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      Offseason Blueprint: Oakland Raiders

      February 20, 2009 /

      Notable Free Agents: Nnamdi Asomugha (re-signed), CB; Shane Lechler (re-signed), P; Chris Johnson (re-signed), CB; Jake Grove, C; Cooper Carlisle, G.

      Projected 2009 Cap Space: $4,000,000

      Draft Order: 7

      Top Needs: Not unlike other teams selecting at the top of the draft, the Raiders are mostly in need of offensive line help. Defensive line, wide receiver and linebacker could also be addressed.

      Offseason Outlook: The Raiders’ top priority was to ensure that cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha didn’t hit the open market, and they accomplished that by inking him to a new three-year, $45 million contract. Asomugha’s deal is complex and you can read more details here, but the bottom line is that he’ll once again anchor the Raiders’ secondary in 2009.

      Al Davis also re-signed punter Shane Lechler to a four-year, $16 million contract. That might not be big news to some, but considering how much the Raiders punt during the regular season, re-signing Lechler was a wise move.

      The biggest challenge Davis now faces is how will he free up enough cap space to address other needs. The Raiders were sitting at $4 million under the cap before the re-signings of Asomugha and Lechler. Are cuts coming? If so, who will be shown the door?

      One name that has recently come up in trade speculation is defensive end Derrick Burgess, who the Raiders are rumored to be shopping. Burgess becomes a free agent after the 2009 season so it would make sense that Oakland would trade him now in order to gain compensation. If they were able to trade him, they would free up $3.5 million in cap space, which isn’t a huge amount but it would help.

      Even if they were able to free up some cap space, don’t expect Davis to go hog wild this offseason, although it won’t be because he doesn’t want to. Davis is always willing to spend big for talent, but the cap is going to hamstring him this year. Instead, expect the Raiders to make a push to re-sign center Jake Grove and then focus on mid-level free agents and the draft.

      Oakland head coach Tom Cable is apparently confident in Mario Henderson as his starting left tackle again next season. Robert Gallery is entrenched at the left guard position and assuming the team can re-sign Grove, center will be taken care of as well. But the entire right side of the line needs to be addressed.

      The Raiders are in prime position to take one of the top offensive tackle prospects that’ll be available in April. Virginia’s Eugene Monroe and Baylor’s Jason Smith are regarded as the top tackle prospects, but they might not fall to Oakland at No. 7. Instead, Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher could fall right into the Raiders’ laps at that spot. Monroe and Smith are getting more attention, but Oher is a fantastic athlete who has the size, strength and athleticism that all teams covet on the offensive line.

      Assuming Davis goes with Oher in the first round, he then could address the right guard position in the second or third round. Oregon State’s Andy Levitre, Cincinnati’s Trevor Canfield and Wisconsin’s Kraig Urbik are just three guard prospects that could be available in the second or third round.

      Of course, this is assuming that Davis decides to rebuild the offensive line, which would be wise considering the money he’s already spent on quarterback JaMarcus Russell and running back Darren McFadden. Why spend millions of dollars on Russell and McFadden if you’re not going to protect them? But again, this is Davis we’re talking about – he loves speed and flash. That said, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Missouri wideout Jeremy Maclin will also be considered at No. 7. (It should also be noted that Oakland is also considering cutting Ronald Curry and bringing back Jerry Porter, who spent last year in Jacksonville.)

      Defensively, the Raiders re-signed cornerback Chris Johnson, who filled in admirably once bust DeAngelo Hall was released in midseason. Rumor has it that Michael Huff will be cut this offseason, which means Rashad Branch and Hiram Eugene will be given a chance to start at free safety, although Branch would need to be re-signed.

      If the Raiders do trade Burgess, they may consider selecting Texas’s Brian Orakpo, who is regarded as the best defensive end prospect in the draft. If they keep Burgess, upgrading the defensive tackle position will need to be a priority. A top dollar free agent like Albert Haynesworth is out of the question, but Missouri’s Evander Hood and Auburn’s Sen’Derrick Marks will be available in the second round. If they’re lucky, maybe Ole Miss’s Peria Jerry will slip to the second. But that’s unlikely.

      Fantasy Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Why didn’t the Cavs make a deal?

      February 20, 2009 /

      On last night’s TNT coverage, Charles Barkley and David Aldridge talked a little bit about Cleveland’s attempts to swing a trade. First up is Aldridge:

      “(The Cavaliers) tried (to make a trade), they really did try. They were all over the place. They tried to get Antawn Jamison from Washington, they tried to get Amar’e Stoudemire, they tried to get Richard Jefferson, they tried to get Shaq. I can tell you this, they were more interested in Shaquille O’Neal than they were in Amar’e Stoudemire. That’s a fact. They wanted Shaq badly and they really tried to get him.”

      Then there’s Barkley:

      “The Cavaliers made a mistake (by not making a trade)…They should have said, ‘We’re going to keep LeBron (James), we’re going to keep Mo Williams, you can have anybody else we got.’ If they would have done anything to get a big body they would have been better off.”

      Rookie J.J. Hickson is just 20 years-old and has shown great potential. He’s 6’9″ (which is the optimum size for a power forward), athletic and has a few polished moves down low. I would have thought that a deal that included Hickson, Wally Szczerbiak’s expiring contract and maybe a first round pick might have netted a player like Amare Stoudemire, but a similar offer from the Bulls that included Tyrus Thomas didn’t get the Suns to bite. Take away the first round pick and maybe a Hickson/Szczerbiak package might garner Richard Jefferson or Vince Carter. I don’t know if Hickson was on the table — his name really didn’t come up in trade conversation, other than on The Scores Report — but if I’m a team looking to cut salary and rebuild, a Hickson/Szczerbiak combo would be very enticing.

      Szczerbiak’s contract will expire this summer, so it’s not worth anything anymore. Wally has played better in recent weeks. He shot 58% from long range in January and is averaging 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in seven games so far in February. He can contribute to the Cavs playoff run if he’s shooting well. If he’s not, he’s pretty useless because he isn’t a good passer and can’t guard anybody on the ball.

      I find it strange to hear Aldridge say that the team was more interested in Shaq than Amare — I think if they were able to score Stoudemire, they wouldn’t have to worry about LeBron leaving next year.

      Alas, unless the Cavs acquire Amare this summer, we’ll never know for sure.

      NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      MMA Review for Friday, February 20

      February 20, 2009 /

      Kimo LeopoldoHere’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

      – Could we try to go one week without an MMA fighter getting arrested? The latest cage-fighting jailbird is Kimo Leopoldo, a UFC old-schooler who got caught impersonating a Long Beach police officer while carrying around “a small amount” of methamphetamine.

      – MMA hottie/former American Gladiator Gina Carano took some sexy new photos for Maxim.

      – At last Friday’s Wargods event, UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock armbarred some fat dude, while Tank Abbott scored a brilliant KO via illegal rabbit punches.

      – BJ Penn has put his frustrations about his slippery loss to Georges St. Pierre into a charming little conspiracy-video. Meanwhile, legendary UFC ref John McCarthy says that the greasing thing has “always been an issue” in MMA.

      – The UFC’s new action figures will armbar the crap out of your little Ninja Turtles.

      – Montreal will allow the UFC to return to their city as long as there’s none of that barbaric foot-stomping going on. You can check out the fight lineup here.

      – UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson goes down tomorrow night in London. Swing by CagePotato.com for our liveblog of the tape-delayed Spike TV broadcast at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and prepare thyself by checking out this roundup of the fighters who will be making their Octagon debuts, our occasionally-helpful betting advice, and our interviews with main-card fighters Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen.

      Mixed Martial Arts

      Rodriguez had relationship with banned, steroid-linked trainer

      February 20, 2009 /

      Alex Rodriguez’s claim about stopping the use of steroids after 2003 is already being shot full of holes.

      According to a report in the New York Daily News, A-Rod has had a long relationship with a man named Angel Presinal, a trainer who has been banned from private areas of every MLB ballpark for being linked to steroids. Apparently Presinal roomed with A-Rod’s now famous cousin, Yuri Sucart, at every hotel Rodriguez went to in 2007. The report also states that Presinal wasn’t around A-Rod in 2008, although Sucart “remained a constant presence.”

      In his press conference on Monday, A-Rod claimed that he and Sucart injected each other with steroids in the Dominican Republic from 2001 to 2003. While that might have been the case, the question now becomes: Where did Rodriguez and Sucart get the steroids? And if A-Rod claims he’s been off performance-enhancers since 2003, why would he continue a relationship with Presinal up until 2007? (Assuming the report is true, of course.)

      I’m naïve to how athletes go about things when they travel in-season, but I’d have to imagine that not even the best of friends are staying with players at every single hotel like Presinal did in 2007. Again, why did Rodriguez remain close with Presinal after his claimed use of steroids from 2001 to 2003? It’s hard to imagine that a steroid-linked trainer was staying at the same hotel as A-Rod just to fluff his pillows and make sure he had enough clean towels in the bathroom.

      If the Daily News report is true, then A-Rod is still lying and there’s a good chance that he took steroids while a member of the Yankees. And this BS that he took roids because he was “young and naïve” doesn’t hold water either (not that it ever did). You don’t seek the help of a steroid-linked trainer if you’re just trying stuff on a whim with your cousin in the DR. Rodriguez knew he wanted to take performance-enhancers, knew who could supply them and reached out to Presinal. It looks like Sucart was just A-Rod’s smokescreen for Presinal, but it didn’t take long for that story to unravel.

      Not that he will at this point, but A-Rod needs to stop taking everyone for a ride and admit the truth. He took steroids because he was making a lot of money, wanted to live up to the new contract and wanted to perform at an elite level. Sports are a performance-based world. Clearly Rodriguez wasn’t confident in his abilities (which is freaking unfathomable when you think about it) and sought the use of enhancers. That’s it. He did it to remain the best and so he could continue to make an absurd amount of money. He wasn’t naïve – he knew what he was doing the entire time. And with this report, there’s a great chance that someone will prove that he took steroids long past 2003.

      This report is only the smoking gun. More is sure to follow because the New York media has only started to dig into this story. A-Rod better hold onto his nuts because everything he’s ever said and done over the past six years is going to come out. Suspension is the last thing that he should be worried about right now.

      MLB

      Top 32 NFL Draft Prospects

      February 20, 2009 /

      Pete Prisco of CBSSportsline.com ranked the top 32 prospects in this year’s NFL draft.

      Here are his top 10:

      1. Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia: When he throws for the scouts, they will be in awe. There are some who think he locks on to receivers at times. But that can happen to young passers with big arms.

      2. Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest: Think Derrick Brooks. He’s a run-and-chase linebacker who has good size at 240 pounds. He might be the cleanest player in the draft, the one with the fewest flaws.

      3. B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College: He’s a power player who could not be blocked at the Senior Bowl. At 335 pounds, he also has good quickness.

      4. Jason Smith, T, Baylor: This former tight end has great feet and plays with a nasty streak. He is 6-4, 300 pounds and has the frame to get bigger. He’s a better pass blocker, but will get better for the run as he matures.

      5. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: He is the next Larry Fitzgerald. He’s big and strong. The once concern with him is his 40 time. But Fitzgerald wasn’t fast either.

      6. Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia: He’s another tackle who is better as a pass protector than blocking for the run. Is that a bad thing?

      7. Andre Smith, T, Alabama: He played left tackle at Alabama, but some scouts wonder if he’s not more of a right tackle. He’s the best run blocker of the three top tackles, but he has struggled with some speed rushers.

      8. Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: He’s accurate, poised and his arm is plenty strong. The knock on him will be that he was a one-hit wonder. Don’t believe it.

      9. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State: He’s a smart cover player who might not have blazing speed, but he plays fast enough. He’s easily the top corner in this draft.

      10. Everette Brown, LB-DE, Florida State: Think Dwight Freeney. He’s short at 6-1 but has a great burst off the edge. He might even rise up this board as we go through the process.

      Everyone is going to have varying opinions on which prospect is better than the next (everyone is an expert this time of year), but I think that’s a pretty solid top 10. I don’t think Sanchez is a top 10 prospect, but that’s just me. For the amount of talent USC had this year, he certainly didn’t dominate and I think he’s a raw prospect in that he’ll need a couple years to develop.

      The guy that could be a steal in the middle of the first round is Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis, who Prisco ranked at No. 15. He’s got better physical skills than Jenkins (the top corner in the draft), but he plays undisciplined and that’s why he’ll drop. A good pro coaching staff could turn Davis into a star.

      NFL, NFL Draft

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