Commitment to Excellence: An Oakland Raiders Dynasty (Madden 25)

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The Rebuilding: Davis, McKenzie and Allen

The Raiders are one of the NFL's true rebuilding projects. How successful the rebuilding will be, and how long it will take, depends on the relationship (s) between general manager Reggie McKenzie, owner Mark Davis, and coach Dennis Allen.

Some quotes of note:


"On Sunday, I asked McKenzie if he feared a lost season -- 3-13, or something on that order -- could cause owner Mark Davis to question the progress of the team, and maybe clean house.
"No, I don't fear that,'' he said. "You know what? I don't think along those lines. I just think of doing what's needed to make this team the best it can be long-term. That's my job. But fearful? No. Not at all. Mark knew the cap part of this was going to be a two-year deal. Mark is not his father. He is allowing me to do this, and we talk about the process all the time. He's allowing me to do the job that needs to be done.''

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl...#ixzz2bfKgEyRA

"McKenzie's plan is beginning to unfold, and as long as Mark Davis continues to stay out of McKenzie's way, the Raiders' resurgence might not be as far off as the team's record would indicate."

"Reggie understands why I made the decision I made," Davis told Poole. "Look, I understand what Reggie is trying to do. Reggie's fine. He's the one guy that I've hired. I've got to give him room to do his job."

"I'll be in the building more often. Like I've said before: I still know what I don't know. But I've been around long enough to pick up a few things. What I really want to do is simple: find good people, give them goals and let them go to work."- Mark Davis

For now, it appears that Davis, Allen and McKenzie form a somewhat cohesive unit. The question is, can this unit hold together through the tough times the Raiders will surely be facing in the very near future?

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The Raiders' Offseason: New Quarterback in Oakland

The Oakland Raiders acquired quarterback Matt Flynn from the Seattle Seahawks for two draft picks Monday -- a fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft and a conditional pick in 2015.

"Matt is a tough football player, and a talented quarterback," McKenzie said. "He will get the opportunity to compete to be a starter with the Raiders. I believe Matt has that potential, but I also know he hasn't had enough experience. We're going to let him compete and battle, and see what happens."

If Flynn beats out Pryor for the starting job, he will be the 16th quarterback to start for Oakland since the beginning of the 2003 season. Campbell is the only one of those to have a winning record as a starter, going 11-7 in his two seasons.

The only other quarterback currently on Oakland's roster is Pryor, who showed a few signs of being able to play in the NFL in his first full pro season. Pryor got in for a few plays late in the season before starting the final game at San Diego with Palmer sidelined by cracked ribs and a bruised lung.

No More Palmer: Raiders Cut Ties with The Veteran

Quarterback Carson Palmer was traded from the Oakland Raiders to the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday in a deal that includes the swap of 2013 draft picks and a conditional pick in 2014.

Palmer, 33, also agreed to a new contract with the Cardinals. The team did not disclose the terms of the deal, but league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the restructured contract is for two years and worth $16 million. It also gives the Cardinals an out after one year if the situation is unsatisfactory. Palmer was scheduled to make $13 million this season.

As part of the deal, the Cardinals sent the second of their sixth-round picks (176th overall) to the Raiders in exchange for Oakland's seventh-round pick (219th overall). In addition, the Raiders will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft if Palmer starts 13 games for Arizona in 2013, a league source told ESPN.

The return the Raiders received for Palmer is far less than the price the team paid to acquire him from the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011: a 2012 first-round draft pick and a second-round selection in the 2013 draft.

"I think, at the end of the day, when we looked at it both from his standpoint and from our standpoint, we just realized that it was time for us to move on and move forward. We felt like Matt Flynn gave us a great option," Allen said.

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The Raiders' Offseason

Heading into the 2013 season, the linebackers may represent the most improved and deepest position group on the entire Raiders roster, and it’s not really close.

Kevin Burnett, Nick Roach and Kaluka Maiava are all veteran players that over the past few seasons, have been both productive yet quite underrated at the same time.

Each player is a sound tackler and has the balance in their game that allows them to contribute both against the run and in coverage.

Roach is the early projected starter at middle linebacker, and the outside spots will likely go to any two of Burnett, Maiava and third-round selection Sio Moore.

Losing Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly and Desmond Bryant all in one offseason made defensive tackle one of the prime positions for the Raiders to address moving forward.

To do so, they moved to sign veteran free agents Pat Sims and Vance Walker, who are expected to take on starting roles from day one.

Sims is known exclusively as a run-stuffer and will see the majority of his work in such situations on early downs. Walker, on the other hand, has the skill set to stay on the field for all three downs, having long flashed the ability to contribute both against the run and as an interior pass-rusher.

Throughout the 2012 season, it became more and more apparent just how weak and thin the Raiders were at the cornerback position.

Throughout this offseason, it was going to be an absolute necessity to address which, and prior to selecting CB D.J. Hayden in the first round of the draft, the Raiders also looked to do by signing veteran free agents Tracy Porter and Mike Jenkins.

Porter and Jenkins are both talented players, but have experienced some struggles in recent seasons. Given their hopes of re-establishing themselves as quality starters, and the Raiders’ need for significant competition at cornerback, the fits make sense for all parties.

While it remains to be seen if Porter and Jenkins can both get back to the level of play they are capable of, both are still relatively young, and represent low-risk signings for the Raiders.

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He's Back: Woodson Returns to Oakland

That’s right Raiders fans, Charles Woodson is a Raider once again after he signed a one-year deal on Tuesday evening. Woodson began his career in Oakland when he was drafted back in 1998, and spent his first eight years in the league with the Raiders before playing in Green Bay for seven years.

Woodson will receive a $700,000 signing bonus and can make up to $4.3 million, according to ESPN.

Woodson, 36, spent the last seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, helping that team to a Super Bowl title after the 201o season. Woodson spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Raiders have being drafted by the team with the fourth overall selection of the first round in 1998.

An eight-time Pro Bowler, Woodson has 55 interceptions in his career and was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Many experts see Woodson as a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. Yet, most of the NFL still remember that fateful night, when Woodson was on the wrong end of the Tuck Rule.

At 37 years old, Woodson is still very capable of playing at a high level and should flourish in a roaming free safety role that allows him to best utilize his instincts and ball skills on the back end.

Of course, in addition to his added ability as a playmaker comes the all-important presence as a locker room leader as well. On such a young and inexperienced team going through a rebuilding phase, having a leader like Charles Woodson will be extremely valuable in more ways than one.

In 2013, we can expect the Raiders’ secondary to take a big step forward, and much of that will be due to the play and presence of Charles Woodson at safety.

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Other Raiders Offseason News:

The Oakland Raiders signed free agent P Chris Kluwe, General Manager Reggie McKenzie announced Friday.

The Oakland Raiders signed free agent wide receiver and return specialist Josh Cribbs, General Manager Reggie McKenzie announced Thursday.
The NFL career leader with eight kickoff-return touchdowns, Cribbs is a three-time Pro Bowl selection (2007, 09, 12) and was named as the kick returner on the 2000s NFL All-Decade team. He has played in 124 career games with 31 starts in eight seasons, all with the Cleveland Browns.

The Oakland Raiders have signed unrestricted free agent running back Rashad Jennings, General Manager Reggie McKenzie announced Thursday.
Jennings, entering his fifth NFL season, played in 38 games with nine starts over the past four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent S Usama Young, General Manager Reggie McKenzie announced Tuesday.
Young, entering his seventh NFL campaign, played the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Before that, he spent four years with the New Orleans Saints, where he was coached by Dennis Allen, then the secondary coach of the Saints.

The Oakland Raiders have signed veteran free agent tackle Alex Barron, General Manager Reggie McKenzie announced Tuesday.
Barron, a former first-round draft selection, is a veteran of 87 career games with 75 starts at both left and right tackle during his NFL career. He is the first offensive player signed by the Raiders since free agency began on March 12.

ESPN Not Pleased With Raiders' Offseason

The latest is Matt Williamson of ESPN who today graded the Raiders' off-season the worst in the AFC. He gave them a "C-" based on net gains and losses. Here is his reasoning:

Analysis: I hate putting a grade on the Raiders' offseason. This front office is doing an exceptional job of bargain basement shopping while dumping good players to get out from under a terrible situation that it inherited. But my grades are based on if the team improved on the field or not, and while I give this group credit for some very shrewd additions, the Raiders simply are not ready to compete right now. They rival the Jaguars as the worst roster in the entire league.

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2013 NFL Draft Preview: Raiders

It seems like the Oakland Raiders start a "new era" every year or two and 2013 will be no exception as former Green Bay and Seattle backup quarterback Matt Flynn should finally get his chance as a starting signal-caller.

By acquiring Flynn from the Seahawks, it makes it less likely the Raiders use the No. 3 overall selection on West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith.

Oakland really needs help on the defensive line after the departures of tackles Desmond Bryant and Tommy Kelly as well as end Matt Shaughnessy. Veteran Richard Seymour also remains unsigned and has likely played his last game as a Raider.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/16/534...#storylink=cpy

Top Needs: DT, OL, LB

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2013 NFL Draft: Raiders

The Raiders traded with the Dolphins, moving from third overall pick to twelfth.

1st Round, 12th overall: Cornerback DJ Hayden


If there is one thing that I like about this pick, it is that there will be zero doubt about Hayden's desire to play pro football. You all know the story. He almost died after a freak collision in practice while at the University of Houston. An injury that kills 95 percent of those who suffer it did not kill D.J. Hayden. Instead, he recovered, regained his strength and displayed great tools at the NFL combine.

Perhaps the best thing he has going for him on the field is that Hayden plays with great instincts. The Raiders have not drafted a player with these kinds of ball skills since Charles Woodson in 1998. The question is not can he play, because scouts are nearly unanimous in that belief.

No, the real question is how Hayden returns from his near-death experience. The odds of this happening again are so remote it is not even worth mentioning. So the idea that he might die on the field as some have suggested is patently ridiculous. What is important is will his great play in Conference USA and select games against teams like UCLA and Penn State carry over to the NFL? (Bleacher Report)

2nd Round: Menelik Watson

The single most intriguing pick of this draft, Menelik Watson is in many ways a new-age NFL selection. Limited to less than a full year at Florida State, Watson shot up draft boards because of his production, despite inexperience, and his natural fluidity and physical ability at the tackle position.

Because he is raw, many immediately made the assumption that Watson was a reach. In actuality, the Raiders got good value for a player seen as a late-first-round to mid-second-round pick. The simple truth is, Watson likely has both the highest ceiling and the lowest floor of all the picks made.

The biggest positives Watson has are his speed (which helps him kick out off the line very fast to help offset speed rushers and also to help on sweeps), screen passes and getting to the second level.

On the downside, Watson has to improve his hand placement. They get wide, and while that doesn't always hurt you in college, in the NFL that could lead to a lot of holding penalties.

3rd Round: Linebacker Sio Moore

The pick that earned Reggie McKenzie the most praise was that of UConn linebacker Sio Moore. A confident linebacker, Moore has the ability to cover as well as rush the quarterback. That versatility could help him see the field despite the additions of Nick Roach, Kevin Burnett and Kaluka Maiava in free agency at linebacker.

As pointed out by fellow columnist Vincent Frank, Moore excelled at the combine. What stands out watching him on tape are his great instincts and his ability to tackle. Moore wraps up and gets guys down. He is also natural when playing in space as well as in the scrum of scrimmage.

Moore is projected as a weak-side linebacker in the NFL, which means he would be in competition against Maiava

4th Round: Quarterback Tyler Wilson

After trading their fourth-round pick (100th) to acquire their fourth sixth-round pick of this draft, the Raiders chose Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson with the 112th overall selection. Wilson's projection varies, but he is consistently seen as the second-best West Coast offense quarterback in this draft behind USC's Matt Barkley.

Wilson's biggest strength is that he has tons of guts. Willing to get leveled to buy himself time for a throw, he is not skittish in the pocket. He is also a heady QB, someone who understood progressions very well while running a fairly intricate passing offense.

The biggest knock, and it is a legitimate one, is that Wilson's arm strength and lack of accuracy went hand in hand. On longer throws, the ball would tend to die, ending up short or behind the receiver. Wilson also has a propensity to be overly aggressive, which can lead to untimely interceptions.

On the whole though, the Raiders got good value at this spot. At the worst, Wilson is the third quarterback.

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2013 NFL Draft: Raiders Later Rounds

6th Round: Tight End Nick Kasa

The sixth round saw the selection of Colorado tight end Nick Kasa. Converted from defensive end in 2012, Kasa is raw, but has soft hands and the build to be a productive tight end. This pick helped to fill a real need for the Raiders, as holdovers David Ausberry and Richard Gordon are not likely starter worthy currently.

While Kasa is not as natural a receiver as the converted wide receiver Ausberry, he is a much better blocker. While not as good a blocker as Gordon, he is a much better route-runner and catcher of the football.

6th Round: Tight End Mychal Rivera

The Raiders' third pick of the sixth round was receiving tight end Mychal Rivera from the University of Tennessee. The tape displays a player who is comfortable in space and has good ball skills as a receiver.

Rivera is likely not an every-down tight end because of his lack of size relative to the position. He is not the best blocker, but will have the chance to contribute early in specific packages because he can be a matchup advantage for offensive coordinator Greg Olson in space. Definitely a situational type player initially until he is able to get comfortable in the offense.

6th Round: Running Back Latavius Murray

A pick that has quite a bit of intrigue is Central Florida running back Latavius Murray. At 6'3" and 223 pounds, Murray is built like a cross between Eddie George and former Raiders running back Harvey Williams.

When I watch the tape, I am reminded of a player who was a Raider nemesis in the early 2000s: Denver's Mike Anderson. Murray is a bit more finesse, but he is a north and south runner with surprisingly quick and subtle moves in tight spaces.

Most impressive is Murray's ball control. Over his last 407 carries, he did not commit a single fumble. Combine that with the ability to pick up blitzes in the passing game, his surprising ability in the screen game for a player his size and overall upside, the Raiders have another high-ceiling player at this position.

6th Round: Defensive Tackle Stacy McGee

For me, the only real head-scratching selection of the three days. McGee was not overly productive at the University of Oklahoma, and another late-round defensive tackle prospect in Everett Dawkins was still on the board.

While many others will lament over McGee's off-field issues, my concern is that there was an arguably better prospect at the same position without the baggage. This is where I defer my football knowledge to the player personnel group in Alameda, since they actually get paid to scout and assess these players.

Ultimately, if McGee is going to make the team, it will likely be as a rotational player who may be used to try a pass rush from the inside. The biggest issue is his perceived laziness at times, not his ability. If the Raiders can motivate a guy who admittedly doesn't have much leverage, then this could be a productive pick. I can't see it being much more than that.

7th Round: Wide Receiver Brice Butler

With a pick Al Davis would have loved, the Raiders took San Diego State wide receiver Brice Butler. A USC transfer and the son of former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Bobby Butler, the younger Butler turned heads with a 4.37 40 time at his pro day (per NFLDraftScout.com) that would have been third-fastest at the NFL combine.

It will be interesting to see if Butler can stick because there will be competition.

7th Round: DL David Bass

The final selection may have been just as intriguing as the first. At pick 233, the Raiders selected Missouri Western defensive end David Bass. Dominant at the Division II level, Bass has great athletic ability and offset his lack of technique by essentially being the biggest fish in a small pond of talent.

Bass could stand to get stronger, as he only had 20 bench press reps at the NFL combine (per NFL.com). His best opportunity will likely be as a situational pass-rusher, which will require improvement in his secondary rush moves.


**All player summaries from Bleacher Report