2014 NFL Combine

The Weight-ins and Interviews have begun.

Of the TE group, both TE Eric Ebron and TE Troy Niklas were the two most physically impressive apparently.

RB Kory Sheets Signed

The Raiders have signed former Saskatchewan Roughriders stand out Kory Sheets.

Sheets had three separate stints in the NFL with the 49ers, Dolphins and finally the Panthers before signing into the CFL back in February of 2012.  He suffered an Achilles injury in training camp of 2010 that effectively pushed away from the League.

With Saskatchewan Sheets has been a standout to say the least.  Rushing for over 3000 yards combined in the past two seasons.  He was the 2013 Grey Cup MVP.

Sheets is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision, and holds the second highest mark in career rushing yards for Purdue with 3,341 yards, (#2 behind Mike Alstott) and is the all-time leader in Purdue TDs scored with 54 and rushing TDs with 48...certainly a good goal line back who could help Oakland punch in a few more touchdowns next fall.

BoJack's Pre-Combine Top 50 Prospects

Here's my big board pre-draft Combine.  Big boards vary depending on how the person putting it together ranks players, what they value, etc. My list is pretty simple.  I give a lot of weight to playmakers, especially those who have the ability to translate that into the pros.  I do like high upside guys as well, but they've got to have ability to back up that potential.  I do look at the draft and prospects through Raider-colored glasses, and treat rankings almost like a wish list if I were the guy pulling the trigger aka Reggie McKenzie.  Still working on my 4 round mock.  For now, here's my list:

TOP 50 Prospects

1. DE Jadeveon Clowney - South Carolina
2. WR Sammy Watkins - Clemson
3. OT Greg Robinson - Auburn
4. QB Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville
5. LB Khalil Mack - Buffalo
6. OT Jake Matthews - Texas A&M
7. LB Anthony Barr - UCLA
8. TE Eric Ebron - North Carolina
9. CB Justin Gilbert - Oklahoma State
10. FS Calvin Pryor - Louisville
11. WR Mike Evans - Texas A&M
12. QB Blake Bortles - Central Florida
13. DT Timmy Jernigan - Florida State
14. CB Darqueze Dennard - Michigan State
15. DE Kony Ealy - Missouri
16. OT Taylor Lewan - Michigan
17. FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - Alabama
18. WR Marqise Lee - USC
19. QB Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M
20. DT Aaron Donald - Pittsburgh
21. LB CJ Mosely - Alabama
22. DT Ra'Shede Hageman - Minnesota
23. WR Allen Robinson - Penn State
24. DT Louis Nix - Notre Dame
25. OT Cyrus Kouandijo - Alabama
26. RB Ka'Deem Carey - Arizona
27. DE Stephon Tuitt - Notre Dame
28. LB Kyle Van Noy - BYU
29. RB Carlos Hyde - Ohio State
30. LB Ryan Shazier - Ohio State
31. WR Odell Beckham Jr - LSU
32. TE Jace Amaro - Texas Tech
33. QB Derek Carr - Fresno State
34. RB Tre Mason - Auburn
35. CB Jason Verrett - TCU
36. WR Kelvin Benjamin - Florida State
37. FS Dion Bailey - USC
38. TE Troy Niklas - Notre Dame
39. OG David Yankey - Stanford
40. DE Trent Murphy - Stanford
41. RB Bishop Sankey - Washington
42. CB Kyle Fuller - Virginia Tech
43.  OT Morgan Moses - Virginia
44. DE Scott Crichton - Oregon State
45. LB Chris Borland - Wisconsin
46. LB Shayne Skov - Stanford
47. DT Will Sutton - Arizona State
48. OT Zack Martin - Notre Dame
49. LB Dee Ford - Auburn
50. WR Brandin Cooks - Oregon State

Top QB Prospects

1. Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville
2. Blake Bortles - Central Florida
3. Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M
4. Derek Carr - Fresno State
5. Jimmy Garoppolo - Eastern Illinois
6. Tajh Boyd - Clemson
7. AJ McCarron - Alabama
8. David Fales - San Jose State
9. Zach Mettenberger - LSU
10. Brett Smith - Wyoming

Top RB Prospects

1. Ka'Deem Carey - Arizona
2. Carlos Hyde - Ohio State
3. Tre Mason - Auburn
4. Bishop Sankey - Washington
5. Charles Sims - West Virginia
6. Marion Grice - Arizona State
7. Jeremy Hill - LSU
8. Lache Seastrunk - Baylor
9. Devonta Freeman - Florida State
10. Andre Williams - Boston College

Top WR Prospects

1. Sammy Watkins - Clemson
2. Mike Evans - Texas A&M
3. Marqise Lee - USC
4. Allen Robinson - Penn State
5. Odell Beckham Jr - LSU
6. Kelvin Benjamin - Florida State
7. Brandin Cooks - Oregon State
8. Jarvis Landry - LSU
9. Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt
10. Davante Adams - Fresno State
11. Josh Huff - Oregon
12. Jared Abbrederis - Wisconsin
13. Martavis Bryant - Clemson
14. Paul Richardson - Colorado
15. Mike Davis - Texas

Top TE Prospects

1. Eric Ebron - North Carolina
2. Jace Amaro - Texas Tech
3. Troy Niklas - Notre Dame
4. Austin Seferian-Jenkins - Washington
5. CJ Fiedorowicz - Iowa
6. Richard Rodgers - California
7. Xavier Grimble - USC
8. Crockett Gilmore - Colorado State
9. Arthur Lynch - Georgia
10. Marcel Jensen - Fresno State

Top OT Prospects

1. Greg Robinson - Auburn
2. Jake Matthews - Texas A&M
3. Taylor Lewan - Michigan
4. Cyrus Kouandijo - Alabama
5. Morgan Moses - Virginia
6. Zack Martin - Notre Dame
7. Antonio Richardson - Tennessee
8. Jack Mewhort - Ohio State
9. James Hurst - North Carolina
10. Ja'Wuan James - Tennessee

Top OG/C Prospects

1. David Yankey - Stanford
2. Xavier Su'a-Filo - UCLA
3. Travis Swanson - Arkansas
4. Gabe Jackson - Mississippi State
5. Cyril Richardson - Baylor
6. Brandon Thomas - Clemson
7. Weston Richburg - Colorado State
8. Dakota Dozier - Furman
9. Jon Halapio - Florida
10. Tyler Larsen - Utah State

Top DE Prospects

1. Jadeveon Clowney - South Carolina
2. Kony Ealy - Missouri
3. Stephon Tuitt - Notre Dame
4. Trent Murphy - Stanford
5. Scott Crichton - Oregon State
6. Demarcus Lawrence - Boise State
7. Marcus Smith - Louisville
8. Chris Smith - Arkansas
9. Kareem Martin - North Carolina
10. Josh Mauro - Stanford

Top DT Prospects

1. Timmy Jernigan - Florida State
2. Aaron Donald - Pittsburgh
3. Louis Nix - Notre Dame
4. Ra'Shede Hageman - Minnesota
5. Will Sutton - Arizona State
6. Dominique Easley - Florida
7. Kelcy Quarles - South Carolina
8. Ego Ferguson - LSU
9. George Uko - USC
10. DaQuan Jones - Penn State

Top OLB Prospects

1. Khalil Mack - Buffalo
2. Anthony Barr - UCLA
3. Kyle Van Noy - BYU
4. Ryan Shazier - Ohio State
5. Dee Ford - Auburn
6. Carl Bradford - Arizona State
7. Jeremiah Attaochu - Georgia Tech
8. Telvin Smith - Florida State
9. Christian Kirksey - Iowa
10. Morgan Breslin - USC

Top ILB Prospects

1. CJ Mosely - Alabama
2. Chris Borland - Wisconsin
3. Shayne Skov - Stanford
4. Christian Jones - Florida State
5. Yawin Smallwood - Connecticut
6. Lamin Barrow - LSU
7. Andrew Jackson - Western Kentucky
8. DeDe Lattimore - South Florida
9. Preston Brown - Louisville
10. Max Bullough - Michigan State

Top CB Prospects

1. Justin Gilbert - Oklahoma State
2. Darqueze Dennard - Michigan State
3. Jason Verrett - TCU
4. Kyle Fuller - Virginia Tech
5. Louchiez Purifoy - Florida
6. Bashaud Breeland - Clemson
7. Lamarcus Joyner - Florida State
8. Victor Hampton - South Carolina
9. Bradley Roby - Ohio State
10. Marcus Roberson - Florida

Top S Prospects

1. Calvin Pryor - Louisville
2. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - Alabama
3. Dion Bailey - USC
4. Deone Bucannon - Washington State
5. Jimmie Ward - Northern Illinois
6. Ed Reynolds - Stanford
7. Terrence Brooks - Florida State
8. Craig Loston - LSU
9. Ahmad Dixon - Baylor
10. Kenny Ladler - Vanderbilt

**updated 02.20.14**

2014 NFL COMBINE (LIST OF INVITEES)

* - Denotes "early out" or declared underclassmen

QUARTERBACKS
*Bortles, Blake, Central Florida
Boyd, Tajh, Clemson
Bridgewater, Theodore (Teddy), Louisville
Carr, Derek, Fresno State
Fales, David, San Jose State
Garoppolo, James (Jimmy), Eastern Illinois
Lynch, Jordan, Northern Illinois
*Manziel, Johnny, Texas A&M
Mathews, Jeffrey (Jeff), Cornell
McCarron, Raymond (A.J.), Alabama
Mettenberger, Zachary (Zach), Louisiana State
Morris, Stephen, Miami
Murray, Aaron, Georgia
Renner, Bryn, North Carolina
Savage, Thomas (Tom), Pittsburgh
Shaw, Connor, South Carolina
Thomas, Logan, Virginia Tech
Vaughan, Dustin, West Texas A&M
Wenning, Keith, Ball State

RUNNING BACKS
Andrews, Antonio, Western Kentucky
Archer, Dri, Kent State
*Atkinson, George, Notre Dame
*Bibbs, Kapri, Colorado State
*Blue, Alfred, Louisiana State
*Carey, Ka'Deem, Arizona
Copeland, Javoddron (J.C.), Louisiana State
Cornett, Timothy (Tim), Nevada - Las Vegas
*Crowell, Isaiah, Alabama State
Flanders, Timothy, Sam Houston State
Fluellen, David, Toledo
*Freeman, Devonta, Florida State
Gaffney, Tyler, Stanford
Grice, Marion, Arizona State
Hewitt, Ryan, Stanford
*Hill, Jeremy, Louisiana State
Hyde, Carlos, Ohio State
*Johnson, Westleigh (Storm), Central Florida
*Josey, Henry, Missouri
*Mason, Tre, Auburn
McKinnon, Jerick, Georgia Southern
Millard, Trey, Oklahoma
*Muema, Adam, San Diego State
Perkins, Ladarius, Mississippi State
Redd, Silas, Southern California
*Sankey, Bishop, Washington
*Seastrunk, Lache, Baylor
Sims, Charles, West Virginia
*Smith, Jerome, Syracuse
Taliaferro, Lorenzo, Coastal Carolina
*Thomas, De'Anthony, Oregon
*West, Terrance, Towson
White, James, Wisconsin
*Wilder, James, Florida State
Williams, Andre, Boston College
Williams, Damien, Oklahoma

TIGHT ENDS
*Amaro, Jace, Texas Tech
Blanchflower, Robert (Rob), Massachusetts
Burton, Lawrence (Trey), Florida
Denham, Anthony (A.D.), Utah
Duncan, Joseph (Joe Don), Dixie State
*Ebron, Eric, North Carolina
Fiedorowicz, Colton (C.J.), Iowa
Gillmore, Crockett, Colorado State
*Grimble, Xavier, Southern California
*Jacobs, Nicholas (Nic), McNeese State
Jensen, Marcel, Fresno State
Jordan, Reginald (Reggie), Missouri Western State
*Leonard, A.C., Tennessee State
*Lyerla, Colt, Oregon
Lynch, Arthur, Georgia
*Murphy, Jake, Utah
Najvar, Jordan, Baylor
*Niklas, Troy, Notre Dame
Pedersen, Jacob (Jake), Wisconsin
*Rodgers, Richard, California
*Seferian-Jenkins, Austin, Washington
Tialavea, Donald (D.J.), Utah State

WIDE RECEIVERS
Abbrederis, Jared, Wisconsin
*Adams, Davante, Fresno State
*Beckham, Odell, Louisiana State
*Benjamin, Kelvin, Florida State
*Boyd, Christopher, Vanderbilt
Brown, Corey (Philly), Ohio State
Brown, John, Pittsburg State
*Bryant, Martavis, Clemson
Burse, Isaiah, Fresno State
Campanaro, Michael, Wake Forest
*Coleman, Brandon, Rutgers
Colter, Theodis (Kain), Northwestern
*Cooks, Brandin, Oregon State
Copeland, Damian, Louisville
Davis, Michael (Mike), Texas
*Ellington, Bruce, South Carolina
Enunwa, Onochie (Quincy), Nebraska
*Evans, Mike, Texas A&M
Evans, Shaquelle (Shaq), UCLA
Fowler, Bennie, Michigan State
*Franklin, Austin, New Mexico State
Gallon, Jeremy, Michigan
Grant, Ryan, Tulane
Hazel, Charles (Matt), Coastal Carolina
Herron, Robert, Wyoming
Hoffman, Cody, Brigham Young
Huff, Joshua (Josh), Oregon
Hurns, Allen, Miami
Janis, Jeffrey (Jeff), Saginaw Valley State
Jones, Tailer (T.J.), Notre Dame
*Landry, Jarvis, Louisiana State
*Latimer, Cody, Indiana
*Lee, Marqise, Southern California
Lucas, Marcus, Missouri
Matthews, Jordan, Vanderbilt
*Moncrief, Donte, Mississippi
Norwood, Kevin, Alabama
Powell, Walter (Walt), Murray State
Reese, Tevin, Baylor
*Richardson, Paul, Colorado
*Robinson, Allen, Penn State
Saunders, Jalen, Oklahoma
*Snead, Willie, Ball State
*Stewart, Josh, Oklahoma State
Street, Devin, Pittsburgh
Washington, L'Damian, Missouri
* Watkins, Sammy, Clemson
Wilson, Albert, Georgia State

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Armstrong, Matthew (Matt), Grand Valley State
Bitonio, Joel, Nevada
*Bodine, Russell, North Carolina
Boffell, Conor, Iowa
Britt, Justin, Missouri
Dozier, Dakota, Furman
Edwards, Kadeem, Tennessee State
Feiler, Matt, Bloomsburg
*Fleming, Cameron, Stanford
Fulton, Zachery (Zach), Tennessee
Groy, Ryan, Wisconsin
Halapio, Jonathan (Jon), Florida
Harrison, Jonotthan, Florida
Henderson, Seantrel, Miami
Hurst, James, North Carolina
Ikard, Gabriel (Gabe), Oklahoma
Jackson, Gabriel, Mississippi State
James, Ja'Wuan, Tennessee
Johnson, Wesley, Vanderbilt
*Kouandijo, Cyrus, Alabama
Larsen, Tyler, Utah State
Leno, Charles, Boise State
Lewan, Taylor, Michigan
Linder, Brandon, Miami
Linsley, Corey, Ohio State
Long, Spencer, Nebraska
Lucas, Cornelius (Luke), Kansas State
*Martin, Marcus, Southern California
Martin, Zachary (Zack), Notre Dame
Matthews, Jacob (Jake), Texas A&M
Mewhort, Jack, Ohio State
Moses, Morgan, Virginia
Paradis, Matthew (Matt), Boise State
Patchan, Matthew (Matt), Boston College
*Richardson, Antonio, Tennessee
Richardson, Cyril, Baylor
Richburg, Weston, Colorado State
*Robinson, Greg, Auburn
Schofield, Michael, Michigan
Steen, Anthony, Alabama
Stone, James, Tennessee
Stork, Bryan, Florida State
*Su'a-Filo, Xavier, UCLA
Swanson, Travis, Arkansas
Thomas, Brandon, Clemson
*Turner, Trai, Louisiana State
Turner, William (Billy), North Dakota State
Urschel, John, Penn State
Watt, Christopher (Chris), Notre Dame
*Yankey, David, Stanford

DEFENSIVE ENDS / NOSE TACKLES (3-4 & 4-3)
Carrethers, Ryan, Arkansas State
Clarke, William, West Virginia
*Clowney, Jadeveon, South Carolina
*Crichton, Scott, Oregon State
*Ealy, Kony, Missouri
Edeball, Kasim, Boston College
Enemkpall, Kemefuna (I.K.), Louisiana Tech
Ford, Donald (Dee), Auburn
Gayle, Jacon (James), Virginia Tech
Hart, Taylor, Oregon
Jeffcoat, Jackson, Texas
*Jernigan, Timmy, Florida State
Jones, Howard, Shepherd
Kerr, Zachariah (Zach), Delaware
*Lawrence, Demarcus, Boise State
*Lynch, Aaron, South Florida
Manumaleuna, Eathyn, Brigham Young
Marsh, Cassius, UCLA
Martin, Kareem, North Carolina
Mauro, Joshua (Josh), Stanford
Mims, Tevin, South Florida
Moore, Zachary (Zach), Concordia
Newsome, Jonathan, Ball State
*Nix, Louis, Notre Dame
*Pagan, Jeoffrey, Alabama
Ramsey, Kaleb, Boston College
Sam, Michael, Missouri
Smith, Chris, Arkansas
Smith, Marcus, Louisville
Stinson, Edward (Ed), Alabama
*Tuitt, Stephon, Notre Dame
*Uko, George, Southern California
Webster, Larry, Bloomsburg
Westbrooks, Ethan, West Texas A&M

DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Bromley, Jason (Jay), Syracuse
Coleman, Deandre, California
Donald, Aaron, Pittsburgh
Easley, Dominique, Florida
Ellis, Justin, Louisiana Tech
*Ferguson, Ego, Louisiana State
Hageman, Ra'Shede, Minnesota
Hyder, Kerry, Texas Tech
*Johnson, Anthony, Louisiana State
Jones, DaQuan, Penn State
McCullers, Daniel (Dan), Tennessee
Palepoi, Tenny, Utah
Pennel, Michael (Mike), Colorado State - Pueblo
*Quarles, Kelcy, South Carolina
Reid, Caraun, Princeton
Stephen, Shamar, Connecticut
Sutton, William (Will), Arizona State
Thomas, Robert, Arkansas
Thornton, Khyri, Southern Mississippi
Urban, Brent, Virginia
Whaley, Christopher (Chris), Texas
Wynn, Kerry, Richmond

LINEBACKERS
Attaochu, Jeremiah (Jerry), Georgia Tech
Barr, Anthony, UCLA
Barrow, Lamin, Louisiana State
Borland, Christopher (Chris), Wisconsin
Bradford, Carl, Arizona State
Brown, Jonathan, Illinois
Brown, Michael (Preston), Louisville
Bullough, Max, Michigan State
*Fortt, Khairi, California
George, Jeremiah, Iowa State
Hitchens, Anthony, Iowa
Hubbard, Adrian, Alabama
Jackson, Andrew (Drew), Western Kentucky
Jones, Christian, Florida State
Kennard, Devon, Southern California
Kirksey, Christian (Chris), Iowa
Lokombo, Boseko, Oregon
Mack, Khalil, Buffalo
Morris, James, Iowa
Mosley, Clinton (C.J.), Alabama
Murphy, Trenton (Trent), Stanford
Pierre-Louis, Kevin, Boston College
*Powell, Ronald, Florida
Reilly, Trevor, Utah
*Shazier, Ryan, Ohio State
Shembo, Prince, Notre Dame
Skov, Shayne, Stanford
*Smallwood, Yawin, Connecticut
Smith, Telvin, Florida State
Starr, Tyler, South Dakota
Tripp, Jordan (Jordie), Montana
Unga, Devin (Uani'), Brigham Young
Van Noy, Kyle, Brigham Young
Williamson, Avery, Kentucky
Zumwalt, Jordan, UCLA

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Alexander, Maurice (Mo), Utah State
Allen, Ricardo, Purdue
Bailey, Dion, Southern California
Belue, Deion, Alabama
Benwikere, Bene', San Jose State
Berhe, Natneal (Nat), San Diego State
Boston, Jayestin (Tre), North Carolina
*Breeland, Bashaud, Clemson
Brooks, Terrence, Florida State
Bucannon, Deone, Washington State
Carrie, Travis (T.J.), Ohio
*Clinton-Dix, Ha'Sean (Ha Ha), Alabama
Cockrell, Ross, Duke
Colvin, Aaron, Oklahoma
Davis, Christopher (Chris), Auburn
Dennard, Darqueze, Michigan State
Desir, Pierre, Lindenwood
Dixon, Ahmad (A.D.), Baylor
Dixon, Brandon, Northwest Missouri State
*Dowling, Jonathan, Western Kentucky
Exum, Antone, Virginia Tech
Fuller, Kyle, Virginia Tech
Gaines, Edwin (E.J.), Missouri
Gaines, Phillip, Rice
Gilbert, Justin, Oklahoma State
Goodson, Demetri (Meech), Baylor
Hal, Andre (Dre), Vanderbilt
*Hampton, Victor, South Carolina
Huff, Marqueston, Wyoming
Jackson, Bennett, Notre Dame
James, Kendall, Maine
Jean-Baptiste, Stanley (Stan), Nebraska
Johnson, Dontae, North Carolina State
Joyner, Lamarcus, Florida State
Ladler, Kenneth (Kenny), Vanderbilt
Lawson, Nevin (Nevo), Utah State
Lewis, Isaiah, Michigan State
Loston, Craig, Louisiana State
McDougle, Dexter (Dex), Maryland
McGill, Keith, Utah
*Mitchell, Terrance, Oregon
Price, Jabari, North Carolina
*Pryor, Calvin, Louisville
*Purifoy, Loucheiz, Florida
Reaser, Keith, Florida Atlantic
*Reynolds, Ed, Stanford
Reynolds, Rashaad, Oregon State
*Roberson, Marcus, Florida
*Roby, Bradley, Ohio State
Sorensen, Daniel, Brigham Young
Southward, Dezmen (Dez), Wisconsin
*Sunseri, Vinnie, Alabama
Thomas, Jemea, Georgia Tech
Vereen, Brock, Minnesota
Verrett, Jason, Texas Christian
Ward, Jimmie, Northern Illinois
Washington, Todd, Southeastern Louisiana
Watkins, Jaylen, Florida
Westbrooks, Lavelle, Georgia Southern

LONG SNAPPER
Heit, Marcus, Kansas State

PUNTERS
Clark, Steven, Auburn
Hocker, Zachary (Zach), Arkansas
Hornsey, Thomas (Tom), Memphis
Leone, Richard (Richie), Houston
Mandell, Cody, Alabama
O'Donnell, Patrick (Pat), Miami

KICKERS
Boswell, Christopher (Chris), Rice
Fera, Anthony, Texas
Santos, Cairo, Tulane

Draft Notes and Thoughts Post Super Bowl

The 2013-14 NFL season is in the books.  The record setting offensive juggernaut that was the Denver Broncos was eaten up alive by the swarming Seattle Seahawks defense.  Some may argue that it was a boring Super Bowl.  I beg to differ.  It was disappointing from a competition standpoint, but it was entertaining nonetheless.  My money was on the Seattle Seahawks for two reasons: a great defense trumps a great offense and as a life long Raider fan, there was no way I could remotely want them to win....even with Peyton Manning.  Some thoughts, musings on the Super Bowl and a mock draft to boot.

* Congrats to Pete Carroll.  As a USC alum, irregardless of how he left the program, I was happy to see him raise up the Lombardi trophy.  It was evident that his coaching philosophy stayed intact in the pro game. That philosophy: Always compete.  Carroll is a huge proponent of competition and that idea permeates into every decision, practice and game he is involved in.  Here's a story about Carroll in a nutshell regarding competition: When Desean Jackson was being recruited out of Long Beach Poly, he wanted to be guaranteed a starting spot if he chose SC.  Pete balked saying that he'd have to compete for the position just like everyone else.  Jackson ended up choosing Cal.  The idea of non-preferential treatment in the pro game may sound like an ill-fit, what with young entitled millionaires, but taking that stance has allowed many players like SB MVP Malcolm Smith to rise up to the occasion.

* The ongoing narrative going into the Combine and free agency is going to be how Seahawks GM John Schneider built that team since he took over in 2010.  In 3 years, Pete Carroll and Schneider completely overhauled that roster, with almost 300 player transactions in their first year alone.  The Raiders and GM Reggie McKenzie have improved in the area of checking out street free agents and bringing in players for workouts.  Now that the Raiders have pulled themselves out of salary cap purgatory, it will be interesting to see how Oakland builds their foreseeable future.

* The NFL is a copy cat league.  The other 31 teams and their personnel guys are going to be looking for certain components that emulate the Super Bowl champs.  Expect big cornerbacks and physical running backs to be talked up during the draft and free agency.  That means a guy like Ohio State's Carlos Hyde might have his stock elevate just for the simple reason that he fits the Marshawn Lynch mold more so than Auburn's Tre Mason or Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey.  Same goes for defensive backs like Nebraska's Stanley Jean-Baptiste and Utah's Keith McGill who were constantly mentioned during Senior Bowl week.  This could skew a lot of scouts to put more weight on the size of the player versus the overall skill set.  A name to keep in mind is former FSU standout and current CFL All-Star Patrick Watkins.  His last season in the NFL was in 2010, but his size (6'5" 225lbs) could garner him some frequent flyer miles during free agency.

As for a physical workhorse back, LSU's Jeremy Hill is a powerful downhill runner who has a running style similar to Eddie Lacy and Legarette Blount.  Hill may work his way into Day 2, but either way, there are some talented and productive RBs in this draft.

* I couldn't help but think that Johnny Manziel's stock went up because of Russell Wilson's play in the Super Bowl.  Because of Wilson's size and skill set, many draft sites and scouts have called Manziel a less mature version of Russell Wilson.  I don't know if that's an accurate assessment, but interesting nonetheless.  Maturity is a huge factor in the NFL, especially when a team is throwing tens of millions of dollars at college kids.  The two are borderline 6' tall (I expect Manziel to measure in under 6' at Indy), are good throwing on the run outside the pocket, and have arms capable of making all the necessary throws.  But that's where the comparisons stop for me.  There's a big difference between Johnny Manziel out on the town kicking it with Rick Ross late night versus a picture of Wilson and his wife visiting sick kids in a hospital.  Sure Manziel has that competitive fire, but at least for the Raiders, he's too much of a wild card to warrant a top 5 pick.

* Sticking to the Seahawks, I'm sure a lot of Raider fans will be comparing Reggie McKenzie to John Schneider seeing as how both guys are disciples of former GM Ron Wolf and current GM Ted Thompson.  Schneider was higher up in the pecking order as the Director of Football operations for 2 years before taking the Seattle position.  Raider fans need to remember that McKenzie's situation in Oakland has been vastly different than Schneider's in Seattle. As much as he was responsible for the draft moves and free agent acquisitions, Pete Carroll was just as instrumental in making sure Schneider went out and got his type of guys.  If you look at that roster, there is a trend amongst positions, such as DEs Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and Chris Clemons all filling a specific Carroll-based mold.  I don't know that there is such synergy between coach and GM in Oakland, mostly because Dennis Allen and Pete Carroll are nowhere near the same caliber coach.

* If there is anything for the Raiders to take away from Seattle, its that GM Reggie McKenzie could afford to take on that "leave no stone unturned" mentality when it comes to rebuilding the roster with the $60M plus cap room they'll have this offseason.  We all know by now that McKenzie will probably take a judicious and frugal approach to free agency, but that's where they will trust their player evaluations and scouting.

* Matt Miller, one of the few legit writers on B/R released his 7 round mock draft earlier today post Super Bowl.  Here's what matters:

• Round 1: QB Blake Bortles UCF
• Round 2: OG David Yankey Stanford
• Round 3: RB Ka'Deem Carey Arizona
• Round 4: DE Marcus Smith Louisville
• Round 6: DT Jay Bromley Syracuse
• Round 7a: WR Michael Campanaro Wake Forest
• Round 7b: CB Ricardo Allen Purdue

Not a bad looking haul....not bad at all.  My hope for the Raiders is that they can maneuver in the draft for value and additional picks, just only if its for the reason of tapping into the record 98 underclassmen in this draft.  But if the draft played out this way, I don't know that many Raiders fans would have much to complain about.  Bortles has extremely high upside and all the attributes of a franchise-caliber QB.  Many are comparing him to Andrew Luck and Ben Roethlisberger, but I see a little more Ryan Tannehill in his game.  Yankey may be underrated (or overrated) at this juncture, but he was the best linemen in one of the top offensive line groups in the BCS.  Ka'Deem Carey is an ultra-productive RB who has the skill-sets to translate over well into the next level.  Marcus Smith and Jay Bromley are both sleepers who are very athletic getting to the QB.  

* Started watching some Stanford games from this season on the DVR. The obvious prospect who gets the most play in draft circles and sites is Trent Murphy mainly with a little bit of S Ed Reynolds.  The guys I'm watching is DE Ben Gardner with the idea of mid round picks who present value.  Gardner is a beast and has the prototypical size at the position.  Some may argue that he's not an explosive player, but he's got a relentless motor and is very strong at the point of attack.  I'd love to see him get picked up in the middle rounds.

* There was a report on Pro Football Talk in regards to the Raiders being interested in Matt Schaub.  I'm sure that it was met with groans from a lot of Raiders fans, but outside of this season, Matt Schaub has been a very good starting QB.  The season before last in 2012, Schaub had a QB rating of over 90 with over 4K yards passing.  A lot of things went wrong in Houston this past season, but the finger can't be pointed solely at Schaub.  A career 64% passer with a QB rating of 90 (this including his 3 years backing up Mike Vick in ATL) would be a welcomed addition on any team.  Adding a veteran like Schaub would be a frugal move on the Raiders' part, not to mention getting him at a good price while his perceived stock is down.

What an addition like Schaub would also do is give the Raiders some flexibility in the draft.  With guys like Teddy Bridgewater, Johhny Manziel and Blake Bortles all vying to be drafted in the top 5 picks, there will be value with the Raiders pick.  They can either sit and take the best non-QB available, like OT Greg Robinson, LB Khalil Mack, WR Sammy Watkins, OT Jake Matthews (even possibly have a shot at Jadaveon Clowney) or use that pick to trade down and increase their draft haul.

* I had mocked Aaron Donald of Pitt to the Raiders in the 2nd round back in December, and after a strong Senior Bowl week, its look more and more like Donald will be gone by then.  Enter Arizona State Will Sutton.  Sutton got a lot of flack from different media outlets that covered the week of practices and even ended up on a few lists as a Senior Bowl disappointment.  Sutton to his credit made a couple of splash plays on game day.  Sutton and Donald are similar type athletes as undersized but extremely active DTs.  Their height (or lack thereof) is a positive for both players because their leverage allows them to win the point of attack and is rarely pushed back. The problem for Sutton this season has been the 25 lbs extra he put on prior to this college season by instruction from the coaching staff.  For a player who relies on snap anticipation and a quick first step, the extra weight has been painfully noticeable.  Sutton has already vowed to be back at his fighting weight, so for a better gauge on him as a draft prospect, watch 2012 game cut ups versus 2013.

Latest mock will be up later this week.

New Asst. Special Teams Coach

Formerly with the Cowboys...

Chris Boniol will join the Oakland staff and work under Bobby April.

Schaub?

Some rumors that Matt Schaub may get a look as a No. 2 QB for Oakland in 2014, at the most competing for the starting job.

http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2014/02/03/oakland-raiders-rumors-team-to-pursue-matt-schaub/

Defensive Backs Coaches

Former Minnesota Vikings DB Coach Joe Woods and former Detroit Lions DB Coach Marcus Robertson will join the Raiders staff.  Word is that Robertson will serve as Asst. DB Coach.

Fun With Simulators

If you're bored, by all means try Fanspeak's On The Clock...updated weekly without any ridiculous trade down opportunities that seem to never end! 

http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/