Silver and Black Report

Yes – the New York Jets are looking to upgrade their other starting cornerback spot.

New York is not planning to pick-up a $10 million option on Lito Sheppard’s deal. He struggled with injuries all season and was torched in big spots in 2009. Ultimately, he was benched in the AFC Championship Game in favor of second-year pro Dwight Lowery.

And in that Rex Ryan defense where there’s a one-man island at one cornerback spot, and the emphasis is on blitzing with extra defenders from the secondary, Gang Green will be searching through many avenues this off-season to pick-up competent defensive backs that can play in their schemes.

But acquiring Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha will not be an option.

This past weekend at the Pro Bowl, both Asomugha and Darrelle Revis flirted with the idea of possibly blanketing the same defensive backfield.

“Me and Revis have been talking to Rex to try to do something,” Asomugha commened. “You may see us in the future. There’s a little bit of talk going on. Either he’s coming to Oakland or something else will happen.”

New York’s shut-down defender stated, “Me and him have talked about it, but I can’t really control that situation. I don’t know if he can either.”

All that talk was just playful banter.

It happens a lot every year in the Pro Bowl.

Neither is a free agent, and talk like that usually occurs when one player is going to be free to test his value in an open market and many other potential teammates try to recruit that player.

But players also envision themselves playing with other talents and conjure up dream scenarios that could lead to them sharing the same field donning the same colors.

This Asomugha/Revis talks is just that. Most likely a pipe dream that neither will probably get to see become reality.

Asomugha just inked the richest deal ever for a cornerback and has two more years remaining in Oakland.

Revis, the arguably NFL’s best cornerback this season, and the Jets will begin talks of an extension that will keep him there for the majority of his career.

So unless the Raiders decide its in their best interest to trade away their most marketable talent, a man beloved by their fan-base, the community of Oakland for his charitable work and his stellar play on the field, this Asomugha to New York talk, or Revis wearing Silver & Black has no chance at happening.

An Asomugha/Revis tandem would be dynamic to see. If you want to check that out, find a way to make that happen on your Madden video game.

“In a league where the art of man-to-man has kind of gone out of style, that could bring it back,” Asomugha said.

Look, I’m not into ranting and raving about NFL conspiracies against the Oakland Raiders.

Nor do I like to play along like many Raider fans and act like there are ulterior motives behind every decision the NFL makes whether referees on the field or off the field by league officials.

Quite frankly, that shtick is old and tired.

I can even understand Nate Kaeding being selected to the Pro Bowl. It was deserving.

He led the league with 32 field goals made. The San Diego place-kicker missed only three all season (from 41, 43 and 55 yards out) and he was first in 2009 with 146 points.

That’s impressive and praiseworthy. I don’t care about the missed field goals against the New York Jets. The Pro Bowl is an award for regular season performances. He earned that merit.

We all found out later Kaeding is not clutch – so did Charger fans. But that’s a whole different story.

But when Kaeding went down with a groin injury and could not represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl, Sebastian Janikowski should have been the choice rather than the Miami Dolphins’ Dan Carpenter.

Carpenter was chosen to replace Kaeding for the NFL’s all-star game. A horrible decision by those that elevate alternates or select replacements.

Janikowski enjoyed his best season as a pro. He beat out Carpenter in field goals made (26-to-25) and even torched him in touchbacks (17-to-7), as the Dolphin kicker had 21 more chances to kickoff in 2009.

The former 1st round pick was highly efficient missing only one kick under 49-yards while showing off his powerful left leg going 6-of-8 from 50+ yards out. Janikowski even nailed a 61-yard kick in Cleveland.

Carpenter on the other hand missed 2 field goals under 49-yards and was a mere 1-of-2 from 50+ yards out. The only reason he ended with more total points than Janikowski was that his offense was far more productive, giving him a tally of 37-extra points as oppose to the 17 the Silver & Black kicker had this past season.

“I was real surprised,” Carpenter stated after finding out he was added to the Pro Bowl roster.

I was too!

It’s a sham that Carpenter was selected over Janikowski.

The better, more deserving kicker was screwed.

Oakland Raiders’ long snapper Jon Condo became the third member of the Silver & Black to be added on the AFC Pro Bowl roster.

Condo joins cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and punter Shane Lechler on the squad.

Condo has been a standout snapping on special teams and assisting on the punt and kickoff coverage units. He has been with Oakland since 2006, taking over the duties from long time Raider center Adam Treu.

Richard Seymour and Zach Miller are Pro Bowl alternates.

Nnamdi Asomugha and Shane Lechler will represent the Oakland Raiders once again on the AFC Pro Bowl squad in January.

It will be Lechler’s fifth designation as a member of the all-star team and Asomugha’s third selection. The punter currently leads the NFL in punting with a 51.1 average while flirting with Sammy Baugh’s record 51.4-yard average from the 1940 season.

“I looked it up when I first got in the league and I’m still chasing him,” said Lechler earlier in the year.

Asomugha continued his stellar play at cornerback all season, drawing many praises as one of the better defenders in the entire league.

In February, the Raiders inked Asomugha to a three-year deal, making him the highest paid defensive back in league history.

“I am excited and happy for the Raiders who have been selected for the Pro Bowl,” Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable was quoted on their official web site. “It’s tremendous that they are being recognized as the best at their positions. They deserve it and the Raiders organization is proud of them. The Raiders have rich history and tradition and these players exemplify what it means to wear the Silver and Black.”

Zach Miller, who has improved his statistics in back-to-back-to-back seasons since entering the NFL, was chosen as an alternate. He currently leads the Raiders in receptions (59) and yards receiving (767) and is one of the better all around tight ends in the league.

Richard Seymour was also picked as an alternate with his 4-sacks playing along the interior of the defensive line. Oakland acquired his services from the New England Patriots for a first round pick in the 2011 draft.

The Pro Bowl will be played in South Florida on January 31, 2010.

ANALYSIS

Asomugha is Oakland’s best player and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He won’t garner league MVP recognition like Charles Woodson or Darrelle Revis, but he has been an upper echelon talent in this league for a few years now. When it is all said and done, Lechler may be the greatest punter who has ever donned a jersey. No one is better than he is and rightfully should draw Ray Guy comparisons as his career winds down. Miller can block, pass catch and is a model citizen. Other tight ends may be more dynamic, but he is reliable and highly productive on a terrible offense and for an attack that has very little weapons to draw attention away from his abilities. Yet he continues to get better and better. Seymour added a new element to the Raiders front seven in 2009. But the key will be whether or not Oakland can keep him around for a few more campaigns. His contract will be up, and the Raiders may be forced to designate him their franchise player this off-season. Seymour has not talked about his future in Silver & Black, but many signs point to him not yearning to stick around. May a huge contract at his age – something the Raiders are not afraid to do is dole out money to veterans – be enough to keep him?

Despite another torturous season, the Oakland Raiders will have Nnamdi Asomugha and Shane Lechler as representatives in the Pro Bowl.

“I’m glad I’m going to have some company over there with Nnamdi being selected,” Lechler was quoted in a press release. “I’m very proud of him and feel that it’s a long time coming, so it will be good for him to get his first one under his belt.”

Asomugha has been one of the better cornerbacks in the AFC the last three seasons. Entering the 2006 campaign, Asomugha had no career interceptions, but that season, he tallied 8, as well as his first career touchdown on a 24-yard interception return versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Being on a 2-win club, not having enough notoriety and complications with arranging a flight after being chosen as an alternate several hours before the game, obstructed the former first round draft pick’s path to his first NFL all-star game.

In 2007, opponents started neglecting his side of the field; earning the respect of quarterbacks with his crafty cover skills. But again, he was bypassed in the selection process for the Pro-Bowl – named only an alternate – despite being thrown at a meager 31 times with only 10 receptions completed to the receiver he was covering.

Before the 2008 campaign, he signed a $9.765 million tender after being tagged by the Raiders as their exclusive franchise player. That tag kept him off the market, and this off-season, Oakland may have to do the same to make sure he doesn’t bolt to another club after openly showing displeasure for the first time in his career regarding the state of the organization.

“Yeah, uh, I won’t comment on that on what will happen next year, what will happen with me as far as the contract. I would say all those types of questions I’ll just say no comment,” he stated earlier in the season after being asked about his future with the team.

Lechler is heading to Hawaii for the fourth time in his career. The punter currently leads the AFC in average (48.8) and net average (41.3); with both marks being second best in the entire league.

The former 5^th round pick has always been a stellar performer, but what has elevated his game is his ability to drop punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line with more frequency. Last season, he pinned the football inside the 20-yard line 25 times. So far in 2008, he has done it 28 times – good for third best in the NFL.

“It is great to see our opponents and fans recognize both their talents and reward them with the highest individual honor,” Raiders coach Tom Cable stated in a press release. “The Raider organization is very proud of both Nnamdi and Shane.”

EXTRA POINTS

Asomugha is in for another pig payday. Another franchise designation in 2009 could land him an estimated $11.718 million, representing a 20 percent raise on his 2008 salary. He has voiced his displeasure in the past if this were to happen again. But the Raiders must protect themselves and lock up their most talented and valued commodity.

Even if he is soured enough on the organization to the point where he wants out, the Raiders have to tag him in order to get some compensation. Charles Woodson was tagged in back-to-back years and earned $19.32 million. But after injuries slowed him down, the Raiders deemed the unhappy cornerback a player on the decline when he departed to the Packers. They got nothing in return, and the same cannot happen with Asomugha.

Asomugha is in his prime and unlike Woodson, is known to be a model citizen on and off the field. That’s enough for the Raiders to try to lock up the best player they’ve developed in their current six-year span of ineptitude.

Oddly enough, Lechler’s contract is up at the end of this season, possibly putting two of the most productive Raiders in the free-agent market.

Oakland has been bringing in punters in for work over the last few weeks and the possibility of Lechler bolting is very possible. Could they use the transition tag on him to keep him around? He is the best punter in the league and if they feel he does not want to stick around, that may be the only chance of seeing him in Silver & Black in 2009. If they can’t come to a long-term agreement with Asomugha, they’ll have to franchise the cornerback as not to lose him without compensation.

If they lock up Asomugha, it will be interesting to see if the NFL sees their first punter get tagged with a franchise label.

Contact Author:  Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist