Everything Gridiron

[Demographic Shift]

Looks like this AP guy was right all along. Dennis Allen has been fired.

Getting fired in Oakland by either Al Davis or now his son Al Lite is as common as jammed subway cars at Bloor/Yonge at 5:30PM. The Raiders have become the 1970 - 1980's Clippers. Zany owner... turnstile coaching moves and draft picks that just don't work out. The black and sliver need something and its not a coaching change.

[Axel]

Getting fired in Oakland by either Al Davis or now his son Al Lite is as common as jammed subway cars at Bloor/Yonge at 5:30PM. The Raiders have become the 1970 - 1980's Clippers. Zany owner... turnstile coaching moves and draft picks that just don't work out. The black and sliver need something and its not a coaching change.

New owner is the answer. A new GM is also needed but that is just a band-aid solution.

[Bendit]

I remember that Al Davis (the elder) would do the drafting ala Jerry Jones. AD did have a pedigree of success when he was younger I hear. Wonder if his son drafts too. Therein lies a major problem. Interference by ownership.

[Demographic Shift]

I remember that Al Davis (the elder) would do the drafting ala Jerry Jones. AD did have a pedigree of success when he was younger I hear. Wonder if his son drafts too. Therein lies a major problem. Interference by ownership.

The black and silver are still digging out from the last years of the General Managing Partner (aka dictator) Al Davis. He did make some picks in the 70's and 80's that were gold but since then.. pretty poor.

The sinking of the black and sliver started with the drafting of JaMarcus (Fumble) Russell .. then came Darren perpetually injured McFadden (just bad luck as he is a quality player) .. then the boneheaded trading two .. TWO .. first rounders for Carson Palmer whom they promptly dumped to Arizona for pennies on the dollar ... the love of the vertical passing game resulted in the drafting of wideouts with 9 flat speed in the 100 but they also came with 10 flat fingers.... Its going to take about 4 years to get out from under and Al jr. has to sit in his luxury box and trust the player personnel guys.. if not it will likely result in groundhog day.

[Axel]

The black and silver are still digging out from the last years of the General Managing Partner (aka dictator) Al Davis. He did make some picks in the 70's and 80's that were gold but since then.. pretty poor.

The sinking of the black and sliver started with the drafting of JaMarcus (Fumble) Russell .. then came Darren perpetually injured McFadden (just bad luck as he is a quality player) .. then the boneheaded trading two .. TWO .. first rounders for Carson Palmer whom they promptly dumped to Arizona for pennies on the dollar ... the love of the vertical passing game resulted in the drafting of wideouts with 9 flat speed in the 100 but they also came with 10 flat fingers.... Its going to take about 4 years to get out from under and Al jr. has to sit in his luxury box and trust the player personnel guys.. if not it will likely result in groundhog day.

Problem is, the current GM traded picks for Matt Flynn (cut), Matt Schaub (yet to play); both high picks. Then used their cap space to sign "veteran leaders" like Justin Tuck who doesn't seem capable of playing at a high level while letting their own 2 best players leave in free agency.

[Mack North]

The Raiders had problems way before they drafted JaMarcus. How do you think they ended up with the number 1 that year?

That organization is making my Cowboys look good, and we have a pretty bad GM ourselves. I would like to see the Raiders do well again, I just don't see how that's possible until a new owner is in there. Didn't the players just vote like a month ago and say that is the least desirable destination??

[Demographic Shift]

Problem is, the current GM traded picks for Matt Flynn (cut), Matt Schaub (yet to play); both high picks. Then used their cap space to sign "veteran leaders" like Justin Tuck who doesn't seem capable of playing at a high level while letting their own 2 best players leave in free agency.

Reggie McKenzie gave up a 5th for Matt Flynn.. and a 6th for Schaub... not to steep a price and not picks that would hurt them.
Jury's out on Tuck.. its his first year.
McKenzie has got to be a patient man and somewhat of a magician to get out from underneath what he inherited. Still think it takes 4 or 5 years to get Oakland back to relevance.

[Demographic Shift]

The Raiders had problems way before they drafted JaMarcus. How do you think they ended up with the number 1 that year?

That organization is making my Cowboys look good, and we have a pretty bad GM ourselves. I would like to see the Raiders do well again, I just don't see how that's possible until a new owner is in there. Didn't the players just vote like a month ago and say that is the least desirable destination??

Al still calling the shots back in 2007 when they took Russell.. Rumour is he ate the wonderlich test :-) after he failed it. Bad bad choice there with number 1 overall. THey had Kerry Collins starting in 2005 and after passing on Jay Cutler in the 2006 draft they started some guy named Walter and then Aaron Brooks in 2006. Its Al baby .. Its all on Al...

I think we both agree on a new owner in Oakland who won't meddle in the day to day operations would be the best thing going. Hope your Cowboys keep on the right side of 500 this year. Gotta chance to have some great late season games with Philly.

Edit.. For the record..I am a Loooooong Suffering Bills fan who is ecstatic that Whaley walked down to Marones office and said its EJ or you and then left the room after that debacle in Houston.

[Axel]

Reggie McKenzie gave up a 5th for Matt Flynn.. and a 6th for Schaub... not to steep a price and not picks that would hurt them.
Jury's out on Tuck.. its his first year.
McKenzie has got to be a patient man and somewhat of a magician to get out from underneath what he inherited. Still think it takes 4 or 5 years to get Oakland back to relevance.

I swear I read the other day that the picks were higher than that. Weird.

Tuck was a bad decision because he was signed at the expense of Houston, who is younger and more productive. Letting the O-Lineman walk (Ver...something. Forget his name) and then signing a worse replacement for the same money is just poor asset and cap management. How does a team enter with the most cap space lose both of their own best players without any real attempt to sign them? Neither guy was a red flagged player, so no real excuse.

And even if the picks for Flynn and Schaub are lower than I had thought, it's still poor management to be giving away picks. When you inherit a mess like the Raiders, you need to make the most of your picks, not trade them away for nothing. That's why smart teams always have multiple picks and gain via the supplementary pick process (lose more UFA than you sign with "cut players" not counting).

[Demographic Shift]

I swear I read the other day that the picks were higher than that. Weird.

Tuck was a bad decision because he was signed at the expense of Houston, who is younger and more productive. Letting the O-Lineman walk (Ver...something. Forget his name) and then signing a worse replacement for the same money is just poor asset and cap management. How does a team enter with the most cap space lose both of their own best players without any real attempt to sign them? Neither guy was a red flagged player, so no real excuse.

And even if the picks for Flynn and Schaub are lower than I had thought, it's still poor management to be giving away picks. When you inherit a mess like the Raiders, you need to make the most of your picks, not trade them away for nothing. That's why smart teams always have multiple picks and gain via the supplementary pick process (lose more UFA than you sign with "cut players" not counting).

Reggie does have his work cut out for him to reinvent "da radierz" as Green Bay West.. and your right.. trading away picks and mismanaging cap space on suspect personnel decisions won't help McKenzie get there any faster.

[ceez]

New owner is the answer. A new GM is also needed but that is just a band-aid solution.

new owner yes, disagree with new GM. he's only been there 3 years and didn't have any draft picks in year 1 and only this year had money to spend. he needs to do more in FA next year but i like what he's done so far.

[ceez]

I remember that Al Davis (the elder) would do the drafting ala Jerry Jones. AD did have a pedigree of success when he was younger I hear. Wonder if his son drafts too. Therein lies a major problem. Interference by ownership.

his son is relatively hands off

he still meddles a little too much though. i'd love to see new ownership in place.

[ceez]

The black and silver are still digging out from the last years of the General Managing Partner (aka dictator) Al Davis. He did make some picks in the 70's and 80's that were gold but since then.. pretty poor.

The sinking of the black and sliver started with the drafting of JaMarcus (Fumble) Russell .. then came Darren perpetually injured McFadden (just bad luck as he is a quality player) .. then the boneheaded trading two .. TWO .. first rounders for Carson Palmer whom they promptly dumped to Arizona for pennies on the dollar ... the love of the vertical passing game resulted in the drafting of wideouts with 9 flat speed in the 100 but they also came with 10 flat fingers.... Its going to take about 4 years to get out from under and Al jr. has to sit in his luxury box and trust the player personnel guys.. if not it will likely result in groundhog day.

it started with Davis' ego getting in the way and trading away Gruden, who was becoming a star head coach. Davis couldn't handle it. we then lost the superbowl to the Gruden-led bucs and it's been straight downhill since then. well before Jamarcus.

and i'm not defending the jamarcus pick by any means but its not like it was a totally out of left field selection. he was widely considered a franchise changing qb, and the team had a dire need for qb. it just kinda turned out Jamarcus was a shithead who didn't care about football. that pick was more bad luck than anything.

[ceez]

Problem is, the current GM traded picks for Matt Flynn (cut), Matt Schaub (yet to play); both high picks. Then used their cap space to sign "veteran leaders" like Justin Tuck who doesn't seem capable of playing at a high level while letting their own 2 best players leave in free agency.

Veldheer and Houston are overrated. in fact, the two guys brought in to replace them, Tuck and Penn, have been much better.

the strategy was bring in these older grizzled vets who can help the team learn to win and be serviceable for a year or two while the draft picks get acclimated to the nfl and eventually take over. a few of the guys he signed were complete failures though and the team has no depth.

[ceez]

Reggie McKenzie gave up a 5th for Matt Flynn.. and a 6th for Schaub... not to steep a price and not picks that would hurt them.
Jury's out on Tuck.. its his first year.
McKenzie has got to be a patient man and somewhat of a magician to get out from underneath what he inherited. Still think it takes 4 or 5 years to get Oakland back to relevance.

yep