It’s time for another live chat, so we can catch up on whatever is on your mind pertaining to the Raiders: Is Jordy Nelson for Michael Crabtree a net gain at wide receiver? Does the Doug Martin signing mean the end for Marshawn Lynch? Have the Raiders become a better team since head coach Jon
Raiders live chat Friday at 1 p.m. PDT
Take a seat on Cork's Couch, let's discuss Raiders free agency madness
It looks like Tahir made a position change last year after they drafted Davis. Do you think his position with us is MLB? Do you think Keith Smith was also signed due to his ability to play linebacker also?
Tahir Whitehead can play every linebacker spot. That’s part of what makes him so valuable as an addition to a linebacker corps in need of playmakers beyond Bruce Irvin. Whitehead can be penciled in at middle linebacker for now, say, and then move to weak-side linebacker if NaVorro Bowman is re-signed. Either way, Whitehead is an upgrade over Nicholas Morrow and Marquel Lee for now.
As for Keith Smith, yeah, there’s a chance that he can be tried at linebacker. But, he was brought in mainly because of his recent play at fullback. Jon Gruden values fullbacks a great deal, and he is of the belief that one is not enough.
Do you have anymore info on Breeland? Seems he failed his physical and is still available. Chances we kick the tires on him too, even if they get Melvin?
And is there an issue with the Melvin deal? Asking for too much cash?
None other than what is breaking the past hour or so, that Breeland had an existing foot injury when he agreed to a contract with the Panthers. Therefore, the Panthers had the freedom to nullify the contract.
Vinny Curry just cut.
Would love to see him oppo Mack. Chances?
Yes, there is a chance, but it’s rather slight because Curry no doubt isn’t thrilled about having $9 million snatched from his grasp. Worse, he and the Eagles weren’t able to agree on a reduced figure, either. So, that tells me that he isn’t going to accept a below-market deal from the Raiders or any other team, at least in the short term. Now, if the Raiders wait it out, Curry’s asking price might drop considerably over time.
My guess is a team scoops him up quick. I would if we had the cap money.
Vinny Curry? Yeah, I could see him winding up with the Patriots or Jaguars, maybe the Dolphins.
BTW, thank you Cork and BW for all the great writing and info!
Keep up the great work. We love it.
You’re welcome, Philip. We are blown away by the response from Raiders die-hard fans so far. We’re eager to keep this thing growing.
Of note, former Bills cornerback Shareece Wright just posted on Instagram that he is headed to the Raiders. No confirmation yet. Colleague Bill Williamson is working on trying to nail down that bit of news. He’ll keep us updated during this live chat.
Does that mean signed or just visiting, he has a long injury history, I seem to remember RM wanting to sign him previously.
Any other players visiting we have not heard about?
Do they try and get guys in and out without reporters finding out, so if they don’t sign nobody knows?
Without a doubt. Most teams take that approach because they don’t want other players aware of players that take a visit, get lowballed, say, and leave town without a contract offer.
Rather curious decision by the Raiders to sign Jordy Nelson, then cut Michael Crabtree. They need more than just two proven, reliable receivers. Now they’re still stuck with no reliable backups.
Agreed. I guess they wanted to use the money elsewhere though. And they have signed some players anyway.
I hope to get DJ Chark LSU in the draft, but I think a lot of team will want his services
Every team has to make tough choices. So far, the Raiders have chosen not to throw crazy money at any one player, though $13 million guaranteed to Jordy Nelson might fall into that category if he doesn’t have a bounce-back season.
Big-name players keep flying off the free-agent list. Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson has signed with the Vikings, who now look pretty stout on both sides of the ball.
I hope Wright in doesn’t leave Melvin out. Need both, really, and a fb in he draft. I like what’s been done in FA so far. I called TJ Carrie leaving last week, as well as the Jordy signing paid for by the release of Crab. Now, we aren’t going to keep 4 TE. Does that leave Cook or Wolford out? Battle it out in camp? Any roster bonuses we could save with an early cut?
Agreed that the Raiders need both Rashaan Melvin and Shareece Wright at cornerback. All teams need three solid corners in today’s pass-happy league. In fact, it’s reached the point where teams need four reliable corners.
As for the tight ends, Gruden might keep four. He loves fullbacks and tight ends a great deal. But, if he opts to keep three, I would imagine the third spot comes down to Derek Carrier and Clive Walford. In that case, I go with Walford because of his pass-catching ability and overall talent.
Keeping 2 FB is not a normal luxury as well. Interested to see how that all plays out. I LOVE Olawale, and think if used right he is a force. Surprised at the FB signing yesterday.
Gruden has no issue with keeping two fullbacks. He also could use a true running back in a combo role, if necessary. Thinking of Elijah Hood in this regard.
Any word on if they are still trying to re-sign Bowman?
Yes, the update is that they have told Bowman that they are interested and given him a loose offer. Bowman reportedly wants to see what other offers might be available to him. In other words, the Raiders offer isn’t overly generous and Bowman will jump at another offer if it’s well above the one from the Raiders.
He’s testing the open market. I say odds are 70/30 he’s back. He’s aging, but let’s face it, week 11 or 12 he did what no DB in Oakland could do up to that point…intercept a ball. He’s smart, and that can make up quite a bit for the aging body, and I felt like our communication was much better on defense once he arrived. I’d welcome him back with open arms.
Has there been any info on Honey Badger with us? Seem like Gruden would love him.
Honey Badger will likely command more than we are willing to pay. He’d be awesome though….but I see that more in dreams than reality!
He’s another guy that probably would be thrilled by the prospect of playing for the Raiders, but first he would love to see if he could hook up with a team on the cusp of a Super Bowl and/or a team that is willing to throw gobs of money his way. The Raiders would have to wait to see if his market softens over time, then hope to jump in with a competitive offer.
If you keep 4 TE, 2 FB and 4 HB (most certainly will drop to 3), where do you cut on the roster elsewhere?
Offensive line, linebacker, maybe even go with four receivers.
Jared Cook basically is the 4th receiver so I could see only 4 WRs making roster. Really, really want them to draft someone with big play ability at some point in the draft tho..
Is Vaccaro on the radar or are they done signing S’s thinking they can draft another and finding out what Obi can do?
Speaking of Hood, there was very little word on him last year, other than the fact he’s big and has a high ceiling. Was he hurt or practice squad?
On PS and was active for one game I believe.
He was waived, signed to the practice squad and then promoted to the 53-man roster midseason. He has a chance to make the roster this season from the outset.
Another way to free up a roster spot is to go with two quarterbacks, which several teams have done over the years.
Indeed. Because what’s a third going to do. If your one goes down…..well, we know what happens.
Correct. If the starter goes down, that’s when you add another quarterback. You only stash a third quarterback on your roster if he’s a draft pick or promising prospect.
Was there an effort to get either MLB Brown here?
Yes, there was contact made with Brown’s camp. Again, this was a case where Washington wanted Brown back, Brown wanted to be paid more than what he earned last season, and the two sides worked it out to the satisfaction of both parties.
I still think Bennie Logan could help on the inside. And his price should be coming down some, chances?
Good call. That’s another player who might be out of the Raiders desired price range right now but could soften his stance in the coming days. It’s very common for players to have an unrealistic expectation about their value and the offer they’re going to receive. When an offer doesn’t come, they are forced to reassess.
Yesterday was a good day. I’m actually pretty excited that all signs point to power rushing, smash-mouth football. It will wear down defenses and open up the passing game so much!
Yes, that’s what I was thinking. The Raiders are going to rely upon the running game more than recent seasons and use their success in the run game to set up the pass. In that case, there might not be a need for more than three proven receivers. Still, that leaves them one shy,
Ya, for a couple years I REALLY wanted Seth Roberts to be that guy. I do not believe he is that guy. Horton is fast, by a one-trick pony. CP is an awesome special teamer, and good for plays designed for him, one or two per game. So yes, need a third. I was praying last year Kupp would somehow fall to us. Need that Tim Brown over the middle, type receiver. Jordy will be great in the red zone and on sidelines. Solid pass-catching skills.
Roberts still can be that guy, but he has to regain his confidence and stop dropping catchable passes. Holton has horrendous hands. Patterson is marginally better, but he is more of a gimmick guy as a receiver. His true value lies in his return ability. The Raiders need a big-time No. 3 guy that they know can help them every game. Danny Amendola anyone? Oops, he’s with the Dolphins. Need to be quick to find these guys.
Think Gruden will bring in Z Banner? L Kennedys kid, he was cut yesterday
Not sure. Gruden seems to have shed some of his sentimental ways, as evidenced by parting ways with Janikowski, Condo, etc.
We talked about C Fleming as a RT, has there been any rumors there. I have not seen anything saying he signed yet.
The right tackle market is very thin. There hasn’t been much movement there yet. Fleming remains a very attractive option. To my knowledge, he has not been re-signed by the Patriots. I’ll double-check, as I haven’t been keeping close tabs on him yet. He would be a nice upgrade over Marshall Newhouse, and he could be plugged right in and go.
Exactly. A need filled. One more spot you don’t have to “focus” on for the draft.
I know we have several now, but any chance they look at Luke Willson or Richard Rodgers?
Yes, and for the precise reason I wrote about earlier today. McKenzie and Gruden are about filling spots and then looking for ways to upgrade them. At all times. Don’t get too fixated on who’s on the team today, for it might change tomorrow or later in the week. To that end, I would not be surprised to see another tight end added to the roster.
True, they sign and released FA last season in a matter of a week or 2
Correct. When a team has as many holes as the Raiders roster, the work is ongoing and takes a long time to weed out the subpar players.
Any thought at all of brining in Pryor? To much bad blood? Would be nice to have a 3rd QB for games just in case, without using a roster spot. I think he could be pretty good in the slot too.
Nah, that ship has sailed. They have no interest in him as a quarterback, though they could find a use for him as a receiver. I just don’t see Mark Davis going down that road.
Is there any player you think Gruden should take a look at specifically? An outside the box guy maybe?
It was Zach Brown, and Reggie McKenzie wanted Brown badly last year. He just couldn’t pull the trigger, and it backfired in a big way. Brown had a strong season.
Now, it’s probably E.J. Gaines.
So who’s PULLING THE TRIGGER on draft night, Gruden or RM?
Should be Gruden.
It will be Gruden having the strongest voice, after listening to input from McKenzie and his scouts, as well as the coordinators and position coaches. But Gruden is going to have far more say than he had his first go-round with the Raiders, obviously. And McKenzie is going to have less say than he had any of his first six seasons.
As always, thank you Cork.
Love having the couch again. And few rock kickings needed.
Talk next week!
I mirror thankaveteran, you guys are much appreciated. I absolutely love this site, and your willingness to connect so much with the subscribers, the fans.
Jon and Philip,
Thank you for the kind words. We always wanted to do a Raiders-only site, where it was interactive, down-to-earth, no ads, no B.S., no coachspeak, no player spin, just hard news, cold facts, tell the readers what they should know, not what the team wants them to know. Big difference. Thank you and everyone for your support. We are flattered and inspired to keep cranking out the stories.
It’s official. The Raiders just signed former Bills cornerback Shareece Wright. He should be the No. 3 cornerback for now. A solid pickup.
Colleague Bill Williamson will have a story about the Wright signing up in a few minutes. Check it out, and thanks for joining me today. We’ll chat again next week. If you weren’t here live, ask your questions, and I’ll answer them later tonight. — Cork
Hey Guys,
Thanks for this great site and the return of the chats. I have really missed these… My question is as follows. There is much talk regarding the inability of the coaching staff to have any contact with players until some future date. With this in mind, there was talk, however brief, regarding Rich Gannon joining the Raiders coaching staff but he decided against it. Do you think there is any likelihood that he works for the Raiders in some ‘un-official’ position, allowing him direct coaching contact with Derek Carr during this down time? Or, are such cloak and dagger operations unnecessary? Seems like a reasonable approach….
Hello, Sartana,
Thanks for the high praise. I look forward to your participation in upcoming chats. Don’t make me tell you to “kick rocks” for being late or absent to the next chat. As for your question, yes, it’s possible that Rich Gannon has spoken with Derek Carr or even met with him within the past two months or so. That’s not uncommon, though Gannon does run the risk of being partial to the Raiders during his broadcast of their games if he works with Carr on the side in any capacity. The other issue is, Gannon would have to have the blessing of Jon Gruden and offensive coordinator Greg Olson, if for no other reason than professional courtesy and proper protocol. Finally, Carr is open to learning from whoever he can, wherever he can, so if a meeting hasn’t happened yet, it likely will soon. Thanks for your question.
Cork