Tag: Las Vegas Raders

If Colin Kaepernick is ready to go he makes perfect sense for Raiders

Reports say Colin Kaepernick ‘impressed’ in his workout in Las Vegas. And if he is ready to go he makes perfect sense for Raiders

Another shot at the NFL is a long time coming for Colin Kaepernick. It apparently has taken an ideal situation for him to get that shot. And that situation couldn’t be more ideal than in Las Vegas.

Kaepernick’s naysayers will point to everything they can to say he shouldn’t play in the NFL, while also saying he could be playing in the NFL if he wanted to and then saying he isn’t good enough. And now that he’s been kept out of the league for five full years, the narrative has turned to his absence from organized football as the reason he doesn’t deserve a shot.

Translation: We don’t like that he kneeled in protest during the national anthem and never want him to have another shot at a playing career.

Well, he is finally getting a shot and if he shows the Raiders he is in shape and ready to go, there is every reason for the team to sign him and let him compete for a job.

According to reports, the workout went well.

A lot has happened in the NFL in the five years Kap was blacklisted. And much of it has only strengthened the argument that he has a place in this league.

The University of Nevada product and Turlock California native took the league by storm back in 2012; leading the 49ers to two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl berth. At that time there weren’t a lot of starting quarterbacks like him. He had a big arm and was equally proficient as a runner.

Since then, the qualities Kaepernick possesses have become far more commonplace. That being that of a dual threat quarterback. For instance, take Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson who have both won league MVP awards in recent years.

The past couple years the Raiders had a quarterback on the roster with those abilities in Marcus Mariota, who was a former number two overall pick by the Titans and is now competing for a starting job in Atlanta.

When healthy, Mariota was the unquestioned primary backup to Derek Carr in Las Vegas. The Raiders had packages for him that yielded some positive results as wrinkles in the offense. Usually it involved some form of a read-option, but with Mariota possessing plenty of arm talent to keep the defense honest.

At very least Kaepernick could offer the same thing to the Raiders’ current offense.

Some would suggest that at 34 years of age, he isn’t the running threat he once was. Perhaps, but in today’s NFL, QB’s often play well into their 30s, including mobile quarterbacks like Russell Wilson (33) and Ryan Tannehill (33).

Other than that, the ideas that Kaepernick would be a ‘distraction’ are laughable. This team made the playoffs last year with some of the worst distractions one can imagine. From Gruden’s forced resignation, to Henry Ruggs’s tragic drunk driving crash, to Damon Arnette’s antics.

I think they can handle Colin Kaepernick, so maybe save the copouts, k?

Mark Davis has no problem with it. In fact, he is all for it. And while Davis’s blessing wasn’t enough to convince Jon Gruden, new head coach Josh McDaniels responded by logically giving Kaepernick a look.

The bottom line is; McDaniels is not going to sign a player for any other reason than he thinks that player can compete for a roster spot. And if Kaepernick is in shape — and by all accounts he is — and he could still pose a threat as an offensive weapon, he would be a valuable addition to the QB room in Las Vegas.

5 dream selections for the Raiders in the third round

What is the best-case scenario for the Raiders at No. 86? Here are five dream selections.

The Las Vegas Raiders do not have a pick in the first two rounds thanks to the Davante Adams trade. However, it was a move the Raiders had to make as wide receiver was their biggest need heading into the offseason.

But with just one pick inside of the top-100, who could the Raiders be targeting at No. 86? And what would be the best-case scenario late in the third round for the Raiders?

Here are the top five dream selections for the Raiders at No. 86:

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 17 vs Colts

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 17 vs Colts

The Raiders have not made things easy at all the past few weeks. But they have managed to pull out three wins, which, in the end, is what matters.

In this one, they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and had a 13-3 lead with seconds left in the first half. But in a matter of fewer than three minutes from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third quarter, they found themselves trailing 17-13.

That remained the score to start of the fourth quarter, due in large part to Derek Carr throwing his second interception of the game. But the Raiders were able to put things together on offense in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead. Then with the score tied 20-20 with just under two minutes left in they were able to move into range of a game-winning field goal.

Ballers

WR Hunter Renfrow

The catch of the game was the one that put the Raiders in position for that game-winning field goal. Derek Carr sidestepped an oncoming rusher and stepped up in the pocket. Renfrow saw his quarterback trying to extend the play, so he broke off his route and made himself available.

Carr saw Renfrow and tossed it where hopefully only he could get it. Renfrow adjusted to make a brilliant diving 26-yard grab. After a few clock-draining plays, the Raiders ended the game.

Carr knew where to look for his outlet in part because his only touchdown of the day happened in a similar fashion. It was fourth and two from the 11-yard-line Renfrow had run his route and quickly diagnosed he needed to get to an open spot for his quarterback and Carr threw it there for the TD.

Renfrow caught a total of seven passes in this game to move into sole possession of the third-most catches in Raiders history. He is the most dependable outlet a QB can ask for.

On the opening drive alone, Renfrow made a 14-yard catch and an eight-yard catch on third and three to put the team in first down at the Indianapolis 40-yard-line. They would drive for a touchdown on that opening drive.

Even with his heavy workload as a receiver, Renfrow still returns punts. Late in the first quarter, he put the Raiders in great field position with a 41-yard return to the Indianapolis 35-yard-line.  The Raiders got a field goal out of it.

Their next scoring drive, Renfrow caught a 12-yard pass on third and 13, allowing the Raiders to go for it on fourth and one. They picked it up and added another field goal. He added a five-yard catch on third and seven that set up his touchdown on fourth and two to finish with 76 yards and a touchdown on seven catches.

DE Yannick Ngakoue

The Colts started the game with a three-and-out. They didn’t gain a yard on those three plays because after a three-yard run on first down, Ngakoue blew up a pitch play leading to a three-yard loss.

Early in the second quarter, with the Raiders up 10-0, the Colts mounted a long drive entirely on the ground. That drive stalled starting with Ngakoue getting held. That led to a third and long and Ngakoue put a hit on Carson Wentz to force an incompletion and hold them to a field goal.

Come to the end of the second quarter, the Colts went on another long drive. This time they moved into first and goal at the one-yard-line where Ngakoue got in the backfield again to lay another hit on Wentz for another incompletion. Ultimately it took a run on third down for them to get into the endzone.

Suddenly down 17-13, and with Carr being intercepted for the second time, the defense had to step up to give the Raiders another chance to take back the lead. On third and six, Ngakoue sacked Wentz. Yannick was even held on the play and still got through. The holding was declined.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Colts were once again threatening. The Raiders were up 20-17, so holding them to a field goal was crucial. On second down, he disrupted a short pass play that was then stopped for no gain and set up third and long. They couldn’t convert and settled for a field goal.

Ngakoue finished with a sack, four QB hits, and a tackle for loss.

WR Zay Jones

Jones had the longest catch (11 yards) on the Raiders’ second scoring drive, the longest catch on their third scoring drive (26 yards), the longest catch of the game (42 yards) to set up their fourth score, and a 14-yard catch on their game-winning drive. He would finish with a career-high 120 yards on eight catches.

CB Nate Hobbs

Hobbs’ inclusion here could stand only to make the team and fans that much more frustrated with his actions after the game. Hobbs was arrested on DUI charges after being found passed out in his car at 4 am Monday. Incredibly irresponsible especially in light of the Henry Ruggs III tragic accident and Josh Jacobs’s DUI arrest earlier this year.

As for his game performance, he was on point. He got stronger as the game went along. He had a run stop in the third quarter, then led out the fourth quarter with a QB hit leading to an incompletion.

Late in the fourth quarter, he was flagged for pass interference on a play he pretty cleared played perfectly. Then he shook it off and ended the drive anyway, making a run stuff and then making the tackle on a short catch on third and long to force a field goal and give the Raiders plenty of time left to respond.

Clearly, the rookie cornerback had plenty to celebrate. You just wish he would have celebrated more responsibly.

LT Kolton Miller

Derek Carr saw some pressure in this game and was hit a few times as well. But none of it came from Kolton Miller’s side of the line.

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Ranking the AFC West: Interior Offensive Line

Ranking the AFC West: Interior Offensive Line

We move inside now to weigh the strengths of the interior offensive lines in the AFC West. The big fellas who hold off the pass rush up the gut and open holes for the running backs.

What you notice in this division is a lot of rebuilt lines. So, it will be interesting how each of them holds up with some having more than one new starter.

1. Chiefs

Starters: C Creed Humphrey, LG Joe Thuney, RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

Three new starters for the Chiefs from last season. But that doesn’t mean unproven. While their new center is a second-round rookie, he will have proven veterans on each side of him.

Joe Thuney is a proven veteran starting guard, coming over after several years in New England where he never missed a start and collected two Super Bowl rings. Duvernay-Tardif opted out of last season to go put his medical degree to good use in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was the team’s starting right guard for their Super Bowl-winning 2019 season.

2. Chargers

Starters: C Corey Linsley, LG Matt Feiler, RG Oday Aboushi

This unit takes the second spot largely on the strength of Linsley. With Rodney Hudson no longer in the division, Linsley is easily the best center and probably the best lineman period.

To his left, he has veteran free-agent addition Matt Feiler, who has been a full-time starter the past three years in Pittsburgh — first at right tackle, then left guard. To his right is the weak link Oday Aboushi who is a veteran journeyman who is on his sixth team in eight NFL seasons.

3. Broncos

Starters: C Lloyd Cushenberry, LG Dalton Risner, RG Graham Glasgow

The one interior line in the division that returns all three starters. Cushenberry was the team’s first-round pick last year, and he struggled as a rookie. You figure he should improve in his second season.

Risner and Glasgow are both serviceable starters. Risner was a second-round pick in 2019. Glasgow in particular has been one of the league’s better interior offensive linemen for the past five years and even stepped in and started every game at center for the Lions a few years back.

4. Raiders

Starters: C Andre James, LG Richie Incognito, RG Denzelle Good

It’s weird seeing the Raiders interior line last in the division. They were usually top in the division. Trading away Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson put an end to that.

Replacing Hudson is former undrafted free agent Andre James. Jon Gruden loves the former college tackle, but he has a lot to prove to the rest of us. Replacing Jackson is Denzelle Good, who has done quite well in fill-in duties the past couple of seasons.

Returning at left guard is veteran Incognito. Quite veteran, in fact. He’s 38 years old and coming off a second consecutive season cut short by injury. Last season he played just one game and he hasn’t played a full season since 2017.

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PFF: Raiders QB Derek Carr named 12th-best quarterback entering Week 7

PFF: Raiders QB Derek Carr named 12th-best quarterback entering Week 7

In Derek Carr’s second year with head coach Jon Gruden, we saw him take a significant leap. During the 2019 season, Carr set career-highs in completion percentage, passing yards and passer rating. This season, Carr has somehow improved on those numbers as he is completing an absurd 73 percent of his passes and has a passer rating of 115.9.

However, not everyone is sold on Carr as an elite quarterback this season. In a recent article by Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, Carr was ranked as the No. 12 quarterback in the NFL entering Week 7.

While he has moved up two spots from the last time he’s played, it is a bit surprising considering his numbers and the team’s record. Here are Monson’s thoughts on the Raiders’ passer this season:

“Carr is a difficult quarterback to pin down. He is clearly a technically very proficient player who is generally accurate with the ball and gets it out of his hands quickly, but his box score numbers flatter his performance a little, and he hasn’t been quite as good as some might believe.

Though he has just one interception this year, he has six turnover-worthy plays, three of which have come on third down when he has had to force a play. The Raiders offense has done a good job building around Carr, and he has found his deep ball again in 2020, which makes that entire offense a much more difficult team to contend with.”

If Carr can have a big performance against the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL in Tampa Bay and can do it on a national stage like Sunday Night Football, he will start to receive a ton of buzz around the league. However, there is a decent chance he struggles considering the opponent and the current state of the offensive line.

Entering Week 7, Carr has been one of the league’s best passers this season and he is the reason this team sits at 3-2. He is doing exactly what Gruden hoped as Carr s improving by leaps and bounds every season. Carr is well on his way to regaining his status as a franchise quarterback.

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