Silver and Black Report

According to the Oakland Tribune, the Oakland Raiders placed a second-round tender on linebacker and special teams contributor Ricky Brown.

The reserve linebacker, who saw limited action at middle linebacker when Rolando McClain was inactive, played in a total 14-games, the majority of them on the coverage units.

In March of 2010, Oakland gave Brown a second-round tender. He finished 2009 on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACKS

Jason Campbell: A

The Oakland Raiders got another outstanding performance out of their starting passer today. On 3^rd and 3 during Oakland’s first possession of the 2^nd quarter, Campbell was poised rolling away from pressure towards the sideline and finding Darren McFadden for 16-yards. Later on that drive, Campbell his Zach Miller for 7-yards and eventually, Oakland took a 10-7 lead. At that point, the Raiders needed a sustained drive to give their defense a breather. The following offensive possession, Campbell led a 9-play scoring drive with passes to Miller for 12-yards, a toss to Marcel Reece for 11 after evading pressure and a exquisite play fake on 3^rd and 2, followed by another pass to his fullback for 13-yards. He ended the drive with a dart to Louis Murphy in the back of the end zone to give his club a 17-7 advantage. At halftime, Campbell had a perfect rating (158.3%), 204-yards on 11-of-14 completions with 2 scores. He missed some reps in the 4^th quarter after being sacked and driven into the turf. But he came back to lead the Raiders to a game tying score with 1:53 remaining in the contest. The Raiders knotted it at 31 after Campbell hit Reece with two-completions for 20 yards and Murphy for gains of 12 and 10-yards. He ended 21-of-30 for 324-yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Kyle Boller: Incomplete

The back up had a tough task, entering the game late with the Raiders down seven. On his first play, Boller completed a pass to Miller for 20-yards and then on 2^nd and 9, he smartly scrambled for 6-yards. On 3^rd and 3, Boller was too high on his slant to Murphy and on 4^th and 3, while drifting backward, Don Carey picked him off and returned it for seven-yards.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACK: A

Darren McFadden looked like an MVP candidate versus the Jaguars. He gave Oakland a 7-0 lead in the 1^st quarter on a 3^rd and 8 dump off he took to paydirt from 67-yards out (career long reception). After the Jaguars sliced into the Raiders lead [17-14] to start the second half, McFadden cut, weaved and speeded into the end-zone, tallying 51-yards on a run that extended the Silver & Black’s lead to 24-14. McFadden struck for his third-score of the game with 1:53 left in the contest, scampering 36-yards, bouncing off defenders and stiff-arming his way into the end zone to tie the game at 31. He finished with 123-yards rushing and 86-receiving. Marcel Reece was a vital safety valve most of the day, compiling 48-yards on four catches.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: D

Zach Miller had his best outing in weeks. He ended with fur catches for 68-yards. Miller’s lone miscue was a holding infraction that negated a McFadden 14-yard run. Murphy recorded six-catches for 59-yards and a score. His back-to-back receptions for 12-yards on 2^nd and 15 and 10-yards on 3^rd and 3 in the 4^th quarter helped the Raiders move the chains. But it was too little too late for a team in need of more consistent pop at wide receiver. Murphy did run a nice route and showed solid awareness with his feet on his touchdown grab and provided a solid block on one of McFadden’s big plays. Chaz Schilens played again, but was a ghost with Campbell targeting him once on the opening drive on a pass that was almost intercepted by Rashean Mathis when the often-injured receiver was late coming out of his break. Darrius Heyward-Bey hauled in a 16-yard pass in the 2^nd quarter and a 26-yard toss right before halftime. On a deep ball in the second half, Heyward-Bey let a long toss sail right through his arms. Jacoby Ford’s best play was a deep cross in which he hauled in for 27-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C+

Far too often, this group let defenders tee off on their passers. The Jaguars tallied three sacks, the most important one coming with 18-seconds remaining Jeremy Mincey as Oakland attended to tie the game. Khalif Barnes was flagged for a false start, Campbell was drilled on a play in which the Jaguars picked up a fumble and ran it into the end zone, but was nullified due to a personal foul flag on Terrance Knighton. Cooper Carlisle and Samson Satele has stellar blocks on McFadden’s 51-yard scamper and the team did amass 153-yards on the ground (6.1 a carry). But it failed to stay consistent enough to give Campbell a comfortable pocket on a day he was very effective. Langston Walker appeared slow at the point of attack consistently at right tackle.

DEFENSIVE LINE: C-

This group got consistent pressure on David Garrard. Richard Seymour (1) and Matt Shaughnessy (0.5) tallied sacks. At the half, Jacksonville was held to 52-yards rushing and Maurice Jones-Drew had little room to roam when the Raiders were playing from in front. But things changed in the second half, as Jones-Drew (23 carries for 101 yards 1 TD) and Rashad Jennings (5 car. 109 yards 1 TD) exploded for big gains and pounded away at the Silver & Black’s front-seven. Jennings’ 74-yard run for a score cut into the Raiders lead, 24-21. Jones-Drew 30-yard run with less than two minutes left in the game clinched the victory. Lamarr Houston was the Raiders best lineman today with a couple of run-stuffs on short down and distances.

LINEBACKERS: C

With Rolando McClain inactive, Ricky Brown started at middle linebacker. He had a fine play covering Jennings out of the backfield down the field on a 3^rd and 22 and stalling Garrard on a reverse option to end another drive. Kamerion Wimbley had 0.5 sack, but struggled at times in space. Quentin Groves was sidelined a few times, and his reps were given to rookie Travis Goethel.

SECONDARY: C-

Michael Huff started the game with a stellar 8-yard tackle for a loss on an end around by Mike Thomas. He also busted a wide receiver screen on a 2^nd and 10 in the 1^st quarter. But the starting free-safety was torched by Jason Hill for 48-yards and a score to open the 3^rd quarter and did very little in run support when the Jaguars began to roll. Huff was also beat on Sims-Walker’s score to give the Jaguars a 28-24 lead. Marcedes Lewis beat Tyvon Branch on a gain of 20-yards and on the 1-yard score that tied the game at 7. Branch drilled Thomas on a play in which Mike Mitchell recovered for a key turnover that Oakland parlayed into a 17-7 lead. Stevie Brown was beaten in coverage on what could’ve been a long touchdown to Zach Miller, but Garrard failed to connect with his tight end. Nnamdi Asomugha continues to look limited at times due to his injured foot. Chris Johnson returned to the line-up and had a nice pass defended in a 3^rd and 6 while covering Mike Sims-Walker.

SPECIAL TEAMS: F

Shane Lechler had one his worst games in recent years. Yes the wind was treacherous, but he looked awful in his five-punts, never drilling one solidly for an average of 42.0 yards per. Johnnie Lee Higgins provided little on punt returns (3 ret. 9 yds.) and Jacoby Ford’s fumble on a kickoff after Jacksonville cut the Raiders lead to 24-21, was a momentum swinging event. The Jaguars took their first lead at the end of the 3^rd quarter five-plays later. The kickoff unit failed again after Oakland tied the game at 31. Deji Karim’s 65-yard returned was the defining moment in a game full of big plays. On three Jaguar scoring drives, they either started at midfield or deep in Raiders’ territory. Stevie Brown had a solid tackle on one punt covered and Mike Mitchell almost got his hands on a punt block.

COACHING: C

Oakland played a gutsy game. They fought back to stay in the contest when it appeared that Jacksonville was ready to put them away. But on a day where Jones-Drew was controlled early and the Raiders had a ten-point lead at halftime, with their playoff lives on the line, the Silver & Black had to find a way to go home with a victory. Jacksonville took many jabs from the Raiders, but they never were able to knock them out. Once the Jaguars got back into the game, were balanced on offense and could rely on their running back duo, they felt comfortable and at ease. Special teams faltered and the defense was a sieve in key spots. This a totally different defense when they force teams to be one-dimensional and playing with a lead. Tom Cable had his group prepared to take the field on Sunday, but not equipped to come away with a road victory.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

John Henderson & the run defense will be vital versus the Chargers

I just get the feeling that the San Diego Chargers will try to pound the football all day against the Oakland Raiders.

The rush defense is a major concern for the Silver & Black. In Pittsburgh, the Steelers averaged 4.9 yards per carry for a tally of 162-yards. Last Sunday, the Miami Dolphins ran the ball 49-times and amassed 186-yards rushing, this after Oakland allowed an average of 75.3 yards per contest during their three-game winning streak.

San Diego’s Mike Tolbert has carried for 214-yards and two scores the last two games and rookie Ryan Matthews could be back in the mix, as he’s practiced with the club this week.

Norv Turner wants more balance. So don’t expect Rivers to chuck the ball around 42-times as he did in their first meeting. Tolbert is rolling and he praised his blockers, specifically Kris Dielman, Nick Hardwick and Louis Vasquez, stating, “[the offensive line] want to go downhill and want to block and want to pound on the people in front of them.”

“There’s definitely a different feel,” stated left guard Kris Dielman. “Pass-blocking, you’ve gotta have patience and stay in balance. With run-blocking, you can be more aggressive. You can get after it. When you’ve got the lead and don’t need to keep throwing the ball and you’re able to open up the run, you can impose your will on (opponents), wear ‘em down, have some fun.”

The Chargers are averaging 4.0 yards a carry, a major improvement from last season, when at this point in 2009, they tallied only 3.3 yards per run.

“From our point of view, it’s very exciting to be running the ball and continuing to run the football,” said center Nick Hardwick. “To us, that’s big, being on the attack. By nature, pass-blocking is a retreat as a force trying to maintain our lines. As a run-blocking unit, you’ve got them on the retreat and trying to maintain their lines.

“We’re coming downhill. We’re getting two bodies on one body, and behind us, we have a battering ram in the fullback. And there’s another battering ram behind him. Offensive line. Boom! (Jacob) Hester slams. Boom! Tolbert comes in, slams. Boom!”

OTHER NOTES

• Malcom Floyd is expected to play after returning to practice on Friday. In their earlier meeting, the wide receiver had a career game, posting 213-receiving yards on 8-catches and a score.
• In October, the Raiders head coach put into perspective the win over the Chargers. “That’s a heck of a team, and it’s been nemesis for a number of years, obviously dating back to 2003,” Tom Cable said. “They’ve been the champ. And if you ever want to be that, you’ve got to beat the champ. So it’s just a good win.” He stated this week, it’s a must-win for the Silver & Black. “I think so.” Cable said, “We have to go down there and be at our best to have a chance.”
• Rolando McClain may miss his first game as a pro with arthritis in his left foot. “He was better last night, but worse this morning, so it will be day-to-day and we’ll probably have to wait until Sunday morning,’’ Cable said on Friday. If he can’t play, Ricky Brown will take over at middle linebacker.
• Chaz Schilens has practiced three straight days, but don’t think that will be enough for him to be active. Oakland has always taken a wait and see approach with the fragile receiver, and another week of practice may be what’s needed to get complete clearance so he’s ready to see game action.
• Richard Seymour and Zach Miller were limited in practice, but both are expected to play. Tyvon Branch’s shoulder could be worse than expected, and if he can’t go, Mike Mitchell will step in at strong safety. With Chris Johnson likely out again, the secondary could be limited again this week. Which is why Walter McFadden must forget about the rookie woes from last weekend and move forward because Philip Rivers and the Chargers could try to expose him once again.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Many of the players for the Oakland Raiders will volunteer their time during the start of the Holiday Season. Thanksgiving events include:

• Monday, November 22, 6:30 pm
• Saint Leo The Great School
• 4238 Howe Street, Oakland 94611

• Tuesday, November 23, 5:00 pm
• Dream Catchers Youth Shelter and Support Center
• 422 Jefferson Street, Oakland 94607

Defensive backs will provide Thanksgiving meals to needy families and spend time in both organizations supporting the youngsters at the facilities.

Linebacker Quentin Groves will be joined by his position mates including Thomas Howard, Sam Williams, Ricky Brown and Bruce Davis to host Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings for the residents of Paradise Residential Homes in San Ramon on Wednesday evening. Paradise Residential Homes is a place for youth who have left foster care.

• Wednesday, November 24, 6:00 pm
• Paradise Residential Homes
• 136 Valdivia Circle, San Ramon, CA 94583

From a press release:

The Oakland Raiders have already been active and will continue their charitable community efforts this Holiday Season. The Raiders recently teamed up with the Mary Ann Wright Foundation to collect food that was distributed to local families.

The Oakland Raiders and The United States Marine Corps are once again teaming up to brighten the holidays for thousands of children through the Toys for Tots program. U.S. Marines will be on hand to collect your donations at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday, December 19, 2010. In addition to new, unwrapped toys, monetary donations will be accepted. Marines will be stations at the West Side Plaza, near the BART entrance, and Gates A, B, C, and D, before and after the game. The Raiders will also hold two autograph signing events in support of Toys for Tots at the Raider Image location at Southland Mall in Hayward.

In addition, The Raiders will team up with Goodwill for a coat drive at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum when the Silver and Black host the Indianapolis Colts on December 26.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK:

Bruce Gradkowski – D

The fiery starter ended the contest 1-of-7 for 14-yards and a rating of 39.6. His lone positive was the first play from scrimmage when he connected with Zach Miller for 14-yards. Gradkowski was inaccurate all day, as evidenced by missing Darrius Heyward-Bey on a 2^nd and 4 and missing Johnnie Lee Higgins on a 3^rd and 6 in the 3^rd quarter. At that point, the tough passer attempted to spark the offense as he’s done in the past after going into the locker room for treatment for a shoulder injury. Shaun Phillips whacked Gradkowski at the end of the 1^st quarter on a play that was eventually ruled incomplete after the officials initially ruled it a fumble on the field.

Jason Campbell – B

Now we have a quarterback controversy for the Oakland Raiders. Campbell was 13-of-18 for 159-yards and one touchdown. His start was a little shaky with a near interception on a 2^nd and 8 by Antoine Cason. On the next play, Campbell scrambled out of bound on a 3^rd and 8. You even thought that Campbell might not have been ready for this relief appearance after he dumped a pass into the turf on a 2^nd and 14, when a Charger defender blew up his screen. But late in the 3^rd quarter, he conducted a 12-play 97-yard drive that ended in 1-yard touchdown toss to Miller, cutting the Chargers lead to 24-22. On that drive, Campbell hit Marcel Reece on a long toss that was ruled out of bounds, connected with Louis Murphy for a 58-yard gain and then capped of the possession by buying time for his tight end to get loose in the end zone. On the drive that Oakland took 28-27 lead late in the 4^th quarter, Campbell hit Miller for 9-yards on 2^nd and 9, tallied 13-more yards on a pass on 3^rd and 11 and then smoothly hooked up with Brandon Myers for 12-yards on a vital 4^th and 1. Gradkowski is fiery, undoubtedly gives life to this unit, but if he’s not healthy, those intangibles do not masquerade the deficiencies he has as a passer. If Gradkowski is not fully healed, Campbell has to be Oakland’s starter. “It definitely meant a lot, just seeing the guys on the sideline, how hard they were fighting,” said Campbell. “The one thing I said was, ‘You didn’t give up.’ And guys said maybe in years past they would have tucked it in, but this time they didn’t.”

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACKS: B

Michael Bush had a workmanlike 26-carries for 104-yards. His touchdown run gave the Raiders the lead for good in the 4^th quarter and his 3 receptions for 31-yards helped move the chains and keep the Chargers’ linebackers at bay. Marcel Reece had another solid effort with 2-catches for 7-yards. He could’ve added a big gainer, but was nonchalant in his attempt to get both feet down near the sideline. The referees rightfully upheld the call and did not give Reece the reception, as there was no conclusive evidence showing that he indeed made that catch.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT END: C

Again this week, this grade was elevated by the exceptional play of Zach Miller. The wide receivers were non-existent, as Louis Murphy was the lone member of that unit to record any statistics. Myers’ only grab was a key 4^th down 12-yard catch. Miller held his own with 6-receptions for 62-yards. With Antonio Gates on the other side, Miller demonstrated that he is one of the elite tight ends in the league with key grabs on 3^rd down and fighting for every yard he amassed this afternoon. Jacoby Ford saved a possession with his fumble recovery after Miller got first down yardage with his catch.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C-

Oakland ran for 111-yards (3.7 per carry), The trenches allowed three sacks, but held up as the game wound down. It even looked like they wore down a fatigued Chargers front seven in the second half. Jared Veldheer and Mario Henderson again played the left tackle shuffle. Daniel Loper was flagged for a personal foul, but on a 3^rd and 6, he smartly pounced on a loose football and tried to roll forward for a 1^st down – ultimately gaining 5-yards on the play. Oakland’s line showed their toughness on a 4^th and 1 where Bush ran for 9-yards, but in other spots they were stonewalled on short distances. Khalif Barnes saw action at left guard when Loper went out and was flagged on a 3^rd and 2 for a false start.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B-

The maligned run defense held San Diego to 37-rushing yards at the half, and 91-yards total for the game. Richard Seymour dominated along the interior for much of the game, stuffing runs that came his way, chasing down ball carriers and making himself a nuisance when Philip Rivers dropped back to pass. Seymour’s tip at the line of scrimmage on 3^rd and 7 to end a San Diego drive in the 3^rd quarter gave Oakland momentum. Matt Shaughnessy was the unsung hero on this unit with his 2-tackles for losses and a sack. When Shaughnessy got to Rivers on a 2^nd and 7 and stripped him of the football, Oakland was hanging on and keeping the Chargers out of the end zone – San Diego’s second turnover in their red-zone of the contest. His edge control on runs was stellar at times.

LINEBACKERS: B-

Kamerion Wimbley was active as a cover-guy and a pass rusher. Yes, he did get beat by Gates for 23-yards on the opening play of San Diego’s drive that ended in a Mike Tolbert 4-yard run. But, when Oakland needed pressure, he was one of the linebackers that consistently got into the backfield, stuffing Legedu Naanee on an end around and drawing a holding flag on Brandyn Dombrowski at the end of the 2^nd quarter. Rolando McClain tallied 5-tackles and was far better in keeping running backs in front of him as they came out of the backfield. San Diego had far more success in the 1^st half hitting their rushers with short tosses than in the 2^nd half. Trevor Scott, starting his first game at linebacker in 2010, was strong versus the run and steady all afternoon on the weak side. Ricky Brown forced a fumble in the 1^st quarter near the goal line when San Diego was about to get into the end zone. His play thwarted an 11-play drive with Oakland up 12-0.

SECONDARY: D-

FS Hiram Eugene scores on special teams

Rivers torched this group for 431-yards on 27-of-42 completions and a rating of 114.3. His fearless attack was exceptional throughout the day, even going after Nnamdi Asomugha and succeeding, connecting with Malcolm Floyd on a 3^rd and 15 for 34-yards, as the Oakland cornerback also was tagged on the play for pass interference and again on another 15-yard route. “They did a good job of bringing some pressure and we tried to do some stuff to handle it, tried to get another completion or two to give ourselves the position to kick it, and they were able to make the plays to keep it out of the end zone, keep us from getting to where we needed to be,” Rivers said. Stanford Routt was Rivers’ target all day. Routt got burned on Floyd’s 55-yard grab and his 41-yard touchdown, which gave San Diego a 24-15 lead. Michael Huff struggled helping out deep on several plays, as wells as Tyvon Branch. Chris Johnson was given a chance to play against Gates on several occasions. Johnson was beaten by Floyd for 36-yards and was flagged 11-yards for a pass interference as time expired before the game clinching turnover. He was also flagged earlier for the same infraction on a 3^rd and 8. Mike Mitchell deserves a game-ball for the constant pressure he provided as a blitzer and the fine performance on Gates in the 4^th quarter.  Mitchell batted a Rivers toss away on a 3^rd and 5 intended for Gates. Routt had an interception ripped out of his hands by Patrick Crayton and had good coverage deep on Buster Davis on San Diego’s last drive. Branch’s fumble recovery and 64-yard dash to paydirt sealed Oakland’s victory. Huff needs to be credited on that play for getting to Rivers and forcing the turnover. “I knew I had to beat the one on one,” Huff said. “I had to beat Sproles. I did that and just got a hand up and luckily I hit his arm. Once I saw Tyvon running I knew he wasn’t going to get caught, so I started celebrating.” This group struggled in pass coverage all day against a top-notch passer, but ultimately, they played better when Oakland needed it most.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

This is the group that helped Oakland build an early lead and kept them in the contest in the first half. Rock Cartwright was phenomenal with his block punt at the start of the contest that gave the Silver & Black a quick 2-0 lead. On the very next play, he wisely let the free kick bounce out of bound so Oakland can start their possession at midfield. Cartwright was in on numerous coverage tackles, helping to keep Darren Sproles in check for the entire afternoon. Nick Miller finally debuted on special teams; tallying 46-yards on his lone punt return. Brandon Myers blocked Oakland’s second punt, which bounced into the hands of Hiram Eugene at the five-yard line before he ran into the end zone to give the Raiders a 12-0 lead. John Fassel must have observed something this week in San Diego’s protection schemes that Oakland can take advantage of. Myers and Cartwright both bolted across the line of scrimmage from the same position for both blocks. Sebastian Janikowski was 2/2 with a long from 50-yards out and Shane Lechler averaged 52.8 yards per punt.

COACHING: B

Tom Cable had his group fighting till the end. The biggest tactical change Oakland had was late in the contest when it appeared that they blitzed Rivers on almost every down. After San Diego’s passer ripped apart the Raiders secondary all afternoon, John Marshall put him on the run in the 4^th quarter and got him to rush a few of his throws. The constant pressure in the final quarter ultimately led to the game’s biggest play. Hue Jackson had a nice mix of run and pass. Credit needs to be given, especially since his wide receivers have been silent and overwhelmed. Oakland became more efficient as the game wound down on 3^rd downs and the two 4^th down conversions were key. The 12-flags for 85-yards need to be fixed, but when you force three turnovers and get huge plays on special teams, it masquerades a lot of the faults this club had all afternoon. Fassel was outstanding in preparing his unit to play.

OTHER NOTES

• Sunday was the first time Oakland blocked two punts in a game since November 21, 1976 at Philadelphia.
• At the half, Oakland was completely dominated in the box score. San Diego had tallied 322-yards of total offense while Oakland had a diminutive 93-yards. San Diego had 17-first downs at the half, while Oakland had 4. Time of possession was also disparaging, with the Chargers leading that 20:59 to Oakland’s 9:01.
• Malcolm Floyd had a career game, posting 213-receiving yards on 8-catches and a score.
• Rivers  19-yard toss to Gates for a score was a laser that was snagged by the all-world tight end while two Raider defenders converged on him.
• Sam Williams penalty for running into the kicker on a 4^th and 2 in the second quarter revived a drive that ended in a Tolbert 4-yard touchdown run.
• Oakland’s win snaps a 13-game losing streak to San Diego, dating back to 9/28/2003. “That’s a heck of a team, and it’s been nemesis for a number of years, obviously dating back to 2003,” coach Tom Cable said. “They’ve been the champ. And if you ever want to be that, you’ve got to beat the champ. So it’s just a good win.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

SBReport.net was in attendance on Monday, capturing images of the Oakland Raiders at work during their training camp session. Here are some stills of the Silver & Black players and coaches:

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable addressing the media on Monday.

LB Ricky Brown (#57) targeting a ball carrier during drills.

Paul Hubbard (#16) and Chaz Schilens (#81) running stride for stride

Safety Mike Mitchell (#34) enjoys being the aggressor in camp.

Michael Huff (#24) working on signal calls during practice.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

SBReport.net will be in attendance when the media is allowed in for the Oakland Raiders next Organized Team Activities this week. So far, rookie Lamarr Houston and his aggressiveness, Darrius Heyward-Bey’s work, ethic in trying to rebound from a horrific first season, and Jason Campbell’s presence have been some of the highlights of the work Oakland is putting in this Spring.

Log on to SBReport.net for exclusive images and news from the practice field. Also, head over to www.Raiderfans.net to chat about the off-season and the 2010 Oakland Raiders with thousands of member of the Raider Nation.

Here are more images from our coverage of prior OTAs:

Ricky Brown will try to keep his roster spot as a special teamer and reserve linebacker.

Rookies Travis Goethel and Rolando McClain working against each other. The product out of Arizona State needs to make a statement on the field in pre-season games to sure up his future as a member of the Silver & Black.

Johnnie Lee Higgins is all smiles, all the time.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Oakland's linebackers on break during minicamp

One unit that will be distinctively different in 2010 for the Oakland Raiders will be the linebackers.

The shuffle started before the Silver & Black drafted Rolando McClain, but the alteration hit its peak during that weekend when captain and starting middle linebacker Kirk Morrison was dealt to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

McClain has already gained the respect of veterans and inherited the spot once held by Morrison with a strong first impression in minicamp and tangible skills that translate to him being a solid pro at that position.

“Man, he’s bigger than I thought he was,’’ veteran linebacker Thomas Howard stated of the rookie. “He works hard, he’s a smart player and he jumped right in and he was able to control the defense. Like a middle linebacker is supposed to, he has great feet to be such a big guy, humble, hard worker.”

The first team linebacker corps that began work in early May consisted of McClain in the middle, flanked by Trevor Scott and Kamerion Wimbley.

And at this point, all impressions are that that alignment is the one we’ll see barring any injuries come the start of the season.

Scott, who tallied five sacks in the final six contests last season, will be given every shot to continue his development on the weak side of the formation.

He supplanted the speedy Thomas Howard, who is still on the roster and could be used in multi-faceted ways on a defense that will try to diversify its packages.

Howard signed his one-year $1.759 million tender for next season. And with a new role in a contract year, the former 2^nd round selection may be able to use his range in coverage and speed to find a niche in the revamped defense.

Wimbley is the unknown commodity that is intriguing in the grouping. The 26-year old was the Browns 13^th overall selection in the 2006 draft when then general manager Phil Savage stated, “The very first time I saw Kamerion in person I said, ‘This is the prototype’ — the arm length, the knee bend, the athletic ability, the flexibility.”

When Cleveland selected him, Savage proclaimed, “There’s no reason to think he won’t have an outstanding, Pro Bowl-caliber career.”

As the 2009 season was winding down, Browns head coach Eric Mangini commented, “Kamerion Wimbley has made a ton of progress from the beginning of the season to where he is now in terms of his approach to the game plan. It’s dramatic.”

Mangini praised his work ethic, study habits and discipline on the football field.

Wimbley in action for the Raiders

“The amount of mental errors he has made is dramatically different,” said Mangini. “It’s a great thing to see.”

Wimbley had five sacks in the first seven games of the season. He missed a game against the Steelers with the flu and when he got back into the line-up, opponents keyed the linebacker, which freed up other teammates.

The Browns moved him around on defense, another reason why he Mangini was happy to see his development.

“It gives opposing teams a different look and made it a little more difficult for them to prepare,” Wimbley said. “It gives us things that we can play around with in the game, bringing other people from different spots and then not knowing where they’re coming from. It just mixes it up a little bit.”

At the end of the 2009 season, Wimbley stated, “I think I’ve gotten better every year and I plan on continuing to do that.”

If Wimbley can regain the form that made him a highly touted prospect coming out of college, Oakland will have the makings of a very reliable and diverse collection of linebackers.

The rest of the crew: Ricky Brown, Isaiah Ekejiuba, Quentin Groves, David Nixon, Slade Norris, Sam Williams and rookie Travis Goethel will be battling for reserve roles and/or vital assignments on special teams.

Ekejiuba is a mainstay on punt and kickoff coverage units. Jacksonville couldn’t wait on Groves’ development, so he was shipped to Oakland and the veteran Brown has not shown the ability to stay healthy or handle increased reps in the regular season on defense.

Overall, John Marshall does have more options and looks to his defense with this crop of linebackers.

Something the Raiders needed the last few years.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Archived from 2008: Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski

The Oakland Raiders began their three-day minicamp on Friday with two practice sessions. They will continue with two more sessions today before they wrap up with one more on Sunday. Here are highlights, news and notes from Friday:

JaMarcus Russell was sheltered by the Silver & Black, specifically Eddie Anderson, who was a mediator and ring leader in controlling what questions were asked and what direction media members wanted to take the question and answer session. The former Raiders safety cut off any questions that had to do with any of the newsworthy issues surrounding the embattled passer.

As expected, Richard Seymour was not in Alameda, as Tom Cable stated that the team is trying to hammer out a long-term deal with the defensive lineman. He has not signed his exclusive franchise tag either. “We’re trying to get it done so he’s all ours,’’ Cable stated.

Running back Michael Bennett was trying out for the club. The veteran running back has played for the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers.

Tom Cable’s observations:

“We had two weeks before we did that minicamp, there was kind of a lull in there and that was a reason for doing it right after the draft,’’ Cable reflected after last year’s bad start to camp. “I think it’s reflected in that the ball’s not on the ground and we don’t look like the Keystone Cops out there.’’

Jason Campbell’s impressions:

“I’ve been through about 10 of them, so somewhere along the like I’ve run a lot of these plays, trying to find the rhythm, get used to the guys around me and get back into the groove.”

“I’m just here to work. Just here to work, get better every day,’’ Campbell said. “ I’ll let coach Cable make that decision and Mr. Al Davis. My job is to come out here every day and compete, keep working on things and try to improve the offense.’’

What did the defense look like?

To start the camp, the defensive alignment looked like this: DE Jay Richardson, DT Tommy Kelly, DT Desmond Bryant, DE Matt Shaughnessy, LB Kamerion Wimbley, LB Rolando McClain, LB Trevor Scott, CB Nnamdi Asomugha, CB Chris Johnson, SS Tyvon Branch and FS Michael Huff.

“I was looking at the playbook and there are some things that we didn’t do last year.,’’ Asomugha said. “Like always, it’s a matter of how well we do it at this time of the year and then in the summer as to whether we actually play it. So it’s going to depend on us and then how comfortable the coaches feel.’’

Hue Jackson…

One of the hardest working men on and off the field…

Bruce Campbell and Chris Cooper battle in the trenches, a little bit feisty for a minicamp…

Quarterbacks, JaMarcus Russell, Jason Campbell, Charlie Frye and Kyle Boller all got their reps in: “It means nothing. Don’t look anything into that. If you do, you’re wasting ink,” said Cable.

Oren O’Neal was waived. The fullback was slowed down significantly after his knee injury in 2008. Oakland’s fullback competition is wide open…

Ricky Brown will be limited all weekend…

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders will be bringing back defensive tackle William Joseph, linebacker Ricky Brown and fullback Luke Lawton.

Joseph has appeared in 14-games in the last two seasons, mostly in a reserve role, as he has also been cut and picked up by the Silver & Black three times during that span.

Brown was a restricted free agent who was offered a second round tender. The un-drafted free agent out of Boston College challenged Kirk Morrison for most of the summer prior to the start of the 2009 season atop the depth chart and could be the leading candidate to take over at middle linebacker if Morrison is traded away before the start of the 2010 campaign. He has been a key cog on the special team coverage units and will likely continue in that capacity. Brown will reportedly earn around $1.7 million, the projected value of the one-year tender offer.

Lawton, who will be suspended for the fist two contest of next season for violating the league’s policy against performing enhancing substances, will try to compete for the vacant fullback spot.

Gary Russell got most of the reps at that spot last season as the year wound down. Lawton lost nearly $63,000 in salary after being banned.

OTHER NOTES

• Khalif Barnes is the projected starter at right tackle at this point prior to the draft. Tom Cable stated that Erik Pears could also be in the mix, but with Oakland targeting offensive line prospects, things could change depending on whom they select in April.
• Kamerion Wimbley will play linebacker. After Oakland acquired his services earlier this month, many questioned whether or not he’d be transitioned onto the defensive line. But Cable projects the talent on the strong side of the formation. And since Greg Ellis’ release, its pretty clear at this point that Oakland will like to see Matt Shaughnessy penciled in at one defensive end spot.
• The Raiders picked up a seventh round compensatory pick for the draft – 251^st overall.
• Maurkice Pouncey is one name to watch in the draft. The center out of the Florida is projected as a mid 1^st rounder. Oakland selects much higher, but he has caught their eye and could be a target of the Silver & Black if they decide to trade back a few spots down.