The National Football League dispensed 32 supplemental picks in the 2012 NFL Draft on Monday, and it's now up to the teams that received those picks in return for the loss of free agents to turn those extra bites at the apple into solid contributors for their squads.For the Oakland Raiders, receiving an additional three picks was a gigantic boon, as the team had no picks in the first four rounds, so receiving third-round (95th overall) and fourth-round (129th overall) selections in addition to a fifth-round pick (168th overall) should afford new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie an opportunity to improve ...
Until the afternoon of March 26th, the Oakland Raiders seemed destined to be extras in the production known as the NFL Draft. With only two selections in the fifth and sixth rounds, it appeared as though help would not be immediately gained for new owner Mark Davis and GM Reggie McKenzie.However, with the announcement that the Raiders would receive three compensatory picks (the 95th, 129th and 168th overall), the possibilities and potential has increased dramatically.First things first: The reason that McKenzie was hired was because of his diligence as a personnel man under Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson while with the ...
The comparisons between Jemile Weeks and Jose Reyes are only natural. The make-up, the speed, the dreadlocks, both resemble each other immensely. The only real difference is age. Weeks is only three years younger than Reyes, who has already played nine major league seasons. Coming off a rookie season in which Weeks led the A's in average, perhaps the comparisons are justified. He hit .303 last season, while Reyes hit only .273 in his first full season. Hitting for average is only one part of the game, however, and Weeks still has a lot of work to do to become a ...
Cue the band and the television intro music: Are you ready for some baseball!? Yes, most Major League Baseball teams are still finalizing their rosters, evaluating players and determining key position battles in preparation for Opening Day. Lineups are being brainstormed and pitching rotations are beginning to fall in order. But, for the Oakland Athletics, all personnel housekeeping has to be set in stone now. After all, the team prepares for its season opener this Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners, in Tokyo, Japan. While the rest of the MLB has a few more days to begin their seasons, the A’s—and ...
Peyton Manning is a lot of things. He is a great quarterback, one of the top players in NFL history and is one of the most intimidating players to step foot on a football field. He is, however, not invincible. The Raiders should not, and will not, be fazed when they lineup against No. 18 in the fall. The Raiders are capable of dominating Peyton and analysts should not be so quick to board the Broncos bandwagon.Begin Slideshow
The following teams are among the big winners from the NFL's announcement of compensatory picks in the 2012 NFL draft Monday: Green Bay PackersThe Packers lost Cullen Jenkins and Daryn Colledge, both starters from their 2010 Super Bowl team during free agency last offseason. In return, Packers GM and widely respected drafter Ted Thompson will get four picks—including two in the fourth-round—to play with this April.The Packers now have 12 total picks, so it remains possible Thompson could move up early in the draft to take an impact defender. Big win overall for Thompson and the Packers. Cleveland BrownsThe Browns began cleaning ...
Apart from outside linebacker, Reggie McKenzie believes the Oakland Raiders have "a guy that can line up and start at every position." That means McKenzie will be shifting his focus from starters to backups during the 2012 NFL Draft.With only a few mid-round draft picks, McKenzie would be lucky to find an immediate starter and will likely be looking to add guys his coaches can develop who can also play special teams. With the starters nearly being set, it's time to grade each positional unit to determine where McKenzie should keep his focus. QuarterbacksQuarterback is king in the NFL. Say what ...
In my biggest article to date, I want to take a look at the Raiders' starting players and take a look at the current talent on the roster, how it stacks up and how long I think the position is set. Hope everyone enjoys.Here is how each position is ranked:Starter: Current Or projected starterBackup: Current Or projected backupDepth: Letter grade for depth at positionTalent: Letter grade mostly for starting talent/some back-up consideration Set For: How long I see the current starter being effective, staying starter Upgrade: Can the starter be significantly upgraded? Yes or noBegin Slideshow
The Raiders can officially cross off two potential signings they wanted to see happen during the 2012 free agency period. It was announced that CB Tracey Porter decided to re-sign with the Raider's mile high rivals, the Denver Broncos. While this isn't a death blow to the Raiders' hunt for defensive backs, it may disappoint some whom though Coach Allen could work his magic and get Porter to sign.The second piece of news was that the bruising, ground pounding Michael Bush decided to sign with the Chicago Bears, much to the public dismay of Matt Forte. It's unfortunate that the ...
Unless the Oakland Athletics produce a magical first half, general manager Billy Beane will sell off assets like Kurt Suzuki and cut duds like Jonny Gomes by the trade deadline. Beane is widely known for pulling the trigger on blockbuster deals year after year. With a roster that mirrors a Triple-A affiliate, competing against the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels will be no easy task. A weak roster and a trade-happy GM? 2012 will be no different from the last five seasons—the A's will be sellers at the trade deadline. The question is: Who's going to spend their last months ...