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Archive for August, 2015
The buzz from the Oakland Raiders' preseason opener lingers as speculation builds on the potential starting lineup. The starting unit played well on both sides of the ball against the St. Louis Rams, but there’s a lot more to prove with three preseason games left. The starting lineup came off the field without any major disappointments. Some players flashed more than others, but the coaching staff put the right guys on the field for the most part. Who should remain with the first team, and who might take a step back as a reserve player? Here’s the first of many starting lineup projections for ...
The Oakland Raiders came into their first preseason game riding a lot of hype from the offseason, and that new attitude manifested on the field Friday night. After two plays, the St. Louis Rams received the ball. You can imagine the collective eye rolls from spectators and NFL analysts. Same old Raiders, right? No. After quarterback Nick Foles found tight end Lance Kendricks deep to the right for 26 yards and wide receiver Tavon Austin on a short pass to the left for 35 yards, everything faded to black for the Rams offense.   Crisp Starting Offense Struggles in Red Zone The Raiders stood their ...
Sonny Gray is having his best season as a professional, but the Oakland Athletics star missed his Aug. 13 start with a back injury. Despite the scare, the ace pitcher will return to the mound on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. On Aug. 14, Slusser reported Gray was feeling much better after throwing for about 15 minutes. According to Slusser, Gray added that he was excited to face Clayton Kershaw in the start he missed but didn't want to put his team in a bad position. Gray, 25, made his first All-Star team this season and has been one of the ...
Good news, Oakland Raiders fans! We finally have NFL football! Well, sort of. The preseason (or NFL Lite) is a strange time for fans. Yes, it's technically NFL football, but it's not the real product. Starters see some time, but they only play about four quarters total over the first three games of the preseason, and most see almost no playing time in the fourth game, if they see any at all. But these games are still important. The starters spend their limited time on the field working out the kinks and developing a rhythm with one another in preparation for Week 1 ...
After Wednesday's practice, the Oakland Raiders will begin preparing for their preseason opener against the St. Louis Rams Friday night at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Raider Nation will get a good look at the backups and several rookies during these exhibition games leading up to the regular season. Week 2 of training camp shed more light on the development of some key reserves heading into Friday’s matchup. An unlikely undrafted free agent earned some valuable first-team reps, a pair of veterans struggled with limited opportunities, and a pair of rookies could make an immediate impact as rotational pieces within a young, developing ...
"Next man up" should become the theme for Oakland Raiders training camp. That’s exactly what’s happened nearly two weeks into practices. Players are filling in for their fallen comrades and could potentially hang on to their roster spots. This week’s stock report features players who continue to excel in expanded roles and a pair of wide receivers who are losing their footing in a crowded but talented offensive unit. The Raiders released their first official depth chart Monday. The depth chart serves as an initial indicator of player performances up until this point but will likely change leading up to Week 1 of the regular ...
For once the Oakland Raiders have a good problem to address during the offseason, specifically at the outside linebacker position. There are too many talented guys and not enough starting spots for all these linebackers to showcase their talents. Weak-side linebacker Sio Moore is the incumbent starter on the weak side, but he’s dealing with injury concerns after undergoing hip surgery in the offseason. After returning to action, he sat out the last two practices, per CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair: Sio Moore missing a second straight day. — Scott Bair (@BairCSN) August 9, 2015 General manager Reggie McKenzie continues to enforce competition across the board, ...
As the Oakland Raiders move closer to their first preseason game, training camp practices become increasingly important. The preseason games give players the opportunity to earn roster spots. For that to happen, they need to get on the field. And that playing time is earned in camp. With 90 players currently on the roster, it's tough to stand out. And with so many practices and so many reps, almost every player will make a nice play now and then. But anyone at this level can look good for a play or two. What the team is looking for are players who consistently ...
The Oakland Raiders are off Monday after training camp practice went through the weekend, and new head coach Jack Del Rio is pleased with his team's progress thus far. "We've had a great first week or so of camp," Del Rio said in a post-practice interview with Bay Area reporters on Sunday. "I think we grew as a football team this week." Del Rio noted the team's day off was league-mandated but that the players' effort would've earned them a rest day regardless.  Oakland's wide receivers, including those not named Michael Crabtree or Amari Cooper, have continued to impress Del Rio in training ...
Amari Cooper enters his rookie season with enormous expectations from the Oakland Raiders. What does he think about the Black Hole? What is the best advice he's received? Watch as Amari Cooper and Stephen Nelson sit down to discuss his upcoming season in the video above. Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com