Category: Raiders buzz

Raiders legendary WR Cliff Branch named senior committee finalist for Hall of Fame

Raiders legendary WR Cliff Branch named senior committee finalist for Hall of Fame

For years, NFL people have been pounding the table for Cliff Branch to get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And his time may have come. The Hall of Fame Senior Committee has named Branch as their player finalist for the 2022 enshrinement.

Senior Committee finalists almost always make it to induction, so Branch’s time may very well have finally come.

It’s a bitter-sweet moment because two years ago Cliff Branch passed away. So, after waiting nearly 30 years to get that knock on his door, he didn’t live to see it.

His snubbing has become more and more a source of frustration for many former Raiders teammates, including Marcus Allen whom I recently had the opportunity to ask about his thoughts on Branch not yet being enshrined.

“Levi, you’re touching nerves,” Allen replied. “And I don’t mind.”

“I think it’s almost criminal when you look at Cliff’s numbers and you look at others’ numbers that are in [the Hall of Fame]. He’s still number four all-time in postseason yards receiving. Played in a completely different era. If he played today and they were throwing it a hundred times a game, the numbers would just be ridiculous.

You can read all of what Allen had to say about Cliff Branch here.

When Branch retired, he had three Super Bowl rings and was the all-time leader in postseason receiving yards. He’s still fourth on the all-time list with all eligible receivers ahead of him already enshrined.

Branch has been eligible since 1990 and eligible for senior committee enshrinement for 11 years. He was among the senior committee nominees for the Centennial class, which welcomed 15 new Hall of Famers, but he was not among those chosen.

Also on the list, but not among those chosen for the Centennial class was Tom Flores. Flores was enshrined this month as part of the class of 2021 at the age of 84. Ken Stabler and Ray Guy also got in via the senior committee. Stabler, like Branch, didn’t live to see it.

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Is Raiders GM Mike Mayock already on the hot seat?

Is Raiders GM Mike Mayock already on the hot seat?

The Raiders, well Jon Gruden, made the interesting decision to hire Mike Mayock as the team’s general manager during the 2019 offseason. With five total first-round picks from 2019-2020, the team needed an experienced draft guy to run their war room.

Entering the 2021 season, Mayock and company now have three drafts under their belts and the results are underwhelming. If the team struggles to make the playoffs this year, could that possibly lead to a change up top?

In a recent article by ESPN’s 32 beat writers, each were assigned the task of writing up who is on the hot seat for each respective squad. For the Raiders, it was Mayock. Here is what senior writer Paul Guiterrez had to say about Mayock entering the year:

“If it’s true that draft classes cannot be fairly judged for three years, the same should be said for first-time general managers who used to be on TV as a draft expert, yes? Yes. Mayock may not have final say on personnel decisions — that’s coach Jon Gruden’s department — but his fingerprints are all over the past three draft classes, which have yielded more head-scratching picks at their draft spots (Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram, Henry Ruggs III, Damon Arnette, Lynn Bowden Jr., Alex Leatherwood) than bona fide Pro Bowlers (Josh Jacobs). Fair or not, the spotlight is on Mayock in his third season as Raiders GM.”

For Mayock to keep his job, the Raiders likely do need to have some team success and his first-round picks need to pan out. That is especially true for someone like Henry Ruggs, who the team drafted at No. 12, ahead of several other elite receivers.

If players like Ruggs, Abram and Arnette continue to struggle, this team likely will finish near the bottom of the AFC. And if that is the case, the Raiders will be searching for a new general manager in 2022. Needless to say, it’s a big season for Mayock and his Raiders.

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Ballers & Busters for Raiders preseason Week 2 vs Rams

Ballers & Busters for Raiders preseason Week 2 vs Rams

Preseason is now through its second week and the next wave up cuts are upcoming. But before that happens, we take a look at the players who stepped up and those whose performances may have them stepping down.

Ballers

CB Nate Hobbs

Hobbs was balling from start to finish in this game. So much so that he earned a game ball from Jon Gruden despite Gruden saying he doesn’t usually do that for preseason games.

In the third play of the game, the Raiders had the Rams in third-and-11. They went for a screen out right and Hobbs sniffed it out all the way, flying into tackle the receiver for a loss just as he caught the ball. This forced a punt out of the back of the Rams’ endzone and gave the Raiders great field position at the LA 32-yard-line. They would drive for a touchdown from there.

Two possession later, the Rams were again lined up in third down and Hobbs came flying in again, this time on the blitz. The QB was able to escape, but on his run out right, he would be pressured again and end up throwing incomplete.

Early in the third quarter, the Rams got the ball back up 10-7. On the first play of the possession, the Rams went for a big play deep up the middle of the field. Hobbs read the QB, chased down the pass, and leapt in the air to pick it off. The Raiders would take over and drive for a game-tying field goal.

The final drive Hobbs added a big hit tackle and a pass breakup giving him 4 combined tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, and two passes defended. Have yourself a day, rook.

LB Javin White

White got the start at linebacker again. And he came roaring out the gates. He made the tackle in the first play of the game for the Rams offense, Helping stop a run at one yard.

The second drive, the Rams lined up in second-and-18 and White very nearly picked the ball off. He had perfect position and had the ball hit both his hands, but couldn’t reel it in. The Rams would punt after the next play.

The next possession he ran down a pass deep up the left side and got his hands up to knock it down.

With questions surrounding starter Nicholas Morrow’s foot, along with White showing off his coverage abilities seemed like it could open the door for him to make the regular-season roster. Those hopes came crashing down in the third quarter when White went down with a serious knee injury and was carted off the field. It looks like the Oakland native and UNLV star’s dreams of making the Raiders roster will have to wait another year.

OT Alex Leatherwood

The rookie starter played the first quarter (16 snaps). But in those snaps, he was perfect. Gave up no pressures and even was the leader blocker on a couple of nice runs on the Raiders’ first scoring drive.

WR Marcell Ateman

Ateman made up for a rough preseason opener with two outstanding catches in this game. The first came late in the first quarter with Nate Peterman throwing a ball just barely out of reach of the defender. Ateman shows great concentration to catch the ball around the defender for 16 yards.

The second catch was the biggest play of the game for either team. Midway through the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 10-10, the Raiders lined up at the 29-yard-line. Gruden called double eight’s number. He made a double move, Peterman sold it with a pump fake, the defender bit hard and Ateman was wide open up the left side for the touchdown.

TE Alex Ellis

Ellis quietly led the Raiders in catches in the game (4). Showing why he is on this roster and why he could earn a job. It might be on another team, or on the Raiders’ practice squad, but a job.

His first catch came in the two-minute drill late in the first half. It went for 15 yards. But the Raiders weren’t able to capitalize on it. Peterman threw for him a couple more times on the drive, but the first pass was knocked down and the second was stopped for two yards.

In the third quarter, Peterman found Ellis again for big yards. On third and four from their own 33-yard line, Ellis broke open for a 21-yard catch and run. But once again, the Raiders couldn’t capitalize on it.

Ellis’s final catch went for three yards on third and four. It set up fourth and one and the Raiders went for it and converted to move into field goal range and tie the game at 10-10.

WR DJ Turner

The undrafted rookie had a workmanlike performance that deserves mentioning. He had a 16-yard catch, a 23-yard punt return, made a block on an 8-yard run, and even made a tackle. Yes, a tackle. It came after an interception with Turner stopping the return at nine yards and keeping the Rams from getting good field position out of it.

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Thin at linebacker, Raiders work out veteran LB Mark Barron

Thin at linebacker, Raiders work out veteran LB Mark Barron

The Raiders have been losing linebackers left, right, and center of late. The skeleton crew remaining is in need of some reinforcements. Most have been hoping it would lead to the team signing KJ Wright — who was in for a workout recently — but that remains to be seen. In the meantime, the Raiders are doing their due diligence.

Monday the team hosted veteran LB Mark Barron for a workout.

The 31-year-old spent last season in Denver but didn’t play a game for the Broncos. After spending the first part of the season on IR, he was ultimately waived without playing a game.

The seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Bucs and Rams. He then played 15 games with the Steelers in 2019, starting nine.

As for the Raiders injuries, the list of those not injured might be smaller.

Nicholas Morrow went down with a foot injury last week in scrimmages with the Rams — an injury Jon Gruden said was concerning. Nick Kwiatkoski was already out injured, and then Darron Lee missed the game on Saturday with injury. Then in the game, Javin White was lost to a serious knee injury.

Kwiatkoski is expected to return soon and White was fighting to make the roster. It’s really the Morrow injury that makes finding a replacement a priority at this moment.

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Raiders bring back OT Devery Hamilton, cut three others for round two of roster trimming

Raiders bring back OT Devery Hamilton, cut three others for round two of roster trimming

Tuesday the Raiders must be down to 80 players. That means they must trim the roster by five players. That work began today while also seeing one offseason player return.

First up, the Raiders re-signed tackle Devery Hamilton who had been waived after spending all of camp on the Non-Football Illness list. He will compete with Patrick Omameh and Jaryd Jones-Smith for a roster spot or a spot on the practice squad.

Simultaneously the Raiders cut three players. They released CB Rasul Douglas and G Parker Ehinger and waived P Corliss Waitman.

That’s a net negative two players on the roster which means they must make at least three more moves by tomorrow in order to get down to the 80-player limit.

Some of those moves could end up being injury-related. The most recent being linebacker Javin White who left the team’s preseason game on Saturday with an apparently serious knee injury.

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Raiders CB Nate Hobbs is the team’s highest-graded player in preseason

Raiders CB Nate Hobbs is the team’s highest-graded player in preseason

Heading into training camp and the preseason, there appeared to be a three-way battle going on at the slot cornerback position. The veteran, Nevin Lawson, was the favorite to win the job after he served his two-game suspension. But after two preseason games, it doesn’t appear that he will be getting that job back anytime soon.

Fifth-round pick Nate Hobbs has been outstanding during his two preseason performances. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the team’s highest-graded player after two games and it’s not hard to understand why. He has played a total of 57 snaps, allowing just 12 yards in coverage on six targets.

But what has been even more impressive is how he has contributed as a pass-rusher and as a run defender. Obviously, his sack-forced fumble in Week 1 of the preseason was the play of the game against the Seahawks. But his three stops in the run game is what has him as the current favorite to win the slot job.

There is still one preseason game left and several practices ahead of the 2021 season before the Raiders have to decide on who will be starting out of the slot. However, the competition might already be over. Hobbs has played that well so far in camp and in the preseason that it is going to be tough to take him off the field.

It appears Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden have found a diamond in the rough in the fifth round of this year’s draft in Nate Hobbs.

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Raiders TE Darren Waller lands at number 35 on NFL Top 100 list

Raiders TE Darren Waller lands at number 35 on NFL Top 100 list

Last year Darren Waller just barely cracked the NFL Top 100 list at number 99. They were wrong then, and this year his ranking reflects that. After a season in which Waller set a new Raiders franchise record with 107 catches, he jumps up the list 64 spots to numbers 35.

Some might even said 35 is too low for Waller. The ultimate mismatch is virtually uncoverable and the Raiders offense revolves around him. He had the second most yards among tight ends last season behind only Travis Kelce. And you can bet Kelce is going to be much higher. Probably top ten.

Maybe another season over 100 catches, nearly 1200 yards and nine touchdowns will move Waller up the list even farther. For now, at least he’s in the top 50, which is better than Pro Football Focus and their laughable rankings. Which is especially odd considering they had Waller at number 38 in their Top 101 players following last season. Closer to what seems to be a more reasonable spot for Waller.

Raiders 53-man roster projection

Raiders 53-man roster projection

Preseason game two is in the books. Cutdown number two is days away. Rather than wait for that next cutdown to make roster projections — which would be easier — I’m going bold and doing it now, when the roster sits at 85 players. Cuz that’s how I roll.

Quarterbacks:

IN (3): Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, Nathan Peterman

OUT: None

Running backs:

IN (4): Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Alec Ingold, Trey Ragas

OUT: Jalen Richard (IR), BJ Emmons, Garrett Groshek

Wide receiver:

IN (6): Henry Ruggs III, John Brown, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Willie Snead, Zay Jones

OUT: Keelan Doss, Marcell Ateman, DJ Turner, Dillon Stoner

Tight end:

IN (3): Darren Waller, Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier

OUT: Nick Bowers, Matt Bushman, Alex Ellis

Offensive linemen:

IN (9): Kolton Miller, Richie Incognito, Andre James, Denzelle Good, Alex Leatherwood, Brandon Parker, John Simpson, Nick Martin, Patrick Omameh

OUT: Lester Cotton Sr, Jeremiah Poutasi, Jimmy Morrissey, Parker Ehinger, Jaryd Jones-Smith, Kamaal Seymour (IR)

Defensive tackles:

IN (5): Johnathan Hankins, Solomon Thomas, Quinton Jefferson, Darius Philon, Gerald McCoy

OUT: Matt Dickerson, Darius Stills, Niles Scott

Defensive ends:

IN (5): Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue, Clelin Ferrell, Malcolm Koonce, Carl Nassib

OUT: Gerri Green, Kendal Vickers

Linebackers:

IN (5): Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski, KJ Wright*, Divine Deablo, Tanner Muse

OUT: Nicholas Morrow (IR), Darron Lee, Max Richardson, Asmar Bilal Javin White (IR), Te’Von Coney

Cornerback:

IN (6): Trayvon Mullen, Casey Hayward, Nate Hobbs, Damon Arnette, Keisean Nixon, Amik Robertson

OUT: Nevin Lawson (Suspended), Isaiah Johnson, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Rasul Douglas

Safeties:

IN (4): Johnathan Abram, Tre’von Moehrig, Tyree Gillespie, Karl Joseph

OUT: Dallin Leavitt, Roderic Teamer

Specialists:

IN (3): K Daniel Carlson, P AJ Cole, LS Trent Sieg

OUT: Corliss Waitman

*Predicted roster addition

Raiders rookie CB Nate Hobbs ‘It factor’ earns him game ball

Raiders rookie CB Nate Hobbs ‘It factor’ earns him game ball, starting nickel job to open season

The final player to step behind the podium following the Raiders 17-16 preseason win over the Rams was rookie cornerback Nate Hobbs. The fifth-rounder had all but locked up the starting nickel job to begin this season and he intercepted and ran away with it in this game. Literally.

Hobbs had a phenomenal game in LA which came on the heels of a standout performance in the preseason opener as well. Jon Gruden said Hobbs has even surpassed his expectations when they drafted him out of Illinois.

“I’m really proud of him. I’m really excited to see what he does in his future,” Gruden said of Hobbs. “We tried to summarize him a couple of days ago. He has the ‘it’ factor, he rarely makes the same mistake twice, he loves football, and he eats it up. He’s one of the energizers of our defense. He’s walked in here and given us a lot of skills that we can utilize certainly.”

This performance earned Hobbs a game ball, which Gruden said was something he doesn’t typically give out for preseason games.

I passed Hobbs on the way out of the press conference room and the young corner had not one, but two footballs in his possession. One was his game ball, the other was the ball he intercepted. Quite the haul for the quiet, young fifth-round rookie.

Hobbs got the interception through no accident. After having played the slot through the first half, he was moved to outside corner to see how he fared. On his third snap, the Rams tested him. He passed. With flying colors. He diagnosed the play, watched the quarterback, and tracked the ball on a deep post pattern to pick it clean.

“I just shuffled, I saw one sit down and two kept going up the seam, so I just climbed,” Hobbs recalled of the play. “I don’t even think it’s in the playbook, but I was just trying to be a football player and I saw the ball come out of the quarterback’s hands and ran to the receiver and looked up and the ball was there.”

That play wasn’t out of nowhere either. He had two nice tackles on the Rams’ first drive, including one on third down to force a punt. And later he had a pass breakup as well. And this performance was after he had a hard sack on Seahawks QB Geno Smith in the preseason opener and had held his own in the scrimmages with the Rams this week as well. Prompting Josh Jacobs to gush about him.

“I love that dude,” Jacobs said of Hobbs this week. “So, he’ll be right next to me all the time in the locker room, he’s not too far. But I love him. I love his energy, I just love the way he plays the game. He has that never-quit attitude, wanting to be a better player and he flies around. You can see the confidence in his game. I just try to talk to him every chance I get, tell him he’s doing a good job and just to keep stacking days. So, I’m excited to see it.”

Hobbs simply shows a level of play and understanding you don’t expect from a rookie, let alone a fifth-round pick. Particularly the part about not making the same mistake twice.

“I feel like it’s trying to be a pro at what I do. If I’m professional, I can’t keep making the same mistakes,” Hobbs said. “At the end of the day, this is something that they trusted me to do and they’re paying me to do it, so I feel like I’m a pro I shouldn’t make the same mistakes. You’re going to make mistakes, I’m a rookie, and I’m a football player. You’re gonna make mistakes in the game, just don’t let it be the same one. So, I just try to go about it that way.”

Through much of camp, Nevin Lawson has been pegged as the starter at the nickel spot. Leaving the competition seemingly between Hobbs and Amik Robertson. But Hobbs has now put some distance between him and Robertson in that competition. And even if Lawson is still currently seen as the starter — which he may not be at this point — he’s suspended the first two games.

Last week Gruden said Hobbs “may be the opening day starter for us.” Tonight he put Hobbs in the same sentence as second-round rookie Tre’von Moehrig who has been pegged as the full-time starting free safety since the moment they drafted him. Which is to say Hobbs has earned the starting job for the season opener and perhaps beyond. If he can play like this in the regular season, how do you even consider taking him out?

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Raiders injury updates: Linebackers, Richie Incognito, Marcus Mariota, more

Raiders injury updates: Linebackers, Richie Incognito, Marcus Mariota, more

Suddenly the Raiders are banged up. Particularly at the linebacker position. They had Nicholas Morrow go down in practice this week, Nick Kwiatkoski was already sidelined, and in this game Javin White went down with a knee injury and was carted off the field.

After the game, Jon Gruden gave several injury updates, first and foremost to his linebacking corps.

“There’s a concern obviously with Nick Morrow. His foot is being evaluated,” said Gruden. “And Javin White looks like he hurt his knee. So, we were out a couple linebackers. [Darron] Lee couldn’t play tonight so we’re light at linebacker right now. It’s a concern. [Nick Kwiatkoski] is going to be ok, We think he’s going to be ready to go this week, but he couldn’t go tonight.”

White’s injury during the game tonight looks like it could be especially serious.

“I don’t want to come to any conclusions, but we’re going to evaluate him and he’s got to get the X-rays, but we are concerned,” Gruden added of White.

Others who might have played tonight, but were held out due to health concerns include Damon Arnette, Karl Joseph, and Marcus Mariota. Gruden didn’t give any specifics on Arnette, but I asked him about why Mariota was suited up, but didn’t go.

“He’s just not ready to go, physically,” Gruden said of Mariota. “He competed against the Rams (in scrimmages), but he’s limited, we’re not calling plays for him right now with the limitation. He’s got a quad strain. We think he’s got a chance to play against the 49ers, but the way he plays, we do not want to get him out in a live situation and let him cut it loose, he’s just not ready to go. He was ready tonight on an emergency basis, but right now he’s just not ready to go.”

And finally, there is the status of Richie Incognito who went down in practice Thursday almost simultaneously to when Morrow went down on the opposite field.

“We think he has a calf strain and we hope he’s ready for the opener,” Gruden said of Incognito. “But we don’t believe it’s serious, not Achilles tendon related at all. But it’s a calf injury and we’ll keep you updated, but right now he’ll be out for at least a week or so.”

Should Incognito not be ready for the season opener, John Simpson would step in for him at left guard.