Category: Oakland Raiders

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Will this be another series of LeBron versus four guys from the Warriors?

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Photo credit: @warriors

On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:

The NBA Finals gets underway tonight at Oracle Arena in Oakland for Game 1 between Cleveland and Golden State. Same teams in the finals for the last four years. Will it be a series where LeBron has to depend on his teammates to get past the Warriors’ best of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson?

The Philadelphia 76ers team president Bryan Colangelo. who opened five Twitter accounts only to criticize his own players, was found out. The worst of it was when he disclosed an Jahlil Okafar injury that was supposed to be private, but was made public on twitter by Colangelo.

Turning to football: The Oakland Raiders’ practice on Tuesday was obviously missing some key players wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Seth Roberts, safety Reggie Nelson, and defensive end Khalil Mack all are in contract discussions. Preseason starts in August so the Raiders would like to get them in camp soon.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria is podcasted each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Green-Harden battle could just be the beginning of a physical series; Cano says he didn’t know he was taking steroids; Does Gruden know what he’s doing?

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Photo credit: @clevezirm

On the Headlines Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony will be looking back a bit on that first game with the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors when the Rockets’ James Harden and the Warriors’ Draymond Green got into a scrap in the first few minutes.

#2 The Seattle Mariners’ Robinson Can came clean admitting he took a substance Furosemide, a diuretic he told reporters that he was given the substance by a doctor in the Dominican Republic, but didn’t realize it was a banned substance. Cano was suspended by MLB for 80 games and is one of the highest-paid players in the MLB.

#3 Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has been getting some criticism about the way he’s handled personnel so far. He’s let go of Michael Crabtree, punter Marquete King and now Kahlil Mack’s contract, whose contract is coming up could be leaving. The Raiders are looking for some cap room.

#4 In spite of the A’s having the usual arm problems their starters have been coming through with Sean Manaea helping Oakland get a one run 6-5 win and Tuesday night with pitcher Daniel Mengden improving his record to 3-4, going six innings, eight hits, two runs, and three strikeouts and two wins in the series against Boston.

#5 The Giants, after losing five straight all on the road, have now won three straight and are preparing for the Colorado Rockies starting on Thursday night. The Rockies, who are in second place in the NL West, will be a test for San Francisco at AT&T Park after success against a last-place Reds team.

Tony does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Raiders draft Miller and trade for Bryant in Round 1 of NFL Draft

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Photo credit: @RAIDERS

By Jeremy Kahn

When the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers flipped coins to see who would draft nine or 10 at the upcoming draft, the Raiders lost the coin toss and were scheduled to pick 10th.

That all changed on Draft Night, as the Raiders traded their pick to the Arizona Cardinals for their pick in the first round at 15, a third and fifth round over the next two days.

With the pick at 15, the Raiders went Kolton Miller, a 6 foot 9 inch, 308-pound offensive lineman out of UCLA.

Miller, who grew up in Roseville, north of Sacramento; however, he was born in Redwood City and graduated from Roseville before heading down south to play for the Bruins.

While at the Combine in Indianapolis, Miller set the broad jump record for offensive lineman, as he jumped 10 feet one inch.

Miller is the second Bruins player in a row to be drafted by the Raiders, as last year, the Raiders drafted defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes.

“He was super stoked,” Miller said. “To be drafted on the same team as Eddie… Him being from Placer, too, just down the road from Roseville, that’s something pretty neat.”

During the draft, the Raiders made a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the Raiders received wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who caught 50 passes for 603 yards and three touchdowns during the 2017 season.

In exchange for Bryant, the Steelers will receive the third round (79thpick), the pick that the Raiders received in the trade with the Cardinals earlier in the draft.

“It’s like drafting a player,” said Reggie McKenzie. “I feel like we drafted Martavis Bryant.”

Bryant missed the 2016 season because of a suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

When it got to the third round, we felt it was something very interesting to us,” said Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert. “We wish Martavis nothing but the best.”

The 26-year old Bryant will enter his last year of his contract, as he joins Amari Cooper and recently signed Jordy Nelson to make a great trio of wide receivers for quarterback Derek Carr.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders draft–Can Gruden and McKenzie get what they want?

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Photo credit pro32.ap.org: Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie right and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden left will be making decisions on today’s draft

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 For today’s draft, what are some of the positions that Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie will be looking for?

#2 The Raiders were taking drills with quarterback Derek Carr and the Raider offensive players and it was Gruden’s first practice drill to run since he was a head coach in 2008.

#3 For general manager Reggie McKenzie, how much success will he and Gruden have in recruiting and selecting players out of the draft on defense?

#4 Receiver Jordy Nelson said that the energy level that Gruden brings to camp is amazing. Knowing what you’ve seen of Gruden when he was in Oakland before and listening to Nelson, what’s your take on that energy level?

#5 The Raiders said that Khalil Mack remains absent from the Raiders camp as he wants to negotiate a contract extension. Mack was the Raiders 2016 Defensive Player of the Year.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Aldon Smith can’t seem to stay out of trouble, so what’s next?

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Photo credit: @Newsweek

By: Ana Kieu

Remember when linebacker Aldon Smith was drafted seventh overall by the San Francisco 49ers at the 2011 NFL Draft?

In his college years at the University of Missouri, he was considered to be just a three-star recruit, but was somehow considered to be the fifth overall prospect in the state of Missouri. In his freshman year in 2009, he started 11 of 13 games, finishing the season with 60 tackles and 11 sacks. In his sophomore year in 2010, he played in nine games, recording 48 tackles and six sacks. He forwent his final two years of college eligibility.

In 2011, Smith made his NFL debut in the 49ers’ game against the Seahawks. Despite not starting a single season his rookie year, he was only a half sack shy of tying the all-time rookie sack record held by defensive end Jevon Kearse. The Pro Football Writers of America named him Defensive Rookie of the Year. As for the Associated Press‘ NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, he finished in second place, trailing just linebacker Von Miller.

It wasn’t until 2012 that Smith became a full-time starter. In Super Bowl XLVIII. he had two combined tackles as the 49ers lost to the Ravens 34-31 on February 3, 2013.

Things took a turn for the worse after Super Bowl XLVIII. Smith got involved in a single vehicle accident in San Jose, California, and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. As a result, he voluntarily entered a rehab facility, which caused him to miss five NFL games. Despite his early public struggles, he finished the 2013 season with 34 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He was also ranked No. 33 in the NFL Top 100 Years of 2014.

The following year, Smith was reinstated in Week 11 after serving a nine-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies, but the 49ers released him following his third DUI arrest.

After that, Smith signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders on September 11, 2015. He finished his first season with the Raiders with 28 tackles and 3.5 sacks in nine games and seven starts.

In 2016, Smith re-signed with the Raiders and later applied for reinstatement, but no reinstatement occurred, so he sat out during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively. Following a domestic violence incident, Oakland released him on March 5, 2018, and that domestic violence incident was the first of three arrests for Smith in the past two months alone.

Smith violated a court order on March 23, 2018. He was ordered to stay away from a woman (who was later revealed to be his fiancee) he assaulted earlier that month.

Smith was also arrested on April 8, 2018. He reportedly violated the terms of a protective order from his previous domestic violence arrest. He was held on $500,000 bail.

The question isn’t “who can bond Smith out of jail?” It’s “can Smith stay out of trouble?” The 28-year-old has time to turn things around for the better, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon. His fiancee–who has only know him for three months–is reportedly going to leave him and keep the ring that he gave her.

A short (or long) jail stint is going to protect the people, but it’s likely not going to save Smith. He has to want to stay out of trouble in order to try to make a comeback in the NFL.

A’s beat the Angels 7-3 on Saturday night to even the series at one game apiece

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LAA Sat
Graphic: @Athletics

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Seven was the magic number for the Athletics on Saturday night in Anaheim. The A’s scored seven runs on seven hits and recorded seven RBI en route to a 7-3 over the Los Angeles Angels in the second game of a three-game series. The series is currently tied at 1-1.

The A’s jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning and they never trailed in the contest. Oakland scored three runs in the second inning, one run in the fifth, two in the eighth and added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning.

The Angels scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it a 3-2 game which is as close as they would come to taking the lead. The Halos scored one more run in the home half of the seventh inning but that was not enough to catch the surging Athletics.

Oakland got a strong performance from their starting pitcher

LAA Triggs
Triggs warming up in Anaheim Photo: @Athletics

Andrew Triggs made his second start of the season for the Athletics and made the most his opportunity on the mound. Triggs worked 5.2 innings giving up just two runs (both earned) off four hits. He struck out six Los Angeles batters while walking just two. Triggs did give up one home run to Justin Upton – his third of the young season.

The A’s bullpen had Triggs back

Ryan Buchter came in to relieve Triggs and he struggled a bit. Buchter gave up one run (earned) on one hit in 0.2 innings worked. The run came off a home run hit by Luis Valbuena which was his second round-tripper of the year.

Emilio Pagan pitched 0.2 innings of relief and posted all zeroes except for one strikeout. Pagan earned his second Hold of the season.

Blake Treinen worked two innings to close out the game. He issued two hits but gave up no base-on-balls and no runs. Treinen struck four Angel hitters. He posted his second save of the year.

No Athletic batter had multiple hits

LAA starters
Graphic: @Athletics

The A’s seven hits were spread out among seven different Oakland players. 

Jed Lowrie hit his second home run of the season in the fifth inning off Akeel Morris. Matt Chapman recorded his first triple of the year in the game while Stephen Piscotty hit a double.

Piscotty, Semien, Lowrie, Chapman, Maxwell, and Olson all posted an RBI in the game.

The A’s went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

Series wraps up on Sunday

The eyes of the baseball world will be on the game between the A’s and Angels on Sunday afternoon. Oakland will face the phenomenon of the MLB this season – Shohei Ohtani (0-1, 4.50) for the second time this season. Ohtani’s first ever win in the major league’s came over the A’s last Sunday in Oakland.

The A’s will counter with Kendall Graveman (0-1, 8.10). Graveman has been plagued by giving up the long-ball in both of his starts. He will not be able to issue home runs to the powerful Angels lineup and expect to come away with a victory.

If Jon Gruden is “surprised” that Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned, then he should sign him

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Photo credit: @BleacherReport

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

Speaking from the coaches breakfast at the NFL owners meetings Tuesday, Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden offered his thoughts on why Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned.

“I think there’s a lot of intrigue,” Gruden said via ESPN staff writer Paul Gutierrez. “His performance on the field wasn’t very good, on tape. I think, Robert Griffin, a rookie of the year, [I’m surprised] he’s out there. Tim Tebow takes a team to the playoffs, there’s some surprise that he never came back. You know, Johnny Manziel, he’s out there.

“Back to Kapernick, he got beat out by [Blaine] Gabbert to start the [2016] season. I think that say’s something. [But] I am surprised he’s not in camp with somebody. He probably will be soon.”

Memo to Gruden: No one, not even you, should be ‘surprised’ that Kaepernick remains unsigned by an NFL team.

Not due to the fact that he knelt during the national anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality, but he’s got a pending lawsuit against league owners for collusion, which was filed last October by Kaepernick.

But if Gruden is truly that ‘surprised’ that Kaepernick isn’t on an NFL roster, my only question to him is: why haven’t the Raiders signed him?

It’s a good idea, right?

No one is saying that Kaepernick would overthrow Derek Carr as Oakland’s signal-caller in 2018, but Kaepernick is much better than E.J. Manuel and Josh Johnson combined.

Both Manuel and Johnson are on the Raiders roster.

Since being drafted by the 49ers in 2011 out of Nevada in the second round of the NFL draft, Kaepernick has thrown for 12,271 yards with 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions while completing 59.8-percent of his passes in 58 career starts.

Manuel does have a career completion percentage of 58.1 to go along with 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 18 starts (which includes one start for Oakland last season), while Johnson is 0-5 in his  five career starts.

But Kaepernick would provide better insurance for Gruden and the Raiders in the event that Carr was injured than either Manuel or Johnson in my opinion. I know I’m not the only one that feels that way too.

It wasn’t too long ago that Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback in Super Bowl XLVII, was making defenses look foolish trying to tackle him in the open field with the dreaded read-option. In 2016, Kaepernick’s last season in the league, he was recovering from three surgeries when Gabbert beat him out for the starting the job.

But once he proved to be healthy, Kaepernick replaced Gabbert as San Francisco’s starting quarterback and posted a 92.6 passer rating in his final six starts of the season. Kaepernick threw for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions with a 90.7 passer rating, but the 49ers were just 1-10 in his 11 starts as the team dealt with injuries and inconsistency along the offensive line.

San Francisco finished 2-14 that year.

After sitting out all of 2017, does Kaepernick even want to play football or continue to bring awareness to social injustice and police brutality in 2018? Kaepernick has already gone on record saying that he wouldn’t kneel during the national anthem if signed by an NFL team.

There was the internet video recently of Kaepernick working out in Houston throwing the football appearing to be in tremendous condition. Maybe there’s a chance that Kaepernick does play again in the NFL after.

But could it be in Silver and Black?

Gruden and the Raiders should give the idea some serious consideration.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who won Super Bowl LII, showed how important having a capable backup quarterback like Nick Foles on the roster was after losing franchise quarterback Carson Wentz late in the year with a torn ACL.

It’s good to have an insurance policy in case of emergencies, Oakland.

Marshawn Lynch restructures contract with Raiders

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Photo credit: raiderswire.usatoday.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Marshawn Lynch will be back in uniform for the Oakland Raiders in 2018, agreeing to a restructured contract with the team as reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero Wednesday.

Pelissero reported that Lynch restructured his contract on Saturday before his $1 million roster bonus was due. The move lowered his base value in 2018 to $5.5 million, which is $500k less than before. Instead of having zero guaranteed dollars, Lynch is essentially guaranteed $4.5 million, per Pelissero.

In total, Lynch can earn up to $9.25 million total with incentives in 2018.

After the Raiders signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin during free agency, rumors swirled that Lynch’s days as the featured back in Oakland were numbered.

Not so fast.

Expect “Beast Mode” to remain Oakland’s top ball-carrier this upcoming season, and rightfully so as he enters his 11th season in the NFL.

Lynch was Oakland’s best running back in 2017, rushing for 891 yards on 207 carries (4.3 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns.

Oakland finished 6-10 in Lynch’s first season after coming out of retirement following the 2015 season after six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

Sports Headlines Podcast with Tony Renteria: Nelson signs with Raiders Crabtree out; Peterson still not signed with a team; Brees picks up two-year extension

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Photo credit: @JSM8ith former Green Bay Packer Jordy Nelson joins the Oakland Raiders as both sides came to an agreement Thursday afternoon

On the Sports Headlines Podcast with Tony:

#1 Former Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson, who was let go by the team on Tuesday, is looking at getting picked up by the Raiders. Former Oakland Raider wide receiver Michael Crabtree was released by the Raiders

#2 Former Arizona Cardinals Adrian Peterson, aged 33, was let go on Tuesday. Peterson went 12,276 yards rushing as of Wednesday night, but has not been picked up by a team.

#3 New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees signed for a two-year, $50 million extension with $27 million guaranteed in his first season of the deal.

#4  The New York Mets’ Tim Tebow was reassigned to the Mets’ minor league farm system. Tebow went 0-4 striking out four times at the plate. Tebow, aged 30, has a left ankle strain.

#5 NFL Network announced that tight end Derek Carrier will come back to the Raiders. He last played with the team in 2012. He has 36 career catches for 327 yards.

Tony Renteria does the Sports Headlines Podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Tony Renteria on Headline Sports: Durant continues to lead Warriors scoring; McCutchen catching onto being the face of the Giants; Ex-49er cut by Colts

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photo from sfgate.com: San Francisco Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen takes the field on Wednesday February 28 at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:

1 Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant has led the Warriors in scoring time and time again and did so once again with a 32 point game as Golden State continues to roll with a 109-101 victory over the Washington Wizards

2 Tony sees the addition of Andrew McCutchen as a benefit to the San Francisco Giants line up and will he be the face of the Giants this season

3 Ex-49er Frank Gore is now an ex-Colt the Colts decided not to exercise his option and extend him. Gore 34 will go shopping to sign with another club

4 Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden says he is going to shake up the Raiders roster and Tony explains what holes he will need to fill

5 The San Francisco 49ers Ruben Foster looks like he’s in a boat load of trouble. Foster whose facing domestic violence charges and is accused of dragging his girlfriend by the hair out of his house might be either be suspended or released from the 49ers as the case is under investigation.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com