Silver and Black Report

Sean Spence could be a linebacker to look out for in the NFL draft. The Oakland Raiders spent time at the Senior Bowl talking to Drew Rosenhaus, Spence’s agent.

The product out of Miami has questionable vitals; mainly size limitations. But this is a new Raider regime, and their insistence in how they look in a uniform and specs during workouts may not be a point of emphasis.

The one thing many scouts do agree on with Spence is that he has very good football instincts. He’s a mid to late 2^nd round prospect on many boards, a 3^rd round target on others.

One thing is for sure, the Raiders will go into this draft with little ammo, but with intentions to be creative in their selections and in trying to acquire more picks or a player they can acquire if he’s within sight.

Adding to the defense will be a focal point with Dennis Allen now at the helm.

Also, strengthening by getting talent that could be versatile in varying schemes will not be something the new general manager is against.

“The league has changed,” Reggie McKenzie said during the week. “Schemes have morphed so much that there now is so much difference with what a team might be doing based on first down, second down, and third down. Few teams are strictly a four-man or three-man front anymore. Some people believe that the 3-4 defense is more versatile because it gives you more guys who can stand up and move around. That’s the thing with the NFL, it is constantly evolving. So, any time you can add a player with the versatility to do that, you can’t help but be interested.”

Bobby Wagner, a linebacker the Raiders liked, probably moved out of their range with his performance this whole week. The muscular, long wing-spanned hitter may have sneaked into the 2^nd round.

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The Oakland Raiders have begun prep for the NFL draft with their scouting at the Senior Bowl.

The practices during the week are just as important as the game on Saturday, as it gives scouts and coaches the opportunity to examine the country’s best senior collegiate talents.

One player Oakland has met with this week has been Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller. The target had a breakout junior campaign, but as a senior, he dealt with injuries that limited his production. In 2010, lined up against future NFL talent Patrick Peterson in the Cotton Bowl, Fuller compiled 82-yards on seven catches.

He looks to be a developmental player and someone who could be had in later rounds, especially if there’s no improvement from his Senior Bowl week practices during the combine.

Baylor running back Terrance Ganaway has caught the eye of the Silver & Black. The bruising ball carrier has struggled in pass protection and demonstrated poor habits, but looks every bit of a short yardage runner between the tackles.

At 5-11 and 241 pounds, Ganaway has to show more in the coming months to be a viable prospect who could make some noise in his first year.

The Raiders have had their eyes on linebackers all week and spoke to talented, yet troubled cornerback Janoris Jenkins.

He was kicked off the Florida football team for varying offenses, and those character issues will surely drop him on many draft boards. Playing for North Alabama did not provide much top level competition and his meetings throughout the week were as much to rehabilitate his image and possibly get him into the 1^st round or top half of the 2^nd round in April’s draft.

Offensive lineman Ben Jones (Georgia), who is one of the better center prospects, and is projected to go late in the 2^nd or the 3^rd round also met with the Raiders.

Joseph Barksdale (#72) first caught Oakland's eye during the Senior Bowl.

Alfred Morris, a 5-11, 220-pound running back, caught the eye of scout Zack Crockett.

“He plays physical,” said the former Raiders rusher. “For his size, he does a lot of good things. When you look at a guy who loves the game the way he does, you don’t look at the size of the guy. You just know this guy is a player.

“You look at him on special teams, and he’s willing to do that. And for his size at fullback, he’s not afraid to go in there and put a lick on somebody. He thinks he’s at a school that no one knows, but when you are a good player, they will find you anywhere.”

Jamell Flemming was a cornerback that impressed many scouts, including those that work for the Raiders. At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, his cover skills and physical play at the line of scrimmage are some strengths.

Stay tuned to SBReport.net for more news during the off-season regarding the Raiders, as on Monday, they introduce a new coach and in the coming months, they prepare for the draft and free-agency. Click the twitter link below to follow Victor Cotto, ask questions and get up to date thoughts in the Raider Nation.

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Tom Cable 'absolutely' thinks he'll continue to work with Oakland

Tom Cable was on KHTK – 1140am – and talked about his current status with the Oakland Raiders while at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Here are some excerpts of his conversation with the host.

At the Senior Bowl:

Well, you’re really looking at these kids and trying to familiarize yourself with them as you prepare for the next step, which will be the combine. So, you get a chance to look at, basically, 70-some players, you get a chance to go back now and look at all the juniors that are coming out and just kind of start comparing this whole thing and then it gets you ready for the combine. Because that group that was here in Mobile, they’ll be at the combine, as well as all those juniors that came out. So, it gives you a great opportunity to kind of get a jump on it and familiarize yourself with the whole group.

Talking to Al Davis:

Well, we’ve had a lot of conversations. You’re right, there’s been a lot of speculation. But the whole time, we’ve talked about where we’re at as a football team. And that’s everything. That’s the organization, that’s the coaches, that’s the roster, our free agents, who we need to get signed back, just everything that goes into it. We really never have had discussions about what would or wouldn’t happen. It’s just always been about evaluating the Oakland Raiders. I don’t know that at anytime he’s ever said he was going to change or he wasn’t going to change. It’s just an evaluation process that every team goes through. We did great diligence in terms of an organization, the coaches, and here we are getting ready for the 2010 season and starting the scouting routine with the Senior Bowl.

About being the head coach of the Silver & Black:

Well, absolutely. I don’t think there was ever any question. That, really, was more speculation than anything else. It’s never been a thought in my mind. We went at this thing every day, whether it was discussions with the owner or discussions with the staff, that we were moving forward and getting ready for 2010. So, it’s never really been an issue for us.

On Jamarcus Russell:

He’s just one man on this football team. He knows he’s got to get better. We know we’ve got to get him better. But everyone on this team, coaching staff, players alike, has to get better, and that starts with me. So, obviously, people want to single someone out or whatever that is but right now, it’s about all of us getting better.

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable talked to the National Football Post while he was observing action in Mobile, Alabama during Senior Bowl activities.

He applauded the Raiders decision to bring in Hue Jackson as their offensive coordinator.

“I think it’s a good decision by the organization,” Cable stated today. “It’s someone that I’m familiar with. It’s someone that I think can help us take the next step, so we’re all pretty excited about it.”

He sounded like a coach fully entrenched in his job with no worries about any of the rumors regarding his demise.

“Well, I think we have a chance,” Cable said. “I think we’ve gotten to that level of competitiveness that it takes. The next step will be the hardest, and that’s getting to the playoffs. But that will be the goal.”

“We’ve been meeting constantly and talking about how we can get better,” Cable commented about the struggling Raiders, who have now compiled seven straight seasons with 11 or more losses. “We’re continuing to do that as we get ready for the draft.”

Also, on the official Raiders web site, the Silver & Black officially acknowledged the additions of offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and defensive line coach Mike Waufle.

I guess Hue Jackson won’t interview with the Chicago Bears.

The Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach was reportedly headed to Chicago for an interview for their offensive coordinator position, the same job the Oakland Raiders interviewed him for.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Jackson was a last-minute scratch per their NFL sources.

Also, it is expected that Tom Cable will be at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.,  observing and evaluating talent this week for the upcoming draft.

Stay tuned…

Johnnie Lee Higgins participated in the 2007 Senior Bowl

The 60^th annual Senior Bowl will be played Saturday, January 30 at 4:00 pm ET at Mobile, Alabama.

More importantly, the practices begin January 25. And there is where hundreds of NFL coaches, personnel directors, scouts and many other staffers from professional clubs go to observe and evaluate potential draft picks and talent that will be available in the coming months.

In the past, Oakland Raider coaches have spearheaded the staffs in charge of the squads. Here is a list of those that donned Silver & Black that were at the helm of a sideline during the Senior Bowl:

2008 – Lane Kiffin

2005 – Norv Turner

1999 – Jon Gruden

1992 – Art Shell

What will be interesting is whether or not the Raiders will send a large contingent to Mobile for scouting?

One team – the New York Giants – have already reportedly decided not to send their coaches next week due to varying reasons such as the economy, the new stadium and pending labor situation states the NJ Star Ledger. But I guess that is not a crippling thing, since they didn’t either two years ago right before their Super Bowl winning season.

Oakland still has a staff in place, and Tom Cable is technically still the coach of the Raiders.

Al Davis has not announced his fate, but at this point, isn’t safe to say that Cable is still the head coach until further notice? If there’s even a need to make that publicly.

Mike Waufle has been hired, Hue Jackson has been bantered about and Cable is still on board.

With the Senior Bowl work-outs around the corner, maybe things will become clearer over the next couple of days.