Category: Raiders buzz

One of the biggest (and most important) decisions the Raiders will have to make this offseason is what is the future of Derek Carr with the team. Carr has been solid over the last two years under head coach Jon Gruden, but could the team opt to go in a different direction sooner rather than later?

If Mike Mayock and Gruden come to the conclusion that the team needs to upgrade at the quarterback position, the 2020 draft might be the year for the Raiders to select their next franchise passer.

In a recent mock draft by Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, the Raiders selected quarterback Justin Herbert from Oregon at pick No. 12. Here is what Edwards had to say about the possible pairing:

Jacob Eason could also make sense here; Jon Gruden will develop an affinity for one of them. Upside is the key word for each of those players. It will require some work to bring out the production.

Herbert is one of the eight quarterbacks who will be attending the 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. If he can have a solid week there, he should be able to secure his top-15 selection. Herbert has outstanding size and arm talent but needs to be more consistent when facing pressure.

If Gruden is looking for a quarterback with an all-world arm and athleticism, Herbert may be his top passer in this draft. Keep an eye on Herbert next week at the Senior Bowl as he could be the team’s franchise quarterback for the next decade.

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To be as talented as Antonio Brown is and yet have every team in the NFL staying well away from him is a feat in and of itself. The former All-Pro receiver’s antics and attitude had him wash out of the NFL early last season, first from the Raiders just prior to the start of the season and then the Patriots after just one game.

Brown suffered a mysterious foot injury supposedly from a cryogenic chamber mishap. That had him miss all but one series of training camp, though, in that one series, he didn’t appear to be suffering any ill effects from the foot issue.

Later, when he was set to return, the NFL denied him an appeal to wear his old helmet, causing him to skip out on practice again, leading many to believe his absence up to that point was really about the helmet and not his feet at all. He would be fined by the Raiders for missing practices and went after GM Mike Mayock, threatening him. He later demanded his release and it was granted.

He quickly signed on with the Patriots, but two weeks later have a lawsuit was filed by his former trainer, Britney Taylor, who alleged that he sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. The NFL is still investigating that incident as well as another sexual misconduct allegation by an artist who was working at his home in 2017.

Those were enough to have the Patriots release him as well.

Since that time, all Brown has done is show everyone he has some potentially serious mental and emotional issues that serve to distance himself farther and farther from the game he claims to love.

The one person who had continued to stand by him through each of his string of outlandish and, quite frankly, frightening and self-destructive behavior was his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

That ended Thursday with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Rosenhaus has sent a letter to the NFLPA announcing that he has severed ties with Brown until the troubled receiver seeks counseling.

Also bowing out from Brown’s representation is his lawyer Darren Heitner.

The straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, was likely a video Brown posted online showing him ranting profanity directed at the mother of his children as she and the two children were getting into a police car and then continued accosting police officers as they got back in their squad cars and drove away. They were responding to complaints of a domestic disturbance at his home in Hollywood, Florida.

Early indications from Brown are that he is not taking the news well. Kudos to Adam Schefter for taking the news well.

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The Raiders had one of the best rookie classes in recent memory, getting solid production from several different players at all stages of the draft. One such player the Raiders were able to steal on the third day of the draft was tight end Foster Moreau.

Moreau started the season as the fourth tight end on the roster, but quickly rose up the depth chart and became the No. 2 tight end behind Darren Waller. Moreau couldn’t have been a better fit with Waller as he was an elite blocker and an efficient receiver when he was targeted.

Moreau’s rookie season was so good that he finished as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded rookie tight end in 2019. Take a look at why the site was so impressed by the former LSU tight end:

In a word, Moreau’s rookie season was efficient. He hauled in 91.3% of his targets (21 of 23), including five scores, and he didn’t drop a single pass on the year. That’s precisely the kind of production you love to see from your No. 2 tight end.

With Waller and Moreau on the roster, the Raiders are set for years to come at the tight end position. Don’t be surprised if Jon Gruden finds some ways to get both players on the field more in 2020.

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With Rod Marinelli now the Raiders’ defensive line coach, you can expect that the team will be making some changes within the unit. One possible move is making defensive tackle Maurice Hurst the full-time starter as the three-technique.

In Marinelli’s defense, the three-technique is the most important player on defense. The scheme requires that player to be able to get up the field quickly and reach the quarterback. They are often blocked one-on-one and need to win that matchup in order for the defense to work.

If Hurst does win the three-technique job in Las Vegas, he could be primed for a breakout season. According to Pro Football Focus, he was listed as the most likely defensive tackle in the NFL to have a breakout season in 2020:

Hurst had a solid rookie season for Oakland in 2018, posting a 70.4 overall grade on 472 defensive snaps. He was even better this past season, particularly as a pass rusher. Among 61 interior defenders with 250 or more pass-rushing snaps in the 2019 regular season, Hurst ranked sixth in pass-rush win rate (15.1%) and seventh in pressure rate (12.0%). He started to build on some of that dominant pass-rushing ability that we saw at Michigan, and another step forward in his third year could mean big things for his future as one of the top names at the position for seasons to come.

Hurst clearly has the talent and pass-rushing skills to make the next step as a player. And with Marinelli coaching him and a potential full-time starting spot in front of him, there shouldn’t be anything holding Hurst back from setting career highs. Look for the former Michigan defensive tackle to have a huge season in 2020.

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There has been a lot of frustration on the part of those finalists who didn’t make the cut for the Pro Football Centennial slate. Notably the omissions of Raiders head coach Tom Flores and wide receiver Cliff Branch and Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson.

The backlash is deserved because those three are most definitely worthy of enshrinement. But amid all the doom and gloom there is a silver lining for this silver domed trio.

Recently longtime Cowboys beat writer, and Hall of Fame senior committee member Rick Gosselin spoke with ESPN Central Texas about the potential residual effect of the Centennial class for those finalists who were left out of the class.

The whole point of the Centennial class was to try and clean out some of the backlogs of worthy Hall of Famers who were pushed further into the background in favor of greats who come up for eligibility each year. People are so enamored with who is a “first-ballot Hall of Famer” that they forget there is an ever-lengthening waiting list that deserves attention.

“This is long overdue,” Gosselin said of the larger Centennial class. “I’m on the senior committee and I see the logjam that we have. There were 68 All-Decade players in the senior pool and 61 have never been discussed. And we’re only doing one or two at a time, so there was no way to break that logjam. So, I talked to the Hall and said the 100th anniversary would be a great time to do something special. They came up with the Centennial class where we have ten seniors, two coaches, and three contributors and kind of mirror the first class in 1963.”

Gosselin was asked and spoke specifically of Drew Pearson, whose video reaction has gone viral, showing his frustration over waiting to see all the players who made the Centennial slate to find out he wasn’t among them. It was emotional and powerful and gives you a window into how flawed the overall process of how the Hall of Fame lets in their members.

Many worthy potential inductees get left out due to arbitrary rules for annual voting that limits the number of players and requires a certain percentage of votes to make that cut. Pearson has fallen victim to this like many others.

“This is the first time he’s ever been a finalist,” Gosselin said of Pearson. “I tell the people here in Dallas, until you’re a finalist, you’re not a candidate because no one discusses you until you’re a finalist. So, Drew is now in the mix. I think going forward, he’s got a better chance now than he did a week ago, because now he’s the only first-team All-Decade player in the game’s modern era that isn’t in. Sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, they’re all in but Drew. First team All-Decade guy, that is a rubber stamp for Canton. And Drew is just the lone ranger, he’s the only guy left. I would hope that in the next year or two that’s resolved.”

The benefit to this is all these guys were among a smaller group of finalists, so now they are fresher in the voters’ minds. Out of sight, out of mind is a bad place to be when trying to get in the Hall of Fame.

Come this time next year, when the senior committee decides on the one or two players they will nominate for a Hall of Fame, there seems a high likelihood those nominations will come from the list of Centennial slate finalists who were left out.

That’s just ten players and eight coaches. If that continued, the list would be smaller each year and therefore the odds go up. The list is supposed to get smaller, as opposed to for year the list getting longer than they can sift through.

It’s a shame that the likes of Tom Flores and Cliff Branch were still shut out even with what seemed like a no-brainer decision, but this may not be their last chance. Their chances may actually go up now. Potentially.

As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats. Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher got in among the coaches. Prior to this, they had left out, along with Tom Flores, possibly because they were all splitting votes. Johnson, Flores, and George Seifert were the only 2-time Super Bowl-winning head coaches not yet in the Hall of Fame. Now it’s just Flores and Seifert. And Seifert wasn’t even among the finalists.

Likewise, Branch may have been splitting votes with Harold Carmichael who played in the same era and had similar numbers. Carmichael got in, so if they were splitting votes, they will no longer. Though it sounds like maybe now he’ll be contending with Pearson. But since the Cowboys got two members of the Centennial class (Jimmy Johnson and Cliff Harris) and the Raiders got none, if there’s any justice in the world Cliff Branch would be considered ahead of Pearson. Though at least for Pearson’s sake, he may be able to put on the yellow jacket. Something Branch didn’t live to experience.

Sorry, I got doom and gloom again. I’ll try to work on that.

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The NFL world is still reeling from the snubs of Tom Flores and Cliff Branch from the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial slate. The special expanded class this year may well have been the best chance either of them have had or will have to get into the Hall of Fame.

Branch passed away last year, having waited 30 years to hear his name called. Flores is about to turn 83, having coached his last NFL game 26 years ago. And yet what seemed like an easy choice for the two who have 7 Super Bowl rings between them, was not to be.

Flores, in particular, was the head coach for two Raiders Super Bowls in the 80s. Branch was on both of those teams as well as the Raiders’ first Super Bowl team and retired as the all-time postseason leader in receptions  (73) and receiving yards (1289). Yet, somehow Harold Carmichael got in over him.

Several of Flores’s players are in the Hall of Fame, including Howie Long. The legendary defensive end has had two sons play in the NFL. His son Chris played 11 seasons in the NFL, retiring following the 2018 season. He grew up with his dad telling him of the greatness of his former head coach and former game-changing receiver.

I really hope Tom Flores gets in soon. My pops always told me he’s a HOF. Him and Cliff Branch.

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) January 16, 2020

Chris also had the honor of hoisting the Lombardi trophy twice, like his dad. In 2016 for the Patriots and 2017 for the Eagles.

Having Bill Cowher selected ahead of Flores is a slap in the face. Especially since Flores has been waiting 12 years longer. Cowher coached the Steelers for 15 seasons, managing one Super Bowl win in his 14th season on the job and a 12-9 record in the postseason. Two years after he was out, the Steelers won another one. Flores won two Super Bowls in nine seasons with the Raiders while his team won 72% of their games with an 8-3 postseason record.

If either Branch or Flores are to get in at any point, it will be via the senior committee. Branch’s induction would be posthumously, just as with Ken Stabler a couple years ago. Flores will hopefully be able to hold on, so he can take the stage if/when he gets the call. The hope here is that at very least, the expanded Centennial class will clear out the backlog enough to up Flores and Branch’s chances of being admitted by the Senior Committee.

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The 2020 NFL Pro Bowl rosters were announced on January 15. With that announcement, the Raiders had two players make the team — Rodney Hudson and Trent Brown — and two players who were considered major snubs.

Those snubs were rookie running back Josh Jacobs and breakout tight end Darren Waller. Both players were selected as alternates. One or both of perhaps both of them could have gotten the call anyway if not for injuries.

You see, the AFC title game will feature Pro Bowl players on both sides who were selected over Jacobs and Waller. Titans running back Derrick Henry and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. And the rule is that if your team makes the Super Bowl, you give up your spot on the Pro Bowl roster for an alternate. One of these teams will make the Super Bowl, so someone will be replacing either Henry or Kelce.

Unfortunately for the two Raiders snubs, they are both recovering from injuries at the moment and may not be available to accept what would be their inevitable Pro Bowl invitation.

Jacobs is recovering from a broken shoulder that cost him the final two games of last season. So even if the Titans were to win, he would have to decline his invitation. And you’d have to figure there would even be a good chance should the Titans lose because Henry has been pounding the rock all season; a career-high 303 carries.

It seems very likely Henry will bow out of the Pro Bowl regardless of the outcome this weekend. But, when that happens, Jacobs will have to have fully healed from his broken shoulder over the past five weeks in order to play.

Waller may or may not be available. He had thumb surgery just after the season ended, so depending on the severity of that, he could replace Travis Kelce should the Chiefs make the Super Bowl. But it would be a miracle.

Normally players wouldn’t try to come back from a surgery after the season to play in a meaningless game, but for Waller, it’s not the game itself, but just being named to the team that holds meaning. And if he can’t play, they will pass him up for the next guy.

The Raiders’ other two Pro Bowl alternates are Richie Incognito and Alec Ingold. Incognito is also injured and neither position has a Pro Bowler in the AFC Championship game.

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The Raiders were a much-improved team in 2019 as they barely missed the playoffs after finishing 4-12 in the previous season. New general manager Mike Mayock helped address some of the team’s biggest needs, such as their offensive and defensive line, slot receiver and running back.

However, for the Raiders to make the next step as a team, they are going to need to improve a few critical positions this offseason. But deciding what position is the biggest need may be somewhat of a struggle.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Raiders’ biggest weakness on the roster is their secondary rather than at wide receiver or linebacker. Take a look at why PFF believes the Raiders need to invest into their secondary this offseason:

Problems have existed in the Raiders’ secondary for years now, and they’ve tried to remedy that by bringing in players through the draft and free agency in recent seasons. It hasn’t worked to this point. The secondary was still a major issue in 2019. No team in the NFL allowed more expected points per pass play than the Raiders, and they were one of the more susceptible teams to big plays, allowing 2,196 passing yards on gains of 20-plus yards. That was more than any other team in the league. Whether it be cornerback, safety or linebacker, the Raiders should continue to try and remedy their coverage woes.

With the Raiders having two first-round picks in April’s draft, you can bank on them using one of their picks on a secondary player. While the team is still optimistic about players such as Trayvon Mullen and Johnathan Abram, you can never have too many quality defensive backs. Expect the Raiders to address that position in both free agency and the draft.

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