It's Jeaux's World! (and you just watch football in it)

Wow Gibril Wilson has really been a big time addition to the defense.


Saturday Q&A with Coach Kiffin
July 26, 2008
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Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin speaks with the media following Saturday afternoon's training Camp practice.
Tony Gonzales

After two practice sessions on Friday, including a night practice under the lights, The Oakland Raiders hit the field at their Napa Valley Training Complex for a late afternoon practice. Head Coach Lane Kiffin took time out to address the media after practice.
Head Coach Lane Kiffin: As far as practice…probably the hottest day so far, especially the beginning of it there wasn’t much wind. We went pretty long with the early part of practice with the guys and they responded well. No major highlights throughout practice. I continue to think that number 20 is doing extremely well and we just have to keep bringing him along and keep pushing him. We used him more in the passing game today than we have.

Q: How has Kwame Harris coming along on the left side?

Coach Kiffin: Yeah, he has been a better run player for us so far. We have some things in the pass protection, going back to left side - he hasn’t been there for a while, that we have to work out that [offensive line coach Tom] Cable is working on with him. We have a lot of hopes for him and we are going to need him.

Q: I saw Mario [Henderson] has been mostly at right tackle but a couple times he been on the left, are you just trying to work him a little but on the left side?

Coach Kiffin: Yeah, we are trying to cross-train him. He is competing with Cornell Green over there on the right side. Anytime you are the third tackle, if that is what he ends up being, then he needs to be cross-trained for game day. We actually bumped Paul McQuistan out there today at left [tackle] and Paul has been taking backup snaps at left guard.

Q: Is the center position something you want to decide on a little earlier instead of letting it run on until the regular season?

Coach Kiffin: I hope it decides itself. I am not going to put a date on it and make the wrong decision. I can’t figure out that date that it’s going to be them showing it to us. Obviously, we are not going to know that until we get into the preseason.

Q: How much of it is just determining whether Jake Grove is going to hold up physically?

Coach Kiffin: Jake right now isn’t practicing two times a day so that is a concern with us, but we have time to get him back into it. He looks great, he is stronger and quicker than he has been since we have been here and the people that have been here a long time say the same thing, all the way back to when they picked him in the second round. There were high hopes for him early and we have high hopes again for him and if you look back…he plays in the Cleveland game and he plays in Denver and we ran the ball extremely and he plays extremely well; winning the Cleveland game and almost winning the Denver game, so we know he can play well in this system.

Q: Last night at practice QB JaMarcus Russell made a number of eye-opening throws that you just can’t believe, almost through the whole practice he was like that. Today he comes out and there were some that were kind of shaky and guys were breaking them up. Are you as interested to see how handles things after last night or a day like today? Do you watch just as close?

Coach Kiffin: No, I am mostly interested to see him make the normal throws. We are not going to coach those special throws when he runs over there and throws back and makes those great throws, that’s who he is and very few people can do that, but those happen one time a game, maybe two times a game. We have to get him do everything right, the little things and all the little completions and the timing and everything. All that stuff that wows the fans and people watching, but that’s not what makes a good quarterback. A good quarterback plays with great discipline and takes care of the ball and throws on time. We need to get him going on that and he is going to keep improving on it. We are giving him a lot of reps and we are wearing him out on purpose for conditioning, not just his arm but his body.

Q: What kind of reservations are you going to put on him when takes off and runs? Is it all the yards you can get or live to see another down?

Coach Kiffin: No, we are going to live to see another down. Guys get down in this league and get to the next snap. There will be certain circumstances, certain points in the game, certain third downs and things near the goal line where situations change and natural instinct takes over right there and competitiveness, but for the most part he is getting down and getting back to the huddle.

Q: What does Gibril Wilson’s mentality do for you guys in the run game?

Coach Kiffin: Yeah, it does a lot for us in everything. I think you can see Michael Huff, he is kind of like a shadow right now to him and he is really soaking it all in. Here is a guy who has done it through the course of time. He has done it for four years running in the league and the leading tackler (for a safety) in the league if you combine those seasons together. He is a guy who knows how to play the run and a guy who knows how to be physical and he doesn’t weigh as much as some strong safeties, but he plays like it and he is out here after practice last night and the lights are on and he is using backup running backs to work on his tackling and Michael is right behind him and he’s teaching him. When you get a player like that it’s not just what he does with his position and his play, it’s what he does with the people around him and we just need that to keep spreading.

Q: As a whole, top-to-bottom, what is the biggest difference from year one to year two at this point in the year?

Coach Kiffin: I think it’s our knowledge of the players and our players’ knowledge of the system and we don’t have as many question marks. We didn’t know anything about these guys when we first got here. We have a book on them and we just continue to build that. We know that in certain circumstances guys are going to perform well and some guys aren’t, so we just have to use that to the best that we can and get in those situations and know who to use in certain situations.

 

Somebody cares this thread is six pages long. Will keep updating this thread with Raider news.


Training Camp Notes (7/26/08)

Darren McFadden ripped off yet another run for what would have been a touchdown when he was allowed to bounce out to the edge. Speed kills!
Running back Michael Bush fumbled after being stripped when he was trying to fight through a scrum. In all actuality, he would have been tackled if it were a real game. Instead, play was allowed to continue and the defense recovered it.
Justin Fargas put on a clinic as he changed directions and made several guys miss for large gains.
JaMarcus Russell was intercepted by Michael Huff on a forced rollout.
Chaz Schilens schooled DeAngelo Hall for a would be touchdown.
The offensive line experienced some difficulties today as mostly the tackles kept being penalized for false starts. The coaches made them run laps for the costly errors.
The defensive ends were having a definite advantage over their offensive counterparts as they were beating their men and flushing out the quarterbacks.
Wide receiver Javon Walker showed his toughness by receiving a shoulder pad sandwich from two converging defenders and was able to hold on to the pass. Walker would immediately get up and finish by running forty yards.
Linebacker Robert Thomas made an interception.
Wide receiver Drew Carter showed he has good hands by securely holding on to a pass while he had a defender draped on his back and swatting at the ball.
Trevor Scott is making a strong case for a roster spot by demonstrating his ability to utilize excellent usages of angles to attack his offensive counterparts.
Defensive end Kalimba Edwards was able to beat Paul McQuistan off the edge. Edwards also looked much better than he did at the last OTA?s.
Wide Receiver Todd Watkins continued to put pressure on the other receivers who are gunning for that #2 and #3 WR spot by showing off his consistency and route running.
Kwame Harris was out today with a strained back.
Greg Wesley and Grant Irons were out for today?s workout. Head Coach Lane Kiffin was unsure when they would return.
Lane Kiffin hopes that setting up a single quarterback for a set offensive squad (offensive line) will remedy the false starts plaguing them right now.
Kiffin made note of free safety Michael Huff shadowing newly acquired Gibril Wilson and is paying off. Wilson is rubbing off on Huff, as he?s learning everything he can from the Super Bowl winning safety.

 

Kwame harris is one of the best run blockers. Very nice Fit in Cable blocking system and what Raiders want to do on offense. Raiders will use the run early and often. When K harris is beating down the DE all game in the running game. Lets see if that pass rushing De dosen't wear down by second half. Pass rushing DEs can't pin their ears and come after QB if you never get in third and longs.(thats what happens when you can consistantly run the ball well)


At left tackle, though, the job belongs to Kwame Harris. Harris will be primarily responsible for protecting Russell?s blind side, a factor that will be critical to the development of the second-year quarterback.

Harris was a decent enough right tackle during his early years with San Francisco but fell out of favor with the 49ers in 2007 and lost his starting job.

Greg Knapp, the Raiders offensive coordinator, was coaching in San Francisco the year the 49ers drafted Harris and convinced Oakland head coach Lane Kiffin and the front office to bring the veteran offensive lineman in for a workout.

?H?s a very good run blocker,? Knapp said. ?He just, unfortunately, went through what?s very tough in this business ? three coaches in four years. And so he has unfortunately not had a very strong foundation for him to build from. But the traits that I saw coming out, we evaluated as a staff and we saw, ?Hey, here?s something he still does well.? And he just needs to hopefully get a steady hand of teaching it and training him a certain way.?

That?s where Cable comes in.

Cable was successful in creating the foundation for the Raiders? rushing attack last year and played a key role in Gallery?s transition from tackle to guard. If he can do the same with Harris, the Raiders will have a much better chance of improving upon their 31st-ranked passing game from a year ago.

Harris himself is convinced that a new environment and working with Cable will make a difference.

?The pass blocking system in San Francisco was much more technique driven,? Harris said. ?Very strict, in a sense. Here one of the great things about coach Cable is that yes, you have a set of fundamentals, techniques and principle you have to work inside of but you also need to go out and block he guy. Don?t let the guy get to the quarterback, that is the main goal.

?It?s not ?keep your hips square and stay in position.? It?s to keep that guy away from JaMarcus.? "

 

RAIDERS TRAINING CAMP A FREE SAFETY IN DISGUISE
Oakland's Huff jumps at his chance to make impact in the open field

David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

(07-28) 20:09 PDT -- Raiders safety Michael Huff recently was spotted wearing a black-and-silver T-shirt with a Transformers logo in the middle. The mid-'80s cartoon was canceled when Huff was 4 years old, but he still digs the "old school" theme.
After two uneventful seasons, Huff will be the one doing the transforming, from an ordinary strong safety into a playmaking free safety worthy of his No. 7 overall selection in the 2006 draft.
His mission: bring an end to the broken tackles, open-field whiffs and botched assignments that have become trademarks of the Raiders' last line of defense since Rod Woodson was released four years ago.
"They brought me here to make plays," said Huff, who admits he couldn't much tell an Autobot (good guys) from a Decepticon (boo) before the movie was released in 2007.
"I'm playing a position I want to play, so it's making me strive harder to prove to everybody that he's right by making me switch to free safety."
"He" would be Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, who wanted to make the "switch" last year when he first got to Oakland.
He knew that Huff was misdiagnosed as an NFL strong safety. The position is geared toward muscle-bound bruisers. Huff weighed but 193 pounds at the end of last season. He hasn't reached his listed playing weight of 205 pounds.
Problem was, Kiffin had no better options at the time. Year 2 for Huff was doomed to be as impact-free as Year 1.
"He was doing the best he could," Kiffin said. "Was he out of position? Sure, he was out of position. But it was something that, there weren't other people at that position so he played there.
"I think whenever you have a passion for something, you're going to be better at it. (Free safety) is where he always wanted to be, where his body is best fit to be, and you can see it by his body language."
Huff is happy, all right. His cleats have springs, his shoulders lack slump, and he talks more fun-oriented trash at practice than ever before.
The desired results came Saturday. Huff dropped deep in pass coverage, read JaMarcus Russell's eyes and broke for the ball just in time for his first camp interception.
No longer is his speed being wasted covering tight ends twice his size. Gone are the days of being voided at the line of scrimmage by unshakeable guards and fullbacks. When Huff said he was "frustrated about stuff," he was talking about that stuff.
"I think he just wanted to help the team out and do what the team wanted him to do," said cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, a first-round pick in 2003 who flourished after the Raiders moved him from free safety to cornerback early in his career.
"It wasn't truly where his heart was. His heart was back there at free. Being able to make those type of plays, especially with his size."
First, the Raiders needed to find a suitable replacement at strong safety. Kiffin promised Huff he'd look for one in the offseason. By March, he delivered San Jose native Gibril Wilson, the physical helmet hunter from the world-champ Giants.
Huff didn't get a follow-up call saying free safety was his. He didn't need one.
"As soon as we picked up Gibril, I kind of knew it was on," Huff said. "I'm out there running around, having fun. Make Gibril take on all the tackles, guards and fullbacks and all that. I can stay back there and make plays.
"I have no excuses now, so it's on me."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...SPQP120PE1.DTL

 

Raiders: Maligned former 49er seeks revival as Raider
By Jason Jones - jejones@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1

Print | E-Mail | Comments (18)| |

NAPA ? Kwame Harris is a "very good football player."

Those are the words of Raiders offensive-line coach Tom Cable. And no, that's not a misprint.

Harris, the maligned and penalty-prone first-round pick of the 49ers in 2003 that spent last season as a backup, is a "very" good football player.

"Whatever happened in the past is history to him, to us," Cable said. "He's going to be really, really good. It'll speak for itself."

Cable said it's not talent keeping Harris from excelling. It's Cable's job to make sure his new left tackle realizes that.

"Confidence ? it's not the skill," Cable said. "The man has the skill as good as anybody in this league. That we knew, that's why we wanted to get him. I kind of liken him to Robert Gallery in terms of where he's at mentally and emotionally."

Gallery, the second overall pick in 2004, had struggled under different line coaches and styles before being introduced to Cable.

Gallery had his best season as a pro in 2007, when Cable moved him from tackle to guard. It wasn't a surprise when Gallery sold Harris on Cable and how he treats players.

"I know (Harris is) extremely happy with (being a Raider) because (Cable) is the best thing that happened to me," Gallery said.

Still, Harris needed a little encouragement. He was surprised when Cable told him the Raiders wanted him to play left tackle.

That meant the Raiders wanted him to protect the blind side of the first overall pick in the 2007 draft, quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Harris had played right tackle most of his NFL career, where teams usually put weaker pass rushers.

"When he asked me to play left, there was a little bit of natural hesitation," Harris said.

Harris thought the move would be "hellacious," but now says he's getting better with each practice.

Harris attributes that to repetition and the encouragement of Cable, who has preached that he believes in Harris and his ability.

"I had a rough go of it across the bay, and it wasn't always easy," Harris said. "Coach (Cable) is in your ear telling you, 'You can be the best you can be. You can achieve every goal that what you want.'

"You would think at this level you wouldn't need that as much, but we're all human. Any of that kind of encouragement, whether you're 5 or 35, gets you going."

Harris (6-foot-7, 325 pounds) is 26 and considered a decent run blocker ? and the Raiders plan to run the ball a lot. And the zone-blocking scheme requires smarts and athleticism, two of Harris' strong points.

"He's not a power player," said Raiders coach Lane Kiffin. "He's more of a finesse position player and has very quick, fabulous feet. If there's a system that's going to help him, this is it."

If nothing else, Harris has his confidence back.

"A lot of it's repetition and technique, and that's going to be a career-long thing," Harris said. "But the things that I do need to fix, they're not things that aren't impossible for me to overcome."

 

Ronald Curry is shaping up to be the Raiders' most dependable receiving threat... (Associated Press)

NAPA _ Another training camp, another search for a No. 1 receiver. It is becoming an annual event as July turns to August on the fields behind the Napa Marriott, as predictable as the running of the Wine Train on the tracks alongside Highway 29.

It never happened in Oakland for Jerry Porter, whether it was his Cold War with Art Shell, an ill-timed injury or his own inability to step up and make the most of what seemed to be a top-drawer skill set.

Randy Moss, revered in New England, was reviled in Oakland for his disinterest in contributing to what he believed was a lost cause.

The latest candidate to put up Tim Brown-Jerry Rice numbers is Javon Walker, who is bringing in more baggage than Moss, if that's possible. Walker departed Green Bay and Denver on bad terms, and conceded there is a perception that he leaves teams when unhappy.

He also said it is his right as an American to do just that.

The guess here is when it comes to third-and-8 and JaMarcus Russell drops back to pass, he won't be any different than Kerry Collins, Aaron Brooks, Andrew Walter, Josh McCown or Daunte Culpepper in one regard.

He will look for Ronald Curry and keep the chains moving.

And the good news for the Raiders is that their leading receiver the past two seasons might also be their most improved player in 2008.

Freed from the maintenance and rehab that comes with serious injury, Curry discovered the weight room and muscles he never knew he had. He weighed
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212 pounds last season and is now 204.

``He looks like he got skinny but he got cut,'' strong safety Jarrod Cooper said. ``Once you start seeing changes in your body, you buy into it.''

Curry never had any great aversion to weightlifting, but the demands of his roles as a college quarterback and point guard at North Carolina prevented total immersion. Now he is one often one of the last players to emerge from post-practice workouts and stretching.

``I guess I got caught into the quarterback-basketball way of lifting, not really too hard, more of not wanting to mess up the jump shot and stuff,'' Curry said. ``It kind of became me. But I don't mind working. I like working, actually. It's just something else to work toward. You get in there and see results and you feel results.''

The genesis of the new Curry was a bit of locker room humor, with the hard-muscled Porter chastising him about the shape of his body. Curry played the season with a bone spur in his left foot and still caught a team-high 55 passes for 717 yards.

But there were more dropped passes than usual, and at the end of the season coach Lane Kiffin told Curry he wanted more.

``Kiff came to me and said they would really like to see me hit the weights hard this season, so I did,'' Curry said.

He had surgery to remove the bone spur _ small potatoes for a guy who may be the only athlete to have rehabbed from three Achilles' tears and still compete at a high level.

The Raiders are letting him take off a practice now and then on double days, but Curry has been catching everything in sight. He looks more fresh and fast than at any point during his career in Oakland.

``He's improved as much as anybody out here from the end of last season until now,'' Kiffin said. ``He's changed his body structure completely. We just talked a lot about it toward the end of last season. He it took it to heart and he's changed himself.''

Keep in mind the ``old Curry'' was pretty special. His athletic prowess in high school is unrivaled in Virginia, where he was Parade All-American in football and basketball. Corey Maggette, the newest Golden State Warrior, lost a slam-dunk contest to Curry at the McDonald's All-America game.

Curry is the guy whose skill forced Tim Brown off the roster. He led the Raiders in receiving the past two years and owns two of the most spectacular catches in franchise history, his one-handed miracle in Denver in 2004 and a leaping catch of a Culpepper pass in Minnesota last season.

Last season, 30.9 percent of Curry's receptions were third-down conversions. That's a higher rate than Moss, Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne or Chad Johnson and one of the best figures in the NFL.

Curry shakes of Achilles' tears as if they were hangnails. Nothing he does surprises his teammates.

``He's an anomaly to the game,'' cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. ``He'll get injured, it will be the most serious injury ever, then he'll come back and look like he hasn't lost anything.''

Call off the search for the Raiders' No. 1 receiver.

It's the same guy it has been for the last two years.

Only better.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/spor...nclick_check=1

__________________

 

There is one already- Look under the one titled Jets.

 

D Mcfadden early favborite for OROY?

Raiders camp: McFadden demonstrates ability, maturity
Aug. 5, 2008
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
Tell Mike your opinion!





Editor's note: Clark Judge, Pete Prisco and Mike Freeman are traveling to every NFL training camp and filing daily reports and analysis. Next camp report from Freeman: Niners

Raiders: Five things to know | Freeman
NAPA, Calif. -- One coach called him a workaholic. Another said he has displayed great maturity and professionalism. He shows up early to practice and stays late. In meetings, according to several players, he demonstrates an understanding of the offense they haven't seen from a rookie in years.

Community Focus
One man vs. One fan

"My favorite current Raiders player is Darren McFadden. He's really looking good."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
noriega14: "I think this is the year we get back to respectability. I'm sick and tired of hearing the Raiders being trashed by every analyst for the past 5 years. Not that they haven't deserved it, being the worst franchise in that time span, but it needs to come to an end."
He runs with an aggressive, fancy-free style that one scout described privately to me as "Eric Dickerson on uppers." During a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, there was a bolt up the middle in which he broke through so fast it caused some of the 49ers players afterward to momentarily murmur about his speed.

The player is Darren McFadden, and if you want an early contender for rookie of the year, look no further.

Sure, it's camp, and sure, McFadden is one cracked fibula away from disaster. This is the NFL after all, which stands for (as Jerry Glanville once famously said) "Not For Long." There is a small army of rookies who demonstrated great promise in training camp only to later find themselves out of the league.

Out of Nowhere Man
This is a strange Out of Nowhere Man but it's perfect because despite being a veteran, nose tackle Terdell Sands totally disappeared after receiving a hefty four-year, $17 million contract, gaining weight and losing interest. He played like Turd-dell Sands. It was a big disappointment for the Raiders; they're hoping Sands can find his game again. If he does -- and those 335 pounds no longer wiggle like jelly -- Oakland's run defense could be solid.
Who is your Out of Nowhere Man?
However, if McFadden isn't the real deal it would be a shock.

The main reasons are not just his physical skills, but something far more important: his level of maturity. Please, raise your hand if you thought McFadden was too immature for the NFL. C'mon, don't be shy.

I was one of those people. His off-the-field issues -- including accusations he had fathered at least several kids out of wedlock -- scared the hell out of me to the point where I wouldn't have picked him in the first round. Was he Travis Henry Jr., who has since fornicated his way out of football? That was the concern.

What McFadden has done, at least for now, is alleviate any maturity scares. Several Raiders players say they have been impressed mostly with his work habits, on and off the field. Coaches call him a dream rookie. Unless McFadden is the greatest actor this side of Denzel, he has completely charmed everyone here, including the media.



JaMarcus Russell

Positives: Russell has his immense size and strength, excellent mobility and one of the best young arms in the game. Newcomers Javon Walker and Drew Carter are both deep-ball receivers, with Walker the more talented and more established of the two, and they should enhance the output for fellow receiver Ronald Curry and tight end Zach Miller. Additionally, Darren McFadden should be on the field often enough to be a receiving option for Russell, padding both of their stat lines. With Oakland's down-the-field passing approach, Russell's numbers should be solid.
Negatives: The Raiders' offense looks good on paper. Walker is a significant injury risk that would put a cap on Russell's stats if he doesn't play to the level like he did in 2004 and 2006. McFadden is a rookie and could struggle at the pro level early on. And let's not forget that Russell only has 66 regular-season pass attempts under his belt. What's more, the offensive line is still a question mark even with offseason additions of tackle Kwame Harris and center John Wade.
Outlook: Fantasy owners will remember Russell's amazing days at LSU or consider his potential and pencil him in as their No. 2 Fantasy QB. That's a good idea -- assuming you've missed on more reliable backup Fantasy passers in your draft. There's no denying Russell's measurables and potential, but rolling the dice on him when more experienced and established second-tier Fantasy options are available is too high of a risk. If your league rosters are deep enough, Russell is worth carrying as a low-end No. 2. We see him as a 3,000-yard passer with 20-touchdown potential, but with plenty of interceptions and fumbles as he continues to learn the position.
-- Dave Richard
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Raiders draft averages
RB: Darren McFadden (38th overall)
QB: JaMarcus Russell (148th overall)
WR: Javon Walker (104th overall)
TE: Zach Miller (197th overall)
2008 Fantasy Draft Prep

"I can't find something to complain about with Darren," Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said. "He's always out here early, he's always out here learning."

Wait. Reverse the tape. Did an NFL coach say he couldn't find something to complain about? Most coaches would find fault with a Maui sunset. Yet that's how impressive McFadden has been thus far. He leaves normally crabby coaches with little to moan about.

This Oakland offense has the potential to be dangerous. Emphasis on potential. If quarterback JaMarcus Russell can provide a passing threat, then the Raiders running game could prosper.

While McFadden's maturity entering the NFL was in doubt, his skills weren't, and definitely aren't now. Several times in the practices against the 49ers his burst was stunning. McFadden can exploit any tiny crack and there's little fear of contact. McFadden isn't like many NFL rookies who shake and bake when they approach the line of scrimmage. He spots the hole and hits it quick.

It looks like the Raiders will use McFadden smartly. The plan right now is to rely heavily on runner Justin Fargas and work McFadden in, and it's highly possible the two will work in the backfield extensively together. McFadden has worked almost everywhere in the offense, including the slot, which makes him a potential nightmare matchup for defenses.

Imagine a tougher and faster Reggie Bush. McFadden's also an excellent route runner.

The risk for the Raiders? Because McFadden is learning so quickly and demonstrating such ability, the staff might be tempted to overuse McFadden. The potential problem in doing that is McFadden's physique. You don't realize how thin his lower body is until you see him up close. It's like he's running on two toothpicks.

But when those toothpicks get moving ... wow.

We knew McFadden had the talent, but you wondered about the cranium.

Now, in addition to a talented McFadden we're witnessing a mature one.

Who exactly saw that coming?