Category: Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders host Los Angeles Rams at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Preseason Encounter

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Oakland Raiders quarterback EJ Manuel (3) during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The Raiders will play their first home game of the preseason schedule when they host the Los Angeles Rams Saturday night at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.

Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT.

This will mark the first game between the Raiders and the Rams in the preseason since 2015 (an 18-3 home win for the Silver and Black). Oakland and Los Angeles last played in the regular season in 2014, when the Rams rolled over the Raiders 52-0 in St. Louis where the Rams called home from 1995-2015 after relocating from Los Angeles originally.

Oakland dropped their preseason opener 20-10 to the Arizona Cardinals last Saturday night in Glendale.

The Raiders held out most of their top players most notably quarterback Derek Carr, running back Marshawn Lynch, wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, offensive lineman Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, and Kelechi Osemele.

With left tackle Donald Penn still holding out due to a contract dispute, the Raiders were cautious about playing Carr in the preseason opener. Carr is the franchise signal-caller the organization rewarded with a five-year, $125 million extension following his second-straight 3,900-passing yards and 25 touchdown-passing season in the offseason.

But with the second preseason game on the horizon and the Raiders returning to their Alameda headquarters Thursday following their annual training camp in Napa for the remainder of the season, you’d expect Carr and the first-team offense to be on the field Saturday night for at least the first quarter in front of Raider Nation.

Training camp reps are great, but Carr and the first-team offense need to be on the same page and live-action in an NFL game (even if it’s preseason), is the only way teams get better especially a team that have been picked by most Las Vegas odds-makers as the AFC’s representative in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, 2018.

Once Carr gets his work in for the evening, the battle for Carr’s backup will continue between five-year veteran quarterback EJ Manuel and second-year signal-caller Connor Cook.

Manuel got the starting nod against Arizona and played admirable in the first half, completing 10-of-12 passes for 107 yards and a quarterback rating of 103.8. The former Buffalo starter was signed in the offseason to be Carr’s backup, but Cook was drafted in the fourth round by the Raiders in 2016 and the organization believes he could be just as good as Carr someday.

Cook took over for Manuel and played the entire second half and was just 10-of-21 for 82 yards, but did lead the Raiders to their lone touchdown of the evening, a one-yard rushing score by second-year reserve running back John Crockett in the third quarter that finished off a five-play, 63-yard drive.

Remember, Cook did make NFL history last season becoming the first rookie quarterback to make his pro debut in a playoff game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, albeit after the Raiders lost Carr to a broken leg for the remainder of the season after an 12-3 start on Christmas Eve.

Losing Carr was the ultimate lump of coal in the stockings of Raider Nation.

Defensively, defensive end Khalil Mack and linebacker Bruce Irvin sat out Saturday’s contest in the desert. Both Mack and Irvin should see the field and get a chance to play with some of Silver and Black’s younger talent in second-year linebacker Cory James and rookie middle linebacker Marquel Lee.

James led all defensive players with seven tackles (seven solo) and looked more comfortable defending the run, while Lee finished with six tackles (five solo) and a fumble recovery in his first NFL preseason game.

Lee did struggle at times covering the running back out of the backfield and tight ends on option- and curl-routes, and needs to improve his coverage skills as the Raiders face dynamic tight ends almost on a weekly basis with Kansas City and San Diego coming to mind with elite guys named Travis Kelce and Antonio Gates, respectively.

Rookie defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes may have wrapped up a starting job, but fellow rookie defensive tackle Treyvon Hester racked up two of Oakland’s four sacks in Arizona with rookie linebacker LaTroy Lewis registering the other two sacks to go along with four tackles (four solo).

Add in holdovers Justin “Jelly” Ellis and defensive end Mario Edwards, Oakland’s defensive front could be intriguing to watch in 2017 after lacking any serious punch in 2016 with a league-low 25 sacks, 18 by the aforementioned Mack (team-leading 11.0 sacks) and Irvin (second with 7.0 sacks).

The Rams enter Oakland 1-0 in the preseason following a 13-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Los Angeles last Saturday.

Former California starting quarterback Jared Goff, the Rams No. 1 overall pick in 2016, started the game and finished 3-of-4 for 34 yards during his only drive. The Rams are entering the 2017 season hoping that they can rebound from a disastrous 4-12 season a year ago that resulted in a head coaching change, out goes longtime head coach Jeff Fisher and enters first-timer Sean McVay.

McVay spent the last seven seasons in Washington as an offensive assistant, but the last three as the offensive coordinator where he’s aided in the growth of Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins has posted back-to-back 4,000-yard passing seasons in the Nation’s Capital and is line for a major contract next offseason after making  nearly $44 million (fully guaranteed) on one-year franchise tenders the past two seasons (which includes this season at $23.9 million after walking away with $19.9 in 2016).

The Rams are banking on the 31-year-old McVay (the youngest head coach in NFL history) to develop Goff into a franchise quarterback. Goff started the team’s final seven games of the season last year and completed 112-of-205 passes for 1,089 yards and a  five-to-seven touchdown:interception ratio during that stretch.

Los Angeles did add weapons for Goff to help expedite the second-year pro by bringing in former Buffalo Bills wide receivers Robert Woods (signed by the organization to a five-year, $34 million ($15 million guaranteed) contract in free agency), a USC Trojan; and former top-pick Sammy Watkins in a blockbuster trade last Friday.

Watkins is also looking to have a bounce back season in 2017 that is reminiscent of his second year in 2015; where he exploded on to the NFL landscape with 60 catches for a career-high 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games after a down year in Buffalo in 2016; where he posted career-lows in catches (28), yards (430) and touchdowns (2) while dealing with a nagging foot injury that limited the former standout from Clemson to just eight games.

When healthy, Watkins can take the top off a defense as his career average of 16.1 yards per catch can attest, which should open things up for wide receiver Tavon Austin.

Austin, who is paid like the Rams’ No. 1 wide receiver at $42 million ($28.5 million guaranteed), doesn’t play like a No. 1. With the additions of the Woods and Watkins on the outside, the 5-foot-9, 174-pound Austin can now flourish in the slot and be utilized in the similar fashion that the 5-foot-10, 178-pound DeSean Jackson (now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) was utilized by McVay in Washington.

The Rams also added skill players via the NFL draft, utilizing three of their first four picks on tight end Gerald Everett, and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds that will give Goff or third-year backup quarterback Sean Mannion (18-for-25 for 144 yards against Dallas) more options to look to in the passing game.

Kupp had fumble recovery on the Rams’ first drive of the game for a touchdown and could be a fixture in the Rams’ offense by Week 5 as coaches have salivated over his route-running ability. The former wide receiver from Eastern Washington is arguably the greatest weapon in Football Championship Subdivision history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, setting all-time records in total receptions (428), receiving yards (6,464), and receiving touchdowns (73).

Kupp finished his senior season as the best wide receiver in FCS in 2016, hauling in a conference-leading 117 receptions, for 1,700 yards receiving and 17 receiving touchdowns.

Third-year running back Todd Gurley is still the bell-cow for the Rams.

As a rookie in 2015, Gurley carried the ball 229 times for career-highs in rushing yards (1,106) and rushing touchdowns (10) in 13 games, but dipped a bit in his second year out of Georgia. Although Gurley played all 16 games in 2016 and finished with a career-high 278 carries, Gurley had only 885 yards rushing and six touchdowns to go along with a career-high 327 receiving yards.

Defensively for Los Angeles, veteran defensive coordinator Wade Phillips brings 39 years of coaching experience to Southern California and help McVay’s transition as a first-time head coach almost seamless. Phillips was the defensive coordinator from 2015-16 where he help guide Denver to their third Super Bowl championship in franchise history in 2015.

In 2016, Phillips’ defensive unit finished tops in the league in pass defense and yards per play.

Fourth-year defensive tackle Aaron Donald highlights the Rams’ defense. Donald was selected to his third-consecutive Pro Bowl in 2016 after recording eight sacks and 62 tackles while playing in all 16 games.

The glue to the Rams’ defense, Donald is currently holding out for a new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in football. Recent reports have Donald threatening to extend his holdout into the season, which would cripple the Rams.

After Saturday’s game, the Raiders will travel to Dallas for their third preseason game against the Cowboys; and the Rams will return home to take on the Chargers in the “Battle of Los Angeles” or what my mentor likes to call the game, the “Carson Chargers” vs the “Inglewood Rams” at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Both games will be on Saturday Aug. 26th at 7:00 p.m. PT.

 

 

 

Takeaways from Raiders preseason opener at Arizona

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr warms up prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

GLENDALE — With the majority of the starting lineup on both sides of the football  sitting out, the Oakland Raiders entered their first preseason game in Arizona looking to develop depth around the championship-caliber roster headlined by franchise quarterback Derek Carr and defensive linchpin, defensive tackle Khalil Mack.

Even though the Silver and Black fell to the Cardinals 20-10 Saturday night at University of Phoenix Stadium, Oakland had some bright spots in the game:

The battle for the No. 2 quarterback

Former Buffalo starting quarterback EJ Manuel started the game for Oakland and was impressive in his first appearance in a Raiders uniform. Manuel looked sharp in the first half, finishing 10-of-12 for 107 and a passer rating of 103.8.

In the second quarter, the fourth-year pro out of Florida St., made a nice throw over a Cardinals defensive back that found tight end Clive Walford for a 30-yard gain that set up a 43-yard field goal by kicker Giorgio Tavecchio that finally got Oakland on the board, 17-3 right before halftime.

Second-year quarterback Connor Cook wasn’t as effective as Manuel, but did lead the Raiders to their only touchdown score of the night.

In the third quarter, Cook engineered a five-play, 63-yard drive, keyed by a 29-yard screen pass to backup running back John Crockett that would setup Crockett’s one-yard score that pulled Oakland closer, 17-10, albeit against Arizona’s third- and fourth-team units.

All indications are that Manuel will cement his position has Carr’s backup once the regular season begins, but Cook (who made NFL history by becoming the first rookie quarterback to make his pro debut in a playoff game last season), will make the decision tough for Del Rio and Co. as the preseason progresses.

The linebacker room

A position that has some question marks coming into the season, the linebackers for Oakland could actually be a strength for the Silver and Black.

With Bruce Irvin firmly entrenched as the team’s starting “SAM” linebacker, Cory James and rookie Marquel Lee made cases to join Irvin in the starting lineup in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sept. 10.

James, in his second year with Oakland out of Colorado St., led the Raiders with seven tackles against Arizona and is currently listed as the team’s starting “WILL” linebacker on the unofficial depth chart.

Rookie Marquel Lee started as the team’s “MIKE” linebacker and finished with six tackles (five solo). Lee, was drafted in the fifth round by the Raiders in this year’s NFL draft, recovered a forced fumble by defensive tackle Justin “Jelly” Ellis in the first half.

The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon still needs to improve is footwork in pass coverage as Lee did find problems covering tight ends on curl- and in-routes.

Overall, the Raiders’ defense racked up four sacks, two a piece by fellow linebacker LaTroy Lewis and defensive tackle Treyvon Hester, possibly developing more depth for a team that must improve a 26th-ranked defense in 2016.

Oakland (1-0) host the Los Angeles Rams next Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum.

The Rams (1-0) defeated the Dallas Cowboys 13-10 Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

 

Cardinals double up Raiders in preseason opener 20-10; Beast Mode chills on cooler during anthem

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Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) sits during the national anthem prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By Jeremy Kahn

On a night where the Oakland Raiders made their 2017 preseason debut, the biggest talk of the night came from a player who did not even play in the game.

Marshawn Lynch, who signed with the Raiders during the off-season sat on a cooler during the National Anthem prior to the game.

As for the game, Carson Palmer threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Brittan Golden, as the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Raiders 20-10 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Palmer and the Cardinals completed a 12-play 70-yard initial drive after the Raiders committed a penalty on the field goal attempt, giving the Cardinals an additional four downs and Palmer finished it off by throwing a touchdown to Golden.

E.J. Manuel, who is competing with Connor Cook for the backup role to Derek Carr got the start in the preseason opener. Manuel went 10-for-12 with 107 yards passing.

Cook played the entire second half for the Raiders, as he went 10-for-21 for 81 yards passing.

Clive Walford led the Raiders in receiving with three catches for 44 yards passing, while Jaydon Mickens also caught three passes for 31 yards.

Mickens also carried the ball one time for a team leading 24 yards rushing.

NOTES: Carr, Lynch and Amari Cooper were the notable Raiders offensive players not to play in the opener.

Both Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin were the biggest defensive players not to play for the Raiders against the Cardinals.

The Raiders open their preseason home schedule on August 19, as the Los Angeles Rams head to Northern California.

Oakland Raiders Podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Taking a look at Carr, Crabtree, Cooper, as Raiders set for Cardinals Saturday

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AP File Photo: Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals kick it off tonight in Glendale for the first pre season game of 2017. On the cover, an overall inside view of University of Phoenix Stadium during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in Glendale. (Rick Scuteri/AP Images)

On the Raiders podcast with J Hawkes:

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has very good command of the offense right now he’s working with new Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Downing who was the quarterbacks coach last year and is taking over for Bill Musgrave who wasn’t retained. So far so good Carr has had a couple of practices and has thrown a couple of interceptions and it just takes time to work on a few things.

Carr has been working without Amari Cooper whose been out with a leg injury and he’s being held out as a precaution and of course there’s Marshawn Lynch has acclimated to the team fairly well and offensively a huge plus in the line up. One of Carr’s favorite targets Michael Crabtree is a veteran for the Raiders he’s been a great pick up for the Raiders over the last years. Crabtree has been a great receiver in helping develop Cooper.

Joe has much more on the Oakland Raiders podcast each Friday tune in below at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

NFL Podcast with London Marq: 49ers GM pushing for more contact in practice; With core of veteran players Raiders should be on top

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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch during the NFL team’s football training camp Friday, July 28, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

On the NFL Podcast with London Marq:

1 San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch has ordered more physical contact in practices as the 49ers prepare for their first pre season game in Kansas City this Friday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Lynch says such preparation will get the players ready for full contact football this Friday.

2 The Oakland Raiders who play in Glendale against the Arizona Cardinals this Saturday night at the University of Phoenix have enough veteran on the roster to do some damage and probably go deep in post season

3 Jay Cutler who will start for the Miami Dolphins signed with the team for $10 million for this season after posting a 33.7 quarterback rating, Cutler played for Chicago last season

4 Quarterback Mike Glennon signed a huge deal with Chicago for three years at $4.5 million, $18 million. Glennon has thrown only 11 passes since 2015. Glennon is 5-13 career and was a back up in Tampa Bay last season.

5 Quarterbaack Mark Sanchez also signed with the Bears for this season for $2 million London takes a look how Sanchez can help Chicago

London Marq does the NFL Podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Raiders report: Khalil Mack is the driving force, but Raiders’ defense needs more punch in 2017

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Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack during an NFL football training camp Monday, July 31, 2017, in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

Heading into the 2017 NFL season, the Oakland Raiders will have a top-10 offense that will score a bunch of points and be entertaining to watch.

That we do know.

When the Raiders’ offense, (sixth in total offense in 2016 averaging 26 points per game) is engineered by Derek Carr, who is vastly becoming one of the league’s top quarterbacks with back-to-back seasons of at least 3,900 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in his first three seasons  in the NFL, all signs point to the Raiders being in good hands with Carr at the helm.

The supporting cast isn’t too shabby either: with precise route-runners in wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree (both had 1,000-yard receiving seasons last season) and a stable of running backs, with hometown hero Marshawn Lynch (acquired via trade from Seattle after retiring prior to the 2016 season) expected to be the lead-dog ahead of change-of-pace backs in Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington.

Third-year tight end Clive Walford and nine-year veteran Jared Cook (signed in the offseason) should provide matchup problems in the middle field for the Raiders with opposing linebackers and safeties. Play from the tight end position has been an afterthought for Oakland early in Carr’s career, but should be vastly improved this season.

But if Oakland has any shot at playing in Super Bowl LII (let alone topple the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game), the defense will need to do a lot more in support of their high-octane offense if they are to play at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on the first Sunday in February.

First, the pass rush needs to improve tremendously.

Defensive end Khalil Mack, the reigning Associated Press (AP) Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), finished with 11 of Oakland’s 25 sacks (a league-worse in 2016 for any defense).

There’s no questioning the motor that the two-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro plays with on every down and he’s the most feared player on Oakland’s defense, but he can’t do it all by himself and needs help. Even if Mack has his sites on 30 sacks in 2017, according to Carr who mentioned that after one of the Raiders’ practice sessions during training camp in Napa last week, Mack can’t be everywhere.

Taking a closer look, the Arizona Cardinals finished with a league-best 48 sacks and had two guys in Markus Golden (team- and personal career-high 12.5 sacks) and Chandler Jones (11.0 sacks) getting to the quarterback at-will.

Arizona’s second-ranked defense almost doubled the Raiders’ output in sacks from last season.

Mack had an eight-game stretch where he recorded at least one sack in every game last season, but there’s no way he can get to 30 sacks this season, which would shatter former New York Giants defensive end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan’s record of 22.5 sacks set in 2001. The four-year stud from Buffalo would need to average 2.5-3.0 sacks per game and the way opposing teams double- and triple-team him, that’s a tough feat to accomplish even if you’re considered one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.

Along with Strahan, there have only been 10 other occasions in NFL history where there have been 20+ sacks by a defensive player in a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau:

  • Three players with 22.0 sacks in a season: defensive ends Mark Gastineau for the New York Jets in 1984 (previous all-time record holder in a season), Jared Allen in 2011 for the Minnesota Vikings and outside linebacker Justin Houston in 2014 for the Kansas City Chiefs.
  • Two players with 21.0 sacks in a season: the late, great defensive end Reggie White in 1987 for Philadelphia and defensive end Chris Doleman in 1989 for Minnesota. Both men are in enshrined in Canton after playing 15 seasons each, with White second all-time with 198 career sacks (Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith is first all-time with 200 career sacks), and Doleman sitting fourth all-time with 150.5 sacks.
  • Two players (one accomplished the feat twice) with 20.5 sacks in a season: Hall of Fame outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986 for the New York Giants, who changed the way the outside linebacker position was played and made the “sack” term a household name when the statistic became official in 1982 after “LT” won his second-consecutive AP DPOY following his rookie season; and defensive end J.J. Watt, took home AP DPOY honors after the 2012 and ’14 seasons. Both men are tied for the most AP DPOYs in NFL history with three a piece.
  • Two players with 20.0 sacks in a season: the late, great outside linebacker Derrick Thomas for Kansas City in 1990, and recently retired outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware in 2008 for the Dallas Cowboys. Thomas ranks 16th on the NFL’s all-time sacks list with 126.5 in his career, is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and many folks believe that Ware (eighth all-time with 138.5 sacks) and a Super Bowl ring in 2015 with the Denver Broncos, is bound for Canton once his five-year waiting period is over.

The dropoff from Mack, on defense was considerable last year for Oakland, who finished as the 26th-ranked defense in the NFL.

Outside linebacker Bruce Irvin was second on the team with seven sacks, but he needs to get 10.0-12.0 sacks this season on the opposite side of the defense to lighten the load for Mack. Irvin did finish tied with Atlanta Falcons’ outside linebacker Vic Beasley with five forced fumbles last season, most in the league.

Mario Edwards Jr. has had a hard time staying healthy, and Justin “Jelly” Ellis needs to step up his production and provide more pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Throw in Denico Autry and Jihad Ward into the mix as well of guys that are expected to have better seasons for the Silver and Black.

Rookie defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes could be a force in the middle of the defensive line if he’s completely returned from the ACL injury that derailed his junior season two seasons ago for UCLA, in the Bruins’ first game of the 2015 season.

The Raiders believe that Vanderdoes has recovered well, well enough that they spent a third round pick on him in the NFL Draft this past April.

As of Monday, Vanderdoes was the starting defensive tackle on the team’s unofficial depth chart ahead of Ward but according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, Vanderdoes was briefly out with what the team called a “minor” knee injury Tuesday, but returned to practice on Wednesday.

It remains uncertain if Vanderdoes plays in Oakland’s preseason opener in Arizona Saturday night.

Second with no “true” middle linebacker on the roster (“true” meaning a middle linebacker with at least 1-2 years of NFL experience) on the roster, the Raiders need someone to fill the void at one of the critical spots on the defense for any team.

There’s high hopes for another rookie in Marquel Lee to seize the job in training camp, a fifth-round pick from Wake Forest that could be a hidden gem for Oakland.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Lee was a three-year starter in his four seasons for the Demon Deacons and finished tops on the team 105 tackles (63 solo and 42 assisted), 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles his senior year.

Lastly, Oakland’s secondary has to protect the back-end of the defense and limit the long ball. Oakland was seventh-worse in the league last season surrendering an average of 375 passing yards per game in 2016.

With both safety positions solidified with 11-year veteran Reggie Nelson (team-high five interceptions and his second-straight Pro Bowl berth) and second-year player Karl Joseph (60 tackles total) patrolling the middle of the field, and David Amerson likely to maintain his spot at right cornerback, incumbent Sean Smith’s starting job at left cornerback is in jeopardy to four-year player TJ Carrie.

The nine-year veteran had a forgettable 2016 where he was consistently picked on by opposing quarterbacks, who had a passer rating of 114.0 against Smith last year, completing 44 receptions on 77 targets for 749 yards and eight touchdowns according to a recent training camp report filed by NBC Sports Bay Area Oakland Raiders Insider Scott Bair.

Carrie has passed Smith on the depth chart in training camp, lining up with the starting 11 over the weekend. Smith has been seen working out with the second-team defense playing a hybrid linebacker/safety covering tight ends in sub packages and at slot cornerback when the offense goes four wide receivers.

Limiting the the big-play wouldn’t hurt either.

Oakland’s defense surrendered a league-most 61 plays of 20+ yards to opposing offenses.

The 2017 season could be one of the greatest seasons in Raiders’ franchise history, and the defense will play a major roll (good or bad) in what Raider Nation is hoping will end in the organization winning its fourth Vince Lombardi trophy.

 

 

 

Oakland travels to Arizona for preseason opener Aug 12th

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AP Photo File: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) applauds during an NFL football training camp on Saturday, July 29, 2017, in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The Raiders gear up for 2017 preseason with a road trip to the Valley of the Sun to take on the Arizona Cardinals Saturday night Aug. 12, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. PT from University of Phoenix Stadium. This marks the third time in seven years that the Silver and Black open up the preseason schedule on the road, as they opened the 2016 preseason in Arizona last season and in Minnesota for the 2014 preseason.

This also marks the fifth time in seven years that Oakland and Arizona meet in the preseason, with the Raiders taking last year’s preseason opener 31-10.

The Raiders will be a team that will score a lot of points this season with Derek Carr throwing to his talented wide receivers in Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Oakland was the sixth-ranked offense with Carr throwing for 3,937 yards and 26 touchdowns (to just 6 interceptions) in 2016.

Cooper and Cooper each had 1,000-yard receiving seasons last year.

Add in a physical running back in Marshawn Lynch to an already deep running back stable with Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington to go along with free agent addition Jared Cook and holdover Clive Walford to sure up the tight end position, the Silver and Black will be a feared offense in 2017.

With left tackle Donald Penn a training camp holdout over his contract, I wouldn’t expect to see Carr and the first-team offense play no more than a series or two as the point of the preseason is to find your team’s identity, see which rookies can be contributors to an NFL team, and most importantly, keep your starters healthy.

Carr who signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with the organization during the offseason and is coming off a broken fibula last season, is the most important Raider the team has to keep healthy with all of the Super Bowl hype surrounding the team heading into the season.

The reigning Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year in defensive end Khalil Mack and the defense look to improve a unit that finished 26th in the league last season despite Mack registering 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception that returned for a touchdown.

Overall defensively, Oakland already has the majority of their starting lineup intact with the exception of middle linebacker, and possibly cornerback opposite of David Amerson.

Rookie Marquel Lee and second-year pro Tyrell Adams battling for the starting job at middle linebacker. Lee is currently ahead of Adams on the team’s depth chart in training camp and should start in Oakland’s first preseason game but should see a lot of action.

Lee is one of 30 rookies who should see their first live action in an NFL game.

Nine-year veteran Sean Smith is being pushed hard for his starting spot at cornerback by fourth-year player TJ Carrie and rookie Gareon Conley. Carrie has passed Smith on the Raiders depth chart in training camp after lining up with the starting 11 over the weekend in Napa.

Conley hasn’t practiced yet due to shin splints and off the field issues, is playing catch up.

Arizona lost to the Dallas Cowboys 20-18 in the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game last Thursday as both teams held out most of their starters.

Former 49ers starter/backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 11-of-14 passes for 185 yards leading Arizona to touchdowns on their first two drives.

 

 

 

 

 

Raiders Report: Sean Smith falls behind TJ Carrie on depth chart

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AP Photo File: Oakland Raiders cornerback Sean Smith stands on the field during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

NAPA — In football when a guy signs a four-year, $38 million contract ($20 million guaranteed) to play one of the NFL’s toughest positions, cornerback, you better be good and produce because you’re being paid starter’s money.

Sean Smith could be in trouble of losing his starting job after signing with Oakland two offseasons ago.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area Raiders Insider Scott Bair, Smith has fallen behind backup TJ Carrie on the depth chart at training camp and hasn’t worked with the starting 11 the past three days in favor of Carrie. Smith lined up at outside cornerback with the second team on Friday and Saturday, but was used as a hybrid linebacker/safety covering tight ends in sub packages on Sunday and at slot corner when the offense went to four wide receivers Bair further reported.

Carrie who is entering his fourth season with the team, and rookie cornerback Gareon Conley are pushing the nine-year veteran for his starting spot in training camp.

Smith played well in most of his 15 games started last season registering 40 tackles (33 solo, 7 assisted), 11 pass defensed and two interceptions, but was notoriously picked on by opposing offenses.

Smith first game with Oakland in New Orleans was atrocious, where he was burned for two touchdowns, one of those scores a 98-yarder to former Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks that got Smith bench thereafter.

According to Bair, opposing quarterbacks had a passing rating of 114.0 against Smith last year, completing 44 receptions on 77 targets for 749 yards and eight touchdowns. There was a seven-game stretch where Smith didn’t allow a touchdown, living up to the big money the Raiders rewarded him with.

But Smith started to struggle down the stretch last season while dealing with a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery.

Now Smith is in an open competition and just because he has a huge contract, doesn’t mean he is guaranteed to be the starter when the Raiders open up the 2017 season in Nashville against the Titans on Sept 10.

Information from the NBC Sports Bay Area was used in this report.

 

Donald Penn, Raiders remain at odds over contract

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AP File Photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Connor Cook passes as tackle Donald Penn (72) blocks against the Denver Broncos in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

NAPA, Calif — Donald Penn remains a holdout at Raiders training camp and he doesn’t appear to be budging anytime soon.

Appearing on Inside Training Camp Live, NFL Network’s Michael Silver said he spoke with the 34-year-old Penn and noted that the left tackle is adamant on his intent to remain away from training camp until the Raiders reward him with a new contract that will pay him in the top-10 among left tackles in the league.

“He is holding firm,” said Silver. “He said we are in a holding pattern, basically. This is not something that should be a surprise to the Raiders it’s something that was broached at the combine and they’ve been aware that Donald Penn, and I happen to agree with them, is underpaid based on productivity.”

Penn started all 16 games last season, and has started 48 straight games for Oakland the last three seasons.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Penn allowed just 28 quarterback pressures in 676 pass-blocking snaps in 2016 and surrendering just one sack. But that one sack led to quarterback Derek Carr’s season-ending leg injury.

Silver also spoke with Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, who compared Penn’s holdout as a family squabble, per Inside Training Camp Live.

“He said, listen, I love Donald Penn, he is a Raider, this is a family dispute. Sometimes in a family you have dispute. McKenzie believes they can work something out,” Silver said. “Reggie McKenzie very confident that something will get done.”

Oakland does have depth at left tackle with veteran Marshall Newhouse and rookie David Sharpe, but are they adequate enough to protect Carr’s blindside in a potential Super Bowl run this season after finishing 12-4 with an AFC Wild Card berth a season ago?

Penn is set to make $5.8 million in the final year of his contract.

Information from the NFL Network was used in this report.

Reports: Donald Penn not reporting to Raiders training camp amid contract dispute

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AP File Photo: Oakland Raiders tackle Donald Penn during an NFL football team activity Tuesday, May 23, 2017, in Alameda, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

NAPA–There will be a noticeable absence when the Raiders open up training camp Saturday and its a player that they can’t afford to be without.

Left tackle Donald Penn is not expected to report for Oakland’s first practice as he seeks a new contract from the organization. Penn is set to make $7 million this season, the final year of a two-year $11.9 million deal with Oakland.

News of Penn’s intentions of skipping training camp was first reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport via Twitter.

But at 34-years-old, Penn knows that Father Time is rapidly approaching and wants to get one more big-money contract before he calls it a career. Rapoport noted that Penn is reportedly looking to be paid “among the top-10 left tackles in the league.”

Penn has proven to be extremely durable throughout his 10-year career, starting all 16 games the last nine seasons including 48 straight for Oakland the last three seasons. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Penn allowed just 28 quarterback pressures in 676 pass-blocking snaps last season and giving up just one sack, the sack that snapped the fibula of franchise quarterback Derek Carr on Christmas Eve.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Penn is a brick wall that protects Carr and saw the Raiders dish out lucrative contracts along the offensive line in recent years, inking center Rodney Hudson and right tackle Kelechi Osemele to massive deals.

This past offseason, Oakland rewarded right guard Gabe Jackson with a five-year, $56 million contract extension.

In a phone call with NFL Network’s Willie McGinest on Friday, the two-time Pro Bowler expressed his deserving of a new contract.

“He wants to probably be paid in the top-10. He’s not looking to be the highest paid, the top-5 highest paid. He just wants the respect of what he’s done on the field,” McGinest said during Friday’s addition of NFL Total Access. “Stop looking at his age, he’s like, don’t mention his age, look at my production and what I’ve done. And if I’m in the top-10, then I can probably be comfortable with that.”

Oakland enters the 2017 season with Super Bowl aspirations and look to be one of the league’s top offenses once again, with the additions of running back and hometown product Marshawn Lynch (came out of retirement) and tight end Jared Cook (signed in free agency), to go along with Carr and wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper.

Information from the NFL Network was used in this report.