It’s time for another live chat, so we can catch up on whatever is on your mind pertaining to the Raiders: Derek Carr’s Pro Bowl performance, possible roster cuts, looming free agency, the Jon Gruden billboard in Las Vegas, you name it.
These live chats will be conducted on a regular basis, at least once a week. Questions can be submitted through the comments section of this post. So, just click on the link to this post, submit a question in the comments section, and I will answer as many as I can. The festivities begin at 4 p.m. PDT and will last for at least an hour.
Everyone is welcome to participate.
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Hey Steve great to have you back. Chances Penn gets bumped, Kelechi to lt & draft stud g Nelson ?
Thanks, Nathan. Yes, there’s a chance that Donald Penn gets the boot, for reasons we discussed last week — age, play, salary, injury, etc. But it’s not likely that Osemele will move to tackle. The Raiders have other options for now, without having to upset another position.
Cork,
Thanks as always for the chat. Have you heard from any players about meetings with Gruden? Other than Carr.
Not confirmed. But, rest assured, coach Jon Gruden has met with everyone that he thinks has a chance to be back next season. He doesn’t waste time. The lone exception might be Marshawn Lynch, who, as we know, tends to do things on his timetable.
Are any more of the asst coaches due to give public statements or interviews soon?
The next set of interviews will be at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis later this month. If things go as planned, colleague Bill Williamson will be there to get all the Raiders news, quotes, interviews you can handle.
Based on who’s set to become a free agent and not who might become one, who donyou see on the defensive side the Raiders go after hard? Any CB they pay big or do they just get someone solid for a respectable amount? MaybeBashaud Breeland would be solid, good pff #’s..
Breeland is a solid corner that would be a potential target, yes. Same goes for corner Aqib Talib, if he reaches free agency. Running back Carlos Hyde is a name to keep an eye on. Defensively, other targets will be any player who has the ability to change the complexion of games.
As you said above, we have talked about Penn, Lynch, Crabtree and others, any indication on TE Cook?
Jared Cook will be back. No issue there.
Do you know of any players due for surgery this offseason? Any injuries we did not hear about this season?
Donald Penn was the obvious one. One other player suffered an injury against the Chargers in the finale. His name escapes me at the moment.
Eddie V
Eddie Vanderdoes, correct. He was hurt against the Chargers and needed surgery. The good news is, he’ll have ample time to be back in time for next season.
Eddie Vanderdoes ACL tear
Thanks, Darryl. It used to be that players were at risk of such an injury being career-ending. Now it’s possible for them to be back the next season and just as healthy.
Remarkable how far sports medicine and rehabilitation has come
No kidding. Gale Sayers was never the same with that injury, yet Adrian Peterson, Jerry Rice and a few others came back stronger than ever and in a quick fashion.
Knee leg ankle even foot surgery has really improved not just since Gale Sayers but pretty dramatically in the last couple decades
Eddie Vanderdoes’ injury was very late year and it’s the same ACL (left) he blew out in college and was slow recovering from. If I were the Raiders I’d make sure he’s healed before he’s back out there. He is an explosive guy with potential that the new coaches should be able to develop once he’s back to health
As far as Gale Sayers injury, when I read Dr. Z Paul Zimmerman’s book I’m almost certain that the first major knee injury Sayers suffered was THREE torn ligaments. That’s a very serious injury even in today’s advanced surgery era, though most players at a young age can recover, though RB is harder. Gale Sayers was having his best season 6.2 yards per carry late year when he was tackled and his knee was blown out. I was only 8 years old and not knowledgeable yet on football, but the outpouring of love Gale got from players and fans was far beyond anything I’ve seen since. He was so loved in the NFL community and was one of the most dazzling players ever and was elite in so many roles -run, receive, return. I would recommend anyone who hasn’t seen him watch old highlights. He had some of the greatest run skills/ instincts ever and amazing moves but didn’t dance to excess, he knew when to just use his blazing speed. Sayers did come back after one missed season to run for 1000+ yards but his average per carry went from 5+ to about 4. He was still awfully good running behind a pretty lousy line, but then suffered another serious knee injury and wasn’t able to make a successful recovery
Should we be expecting any serious front office changes anytime soon?
Not likely, given Reggie McKenzie kept his job. If he’s there, then the scouts are safe. And, Jon Gruden blew out the old staff and brought in his own guys. So, there’s not much left to worry about.
Are you hoping/planning to get a sit down with Gruden maybe after the draft for your own Q&A session?
Always open to a sit down with Jon Gruden. It’s been awhile since we had one of those. The most fun one was, colleague Matt Maiocco and I did a long session with Gruden and Steve Mariucci.
What are inside thoughts on how MEJ played this year? It’s hard to tell from TV on individual play of lineman.
He wasn’t as disruptive as I expected him to be after another year learning the nuances of the game. He still seems like a classic hit-and-miss player. My guess is, Paul Guenther will find a way to get far more out of Edwards than his predecessors managed.
If they let Penn go do you think Jylan Ware and David Sharpe are our new bookends (LT/RT) or do you think they bring in guys via FA?
I’m sure there will be a pick or two in the draft for depth
I am not sold on either player. However, they are first in line to get a crack at one or both of the tackle spots, if the Raiders move on from Donald Penn and/or Marshall Newhouse. I would not be surprised if both tackles are jettisoned.
If not sold on either of them specifically at LT. Do you think pulling the trigger on someone like Mike McGlinchey or Orlando Brown in round 1 is the best option? Go out and get a LT to pair with Carr long term
If there’s a stud tackle at No. 9 or 10, yes, that’s a great move, even if Jon Gruden doesn’t want Donald Penn at left tackle. You can never have enough talent at the tackle spots.
I know I have, but have most other fans you hear from come to the realization that DE A. Smith just cant get out of his own way and will not be part of this team going forward, even if he does get reinstated by the commish?
Aldon Smith. Eh, haven’t talked about him in awhile. He’ll get a chance to meet with the commissioner again pretty soon. He’s going to have to do some pretty thorough convincing that he is cleaned up, serious about remaining that way and dedicated to resuming his career. He is just about out of chances.
What’s the percentage of keeping both Carrie and Jelly? I’m assuming, Smith, Amerson; unless taking a pay cut, and Nelson are gone. Any new word on Aldon? Has he played his final game? Also, Crabtree should be gone and pursue Landry in FA
Welcome, Mike. The odds are much higher of keeping Justin Ellis, unless another team blows him away with an out-of-whack offer. The Raiders aren’t going to overpay for Ellis, but they are interested in bringing him back. TJ Carrie is not a high priority. If he is re-signed, it will be with an eye toward his special teams play.
It’s so weird with Aldon Smith, because he reminds me of what I went through covering Darrell Russell. Immensely talented players who just can’t overcome their off-field demons. That’s what scares me, that Smith is going to suffer a similarly tragic ending if he doesn’t get the help he needs.
Do you know what kind of corners Paul G prefers from his Bengal days? Fast twitchy or big press or whatever is creates incompletions?
Guenther has used Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick in recent years. Those are ballhawking types who aren’t afraid to gamble for a big play, at the risk of giving up extra yardage. Neither is a Pro Bowl-type corner, but they fit well with Guenther’s scheme.
Is Gruden going to see how AC works in his system before giving RM the go ahead on a new contract? Even with the drops, my guess is they take the 5th yr option
As I wrote earlier today, Jon Gruden already has watched all of Amari Cooper’s college and pro games, and he doesn’t need to see anymore. He knows how to fix Cooper, who doesn’t really need fixing, just someone to design plays that play to his strengths. Gruden is the guy for that job.
According to Jerrymcd, Gruden designed plays to get the ball to Tim Brown and Jerry Rice to get them involved early in games.
All great play-callers do that. You get them into the game, the juices flowing and feeling as if they are a vital part of the offense. You can’t go entire games with Amari Cooper having one target. That happened twice last season. Egregious.
There were even times when Tim Brown and Jerry Rice designed plays to get themselves the ball early and often. There is no “i” in team, but there is in Tim and Rice.
Do you see Conley coming back and being a starting CB or will this be a lingering thing with him, much like Hayden?
No, he will be given every opportunity to be a starting cornerback. He is talented enough to be a No. 1 corner, and it’s not as if he’s going to have much competition from the corners from this season’s team.
Conley appears to be more talented than Hayden. The proof comes in the form of Conley having played against better competition in college and holding up well. He should be fine with the Raiders once he is healed from his shin splints.
Good stuff, guys. Love it. Thanks for your interest in this chat and in the site. Thanks subscribers and anyone who is considering subscribing. Fun is just starting, BW.
Do you think Walford will be a good fit in Grudens O?
He’s going to have to work harder, become more reliable and block better. Gruden loves his tight ends, just like his fullbacks, but he wants to be able to depend upon them. Walford is far from a dependable player at this juncture of his career.
The Raiders need someone like Clive Walford to step up, especially if they let veteran Lee Smith walk in free agency. Jared Cook is the clear-cut starter, but the Raiders clearly need a suitable complementary tight end. Walford isn’t that guy right now, but he can get there.
Is Patterson a fit to play opposite AC if no other option is signed? I thought he had all the talent to be a solid #2 WR coming out of college.
As a starter? No way. Patterson doesn’t have reliable hands, and that would drive Jon Gruden crazy. As you saw this year, Patterson is at his best once he gets the ball in his hands. Sometimes, that means shovel passes, end arounds, pitches, things that are easier for him to execute than catching a laser from 20 yards away, while running, with a defender closing in.
When you stop and think about it, the Raiders receivers this season were about as bad at holding on to the ball as a receiving corps can be, especially when you factor in Michael Crabtree being part of that group. They were horrendous.
very true
With the little playing time he got, is Melifonwu going to be given a chance to earn the FS spot if he is healthy?
He’ll get a look at cornerback and both safety spots. He simply has too much size and talent to be boxed in to one position from the outset. My guess is, he’ll wind up at safety, just not sure which one yet.
Has MD been heard from since the presser or is he keeping a low profile again? Any chance you get a sit down with him?
He has not spoken much since the news conference. It’s his time to sit back now, let Jon Gruden take center stage, and shift his focus toward Las Vegas and the new stadium.
Thanks for joining me, folks. I will answer any questions submitted beyond 5 p.m. later tonight, just for subscribers. I look forward to our chat next week. We appreciate all your support, everyone.
Thanks for all the knowledge Cork. BTW, you did get my email reply. Just want to make sure, there are issues with that from time to time.
Thanks again, your the best
You’re welcome, Philip. Yes, I did. Sorry for my tardiness in replying. I’ll do so later. Very nice of you, Sir.
No worries. Your busy here and I love that.
Have a good evening.