Here is part two of my predictions on who I think will make the Oakland Raiders 53-man roster. If you didn’t catch part one check it out right here. Defensive Ends: Tank Carradine, Bruce Irvin, Fadol Brown, Arden Key, Frostee Rucker, Shilique Calhoun Khalil Mack may not be listed on the depth chart as he …
Predicting Raiders 53-man roster: Defense and Special Teams Read More »
It took 12 weeks of football for the 2017 Oakland Raiders to generate their first interception. But that won’t be the case this year. New defensive coordinator Paul Guenther won’t settle for that, and neither will Raider Nation. A dynamic defense begins with its personnel, and personnel begins with grueling position battles. The 2018 Raider cornerbacks must improve …
We are officially one week into training camp and now just hours away from the first preseason game against the Detroit Lions. Raider Nation is extremely excited to see the team take the field after what was a very eventful and enlightening first week of camp. Training camp practices are certainly important, but in the …
Rory’s Ruminations: 5 Takeaways From Training Camp Week 1 Read More »
The 2018-19 season is fast approaching and with the Oakland Raiders releasing their first depth chart of the season, here is part one of my predictions on who will make the 53-man roster. Quarterbacks: Derek Carr, Connor Cook, EJ Manuel Unless Connor Cook or EJ Manuel put on a horrific display in the preseason, I …
When the Oakland Raiders take the field in September the usual suspect will be the flag bearers. Jon Gruden, Derek Carr, and eventually Khalil Mack will get the lion’s share of credit or blame and rightfully so. However, the season will likely hinge on the performance of a few other, less heralded roster features and potential …
Raiders training camp is well underway and this brings excitement and the usual cynics. Along with Khalil Mack’s holdout, Gareon Conley has dominated conversations across the NFL spectrum. Conley entered this offseason with the training wheels off and appeared ready to move past his injury-plagued rookie season. One practice in, however, and the injury bug …
When the Raiders poached Derek Ansley away from the Alabama coaching staff, it was viewed as a great hire.
Ansley has come up from the vaunted Nick Saban coaching tree and helped develop some high-level defensive back prospects. Being a former college DB himself, Ansley joined the Alabama staff initially with experience as a coordinator. However, what maybe wasn’t clear before, but certainly is now, is that he is the most important position coach. After a secondary unit that took 13 weeks to produce an interception (the first of the year was snagged by a linebacker), Ansley is expected to improve the group significantly.
It’s hard to believe it’s only been seven months since Mark Davis successfully lured Jon Gruden out of the broadcasting booth back onto the sideline, but it has. It’s been a long, exciting, and interesting off-season.
There’s a lot of hype and even more doubt surrounding the team, and everyone’s excited about September 10th, when Gruden calls plays as Oakland’s head coach for the first time since January 19th, 2002. However, after having the same four or five conversations about what scares and excites me as a fan, I’ve decided to consolidate them all into one article. So here it is, the quintessential guide to everything Jon Gruden.
From 2003 to 2015 the Oakland Raiders could only manage 63 wins. The Raiders were a team dubbed “The Team of the Decades”, yet for over a decade, winning and excellence shown on the field were a rare achievement. When the two most consistently good players on a team are the kicker and punter, wins will undoubtedly be hard to come by.
However, this narrative appeared to change in 2016. A miraculous Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints kick-started what was a 12-4 season that ended the Raiders’ long playoff drought. This was the first time since 2000 that the Raiders amassed 12 wins and it was the first double-digit winning season since 2002. Needless to say, success was far from the norm in the East Bay.
Conley showed flashes of greatness in a Week 2 matchup last season against the New York Jets. Despite it serving as a brief look at the former Buckeye, it gave a glimmer of hope that the Raiders have a shut-down corner for many years to come. Unfortunately, Conley’s shins would give way the following week and as a result, he was put on the shelf for the remainder of his rookie season.
Despite Conley not being on the field to showcase his talents, his collegiate resume and the brief snippet of playing time in the NFL is enough to silence any naysayers. Fast forward to now and Conley’s injury has since healed and he is right on schedule in his return to the field.
