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How bad do you want to make the team?
A lot of different things go on at an NFL training camp. Newly acquired veterans try to learn a new system, retuning players knock the rust off, and rookies try to prove their mettle. All of this happens under the watchful eyes of the media and fans alike.
With several players still recovering from injuries sustained last season, many borderline players have been given a long look in camp this year.
With Chaz Schilens nursing a foot injury and Louis Murphy dealing with a concussion issue, Paul Hubbard and Shaun Bodiford have been getting more reps than usual. This is a great opportunity for these two.
So far, they haven’t taken advantage.
Dropped passes, missed assignments, and bad reads seem to be commonplace for these young men trying to make the team.
To quote Jerry McDonald in his daily Twitter updates from Raiders camp: “Boller finds Bodiford open 50 yds downfield at goal line on post vs. Mitchell. He can’t hold it. Bubble players need to make those plays.”
It’s just more of the same for Hubbard. He doesn’t seem to be making much of an impression. If either of these young wide receivers want to make the team, they had better pick it up, and soon.
On the flip side, sometimes bubble players take advantage of their opportunity to shine. Such is the case with cornerback Joey Thomas and wide receiver Nick Miller.
Miller is the pint-sized return specialist that showed flashes of greatness in the 2009 preseason, only to have his hopes of making an impact dashed by a stress fracture.
This type of injury is notoriously difficult to return from, but Miller is making great progress. Quoting Vittorio Tafur’s Twitter page: “Nick Miller nice catch across middle for six – he’s had a nice couple of days.”
This just goes to show, if you don’t take advantage of every opportunity, someone else will. Miller has worked hard and is recovering nicely. So far, he is giving Bodiford and Hubbard reason to worry.
If Miller can remain healthy, he could give those other receivers a reason to look for work elsewhere.
Joey Thomas is a fifth-year cornerback from Montana State that has bounced around a bit in his NFL career. He played in Green Bay and New Orleans before coming to Oakland.
Again quoting Tafur’s Twitter update: “Joey Thomas makes great break to bat away deep Boller pass.” This isn’t the only time Thomas’ name has been mentioned in a positive way, it’s just the most recent.
This is great news for the Raiders, as there is no such thing as too much depth in the secondary. Thomas’ size (6’1″, 195 pounds) is excellent for covering the bigger receivers in the AFC.
If Thomas can continue to grow and learn, he could be a nice addition to the Raiders’ secondary. I would advise him to just keep doing what he’s doing.
Finally, having these borderline players in camp creates competition throughout the roster. Competition between players makes all of them better. When you can get better at each position individually, the team gets better as a whole.
I’ll be watching these players in the coming weeks. I’ll also be looking for other bubble players that are making an impact, or missing their opportunity.
So, Raider Nation, what other bubble players have you heard about? Who is making an unexpected impact? Who is not making the most of their shot at the pros? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments.
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The Oakland Raiders receivers are a very young and talented group of players with plenty of potential. It’s safe to say that they dropped the ball last year when it came to production.
Jason Campbell is now under-center and Raider Nation is once again filled with hope. There are many critics out there who still believe the Raiders are far away.
Perhaps one of the biggest questions everyone outside of the Raider Nation has is, “Who will Jason Campbell throw to besides Zach Miller?”
That’s a great question and I would gladly answer it.
Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy, and Chaz Schilens are all vying for the No. 1 and No. 2. These guys are all young and hungry, and each have their strengths.
Heyward-Bey had a forgettable rookie year, but has put in the hard work and looks much improved in camp. He is holding on to the ball and making aggressive plays to get to the ball. He is also putting in extra time after practice with Nnamdi Asomugha.
Heyward-Bey should be an exciting player to watch in 2010. He’s added over 10 pounds of muscle and has added the stiff arm to his arsenal.
Murphy is a playmaker that learned how to play and prepare like a champion while he was at the University of Florida. Last season he seemed to be the guy that always made the big play when Oakland needed one. Don’t be surprised to see Murphy lead the Raiders in touchdowns or receptions in 2010.
Murphy has the opportunity to become a special player in Oakland.
Schilens could very well be the most talented receiver the Raiders have on their roster today. He is tall, fast, and has great hands. If Schilens can stay healthy he has the potential to be a very good No. 1.
The Raiders have three receivers who have star potential, but that is in the future. The most important thing to focus on is being better than last year, and it won’t be hard for these three players to improve on their numbers.
Having Campbell instead of JaMarcus Russell at quarterback will help, and so will having a healthy offensive line and a better play-caller. These three guys should provide the Raiders with the most talent they’ve had at WR since the Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, and Jerry Porter days.
It doesn’t end there. The Raiders have rookie Jacoby Ford who has been turning heads at camp, and they also have Johnnie Lee Higgins who is a solid third or fourth option.
There are other players on the roster that make the Raiders receiving group deeper, like Nick Miller, Todd Watkins, and Yamon Figurs.
Perhaps those names don’t scare anyone right now, but they’ll demand respect once the season starts. The Raiders don’t need anyone on the team to catch 100 passes or 15 touchdowns to be a contender.
They need their top three receivers to improve and produce better numbers than those of the top three receivers the Raiders had last year. The top three receivers on the Raiders roster in 2009 caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards and six touchdowns combined.
There is no doubt in my mind that the top three receivers on the Raiders roster in 2010 will easily exceed that number and perhaps one may come close on his own.
The Raiders receivers will bring some much needed excitement to the Raiders offense in 2010.
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On Thursday, the Raiders will begin their 2010 season with a road game at Dallas. Many fans are anxious for this game. We will all see how much the Raiders have improved from January 3, 2010 when they finished the 2009 season. The fans will be able to see their favorite star players in action…for about 15 minutes.
Jason Campbell, Rolando McClain and Darrius Heyward-Bey 2.0 will make their Raiders debut.
As the game approaches I have begun thinking about how much this game actually means. Is it a ball game or is it a dress rehearsal?
Last year, the Raiders hosted the Cowboys to start the pre-season and the Raiders won by a decisive margin. JaMarcus Russell hit Chaz Schilens five times to lead the Raiders starters to the lead and the back-ups put it away.
Now we all remember how well JaMarcus Russell and the 2009 Oakland Raiders ended up. The Raiders finished the year 5-11 and Russell was a back-up for the second half of the season.
The 2006 Raiders had a 4-1 pre-season only to have a 2-14 regular season.
On that note, I will still be watching very closely on August 12th when the Raiders play the Cowboys.
At the end of the day, pre-season is like a win-win situation. If the Raiders lose I can just say that it doesn’t matter, but if the Raiders win then the optimism will continue to build for the regular season opener at Tennessee.
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Former New York Giant receiver Plaxico Burress has applied for a work release from prison. If granted a release, it is expected that his suspension would be lifted and the 33-year-old receiver would be eligible to return to the National Football League.
Work release rules state that an inmate can work Monday through Friday and return to prison on the weekends. The inmate is also not allowed to travel outside the state. Burress would need to get a waiver to be able to play in the NFL and although waivers are rare, they are not impossible.
Burress is a 6’5″ receiver who has the experience—and the play making ability—the Raiders need. Burress caught 12 touchdown passes in 2008, including the Super Bowl winning touchdown, and has averaged six touchdowns a year throughout his nine-year career.
The Raiders offense has struggled the past few years, partly because of JaMarcus Russell, but also because there is a lack of experience and big-play ability within the receiving corps. Experience and big-play ability are both things Burress would offer the Raiders.
Louis Murphy led the Raiders’ receivers with 34 receptions last year. Plaxico Burress has had 35 receptions or more every year of his career except for his rookie year.
The Raiders top four receivers, Louis Murphy, Chaz Schilens, Johnnie Lee Higgins, and Darrius Heyward-Bey, combined for seven touchdown receptions last year. Burress has had seven or more touchdowns in three of his past four seasons, with the exception being the 2008 season which was shortened by injuries.
When people think of Plaxico Burress, they think he would bring baggage because of his time in jail, but the shooting was one isolated incident, and was more of an example of Burress being stupid than him having a bad image.
The Raiders needs to take a chance on Burress and a veteran to the group of young receivers.
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I have read and written article after article about the new look of the Silver and Black, the positive directions the Raider have taken such as the NFL draft, the addition of Hue Jackson, the retaining of coach Tom Cable and the improvements to the defense and offensive line this season.
However if you look closely you will notice that many writers will say…provided Chaz Schilens stays healthy, or if Darren McFadden stays healthy.
The Oakland Raiders have looked much improved recently. In fact, since the release of JaMarcus Russell and the addition of Jason Campbell, this team looks spectacular.
But in all reality, the team needs to look at the talent that has been stable. Lately there has been alot of talk about what a healthy Schilens can do for the Raiders offensively. Yet, recently in practice he was sidelined because of the “glass slipper”. In fact he didn’t play much last season because of his foot.
I would have to say that Louis Murphy, who remained healthy last season, will be the Oakland Raiders number one receiver. I am basing this off his play from last season.
Secondly is RB Darren McFadden. McFadden was signed to do a whole lot more than what he has done. In fact, this will be his year to prove the naysayers wrong. Yet in most articles written, there the saying “If he can stay healthy”.
Last season McFadden was hurt and Michael Bush, who remained healthy, was able to show his strengths. Bush is a solid RB!
I believe that Bush will be the primary Raider RB. McFadden will really have to prove himself this season and stay healthy. McFadden has great catching ability and should have opportunities this season but for my money I’m relying on the proven running skills of Bush.
The Oakland Raiders have had players that worked hard all last season and stayed healthy i.e. Higgins, Huff, Branch, Asomugha, Seymour, Bush,etc. These players showed the glimmer of brightness that still shines in Oakland. Yet for the Raiders to be successful and make the playoffs we need players that are not injury prone. The Raiders need players who play smart.
Chaz Schilens and McFadden have this season to show what they were drafted for and thats to win games. To do that they need to remain healthy and play every weekend. The Raiders have a great shot at a title run in 2010 but as I’ve mentioned prior, all the players need to be on the gridiron and they need to punish opponents.
In memory to Raider legends Gene Upshaw and Jack Tatum the Oakland Raiders need to play hard like these men and bring back the Raider tradition of WINNING. In memory to these men, the Oakland Raiders need to “Commit to Excellence”.
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