Oakland is undoubtedly still looking for help at both offensive and defensive tackle. Check back with S&B Report and Raiderfans.net tomorrow for all our coverage of the 2009 NFL Draft.