Monday Morning with DA: Post @ San Diego

Thanks to RAIDERCENTRAL on YouTube for the clip:

ATO: 12.12.13

Allen, Tarver & Olson Press Conference for vs. Kansas City Week:



Thanks to RaiderCentral on YouTube

Wrench in the Works

The one player who could really set the 2014 NFL Draft off is University of Central Florida QB Blake Bortles.

Reports say that he's about 70% sure that he'll be coming out for the draft.  The NFL Draft Advisory Board will likely give Bortles a favorable grade...probably a 1st or 2nd Round, but it's likely he will be drafted somewhere in the Top 15 picks if not higher.

If you haven't seen Bortles play, he is a very good player and has a lot of versatility in his QB play.  He and the Knights will take on what could be their biggest challenge this season in the Baylor Bears in the Fiesta Bowl.  UCF and Baylor will play at 5:30 pm PT on New Years Day, live from Glendale, AZ.

He could also very well be the Raider pick in the 1st Round should he be available in the Oakland slot.  A solid Bowl performance, in what should be a shootout, could help persuade McKenzie and Olson to go after the kid.

BoJack's Mock Draft 12.12.13

Losing a must win game versus the Jets, the Raiders could very well end up with a pick in the top 5.  Just like last season where GM Reggie McKenzie traded down to gain an additional 2nd round pick, I can realistically see a couple of teams wanting to leapfrog into the position to take a coveted player, especially if there's a QB slotted at the position.  McKenzie in contrast may have coveted players but will always have his line open for GMs calling to trade for additional picks (unless of course that player is Derek Carr and McKenzie is sold on him).  The Raiders could drop 4-5 slots, still get their man and add an additional pick in the top 64.

1st Round: WR Sammy Watkins - Clemson - Sammy Watkins is an electric playmaker who's a threat to score every time he touches the ball.  He would give the Raiders offense a shot in the arm with his deep speed and velcro hands.  Watkins is a very smooth receiver who has some of the best run after the catch ability of any WR to come out in the last couple of drafts.  His ability to snatch the ball out of the air gives him an impressive catch radius and because of that he plays a lot bigger than his size.  Watkins had a rough 2012 off the field but he seems to have matured this season.  Watkins could very well be gone by the time the Raiders pick in the 10-15 range, but stranger things have happened.  Player Comparison: Torrey Smith - Ravens  Alternate Pick: WR Marqise Lee - USC

2nd Round: DT Aaron Donald - Pitt -Tweener was a bad word once in the NFL, but with today's pass heavy offenses, defenses want their linemen to be quick and versatile.  Donald's lack of ideal measurables are made up by his ability to use his leverage and quickness to win battles at the point of attack.  He's surprisingly strong, with the ability to generate good power in his hands and displays a good assortment of pass rush moves.  Donald has a great motor, and evidenced by his 22.5 tackles for loss this season, he'd be a great weapon for the attacking style of defense DC Jason Tarver has employed for much of this season.  Pairing him next to Houston would pose a matchup nightmare for opposing offenses.  Player Comparison: DT Geno Atkins - Bengals  Alternate Pick: DT Will Sutton - Arizona State

2nd Round: RB Bishop Sankey - Washington - There are bigger names with gaudier stats than Sankey, but he would be a great addition to the Raiders offense.  Sankey is a true 3 down runningback, contributing to the passing game either out of the backfield or in pass protection.  Sankey has a great blend of quickness, vision and balance and he makes positive plays after initial contact.  He has the goods to be either a RBC or a bonafide starter.  One of my favorite players in this draft.  Player Comparison: Maurice Jones-Drew - Jaguars  Alternate Pick: TE C.J. Fiedorowicz - Iowa

3rd Round: DE Shilique Calhoun - Michigan State - Redshirt sophomore Calhoun is a very explosive edge rusher who may end up staying at MSU to bolster his draft status and let his body mature with his already uber-athletic skill set.  As a defensive end, Calhoun has 3 defensive touchdowns this season to go with 14 TFL and 7.5 sacks.  His athleticism and quickness allows him the ability to drop back and make plays in the open field to go along with his edge rushing.  Calhoun's upside is huge. Player Comparison: Olivier Vernon - Dolphins  Alternate Pick: OG Gabe Jackson - Mississippi State

4th Round: CB Aaron Colvin - Oklahoma - Physical defensive back with good size at the position.  Colvin is a tough corner who plays well in coverage and against the run.  His strength allows him to jam WRs effectively at the line of scrimmage.  Colvin could be a higher rated prospect if he can cut down his mental mistakes.  His aggressiveness has gotten him into trouble in the past with pass interference penalties, especially in the bigger games.  Player Comparison: Cary Williams - Eagles  Alternate Pick: CB Keith McGill - Utah

6th Round: TE Kaneakua Friel - BYU - Friel went from being buried in the depth chart to becoming a solid contributor in the Cougars passing game this season.  He has the strength to run tackles after the catch and is a willing blocker.

7th Round: OG Spencer Long - Nebraska - Former walk-on turned team captain Spencer Long has been a long time fixture of the Huskers OL, having played both tackle and guard in his career.  Long moves well from his right guard position, with good lateral movement and the quickness to pull on run blocks.  He isn't very athletic and needs to work on not being such a waist-bender, where he then tends to reach and lunge, losing his balance and ending up on the ground.  He needs to improve on his technique and getting stronger at the point of attack.  Long's definitely a try hard guy and could become a better player than many think he will be.  His mid-season knee injury drops his draft stock.

Depth

With a team already weak on depth, all the late injuries here in December aren't helping Oakland at all...(though the return of Veldheer has been huge thus far).

The turnovers in your own territory, the blocked punts, the missed field goals...the Raiders aren't good enough to overcome these mistakes.  It falls on the players making poor decisions and not making plays, but there's something to be said for the coaching staff as well.  It felt like a question of motivation early...then again, it could have just been a lack of focus on the road...either way it's a perfect storm for the Raiders right now.  QBs struggling to be consistent and a Raider defense that is faltering down the stretch, having a tough time getting off the field on 3rd down.

The 2014 1st Round pick is getting higher and higher...looking like a Top 5 pick, considering the rest of the Oakland schedule.

Nelson Mandela

Forever At Peace

1918 - 2013

11.28.13 Mock Draft: RaiderAg

After the loss to Dallas...the Raiders sit 4-8, with tough sledding ahead to end the season, including @ NY Jets, vs. Chiefs, @ San Diego and vs. Broncos.  Oakland could very well go 4-12, securing them a spot in the Top 6 of the 2014 NFL Draft (most likely).  It will put them in an interesting position for the Draft.  The two top prospects appear to be Bridgewater and Clowney, and barring some interview meltdown from Clowney...they will both likely go 1, 2 either one way or the other.  After the top 2 clear, it gets interesting as different teams have different needs and draft philosophies.  Barr, Matthews, Mariota, Evans, Lewan, Watkins...even Khalil Mack all are good prospects and the case could be made for them going to a variety of teams in the top quarter of the 1st Round.

So, there lies the interesting scenario for the Raiders, who have needs and depth concerns at most positions and could use a trade down...YET, they lack star power and need to replace the face of the franchise as McFadden will no doubt be gone after this season.  What will the Raiders do?

Knowing Reggie McKenzie, he'll try to trade down unless a premium pass rush prospect like Barr, or possibly Mack, is available.  With Veldheer back on the mend and Watson/Pashos and possibly Barnes on the right side, they have no immediate need at tackle, assuming all's well come opening day of 2014.  They have needs at OG, but drafting a David Yankey that early might be a stretch.  WR/TE would be the biggest offensive need that early in the draft obviously.  Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans are the two "elite" prospects at this point in the draft, but Reggie doesn't like underclassmen who declare early.  TEs Amaro and Ebron are also underclassmen.  McKenzie typically goes for players entering the draft following their 4th or 5th years in college.  A wide receiver like Jordan Matthews comes to mind, or even a RJr. like Rutgers' Brandon Coleman...but again, too soon in the Draft for such names.

If the elite prospects outside are gone by the time Oakland picks...an inside presence like Ra'Shede Hageman would be intriguing.  Notre Dame's Louis Nix III offers a strong, disruptive anchor inside to backup or supplant Pat Sims.

Secondary?  Mike Jenkins, Tracy Porter, now out-for-the-season 1st Round CB D.J. Hayden, Phillip Adams, Chimdi Chekwa, a currently injured Tyvon Branch, Brandian Ross, an aging Charles Woodson, Usama Young...Taiwan Jones?  A mix of old and young, talented and career backup...but all relatively versatile, could the Raiders double dip in back to back drafts with a CB prospect...say Oregon's Ekpre-Olomu, TCU's Verrett or possibly Michigan State's Dennard?

Consolation pass rushers like Trent Murphy or even Utah's Trevor Reilly...and watch out for dark horses like Kony Ealy and Michael Sam, both from Mizzou...all in the mix as Oakland needs to find a way to get to the quarterback without blitzing in 2014.

It's a tough call...and it doesn't even cover the quarterback situation.  Derek Carr, Hundley, Boyd...they'll all be sitting there to be taken ala E.J. Manuel, question is will the Raider coaching staff be taken by any of them to warrant a 1st Round pick?  Pryor had his chance and got dethroned by an UDFA in Matt McGloin, it's anybody's game at quarterback for Oakland in 2014.

Put all the speculation aside, time to mock.

This scenario calls for Oakland choosing 6th Overall (projection).  Rankings and draft slots are estimated from CBS Sports...and those estimates are within reason based on my own judgment.  This mock also assumes Allen, Olson and Tarver return for another year...THE year to prove themselves as a coaching staff: Link

Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but with the depth of this draft, I'll go out on a limb and say Reggie finds a trade partner...dropping Oakland into the 7-15 draft pick range.  For this scenario, Oakland only gains a 2nd round pick in the 2014 Draft.

1st Round:  OG David Yankey - Stanford

Depth and improvement at OG are needed for the Raiders.  An injured for the year Bergstrom, a banged up Brisiel and a sub-par duo of Nix and Gurode have basically been the starting Raider Guards this season.  Quite possibly, the worst in the NFL.  Yankey is strong, aggressive, smart and technically sound...Sparano would be beside himself to see this upgrade become part of the roster.

2nd Round:  OLB Trevor Reilly - Utah
DC Jason Tarver requires versatility and aggressiveness.  Reilly has both of these in spades.  In the mold of Stanford's Trent Murphy, Reilly has been a consistent force for the Utes over the past two seasons.  He can put his hand in the ground, blitz, drop in coverage, he does it all, and his frame is a tremendous building block.

2nd Round:  CB Kyle Fuller - Virginia Tech

A fearless, hard nosed cornerback.  Adams and Ross need to be weeded off this roster, if not, challenged for their paychecks.  Also, Porter and Jenkins aren't getting any younger...in today's NFL with the pass controlling the game, cover men who aren't afraid to tackle are a necessity.

3rd Round:  WR Devin Street - Pitt

Tall, sure handed receiver who has been a primarly outlet for Savage and the Pitt offense over the past 3 seasons.  Recently sidelined with an ankle injury, but he has a lot of ability and the Raiders need playmakers.

4th Round:  CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste - Nebraska

I'd be surprised if Pete Carroll doesn't draft Jean-Baptiste by the 4th Round, but let's say he doesn't.  Jean-Baptiste provides a tall, strong bodied frame who is physical in man-to-man coverage...sometimes too physical.  He has potential to spread his athleticism all over the field in Tarver's scheme, who need tall, talented CBs to cover the big targets in the AFC West.

6th Round:  OT Billy Turner - North Dakota State

A big reason why the Bison continue their thunderous reign of the FCS.  Turner is a violent, physical beast at left tackle who excels in space.  Should the Pashos/Barnes/Watson committee at right tackle falter, then bringing in Turner to compete or take the backup/starting role could prove valuable down the stretch of 2014.

7th Round:  OG Spencer Long - Nebraska

Value pick.  Long may heal from his knee injury and show enough to get drafted earlier, but we'll say he's still available here.  The Raiders need talented linemen to keep pounding the rock.  Long will take a little time, but he could payoff down the road.

7th Round (from Arizona, Carson Palmer trade):  DT Beau Allen - Wisconsin
The big man inside...primed to do all the dirty work he has to to free up the linebackers to make plays.  Should be a good backup in 3-4 sets...nobody behind Pat Sims can really do what Pat Sims does, but Allen can certainly eat up blockers, but what is good about him is that he's not just a leaner like McCullers, he uses his eyes and hands effectively.  Love his effort.

Mock Draft 11.28.13: DustInTheWind

1st Round:  DE Trent Murphy -- Stanford 
Only thing I want to say about him is this quote from an SI article: "I put my hand [on] the ground, get my hips up in the air and it's like I'm going hunting," said the fifth-year senior. "I'm going after something.  There's an end point I'm trying to get to, and there's someone trying to stop me. It's man versus man.  It's my favorite thing to do." 

2nd Round:  RB Andre Williams -- Boston College
Williams is putting up numbers we haven't seen the likes of since Barry Sanders was running wild for Oklahoma State.  Not saying he will ever be the player Sanders is or was, just that the numbers he is putting up as RB in this day and age of college ball is VERY impressive.  I know a lot of Raider fans are fine moving forward with just Jennings, but I would feel much more comfortable with the addition of someone like Williams to our mix of guys.  Between Williams, Jennings, and the healing Latavius Murray we would have a solid group of guys that could pound the rock like few teams are capable of.  Also has the feel of a RM guy - seems humble, level headed and mature off the field.  Writing a book, reads poetry and studies philosophy in his spare time. 

3rd Round:  OG Anthony Steen -- Alabama 
Heard some concern about shorter arms than some would like.  Hopefully, this causes him to drop for Oakland as he's a beast and has been helping open running lanes for Yeldon all year long. 

4th Round:  FS Terrence Brooks -- Florida State
Reminds me of my favorite safety ever - Sean Taylor - and if he's even half the player that he was, the Raiders will be getting their eventual replacement for Woodson. 

6th Round:  WR Eric Ward -- Texas Tech 
I wanted to select a WR in the Top 100 picks but it didn't work out and I expect to see Streater continue to become the Oakland bonafide starter.  I'm also hanging onto a thread of hope that Criner will figure it out and contribute.  Until then Oakland needs a quality slot receiver to work with Streater, Rivera, and the #2 (free agent or Denarius Moore?). 

7th Round:  OG John Urschel -- Penn State 
Seems like a RM pick.  Solid contributor on the field and seems like a great person off.  Would fill much needed depth for interior line.  Obtained his BS in Mathematics in 3 years with a 4.0 GPA and finished his Master's Degree in Mathematics all before the Draft.

7th Round (AZ trade):  CB Qua Cox -- Jackson State 
Touted as a great man-to-man cover guy and his physical game shows up on film.  With some unknowns as far as who might be re-signed from our current guys it wouldn't hurt to add a guy like Cox that has a chance of developing into a potential starter.

Gobble Gobble...

...make Romo hobble.

Well it's Turkey week, and the Raiders have the opportunity, as the World's Team, to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.  Let's Go Oakland!

Get that All-Iron Award ready for a Raider.

Here's the OC/DC press conference from Olson and Tarver.  Coach Allen also speaks.


Thank you RaiderCentral.