Silver and Black Report

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable divulged to The Boston Globe his happiness with Richard Seymour and how glad he is to have him in Silver & Black.

“Look at what he brought to our team — the ability of opponents or lack thereof to run at him on that side of the line of scrimmage,” Cable commented.

Oakland tagged Seymour their exclusive rights franchise player, ensuring he stays at least one more season as a Raider.

“He was everything that I thought he would be,” Cable said.

Cable sees Seymour as a leader; a mentor for many of the young players and a successful talent that knows what it takes to win after coming from New England – a team that consistently performed at a high level and knew what it took to stay atop as a perennial winner.

“The thing that I was probably most excited about was how much he impacted our young players on our football team,” Cable said. “He’s been in the NFL for quite some time and knows how to prepare, how to get himself ready, how to take notes, the time it takes day to day, week to week as you go through the season and ultimately how to take care of your body.

“I think there was a lot of good lessons learned there for a bunch of young football players.”

Cable, while in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, was asked about wide receiver Javon Walker.

“Will he be there next year?” Cable questioned. “We’ll see.”

There is no denying that the Raiders need to improve on their play at the line of scrimmage – on both sides of the ball.

And cable addressed that stating, “I think both. You always have to look at it and see where you want to be in those two areas.”

He also continued about the importance of leadership on this club and how some veterans impacted the roster.

“Both [Seymour] and Greg Ellis brought a lot of that to our football team. And guys like Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski I thought brought some of that to the other side of the ball. I don’t think you can ever have a team that can turn it around and start building something without that type of leadership in the locker room.”

What about Darren McFadden?

“Every time he’s gotten himself going and had pretty good production something has happened to either take him out of that game or not let him be as big a part in the next one. He’s a fine player and as he’s able to stay healthy for longer periods of time you’ll see more for what we all hope.”

Cable stated he never felt concern about his job after the season and operated as he would knowing he would be the head coach in 2010.

“No, it wasn’t. We went through the evaluation process. As I was told, ‘You’re under contract and we need to talk about everything.’ That’s what we did. There was a lot of speculation but the whole time I went to work every day and did what I knew I needed to do to get ready for the evaluation, get ready for the Senior Bowl,
ready for all those things that were coming up.”

He continued: “I was never told I wasn’t. . . . That’s the one misnomer. There was a lot of speculation. But every day I went to work and every day I got ready for the routine, the self-scout and all the things you’d normally do. So for me sitting back, I wondered what all the fuss was about. I just going to work every day.”

As for the development of Michael Huff: “I’ve always felt Michael was on the cusp of his breakthrough. He had it this year. Lionel Washington and those guys on defense really got him ready to go, and I thought he was outstanding the whole year from the first game all the way through the last one. It was definitely a breakthrough for Michael, and hopefully that’s just the sign of where he’s at as a player now and we can get a lot of big play from him.”

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable talked at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this weekend. He shot down the notion that the Silver & Black draft based on attributes only – how Oakland focuses on speedy prospects – “How about the best player? Let’s talk that way,” Cable said. “… We need to get better in some areas, and so at this thing (the combine), find who you think the best players are, whether they jump the highest or run the fastest. That shouldn’t make a damn difference. He has to be able to play football good enough for us to become a championship team.”

Oakland has been scrutinized for years about their draft strategies and in 2009, the received criticism for selecting wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey 7^th overall – who ended his rookie campaign with 9 receptions, 124-yards and 1 score.

Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Britt were chosen in the first round after Heyward-Bey – all out-performed the Raiders rookie and showed to have more potential in their initial seasons.

Cable also hinted to an open competition at quarterback after the abysmal season JaMarcus Russell had and the way the team looked when other passers where inserted into the line-up.

“We’re getting ready to start offseason and get to OTAs and minicamp and let the (quarterback) job be competed for,” he said. “I think that’s where we’re at in terms of our starting quarterback.

“I don’t think you would discount (using a pick on) that or any other position.”

When Cable catapulted Bruce Gradkowski atop the depth chart, the team had their best offensive outputs and scored victories at home versus playoff bound Cincinnati and on the road against Pittsburgh.

Players stated that the attack was far more dynamic and that there was a jolt of confidence when Gradkowski was in there, as oppose to Russell.

Third stringer Charlie Frye even had his chances to show what he could do, as Cable elected to go with the journeyman instead of Russell prior to a game against the Broncos when Gradkowski went down with knee injuries.

Could Charlie Frye have a chance to start in Oakland?

“(JaMarcus and I) have talked a couple of times,” Cable stated this weekend. “I know he’s working. I’m anxious for the off-season program to get started where you get a chance to see him all the time.”

Cable also addressed the rumors regarding the team’s intentions with their roster.

“We get a ton of calls about a lot of players on our football team all the time,” he said. “In fact, before I came in here I was on the phone about something. To me, that stuff happens in the NFL and it’s going to happen and it’s going to happen all the time. People call you and you listen and see if anything interests you or doesn’t interest you. Sometimes it’s crazier than you think. … You really just take the call and listen.”

Photo courtesy of NFL.com

The NFL combine is under way, the Oakland Raiders are scouting potential draftees and the ball will begin to roll towards free agency and altering the roster.

COMBINE

Maryland left tackle Bruce Campbell is looking like first round talent after his workouts. Oakland has a need for offensive linemen, and when you see his vitals; an unofficial 4.78 40-yard dash, prototypical size (6-6, 314 pounds) and the physical traits he possesses, you quickly get the idea that this is the type of specimen the Raiders fall in love with. He just started 17-games in college and is getting attention for his attributes. You see this unfold and start thinking whether this guy is another Mike Mamula in the making. At least he’s saying all the right things.

“I feel everyone has room for improvement,” Campbell said. “But I feel like I have a little more. My first year, I’m really going to work on it because I really want to get in and play. I’m not the type of person who comes to the N.F.L. and is satisfied with just being here. I actually want to do something in the N.F.L.”

And Oakland has already talked to the prospect.

Rolando McClain is the top linebacker in this class. And he knows it.

“I think everybody’s pretty much interested,” McClain commented to reporters Saturday in Indianapolis. “The question is if I’m going to be available.”

The 6-3, 254 pound talent looks to be a lock to transition well to the next level. Oakland has a desperate need to upgrade their linebacker unit. But its hard to see Al Davis put that much value in a position so high in the first round that he generally fills in later rounds or through free-agency.

Last year, the Silver & Black tabbed Slade Norris in the 4^th round. In 2006, they selected Thomas Howard in the 2^nd round and in 2005, Kirk Morrison was chosen in the 3^rd round. The last time Oakland selected a linebacker in the first round was Napoleon Harris in the 2002 draft, but that was 23^rd overall. Prior to that, the last player at that position to get drafted that high by Oakland was Rob Fredrickson in 1994 (22^nd overall).

Russell Okung, another prospect the Raiders have been linked to suffered a groin injury at the combine. He had a good showing with a 5.17 second 40-yard dash and bench pressing 225-pounds for 38 repetitions. The Detroit Lions took a long look at him, but they are still expected to go with a defensive tackle.

If there is a trade atop the draft, and the Lions feel that Okung is their guy, this is where it could happen with the Buccaneers or Redskins moving up to Detroit’s spot.

TRADE TALK…

“Ah, there we go. You are trying to get me,” Rex Ryan said after asked whether or not Nnamdi Asomugha could be paired up with Darrelle Revis. “I get myself in enough trouble, alright. So I really don’t need your help to get me in trouble. I think I will pass on talking about any player that is under contract.”

Don’t look for the Raiders to move up the draft, unless someone they are targeting slips past the top three spots.

Oakland’s draft board could be the hardest to figure out in all the NFL. But due to the economic times, their inability to generate revenue like other top clubs and the amount of high first rounders they currently have under contract, the Raiders will feel comfy sitting at 8 overall and letting the chips fall where they may.

SEYMOUR TAG

Richard Seymour’s ‘exclusive’ franchise tag will net him at least $12.398 million for 2010 if he signs the one-year tender. The exclusive designation excludes the former New England Patriot to negotiate with another club. Seymour can’t sign the contract until March 5, the official start of free agency. Oakland will like to get the valuable lineman inked to a long-term deal.