Tag: Oakland Raiders (Page 12 of 33)

      Will the Bills take Clausen at No. 9?

      April 7, 2010 /

      As I’ve discussed throughout the past couple of days, the Donovan McNabb trade is likely to cause a ripple effect in this month’s draft. While head coach Mike Shanahan said recently that the Redskins could still take a quarterback with the fourth overall pick, it’s hard to imagine that they’d select a signal caller that high when they have so many other pressing needs.

      The Bills, however, are another story. They’ve seemingly given up on Trent Edwards and while Ryan Fitzpatrick is a fine backup, he’s not the solution either. That makes them an interesting possibility for Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen if he falls to them at No. 9.

      But will he fall? Assuming the Rams take Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford at No. 1, the Seahawks, Browns and Raiders – three teams that could be interested in quarterback – all pick before the Bills. Seattle traded for Charlie Whitehurst a couple of weeks ago and the Browns added Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace early this offseason, so both of those teams could be out of the running. (In fact, the Seahawks most definitely are – Whitehurst is their future.) But Oakland was presumably in the mix for McNabb, so they could snag the Notre Dame product at No. 8, one spot ahead of Buffalo.

      Of course, even if Clausen is available, the Bills still may take a pass. They have a glaring need for a left tackle and if they pass on someone like Anthony Davis or Bryan Bulaga at No. 9, they run the risk that a starting-caliber LT won’t be available when they pick again at No. 41. That said, if they believe that Clausen is a franchise quarterback, then they can’t pass on him. Having a good left tackle is vital, but quarterback trumps all other positions.

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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

      Raiders interested in Sage Rosenfels?

      March 29, 2010 /

      The National Football Post reports that the Raiders and Vikings are discussing the availability of quarterback Sage Rosenfels. That’s the second quarterback (Donovan McNabb was the first) in the past week that Oakland has been tied to via a potential trade.

      Whether or not the Rosenfels report holds any water, the writing is on the wall for JaMarcus Russell, who apparently now weighs a hefty 290 pounds. It has been assumed that Russell would get at least one more opportunity to show the Raiders that he can be their starting quarterback, but maybe the team is ready to cut bait now. (And who can blame them given his nonchalant attitude and horrendous work ethic.)

      Rosenfels isn’t a long-term solution for the Raiders, but he would be an upgrade over Russell and Bruce Gradkowski. None of the current quarterbacks on Oakland’s roster offer much long-term hope, but even Gradkowski proved to be more effective running the team’s offense than Russell before he got hurt late in the year. And while Rosenfels didn’t take a meaningful snap last season, he’s still a better option than Gradkowski at this point.

      One thing to keep in mind is that if the Vikings do part with Rosenfels, it would virtually be a guarantee that Brett Favre is coming back. Minnesota won’t part with an insurance policy like Rosenfels, even if they believe Tarvaris Jackson can supplant Favre someday.


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      NFL

      JaMarcus Russell reportedly weighs 290 pounds

      March 27, 2010 /

      According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter via his Twitter page, quarterback JaMarcus Russell reportedly weighed 290 pounds when he checked into the Raiders’ offseason program.

      Two people reported that Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell returned to Oakland and tipped the scales at 290 pounds. At least he was under 3 bills.

      All right, who’s not telling the entire truth? Because a couple of weeks ago, Willie Brown, the Raiders director of squad development, said Russell was “transforming his body” this offseason. Unless by “transforming his body” Brown meant that Russell was adding weight in order to become a left tackle, this isn’t exactly what people had in mind when the initial reports came out.

      Of course, the fact that Russell showed up to a camp overweight isn’t a surprise seeing as how he’s always overweight around this time of year. In fact, nothing should surprise us about Russell. He’s destined to become the biggest bust in NFL draft history.


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      NFL

      Asomugha for McNabb deal a possibility?

      March 26, 2010 /

      It’s a Donovan McNabb Friday here at TSR.

      ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli confirms that the Raiders would be willing to part with cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha in a trade for quarterback Donovan McNabb, although the Eagles are reluctant. This news comes via Adam Schefter’s Twitter page, so there aren’t any other details outside of that.

      One would have to imagine that the reason the Eagles are reluctant is because of the video game-like contract Al Davis signed Asomugha for in February of 2009. The cornerback is due $16 million in 2010 with an option year in 2011 available for either $16.9 million or the franchise tag number for quarterbacks, whichever amount is greater. So while Philly might have dreams of Asomugha lining up across from Asante Samuel dancing in their heads, they know taking on a contract like that would bury them. Especially considering Kevin Kolb needs a new deal soon, too.

      Schefter also reports that Kolb is fully expected to be the Eagles’ starting quarterback in 2010 and that McNabb will be on another team’s roster by the time his $6.2 million roster bonus is due on May 5. The Bills, Rams and Raiders are viewed as the teams most interested in McNabb, but I would have to believe that signing McNabb to a contract extension would be a major sticking point in any trade.


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      NFL

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