Silver and Black Report

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.

QUARTERBACK:

Charlie Frye: C

Oakland’s offense tallied 174-yards in the first half with Frye under center. In his second drive on 3^rd and 3, he inexcusably lofted a prayer to Johnnie Lee Higgins that was intercepted by Champ Bailey. That gave Denver the ball at the Raiders 41-yard line and five plays later, the Broncos went up 6-0 on Matt Prater’s 43-yard field goal. Frye ended the 1^st quarter with designed bootleg run after a fake to Darren McFadden, which netted 26-yards. A few plays later, he hit Higgins on 3^rd and 10 for a 12-yard gain and the Raiders ended that drive with a score. Frye had some tempo with the offense and he could’ve had a touchdown pass if Chaz Schilens would’ve hung on to a long toss in the 2^nd quarter that he could not come down with. At times, Frye had happy feet and bailed out on plays by using his legs to roll out due to pressure. Right before halftime, he had a chance to use his legs on a 3^rd and 3 and run for a first down, instead Frye tossed an incomplete pass and the Raiders settled on a field goal to extend their lead to 13-6. In the 4^th quarter, he took a big hit as he released a pass, the back of his head bounced off the turf and the way his body reacted on impact led you to believe that there was enough trauma there that he could not finish the contest.

JaMarcus Russell: B

Raider fans probably said, “Oh no, not again…,” as soon as he entered the game. Immediately, he faced a tough situation, a 3^rd and 12 that he was not able to convert when he bounced a deep out to Louis Murphy. On his second drive, he found an open Michael Bush on a 3^rd and 2 after scrambling, but the rusher was not able to convert on the catch-able pass. Russell did not feel the pressure early on that game-winning drive and disaster almost occurred when the fumbled on the first play. But he redeemed himself on 4^th and 10 – after missing the prior play due to injury – by hitting Tony Stewart with a 10-yard strike. On consecutive plays he hit Stewart again and Schilens for gains of 9 and 13 yards. He then slid in the pocket to avoid the Denver rush and hit Schilens for 4-yards on 2^nd and goal, but the Broncos were flagged for illegal contact and that gave the Silver & Black a new set of downs. A few plays later, Russell connected with Schilens for a 10-yard game-winning touchdown.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: A

Even though Bush dropped a key pass on 3^rd and 2 late in the game, fumbled in the 2^nd quarter which was recovered by a teammate and Darren McFadden had a costly turnover that led the Broncos score that gave them a 16-13 lead, this group had a very productive afternoon. This is what Raider fans envisioned of this combo when they were drafted, as both combined for 207 yards on the ground. On Bush’s first touch of the contest, he rumbled for 23-yards and a score to give Oakland a 7-6 lead. On 3^rd and 9 in the 2^nd quarter, he ran for 13 yards and later that drive, he broke a Brian Dawkins tackle and weaved his way for 13 yards. Late in the 3^rd quarter he couldn’t punch it in near the goal line, but neither could McFadden who was thwarted by a stout Denver defensive stance on 4^th and goal, when he tried to cut his run back after initially taking the pitch and looking like he could get to the pylon. That drive got started with a bang when Bush gained 18 yards had a burst for another 40 and McFadden bolted for 28 yards on consecutive plays.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: C

Tony Stewart was key with his 3 receptions for 37-yards. With Zach Miller out, he made vital receptions late in the game to keep a drive alive and to get them close to the winning score. Brandon Myers had only one catch for 6-yards, but his blocking was stellar. Schilens finished with 5 grabs for 37-yards and one touchdown. He caught the game winning score by breaking a tackle at the 3-yard line to hit paydirt. Louis Murphy gave good effort and his bets moment was when he beat Bailey for 14-yards on an out pattern.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B-

Oakland ran for 241-yards rushing. The offensive line was stellar when they asserted themselves and especially when Erik Pears was in as an extra blocker. Pears had key blocks on many of the Raiders big run plays as well as Langston Walker, who mauled the interior of the Denver defensive line on Bush’s score. Elvis Dumervil gave Mario Henderson many problems, but he did not add to his league leading sack total. Cooper Carlisle was flagged for being an ineligible man down the field to start a drive in the 2^nd quarter, but he won many matches in the trenches. Henderson was at the right spot at the right time when Bush fumbled right into his hands. You would’ve liked to see them get push near the goal line when Denver had their stand and not be so shaky late in the game when the Broncos were applying heat with only four-down linemen. But overall, they paved the way for a big day on the ground and kept Russell upright long enough to make plays as time expired. Cornell Green could’ve been a goat in the final drive with a false start from the 5-yard line with 45 seconds remaining.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

At the half, the Broncos had 55 yards rushing. They only managed 25 the rest of the day on the strength of the defensive line of the Raiders. Matt Shaughnessy was outstanding versus the run and tallied another sack (4^th of the season) with a great bull rush. Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren were gobbling up Knowshon Moreno, who ended with 19 carries, for 42-yards (2.2 per carry). William Joseph was even very active up front, giving the Raiders a nice rotation without any weakening along the trenches. Desmond Bryant also played well and Greg Ellis compiled two more sacks; one on Denver’s first play of the final drive. This group disrupted Kyle Orton’s timing with his targets all day.

LINEBACKERS: B

Kirk Morrison probably had his best game of the season. He had 8-tackles, one for a loss and was solid working in space when in zone. Thomas Howard ended with 4 tackles and got better in pursuit as the game went on. Trevor Scott did not tally a sack today, but his run defense continues to be a spark on the front-seven.

SECONDARY: C-

Denver’s targets tallied 278 yards receiving. Stanford Routt was beaten badly in the slot by Brandon Stokley for 63-yards on a play that could have been a back-breaker for the visiting Raiders. On 3^rd and 12 on the opening drive, Chris Johnson was beat by Eddie Royal for 18-yards, Brandon Marshall also terrorized him fooling him on one route for 24-yards, but he defended Jabar Gaffney well on a fade route that ended a drive. Mike Mitchell was stout versus the run and had a key blitz on a 3^rd and 6 that forced Orton into an incompletion. Nnamdi Asomugha was at his best tackling around the line of scrimmage and Michael Huff jarred loose a potential big play by Marshall on 3^rd and 17 in the final seconds of the contest.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

In the thin air, this was a game of many touchbacks and of place kickers that had were on point with Sebastian Janikowski nailing field goal of 54 and 28 yards while Matt Prater connected on all four of his attempts. Shane Lechler averaged 54.8 per punt. Higgins had a nice punt return of 15-yards and Mitchell had a solid hit on the game’s final kickoff return.

COACHING: A

Tom Cable did a stellar job today. His play calling was rhythmic and precise. The bootleg when Frye was in the game for big yardage gave them life, the draw play on 3^rd down for a nice gain surprised the Denver defense and the run game kept them unbalanced. The offensive line was the facilitator, and he made the right choice playing Walker this weekend. When Russell was inserted, the game plan did not regress and they ran plays that kept Denver back peddling; which was vastly different from his approach against Washington once Russell entered. The again, he did not have the potent ground attack as he did today. Oakland’s defense kept the team alive. In the first half, they held the Broncos to 1/7 on 3^rd downs and Josh McDaniels’ offense only mustered up 3 more after that. The Raiders blitzed often, which affected the flow of Denver’s attack. Oakland was down 6-0 before battling back, And after a missed 4^th down opportunity with McFadden Stokley’ big play and losing his starter, Cable kept his team inspired and fighting on the road. Also, bringing Bush out of the doghouse helped, as the former Louisville star injected life to an offense that hadn’t run the ball well in recent weeks.

GAME NOTES

• Frye ended 9/17 for 68-yards and 1 interception. Russell tallied 5 completions on 11 attempts for 47-yards and a touchdown pass. J.P Losman entered the game for one play – a 3^rd and 10 in the 4^th quarter – before being replaced by Russell, who was healthy enough to complete the game after sustaining an injury. Losman was pressured on his lone play and tossed an incompletion to Murphy. Russell received the game ball after the game, but Cable stated to reporters that Frye will be the starter next week versus Cleveland if healthy.
• Bush had his best game of the year with season highs in carries (18) and yards (133). Justin Fargas “tweaked” his knee according to Cable after the game.
• Former Raider LaMont Jordan rushed for 27 yards on 5 carries.
• Tommy Kelly was injured, but finished the game.
• The game was delayed with 6:53 left when a fan was apparently shinning a laser onto the field.

William Joseph getting work in during the summer

The Oakland Raiders again signed defensive tackle William Joseph. This marks the third time this season the former New York Giant has landed in Silver & Black. And to make room on the roster, they released offensive lineman Paul McQuistan.

McQuistan has been serving as a back-up mainly since Oakland drafted him in the 3^rd round of the 2006 entry draft.

He started six games in 2006, but was benched for the remainder of the season due to poor play. The following season, he played in all 16-games, starting six of them when the Raiders sustained injuries along the trenches. In 2008, he spent most of the campaign on injured reserve.

Oakland got some of their injured players back on the practice field on Monday. Running back Darren McFadden, wide receiver Chaz Schilens and right tackle Cornell Green participated during Monday’s session. All three are expected to be ready for their match-up against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

“This is the healthiest this football team has been, there’s no question, particularly on offense,” head coach Tom Cable commented. “In terms of having them all back and into sync and the energy in the huddle and all those things, it was good to have them back.”

On the defensive side of the ball; end Greg Ellis did not practice, as he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week and Tommy Kelly was exempt due to personal matters.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Louis Murphy on the move against the Saints

QUARTERBACK: C -

Again, JaMarcus Russell’s statistics don’t tell the entire story of what occurred during the game. He ended 12-of-18 for 153 yards, but he did not lead the team to any points and the offense was stagnant the entire first half. In the first half, the offense tallied only 60-yards of offense and three first downs. On the game’s first play, Russell connected on a slant with his prized rookie and then he followed that with a composed play-fake and pass to his favorite target for 35-yards. On the second drive, his pass on 3^rd and 7 was floated down the sideline to Darrius Heyward-Bey and should have been intercepted. Russell was accurate today for the most part, as displayed on a 3^rd and 7 in the 2^nd quarter when he found Louis Murphy for first down yardage, but the target was not able to make the catch. Russell was a victim of his un-proven wide-outs. But ultimately, he has to put points on the scoreboard and help his teammates get better with his elevated play. On another 3^rd and 7, he had an open Johnnie Lee Higgins, but he put too many RPMs on the short toss that was not handled due to the lack of touch. Jeff Garcia ended 9-of15 for 111 yards and a touchdown. On his scoring pass, he had defenders coming at him, as he let go a strong throw towards the sideline.

RUNNING BACK: C -

Justin Fargas did not play and was out. Michael Bush got the start, but was non-factor with three touches total for 9-yards. Darren McFadden continues to prove that he is the most dynamic presence on the team. Upon entering the game, the speedy rusher jolted through the Saints defense for a big gain that was ultimately negated due to a flag. His three official carries were un-eventful, and he had a fumble that was recovered and returned deep into Raider territory. Oren O’Neal looks slow to holes and at times is a hindrance to the runners who are trying to get up the field. Gary Russell ran for 42-yards and contributed on special teams.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: D+

Zach Miller had a game of ups and downs. He recorded 5 receptions for 74 yards, but his blocking was not up to par today and his hold infraction negated a big gain by McFadden. Louis Murphy (3 rec. 84 yards) had a drop and was stripped on a big gainer after making a nice catch in the 3^rd quarter. The rookie out of Florida also had an up and down game, looking uneasy at times and very skillful other times. Darrius Heyward-Bey worked on his shorter routes today, hauling in a slant on the game’s first play for 12-yards. The CB defending him on another slant almost jumped the route for an interception. Jonathan Holland’s 43-yard touchdown reception and run was the best play of the night. Higgins dropped a possible big gainer in the 3rd quarter.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D -

Again, they were not able to pave lanes for the first team rushers and were slow at the point of attack. Oakland ran for 1-yard in the 1^st half. The pass blocking took a step back today, as Russell and Garcia had defenders around them and had to move in the pocket often. Robert Gallery was infracted for a hold at the end of the half; a few plays later, Russell was sacked. Cornell Green was up and down and Samson Satele does not appear to get any push in the interior. On Garcia’s touchdown pass, the pressure was coming.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

William Joseph and Gerard Warren are one of the few players that can boast about having a solid play here and there at defensive tackle. The best player along the interior today was Desmond Bryant. He got penetration and was disruptive on a few plays; recording a sack and helping on a couple of runs that tallied little yardage. Trevor Scott brought the heat at the end of the 1^st half; forcing Mark Brunell to throw away a pass out of the end zone and then facilitating a turnover on the ensuing play with his closing speed toward the passer.

LINEBACKERS: C -

This unit struggled in space all day. Ricky Brown had a couple of stops that were note-worthy. But overall, Thomas Howard and Sam Williams were not effective. Jon Alston continues to cruise on easy street, not making any stellar plays and looking more and more like a back-up or one-dimensional special teamer. Brown and Howard are one of the few players on this side of the ball that play with fire.

SECONDARY: F

Toyed by Drew Brees all day, the defensive backs and safeties were horrendous today. Hiram Eugene missed various tackles that sprung New Orleans’ rushers for substantial gains. He also was victimized on deeper routes and useless in coverage. The interception he recorded was forced by the pass rush and right into his hands. Stanford Routt missed a tackle that sprung Robert Meachem for a 71-yard gain and his coverage was abysmal was flagged twice while trying to cover Lance Moore. Chris Johnson allowed free-releases all day and was soft against the Saints’ receivers. He showed hustle and used his world-class speed chasing down Meachem on Routt’s missed tackle. Overall, the secondary missed too many tackles and blew too many assignments against a team who is a machine on offense. Michael Hawkins delivered a nice hit in the 4^th quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Gary Russell, Jon Condo and David Nixon had a few nice tackles on punt coverage. Nick Miller recorded 105 yards on punt and kickoff yards, but does not appear to be a threat to Justin Miller. Ricky Schmitt looks to be a solid punter, but with Shane Lechler on the roster, and the Raiders hoping to have the all-pro ready for the opener, the rookie from Sheperd could be attracting suitors elsewhere.

COACHING: D-

Tom Cable’s team looked over-matched all day. Just like they did in the regular season meeting last year in New Orleans. The defense took a step backward on all facets and the offense also regressed. At home, you expect the Raiders to give a better effort. John Marshall’s unit could be kept off-balance all season if they continue to have issues stopping the run. The back-end of the secondary is lacking talent and has young players that are inexperienced.

NOTES:

• TOTAL YARDS: New Orleans 536 Oakland 316
• PASSING YARDS: New Orleans 304 Oakland 264
• RUSHING YARDS: New Orleans 232 Oakland 52
• Time of Possession: New Orleans 39:27 Oakland 20:33
• 1st downs: New Orleans 31 Oakland 9
• 3^rd down Conversions: New Orleans 8-16 Oakland 1-10

Glen Coffee starts the 2^nd quarter with another big run, tallying 18 more yards. Shaun Hill is now in the game, and his first toss is incomplete to Arnaz Battle. CB Chris Johnson on the next play makes a solid open field tackle after a short gain on a pass. On 3^rd and 9, Justin Miller almost got his hands on a pass, but WR Josh Morgan made a great catch for 7 yards. But William Joseph ended the 49er drive on 4^th and 2 by batting a ball down at the line of scrimmage.

The Raiders take over on their own 40-yard line. JaMarcus Russell to Zach Miller for 11 yards opens the next drive. Russell had a nice play fake and looked comfortable on that play. The 49ers blitzed on the next play, Russell stayed in the pocket and attempted to hit Darrius Heyward-Bey, but the toss was incomplete. Justin Fargas on the next play gained 11 yards on a dump off pass. Russell hit Miller again, on a short quick toss to Miller for 2 yards. Russell showed his arm on the next play going deep to Johnnie Lee Higgins, but the CB was fooled and was penalized for a pass interference that netted the Raiders 22 yards. On 2^nd and 8, Russell tried to hit Higgins on a crossing pattern, but this time the Raiders were penalized for having an ineligible man downfield (Cornell Green). On 2^nd and 13, Fargas gained big yardage near the goal line on a screen, but the play was nullified by a Samson Satele hold penalty. The Raiders now faced a 2^nd and 23, and on a end around to Louis Murphy, the Silver & Black only mustered up one yard. On 3^rd and 22, Russell hit Murphy for a 25-yard touchdown pass. It appeared that the 49ers had a mix up in coverage, as the rookie beat Nate Clements on the play and the safety was not there to back him up. Oakland had great field position, they shot themselves in the foot after getting near the goal line, but they rally on a 3^rd and long and take advantage of San Francisco’s mix-up in the secondary as they attempted to play cover-2.

Oakland leads 7-0.

The 49ers get the ball at the 20-yard line after Sebastian Janikowski rolls a kickoff into the end zone. Coffee off the left side ran through a gaping hole and gained 35 yards. Eugene again was the last line of defense. Hill went deep on the next play and over threw his intended target, who had a step on Chris Johnson. Coffee gains another 3 yards on 2^nd down, as the 49ers continue to push around the Raiders’ front-seven with ease. On 3^rd and 7, Coffee gets the call on a draw play and gains another 8 yards against the Raiders’ abysmal rush defense. Coffee for 5 more yards on the ground on the next play. On 2^nd and 5, the Raiders blitz, but Stanford Routt gets beaten on a quick slant by Arnaz Battle for a gain of 12. On this drive, Coffee has punished any Raider defender who attempted to tackle him. San Francisco faced 3^rd and inches; so they went to Coffee who again churned out first down yardage. Coffee gets to the 2-yard line on the ensuing play right up the gut of the Raiders’ defense. Tommy Kelly and Sam Williams thwart Coffee on the next play after Tom Cable calls a time-out. Hill cannot connect with Vernon Davis on 3^rd and goal, as Tyvon Branch had nice coverage in the back of the end zone. The 49ers settle on a FG after a 13 play, 76-yard drive after the Raiders scored. They controlled the line of scrimmage during the entire series and dominated on the ground before getting near the goal line.

At this point, Coffee has 16 carries for 129 yards.

Justin Miller was not able to return the errant kick that went out of bounds. Jeff Garcia took over at this point, making his pre-season debut with the Silver & Black. A false start along the offensive line started Garcia’s drive. Garcia completed his first pass for 9 yards to Higgins. He then scrambled for 9 yards to midfield. As the clock reached the 1:07 mark, the Raiders call a time-out. Garcia moves in the pocket on the ensuing play and hits Murphy for 10 yards. 1^st and goal from the SF 38, Garcia was not able to hit a streaking Zach Miller. Michael Bush gets his first carry on a draw that compiles 10 yards. A few plays later, Garcia again scrambling out of the pocket, over throws a wide-open Higgins, who tips the ball and it is deflected into the hands of Allen Rossum for an interception.

A few plays later, the 1^st half ends with the Raiders holding a 7-3 lead.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Oakland's special teams recovering a blocked punt

The Oakland Raiders have made it a point of emphasis to bring back the same cast of characters on special teams this off-season. The Silver & Black will have Justin Miller returning kickoffs again in 2009 after he signed a two-year deal.

Miller, 25, gave a jolt to the Oakland return teams midway through the 2008 season after being cut by the New York Jets. His 32-kickoff returns for 794 yards and two scores helped the Silver & Black finish strong and gave a boost to a special teams that already had one of the top punt returners in the league.

Miller handled kickoffs once acquired, and with punt returner Johnnie Lee Higgins having a breakout season, the pair accounted for five of the team’s 27 touchdowns.

Tennessee was reportedly pursuing Miller’s services, as ex-Raider and current Titan return man Chris Carr was shopping himself around the league.

With the move, Oakland continues to keep continuity on special teams with players they feel can come together to form one of the better units in the league. They re-signed Isaiah Ekejiuba, Tony Stewart, Jon Alston, and Jon Condo since the season ended. John Fassel, who the team feels will inject more life to the coverage teams, will now coordinate that group, and with the return of Tyvon Branch, Oakland will look at special teams as one its strengths and a unit that will help them win more games.

RAIDERS ADD COACH

Aaron Pelch, who was an assistant coach at Millsaps College, will join the Raiders as an assistant to John Fassel.

“Aaron did a tremendous job for us these last three years at Millsaps” Mike DuBose said.  “He is a very talented individual that will be in this profession for a long time.  We wish him the best.“

WILLIAM JOSEPH ALSO KEPT

Defensive tackle William Joseph also signed a deal, but terms have not been disclosed. The former first-round draft pick of the New York Giants played sparingly in 2008. According to reports, he was in for Monday workouts in Oakland.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

On Tuesday, the Oakland Raiders officially added Ashley Lelie to their roster, and to make room for the wide receiver, they released defensive tackle William Joseph.

Joseph, the former 25^th overall selection in the 2003 draft, was deemed expendable with the presence of Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren and Terdell Sands and his position as a reserve tackle along a defensive line that will go with a three-man rotation.

Oakland was in need of a speedy, down the field target to replace the injured Drew Carter, who will be out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Lelie will wear no. 87 as per the official Raiders web site, and he is expected to practice on Wednesday with his teammates.

NFL writer Jerry McDonald reported on his blog that Oakland will look to sign Luke Lawton on Wednesday, which will mean that another player will be given their release to make room for the fullback that was initially claimed off waivers on 8/25/2008 before being cut last Saturday.