Out goes Cordarrelle Patterson, in comes Dwayne Harris. Some might say such a transaction is little more than rearranging the furniture, but there is one obvious benefit for the Raiders with this move. Harris has played for Raiders special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia before. Harris, who turns 31 a week into next season, was with
Raiders find replacement for WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson
Dwayne Harris has played for special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia before
Oh, though Raiders finally signed Bowman!
This link is an excellent and thorough article about what it can mean to an organization to have defined and nailed their player type, culture, consistency. It’s also the only way ever shown to provide consistent greatness:
https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2018/04/03/villanova-ncaa-national-champions-brunson-bridges-divincenzo-jay-wright
It’s can be argued that “programs” can have a little more impact on a bunch of very young kids in college vs pros who should be great no matter what. But, at the end of the day, what can a coaching staff, management, and owners do for a team … even an NFL team? All the talent in the NFL is insanely good, big-picture-wise. How one organization consistently makes their teams better than the others is culture.
Some players TURN OUT to be better than others, but they all come into the league with an other-worldly amount of physical and mental talent. We all like to think otherwise, so we can yak-yak about observations, mostly after the fact, with brilliant 2/20 hindsight, and no price to pay later for confident predictions now, later when they don’t play out, and nobody remembers (most of) those predictions. They don’t call it Monday Morning Quarterbacking for nothing. The most fundamental truth of the NFL: Everything about league rules is designed around spreading the POTENTIAL for talent around as equally as possible – year after year after year.
So, what can the non-players in an organization really do? Other than the obvious skills of being smarter than the other organization’s, better schemes, better drafts, better play calling … is a program culture of toughness, dedication, selflessness, identity, and consistency. Without that, the best talent on the field, or on the coaching staff, or in the drafting war room, or in the front or back offices will go for naught. Find another reason that the Patriots have been dominant, and it will be news to me. Find another reason that the 70’s and 80’s Raiders were, at the time, the greatest sports organization in world history, and it will be news to me.
I don’t know if they will be successful because it is insanely difficult. But, that process – to build culture and organizational greatness – is the commitment and gamble that is on the table right now with Mark Davis and Jon Gruden.
If he comes back healthy from his foot injury it will be a good signing. Guy returns punts as well as kicks exactly what we need.
Versatile players who do more than one thing well, especially on STs, are easier to keep on the roster.
Having those players who already know the system and coaches saves much limited and valuable teaching time.