Silver and Black Report

NEW YORK – The Oakland Raiders were one of the busiest teams in the NFL during draft weekend. Al Davis revamped his club with his selections and trades, trying to turn around a seven-year span of ineptness. SBReport.net was live at the draft covering the entire happening and now we’ll take a look at the selections and give you the pros and cons for every pick the Silver & Black made during the three-day event.

• Rolando McClain, LB – Round 1 (8^th overall)

Tom Cable stated, “When [the offensive tackles] came off the board, the next biggest priority based on the value of the player was Rolando.” The Raiders have struggled with stopping the run for many years and have needed some pop in the middle of their defense. McClain provides toughness, leadership and a hard-working mentality needed to turn the defense into a more aggressive bunch.

PROS: Prototypical middle linebacker that is a winner. He has an infectious personality, so if the Raiders take on his attributes, this could be their best first round selection in a very long time.

CONS: I don’t see any. If he fails on the next level, it won’t be for lack of effort or skill.

• Lamarr Houston, DL – Round 2 (44^th overall)

Oakland got great value with this selection and added a much-needed powerful defender along the trenches as they pinpointed their front-seven as a big concern. They needed to do this year’s ago. In the 2010 draft, with the first two selections, Oakland may have just changed the outlook of the defense. Houston will be a menace on the edge with his rush abilities.

PROS: He does well in pursuit and is relentless. Pairing him with Richard Seymour could only mean good things for the Silver & Black.

CONS: Houston is not a speedy rusher like a Derrick Burgess was for them, but he’ll be more of a versatile end with his ability to defend the corners against the run. If that’s a con, then the Raiders don’t have much to worry about.

• Jared Veldheer, OT – Round 3 (69^th overall)

This was a surprise. The offensive lineman has all the vitals to become a productive NFL player. But coming from a small school (Hillsdale) always has its stigma. Veldheer said prior to the draft, “I’m getting a little anxious. I really want to know where I’m going. I’ve been told that I’m probably a solid three (third-round pick) and maybe two and could possibly go four.” He was a solid 3^rd rounder and now the Raiders have to develop him into a pro caliber lineman.

PROS: Is very smart, has all the tools to have a long career and could be the sleeper in this draft for the Silver & Black.

CONS: He’ll need a lot of coaching and development to gain the technique and strategies needed to succeed. Oakland is known for instability on the sidelines and if they can stabilize the environment around him and keep the staff in tact, then they can groom Veldheer. He’ll have a good start to his career with Cable as his mentor.

• Bruce Campbell, OT – Round 4 (106^th overall)

After all the talk prior to the draft about the Raiders taking the ‘workout warrior,’ Campbell fell onto their laps in the 4^th round. He is a better athlete than football player, but considering where they selected him; Oakland made a right decision to take a chance on the physical specimen.

PROS: Has an incredible body to work with and extremely talented athletic gifts.

CONS: Has poor instincts and is more of a project than Veldheer because of his poor technique. Campbell will need to work long hours on all aspects of his game to become a starter in the NFL.

• Jacoby Ford, WR/ST – Round 4 (108^th overall)

Well, they are the Raiders – so a track star had to be chosen. Ford is a lightning rod who won 18-straight races in the 60 and 100-meters in the NCAA. Oakland could have utilized this selection more wisely, but instead when with a guy that can entertain them in camp in sprints against Darrius Heyward-Bey.

PROS: He can run away from anyone in the league. Will give the Raiders options in camp on special teams as a returner.

CONS: Does not change directions well, has questionable hands and when you combine both together, that does not make for a reliable option on offense.

• Walter McFadden, DB – Round 5 (138^th overall)

It’s not a draft until the Raiders select a cornerback. But at least with McFadden, they get a ball-hawk, who showed good playmaking instincts in college, and that turned turnovers into touchdowns. Solid value, but if he makes the team, he’ll be buried behind Nnamdi Asomugha and Chris Johnson. In a few years, he could be an integral part of a secondary, especially since offenses in the NFL are now pass happy and like to spread out defenses.

PROS: Has shown he understands what opponents want to do in the passing game and has a skill in getting his hands on the ball.

CONS: Not physical and will have to get stronger in order to be a legitimate corner at the next level.

• Travis Goethel, LB – Round 6 (190^th overall)

The 6’2, 240 pound linebacker was a three-year starter for the Sun Devils. Oakland has a lot of linebackers, but they chose a solid one who can project as a special teamer early on in his career. He may not make the club, but at the Silver & Black selected a player that is a hard-nosed defender, has solid work ethic and will compete for a roster spot.

PROS: Good character linebacker that played a lot in college.

CONS: Not an area of need at this point, especially when they have a plethora of linebackers on the roster and enough specialist to fill the special teams squad.

• Jeremy Ware, DB – Round 7 (215^th overall)

Speed, speed and more speed…

The Michigan State cornerback and his 4.36 40-yard time will likely be camp fodder in a crowded Raiders secondary. As with Ford, it will be interesting to see how many side-bets go on in training camp as to who is the fastest Raider on the roster, along with Heyward-Bey.

PROS: You just can’t learn speed.

CONS: Offers little else and if he plans to make the club, he better show a lot of playmaking ability as a corner or the ability to torch the special teams coverage units.

• Stevie Brown, DB – Round 7 (251^st overall)

Unlike Ware, Brown has solid size at 6’0, 210 pounds. He is more adept at stopping the run and using his size to bother targets, but he is too much of a project to contribute immediately.

PROS: Has attributes that can translate to the NFL. Moved all over the field as a collegiate, so he has knowledge of being in varying spots on the defense.

CONS: Needs to find a niche and grow at one spot. Problem is, he may not have enough time to do so.

OAKLAND, CA — Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable talked to the media after the 2010 NFL Draft. Here is audio of the session:

NEW YORK — With 190th selection (Round 6) the Oakland Raiders selected Travis Goethel out of Arizona State.

The 6’2, 240 pound linebacker was a three-year starter for the Sun Devils. He has been described to have good athleticism and a solid combination of size and speed. Goethel is a hard-nosed defender who is solid in zone coverage but does not have an impressive burst to the football.

Prior to the draft, he was projected as a special teamer on the next level and a developmental player for depth purposes. In 2009, he started all 12 contests at strong side linebacker and finished with 57 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.

The Vista, California product played in all 50 games over his four-year career, with 41 starts, totaling 228 tackles (143 solo), 19.0 tackles for loss (minus 45 yards), 2.0 sacks (minus 13 yards), nine pass break-ups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Oakland has continued to address their defense in this year’s draft; specifically their ability to stuff the run with their defensive selections that are expected to compete on the front-seven.

NEW YORK – The Oakland Raiders went with Walter McFadden, defensive back out of Auburn, in the 5^th round (138^th overall).

The Silver & Black immediately rushed the pick in once they were up and settled on the left cornerback from the Tigers. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted McFadden’s brother –Bryant – in 2005, starting at cornerback for them during their Super Bowl before departing to Arizona in 2009.

McFadden earned the starting position at Auburn during his junior season and three of his nine interceptions went for scores, including a school record 100-yarder against Northwestern in the 2010 Outback Bowl.

McFadden played in 49-games at Auburn, starting his final 25 contests at left cornerback. In 2009, he was an All-SEC first team selection, while also adding All-American honorable mention from the NFL Draft Report.

At 5’10, 181 pounds, McFadden is expected to fight for a roster spot against the likes of Stanford Routt on a young and talented Raiders secondary.

NEW YORK – The Oakland Raiders continued to make moves in the draft, trading up to the 108^th overall selection and selecting Jacoby Ford, a wide receiver/return specialist out of the University of Clemson.

The speedster was a NCAA 2008-09 60-meters indoor champion and had a streak of 18 straight victories in 60 and 100-meter races as a collegiate.

Oakland traded linebacker Kirk Morrison and their 5^th round selection  (153^rd overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars to select Ford.

Ford started 27-of-48 games at Clemson, catching 143 passes for 1,986 yards and sixteen touchdowns. He also carried the ball 58 times for 494 yards and two scores. The return specialist also tallied 479-yards and two touchdowns in 49 punt return attempts.

Morrison was on the trading block well before the draft, as Oakland finally parted ways with their starting middle linebacker in recent years after choosing Rolando McClain in the first round on Friday.

The local product was deemed expendable and the Raiders used him as bait to slide up the draft board to take a player they feel will add pop to their special teams and can potentially stretch the field with his speed.

NEW YORK – The Oakland Raiders began Saturday by picking Bruce Campbell with the 106^th overall selection in the NFL draft. The workout warrior and imposing physical specimen had a stellar workout at the NFL combine and is one of the most imposing prospects available.

For months, pundits and draft experts pegged him Oakland’s first round draft selection, instead the Silver & Black got good value on the draft’s final day by choosing a player at an area they had a need at.

Campbell started 17-of-27 games while at Maryland and in his starting assignments, the tackle recorded 116 knockdowns/key blocks with eleven touchdown resulting blocks.

The Raiders also moved up into the 4^th round and acquired the 109^th overall pick.

NEW YORK — The Oakland Raiders will select 8th on Saturday – the draft’s third day. It will be their only selection in the 4th round. SBReport.net has learned that quarteback Mike Kafka out of Northwestern could be targeted in the 5th round. More info live from the draft as we hear it…

NEW YORK – With the 69^th overall selection (third round), the Oakland Raiders selected Jared Veldheer out of Hillsdale College.

The 2009 All-American selection and Super Three Region’s top vote getter for the Gene Upshaw Award (given to the top offensive lineman in the small college ranks) is one of the tallest to come out of the collegiate ranks in years. Veldheer has been described by scouts to have solid quickness off the snap, a long wingspan and a hard punch to neutralize edge rushers.

Only the 5^th player selected out of the small college, the 6’8, 312 pound talent from Grand Rapids Michigan started all 46-games he played in at left tackle. In his last 2-years, Veldheer produced 216 knockdowns, 30 touchdown resulting blocks and an 85.5% grade for blocking consistency.

In all of his campaigns, Veldheer blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher.

Scouts project him as a right tackle and the Raiders have a need there after Cornell Green departed for Buffalo. Tom Cable has stated that veterans Erik Pears and Khalif Barnes will compete for that spot, but Langston Walker could also be in the mix there, as well as right guard.

Veldheer is a project that could potentially be a starter with proper tutelage.

This is the first selection for the Raiders on the offensive side of the ball in the 2010 draft. Oakland had an immediate need to upgrade the offensive line, but Veldheer is too raw of a player at this point and not exposed enough to competition he will face on the next level. That will probably keep him under development for some time for the Silver & Black until he can supplant the veterans on the roster.

NEW YORK — The Oakland Raiders next selection will be in the third round, 69th overall.

They’ve done a good job stock-piling selections on this second day of the draft, now holding the following picks:

• Round 3 – 69^th overall
• Round 4 – 106^th overall
• Round 5 – 138^th overall
• Round 5 – 153^rd overall (From Patriots through Buccaneers)
• Round 6 – 190^th overall (From Patriots)
• Round 7 – 215^th overall
• Round 7 – 251^st overall (compensatory selection)

So far, they’ve selected Rolando McClain (Alabama) with their 8th overall pick and Lamarr Houston (Texas) with their 44th overall pick. Both selections address needs along the defensive front-seven and add much needed help to an ailing run defense.

Houston is a stout powerful run defender that will help free up Richard Seymour and protect McClain. The addition of both of these talents will help Oakland immensely and more importantly, display a more prudent tact by the organization to pinpoint holes that the team has.

NEW YORK – The Oakland Raiders selected University of Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston with the 44^th overall pick on Friday.

In his career as a collegiate, Houston began as a quick end, but ended as a physical interior defender that won battles at the line of scrimmage. The Raiders addressed a major need at tackle, as they have been consistently one of the worst rush defending clubs in the NFL since 2003. This helps free-up Richard Seymour and adds bulk to a line that will benefit from his excellent pursuit along the line of scrimmage.

Oakland initially had the 39^th overall selection, but they traded down to the 42^nd slot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – picking up an extra 5^th rounder in the process.  When the 42^nd pick came, the clock ran out on Oakland and then the New England Patriots were on the timer. The Raiders moved down a few more slots with their second trade of the day to select Houston in their yearly swap with the Patriots.

Houston will add protection up front for their new linebacker, first rounder Rolando McClain.

Oakland targeted their defense as a major concern in this 2010 draft, and so far, they’ve added bulk and strength in the middle of that unit.