Yesterday morning, former Cleveland Brown return specialist WR Josh Cribbs signed his one-year contract at the team’s Alameda headquarters. Cribbs is a three-time Pro Bowler and was part of the 2000s NFL All-Decade team. As per the official announcement on Raiders.com, a bit of Cribbs’ professional football resume:

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.

UPDATE: 05/20

The Oakland Raiders officially announced the signing of P Chris Kluwe last Friday. Read more here at the team’s official website.

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.

Here is an updated list of the roster moves the Oakland Raiders have made since waiving LB Rolando McClain:

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.

» Continue reading “Rolando McClain Released; CB Mike Jenkins To Join Raiders”

Photo: USA Today

Last Tuesday, the Oakland Raiders finalized the trade of QB Carson Palmer to the Arizona Cardinals, while the very next day they acquired veteran free agent CB Tracy Porter. The details of the Palmer trade are as follows according to the team’s official website:

• From the Raiders, Arizona receives Palmer and a seventh-round 2013 selection (219^th overall, a pick initially acquired by Oakland from Carolina for WR Louis Murphy in July).

• From the Cardinals, Oakland receives a sixth-round selection in this month’s draft (176^th overall, initially obtained by Arizona from Tennessee, through Minnesota), as well as a conditional 2014 Arizona draft choice.

To be honest, at this point as a fan, having heard these rumours swirling about throughout the off-season, I am just glad that the Raiders received anything back for Palmer at all. Yes, former HC Hue Jackson mortgaged Oakland’s future to acquire Palmer two seasons ago, and a seventh-round pick in return for him is less than adequate, but I am thrilled that this is over and the Raiders are moving on. The moment Palmer landed in Oakland, giving up as much as they did for him, I knew it was going to be arguably the worst trade the NFL had seen in previous decade. The Raiders are now going to move forward with young ex-Packers and Seahawks QB, Matt Flynn, who was scouted both before and after his NFL career began by now GM Reggie McKenzie (see my previous post regarding Flynn being signed). Analysts, specifically from ESPN (surprise, surprise), argue that Arizona got the better QB in the end, but I have a feeling that long-term the Raiders made the right choice. And for cheap, too, not to cripple the franchise once again.

CB Tracy Porter. Photo: Bill Haber, AP

Hushing Palmer talk for merely a day, CB Tracy Porter was signed on Wednesday. Best known for his miraculous catch in the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV win back in February 2010, Porter will be a terrific pick-up for a team that has now been virtually stacked with veterans acquired this off-season. Also, Porter worked with current Raiders HC Dennis Allen in his stint with New Orleans as defensive backs coach from 2008-2010; having such a history together (and a Super Bowl to boot), there should be no reason other than injury that should prevent Porter from thriving in Oakland.

QB Matt Flynn last August (2012) when he met the Raiders in the preseason. Photo: Seahawks.com

As in my last post, the Raiders have been trying to finalize this rumoured deal with the Seattle Seahawks for the past week or so, and GM Reggie McKenzie finally made it official yesterday afternoon. Matt Flynn is finally a Raider.

McKenzie is understandably satisfied with this deal, having had previous experience working with Flynn in Green Bay. In the team’s official announcement on their website, he gave a statement:

In exchange for Flynn, the Raiders have traded their fifth-round selection in the 2014 draft, as well as a conditional undisclosed 2015 selection, to the Seahawks.

“I’ve known Matt Flynn since 2007 and scouted him before and after he entered the NFL,” McKenzie said. “Matt is a tough football player, and a talented quarterback. He will get the opportunity to compete to be a starter with the Raiders. I believe Matt has that potential, but I also know he hasn’t had enough experience. We’re going to let him compete and battle, and see what happens. We know Raider Nation wants a team that can compete for the playoffs year-in and year-out and we’re putting in the necessary work right now to make that happen. This is one of the many decisions in that process.”

Not only did the Raiders acquire a younger QB, but for relatively cheap. So far, McKenzie has silently put his foot down and has made it clear he will not overpay for a player, a philosophy entirely unlike what the Raider Nation has been used to for the past few decades.

» Continue reading “Matt Flynn Finally Announced As A Raider”

Although it has not been confirmed by the team yet, numerous reports (CSN Bay Area, San Francisco Chronicle, etc) finally surfaced this morning that the Oakland Raiders have acquired QB Matt Flynn from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for two late-round picks, one this year and one in 2014:

Reports have since changed and analysts are saying it is more like one late-round pick in 2014, another late-rounder in 2015. I will not confirm the logistics of the draft picks until the team officially announces the signing of Flynn.

In practically the same breath, it is also being reported that the Raiders are finalizing a deal to trade QB Carson Palmer away to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a late-round pick, which year or round is unknown for sure as of yet.

As Palmer was set to make $13-$14 million in 2013 with the Raiders, this is a huge contract dump that the Raider Nation generally seems to appreciate. There will always be the few Palmer apologists, but from my perspective, a veteran QB that only won this team four games in 2012 is not worthy of that kind of money. Palmer has refused to restructure with Oakland again (McKenzie had wanted to restructure down to $10 million in 2013) and apparently, according to a few unconfirmed sources I’ve seen, Palmer will be restructuring with Arizona and will make less than $10 million in 2013. I think that it is as clear as day what the state of the Oakland Raiders actually is if even Palmer will not restructure to stay, and instead he will be headed to a team with an established future HOF WR in Fitzgerald.

My personal opinion: The trade of Palmer to Oakland was one of the worst in the NFL this past decade and never should have happened to begin with. I can’t say that I am sad to see him go; Oakland will free up a lot of cap space with this move. Also, McKenzie is getting a young QB he is familiar with from his days in Green Bay for cheap. Win-win in my books.

Photo: USA Today Sports

If there is one thing that you can say accurately about the late, great Raiders owner Al Davis, it is that he was loyal to a fault, and P Shane Lechler is a living, breathing example of that loyalty.

Although the Raiders haven’t had very much to to be proud of in the past 10 seasons since making the Super Bowl last, Lechler has been one of very few bright spots on the team. Many things can be said, both positively and negatively, about how Al Davis ran this organization in his 10 years, but what no one can say (owners, GMs, coaches, players or fans) is that Al made the mistake of drafting the best punter in professional football.

Lechler was drafted in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, right after long-time friend and teammate K Sebastian Janikowski who went in the first-round that same year. He is a 9x All-Pro, a 7x Pro Bowler, and owns the NFL record for best average per punt in a career (47.3). He also recorded the longest punt in Oakland Raiders history in 2011, booting it 80 yards. He has been in Silver & Black ever since his career started.

Last night, however, Lechler agreed to terms with the Houston Texans as a UFA on a $5.5 million three-year contract with a $1 million signing bonus. It is less than I had expected, after the money he has been paid in Oakland the past several years has been extraordinary, but it was just time. It is of my personal opinion, and the opinion of other Raiders fans as well, that Lechler has been fed up the past few seasons and has wanted to return home to Texas.

With that being said, Lechler has been punting in Oakland since I started watching football, and to sit here and write a personal farewell to him is particularly surreal for me. I don’t often get emotionally attached to players, but between Lechler, Janikowski and Condo, Al Davis single handedly assembled the most successful kicking tandem in the NFL today, and it has been that strong 10 years and counting. It is unimaginable to even picture Shane Lechler in a different jersey. Whether it was the money that Al bestowed on him that was the sole reason for Lechler remaining in the Bay Area as long as he did or not, the fact remains that Lechler has been a Raider for 13 years. I cannot fathom what Jano thinks of his departure to Houston; he must feel like a fish out of water, having had Lechler hold for him since the beginning of his career. Now, the reigns are being passed on to rookie P Marquette King, who sat on the Raiders IR all of last season.

The moment Marquette King was added to the IR, the Raider Nation knew Lechler was on his way out. It is unknown if GM Reggie McKenzie had even made Lechler an offer, or if he simply let him walk. One thing we as fans are sure of is that this needed to be done – Lechler is no longer in his prime, and there is absolutely no way this new era in the Raiders organization was going to throw the kind of money at Lechler that Al once did, especially at his age. I still just thought I would never see the day he’d leave; I truly thought he would retire an Oakland Raider, and I suppose he still could in the end.

Something that I am positive of is that Shane Lechler is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, whenever that day comes. Because the Raiders have been unloading this offseason, signing veteran players for cheap here and there, it is unlikely that Oakland will be making a run in 2013. Lechler has now shifted to a football team that has been in contention the past few seasons, a team that is making legitimate moves to make it to the next level in the playoffs, so at the very least I would like to see him get the Super Bowl he has waited long enough for. He deserves it, and even if you’re the most diehard Raiders fan, you can’t deny it.

Lechler with Janikowski at his first Pro Bowl, 2011.

Happy trails, Shane Lechler – I know that myself and the Raider Nation sincerely appreciate the time and dedication you have given to this organization, through some highs and mostly lows, since the day you walked through the door. Although it is heart-wrenching to watch you go (no doubt I dreaded the day), knowing that you’re finally going home to quite possibly succeed makes it a bit easier. Regardless of NFL analysts and fans of other teams whining about you being overpaid, the fact of the matter is is that you were worth every penny, and you never stopped proving that to the league.

Best of luck to you, a Raiders legend.

LB Kevin Burnett (56) sacking Oakland QB Carson Palmer in December 2011. Photo: Marc Serota, Getty Images

Although it still has been relatively quiet in Alameda County, the Raiders have signed two more veteran LBs and a veteran DT, while at the same time deciding to resign T Khalif Barnes and LB Kaelin Burnett back for 2013.

Welcome Aboard

• GM Reggie McKenzie announced on Friday, March 15 that he had signed seven-year veteran LB Nick Roach, who was previously with the Chicago Bears for the past five seasons. In his last 29 starts in Chicago, he posted 66 tackles and one forced fumble.
• Two days later, McKenzie announced the signing of former Miami Dolphin LB Kevin Burnett, who is also current Raiders LB Kaelin Burnett’s older brother (Kevin is 30 years old, while Kaelin is only 23). In his last two seasons with Miami, he has topped 100 tackles both years (his career-high being 110) and is also on a five-season streak of having at least two sacks per season. Burnett has told Oakland reporters that he is especially excited to have the opportunity to play with his younger brother again.
• The very next day, DT Vance Walker came aboard with the Silver & Black as a UFA. Walker has spent the last four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and, last season, posted 32 tackles and three sacks.

Welcome Back

• After having a rocky transition in his first two seasons in Oakland, McKenzie decided to resign UFA T Khalif Barnes on March 20. He bounced back and forth between left and right tackle in the 2009 season but has since settled into the right tackle role. Barnes will be heading into his ninth season in the NFL come the 2013 regular season.
• Yesterday the Raiders also announced that LB Kaelin Burnett has been resigned as well. Kaelin joined the Raiders last offseason as a UFA and only played the last six games in the 2012 regular season, mostly on special teams. With Oakland being incredibly stacked at the LB position now, it is only a matter of time that 2010 first-round draft choice, LB Rolando McClain, is on his way out, preferably being traded if it can be managed.

As the Raiders are still incredibly weak at the CB position, and there hasn’t even been a sniff at a UFA corner yet this offseason, it suggests that Reggie McKenzie may load up on some young blood in the draft.

Welcome to the Raider Nation, DE Jason Hunter, LB Kaluka Maiava, and DT Pat Sims!

Hunter, Maiava, Sims (L to R). Photo: Raiders.com

Veterans or not, as a fan I am excited about these new additions. The Raiders need all the run-stuffing capability they can get their hands on, and they did just that for cheap. If there’s one thing GM Reggie McKenzie has done right so far, it’s being smart and sensitive with Oakland’s money when they need to be.

The Contracts: As per ESPN, Kaluka Maiava signed for three years, $6 million – still no word on what the other two contracts look like yet.

Fans of other teams may see this as bottom-feeding, but I trust in McZ, who is as sharp as a tack, to find more diamonds in the rough. After all, he did bring this organization the likes of Philip Wheeler (who unfortunately signed with Miami as an unrestricted free agent the other night) and Phillip Adams (who was retained on a small one-year contract Tuesday night). Not only does he have a sharp eye, but he’s a genius in the draft – it’s hard to argue otherwise when rookies LB Miles Burris and WR Rod Streater shone brightly in the 2012 season amongst all the gloom.

» Continue reading “Raiders Ink Three Defensive UFA Veterans”