Oakland Raiders NFL News – Raiders Football Blog

If you figure the Silver and Black will be back, you'll want to join the legion of fans who are making their way over to RaidersLocker.com. This is the one blog site where you can be sure you'll be up-to-date at all times when it comes to Raiders news and notes, stats, fantasy player rankings, standings, upcoming opponent profiles, and much more. Want to have your say? Offer up some of your own "expert" commentary. Want to shake hands with Al Davis? We've got the gateway to your connection for tickets at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Wear some Silver and Black yourself, as we can help you find the best deals on Raiders merchandise. Come to the place where the "Pride and Poise" boys are – RaidersLocker.com!

Fantasy Tight End Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Monday 14 August 2006 at 5:35 pm
Bye Weeks () 

 1. Antonio Gates, Chargers (3)  The undisputed king of tight ends.  A young QB’s best friend is the tight end.

 2. Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (3)  Gonzalez is the Chiefs #1 receiver.  Almost impossible to stop.

 3. Chris Cooley, Redskins (8)  Was a force last season, and with Al Saunders calling the plays…he could explode.

 4. Jeremy Shockey, Giants (4)  I love watching this guy play.  He’s old-school, and he’s good.

 5. Todd Heap, Ravens (7)  Watch out….he has a real QB for the first time in his career.

 6. Randy McMichael, Dolphins (8)  With Culpepper on board he could make the Pro Bowl.

 7. Alge Crumpler, Falcons (5)  Michael Vick’s favorite receiver.  That shouldn’t mean too much, but if Schaub plays…look out!

 8. Jason Witten, Cowboys (3)  The Tuna loves throwing to the tight end, and Witten is a good one.

 9. L.J. Smith, Eagles (9)  Donovan McNabb has to throw to someone.

10. Kellen Winslow, Browns (6)  A man on a mission.  Safeties beware.

11. Vernon Davis, 49ers (7)  He’ll be the guy Alex Smith is looking for….and soon.

12. Jermaine Wiggins, Vikings (6)  Wiggins doesn’t look the part, but he’s been very good for the Vikings.

13. Heath Miller, Steelers (4)  A carbon copy of Todd Heap.  If Big Ben looks his way….Miller will catch it.

14. Zach Hilton, Saints (7)  Brees likes throwing to his tight end, and Hilton had a good second half last year.

15. Mercedes Lewis, Jaguars (6)  The Jags first round pick has alot of ability, and Leftwich needs someone to throw to.

16. Ben Watson, Patriots (6)  Brady’s receiving corps is looking thin, so he will look to the TE more this season.

17. Dallas Clark, Colts (6)  Clark is a good athlete that catches his share of passes.

18. Marcus Pollard, Lions (8)  Pollard is getting old, but he can still catch the football.

19. Erron Kinney, Titans (7)  Tight-ends catch alot of passes in the Titans offense, but they’re usually short ones.

20. Eric Johnson, 49ers (7)  If healthy, and that’s a big if, Johnson is a good TE.

21. Jeb Putzier, Texans (5)  Putzier should catch alot of short passes from Carr.  It should help Carr from taking a beating again this year.

22. Doug Jolley, Jets (9)  Jolley is a good receiver, but he’s under utilized by the Jets.

23. Jeramy Stevens, Seahawks (5)  If Stevens just caught the passes that hit him in the hands, he would rank much higher.

24. Bubba Franks, Packers (6)  Franks is slowing down, but Favre will be looking for him in the Red Zone.

25. Ben Troupe, Titans (7)  Catches alot of passes, but doesn’t get alot of yards.

26. Daniel Graham, Patriots (6)  Graham is a good receiver and should increase his receptions this season.

27. Steve Heiden, Browns (6)  Tough as nails throwback.  If you draft Winslow…..you better draft Heiden too.

28. Anthony Fasano, Cowboys (3)  Rookie from Notre Dame is a good receiver.

29. Alex Smith, Buccaneers (4)  Smith is just scratching the surface of his potential.

30. Bryan Fletcher, Colts (6)  Fletcher was a find for the Colts as a rookie.  His role could expand.

31. Dominique Byrd, Rams (7)  Rams TE job is open and Byrd is a good receiver.

32. Leonard Pope, Cardinals (9)  Rookie TE has the upper hand in Arizona.  He’s a big target.

33. Stephen Alexander, Broncos (4)  Good hands, but lacks speed.

34. Adam Bergen, Cardinals (9)  Bergen looked decent as a rookie, but he’s a possession type receiver.

35. Jim Kleinsasser, Vikings (6)  Better blocker than receiver.

36. Joe Klopfenstein, Rams (7)  Will battle Byrd for starting spot.  Has good hands.

37. Anthony Becht, Buccaneers (4)  Over-rated every season.

38. Courtney Anderson, Raiders (3)  Tight-end is an afterthought in Raiders offense.

39. Desmond Clark, Bears (7)  Bears starter, but doesn’t get many balls thrown his way.

40. Jason Dunn, Chiefs (3)  Gets an occasional bone thrown his way.  Usually near the end-zone.

41. Christian Fauria, Redskins (8)  Redskins will use the tight-end alot.  You could do worse.

42. Kris Mangum, Panthers (9)  Tight-ends block in Panthers offense.

43. Robert Royal, Bills (8)  Starting TE for the Bills, but not much of a receiver.

44. Ernie Conwell, Saints (7)  Dependable, but not flashy receiver.

45. Matt Schobel, Eagles (9)  Decent back-up, value spikes if Smith is injured.

46. Aaron Shea, Chargers (3)  Decent possession receiver.

47. Reggie Kelly, Bengals (5)  Not used much in the passing game.

48. Kevin Everett, Bills (8)  Good pass catching TE, but he missed his rookie season in Buffalo due to injury.

49. David Martin, Packers (6) Good speed, but under-utilized in the offense.

50. Chris Baker, Jets (9)  Not much of a pass catcher.

51. Daniel Wilcox, Ravens (7)  Now you’re reaching.

52. Itula Mili, Seahawks (5)  Would rank higher but he missed all but two games last season.

53. Tony Scheffler, Broncos (4)  Good receiver if he gets a chance to play.

54. Dwayne Blakely, Falcons (5)  I know Vick likes the TE……but…..

55. Visanthe Shiancoe, Giants (4)  You don’t even want him if Shockey gets hurt.

56. Jerame Tuman, Steelers (4)  Rarely gets to go out for a pass.

57. Dan Campbell, Lions (8)  Good hands, no speed.

58. Mike Seidman, Panthers (9)  Never used in the passing game.

59. Mark Bruener, Texans (5)  Good for one catch a game.

60. Kyle Brady, Jaguars (6)  Also good for one catch a game.

61. Randal Williams, Raiders (3)  You don’t want him.

62. Tony Stewart, Bengals (5)  Until Marvin Lewis realizes that tight ends are eligible receivers…you don’t want him.

63. Justin Peele, Dolphins (8)  Good blocker.

64. John Gilmore, Bears (7)  Just say no.

 

Kevin McMahan (7, WR)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 5:58 pm

McMahan has little chance to make the Raiders because of their depth at the position.  His best chance to make it is on special teams.

Chris Morris (7, C)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 5:56 pm

Morris is a tough guy, but is a finesse player.  Morris will do whatever it takes to make the team.  His best quality is that he’s a good long snapper.  He’ll probably make the team as a reserve, and in the future could be more than that.

Kevin Boothe (6, OT)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 5:52 pm

Boothe has excellent size (6’4″, 312) and packs a wallop in the running game.  It will take him some time and technique work before he’s ready for extensive playing time.  He was a great value pick for the Raiders as many prognosticators had him going in the 3rd or 4th round.

Boothe will be a starter in the future and was a good pick.

Darnell Bing (4, S)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 5:48 pm

Bing is a typical Raiders safety.  He tries to knock your head off with the big hit.  His pass coverage may need some work, but he’s a fine run defender.  There has even been some speculation that he may be tried a little at outside linebacker.  Bing will blow up people on special teams from day #1 and will be a starter in the near future.

Bing played in 37 games at USC (35 starts) and made 182 tackles, broke up 18 passes, intercepted 8 passes, forced three fumbles and recovered one.

Paul McQuistan (3, OT)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 5:43 pm
McQuistan is probably a developmental pick because he didn’t face much competition in college at Weber State.  He is a big guy at 6′6″, 304 pounds.  McQuistan was a four-year starter at Weber State and looked like a man against boys at that level.  He is aggressive, smart, and plays until the whistle.

 

Thomas Howard (2, OLB)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 5:32 pm

Thomas Howard could be a starter at outside linebacker from Day #1 for the Raiders and was a great pick for a team rebuilding on the defensive side of the ball.  Howard is the best athlete that was drafted as a linebacker in the whole draft.  He is super fast (4.49 40) and can make plays from sideline to sideline.  He can play inside, but is better outside where there isn’t as much traffic and he can focus on just getting to the ball.

Howard played in 48 games at UTEP (38 starts) and made 296 tackles, 34 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, broke up 11 passes and had 4 interceptions.

An outstanding pick for the Raiders.

Fantasy Kicker Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 2:36 pm

Bye Weeks () 

 1. Adam Vinatieri, Colts  (6)  Vinatieri is Mr.Clutch, and for that he becomes the kicker for the best offense in the NFL.

 2. Jeff Wilkins, Rams (7)  Wilkins is a dominant kicker every so often, and he will be one this season.

 3. Shayne Graham, Bengals (5)  Has increased his points scored 4 straight seasons, and scored 131 pts. last season.

 4. Mike Vanderjagt, Cowboys (3)  Is the most accurate kicker in NFL history.  Should be a weapon for Cowboys.

 5. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (9)  Set NFL record last season making 40 FGs.  Cards offense will score more TDs this season.

 6. Jason Elam, Broncos (4)  Mr. Reliable.  He always puts up points, and gets a few long ones at Mile High.

 7. David Akers, Eagles (9)  Offense will need him more without a big-time receiver.  He’s healthy and ready to rebound.

 8. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (3)  Has a strong leg and might need it with Rivers replacing Brees.

 9. Matt Bryant, Buccaneers (4) He’s a sleeper here, as the Bucs offense should improve this year.  He makes some long ones.

10. Jay Feely, Giants (4)  Led the NFL in kicker points (148) last season, and it wasn’t a fluke.

11. Josh Brown, Seahawks (5)  Brown is a solid kicker, with a solid offense.

12. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (6)  Kicking inside should help him, and he hit alot of long field goals anyway.

13. Steve Gostkowski, Patriots (6)  He’s a rookie, but he’s also on a good offensive team.  Can he handle the pressure?

14. Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders (3)  He has superb league strength and the Raiders should be a little better on offense.

15. Lester Tynes, Chiefs (3)  Had a good season last year, but have to wait and see what Edwards’ offense looks like.

16. Olindo Mare, Dolphins (8)  Marlins won’t make the playoffs, so he should be ok.

17. Matt Stover, Ravens (7)  Getting a little long in tooth, but still accurate.

18. Rian Lindell, Bills (8)  One of the best offensive weapons on the Bills, what does that tell you?

19. Jeff Reed, Steelers (4)  Not very accurate, and questions all over the offense.

20. Jason Hanson, Lions (8)  He could be a sleeper with Mike Martz running the offense in Detroit.

21. Mike Nugent, Jets (9)  The Jets offense could be bad, real bad.

22. John Hall, Redskins (8)  Could shoot up the list if he could stay healthy….hasn’t been for two years in a row.

23. John Kasay, Panthers (9)  Getting a little old and has had some injuries recently.

24. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (6)  Can hit the long one, but isn’t an accurate kicker overall.

25. Rob Bironas, Titans (7)  Is a good kicker that will improve as much as the Titans offense improves.

26. John Carney, Saints (7)  Still accurate at 42 years old, but can’t hit the deep ones anymore.

27. Phil Dawson, Browns (6)  A good kicker that would move up this list if the offense improves.

28. Kris Brown, Texans (5)  Brown is not very accurate, and the Texans have not been very good on offense.

29. Joe Nedney, 49ers (7)  Only missed two kicks all of last season…..needs more opportunities.

30. Robbie Gould, Bears (7)  Not very accurate and currently in a battle for his job.

31. Billy Cundiff, Packers (6)  Has been bouncing around for a while.  Not much upside here.

32. Tony Yelk, Falcons (5)  Rookie trying to win a job on an offense that doesn’t light up the scoreboard.

QB Rankings Bye Weeks ()

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Monday 7 August 2006 at 7:35 pm

 1. Peyton Manning, Colts.  (6)   This is a no-brainer.  The greatest fantasy QB of his time.

 2. Tom Brady, Patriots (6)   The greatest QB of his time.  Spreads the ball around, and always puts up numbers.

 3.  Trent Green, Chiefs (3)  Green has put up three straight 4,000 yards passing season together.  Under-rated.

 4. Carson Palmer, Bengals (5)  Knee is a huge question mark.  Has alot of weapons in the passing game.

 5. Eli Manning, Giants (4)  Manning started to emerge from brothers’ shadow.  Has a good supporting cast.

 6. Marc Bulger, Rams (7)  Only needs to stay healthy to lead the greatest show on turf.

 7. Duante Culpepper, Dolphins (8)  Huge risk/reward pick.  Has a huge arm, but can Chambers imitate Moss?

 8. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (9)  Probably would have ranked higher if he had at least one good receiver.

 9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (5)  Injury to Darrell Jackson hurts.  Plus Shaun Alexander will get his carries.

10. Drew Bledsoe, Cowboys (3)  If T.O. behaves, this is too low for Bledsoe.  T.O. always makes his QB better.

11. Brett Favre, Packers (6)  Running backs look healthy, which will put less pressure on him to win game himself.

12. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (9)  Warner would be higher on this list if he weren’t so brittle.  Risk/Reward pick.

13. Drew Brees, Saints (7)  Always scared of injured throwing shoulders, but he has a good supporting cast.

14. Aaron Brooks, Raiders (3)  Hard to hold last season against any Saint.  Will thrive throwing ball to Randy Moss.

15. Jake Delhomme, Panthers (9)  Better in real football than fantasy football.

16. Jake Plummer, Broncos (4)  Will he feel the heat with Jay Cutler around?  If not he’ll be ok.

17. David Carr, Texans (5)  Has shown improvement the last two seasons, and now he has Eric Moulds.

18. Billy Volek, Titans (7)  Volek has been a superb back-up, and now he gets the keys to the car for a season.

19. Steve McNair, Ravens (7)  McNair is only this far down the list because he’s brittle.  Reunited with Mason will help.

20. Philip Rivers, Chargers (3)  Risk/Reward pick.  Not much experience, but a very good supporting cast.

21. Mark Brunell, Redskins (8)  Nice supporting group, but injury prone and old.

22. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (4)  Lots of questions.  Will he be ok or gun shy?  Steelers run alot and that hurts him.

23. Jon Kitna, Lions (8)  If he wins the job, he could put up huge numbers with Mike Martz calling the plays.

24. Chris Simms, Buccaneers (4)  For first time since high-school, he’s the best QB on his team.

25. Brad Johnson, Vikings (6)  38 year old QB that likes the short pass.  Will he last a whole season?

26. Michael Vick, Falcons (5)  Vick is the most electrifying QB in the league.  But his 150 yards passing won’t help you.

27. Byron Leftwich, Jaguars (6)  He has never played a complete season, and his receiving corps is downright awful.

28. Chad Pennington, Jets (9)  Pennington is a good QB when he plays….which isn’t very often.

29. Charlie Frye, Browns (6)  Looked ok in his brief trial at the end of the season.  Having Edwards and Winslow will help.

30. Kelly Holcomb, Bills (8)  He should win the job, but if you draft a Bills QB…you need your head examined.

31. Rex Grossman, Bears (7)  Look up the word “brittle” in the dictionary and you’ll see Rex Grossman’s face.

32. Alex Smith, 49ers (7)  He’s got a long way to go to be an average QB.

33. Brian Griese, Bears (7)  Sure to start some games, the only question is when.

34. Matt Leinhart, Cardinals (9)  Leinhart probably will get the keys to the explosive offense at some point.

35. Gus Frerotte, Rams (7)  Follows head-coach Scott Linehan around like a puppy.  Could see some time.

36. Josh McCown, Lions (8)  Back-up to Kitna to start the season.  Lions QB of near future.

37. Matt Schaub, Falcons (5)  Better throwing QB than starter Michael Vick.

38. David Garrard, Jaguars (6)  Plays well every season after Leftwich gets hurt.

39. Jeff Garcia, Eagles (9)  Still has a little left in the tank if McNabb goes down.

40. Patrick Ramsey, Jets (9)  QB in waiting behind Pennington.  Only a matter of time until he plays.

41. Trent Dilfer, 49ers (7)  Coach Nolan won’t let his team’s season go to waste if Smith is over-matched again.

42. Jim Sorgi, Colts (6)  Played well in limited action.  Has a super supporting cast if forced into action.

43. JP Losman, Bills (8)  Good athlete for a QB, but not a good passer.

44. Kyle Boller, Ravens (7)  Behind McNair, so he could get a chance.  Played well last December.

45. Joey Harrington, Dolphins (8)  Could get playing time in Miami, but that was never an issue in Detroit.

46. Anthony Wright, Bengals (5)  Wright is a good athlete and the Bengals have good receivers…but, Wright is not a good passer.

47. Vince Young, Titans (7)  If the Titans throw him to the wolves, he will get chewed up and spit out.

48. Jay Cutler, Broncos (4)  Cutler’s year will be next season.

49. Sage Rosenfels, Texans (5)  Not very productive in limited chances.

50. Charlie Batch, Steelers (4)  Running team, but if Big Ben’s head hurts he might get forced into action.

51.  Chris Weinke, Panthers (9)  Had his chance, and then the Panthers signed Delhomme.

52. Todd Collins, Redskins (8)  Playing behind Brunell with a loaded supporting cast.

53. Damon Huard, Chiefs (3)  Chiefs would probably run alot if he were forced into action.

54. Jamie Martin, Saints (7)  Good completion % usually.  A decent back-up.

55. Jay Fiedler, Buccaneers (4)  Still hasn’t thrown a pass in camp.  Game manager that wouldn’t put up big numbers.

56. Matt Cassel, Patriots (6)  Hasn’t started a real game since high school.

57. A.J. Feeley, Chargers (3)  If you have a penalty for pick-offs, don’t say this name.

58. Andrew Walter, Raiders (3)  Hasn’t played a down, but has good receivers.

59. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (6)  The fact that the Packers drafted a QB speaks volumes.

60. Tim Hasselbeck, Giants (4)  Giants have a good supporting cast, but Hasselbeck hasn’t proved he could take advantage of that.

61. Ken Dorsey, Browns (6)  Trying to hold off Derek Anderson for back-up job.

62. Seneca Wallace, Seahawks (5)  Not a good passer.

63.  Tony Romo, Cowboys (3)  No experience…..scary.

64. Mike McMahon, Vikings (6)  Good runner, but the worst throwing QB in the league.

Raiders win Hall of Fame game 16-10

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Sunday 6 August 2006 at 10:39 pm

Aaron Brooks threw a 12 yard TD pass to tight end Courtney Anderson in the first half and Sebastian Janikowski hit three field goals in the second half (51, 50, 24 yards) to propel the Raiders to victory in Art Shell’s return to the sidelines.  The defense pitched a shut-out in the second half as the Raiders were trailing 10-7 at the half.

The game was pretty sloppy and turnover filled.

—