Now let's drive

Ok Raiders, that was a nice gift. Great recognition by Houston to put on some pressure. Now we need a real drive. The Broncos are stacking the box and it should open up some things down field. I like this first play to DHB, let's keep it going...

Ha - couldn't even get it posted before DMC ripped off a beauty. How was that not a TD?

We are starting to pick lucky seats

This is turning into one of those nail biters where each of us is trying to figure out the luckiest seat to watch the game. We're looking for the WRs to get involved. While the play calling has been creative, the WRs haven't gotten involved down the field.

As I type this, DHB picks up a crucial third down with a great catch and run. The West Coast fan base would like to see more of the same...

Unk - we gonna see some Schilens?

The Vertical Game

Watching the Eagles take apart Atlanta and Jeremy Maclin just scored on an 83-yard bomb, which made me think of the two WRs taken before him in the 2009 NFL Draft.

There will be no avoiding the DHB-Crabtree comparisons today. Crabtree admits to having a little extra incentive to rub it in Al Davis's face today, while DHB says he isn't going to spend even a minute thinking about Crabbers. While DHB has been an easily foreseen disaster, based on the problems he's had in SF, it's clear Crabtree would have been a nightmare in Oakland.

Maclin, on the other hand...oh yeah, we have Johnnie Lee Higgens.

Hopefully Campbell can figure out how to get the WRs involved this week.

June News

It has been a quiet CLOAK of late, perhaps afraid that we'll jinx this most positive of "Raider seasons" by talking about how wonderful it's been. The Raiders, however, feel no such fears. A week ago, the intrepid Raider PR staff decided to put out a press release that stopped just short of bestowing a CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY upon Darrius Heyward-Bey. It is really a remarkable piece of work that, after listing great WRs who at any time played for the Raiders, culminates as follows:

"The list of wide receivers should make any pundit or so-called expert think twice before putting negativity on Heyward-Bey. No one has come close to the excellence at wide receivers that have worn the Silver and Black. These performers have been the greatest players who have ever played the game."

Head-shaking aside, I'm putting no negativity on Heyward-Bey or any other aspect of this Raider offseason. Within days of a conversation with Dave over whether the Raider D will be able to stop the run with no new bulk at DT, John Henderson came aboard. Then this weekend, Richard Seymour signed his tender, making a distracting holdout even more unlikely.

June 2010. Feeling good as a Raider fan.

Happy Anniversary!

Actually, my anniversary is tomorrow. Yes, the Day that will Live in Infamy, not because it gave Bill Parcells a chance to use describe a trick play his coaches installed (of course, with no disrespect to "orientals" intended), but because it was the day that the Professor made an honest man of me.

That's right, seven years ago tomorrow, I got hitched. And we started celebrating today with some oysters, champagne, and a huge Raiders win over the Steelers--which AFC West Blogger seems to have missed completely while covering the Donkeys' huge victory at KC (as of 13:45 PST).

Gradkowki's line, in front of his hometown crowd: 20-33 , 308 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions.

Unbelievable. I can't remember the last time a Raiders quarterback put up numbers like that.

Also, I don't think it's a coincidence that Louis Murphy and Johnnie Lee Higgins had big games at the receiver position while DHB sat out the game with a hurt foot. I know we gave JaMarcus a couple of years before applying the bust label, but DHB fucking sucks. When your receivers suddenly have a breakout game as a group on the day you don't play, that means you should probably take your obscene signing bonus, make sure your will is correctly filled out and signed, and then jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Seriously, look at the receiving stats from the box score:

	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LG	TGTS
L. Murphy	4	128	32.0	2	75	6
J. Higgins	4	63	15.8	0	22	7
C. Schilens	3	45	15.0	1	23	6
Z. Miller	4	43	10.8	0	16	6
J. Fargas	2	13	6.5	0	10	3
T. Watkins	1	12	12.0	0	12	2
T. Stewart	2	4	2.0	0	3	2
D. McFadden	0	0	0.0	0	0	2

I'm the sure the NFL would give some kind of cap relief for a suicided player. Take JaFatass with you. He's never come close to a 121.8 quarterback rating. (While we're here, it's not like McFadden is lighting it up, either.)

Anyway, enough hating. Great win. Go Raiders.

One more thing: I rocked my Kirk Morrison #52 replica today. Coincidence? Not sure. I know I said I wasn't going rock any more Raiders gear this year, but for some reason I woke up this morning and was feeling it. So now I'm going to rock it until they lose. Probably next week at home, blacked out against Washington, who gave the Saints all they could handle today.

Depth Finder

Wow. That was all Tom Flores could say about JaMarcus today. And that's an appropriate reaction to this game recap by Jerry McDonald.

It's worth a read. Among the "high" lights:

• Most rushing yards by an opponent (316) since 2001. That predates Rob Ryan.
• First sub-40,000 announced attendance (39,354) since the return to Oakland and lowest paid attendance since 1968. Yeah. The SIXTIES.
• DHB is now behind Crabtree, 5-4. His reaction to finally having more catches than names? "It’s good to catch the ball. I had two catches today. That was a positive thing during the game."

And of course Jerry reminds us that the Jets' O-line coach is Bill Callahan, who knows better than anyone how dumb this team can be and absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage when the Jets had the ball.

Hopeless.

DHB Leads Crabtree

Just a quick note to say that DHB still holds a slim lead over Crabtree headed into this week's games, 2-0 in total catches for the year.

I just picked up Crabtree in my fantasy league as a hedge against local ridicule.

Dan Roundup

My lazy summertime blogging frequency continues. I would blame it on the severe foot injury I suffered at Johnny's birthday barbecue, but if anything, that has kept me off my feet and even more apt to sit in front of a computer. At least I'm using my crutches less, but I still have a blister the size of a golf ball on the bottom of my foot. Kristy says no to pictures on the CLOAK. Too disgusting.

Just watched the few minutes of Greg Papa's interview with Al Davis that were shown on tonight's Chronicle Live. Al is looking more and more like the emperor from Star Wars, but his memory remains solid, telling stories about Brooklyn and how Mike Tyson called him one tough SOB for having grown up playing in Lincoln Terrace Park. No real football content, though.

The other day it was AFC West day on NFL Live on ESPN, and when they went to Bronco Bill for some insight via his lousy telephone, he actually declared Zach Miller his breakout player for the upcoming season. I can get behind that one, although it also says a little something about expectations for the vertical game.

One thing I never got around to doing was following up on my three points from minicamp.

1. So far Huff's only chance appears to be getting the Derrick Gibson treatment from on high. Given that Al called him Art Shell's pick, I don't see it happening. I sure do miss Eddie Anderson.
2. DHB was so-so. I didn't notice any gasps from the media as he ran down the field, but most focus was on his hands or his hamstring. He's a rookie WR, so doubtful he'll do a lot anyway. But Schilens seems to be on track to continue emerging, much to Unk's delight. And speaking of McFadden...that's my breakout pick for 2009.
3. The accuracy of JaMarcus. Not so good. At least he showed improvement. But what's with this story that he skipped the last OTA after showing such "leadership" calling for extra practice with his receivers? Did he disappear into the Twilight Zone with all the regular Raider bloggers? (See #2 under Things I Heard...)

No wonder I never followed up.

Finally, I could not help but notice that Ron Artest is heading to the Lakers. I haven't watched a full NBA game since November 19, 2004, when Ron and his buddies climbed into the stands and started beating up fans. Truth be told, it hasn't been that difficult given that I find the NBA game to be reasonably boring and I've drifted from the Lakers to the Rockets to nobody with the Hornets (Charlotte) thrown in there at some point as favorite teams. Sure, I bet a lot of those fans were assholes, but the sight of these guys climbing up there and pounding on people who paid to come to the game was just too much.

Being Talked into It

It has taken some time to recover from the first day of the draft, and that has nothing to do with this. Possibly the nicest part of the Raiders' sensible offseason had been the lack of negative attention from the media. Poof.

I was also personally disappointed that I had both guessed wrong and argued wrong, not that I expected any different. But in that argument I suggested that the Raiders might change their ways and trade down. I'm now convinced that their reaches, despite being highly stereotypical, in fact do signify a change in their ways. I argued that the Raiders had not reached with any of their top ten picks in recent years. Huff? Not a reach. Gallery? Not a reach. JaMarcus? McFadden? Randy Moss? Not reaches.

Yet the Raiders have been burned. So this year it was pundits be damned, we will target guys we want. Heyward-Bey should go at #25? Too bad, we don't have the 25th pick, we have the 7th.

So I've talked myself into it. We won't know the results for several years. But the real shift going on with the Raiders is beginning to show after the first day of minicamp. Cable is assembling a team of character guys. Hard workers. Phil Barber calls DHB, "Funny, down-to-earth, honest and confident without coming off as cocky." As Dave, a coworker and loyal CLOAK reader pointed out today, one would be more apt to describe the pick we were supposed to make, Michael Crabtree, as a "diva." (Great DHB quote from Barber, by the way...)

The best surprise of the day was the arrival of Fresno State Bulldog Lorenzo Neal, one of the great lead blockers in NFL history and clearly a leader figure for Cable's new look team. Jerry captures a great quote here, including this:

"It’s not just what you bring on the field but what you bring off the field, the intangibles and say, ‘Hey, look, guys, I’m going to be here on Tuesday watching film on my off day.’ It’s getting in the weight room working out, showing the guys, this is what has allowed me to play 17 years."

See for yourself. Neal's passion is tangible starting at about 1:28 of this clip from NBC Bay Area. Before they get to him, though, there are sound bites from DHB and Mike Mitchell - and of course Nnamdi - all of which have me convinced. It's still been a very good offseason.

Mini Post

As Raider minicamp kicks off, just a quick post on what interests me. Later I'll have overcome my Kool-Aid hangover and will be able to discuss the draft again.

Both Jerry and David White have compiled thoughts on what to watch for during minicamp. While I'm very interested to see what changes an almost entirely new coaching staff will bring, the three first impressions I'll look for today are as follows:

1. Michael Huff's role - the one good thing I can say about drafting Huff is it has helped me come to terms with this year's draft. After all, Huff was a can't-miss prospect and a no brainer at #7. But will Lionel Washington work some magic or will Huff be as good as out the door? The Raiders' struggles at safety have held them back.
   
2. DHB and the WR corps - will he impress the way DMC did in practice last year? If he's as athletic as the Raiders say, he should stand out next to the rest of the WRs. And will anyone else emerge from this relatively deep group of #2 / #3 WRs that the Raiders have assembled?
3. The accuracy of JaMarcus - obviously, hopes begin with JaMarcus stepping up in a big way this year. Minicamp should provide an indication of whether he's sharp and ready for bigger things.

And I see that David White is now Tweeting. Can a Twitter CLOAK be far behind?

More First Day Reactions

After letting the Heyward-Bey and Mitchell picks sink in, here's what some people are saying:

Jerry: His gut says Heyward-Bey is a bad pick, but he also thinks the Mitchell pick might be a good one. This cracked me up:

With the Raiders’ luck, Mitchell will unload the full force of his fury upon Heyward-Bey on the first day in Napa and . . . . never mind.

Ouch.

Gutierrez: What, Usain Bolt wasn't available?

Kawakami: Cable's the big loser in Saturday's bizarre Raiders draft crop. Brutal quote:

And Al proved that Cable has no credibility, just like every other of the last many Raiders coaches, who all failed. Because they had no credibility, you see.

But that’s the only way Al likes it.

Lowell Cohn: Advantage 49ers, even though it's not really a competition. Brutality:

You never can underestimate the Raiders because they’ll always perform lower than you’d imagine in your most vivid nightmare.

and:

Al Davis has been in love with speed since he chased someone down Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn decades ago.

Apparently we're still picking. I don't think I can handle any more of this, so I'll be by the pool somewhere with a strong cocktail.

We've Become a Parody of Ourselves

Bill Williamson types out a column-length blog post to let everyone know who bad the Raiders screwed up by taking Heyward-Bey instead of Crabtree.

His conclusion:

Sure, Heyward-Bey's speed and Russell's big arm will be a nice combination a few times a season. Heyward-Bey probably will make a few big plays as a rookie. It would be a shock if he will be a productive player all season. In fact, I would be surprised if Heyward-Bey ever becomes an elite player. There is little chance he will become the best receiver in the Bay Area.

The Raiders' drafts this decade have been highlighted by the wrong call. In 2004, the team took Robert Gallery over Larry Fitzgerald. In 2006, they took Michael Huff over Jay Cutler. And now this.

This could be the worst mistake of all. If it is, the Raiders won't have to look far to be reminded of it.

The only thing I can absolutely quibble with is the suggestion we should have taken Cutler over Huff. Huff might suck, but I'd take JaMarcus over Cutler any day.

Lowell Cohn: Raiders' Screw-up is 49ers' Gain

Cohn hates the Raiders' pick, too. There seems to be a consensus.

Talking Ourselves into Heyward-Bey

Okay, so he's fast. Dan and I were watching this and getting a little excited. But not that excited. The Kool-Aid is going down bitter.

ESPN Hates the Pick

Via Jerry:

Mel Kiper, Jr.: I’m shocked. I’m happy for Darrius Heyward-Bey… great kid, now a couple games this year he did not catch a pass, but he was shut out in two games. Not the guy that you throw the ball and can depend on. I gave it an F grade. I don’t know how you pass up Michael Crabtree at number 1. I’ve got to give it an F. In my opinion there’s no way you can pass up Crabtree, or if you want Heyward-Bey, trade down. Take Heyward-Bey and trade down and take him in the middle of the first round.

Keyshawn Johnson: Al Davis loves speed. Fast receivers can’t catch anyways. So I think when you’re looking at wide receiver, I think they’re not focused on passing the football, they compare him with a young quarterback. You don’t have to be fast in this league to make plays. I think it’s a big mistake on their part passing up Crabtree. You got to catch the football! This shouldn’t happen. You should never be shut out when you’re the number one guy.

Todd McShay: To me this has bust written all over it. You bring in a wide receiver who can basically be a speed guy. You can go vertically; he does a good job with that at a 4.3 speed. But, he does not catch the football consistently. If you’re going to draft in the top 10, you better draft a guy that can do it all. Michael Crabtree can do it all. Being obsessed with the 40 times is one of the reasons that Al Davis and the Raiders continue to pick at this spot.

Well, that happened.

Looking for a Place to Hang My Hopes...

...rather than myself.

Jerry's finally back online, and he's got some insight from both Cable and DHB. Cable reads from Al's notes to say this was the guy the Raiders targeted a month ago. He perhaps reaches (for at least the second time today) by suggesting that they feared another team would trade up to beat the Raiders to him.

But...at least Jerry has this to say about Heyward-Bey:

Heyward-Bey, by the way, seems like an earnest, hardworking young man. He sounded nothing like a diva, said he modeled his work ethic after Jerry Rice and is confident his skills will translate into bigger stats at the NFL level.

He said he never worried about his status in college, believing wins far outweighed any numbers he accumulated.

Given his numbers, that's a good thing.

Kawakami: Never Doubt Mike Lombardi

Al Davis does what Al Davis does.

And now the 49ers take Michael Crabtree, which means that it will be in our faces for the next 10 years if Crabtree is great and Heyward-Bey sucks.

God Damn It.

Drinking

As Williamson gloats, Dan has decided he needs a stiff cocktail or 7. I can't say I disagree. Part of me wants to talk myself into it, but I really can't.

Still no interviews on NFL Network. Not even a picture. Are we sure he even exists?

Early Heyward-Bey Reactions

David White: Let the second-guessing run rampant.

Jason Jones: No, this isn't a joke.

Phil Barber: Oh no they di-n't. Oh yes, they did.

For some reason, the MediaNews blogs are experiencing technical difficulties, so we'll get those later.

Taking the Bait

No, I'm not terribly worked up about the Raiders' woes drafting safeties, though Derrick Gibson's longevity-to-productivity ratio must be an NFL record. But all this Darrius Heyward-Bey talk has me irritated. Come on Lombardi, "Locked in?" To me it's bizarre that Lombardi, a guy who has sat in the Raider war room, would be so bold if he's basing his prediction on a stereotype. He risks losing a lot of credibility regarding his unique Raider insight if he's wrong.

But I just don't see it happening at pick #7. There's a big difference between reaching for Carlos Francis in the fourth round - even for Fabian Washington in the mid-to-late first - than there is for late first round talent at pick #7. I don't see evidence of this behavior in the past. Despite Peter King's sad list, neither Gallery nor Huff was considered a reach at the time. Not even remotely so.

Now David White is in on the act, devoting an actual article to the subject. It reads more like a mock draft roundup than any real insight, though. And it's worth noting that in his own mock draft, White has the Raiders picking Crabtree.

With Stafford off the board, and talents Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe, and Aaron Curry likely to be picked ahead of #7, there are two picks standing between the Raiders and either Crabtree or Andre Smith. I may be changing my guess after all...the winds seem to be blowing Smith up the charts, while Crabtree and his entourage may be slipping, making him seem the more possible choice.

If both are gone? I think it will be Maclin. Sure, I've heard the argument that there is too much skill overlap with Johnnie Lee, but despite learning to appreciate JLH in 2008, I'm not sold that he's destined for a starring role.

If they buck tradition, trade down, and get Heyward-Bey and another pick, fine by me. Lombardi is adamant that they won't trade down, but then again this offseason has seen a new approach in a lot of ways from the Raiders. If the new approach includes taking a big reach at #7, Al won't have Art Shell to blame if turns out to be another bad miss.

Quick update: Noticed Kawakami blogged on the subject today. He adds the not terribly surprising rumor that Burgess is being shopped - he hasn't been around, is in a contract year, and the Raiders need more picks. What if we mash all this together? Maybe the Raiders package Burgess and their second rounder to get into the late first for Heyward-Bey, after taking one of Cable's OT "Cadillacs" at #7.