In 2012, Cribbs saw action in 16 games with two starts at wide receiver, and totaled 43 kickoff returns for 1,178 yards. He also returned 38 punts for 457 yards, and recorded seven receptions for 63 yards.

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Cribbs has totaled 12,169 career kick- and punt-return yards, making him just the sixth player in NFL history to reach the 12,000-yard mark. His 10,015 career kickoff-return yards are the fifth most in NFL history and his 11 total return touchdowns also rank fifth in NFL annals. He has returned 195 career punts for 2,154 yards and three touchdowns.

Cribbs logged a career-high 1,809 kickoff-return yards in 2007, and returned a career-best three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2009.

There are no hard numbers on this one-year deal, but my guess is that it is a bit above league minimum.

I am very excited about this new addition; the Raiders special teams (aside from the kicking trio) was a hurting unit  for the most part last season. I have also heard from a few Browns’ fan friends that he was one of the hardest working players in Cleveland, which is exactly the type of player that can fit into the vision Reggie McKenzie is trying to build on in Oakland.

Welcome to the Raider Nation, @JoshCribbs16!

*****

Where Will Charles Woodson Land?

It should also be noted that former Raiders CB, Charles Woodson, has not yet confirmed which team he will sign with. As in my last rumours article regarding Woodson, he was set to and did meet with the Denver Broncos on Wednesday while the contract offer is still on the table from Oakland. Rumour now has it that Woodson is still looking at the possibility of returning to Oakland and FOX News has reported that he will in fact be visiting the team on Tuesday.

Competition At The Punting Position

According also to FOX News, former Minnesota Viking P Chris Kluwe has said he will be joining the Raiders. Although the team has not yet confirmed this signing, I whole-heartedly welcome this addition to special teams. Not only will it give the young protege P Marquette King (who sat on the IR all of last season) some competition and drive to work for that #1 spot, but he is an NFL player I have always shared similar social views with. He is indeed outspoken, but he is also passionate about the game. With that being said, if any Raiders fan believes that Kluwe is an appropriate replacement for Shane Lechler, unfortunately the fact of the matter is is that no one can replace him. But I do believe that Kluwe can at least be consistent if it came down to him.

Free agents:

Chance Casey-Thomas (5-11, 190) CB – Baylor: Started all or parts of four seasons as a safety, playing with Robert Griffin III from 2009-11. Finished with 212 tackles (161 solo), six for loss, three interceptions, 18 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. Also returned punts for the Bears.

Eric Harper (6-3, 240) LB – Grambling State: Transferred from Louisiana Tech prior to his senior season, then in his first season as a college starter had 54 tackles and 6½ sacks. Played primarily tight end until his transfer. Lost his house in Hurricane Katrina, which forced him to play for another high school.

Greg Jenkins (6-1, 208) WR – Alabama State: Compiled 17 touchdowns and almost 2,200 yards in the Southwest Athletic Conference’s most productive offense

Jeron Mastrud (6-5, 255) TE – Kansas State: Signed as an undrafted free agent with Tampa Bay in 2010, then spent training camp with the Bucs and the first couple weeks of his rookie season on the Patriots’ practice squad, before Miami signed him to its active roster. Played in 36 games with six starts over his first three NFL seasons (2010-12), all with Miami, catching one career pass for 8 yards. He was eligible to participate in the rookie mini-camp despite being fourth-year player because he did not receive a qualifying offer or minimum salary tender from his previous team (Miami) upon expiration of his contract.

Ryan Robinson (6-4, 255) DE – Oklahoma State: A junior-college transfer, started his senior year at OSU and finished second on the team with six pass breakups, in addition to 32 total stops (25 solo), 8½ tackles for loss and 2½ sacks. Spent two years at Jones Community College. Father and three uncles played college football. Two of those uncles played for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins, respectively.

Andrew Robiskie (6-1, 297) C – Western Illinois: Started the final 25 games of his career on the offensive line, including his senior year exclusively at center. Helped the Leathernecks to a record-setting year and an NCAA playoff berth as a junior in 2011. Son of former NFL RB Terry Robiskie, now the WR coach for the Atlanta Falcons, and brother of the Detroit Lions’ Brian Robiskie.

Mitchell White (5-11, 184) CB – Michigan State: In 43 college games, finished with 26 career tackles (12 solo) and one pass defensed. Played primarily as a reserve defensive back and special-teams contributor during his four years with the Spartans. A former walk-on, earned a scholarship prior to his sophomore campaign. Also competed as a high-jumper on the Michigan State track team. Identical twin brother, Myles, a WR at Louisiana Tech, signed late last month as a non-drafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers.

Waiver claim:

Andre Holmes (6-4, 210) WR – Hillsdale: Third-year player was waived by the New England Patriots Friday. Played in seven games with the Dallas Cowboys last season, registering two receptions for 11 yards. Joined the Cowboys as a free agent for the final four games of the 2011 season, but did not see action. Entered the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings as a non-drafted rookie free agent out of Hillsdale, where he was teammates with current Raiders TJared Veldheer.

CB Adrian Bushell, C Deveric Gallington, DB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, TE Mickey Shuler, and LS Adam Steiner were also waived in order to make room on the roster.

Photo: Jim Prisching, Getty Images

The rumour mill in Oakland is abuzz after a report surfaced this afternoon that a contract offer had been extended to former Raiders CB and now free agent, Charles Woodson, who was drafted by the Raiders in ’98. As per USA Today:

The veteran safety is on his way to a meeting with the Denver Broncos on Wednesday and has received paperwork concerning a possible return to the Oakland Raiders, his agent Carl Poston told USA TODAY Sports. Woodson, who was cut by the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason, isn’t about to pack it in.

…

As for the Raiders, who drafted the 36-year-old Woodson fourth overall in 1998, Poston believes the offer he received was “just kind of preliminary negotiations. Just showing they’re interested.”

According to various other sources and as the article above confirms, Woodson is set to meet with the division rival Denver Broncos. Apparently the Broncos are also said to be Woodson’s first priority.

Boy, I’d love to bring the one and only Oakland Raiders home jersey that I own out of retirement, and I believe that the Raider Nation shares this same sentiment. Woodson is among very few great memories that this franchise has had in the past 15 years. As a Twitter follower of mine had put so eloquently, “Woodson is like the ex-girlfriend you break up with but then see again years later, and you think to yourself ‘Damn, she looks old but she’s still so fine’”. Precisely.

I believe it’s very unlikely that Woodson will return to Oakland, regardless of what that offer entails, but we can hope! He’d fit right in with the rest of the elderly, ahem.. veteran players that have been acquired over the offseason.

Photo: via Bloomberg

News broke on CBS Sports yesterday afternoon that longtime Oakland Raiders CEO, Amy Trask, had announced her resignation with the organization after 25 years. As I couldn’t have said it better myself, Levi Damien of Silver & Black Pride for SB Nation wrote this article with the details:

In a stunning move today, Raiders Chief Executive Amy Trask has officially resigned from her post. Trask sent out an email announcing her resignation saying.

“For over a quarter of a century, it was my honor and my privilege to work for the Raiders. I will forever appreciate the opportunity afforded me by Al Davis,” said Trask. “I honored a commitment that I made to effectuate a smooth transition and transfer of control. I no longer wish to remain with the organization,”

This in essence says that Trask was on her way out the moment the new regime took over and spent last season training her replacement. And saying she no longer wishes to remain with the organization suggests this parting may not have been the most positive.

According to Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated, this move was expected due to Mark Davis telling her she would have a subordinate role with the organization under his ownership. This did not sit well with Trask.

This is disappointing news to say the least. Trask was with the Raiders organization for the past 25 years. Her hiring by the Raiders broke the gender barrier as she was the first female team executive in NFL history and remained the highest ranking female executive in all of professional sports.

Trask was known for her fan outreach and her many years as the steady hand in the Raiders organization and she will be missed. The Raiders have said they will be issuing a statement soon.

The team website has not yet been updated with said statement.

While Trask was a monumental part of this team, much of Raider Nation was not completely shocked by this move as indicated in the article above. Trask was Al Davis’ right-hand woman, repeatedly going to bat and supporting all of Davis’ decisions – it is no wonder that she now butts heads with Al’s son, Mark, who is now heading in an entirely different direction with the organization.

Below are a few Raiders players who also saluted Trask’s involvement with the Raiders on Twitter upon hearing the news:

I’d like to personally thank Amy Trask for her undying support of the team for 25 long years. Through the ups and downs, this woman has been through it all. I applaud her achievements in the NFL and send her my best wishes for the future!

Coming Soon: A tribute to Amy Trask and the legacy she leaves behind in Oakland.

Every problem position for the Oakland Raiders was covered and many more new additions were added post-draft as well. To be perfectly honest, the first three draft picks in Hayden, Menelik and Moore caught me a bit off-guard, but rumours that swirled around the NFL media post-draft included that Sio Moore could be one of the best first-rounders at the LB position that was taken.

It looks as though GM Reggie McKenzie is stacking every position with competition early, as rookie mini camp is already underway (started yesterday, May 10). In McKenzie’s post-draft press conference, he was asked if there were any guys that made the roster and didn’t follow his and HC Dennis Allen’s “philosophy”:

“No, it has more to do with the philosophy and what we’re trying to implement into this team. The message that we’re sending to the current team last year when we got here. So it’s more this is what we’re all about. These are the kind of players we want. Now, if you want to join ship, let’s get on board. This is what you’re going to have to do. You’re going to have to work. It’s just sending a message. This is kind of who we are as players and as a team. We’re going to come here and go to work. Trying to get it done.”

#92 DT Stacy McGee. Photo: Christian Petersen, Getty Images

It’s less unnerving knowing that McKenzie got the players that he wanted and had already been targeting prior to the draft; it’s a much different strategy than Al Davis used to use, anyway.

The most intriguing pick that Oakland made, in my opinion, was DT Stacy McGee out of Oklahoma. He was a compensatory pick for the Raiders, rounding out the four picks total that they had in the sixth round. Even after some controversy in his college career off the field (including being arrested for a DUI while driving with a suspended license just before this past season’s Cotton Bowl), McGee has been quoted saying that his troubled past is behind him and that he’s ready to work in Oakland. Oakland’s D-line has been missing some quick feet like this for some time now; it will be interesting to see how McGee can contribute. And man, can this big guy move (#92):

CB D.J Hayden. Photo: AP

Happy draft season, Raider Nation! The 2013 NFL Draft kicked off this past Thursday evening in prime time, and I’m sure like me, Raiders fans were sitting on the edge of their seats wondering what cards the new Oakland GM would play.

This is the first year in Reggie McKenzie’s stint with the Raiders that he’s had a first-round draft pick to play with, and because we the fans aren’t familiar with his style, anything could have happened.

The Raiders’ first three draft picks and their positions are as follows:

• 12th pick overall: Cornerback D.J. Hayden – #2, University of Houston (@_Go_DJ_ on Twitter)
• 42nd pick overall: Offensive tackle Menelik Watson – #71, Florida State University (@MenelikWatson71 on Twitter)
• 66th pick overall: Outside linebacker Sio Moore – #3, University of Connecticut (@MrUconn3 on Twitter)

I was never more impressed than when I saw that Reggie McKenzie was able to trade from the third pick overall down to #12 with the Miami Dolphins. It was almost as if McZ was reading Raider Nation’s mind. The sentiment that I share with the rest of the fan base is that it is refreshing to now have a GM who understands the team’s needs and selects players they have been targeting for all the right reasons rather than drafting players who performed the best at the NFL Combine.

Cornerback, in particular, is a dead position right now in Oakland. Did I expect that the Raiders would take a CB in the first-round? No, but I fully understand why it happened. Hayden will have a chance to learn from one of the best in newly acquired veteran CB, Tracy Porter. Not only that, but based on Hayden’s incredible back story, going from his death bed while in college to a first-round NFL draft choice, it is evident that this kid is willing to work and do what it takes to succeed in professional football.

D.J Hayden & GM Reggie McKenzie. Photo: USA Today Sports

I believe McZ, above all, admires Hayden’s work ethic – and so do I. This move instills what I believe to be Reggie’s philosophy for a revamped Oakland Raiders team: No one is going to play who isn’t willing to work or who doesn’t show him improvement. This first-rounder took a while to grow on me, because I did have my heart set on DT Star Lotulelei out of Utah (who, by the way, went two picks later to Carolina), but now that I have found out that McZ specifically targeted Hayden in the days leading up to the draft, I am at peace in knowing that he got his guy. Here’s a direct clip from the NFL Network when Hayden’s name was called Thursday night:

You can also watch GM Reggie McKenzie’s Draft Day 1 press conference here.

#71 Menelink Watson. Photo: ESPN

Offensive tackle was also another position I did not intend to see so early in the draft, and when Menelik Watson’s name flashed up on my TV screen, it made me scratch my head momentarily. After listening to his media session, one of his stories stood out to me on how he made the decision to play on the offensive line:

“I went out there the first day, I went for defense, and I had a good day at defense, but I really wasn’t sure if it was the right fit. Then Kyle Long, son of Howie, he was there with me at the time, so as I walked off the field he told me that I need to change my jersey and come on offense, so he was like, ‘Come on, you’re going to play offensive line.’ I went out there and they were like, ‘Well, we like you at tackle,’ so obviously Kyle played left tackle so I went over to the right side. It was just really comfortable and really easy just concentrating on the ends and being able to set angles and have your feet keep up with the quick guys.”

Just to add, being a forever-fan of Howie Long myself and watching Kyle Long get picked up by Chicago in the first round broke my heart, if you were wondering. Another son has passed us by!

Getting back to Watson, I logged on to YouTube and found this reel of Menelik Watson vs. Florida from the 2012 season. The play that stood out to me the most comes at 1:12 as Watson helps to open up a hole for his RB. Beyond his size and athleticism, this is an aspect to Oakland’s offensive game that severely lacked in 2012:

It’s going to be interesting to see how Watson lines up with Willie Smith or Jared Veldheer; I look forward to seeing what he can contribute in camp. After watching Carson Palmer scramble around like a fish out of water in 2012, it is no secret that Oakland needs as much help on that line as possible. Hopefully Watson’s athleticism, his quickness, sparks some life into the O-line.

#3 Sio Moore. Photo: Jared Wickerham, Getty

Last but certainly not least, there is another Moore in town! I didn’t have any first impressions of OLB Sio Moore when I heard Raider great, Willie Brown, call his name in the third round. With the addition of Moore, Oakland’s linebacker core looks mild on paper, even with the additions of Maiava and Roach in the off-season, and it still needs a lot of help. Moore has been quoted saying he “plays with a chip on his shoulder” or that he “plays angry”, which are a few statements that make my ears perk up – I believe every football player should play that way. This is Sio Moore’s seven-minute media conference call; he talks a mean game (“The Oakland Raiders got the best linebacker in the draft; I don’t care who went before”), but I am hoping that he can bring that leadership into Oakland’s locker room. There are quite a few veterans taking the field for the Raiders this off-season, and potentially in the 2013 regular season as well, but my hope is that Sio Moore practices what he preaches and leads by example. Again, knowing that Moore was targeted (having had been coached by HC Dennis Allen in the Senior Bowl for the North team) is comforting as the Raiders got the guy they wanted.

Rounds 4-7 are already underway here in EST and I’m excited to see who else jumps on board in Oakland!

Personally, I always get excited for the draft, even if the later rounds fly by as the top talent diminishes. But it’s also interesting to see how all of the other teams draft and to find out from the media afterwards why they drafted the way that they did. Half of the fun is to judge other teams, rather than to focus on only the team you root for.

This is the first time new Oakland GM Reggie McKenzie will have a first-rounder at his disposal. Will the Oakland Raiders trade down in an attempt to acquire that second-round pick they are missing? And if they do trade down, with which team? As McKenzie has been adding many defensive veterans to the roster, do the Raiders focus on mainly offense in this year’s draft? Or do the Raiders draft a bit of everything to create competition in camp?

Let me tell you, I can’t wait to find out.

I was hoping that the away game in Indianapolis would be sometime in October so I would have a chance to go to my first ever NFL game, but unfortunately that isn’t how the cards fell. I believe the Raiders’ toughest stretch will be after the Week 7 bye week when they will meet the New York Giants and the Houston Texans on the road back-to-back. I do, however, love the fact that our last three games of the regular season are division rivalry games – should make for an interesting finish as one team will need represent the AFC West.

Also note the two nationally televised games: The first in Week 3 on Monday Night Football at Mile High (a given) and the other on Thanksgiving in Dallas.

My early predictions off the top of my head are that the Raiders will go 3-3 before the bye, 4-6 after the bye. If I had to make a prediction for the preseason, I would bet we lose all four.

Which game do you plan to attend in the fall? Predictions on what our record will be in 2013 yet, or too early to tell? I will ask again in a poll after the draft, which is coming up this Thursday.

Source: Team’s Official Website

The Raiders have picked up a lot of veteran players this offseason, and veterans the Raider Nation is hoping will gel in 2013. Personally, I love the addition of Rashad Jennings, who backed Maurice Jones-Drew since landing in Jacksonville in 2009 – he has also been very positive about the move, having already started  interacting with fans on Twitter, has said he is ready to work, and even earlier this morning, tweeted out that he was in search for a good church in Oakland. The Raider Nation, of course, referred him to Raider great Napoleon Kaufman, who has since become a pastor since his NFL career ended. With from his personal life off of the field aside, Rashad Jennings has always complemented MJD well in Jacksonville, and I suspect he will do the same with McFadden in Oakland. Although he has been bitten by the injury bug the last few seasons, GM Reggie McKenzie picked him up for cheap – could be another low risk high gain move.

I’m also happy to see that Parsons, Ross, Stewart, Carter, and Hanson resigned in Oakland as well. They were silent unsung heroes on the field last season, as unsuccessful as the team was in mind, but they are all very consistent in their play; clearly McKenzie agrees.

LB Rolando McClain. Photo: Kirby Lee, US Presswire

Last Friday afternoon, the Oakland Raiders finally announced that they were releasing LB Rolando McClain. McClain was drafted eighth overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, one of a few head-scratchers of a first-round draft pick made by the late Al Davis. In the three-day grace period upon being released, McClain was not claimed off of waivers and is now shopping around in free agency.

Bottom line, McClain has under performed and has not come remotely close to proving his worth in his three seasons in Oakland. Popular opinion among Raider Nation is that he has acted like a spoiled brat since the very beginning, being only 23-years-old, and even now that he is no longer wearing silver & black, he is walking away with millions of dollars from a shocking five-year $40 million contract given to him his rookie year. McClain was set to make just over $4 million this year in new money, but would have been a $6.5+ million dollar cap hit in 2013 – as he walks away, the Raiders will absorb the $10.9 million cap hit.

As per Kareem Copeland of NFL.com, McClain gave the following parting statement:

“I’d like to thank the Raiders for giving me an opportunity to play in the NFL,” McClain said in a statement, Rapoport reported. ”I’m disappointed that it hasn’t worked out better, but I’m very excited and thankful for the Raiders allowing me to get a fresh start. I will miss my teammates and wish them and the Raiders organization good luck going forward.”

It definitely is not like the Raider Nation does not approve of McClain based on his performance on the field alone, but that he’s also been involved in some questionable conduct lately. At the end of last November, McClain was suspended two games for conduct detrimental to the team after tweets surfaced saying that he was “done with Oakland”, demonstrating an attitude that infuriated fans across the Twitterverse. McClain claimed that his Twitter account had “been hacked” a day later, and even upon serving his two games, was benched a game further.

More recently, McClain was arrested in Decatur, Alabama (where he attended high school) after being pulled over for having overly dark window tinting. No, he wasn’t arrested for the window tinting – he was arrested for not only giving a false name when signing his ticket, but for writing “(Expletive) ya’ll” in place of his name. This might have made my list for stupidest reasons for being arrested ever.

Needless to say, the majority of fans will not miss this guy. Even if the Oakland Raiders take the $10.9 million cap hit, I am just happy to see this bad attitude dismissed from the locker room – enough is enough.

CB Mike Jenkins. Photo: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

In other news, last night reports surfaced that former Dallas Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins had agreed to terms with the Raiders. Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, had this to say about the veteran CB in a press wire post on ESPN added earlier this morning:

“Jenkins is very capable, I think a good cornerback,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in March. “We happen to be pretty committed relative to the rest of our roster. We have to be pretty committed at cornerback. Under a different circumstances, Jenkins might be a little different story for us right now. He would be a different story right now, he certainly wouldn’t be out of our radar as far as having him of bringing him back as a starter. I think Jenkins is a starting cornerback in the NFL.”

Jenkins was drafted in the first round in the 2008 NFL Draft. Raider Nation seems excited about this pick-up, although details of the contract have not been released nor has the team confirmed the signing as of yet. This would be the second UFA CB that GM Reggie McKenzie has brought in over the course of a week, the first being Tracy Porter (see previous post regarding Porter’s signing).

Happy trails to Rolando McClain, and welcome to the Raider Nation, Mike Jenkins! I will update this post once the news of Jenkins’ signing is confirmed as per the team.