Tag: Bruce Gradkowski (Page 2 of 2)

If Jason Campbell is Jim Plunkett then I’m Peter King

September 19, 2010 /
OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Jason Campbell of the Oakland Raiders lies on the ground after being sacked against the St. Louis Rams during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 19, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

“I see this young Jason Campbell as a football player like I saw Jim Plunkett.”

Oh, Al Davis…you goofy bastard.

After completing just 8-of-15 passes for 87 yards and an interception on Sunday, Campbell was benched for Bruce Gradkowski in the second half of the Raiders’ 16-14 win over the Rams. Gradkowski immediately led the Raiders on a touchdown drive and finished 11-of-22 for 162 yards with one score and one interception.

While he wasn’t Jim Plunkett himself, Gradkowski certainly played better than Campbell, who may be in danger of losing his starting job just two weeks into the season. That’s a pretty amazing notion considering the Raiders thought Campbell would solve their issue at quarterback after JaMarcus Russell had infected the position the last three years.

Perhaps what’s most interesting about Gradkowski is that he’s played savior before. He led the Raiders to upset wins last year over the Bengals and Steelers and some thought that he should have received a look at the starting job before Campbell was acquired.

He may have won the job anyway.

External Sports, NFL

Raiders are a solid fit for Jason Campbell

April 24, 2010 /

Jason Campbell is getting the opportunity to start fresh. It might not be in the most ideal NFL situations, but it’s certainly a great fit for him.

On Saturday, the Redskins traded Campbell to the Raiders in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2012. There are several media outlets reporting that Campbell already has a deal in place that will pay him $3.14 million this year and $4.5 million in 2011.

Oakland is one of the few places in the NFL where players would probably rather swim in shark invested waters than go to, but this really is a great match for Campbell. He’s not an elite quarterback by any means and he certainly needs a strong supporting cast around him in order to succeed, but he should have no problems beating out JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski for the Raiders’ starting quarterback job. He has the strong arm that Al Davis covets and has a couple of players in Zach Miller, Chaz Schilens, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush at his disposal to help him succeed in Oakland’s offense.

I don’t expect Davis to outright release Russell without at least giving him one last chance to win the starting job. But if history is any indication, even the acquisition of Campbell won’t motivate Russell enough to work hard this summer. He just doesn’t have the mental fortitude, the drive or the passion to succeed in the NFL and will likely be out of the league soon enough.


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External Sports, 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

Is it now or never for Russell in Oakland?

December 14, 2009 /

With Bruce Gradkowski likely shelved for the rest of 2009 after spraining and partially tearing his MCL in the Raiders’ Week 14 loss to the Redskins, it could be do or die for former first overall pick JaMarcus Russell.

Russell has been a bust virtually from the moment he arrived in Oakland. He has never grasped that in order to become a great player in the NFL, he has to work for it on and off the field. Thus far, he has tried to get by on only his God-given abilities, which clearly isn’t enough for him to succeed.

Russell has major issues with his accuracy, his decision-making and his overall pocket awareness. He also has shown the inability to read a defense, to lead and to become a student of the game. The first three things can be taught, but the latter is on him.

He likely has three games to prove himself to the Raiders, because the team will no doubt evaluate him to decide whether or not to cut their losses and move on the offseason. If he isn’t going to develop, it doesn’t make sense paying him all that money to watch Gradkowski on the sidelines.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

NFL

NFL Week 13 Top 5 Observations: Raiders 27, Steelers 24

December 6, 2009 /

Here are five quick-hit thoughts on the Raiders’ shocking 27-24 upset of the Steelers in Week 13.

1. The Steelers could be done.
It’s easy to jump to conclusions after a loss like this, but there’s a very good chance that the defending champs won’t make the playoffs this season. They’re now one game behind the Jaguars and two games behind the Broncos in the AFC Wild Card chase with only four games remaining. That’s plenty of time to turn things around, but not with the way Pittsburgh has played over the past month.

2. Pittsburgh’s secondary killed them today.
The Steelers have played without Troy Polamalu before and have played quite well. But it was clear today that his absence has killed Pittsburgh’s defense. When Bruce Gradkowski can throw for 308 yards and three touchdowns on your secondary, you know something is wrong. What’s worse is that Gradkowski made it look easy, too. Joe Burnett’s missed sure-fire interception and Ryan Clark’s personal foul penalty killed the Steelers in the end.

3. Maybe the Steelers just aren’t that good.
Considering they’re in the middle of a playoff race and had lost three games coming into today, the Steelers can’t blame this loss on a letdown or that they played down to their opponents’ level. They just didn’t make enough plays in the end to come away with a victory and maybe the bottom line is that they just aren’t as good as some people thought. Everyone used to say that the lack of a running game would start costing them games, but the running game has been fine under Rashard Mendenhall. Injuries have certainly been a problem defensively, but the fact of the matter is that Pittsburgh just isn’t making enough plays this season to win games. It’s the exact opposite scenario of last season.

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