Late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis took plenty of criticism throughout the years over his first-round draft picks, but in hindsight, they haven't been all that bad. It was in Davis' later years that he came under heavy fire—questioned for his decisions. As he grew older, his signing and drafting of talent became more and more scrutinized. Each year, football fans across the nation eagerly waited in anticipation to see which player crazy old Al Davis would "waste" a first-round pick on. This year, the franchise participated in its first draft without Davis as general manager and/or owner in over 40 ...
Despite reports over the weekend that the Oakland Raiders were likely to sign free-agent quarterback Matt Leinart later this week, Oakland will conduct a workout with fellow signal-caller Jim Sorgi on Tuesday.Sorgi, who is perhaps best known for being Peyton Manning's backup for multiple seasons in Indianapolis, spent 2011 out of the NFL. He last played in 2010 with the New York Giants, although a shoulder injury shelved him for the season and relegated Sorgi to the injured reserve list.Originally a 2004 sixth-round pick of the Colts out of Wisconsin, Sorgi played for six seasons in Indianapolis, studying under Manning, ...
New Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie didn't wait long to re-organize his scouting department after the NFL draft, cutting ties with long-time Oakland Raiders employee Jon Kingdon, who has been with the organization for 33 seasons, according to NFL.com.Kingdon most recently served in the role of director of college scouting, and although there has been no official word about how the team will fill his role, the team has been linked to current New York Jets vice president of college scouting Joey Clinkscales, who was a teammate of McKenzie when the two played at the University of Tennessee (via NY ...
Grading a draft is more like grading a research paper than a math test.There is generally no right or wrong answer when it comes to the draft as there would be on a math test. If there was, we should be able to label every draft pick a "reach" or "value."Even the teams themselves don't know exactly what they have and the "hit" percentage is probably south of 25 percent. A research paper is graded on the supporting evidence and the strength or weakness of that evidence will determine the grade. I'll grade on the following three criteria:– Did the team address a ...
The AFC West has been a division that has not had a clear leader in some time. In fact, many regard the division as one of the worst in the NFL. Last season, three teams finished with the same record. This season, there has been many changes and it's time for one of those teams to stand out from the others.Of course, that team will be the Oakland Raiders, but which of the other teams made the biggest improvement through the draft and will be the Raiders biggest competitors?Begin Slideshow
Sometimes you learn a lot from reading what the fans have to say in response to an article about the Oakland Raiders. For example, a BR writer named Fred said the following of Napoleon Kaufman:"Nap was a damn good Raiders' running back too. Dennis & Reggie are keeping on with the Al Davis philosophy of surrounding themselves with former Raiders elite players to boost the team. I imagine Nap's job will be kinda like the story of General Patton calling for the chaplain to provide a prayer to clear the clouds over Bastogne in the Battle ...
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie—in the immortal words of Vince Lombardi: What the hell's going on out here? Mark Davis elected you to be the President of the Raider Nation; a fanbase has trusted in you to return the Silver and Black to its rightful glory; we have had faith that you will be committed to excellence and “Just Win, Baby.” And this is how you repay us? It’s not that I hated new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie’s draft picks—he made some solid picks in the fourth and fifth rounds—but consider me very, very underwhelmed. This team entered the offseason with ...
The 2012 NFL draft for the Oakland Raiders has established two things: The organization is bringing in players with more substance than style, and there is also an across-the-board influx of guys with versatility who add depth in multiple ways.With some of the choices they did not make, it can also be inferred that perhaps players with questionable character and/or work ethic will no longer be as readily welcomed in the facilities in Alameda.All of the players selected appear to be self-starters, players who might not have all the physical attributes but have intangibles that cannot be accounted for with ...
It took quite a while for the Oakland Raiders to get in on the fun of the 2012 NFL draft, as the Silver and Black didn't get to pick in either the first or second rounds.They have the old regime to thank for that. The Raiders made some silly trades before new general manager Reggie McKenzie arrived (see Palmer, Carson).The Raiders finally made their first pick at the end of the third round, and they've been a part of the draft rotation ever since. Here's a look at the players they drafted so far, with grades for each pick. Tony Bergstrom, ...
Just because the Raiders had to wait 94 selections before jumping on the draft clock, it doesn't mean they won't see any impact from their incoming rookies this season. New GM Reggie McKenzie got his job largely because of his ability and reputation for identifying talent. There will be no better test of that than this draft. McKenzie had very little to work with, but he has definitely brought in some intriguing pieces. At the time of writing this, the Raiders have made four selections. Here is what you can expect from those picks. Rd. 3, No. 32: Tony Bergstrom, G, UtahBergstrom spent most of ...