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Archive for February, 2015
The Oakland Raiders have a great centerpiece on their defense in Khalil Mack but will look to improve around him in the 2015 NFL offseason. Which positions should the Raiders target? Who could make an instant impact on their defense in 2015? Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms discuss Oakland's offseason in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The Oakland Raiders are planning to make major changes to their roster this offseason, including at running back. Many feel that Darren McFadden, who's set to become a free agent, has no chance of returning. And there's a very good chance that Maurice Jones-Drew will be cut and follow him out the door. If you agree that Oakland should cut ties with them, you're half-right. Of the three main running backs the team used last season, only Latavius Murray is guaranteed to return. Parting ways with both McFadden and Jones-Drew seems destined to happen, but that would leave the team with two ...
It’s no secret that the Oakland Raiders need offensive playmakers. The expectation is that the Raiders will target a wide receiver in free agency or the draft to give quarterback Derek Carr a fighting chance in 2015. What kind of receivers fit general manager Reggie McKenzie and new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s profile? If we can identify the type of wide receivers they like, it might help narrow down some of the draft picks and free agents the Raiders may target. There is a natural link to pending free-agent wide receiver Randall Cobb because McKenzie helped draft him as director of player ...
Two important dates are quickly approaching. March 2 is the deadline for teams intending on using their franchise tags, and March 10 free agency officially begins. Currently, the Oakland Raiders are on the radar of a few impact players if they aren’t designated with the franchise tag or re-signed by their respective teams. Oakland also has a major decision to make on one of its own. General manager Reggie McKenzie has already stated to CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair, that he wants to sign some impact free agents this year. McKenzie said: Last year, I felt like we need more role players, more backups. ...
The Oakland Raiders may be mulling a move back to Los Angeles, but what really needs to change isn't the team's zip code. It's the Raiders' view from the AFC West basement, a residence the Raiders have held for the better part of the past decade. Of course, it's a view the team vows to change each and every season, and yet when all is said and done, the Raiders have wound up right back in the cellar. This year, though, just might be different. In 2015, the Raiders enter the season with more than just loads of salary-cap space with which to ...
The Oakland Raiders have a glaring need at wide receiver heading into the offseason. Who should the Raiders target at wide receiver? Should they look at free agency or the draft? Watch as Stephen Nelson and Bleacher Report NFL Analysts Chris Simms and Matt Miller discuss the Raiders' need at wide receiver in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The Oakland Raiders have yet another important draft in 2015. General manager Reggie McKenzie and new head coach Jack Del Rio have the fourth overall selection, so they should be able to find another impact player like linebacker Khalil Mack from a year ago. Did all the information they gleaned from the combine change their target? Now that teams have just about all the data they could ask for on the top prospects thanks to the combine, the Raiders can go about settling on their top few targets. The Raiders can go in one of many directions, and if their 2013 draft ...
The Oakland Raiders find themselves with another top-five pick in the upcoming draft. Whoever they end up selecting, it's crucial that they get it right. But for a team so short on reliable talent, Oakland's selections later in the draft will be just as important. Selections in the first two rounds are the easy part. There are no guarantees, but these players are more of a known quantity. The key is finding those hidden gems later in the draft, and the NFL combine provides the perfect opportunity to separate the true prospects from the pretenders. Oakland knocked it out of the park ...
The NFL Scouting Combine is just about over and prospects have either confirmed their film performances or made a lasting first impression—whether good or bad. The combine has likely caused slight changes on draft boards, specifically for the mid to late-round prospects looking to impress team scouts. There were some eye-openers for the Oakland Raiders—but don’t tell that to Raiders scout Raleigh McKenzie (twin brother of general manager Reggie McKenzie), who seemed to be in a deep trance during Saturday’s workouts, per Bleacher Report’s Arman Walia. In all seriousness, most teams should have already constructed their draft boards. Solo workouts shouldn’t wow scouts ...
Back when Barry Zito was Barry Zito—the guy who won 23 games and a Cy Young Award in 2002—his signature pitch was the curveball. It was a physics-defying hook that beguiled even the most disciplined hitters, looping hopelessly high and wide before plummeting into the zone with pinpoint precision. In a way, that's a good metaphor for where Zito stands now. The left-hander, who will turn 37 in May, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2013, when he posted a 5.74 ERA in 133.1 innings with the San Francisco Giants. By all appearances, Zito's career is floating high and wide. The question ...