Tag: Al Davis (Page 4 of 12)

      Report: Raiders prepared to release Russell

      April 27, 2010 /

      It appears that the end is near for JaMarcus Russell in Oakland, as the Raiders are preparing to release the NFL’s all-time biggest bust.

      From ESPN.com:

      John Clayton just said on ESPN’s “NFL Live” that the Raiders are preparing the process of cutting quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

      Clayton said it is not a matter of if, but when Russell will be cut. He also said the team could release Russell before Oakland’s minicamp, which runs Friday through Sunday, and that there is no trade market for him. The Raiders will save more than $6 million if they cut Russell this year.

      I wrote about this topic in more detail yesterday, which you can read here. But the long and the short of it is that Jason Campbell is the starter and the best move for the Raiders is to cut their losses and move on with Russell. He would be nothing shy of a distraction, including for owner Al Davis.


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      External Sports, NFL

      For the Raiders and Davis’ sake, Russell must be released

      April 26, 2010 /

      There is no quarterback controversy in Oakland. There is no, “let’s see how things go” or “let the best man win” philosophies being taken by the Raiders.

      Make no mistake about it: Jason Campbell is the Raiders’ starting quarterback. But just because he’s the new front man in Oakland doesn’t mean that Al Davis’ love affection for JaMarcus Russell’s raw skills aren’t still there. Even though reports have surfaced that Russell is tipping the scales at 300 pounds, as long as he and his big arm remain on the roster then Davis will always be intrigued.

      That’s why Davis should release Russell immediately. Why should he tempt himself by keeping the No. 1 overall bust on the roster? As soon as Campbell loses a couple games, Davis could get the JaMarcus Russell itch and demand that head coach Tom Cable put him back in their lineup.

      That said, Cable is the X factor in this situation. He proved last year that he was willing to bury Russell under Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye and an old Nintendo controller on the Raiders’ depth chart. Therefore, chances are if Campbell doesn’t pan out it will be Gradkowski that gets the nod over JaMarcubust.

      But that’s just one more reason to flat out release him and move on. Davis put together a nice draft for the Raiders and managed to acquire a starting quarterback with experience for practically nothing. He should continue moving his team forward by releasing one massive mistake and putting it behind him.


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      External Sports, NFL

      Raiders Draft Talk: Rolando McClain

      April 22, 2010 /

      As expected, Al Davis screwed up several draft boards with his selection in the first round.

      With the eighth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Alabama middle linebacker Rolando McClain, despite the general consensus that the team would take an offensive tackle. While it was a small reach, McClain is by far the best middle linebacker prospect in the draft. He was extremely productive at ‘Bama for Nick Saban and proved to be a solid run defender. He also has a high football IQ, which makes him a misfit for Oakland.

      The Raiders have been reportedly shopping Kirk Morrison, which would leave a gaping hole in the middle of Oakland’s defense. Even though nobody had McClain mocked to the Raiders, the pick makes sense if the team parts with Morrison at some point this offseason.

      Crazy Al surprised us again, but it wasn’t a bad pick.


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      NFL, NFL Draft

      Donovan McNabb to be a Raider soon?

      March 29, 2010 /

      ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that “all the ingredients” for a trade are in place between the Eagles and Raiders involving quarterback Donovan McNabb.

      Of all the teams the Eagles have spoken with, the Raiders have been the most willing to meet the Eagles’ asking price. Last week, The Associated Press reported that the Eagles want a pick in the top 42 of the 2010 draft for McNabb. Oakland has a second-round pick that is the 39th overall selection.

      Also, the sources say McNabb’s contract, which has one year and $11.2 million left on it, has scared off other teams. But, the sources say, Oakland is not concerned that McNabb is due a $6.2 million roster bonus on May 5 nor that the quarterback is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2010 season.

      There also are connections between the Raiders and McNabb. Raiders owner Al Davis and McNabb each went to Syracuse, and Oakland’s new offensive coordinator, Hue Jackson, is a distant cousin of McNabb’s.

      I’m a huge supporter of McNabb and I think on the right team, he’s a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. For whatever reason the Eagles have failed to live up to expectations with him under center, but I’m not one of those that believes McNabb deserves most of the blame for their postseason struggles. He’s a good quarterback and while he’s not a miracle worker, he can lift a team with his play.

      That said, this would be another unnecessary move in a history of unnecessary moves by owner Al Davis. The Raiders are several quality pieces away from becoming a playoff contender, so it doesn’t make sense for them to give up a second round pick and $11.2 million to have McNabb on their roster for one year. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt he would sign an extension to stay in Oakland given that his career is winding down. Chances are, he’d jet as soon as his contract expires at the end of the 2010 season.

      I applaud teams that take initiative when it comes to acquiring talent in order to build a competitive roster. But this move makes little sense for the Raiders outside of the fact that they need a quarterback. I’m not suggesting that they would be better off with JaMarcus Russell or Bruce Gradkowski. But I am saying that this would eventually be a fruitless trade for them (outside of maybe selling more tickets) given McNabb’s contract situation and desire to sign with a contender after 2010. Long-term it doesn’t make any sense and the bottom line is that the Raiders just aren’t one Donovan McNabb away from competing.


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      NFL

      Asomugha being dangled by the Raiders?

      February 25, 2010 /

      In his desire to create yearly offseason headlines, Raiders’ owner Al Davis has reportedly been shopping most of his roster, including cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Asomugha’s contract makes him virtually untradeable.

      In February of last year, Asomugha signed a three-year, $45.3 million contract extension. The first two years of his contract, which total $28.6 million, are fully guaranteed and another $4.7 million is available through incentives.

      The fun really begins in year three of the contract because in order to keep Asomugha through 2011, the Raiders must pay him either the franchise number for quarterbacks that year or $16.875 million (whichever number is greater). If another team acquires him via a trade, they would either have to re-work his contract or pay him quarterback money. That’s why Schefter suggests that Asomugha’s contract essentially makes him untradeable.

      It’s not that teams won’t be interested in Asomugha, because all 31 other teams would line up to have him suit up for them next season. Outside of maybe Darrelle Revis of the Jets, Asomugha is the only cornerback in the league that can play man-to-man every snap and still consistently shut down one half of a field. Charles Woodson was brilliant last year for the Packers (he was arguably the best cornerback production wise in the league), but even he doesn’t exhibit the man-to-man coverage skills that Asomugha does. For as good as Revis is, he may not either. That said, unless a team wants to sink millions of dollars into one of their cornerback positions, Asomugha isn’t going anywhere.

      Of course, there’s a good chance that Davis has no intentions of trading his star defender anyway. If Schefter did acquire this information from a reliable source that knows Davis, it still doesn’t change the fact that the owner loves to cause a stir and would certainly be capable of manipulating a story like this to create some headlines.

      The safe bet is that Asomugha will be in silver and black again next year.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

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