By Paul Gutierrez
pgutierrez@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 1C
Last Modified: Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009 - 10:36 am
OAKLAND – They played as if they were hung over. And really, after being subjected to 3 hours and 17 minutes of what could only be described as "morning after" play by the Raiders' defense in a 45-7 loss to New Orleans, I had a headache, too.
Not even popping a few Advil and washing them down with a bowl of menudo could help the defense on this day. (Surely I was hallucinating when 300-plus-pound tackle Tommy Kelly dropped into pass coverage.) But maybe Greg Ellis' not-so-subliminal message to his young teammates could serve as some hair o' the dog.
"Guys, you can't stay out all night," the 12th-year defensive end said to reporters, though surely aiming at his charges. "Can't expect to come in here and just turn it on. This isn't high school or college football. This is the best of the best in the NFL. So you've got to do those small things that you maybe didn't have to do in college."
Sure, it's just the exhibition season. But when you are trying to overcome six seasons of tragic comedy, attempting to change an oft-toxic culture, showing up for work not ready to play because you might have been imbibing a bit too much the night before is not cool. In fact, it's downright shameful, and embarrassing.
Funny, that's how the Raiders themselves described their play.
"Obviously," sighed coach Tom Cable, "I'm embarrassed by that effort."
Added cornerback Chris Johnson: "Once we look at this film and see how we got embarrassed, a lot of guys are going to come to the front."
And this from linebacker Jon Alston, when asked what happened on the Coliseum floor: "Embarrassment."
The numbers don't lie; they only add to the mortification.
The Raiders' first-team defense played through the third quarter and was responsible for most of the 536 total yards surrendered, including a galling 232 yards on the ground.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees played three series and led them to touchdowns on drives of 80, 67 and 78 yards.
"I felt like a lot of times we were getting up to the ball, getting set and they were still trying to get lined up," Brees said.
On top of everything else is this: It was the all-important third exhibition game. The one coaches treat most like a regular-season affair. Meaning, they game-planned specifically for the opponent. So, there were no surprises.
And still, you get such humiliation.
At least none of the players were shrugging it off.
It hurt, and it should if they want to break through the recent wall of mediocrity.
"You've got to have a short memory," said linebacker Ricky Brown. "But you've got to learn from your mistakes."
Amen to that.
New defensive coordinator John Marshall essentially inherited the scheme the Raiders have used for years, so it's hard to put this all at his feet.
Besides, as Cable said, the defense was in position to make tackles. The players just failed to wrap.
"Effort is one thing, but we just didn't put it together," Ellis said. "We as players got to be critical of ourselves.
"We've got to make sure that we are committed to it ourselves, and I'm saying that meaning that we've got to make sure that, hey, I'm getting the proper rest."
Otherwise, prepare for more hangover games.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Ellis tells his teammates to change their behavior
Comment
August 30
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"Ellis tells his teammates to change their behavior They played as if they were hung over. And really, after being subjected to 3 hours and 17 minutes of what could only be described as "morning after" play by the Raiders' defense in a 45-7 loss to New Orleans, I had a headache, too. Not even popping a few Advil and washing them down with a bowl of menudo could help the defense on this day. (Surely I was hallucinating when 300-plus-pound tackle Tommy Kelly dropped into pass coverage.) But maybe Greg Ellis' not-so-subliminal message to his young teammates could serve as some hair o' the dog. "Guys, you can't stay out all night," the 12th-year defensive end said to reporters, though surely ..."
Raiders' coach in loss: 'This is embarrassing'
Comment
August 30
San Francisco Chronicle
"The Raiders made progress Saturday, just not the sort they want. They didn't explain it as "just an exhibition game." They didn't remind anyone this "doesn't count in the standings." And, they sure didn't pin it on the refs or a few fluke plays. No, the Raiders wore their 45-7 loss to the Saints for exactly what it was: a crying shame - exhibition game or not. "This is embarrassing to me," Raiders coach Tom Cable said after overseeing the third-worst exhibition loss in franchise history. The defense didn't stop giving up points until the Saints led 45-0. The offense didn't start scoring until 6:06 was left. "I've never felt so lousy after a game, period," tight end Zach Miller said."
Raiders starting back gets 1 carry, for 1 yard
Comment
August 30
San Francisco Chronicle
"Running back Michael Bush got a chance to make his case for the starting job Saturday. As previous starters Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden already learned, there was little time to say much. Bush had one carry for 1 yard, and two catches for 8 yards, as the starting running back in Saturday's 45-7 loss to the Saints at the Coliseum. In Game 1, Fargas got one carry for 2 yards in his start. In Game 2, McFadden started with four carries for 5 yards. So much for starting being a reward. "Everyone knows what's going on," Bush said, and he's not talking about a conspiracy theory. The Raiders are a run-first offense. Only, they've worked all preseason to develop the passing game when JaMarcus ..."
Raiders Bush ready to audition for starting RB job
Comment
August 29
Sacramento Bee
"Michael Bush smiled. The "Smash" part of the Raiders' three-headed Smash, Dash (Justin Fargas) and Flash (Darren McFadden) running attack had been reminded by reporters that it was his week to start in the backfield. Against the New Orleans Saints at home. In that all-important third exhibition game today. To show he deserves the bulk of the workload. "Yeah, it's nice to get out there and get to work for something," Bush said. "Like I say, it's preseason, and we're all trying to be on the same page, as far as getting a feel with the O-line and stuff like that, and getting the run game back to where it was last year." So there's no additional pressure knowing it's your turn, after Fargas ..."
Raiders defense will find out where it rests
Comment
August 29
Oakland Tribune
"Tom Cable's first game as an NFL coach came against the New Orleans Saints in a 34-3 loss Oct. 12. Today, he gets a chance to see just how far he has come as a coach and in getting his team to play at a higher level. The Saints, who play at Oakland Coliseum today, present a challenge with one of the game's most-prolific passing attacks. Now they have added a potent rushing attack, as well. "Everybody has their issue they're trying to fix," Cable said of the Saints working on their running game. "Obviously, we've been working on the passing game. They're trying to add balance. So it does bode well for us because we need that." No team passed as effectively as the Saints last season. They ..."
Newest Raiders player knows what it's like to be homeless
Comment
August 29
Oakland Tribune
"For someone who was once homeless, new Oakland Raider Mike Hawkins is hardly concerned that he's bounced around to three different NFL teams this summer.Hawkins, a 26-year-old defensive back whose 4.3 speed no doubt convinced Al Davis and the Raiders to pick him up off waivers this week, is 10 years removed from the darkest moments of his life. Hawkins was the son of a drug-addicted mother and an abusive father who no longer wanted him around. So, a destitute Hawkins decided his only option was to live by himself in his hometown of Dallas.He told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the only meals he ate were at a nearby McDonald's, where he also used the bathroom sink to bathe. He was a ..."
Surprised safety gets Raiders starting job
Comment
August 29
San Francisco Chronicle
"Raiders safety Tyvon Branch didn't start a single game as a rookie last year. His season ended with shoulder surgery in November. His team then selected another safety in the second round of April's draft. As far as Branch was concerned, he was as good as one and done in these parts. "When they drafted Mike Mitchell, I kind of thought they were going to put him in front of me," Branch said. Imagine his surprise when the Raiders handed him the strong safety job at the first minicamp in May. No ladders to climb, no starters to unseat, no competition to wage and no arguments to settle. Branch did nothing in training camp to change anyone's mind on that. Though he has no idea why they were so ..."
The Raiders' three-headed running attack
Comment
August 28
San Francisco Chronicle
"The Raiders ended their 31-day training camp at the Napa Valley Marriott, site of the fiercest running back competition no one bothered to notice. Blame the inattention on Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush for being anything but fierce toward each other. McFadden hangs with Bush, who chills with Fargas, who mentors McFadden, and so on. "They have a good time with it because they are so close," Raiders coach Tom Cable said. "They all want to be the guy but they push each other and pull for each other in their own way.""
Heyward-Bey's catch excites Cable
Comment
August 27
San Francisco Chronicle
"Rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey ran right as he reached back to his left, all the while starting to fall down on a pass route over the middle. This is the exact sort of play that spelled incomplete pass all of training camp, particularly for a wide receiver who struggled enough to make the easy catches, never mind the spectacular. Not this time. Heyward-Bey came down with a tumbling catch in traffic, much to the delight of his teammates and coaches during practice Wednesday in Napa. "He had a great day of catching the ball," coach Tom Cable said. "Right after he caught it, I said to him, 'Your mistake is you showed me you can do that and, so now, the expectation goes up. That's who you are. ..."
Police: Cable will be questioned
Comment
August 26
ESPN.com
"The Napa, Calif., police department plans to question Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable about his alleged role in a skirmish that left assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken bone in his face. A department spokesperson said Wednesday that Cable would be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation in the near future, but a date was not specified. The department has been contacted by NFL security and said it is cooperating with the league, the spokesperson said. Hanson was hospitalized following the Aug. 5 attack that he told police was initiated by a member of the Raiders coaching staff at the team's training camp hotel in Napa. According to reports, Cable attacked Hanson during a ..."
Raiders backup could make an impact
Comment
August 26
Contra Costa Times
columnist Gary Peterson
"Quarterback news is being made all over the NFL these days. In San Francisco, where Shaun Hill has been named the starter. In Philadelphia, where Michael Vick is getting acquainted. In San Diego, where Philip Rivers signed a six-year, $92 million extension. In Minnesota, where the calliope and dancing elephants can mean only one thing: Brett Favre is back in the league. Meanwhile, the Raiders are relatively drama-free at the position. JaMarcus Russell is the unquestioned starter. Jeff Garcia, who came to the team hoping to insinuate himself into a competition for the starting job, is discovering he never really had a shot. If you want breaking news, try the Napa cops, because there's ..."
New Raiders assistant is living the dream
Comment
August 25
Contra Costa Times
"Sanjay Lal says working for the Raiders is his dream job. He maintains that view even though some might regard his situation - replacing Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton and inheriting the NFL's least-productive receiving corps - a nightmare. Far from it, Lal said. "You have your dreams," Lal said during the early days of his first training camp coaching the Raiders wide receivers, "and this comes true and you look back and say, 'How did I get here?' "If I could've written it, I wouldn't have been able to write it or believe it. But it happened, and I'm not going to let go." Lal's dream sprouted soon after his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Washington ended. By 1996, he had ..."
New linebacker long ago gathered the Moss
Comment
August 25
Contra Costa Times
"The Raiders signed middle linebacker Napoleon Harris on Monday in response to projected starter Kirk Morrison sustaining a dislocated left elbow Saturday night against the 49ers. Harris was the second of Oakland's two first-round selections in the 2002 NFL draft, and he started 13 games for a team that played in the Super Bowl his rookie season. Harris, 30, played for the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs the past four seasons, including two stints with the Vikings. He gained almost as much notoriety in Raiders lore as being part of the package the team used in a trade with the Vikings for wide receiver Randy Moss in 2005. The Raiders sent Harris to the Vikings, along with first- ..."
Saints to use Bush against the Raiders
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"After sitting out Saturday night's 38-14 exhibition victory at Houston with a strained calf muscle, Saints running back Reggie Bush said he is ready to play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland. Although he sat out Monday's practice, Bush said he is healthy and expects to get a heavy dose of playing time. "It's just precautionary, taking it slow, building back to the season," Bush said of missing the game against the Texans. "I'm sure I'll play quite a bit this game. I know I'm looking forward to it." Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg during post-practice conditioning drills Thursday morning in Houston, but he said the calf is fine. Bush suffered the injury while running ..."
JaMarcus Russell's weighty issue: Must 'deliver the goods'
Comment
August 24
Green Bay Press Gazette
"The weight. Always with the weight.Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell grins and shakes his head before his visitor even finishes a question after a recent training camp practice. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007, Russell is painfully aware of - and amused by - near-constant chatter about his weight. Even at 6-6, a player - a QB, mind you - who more than once has visited the 300-Pound Club never will be mistaken for being slim and sleek. To which Russell says, "So what?" He's listed at 260 pounds on the preseason roster. He says he currently is about 270-275, and plans to shave about five more to reach his "playing weight." But Russell will be dealing with a much more ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Contra Costa Times
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
'Wrangle' is not a sign of disaster
Comment
August 24
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"The apocalypse is near, the haters sing with glee. Raider Nation continues to crumble from within, they mockingly chant. This whole Tom Cable-Randy Hanson Wrangle in Wine Country is a mammoth distraction, they recite with ear-to-ear grins. It will retard the growth of a promising young team. Fairly reasonable claims, right? Except it isn't that big of a disruption, and it won't stunt said development. In fact, Cable's potential legal woes are working just the opposite. And you need not have been at the team's Napa training camp facility this week to hear players greet the coach with "Cable, bumaye." Keep in mind, this is not Mike Ditka vs. Buddy Ryan for the heart and soul of the 1985 ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Oakland Tribune
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
Russell keeps starting job
Comment
August 24
San Francisco Chronicle
"Call it the quarterback competition that never was, because JaMarcus Russell vs. Jeff Garcia is over before it ever got started. Raiders coach Tom Cable said as much Sunday when asked if Russell would start the season opener against the Chargers on Sept. 14. Cable said, "At this point, he's the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders," and there was nothing stunning about the bulletin. Garcia missed the first half of training camp with a calf strain. He didn't have a chance to push Russell. "Unfortunately, Jeff hasn't had much work," Cable said. "I feel like (Russell) has improved. It would have been nice to have someone really pushing him." Instead, all the push Garcia had in his 39-year-old ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Rookie runs all over Raiders
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes met Glen Coffee, he told the rookie how much he disliked him. "Why?" Coffee said, stunned. "Because you used to run all over Auburn,'' Spikes replied. Suffice to say, Spikes is glad to have Coffee on his side now. The third-round pick out of Alabama rampaged through the Raiders' defense for 129 yards in a little more than one quarter of action during the 49ers' 21-20 exhibition victory Saturday at Candlestick Park. Running back Frank Gore played only a series before enjoying Coffee's spectacular 16-carry show. "He's doing a great job,'' Gore said of his understudy. "Running strong. Finding the holes. Glen's going to be a great player." Coffee was the ..."
Raiders decide Russell doesn't need two-minute drill work
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When the story of the 2009 Raiders is put to bed, the last 1:59 of the first half of a 21-20 preseason loss to the 49ers Saturday night at Candlestick Park will not even merit a footnote.The Raiders failed to score, with Jeff Garcia throwing a pass slightly behind Johnnie Lee Higgins that went off his hands and was intercepted by the 49ers' Allen Rossum at the 9-yard line.Until the turnover, it was vintage Garcia, finding Michael Bush for nine yards over the middle, scrambling for nine yards on the next play, finding Louis Murphy for 10 more to the 38-yard line.On second-and-10, Bush ran for 10 yard and Garcia went to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 48 seconds ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Comment
August 30
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"Ellis tells his teammates to change their behavior They played as if they were hung over. And really, after being subjected to 3 hours and 17 minutes of what could only be described as "morning after" play by the Raiders' defense in a 45-7 loss to New Orleans, I had a headache, too. Not even popping a few Advil and washing them down with a bowl of menudo could help the defense on this day. (Surely I was hallucinating when 300-plus-pound tackle Tommy Kelly dropped into pass coverage.) But maybe Greg Ellis' not-so-subliminal message to his young teammates could serve as some hair o' the dog. "Guys, you can't stay out all night," the 12th-year defensive end said to reporters, though surely ..."
Raiders' coach in loss: 'This is embarrassing'
Comment
August 30
San Francisco Chronicle
"The Raiders made progress Saturday, just not the sort they want. They didn't explain it as "just an exhibition game." They didn't remind anyone this "doesn't count in the standings." And, they sure didn't pin it on the refs or a few fluke plays. No, the Raiders wore their 45-7 loss to the Saints for exactly what it was: a crying shame - exhibition game or not. "This is embarrassing to me," Raiders coach Tom Cable said after overseeing the third-worst exhibition loss in franchise history. The defense didn't stop giving up points until the Saints led 45-0. The offense didn't start scoring until 6:06 was left. "I've never felt so lousy after a game, period," tight end Zach Miller said."
Raiders starting back gets 1 carry, for 1 yard
Comment
August 30
San Francisco Chronicle
"Running back Michael Bush got a chance to make his case for the starting job Saturday. As previous starters Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden already learned, there was little time to say much. Bush had one carry for 1 yard, and two catches for 8 yards, as the starting running back in Saturday's 45-7 loss to the Saints at the Coliseum. In Game 1, Fargas got one carry for 2 yards in his start. In Game 2, McFadden started with four carries for 5 yards. So much for starting being a reward. "Everyone knows what's going on," Bush said, and he's not talking about a conspiracy theory. The Raiders are a run-first offense. Only, they've worked all preseason to develop the passing game when JaMarcus ..."
Raiders Bush ready to audition for starting RB job
Comment
August 29
Sacramento Bee
"Michael Bush smiled. The "Smash" part of the Raiders' three-headed Smash, Dash (Justin Fargas) and Flash (Darren McFadden) running attack had been reminded by reporters that it was his week to start in the backfield. Against the New Orleans Saints at home. In that all-important third exhibition game today. To show he deserves the bulk of the workload. "Yeah, it's nice to get out there and get to work for something," Bush said. "Like I say, it's preseason, and we're all trying to be on the same page, as far as getting a feel with the O-line and stuff like that, and getting the run game back to where it was last year." So there's no additional pressure knowing it's your turn, after Fargas ..."
Raiders defense will find out where it rests
Comment
August 29
Oakland Tribune
"Tom Cable's first game as an NFL coach came against the New Orleans Saints in a 34-3 loss Oct. 12. Today, he gets a chance to see just how far he has come as a coach and in getting his team to play at a higher level. The Saints, who play at Oakland Coliseum today, present a challenge with one of the game's most-prolific passing attacks. Now they have added a potent rushing attack, as well. "Everybody has their issue they're trying to fix," Cable said of the Saints working on their running game. "Obviously, we've been working on the passing game. They're trying to add balance. So it does bode well for us because we need that." No team passed as effectively as the Saints last season. They ..."
Newest Raiders player knows what it's like to be homeless
Comment
August 29
Oakland Tribune
"For someone who was once homeless, new Oakland Raider Mike Hawkins is hardly concerned that he's bounced around to three different NFL teams this summer.Hawkins, a 26-year-old defensive back whose 4.3 speed no doubt convinced Al Davis and the Raiders to pick him up off waivers this week, is 10 years removed from the darkest moments of his life. Hawkins was the son of a drug-addicted mother and an abusive father who no longer wanted him around. So, a destitute Hawkins decided his only option was to live by himself in his hometown of Dallas.He told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the only meals he ate were at a nearby McDonald's, where he also used the bathroom sink to bathe. He was a ..."
Surprised safety gets Raiders starting job
Comment
August 29
San Francisco Chronicle
"Raiders safety Tyvon Branch didn't start a single game as a rookie last year. His season ended with shoulder surgery in November. His team then selected another safety in the second round of April's draft. As far as Branch was concerned, he was as good as one and done in these parts. "When they drafted Mike Mitchell, I kind of thought they were going to put him in front of me," Branch said. Imagine his surprise when the Raiders handed him the strong safety job at the first minicamp in May. No ladders to climb, no starters to unseat, no competition to wage and no arguments to settle. Branch did nothing in training camp to change anyone's mind on that. Though he has no idea why they were so ..."
The Raiders' three-headed running attack
Comment
August 28
San Francisco Chronicle
"The Raiders ended their 31-day training camp at the Napa Valley Marriott, site of the fiercest running back competition no one bothered to notice. Blame the inattention on Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush for being anything but fierce toward each other. McFadden hangs with Bush, who chills with Fargas, who mentors McFadden, and so on. "They have a good time with it because they are so close," Raiders coach Tom Cable said. "They all want to be the guy but they push each other and pull for each other in their own way.""
Heyward-Bey's catch excites Cable
Comment
August 27
San Francisco Chronicle
"Rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey ran right as he reached back to his left, all the while starting to fall down on a pass route over the middle. This is the exact sort of play that spelled incomplete pass all of training camp, particularly for a wide receiver who struggled enough to make the easy catches, never mind the spectacular. Not this time. Heyward-Bey came down with a tumbling catch in traffic, much to the delight of his teammates and coaches during practice Wednesday in Napa. "He had a great day of catching the ball," coach Tom Cable said. "Right after he caught it, I said to him, 'Your mistake is you showed me you can do that and, so now, the expectation goes up. That's who you are. ..."
Police: Cable will be questioned
Comment
August 26
ESPN.com
"The Napa, Calif., police department plans to question Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable about his alleged role in a skirmish that left assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken bone in his face. A department spokesperson said Wednesday that Cable would be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation in the near future, but a date was not specified. The department has been contacted by NFL security and said it is cooperating with the league, the spokesperson said. Hanson was hospitalized following the Aug. 5 attack that he told police was initiated by a member of the Raiders coaching staff at the team's training camp hotel in Napa. According to reports, Cable attacked Hanson during a ..."
Raiders backup could make an impact
Comment
August 26
Contra Costa Times
columnist Gary Peterson
"Quarterback news is being made all over the NFL these days. In San Francisco, where Shaun Hill has been named the starter. In Philadelphia, where Michael Vick is getting acquainted. In San Diego, where Philip Rivers signed a six-year, $92 million extension. In Minnesota, where the calliope and dancing elephants can mean only one thing: Brett Favre is back in the league. Meanwhile, the Raiders are relatively drama-free at the position. JaMarcus Russell is the unquestioned starter. Jeff Garcia, who came to the team hoping to insinuate himself into a competition for the starting job, is discovering he never really had a shot. If you want breaking news, try the Napa cops, because there's ..."
New Raiders assistant is living the dream
Comment
August 25
Contra Costa Times
"Sanjay Lal says working for the Raiders is his dream job. He maintains that view even though some might regard his situation - replacing Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton and inheriting the NFL's least-productive receiving corps - a nightmare. Far from it, Lal said. "You have your dreams," Lal said during the early days of his first training camp coaching the Raiders wide receivers, "and this comes true and you look back and say, 'How did I get here?' "If I could've written it, I wouldn't have been able to write it or believe it. But it happened, and I'm not going to let go." Lal's dream sprouted soon after his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Washington ended. By 1996, he had ..."
New linebacker long ago gathered the Moss
Comment
August 25
Contra Costa Times
"The Raiders signed middle linebacker Napoleon Harris on Monday in response to projected starter Kirk Morrison sustaining a dislocated left elbow Saturday night against the 49ers. Harris was the second of Oakland's two first-round selections in the 2002 NFL draft, and he started 13 games for a team that played in the Super Bowl his rookie season. Harris, 30, played for the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs the past four seasons, including two stints with the Vikings. He gained almost as much notoriety in Raiders lore as being part of the package the team used in a trade with the Vikings for wide receiver Randy Moss in 2005. The Raiders sent Harris to the Vikings, along with first- ..."
Saints to use Bush against the Raiders
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"After sitting out Saturday night's 38-14 exhibition victory at Houston with a strained calf muscle, Saints running back Reggie Bush said he is ready to play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland. Although he sat out Monday's practice, Bush said he is healthy and expects to get a heavy dose of playing time. "It's just precautionary, taking it slow, building back to the season," Bush said of missing the game against the Texans. "I'm sure I'll play quite a bit this game. I know I'm looking forward to it." Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg during post-practice conditioning drills Thursday morning in Houston, but he said the calf is fine. Bush suffered the injury while running ..."
JaMarcus Russell's weighty issue: Must 'deliver the goods'
Comment
August 24
Green Bay Press Gazette
"The weight. Always with the weight.Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell grins and shakes his head before his visitor even finishes a question after a recent training camp practice. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007, Russell is painfully aware of - and amused by - near-constant chatter about his weight. Even at 6-6, a player - a QB, mind you - who more than once has visited the 300-Pound Club never will be mistaken for being slim and sleek. To which Russell says, "So what?" He's listed at 260 pounds on the preseason roster. He says he currently is about 270-275, and plans to shave about five more to reach his "playing weight." But Russell will be dealing with a much more ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Contra Costa Times
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
'Wrangle' is not a sign of disaster
Comment
August 24
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"The apocalypse is near, the haters sing with glee. Raider Nation continues to crumble from within, they mockingly chant. This whole Tom Cable-Randy Hanson Wrangle in Wine Country is a mammoth distraction, they recite with ear-to-ear grins. It will retard the growth of a promising young team. Fairly reasonable claims, right? Except it isn't that big of a disruption, and it won't stunt said development. In fact, Cable's potential legal woes are working just the opposite. And you need not have been at the team's Napa training camp facility this week to hear players greet the coach with "Cable, bumaye." Keep in mind, this is not Mike Ditka vs. Buddy Ryan for the heart and soul of the 1985 ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Oakland Tribune
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
Russell keeps starting job
Comment
August 24
San Francisco Chronicle
"Call it the quarterback competition that never was, because JaMarcus Russell vs. Jeff Garcia is over before it ever got started. Raiders coach Tom Cable said as much Sunday when asked if Russell would start the season opener against the Chargers on Sept. 14. Cable said, "At this point, he's the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders," and there was nothing stunning about the bulletin. Garcia missed the first half of training camp with a calf strain. He didn't have a chance to push Russell. "Unfortunately, Jeff hasn't had much work," Cable said. "I feel like (Russell) has improved. It would have been nice to have someone really pushing him." Instead, all the push Garcia had in his 39-year-old ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Rookie runs all over Raiders
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes met Glen Coffee, he told the rookie how much he disliked him. "Why?" Coffee said, stunned. "Because you used to run all over Auburn,'' Spikes replied. Suffice to say, Spikes is glad to have Coffee on his side now. The third-round pick out of Alabama rampaged through the Raiders' defense for 129 yards in a little more than one quarter of action during the 49ers' 21-20 exhibition victory Saturday at Candlestick Park. Running back Frank Gore played only a series before enjoying Coffee's spectacular 16-carry show. "He's doing a great job,'' Gore said of his understudy. "Running strong. Finding the holes. Glen's going to be a great player." Coffee was the ..."
Raiders decide Russell doesn't need two-minute drill work
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When the story of the 2009 Raiders is put to bed, the last 1:59 of the first half of a 21-20 preseason loss to the 49ers Saturday night at Candlestick Park will not even merit a footnote.The Raiders failed to score, with Jeff Garcia throwing a pass slightly behind Johnnie Lee Higgins that went off his hands and was intercepted by the 49ers' Allen Rossum at the 9-yard line.Until the turnover, it was vintage Garcia, finding Michael Bush for nine yards over the middle, scrambling for nine yards on the next play, finding Louis Murphy for 10 more to the 38-yard line.On second-and-10, Bush ran for 10 yard and Garcia went to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 48 seconds ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Best Quotes of the Oakland Raiders During Camp
Posted by: Chris Shellcroft
The Oakland Raiders have concluded their final practice of training camp in Napa.
Thanks to David White and Jerry McDonald for their blow-by-blow accounts of practice via Twitter each day. They gave Raider fans everywhere a bird’s eye view of their favorite team as they prepare for the regular season.
In honor of the Raiders making it through 33 practices in 31 days, here are the best quotes during camp.
The Best of Javon Walker
“I’m excited about still letting Oakland see what Javon has to offer because I’m young. I’m in my prime right now. My ability hasn’t changed, my enthusiasm hasn’t changed. I’m just excited to be back to the Javon that was that first year in Denver and the Javon that was in Green Bay and all of a sudden translate it to here. So, that’s what I’m most excited about.” – Javon Walker on the upcoming season
“It’s something new … it’s going to be something amazing that’s going to benefit and help a lot of athletes.” – Javon on the knee surgery he secretly had during the off-season
“I don’t know where it was done. I’m clueless.” – Javon’s response when asked where in the world he had the surgery performed
Tom Cable: An Old School Kinda Guy
“No, we go to work.” – Tom Cable’s response when asked if he would end the final practice of training camp early
“The one thing I will tell you is, when all the facts come out, everything will be fine.” – Cable responds to the on-going assault investigation
“Having little quarrels is good, remember that this is football and they’re men. If you have a brother you know it’s OK to settle some things once in awhile.” – Tom Cable on fights in camp
“I mentioned when I got hired, I thought the fans in Oakland have been great, they’ve been very supportive, it’s high time this team gives something back. And that’s the goal this year. We’ve got to bring this team and this community together.” – Cable on Raider Nation
“There is no secret that we have had a discipline problem in the last few years.” – Cable on the Raiders and their penalty woes over the years
Fights, Trash Talking and Big Expectations
“You know, he’s a real confident guy and he’s talking a lot of trash lately… Not to me, but you know to the DBs.” – Nnamdi Asomugha on Darrius Heyward-Bey
“Going against Nnamdi.” – Heyward-Bey on the biggest adjustment to the NFL
“Twitter that!” – Michael Huff to Kirk Morrison (one of the more active Raiders on Twitter) while looking at the damage done to Nnamdi Asomugha’s Mercedes after someone backed into it in the parking lot
“They know the plays. Don’t you go overrate them.” – Louis Murphy on the Raider secondary getting the better of the wide receivers in practice
“Intensity is good, though, and aggressiveness is good, and maybe there will be a fight or two. Maybe we’ll get the juices flowing that way, but it will be good.” – Nnamdi on the start of training camp
“A Florida guy. They’ve got two national championships, so I guess you feel like you can come into this league and talk. I was telling one of the guys, the national championships on this level is equivalent to a high school state championship. Nobody cares.” – 49er cornerback Dre Bly on Louis Murphy after a joint practice between Oakland and San Francisco
“So if they don’t want to get in the limelight, like I tell them all the time, I’ll get in it. I ain’t scared to get in the limelight. Y’all don’t want me in y’all limelight, though. Or y’all ain’t getting it back.” – Johnnie Lee Higgins on the competition with other wide receivers after the injury to Chaz Schilens
“I didn’t want to get him like that. I wanted to get him in the field. I should win in a wrestling match. He is a receiver.” – Michael Mitchell on his scuffle with Louis Murphy in practice
“I feel like we can all have great seasons and all complement each other well. Three 1,000-yard backs isn’t out of the question.” – Justin Fargas on sharing carries with Michael Bush and Darren McFadden
“That’s what I do. Once we start getting live and everything I definitely want to start taking my shots because that’s what I’m known for that’s why I’m here. I want to show people why I was drafted.” – Michael Mitchell on the hit he laid on Gary Russell
“I haven’t been here long, but it’s been interesting. It’s my third year, and there’s never a dull moment . . . guys are like, `What happened? Oh.’ Then it’s back to work. Nothing surprises you any more.” – Jay Richardson on playing in Oakland
Thoughts on Al Davis, JaMarcus Russell’s Weight and Randy Hanson
“I know he knows defense. The great thing is he is like me. He’s long in the tooth and he’s old school. It’s line up, there’s your guy, cover him. And there goes the ball, you go out there and tackle him. There’s the blocker, you knock his butt off and go to the ball. He’s old school. Keep it simple and play hard. And he’s very smart. He knows his football. Believe me.” – Defensive Coordinator John Marshall on Al Davis
“Sure, this is Al Davis’s defense. It’s the same deal and we love it.” – Jay Richardson on John Marshall’s “new” defense
“Right now … a little heavy but I am not 300 pounds like ya’ll said the last time.” – JaMarcus Russell on his weight
“That’s between he and I and we’re working on that. He’s doing really good right now.” – Cable on Russell’s weight
“He hasn’t been around here and we haven’t seen much of him. They keep him in the offices.” – Hiram Eugene on Randy Hanson
Posted by: Chris Shellcroft
The Oakland Raiders have concluded their final practice of training camp in Napa.
Thanks to David White and Jerry McDonald for their blow-by-blow accounts of practice via Twitter each day. They gave Raider fans everywhere a bird’s eye view of their favorite team as they prepare for the regular season.
In honor of the Raiders making it through 33 practices in 31 days, here are the best quotes during camp.
The Best of Javon Walker
“I’m excited about still letting Oakland see what Javon has to offer because I’m young. I’m in my prime right now. My ability hasn’t changed, my enthusiasm hasn’t changed. I’m just excited to be back to the Javon that was that first year in Denver and the Javon that was in Green Bay and all of a sudden translate it to here. So, that’s what I’m most excited about.” – Javon Walker on the upcoming season
“It’s something new … it’s going to be something amazing that’s going to benefit and help a lot of athletes.” – Javon on the knee surgery he secretly had during the off-season
“I don’t know where it was done. I’m clueless.” – Javon’s response when asked where in the world he had the surgery performed
Tom Cable: An Old School Kinda Guy
“No, we go to work.” – Tom Cable’s response when asked if he would end the final practice of training camp early
“The one thing I will tell you is, when all the facts come out, everything will be fine.” – Cable responds to the on-going assault investigation
“Having little quarrels is good, remember that this is football and they’re men. If you have a brother you know it’s OK to settle some things once in awhile.” – Tom Cable on fights in camp
“I mentioned when I got hired, I thought the fans in Oakland have been great, they’ve been very supportive, it’s high time this team gives something back. And that’s the goal this year. We’ve got to bring this team and this community together.” – Cable on Raider Nation
“There is no secret that we have had a discipline problem in the last few years.” – Cable on the Raiders and their penalty woes over the years
Fights, Trash Talking and Big Expectations
“You know, he’s a real confident guy and he’s talking a lot of trash lately… Not to me, but you know to the DBs.” – Nnamdi Asomugha on Darrius Heyward-Bey
“Going against Nnamdi.” – Heyward-Bey on the biggest adjustment to the NFL
“Twitter that!” – Michael Huff to Kirk Morrison (one of the more active Raiders on Twitter) while looking at the damage done to Nnamdi Asomugha’s Mercedes after someone backed into it in the parking lot
“They know the plays. Don’t you go overrate them.” – Louis Murphy on the Raider secondary getting the better of the wide receivers in practice
“Intensity is good, though, and aggressiveness is good, and maybe there will be a fight or two. Maybe we’ll get the juices flowing that way, but it will be good.” – Nnamdi on the start of training camp
“A Florida guy. They’ve got two national championships, so I guess you feel like you can come into this league and talk. I was telling one of the guys, the national championships on this level is equivalent to a high school state championship. Nobody cares.” – 49er cornerback Dre Bly on Louis Murphy after a joint practice between Oakland and San Francisco
“So if they don’t want to get in the limelight, like I tell them all the time, I’ll get in it. I ain’t scared to get in the limelight. Y’all don’t want me in y’all limelight, though. Or y’all ain’t getting it back.” – Johnnie Lee Higgins on the competition with other wide receivers after the injury to Chaz Schilens
“I didn’t want to get him like that. I wanted to get him in the field. I should win in a wrestling match. He is a receiver.” – Michael Mitchell on his scuffle with Louis Murphy in practice
“I feel like we can all have great seasons and all complement each other well. Three 1,000-yard backs isn’t out of the question.” – Justin Fargas on sharing carries with Michael Bush and Darren McFadden
“That’s what I do. Once we start getting live and everything I definitely want to start taking my shots because that’s what I’m known for that’s why I’m here. I want to show people why I was drafted.” – Michael Mitchell on the hit he laid on Gary Russell
“I haven’t been here long, but it’s been interesting. It’s my third year, and there’s never a dull moment . . . guys are like, `What happened? Oh.’ Then it’s back to work. Nothing surprises you any more.” – Jay Richardson on playing in Oakland
Thoughts on Al Davis, JaMarcus Russell’s Weight and Randy Hanson
“I know he knows defense. The great thing is he is like me. He’s long in the tooth and he’s old school. It’s line up, there’s your guy, cover him. And there goes the ball, you go out there and tackle him. There’s the blocker, you knock his butt off and go to the ball. He’s old school. Keep it simple and play hard. And he’s very smart. He knows his football. Believe me.” – Defensive Coordinator John Marshall on Al Davis
“Sure, this is Al Davis’s defense. It’s the same deal and we love it.” – Jay Richardson on John Marshall’s “new” defense
“Right now … a little heavy but I am not 300 pounds like ya’ll said the last time.” – JaMarcus Russell on his weight
“That’s between he and I and we’re working on that. He’s doing really good right now.” – Cable on Russell’s weight
“He hasn’t been around here and we haven’t seen much of him. They keep him in the offices.” – Hiram Eugene on Randy Hanson
Saints News
Highly Motivated
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Linebacker Anthony Waters is a long shot to make the Saints' roster, and frankly, his NFL career has been stuck in neutral since San Diego drafted him in the third round two years ago. He seems to be on the right road now, and that's something he and his family take great pride in. Things could have turned out much differently for Waters, one of nine children raised by a single mother in Lake View, S.C. Two of his older brothers are in prison, serving time for separate murder cases. "I was pretty much in the same situation that they were in, the same household, the same neighborhood, you know, the same school," Waters said. "But I kind of saw how it tore down my family, saw how it tore ..."
Saints 'D' in a taking mood
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams gave his review of the good, bad and ugly from Saturday night's exhibition victory at Houston. The highlight, he said, was forcing three turnovers, which matched the Saints' total from the preseason opener against Cincinnati. "Our guys are trying to take it away," Williams said. "They're called takeaways, and not giveaways. We understand that we have to create those things." He also said the Saints tackled better at Houston, defended the run well, played fast and physical, and played with "an attitude and some emotion, which was good because sometimes you can't get that in a preseason game." What he didn't like were the three defensive ..."
N.O. may take running-back-by-committee approach
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Jeff Duncan
"In April, the conventional wisdom was the Saints didn't have a bona fide lead running back on their roster. Remember those days? Deuce McAllister was gone, Edgerrin James was being evaluated in free agency, and Beanie Wells was a consideration in the NFL draft. Hard-core Who Dat fans even threw fits when the club failed toRashad Jennings on the second day of the draft. How things have changed in four months. In the wake of Mike Bell's breakout performance against the Houston Texans, the Saints now have a good problem on their hands. They have not one, not two, but three running backs capable of carrying the load on any given Sunday. Bell's 10-carry, 100-yard performance Saturday was ..."
N.O. cuts punter Pakulak, receiver Warren
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Saints ended their punter competition early, releasing veteran Glenn Pakulak on Wednesday, team spokesman Greg Bensel confirmed. They also released receiver Paris Warren. The Saints need to remove three more players from their active roster to get down to 75 by Tuesday -- the first of two cut-down days. They need to get down to 53 players by Sept. 5. They made the decisions on Pakulak and Warren early, though, three days before the team's preseason game at Oakland. Rookie punter Thomas Morstead now will get a full workload in the final two preseason games to get up to speed for the regular season."
DE Grant '80 percent' in return
Comment
August 26
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"With his strained left hamstring heavily wrapped under his black sweat pants, Saints starting left defensive end Charles Grant returned to the practice field Tuesday for the first time since pulling up in the first half of the Saints' preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 14. Grant, who had been relegated to stretching and working on individual drills with team trainer Scottie Patton, practiced with the first-team defense. He estimated that he is about "80" percent healthy and said he hopes to play Saturday against the Oakland Raiders, although he was uncertain of his status. "It's getting better; it's not 100 percent, but it's better than it was," Grant said. "You ..."
Bell admits he nearly squandered opportunity
Comment
August 26
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Mike Bell ran the football Saturday night like a player whose career was on the line. And that's exactly how the rejuvenated Saints tailback said he plans to spend every day from here on out. "I think of (this opportunity) as a blessing that I don't want to go to waste," said Bell, who caught on with the Saints late last season after being released by Denver and Houston. "I almost let it go to waste, and I'll never do that again. Ever." Bell, 26, has been the Saints' breakout star this summer, highlighted by his spectacular performance at Houston on Saturday night -- 100 yards on 10 carries, including a 46-yard touchdown dash."
TURNING HEADS
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"On June 4, Saints officials announced the signing of free agent Rod Harper, a wide receiver who scored touchdowns in bunches for the af2 Arkansas Twisters. The transaction garnered little attention at the time, a line on the agate page of the sports section under the heading "NFL-Saints." Even the most casual observer probably viewed him as just another player on their 80-man roster. After two exhibition games and 25 days of training camp, the 24-year-old former sales clerk from Toys 'R' Us in Bradenton, Fla., has become more than just a camp body. He is a "some body" with a legitimate chance to make the 53-man roster. Harper thrust himself into the discussion with a 79-yard punt return ..."
Saints' coaches singing Shanle's praises
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"You know Scott Shanle. Sure you do, because he's That Guy. That Guy on every NFL roster that the team's fans and media most often seem to identify as the one who should be replaced in the starting lineup. The one the majority believes the franchise can upgrade from. The one people lobby against when a big-name free agent that plays his position becomes available. True, for the Saints, Shanle isn't the only one on that list. Recently waived cornerback Jason David comes to mind, and Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jammal Brown has taken his share of hits. But Shanle has occupied a top spot on it since the day he joined the Saints in 2006 from Dallas in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick, to ..."
Meachem to get more kicks
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem had not returned a kickoff since high school when he shared the same backfield with running back Felix Jones, now in his second year with the Dallas Cowboys. So when Meachem stepped on the field during the third quarter of Saturday night's exhibition game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium, he remembered his senior season at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla. "Growing up in elementary school, middle school and high school, it's the same thing but guys are just coming at you a lot faster," Meachem said Monday. "You just have to let your natural instincts take over. God gave me a gift for speed, and I just tried to use my speed ..."
Saints to use Bush against the Raiders
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"After sitting out Saturday night's 38-14 exhibition victory at Houston with a strained calf muscle, Saints running back Reggie Bush said he is ready to play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland. Although he sat out Monday's practice, Bush said he is healthy and expects to get a heavy dose of playing time. "It's just precautionary, taking it slow, building back to the season," Bush said of missing the game against the Texans. "I'm sure I'll play quite a bit this game. I know I'm looking forward to it." Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg during post-practice conditioning drills Thursday morning in Houston, but he said the calf is fine. Bush suffered the injury while running ..."
Bushrod passes test despite some anxiety
Comment
August 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Prior to Saturday night's exhibition game against the Houston Texans, Saints third-string left tackle Jermon Bushrod spoke long distance with two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown. From his home in New Orleans while recovering from recent surgery to repair a sports hernia injury, Brown extended a helping hand and words of encouragement to the third-year pro from Towson University who was making his first NFL start. "Jammal said he was praying for me, and I told Jammal I was praying for him," Bushrod recalled while standing at his locker after the Saints' 38-14 victory at Reliant Stadium. When Saints Coach Sean Payton first announced that Bushrod would start for Brown, most observers ..."
Bushrod's play is most encouraging
Comment
August 23
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"We learned a lot from the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night. For instance, we now know Mike Bell is the unquestioned No. 3 running back behind Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. We know Joey Harrington looks a lot better at quarterback when he breaks the huddle with first- and second-teamers than he does with a bunch of undrafted free agents. And we learned Rod Harper is this year's out-of-nowhere camp sensation, following in the cleat marks of Adrian Arrington and Marques Colston. But most of all, we learned the potential loss of Jammal Brown might not be the Category 5 disaster we thought it might be for the Saints' high-powered offense. Of all the encouraging things from the ..."
Brown on mend after hernia surgery
Comment
August 23
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown has returned to New Orleans after undergoing surgery by a Philadelphia-based doctor who specializes in sports hernia injuries, league sources confirmed Saturday. Brown will be sidelined the remainder of training camp, but team officials are hopeful he will be ready for the season opener Sept. 13 against the Detroit Lions at the Superdome. He is scheduled to spend the remainder of camp recovering and rehabbing from the surgery that was performed by Dr. William Myers. Brown was sent to Myers on Thursday morning after the player complained of lingering pain in his upper groin area. He experienced a flare-up Wednesday afternoon after the ..."
Schaub sharp again vs.Saints
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"Matt Schaub finished 11-for-16 for 97 yards, after going 7-for-7 for 70 yards last week in Kansas City. Schaub took the Texans 94 yards for a touchdown against the Chiefs and directed a 70-yard scoring drive against the Saints. By completing his first three passes, he started 10-for-10 in the preseason before throwing his first incompletion. His quarterback ratings for the two games have been 108.3 and 105.5 respectively, numbers he'd gladly take in the regular season. Brees breezes Saints quarterback Drew Brees said after he returned to practice Thursday that he had enough experience to not be rusty after missing three days of work to attend memorial services for his mother in Austin. He ..."
Explosive Saints roll over Texans' defense
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"The New Orleans Saints were missing the electric Reggie Bush and their best tackle, Jammal Brown, because of injuries. Those absences alone should have proved a debilitating one-two punch in the gut for the NFL's most productive offense last season. Never mind the fact that quarterback Drew Brees had also missed three full days of practice to attend memorial services for his mother, who died Aug. 7. The Saints were as explosively efficient and productive as ever, embarrassing the Texans' starting defense with a 268-yard first half — they managed 168 yards in the second quarter alone — in what became a humbling 38-14 preseason rout that surely gave new Texans defensive coordinator Fran Bush ..."
Texans dance; Saints march over
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"Receiver David Anderson celebrated the Texans' first touchdown of the game with a Russian dance that he saw in the Will Ferrell movie Elf. "We were up at that point, and I just tried to have a little fun," Anderson said. "Looking back now, there's not much to dance about, but we had played well on that first drive, and I didn't expect us to play so poorly after that. I don't think anyone did." The 8-yard pass put the Texans on the board first, taking the lead 7-0 with 8:55 left in the first quarter. The Texans' offense marched down the field on the first drive, moving 73 yards on 11 plays. Running back Steve Slaton gained 18 yards on 4 carries, and Matt Schaub completed 5 of 6 passes for ..."
Texans need playmakers to walk the line
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"Frank Okam was given an opportunity to show his coaches that last week's solid performance against the Chiefs was the real deal. Aren't sequels always disappointing? Okam was part of a starting defensive line that got pushed up and down the field Saturday night as the Saints routed the Texans 38-14 at Reliant Stadium. This was a game that surely raised questions about an area that was already at the top of the worry list. After all the draft picks and all the free agents and all the years, the Texans still aren't sure how good their defensive line is. Good teams are built from the inside out. If the Texans can't hold their own in the defensive line, this season is going to be a lot like ..."
Texans flat in 38-14 preseason loss to New Orleans
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"New York Jets coach Rex Ryan better think twice before he shows his players tape of the Texans' rotten performance against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night. If Ryan lets his players see it, they're bound to get overconfident before they come to Reliant Stadium for the regular-season opener. The only good thing that can be said about the 38-14 loss is that it was an exhibition. And what a poor exhibition of football it was, and that includes offense, defense and special teams. It's difficult to imagine coach Gary Kubiak finding anything good about this performance. Like just about everybody else, Kubiak should be scratching his head at a team that was humiliated in all three ..."
On the take
Comment
August 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Gregg Williams lumps turnovers into two categories: Those his defense takes and those it receives. The latter he derisively calls "gimmes." And they don't impress Saints' first-year defensive coordinator. He wants his defense to aggressively force offenses into errors, rather than wait on the unforced ones. So far he's had to enjoy what he's seen this preseason. The Saints defense created three turnovers in a 17-7 victory against Cincinnati in their exhibition opener and forced several more in a series of practices against the Texans this week. They'll try to continue their version of creationism tonight when they kick off their second exhibition game against the Texans at Reliant ..."
Learning key for Harrington
Comment
August 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints reserve quarterback Joey Harrington enters the second game of the exhibition season tonight, knowing the numbers game has a way of sorting itself out over the long haul of training camp. Harrington said he is not reading too much into the team's scripted quarterback rotation against the Texans at Reliant Stadium, where he is slated to follow Drew Brees and play with the No. 2 offense for part of the second quarter and into the second half. Backup quarterback Mark Brunell is expected to close the game, according to Coach Sean Payton. "I don't care who I play with, the 1s, 2s or 3s," Harrington said. "My job is to go out and play football regardless whether it's (Saints middle ..."
Ex-Hurricanes see eye to eye on playing field
Comment
August 22
Houston Chronicle
"New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey took refuge from the heat under a canopy on the sideline, sipping from a small bottle of Gatorade, and he never saw Andre Johnson coming. In passing, Johnson tipped Shockey's drink, causing some to trickle down Shockey's chin. Laughing, Shockey playfully chased Johnson for a few yards, but Johnson, a speedy receiver, avoided the bulky tight end. "I'll get you back later, 'Dre," Shockey jokingly shouted at Johnson. That friendly incident happened early Thursday and had nothing to do with the morning practice that became Wrestlemania. "Did you see all these Miami guys out here getting in the fights?" Saints receivers coach Curtis Johnson said with ..."
It's the battle within a battle
Comment
August 22
Houston Chronicle
"When the Texans' coaches evaluate tape from tonight's preseason game against New Orleans, they will pay extra attention to several positions that have yet to be settled. Coach Gary Kubiak wants to see his starters play more than they did in winning the opener 16-10 at Kansas City last Saturday. The first-string defense played 18 snaps, the top offensive unit 10. "That was a little out of whack, so we'll definitely pick it up, probably a quarter and a half for the first group," Kubiak said. The coaches have games against New Orleans and Minnesota before the first roster reduction to 75. The final reduction to 53 will be made after the last preseason game against Tampa Bay. On offense, ..."
Return signals start of therapy for Brees
Comment
August 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Football has always been Drew Brees' sanctuary. Since he started firing spirals as a toddler, the gridiron has been his personal immersion tank, a refuge from the real world. Between the hashmarks, Brees could always forget his Ps and Qs and concentrate on the Xs and Os. So it should come as no surprise that the Saints' star quarterback embraced his return to the football field Thursday, just days after paying last respects to his mother, Mina, who died Aug. 11 of unknown causes. Brees rejoined the Saints in Houston on Wednesday and immediately jumped cleats-first into his normal game-week routine. For Brees, it was the best form of grief therapy. He watched tape, broke down the Saints' ..."
Tackle Brown being checked for a hernia
Comment
August 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Concerned Saints officials sent two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown to a sports hernia specialist Thursday to identify the cause of a lingering pain in the player's groin area and determine a course of action. Brown, who has anchored the Saints' offensive line since being selected in the first round of the 2005 draft, flew to Philadelphia to be examined by Dr. William Myers. If surgery is necessary, Brown could miss five to six weeks, according to sources familiar with the medical procedure. Saints Coach Sean Payton said Brown will not play in Saturday night's exhibition game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium."
Saints, Texans show fighting spirit
Comment
August 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"If Thursday morning's practice between the Saints and Houston Texans is any indication, Saturday night's exhibition game at Reliant Stadium could turn into a grudge match. At least four fights broke out in the two-hour workout at the Texans' training facility, with the feature bout involving Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey and Texans middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Each exchanged punches before Ryans threw Shockey to the ground and a scrum developed. Television replays identified at least three other pugilists on the undercard -- fullback Vonta Leach from Houston and linebacker Troy Evans and defensive tackle Rod Coleman from New Orleans. Leach and Coleman both played at East Carolina. ..."
Texans, Saints mix it up, get as hot as the weather
Comment
August 21
Houston Chronicle
"The Texans and New Orleans Saints spent so much time fighting during Thursday's morning practice they could have been filming a movie — Fight Club. "Actually," Texans offensive tackle Eric Winston said with a grin, "I thought it was very Gangs of New York-esque." After six fights in 90 minutes before a crowd of 3,704 — not counting members of the Rice and University of Houston football teams — the Texans and Saints were exhausted and ready to throw in the towel. Too bad Dana White and Vince McMahon weren't around to judge the one-on-one skirmishes, tag-team matches and scrums. "I haven't seen this many fights in my whole career," said Saints safety Darren Sharper, a 13-year veteran. "We've ..."
WRs Colston, Johnson have a mutual admiration
Comment
August 20
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Houston Texans' Andre Johnson and the Saints' Marques Colston quietly went about their business Wednesday, catching passes. Afterward, neither player commanded much attention at the Texans' practice facility. They were in sharp contrast, for example, to NFL wide receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, who seemingly live for the media spotlight wherever, whenever. In fact, Johnson and Colston felt more comfortable talking about each other rather than themselves. "I know (Colston) has been fighting some injuries the past few years, but all in all I think he's a great player," said Johnson, who led the NFL last season in receptions (115) and receiving yardage (1,575) with eight ..."
NO WORRIES
Comment
August 19
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"To the outside world, Saints receiver Lance Moore appears to be a prime candidate for a letdown this season. For starters, the fourth-year pro came seemingly out of nowhere last season, filling in when starter Marques Colston went down with a thumb injury and finishing with a breakout season: 79 receptions, 928 yards and 10 touchdowns. Then his follow-up campaign got off to an inauspicious start when he dislocated his left shoulder and tore his labrum during a weightlifting mishap in April. But the Saints have developed an unwavering confidence in Moore, who turns 26 at the end of this month. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder has a pretty good track record when it comes to bucking the odds. And ..."
Cutting corner should not have taken so long
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist John DeShazier
"Finally, Jason David's days as a Saint have ended. And if it took the hiring of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to create that reality, and for the team to shave the roster of a free-agent cornerback who had been a disappointment since his first regular-season game, then Williams' hiring was overdue -- and he has earned a decent portion of whatever it is New Orleans is paying him. Few would bother arguing that David had measured up to his job description since he signed in 2007. Fewer would debate his addition hadn't been an error. By almost any standard the union pretty much was a disaster from the get-go, David failing to fill a desperate need for the Saints and the Saints, ..."
Deuce still on the loose but says he's rarin' to go
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Former Saints tailback Deuce McAllister remains optimistic about his chances of catching on with another NFL team, though he admits that several factors are working against him. McAllister, 30, said Monday he is healthy enough to pass a physical, and his agents have been in contact with some teams. But the biggest hurdle he faces is the four-game suspension he's scheduled to serve at the beginning of the season. "It's kind of tough to get with a team knowing you won't be there for the first four games. That's kind of tough to deal with on my end," said McAllister, who tested positive for a banned diuretic last summer, along with three Saints teammates in the high-profile StarCaps case. ..."
Saints look forward to work vs. Texans
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"By now, the Saints' defensive players know the tendencies of the offense. Into their third week of training camp, they can at times predict what plays are coming. That should change, however, over the next few days. After a walk-through practice today that is closed to the media, the team will board a flight to Houston for three practices -- two Wednesday and one Thursday -- with the Texans and one by themselves. On Friday, there's another walk-through for New Orleans. Saints Coach Sean Payton said he is looking forward to watching his team practice against the Texans before the teams meet in an exhibition game Saturday night at Reliant Stadium. "Our goals in Houston are to continue ..."
Saints part ways with CB Jason David
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Jason David's roller-coaster ride in New Orleans finally came to a halt Monday when the Saints released the 27-year-old cornerback with two years remaining on his contract. David, who was set to earn $2.4 million this season, showed a knack for making big plays during his two-year run with the Saints. But he allowed far too many of them to opposing offenses, becoming a whipping boy for quarterbacks and Saints fans alike. The final straw came during Friday night's preseason opener in the Superdome, when he was repeatedly burned by Cincinnati Bengals receivers Chris Henry and Chad Ochocinco in New Orleans' 17-7 victory. "It's probably a combination of the players now in front of him ..."
Ex-Jet Vilma Looks To Repay Saints
Comment
August 18
New York Post
"Jonathan Vilma needed one season in New Orleans to resurrect his career. Coming back from major knee surgery, the former Jets star played every defensive snap at middle linebacker in 2008, leading the team with 151 tackles to go with two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a game-sealing interception. Vilma understands he'll be challenged to top those numbers in his second season with the Saints, but said he's trying not to worry about his own statistics. Vilma said he feels a deep sense of loyalty to the Saints, and not only because they signed him last winter to a five-year, $34 million contract. A serious knee injury in 2007 had put the former Pro Bowl linebacker's career in ..."
Misstep costs kicker first four games
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"An ill-informed decision by Saints kicker Garrett Hartley has proved costly for him and paved the way for 21-year veteran John Carney to resume his distinguished NFL career in New Orleans. League officials have informed Hartley that he will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season after he tested positive for a banned substance, Adderall, a prescriptive amphetamine that he claims to have taken to stay alert during a late-night drive from Dallas to New Orleans in March. Hartley, 23, is not expected to appeal his suspension, meaning he will miss season-opening games against Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo and the New York Jets and forfeit approximately $90,000 of his 2009 ..."
Jenkins puts versatility on display
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Rookie Malcolm Jenkins was all over the field during Sunday's practices, lining up as a safety and a nickel back with the first-string defense, then taking a turn at cornerback with the second string. The Saints were using a variety of substitution packages during Sunday's sessions, so Jenkins was never technically in the "starting lineup." But in new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' versatile and adaptable schemes, the old notions of "starters" and "backups" have become as passé as trying to label a guy strictly as a cornerback or a safety. "I doubt I'll be pegged into one position," said Jenkins, whom the Saints selected with the 14th pick in this year's draft. Whenever you can ..."
N.O. at ease with Carney, but Hartley . . .
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"I've got a suggestion for how Garrett Hartley can kill time during his four-game suspension to start the regular season. Read the Wally Pipp story. The Saints' 23-year-old kicker wasn't born when Pipp famously lost his job to Lou Gehrig back in 1925. He likely hasn't heard of him, but he would be wise to educate himself on Pipp's story. Gehrig went on to start 2,130 with the New York Yankees. Hartley might have unwittingly Pipped himself this week when he violated the NFL's substance abuse policy and landed on the league's suspended list. While Hartley sits out the first four games of the 2009 regular season, Carney will take his place as the Saints' regular kicker. Carney isn't just ..."
Jenkins puts versatility on display
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Rookie Malcolm Jenkins was all over the field during Sunday's practices, lining up as a safety and a nickel back with the first-string defense, then taking a turn at cornerback with the second string. The Saints were using a variety of substitution packages during Sunday's sessions, so Jenkins was never technically in the "starting lineup." But in new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' versatile and adaptable schemes, the old notions of "starters" and "backups" have become as passé as trying to label a guy strictly as a cornerback or a safety. "I doubt I'll be pegged into one position," said Jenkins, whom the Saints selected with the 14th pick in this year's draft. Whenever you can be ..."
Saints' Hartley to serve 4-game drug suspension
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"An ill-informed decision by Saints kicker Garrett Hartley has proved costly for him and paved the way for 21-year veteran John Carney to resume his distinguished NFL career in New Orleans. League officials have informed Hartley that he will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season after he tested positive for a banned substance, Adderall, a prescriptive amphetamine that he claims to have taken to stay alert during a late-night drive from Dallas to New Orleans in March. Hartley, 23, is not expected to appeal his suspension, meaning he will miss season-opening games against Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo and the New York Jets and forfeit approximately $90,000 of his 2009 ..."
Saints kicker Garrett Hartley says he took banned stimulant Adderall to stay awake
Comment
August 16
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints kicker Garrett Hartley tested positive for the banned stimulant Adderall, which he said he took to stay awake on a drive from Dallas to New Orleans earlier this year. He will serve a four-game suspension to start the season without appealing. Hartley said he didn't know the prescription drug was banned by the NFL, but he should have known better. He said he got the Adderall from some former college friends before driving back to New Orleans during offseason workouts. The Saints and Hartley were informed of the suspension more than a week ago, and they've been making contingency plans ever since. They finalized an agreement with new kicker John Carney on Thursday before officially ..."
Not There Yet
Comment
August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma ran for the end zone in Friday night's preseason opener at the Superdome, trying to turn his interception into a spectacular 69-yard touchdown. But he fell 4 yards short of the goal line when Cincinnati Bengals receiver Andre Caldwell caught up to him and knocked the ball loose. "I got a little tired," Vilma admitted. "I've got to get into game shape." It's hard to blame him. After all, he had just used up most of his tank earlier in the first quarter, when he scooped up a fumble forced by safety Darren Sharper and returned the ball 47 yards to the Bengals' 6-yard line. Asked if 112 rushing yards were a career high for him, Vilma laughed. "Could you ..."
Henry enjoys a homecoming
Comment
August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Chris Henry won't hesitate to tell you he no longer lives his life the way he used to -- the fast life. He only plays that way now. The Cincinnati Bengals are happy that Henry, a former Belle Chase High School standout, is still the same dangerous player, however. Henry appeared to be in midseason form, beating Saints beleaguered cornerback Jason David on an array of first-half passes in the Saints' 17-7 victory over the Bengals in Friday night's preseason opener at the Superdome. With more than 60 family and friends in attendance, Henry, a troubled receiver with superior talents, easily had his way in his homecoming, catching seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Six of his ..."
Saints joined in pursuit of Brooks
Comment
August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Saints apparently are not the only team interested in veteran free agent linebacker Derrick Brooks, who is trying to get back in the NFL after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. The Oakland Raiders reportedly flew the 11-time Pro Bowl player out for a visit and workout Friday, two days after Brooks left New Orleans without a contract offer from Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis. Loomis and Saints Coach Sean Payton are expected to make a decision this weekend with regard to Brooks and free agent linebacker Derek Smith, both of whom worked out for the team Wednesday morning. Loomis said a decision on either player may or may not be forthcoming, indicating the ..."
Palmer tweaks ankle vs. Saints
Comment
August 15
Cincinnati Enquirer
"If you are a Bengals' fan, the two things you wanted to see in Friday night's preseason opener from the offense was a well-executed attack and a healthy Carson Palmer. Well, you definitely got the former while there was some brief concern about the latter during the 17-7 loss to the Saints at the Superdome. The Bengals' first teamers had 170 total yards of offense, but there was a brief period of concern when Palmer suffered a high left ankle sprain. Palmer said he sprained his ankle when he tried to pull the ball down on a busted play when a Saints' defender rolled on it. He was wearing a boot on the leg after the game but said it was mainly for precautionary measures. "It's a high ankle ..."
Vilma, Saints D hope to match output of high-octane offense
Comment
August 14
Green Bay Press Gazette
"Defense? Defense? That is a question the New Orleans Saints aim to answer in the affirmative this season.Last season, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees led the NFL in passing yards. The Saints were No. 1 in total offense. But en route to an 8-8 finish, they allowed 27 points or more in nine games (seven of them losses) and ranked 23rd in defense. Holdover middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and the rest of a revamped New Orleans defense want to close that performance gap. "I feel the defense is really coming along. … We're a talented group. We have to go out there and execute," says Vilma, whose teams opens its preseason at home Friday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. Acquired last ..."
New QB Andrew Walter first off bench
Comment
August 14
Boston Herald
"Andrew Walter glanced at his watch. He tried to remember when the Patriots had signed him. "What's today's date?" the reserve quarterback asked. "Not a lot of time." The former Raider joined the Pats Aug. 3, giving him merely seven practice days to prepare for last night's preseason opener against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Walter went 5-of-9 for 62 yards in his new team's 27-25 victory, taking the field immediately following starter Tom Brady. Coach Bill Belichick downplayed the suggestion that Walter was inserted into the lineup so quickly because he had supplanted backup Kevin O'Connell."
Saints weigh options with Brooks, Smith
Comment
August 13
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints officials gave no indication whether they will sign or pass on veteran free-agent linebackers Derrick Brooks and Derek Smith, who were brought in for workouts Wednesday. Each player apparently passed inspection, but Coach Sean Payton said no decision will be made before Saturday, the day after the Saints open their exhibition schedule against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Superdome. "Those guys are in great shape," Payton said after the team finished its 18th practice of training camp, a two-hour exercise that was pushed indoors because of inclement weather. "We're not going to do anything right yet. I talked to both players, and we're going to get through this game on Friday and ..."
Report: Ex-Buc Brooks leaves Saints without contract offer
Comment
August 13
Tampa Tribune
"The Saints have not offered linebacker Derrick Brooks a contract, according to a report on the Times-Picayune's Web site. Brooks worked out for the team Wednesday morning, but apparently left town later in the day without a contract. A Saints spokesman said the team did not plan to announce any signings Wednesday, according to the report. Neither Brooks nor veteran linebacker Derek Smith, who also worked out for the team Wednesday, was at the Saints' afternoon practice."
Saints hoping to have enough in '09
Comment
August 12
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Peter Finney
"I'm looking at the schedule, and it says the Saints play the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night in the Superdome. My question: Is it a "must win?" I know, I know, it's only the first of four exhibition games, which means it will be quickly forgotten, which means it won't count when they total up the Ws and Ls. But I'm listening to all the tweets and twitters -- is that what they call 'em? -- and I'm in a fog. You read some of those gushing communiqués from Saints-land, and it's enough to ask: What happens if the Bengals happen to make a first down against Gregg Williams' defense? Better yet, God forbid, what happens if they throw a 30-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open receiver? Will ..."
Brown sets the bar high for himself, Saints
Comment
August 12
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Other than maybe Reggie Bush, no Saints player seems to earn more mixed reviews from the fan base than left tackle Jammal Brown. If possible, the fifth-year veteran is both overrated and underappreciated. He's a two-time Pro Bowl selection -- including a trip to Hawaii as an injury replacement last season, but he has never quite lived up to the immense potential he showed in his first two NFL seasons. He plays the most important position on the line for the NFL's most prolific offense, which just set a franchise record for the fewest sacks in a season (13, three of which were credited to Brown). But he also was flagged for a career-high seven holding penalties, and he had two very ..."
Saints taking a look at LBs Brooks, Smith
Comment
August 12
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Since his unceremonious release in February by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, perennial Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks has been simmering on the Saints' back burner, an object of interest for the front office perhaps somewhere down the road. That time has arrived now that versatile backup linebacker Mark Simoneau needs surgery today to repair a torn right triceps, a procedure that likely will shelve him until midseason or perhaps end his season. Brooks, 36, and free-agent linebacker Derek Smith, 34, were to arrive in New Orleans on Tuesday night and are scheduled to work out today for team officials. Neither signing would lower the average age of the team, which already is one of the ..."
Highly Motivated
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Linebacker Anthony Waters is a long shot to make the Saints' roster, and frankly, his NFL career has been stuck in neutral since San Diego drafted him in the third round two years ago. He seems to be on the right road now, and that's something he and his family take great pride in. Things could have turned out much differently for Waters, one of nine children raised by a single mother in Lake View, S.C. Two of his older brothers are in prison, serving time for separate murder cases. "I was pretty much in the same situation that they were in, the same household, the same neighborhood, you know, the same school," Waters said. "But I kind of saw how it tore down my family, saw how it tore ..."
Saints 'D' in a taking mood
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams gave his review of the good, bad and ugly from Saturday night's exhibition victory at Houston. The highlight, he said, was forcing three turnovers, which matched the Saints' total from the preseason opener against Cincinnati. "Our guys are trying to take it away," Williams said. "They're called takeaways, and not giveaways. We understand that we have to create those things." He also said the Saints tackled better at Houston, defended the run well, played fast and physical, and played with "an attitude and some emotion, which was good because sometimes you can't get that in a preseason game." What he didn't like were the three defensive ..."
N.O. may take running-back-by-committee approach
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Jeff Duncan
"In April, the conventional wisdom was the Saints didn't have a bona fide lead running back on their roster. Remember those days? Deuce McAllister was gone, Edgerrin James was being evaluated in free agency, and Beanie Wells was a consideration in the NFL draft. Hard-core Who Dat fans even threw fits when the club failed toRashad Jennings on the second day of the draft. How things have changed in four months. In the wake of Mike Bell's breakout performance against the Houston Texans, the Saints now have a good problem on their hands. They have not one, not two, but three running backs capable of carrying the load on any given Sunday. Bell's 10-carry, 100-yard performance Saturday was ..."
N.O. cuts punter Pakulak, receiver Warren
Comment
August 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Saints ended their punter competition early, releasing veteran Glenn Pakulak on Wednesday, team spokesman Greg Bensel confirmed. They also released receiver Paris Warren. The Saints need to remove three more players from their active roster to get down to 75 by Tuesday -- the first of two cut-down days. They need to get down to 53 players by Sept. 5. They made the decisions on Pakulak and Warren early, though, three days before the team's preseason game at Oakland. Rookie punter Thomas Morstead now will get a full workload in the final two preseason games to get up to speed for the regular season."
DE Grant '80 percent' in return
Comment
August 26
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"With his strained left hamstring heavily wrapped under his black sweat pants, Saints starting left defensive end Charles Grant returned to the practice field Tuesday for the first time since pulling up in the first half of the Saints' preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 14. Grant, who had been relegated to stretching and working on individual drills with team trainer Scottie Patton, practiced with the first-team defense. He estimated that he is about "80" percent healthy and said he hopes to play Saturday against the Oakland Raiders, although he was uncertain of his status. "It's getting better; it's not 100 percent, but it's better than it was," Grant said. "You ..."
Bell admits he nearly squandered opportunity
Comment
August 26
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Mike Bell ran the football Saturday night like a player whose career was on the line. And that's exactly how the rejuvenated Saints tailback said he plans to spend every day from here on out. "I think of (this opportunity) as a blessing that I don't want to go to waste," said Bell, who caught on with the Saints late last season after being released by Denver and Houston. "I almost let it go to waste, and I'll never do that again. Ever." Bell, 26, has been the Saints' breakout star this summer, highlighted by his spectacular performance at Houston on Saturday night -- 100 yards on 10 carries, including a 46-yard touchdown dash."
TURNING HEADS
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"On June 4, Saints officials announced the signing of free agent Rod Harper, a wide receiver who scored touchdowns in bunches for the af2 Arkansas Twisters. The transaction garnered little attention at the time, a line on the agate page of the sports section under the heading "NFL-Saints." Even the most casual observer probably viewed him as just another player on their 80-man roster. After two exhibition games and 25 days of training camp, the 24-year-old former sales clerk from Toys 'R' Us in Bradenton, Fla., has become more than just a camp body. He is a "some body" with a legitimate chance to make the 53-man roster. Harper thrust himself into the discussion with a 79-yard punt return ..."
Saints' coaches singing Shanle's praises
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"You know Scott Shanle. Sure you do, because he's That Guy. That Guy on every NFL roster that the team's fans and media most often seem to identify as the one who should be replaced in the starting lineup. The one the majority believes the franchise can upgrade from. The one people lobby against when a big-name free agent that plays his position becomes available. True, for the Saints, Shanle isn't the only one on that list. Recently waived cornerback Jason David comes to mind, and Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jammal Brown has taken his share of hits. But Shanle has occupied a top spot on it since the day he joined the Saints in 2006 from Dallas in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick, to ..."
Meachem to get more kicks
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem had not returned a kickoff since high school when he shared the same backfield with running back Felix Jones, now in his second year with the Dallas Cowboys. So when Meachem stepped on the field during the third quarter of Saturday night's exhibition game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium, he remembered his senior season at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla. "Growing up in elementary school, middle school and high school, it's the same thing but guys are just coming at you a lot faster," Meachem said Monday. "You just have to let your natural instincts take over. God gave me a gift for speed, and I just tried to use my speed ..."
Saints to use Bush against the Raiders
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"After sitting out Saturday night's 38-14 exhibition victory at Houston with a strained calf muscle, Saints running back Reggie Bush said he is ready to play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland. Although he sat out Monday's practice, Bush said he is healthy and expects to get a heavy dose of playing time. "It's just precautionary, taking it slow, building back to the season," Bush said of missing the game against the Texans. "I'm sure I'll play quite a bit this game. I know I'm looking forward to it." Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg during post-practice conditioning drills Thursday morning in Houston, but he said the calf is fine. Bush suffered the injury while running ..."
Bushrod passes test despite some anxiety
Comment
August 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Prior to Saturday night's exhibition game against the Houston Texans, Saints third-string left tackle Jermon Bushrod spoke long distance with two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown. From his home in New Orleans while recovering from recent surgery to repair a sports hernia injury, Brown extended a helping hand and words of encouragement to the third-year pro from Towson University who was making his first NFL start. "Jammal said he was praying for me, and I told Jammal I was praying for him," Bushrod recalled while standing at his locker after the Saints' 38-14 victory at Reliant Stadium. When Saints Coach Sean Payton first announced that Bushrod would start for Brown, most observers ..."
Bushrod's play is most encouraging
Comment
August 23
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"We learned a lot from the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night. For instance, we now know Mike Bell is the unquestioned No. 3 running back behind Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. We know Joey Harrington looks a lot better at quarterback when he breaks the huddle with first- and second-teamers than he does with a bunch of undrafted free agents. And we learned Rod Harper is this year's out-of-nowhere camp sensation, following in the cleat marks of Adrian Arrington and Marques Colston. But most of all, we learned the potential loss of Jammal Brown might not be the Category 5 disaster we thought it might be for the Saints' high-powered offense. Of all the encouraging things from the ..."
Brown on mend after hernia surgery
Comment
August 23
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown has returned to New Orleans after undergoing surgery by a Philadelphia-based doctor who specializes in sports hernia injuries, league sources confirmed Saturday. Brown will be sidelined the remainder of training camp, but team officials are hopeful he will be ready for the season opener Sept. 13 against the Detroit Lions at the Superdome. He is scheduled to spend the remainder of camp recovering and rehabbing from the surgery that was performed by Dr. William Myers. Brown was sent to Myers on Thursday morning after the player complained of lingering pain in his upper groin area. He experienced a flare-up Wednesday afternoon after the ..."
Schaub sharp again vs.Saints
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"Matt Schaub finished 11-for-16 for 97 yards, after going 7-for-7 for 70 yards last week in Kansas City. Schaub took the Texans 94 yards for a touchdown against the Chiefs and directed a 70-yard scoring drive against the Saints. By completing his first three passes, he started 10-for-10 in the preseason before throwing his first incompletion. His quarterback ratings for the two games have been 108.3 and 105.5 respectively, numbers he'd gladly take in the regular season. Brees breezes Saints quarterback Drew Brees said after he returned to practice Thursday that he had enough experience to not be rusty after missing three days of work to attend memorial services for his mother in Austin. He ..."
Explosive Saints roll over Texans' defense
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"The New Orleans Saints were missing the electric Reggie Bush and their best tackle, Jammal Brown, because of injuries. Those absences alone should have proved a debilitating one-two punch in the gut for the NFL's most productive offense last season. Never mind the fact that quarterback Drew Brees had also missed three full days of practice to attend memorial services for his mother, who died Aug. 7. The Saints were as explosively efficient and productive as ever, embarrassing the Texans' starting defense with a 268-yard first half — they managed 168 yards in the second quarter alone — in what became a humbling 38-14 preseason rout that surely gave new Texans defensive coordinator Fran Bush ..."
Texans dance; Saints march over
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"Receiver David Anderson celebrated the Texans' first touchdown of the game with a Russian dance that he saw in the Will Ferrell movie Elf. "We were up at that point, and I just tried to have a little fun," Anderson said. "Looking back now, there's not much to dance about, but we had played well on that first drive, and I didn't expect us to play so poorly after that. I don't think anyone did." The 8-yard pass put the Texans on the board first, taking the lead 7-0 with 8:55 left in the first quarter. The Texans' offense marched down the field on the first drive, moving 73 yards on 11 plays. Running back Steve Slaton gained 18 yards on 4 carries, and Matt Schaub completed 5 of 6 passes for ..."
Texans need playmakers to walk the line
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"Frank Okam was given an opportunity to show his coaches that last week's solid performance against the Chiefs was the real deal. Aren't sequels always disappointing? Okam was part of a starting defensive line that got pushed up and down the field Saturday night as the Saints routed the Texans 38-14 at Reliant Stadium. This was a game that surely raised questions about an area that was already at the top of the worry list. After all the draft picks and all the free agents and all the years, the Texans still aren't sure how good their defensive line is. Good teams are built from the inside out. If the Texans can't hold their own in the defensive line, this season is going to be a lot like ..."
Texans flat in 38-14 preseason loss to New Orleans
Comment
August 23
Houston Chronicle
"New York Jets coach Rex Ryan better think twice before he shows his players tape of the Texans' rotten performance against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night. If Ryan lets his players see it, they're bound to get overconfident before they come to Reliant Stadium for the regular-season opener. The only good thing that can be said about the 38-14 loss is that it was an exhibition. And what a poor exhibition of football it was, and that includes offense, defense and special teams. It's difficult to imagine coach Gary Kubiak finding anything good about this performance. Like just about everybody else, Kubiak should be scratching his head at a team that was humiliated in all three ..."
On the take
Comment
August 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Gregg Williams lumps turnovers into two categories: Those his defense takes and those it receives. The latter he derisively calls "gimmes." And they don't impress Saints' first-year defensive coordinator. He wants his defense to aggressively force offenses into errors, rather than wait on the unforced ones. So far he's had to enjoy what he's seen this preseason. The Saints defense created three turnovers in a 17-7 victory against Cincinnati in their exhibition opener and forced several more in a series of practices against the Texans this week. They'll try to continue their version of creationism tonight when they kick off their second exhibition game against the Texans at Reliant ..."
Learning key for Harrington
Comment
August 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints reserve quarterback Joey Harrington enters the second game of the exhibition season tonight, knowing the numbers game has a way of sorting itself out over the long haul of training camp. Harrington said he is not reading too much into the team's scripted quarterback rotation against the Texans at Reliant Stadium, where he is slated to follow Drew Brees and play with the No. 2 offense for part of the second quarter and into the second half. Backup quarterback Mark Brunell is expected to close the game, according to Coach Sean Payton. "I don't care who I play with, the 1s, 2s or 3s," Harrington said. "My job is to go out and play football regardless whether it's (Saints middle ..."
Ex-Hurricanes see eye to eye on playing field
Comment
August 22
Houston Chronicle
"New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey took refuge from the heat under a canopy on the sideline, sipping from a small bottle of Gatorade, and he never saw Andre Johnson coming. In passing, Johnson tipped Shockey's drink, causing some to trickle down Shockey's chin. Laughing, Shockey playfully chased Johnson for a few yards, but Johnson, a speedy receiver, avoided the bulky tight end. "I'll get you back later, 'Dre," Shockey jokingly shouted at Johnson. That friendly incident happened early Thursday and had nothing to do with the morning practice that became Wrestlemania. "Did you see all these Miami guys out here getting in the fights?" Saints receivers coach Curtis Johnson said with ..."
It's the battle within a battle
Comment
August 22
Houston Chronicle
"When the Texans' coaches evaluate tape from tonight's preseason game against New Orleans, they will pay extra attention to several positions that have yet to be settled. Coach Gary Kubiak wants to see his starters play more than they did in winning the opener 16-10 at Kansas City last Saturday. The first-string defense played 18 snaps, the top offensive unit 10. "That was a little out of whack, so we'll definitely pick it up, probably a quarter and a half for the first group," Kubiak said. The coaches have games against New Orleans and Minnesota before the first roster reduction to 75. The final reduction to 53 will be made after the last preseason game against Tampa Bay. On offense, ..."
Return signals start of therapy for Brees
Comment
August 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Football has always been Drew Brees' sanctuary. Since he started firing spirals as a toddler, the gridiron has been his personal immersion tank, a refuge from the real world. Between the hashmarks, Brees could always forget his Ps and Qs and concentrate on the Xs and Os. So it should come as no surprise that the Saints' star quarterback embraced his return to the football field Thursday, just days after paying last respects to his mother, Mina, who died Aug. 11 of unknown causes. Brees rejoined the Saints in Houston on Wednesday and immediately jumped cleats-first into his normal game-week routine. For Brees, it was the best form of grief therapy. He watched tape, broke down the Saints' ..."
Tackle Brown being checked for a hernia
Comment
August 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Concerned Saints officials sent two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown to a sports hernia specialist Thursday to identify the cause of a lingering pain in the player's groin area and determine a course of action. Brown, who has anchored the Saints' offensive line since being selected in the first round of the 2005 draft, flew to Philadelphia to be examined by Dr. William Myers. If surgery is necessary, Brown could miss five to six weeks, according to sources familiar with the medical procedure. Saints Coach Sean Payton said Brown will not play in Saturday night's exhibition game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium."
Saints, Texans show fighting spirit
Comment
August 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"If Thursday morning's practice between the Saints and Houston Texans is any indication, Saturday night's exhibition game at Reliant Stadium could turn into a grudge match. At least four fights broke out in the two-hour workout at the Texans' training facility, with the feature bout involving Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey and Texans middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Each exchanged punches before Ryans threw Shockey to the ground and a scrum developed. Television replays identified at least three other pugilists on the undercard -- fullback Vonta Leach from Houston and linebacker Troy Evans and defensive tackle Rod Coleman from New Orleans. Leach and Coleman both played at East Carolina. ..."
Texans, Saints mix it up, get as hot as the weather
Comment
August 21
Houston Chronicle
"The Texans and New Orleans Saints spent so much time fighting during Thursday's morning practice they could have been filming a movie — Fight Club. "Actually," Texans offensive tackle Eric Winston said with a grin, "I thought it was very Gangs of New York-esque." After six fights in 90 minutes before a crowd of 3,704 — not counting members of the Rice and University of Houston football teams — the Texans and Saints were exhausted and ready to throw in the towel. Too bad Dana White and Vince McMahon weren't around to judge the one-on-one skirmishes, tag-team matches and scrums. "I haven't seen this many fights in my whole career," said Saints safety Darren Sharper, a 13-year veteran. "We've ..."
WRs Colston, Johnson have a mutual admiration
Comment
August 20
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Houston Texans' Andre Johnson and the Saints' Marques Colston quietly went about their business Wednesday, catching passes. Afterward, neither player commanded much attention at the Texans' practice facility. They were in sharp contrast, for example, to NFL wide receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, who seemingly live for the media spotlight wherever, whenever. In fact, Johnson and Colston felt more comfortable talking about each other rather than themselves. "I know (Colston) has been fighting some injuries the past few years, but all in all I think he's a great player," said Johnson, who led the NFL last season in receptions (115) and receiving yardage (1,575) with eight ..."
NO WORRIES
Comment
August 19
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"To the outside world, Saints receiver Lance Moore appears to be a prime candidate for a letdown this season. For starters, the fourth-year pro came seemingly out of nowhere last season, filling in when starter Marques Colston went down with a thumb injury and finishing with a breakout season: 79 receptions, 928 yards and 10 touchdowns. Then his follow-up campaign got off to an inauspicious start when he dislocated his left shoulder and tore his labrum during a weightlifting mishap in April. But the Saints have developed an unwavering confidence in Moore, who turns 26 at the end of this month. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder has a pretty good track record when it comes to bucking the odds. And ..."
Cutting corner should not have taken so long
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist John DeShazier
"Finally, Jason David's days as a Saint have ended. And if it took the hiring of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to create that reality, and for the team to shave the roster of a free-agent cornerback who had been a disappointment since his first regular-season game, then Williams' hiring was overdue -- and he has earned a decent portion of whatever it is New Orleans is paying him. Few would bother arguing that David had measured up to his job description since he signed in 2007. Fewer would debate his addition hadn't been an error. By almost any standard the union pretty much was a disaster from the get-go, David failing to fill a desperate need for the Saints and the Saints, ..."
Deuce still on the loose but says he's rarin' to go
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Former Saints tailback Deuce McAllister remains optimistic about his chances of catching on with another NFL team, though he admits that several factors are working against him. McAllister, 30, said Monday he is healthy enough to pass a physical, and his agents have been in contact with some teams. But the biggest hurdle he faces is the four-game suspension he's scheduled to serve at the beginning of the season. "It's kind of tough to get with a team knowing you won't be there for the first four games. That's kind of tough to deal with on my end," said McAllister, who tested positive for a banned diuretic last summer, along with three Saints teammates in the high-profile StarCaps case. ..."
Saints look forward to work vs. Texans
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"By now, the Saints' defensive players know the tendencies of the offense. Into their third week of training camp, they can at times predict what plays are coming. That should change, however, over the next few days. After a walk-through practice today that is closed to the media, the team will board a flight to Houston for three practices -- two Wednesday and one Thursday -- with the Texans and one by themselves. On Friday, there's another walk-through for New Orleans. Saints Coach Sean Payton said he is looking forward to watching his team practice against the Texans before the teams meet in an exhibition game Saturday night at Reliant Stadium. "Our goals in Houston are to continue ..."
Saints part ways with CB Jason David
Comment
August 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Jason David's roller-coaster ride in New Orleans finally came to a halt Monday when the Saints released the 27-year-old cornerback with two years remaining on his contract. David, who was set to earn $2.4 million this season, showed a knack for making big plays during his two-year run with the Saints. But he allowed far too many of them to opposing offenses, becoming a whipping boy for quarterbacks and Saints fans alike. The final straw came during Friday night's preseason opener in the Superdome, when he was repeatedly burned by Cincinnati Bengals receivers Chris Henry and Chad Ochocinco in New Orleans' 17-7 victory. "It's probably a combination of the players now in front of him ..."
Ex-Jet Vilma Looks To Repay Saints
Comment
August 18
New York Post
"Jonathan Vilma needed one season in New Orleans to resurrect his career. Coming back from major knee surgery, the former Jets star played every defensive snap at middle linebacker in 2008, leading the team with 151 tackles to go with two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a game-sealing interception. Vilma understands he'll be challenged to top those numbers in his second season with the Saints, but said he's trying not to worry about his own statistics. Vilma said he feels a deep sense of loyalty to the Saints, and not only because they signed him last winter to a five-year, $34 million contract. A serious knee injury in 2007 had put the former Pro Bowl linebacker's career in ..."
Misstep costs kicker first four games
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"An ill-informed decision by Saints kicker Garrett Hartley has proved costly for him and paved the way for 21-year veteran John Carney to resume his distinguished NFL career in New Orleans. League officials have informed Hartley that he will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season after he tested positive for a banned substance, Adderall, a prescriptive amphetamine that he claims to have taken to stay alert during a late-night drive from Dallas to New Orleans in March. Hartley, 23, is not expected to appeal his suspension, meaning he will miss season-opening games against Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo and the New York Jets and forfeit approximately $90,000 of his 2009 ..."
Jenkins puts versatility on display
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Rookie Malcolm Jenkins was all over the field during Sunday's practices, lining up as a safety and a nickel back with the first-string defense, then taking a turn at cornerback with the second string. The Saints were using a variety of substitution packages during Sunday's sessions, so Jenkins was never technically in the "starting lineup." But in new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' versatile and adaptable schemes, the old notions of "starters" and "backups" have become as passé as trying to label a guy strictly as a cornerback or a safety. "I doubt I'll be pegged into one position," said Jenkins, whom the Saints selected with the 14th pick in this year's draft. Whenever you can ..."
N.O. at ease with Carney, but Hartley . . .
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"I've got a suggestion for how Garrett Hartley can kill time during his four-game suspension to start the regular season. Read the Wally Pipp story. The Saints' 23-year-old kicker wasn't born when Pipp famously lost his job to Lou Gehrig back in 1925. He likely hasn't heard of him, but he would be wise to educate himself on Pipp's story. Gehrig went on to start 2,130 with the New York Yankees. Hartley might have unwittingly Pipped himself this week when he violated the NFL's substance abuse policy and landed on the league's suspended list. While Hartley sits out the first four games of the 2009 regular season, Carney will take his place as the Saints' regular kicker. Carney isn't just ..."
Jenkins puts versatility on display
Comment
August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Rookie Malcolm Jenkins was all over the field during Sunday's practices, lining up as a safety and a nickel back with the first-string defense, then taking a turn at cornerback with the second string. The Saints were using a variety of substitution packages during Sunday's sessions, so Jenkins was never technically in the "starting lineup." But in new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' versatile and adaptable schemes, the old notions of "starters" and "backups" have become as passé as trying to label a guy strictly as a cornerback or a safety. "I doubt I'll be pegged into one position," said Jenkins, whom the Saints selected with the 14th pick in this year's draft. Whenever you can be ..."
Saints' Hartley to serve 4-game drug suspension
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August 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"An ill-informed decision by Saints kicker Garrett Hartley has proved costly for him and paved the way for 21-year veteran John Carney to resume his distinguished NFL career in New Orleans. League officials have informed Hartley that he will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season after he tested positive for a banned substance, Adderall, a prescriptive amphetamine that he claims to have taken to stay alert during a late-night drive from Dallas to New Orleans in March. Hartley, 23, is not expected to appeal his suspension, meaning he will miss season-opening games against Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo and the New York Jets and forfeit approximately $90,000 of his 2009 ..."
Saints kicker Garrett Hartley says he took banned stimulant Adderall to stay awake
Comment
August 16
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints kicker Garrett Hartley tested positive for the banned stimulant Adderall, which he said he took to stay awake on a drive from Dallas to New Orleans earlier this year. He will serve a four-game suspension to start the season without appealing. Hartley said he didn't know the prescription drug was banned by the NFL, but he should have known better. He said he got the Adderall from some former college friends before driving back to New Orleans during offseason workouts. The Saints and Hartley were informed of the suspension more than a week ago, and they've been making contingency plans ever since. They finalized an agreement with new kicker John Carney on Thursday before officially ..."
Not There Yet
Comment
August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma ran for the end zone in Friday night's preseason opener at the Superdome, trying to turn his interception into a spectacular 69-yard touchdown. But he fell 4 yards short of the goal line when Cincinnati Bengals receiver Andre Caldwell caught up to him and knocked the ball loose. "I got a little tired," Vilma admitted. "I've got to get into game shape." It's hard to blame him. After all, he had just used up most of his tank earlier in the first quarter, when he scooped up a fumble forced by safety Darren Sharper and returned the ball 47 yards to the Bengals' 6-yard line. Asked if 112 rushing yards were a career high for him, Vilma laughed. "Could you ..."
Henry enjoys a homecoming
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August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Chris Henry won't hesitate to tell you he no longer lives his life the way he used to -- the fast life. He only plays that way now. The Cincinnati Bengals are happy that Henry, a former Belle Chase High School standout, is still the same dangerous player, however. Henry appeared to be in midseason form, beating Saints beleaguered cornerback Jason David on an array of first-half passes in the Saints' 17-7 victory over the Bengals in Friday night's preseason opener at the Superdome. With more than 60 family and friends in attendance, Henry, a troubled receiver with superior talents, easily had his way in his homecoming, catching seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Six of his ..."
Saints joined in pursuit of Brooks
Comment
August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Saints apparently are not the only team interested in veteran free agent linebacker Derrick Brooks, who is trying to get back in the NFL after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. The Oakland Raiders reportedly flew the 11-time Pro Bowl player out for a visit and workout Friday, two days after Brooks left New Orleans without a contract offer from Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis. Loomis and Saints Coach Sean Payton are expected to make a decision this weekend with regard to Brooks and free agent linebacker Derek Smith, both of whom worked out for the team Wednesday morning. Loomis said a decision on either player may or may not be forthcoming, indicating the ..."
Palmer tweaks ankle vs. Saints
Comment
August 15
Cincinnati Enquirer
"If you are a Bengals' fan, the two things you wanted to see in Friday night's preseason opener from the offense was a well-executed attack and a healthy Carson Palmer. Well, you definitely got the former while there was some brief concern about the latter during the 17-7 loss to the Saints at the Superdome. The Bengals' first teamers had 170 total yards of offense, but there was a brief period of concern when Palmer suffered a high left ankle sprain. Palmer said he sprained his ankle when he tried to pull the ball down on a busted play when a Saints' defender rolled on it. He was wearing a boot on the leg after the game but said it was mainly for precautionary measures. "It's a high ankle ..."
Vilma, Saints D hope to match output of high-octane offense
Comment
August 14
Green Bay Press Gazette
"Defense? Defense? That is a question the New Orleans Saints aim to answer in the affirmative this season.Last season, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees led the NFL in passing yards. The Saints were No. 1 in total offense. But en route to an 8-8 finish, they allowed 27 points or more in nine games (seven of them losses) and ranked 23rd in defense. Holdover middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and the rest of a revamped New Orleans defense want to close that performance gap. "I feel the defense is really coming along. … We're a talented group. We have to go out there and execute," says Vilma, whose teams opens its preseason at home Friday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. Acquired last ..."
New QB Andrew Walter first off bench
Comment
August 14
Boston Herald
"Andrew Walter glanced at his watch. He tried to remember when the Patriots had signed him. "What's today's date?" the reserve quarterback asked. "Not a lot of time." The former Raider joined the Pats Aug. 3, giving him merely seven practice days to prepare for last night's preseason opener against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Walter went 5-of-9 for 62 yards in his new team's 27-25 victory, taking the field immediately following starter Tom Brady. Coach Bill Belichick downplayed the suggestion that Walter was inserted into the lineup so quickly because he had supplanted backup Kevin O'Connell."
Saints weigh options with Brooks, Smith
Comment
August 13
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Saints officials gave no indication whether they will sign or pass on veteran free-agent linebackers Derrick Brooks and Derek Smith, who were brought in for workouts Wednesday. Each player apparently passed inspection, but Coach Sean Payton said no decision will be made before Saturday, the day after the Saints open their exhibition schedule against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Superdome. "Those guys are in great shape," Payton said after the team finished its 18th practice of training camp, a two-hour exercise that was pushed indoors because of inclement weather. "We're not going to do anything right yet. I talked to both players, and we're going to get through this game on Friday and ..."
Report: Ex-Buc Brooks leaves Saints without contract offer
Comment
August 13
Tampa Tribune
"The Saints have not offered linebacker Derrick Brooks a contract, according to a report on the Times-Picayune's Web site. Brooks worked out for the team Wednesday morning, but apparently left town later in the day without a contract. A Saints spokesman said the team did not plan to announce any signings Wednesday, according to the report. Neither Brooks nor veteran linebacker Derek Smith, who also worked out for the team Wednesday, was at the Saints' afternoon practice."
Saints hoping to have enough in '09
Comment
August 12
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Peter Finney
"I'm looking at the schedule, and it says the Saints play the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night in the Superdome. My question: Is it a "must win?" I know, I know, it's only the first of four exhibition games, which means it will be quickly forgotten, which means it won't count when they total up the Ws and Ls. But I'm listening to all the tweets and twitters -- is that what they call 'em? -- and I'm in a fog. You read some of those gushing communiqués from Saints-land, and it's enough to ask: What happens if the Bengals happen to make a first down against Gregg Williams' defense? Better yet, God forbid, what happens if they throw a 30-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open receiver? Will ..."
Brown sets the bar high for himself, Saints
Comment
August 12
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Other than maybe Reggie Bush, no Saints player seems to earn more mixed reviews from the fan base than left tackle Jammal Brown. If possible, the fifth-year veteran is both overrated and underappreciated. He's a two-time Pro Bowl selection -- including a trip to Hawaii as an injury replacement last season, but he has never quite lived up to the immense potential he showed in his first two NFL seasons. He plays the most important position on the line for the NFL's most prolific offense, which just set a franchise record for the fewest sacks in a season (13, three of which were credited to Brown). But he also was flagged for a career-high seven holding penalties, and he had two very ..."
Saints taking a look at LBs Brooks, Smith
Comment
August 12
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Since his unceremonious release in February by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, perennial Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks has been simmering on the Saints' back burner, an object of interest for the front office perhaps somewhere down the road. That time has arrived now that versatile backup linebacker Mark Simoneau needs surgery today to repair a torn right triceps, a procedure that likely will shelve him until midseason or perhaps end his season. Brooks, 36, and free-agent linebacker Derek Smith, 34, were to arrive in New Orleans on Tuesday night and are scheduled to work out today for team officials. Neither signing would lower the average age of the team, which already is one of the ..."
Heyward-Bey's catch excites Cable
Thursday, August 27, 2009
(08-26) 21:32 PDT -- Rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey ran right as he reached back to his left, all the while starting to fall down on a pass route over the middle.
This is the exact sort of play that spelled incomplete pass all of training camp, particularly for a wide receiver who struggled enough to make the easy catches, never mind the spectacular.
Not this time. Heyward-Bey came down with a tumbling catch in traffic, much to the delight of his teammates and coaches during practice Wednesday in Napa.
"He had a great day of catching the ball," coach Tom Cable said. "Right after he caught it, I said to him, 'Your mistake is you showed me you can do that and, so now, the expectation goes up. That's who you are. That's what you're capable of.' "
That's why the Raiders drafted him with the No. 7 overall pick of April's draft, when most everyone thought they were nuts. Only now is Heyward-Bey starting to make common and difficult catches alike while limiting his daily drops to one, maybe two a day.
"It's a catch that needed to be made," Heyward-Bey said. "Ran a play, caught it, whatever."
If only it'd been that easy all the time.
For weeks, Heyward-Bey's track speed was hindered because he focused so hard on securing the ball or running the perfect route. He often waited a half-second after the catch before putting his speed to use.
The sooner Heyward-Bey can catch-and-run in one fluid motion, the sooner he can be a legit downfield threat and not a $23 million decoy.
"Catches like that, they build a lot of confidence," Cable said.
Player swaps: The Raiders signed cornerback Mike Hawkins, who is in his third NFL camp this month, and claimed Dolphins defensive tackle Joe Cohen off waivers.
They released cornerback Jason Horton and receiver Samie Parker.
Briefly: Starting free safety Hiram Eugene is out with a pectoral strain. ... Strong safety Tyvon Branch had two interceptions, with one in the end zone. ... Practice went 2 1/2 hours, the longest of training camp. ... The Raiders' 31-day stay at the Napa Valley Marriott ends with a morning practice today.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Police: Cable will be questioned
The Napa, Calif., police department plans to question Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable about his alleged role in a skirmish that left assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken bone in his face. 
Cable A department spokesperson said Wednesday that Cable would be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation in the near future, but a date was not specified. The department has been contacted by NFL security and said it is cooperating with the league, the spokesperson said. Hanson was hospitalized following the Aug. 5 attack that he told police was initiated by a member of the Raiders coaching staff at the team's training camp hotel in Napa. According to reports, Cable attacked Hanson during a meeting with some of the team's defensive coaches. Last week, Cable said "nothing happened." "When all the facts come out, everything will be fine," he said. Hanson has spoken to Napa police and has not been seen at Raiders camp since the incident. The case was initially closed and then reopened Friday when Hanson agreed to cooperate with authorities. "Hanson's future with the team is currently being addressed," a Raiders executive said Wednesday. Meanwhile, Hanson has retained an attorney specializing in employment law, potentially signaling yet another lawsuit for team owner Al Davis, who's already locked in a legal battle with former Oakland coach Lane Kiffin.
Police: Cable will be questioned
The Napa, Calif., police department plans to question Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable about his alleged role in a skirmish that left assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken bone in his face.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Saints to use Bush against the Raiders
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August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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"After sitting out Saturday night's 38-14 exhibition victory at Houston with a strained calf muscle, Saints running back Reggie Bush said he is ready to play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland.
Although he sat out Monday's practice, Bush said he is healthy and expects to get a heavy dose of playing time.
"It's just precautionary, taking it slow, building back to the season," Bush said of missing the game against the Texans. "I'm sure I'll play quite a bit this game. I know I'm looking forward to it."
Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg during post-practice conditioning drills Thursday morning in Houston, but he said the calf is fine. Bush suffered the injury while running pass patterns with quarterback Drew Brees following the Saints' two-hour workout against the Texans.
He also said his surgically repaired left knee is 100 percent.
Coach Sean Payton has taken it slowly with Bush during training camp, allowing the fourth-year running back to rest during several workouts. Bush has sat out or been limited in 10 of the team's 26 training camp practices, including a scrimmage.
He said the lack of work during training camp won't be a hindrance, though.
"I don't think I need a lot of reps," he said. "But it's just a matter of getting myself back to full-game speed and when it's live bullets seemingly and taking hits."
Against the Raiders, Payton said Bush likely will be on the field for about 20 plays.
"We gauge it by how we feel he is doing in practice," Payton said of Bush's workload. "I think he has had a good training camp. I want to give him playing time in this game, and then I think he'll be close to being ready. I would like to see him get out there in this game and get at least 20 snaps.""
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August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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"After sitting out Saturday night's 38-14 exhibition victory at Houston with a strained calf muscle, Saints running back Reggie Bush said he is ready to play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland.
Although he sat out Monday's practice, Bush said he is healthy and expects to get a heavy dose of playing time.
"It's just precautionary, taking it slow, building back to the season," Bush said of missing the game against the Texans. "I'm sure I'll play quite a bit this game. I know I'm looking forward to it."
Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg during post-practice conditioning drills Thursday morning in Houston, but he said the calf is fine. Bush suffered the injury while running pass patterns with quarterback Drew Brees following the Saints' two-hour workout against the Texans.
He also said his surgically repaired left knee is 100 percent.
Coach Sean Payton has taken it slowly with Bush during training camp, allowing the fourth-year running back to rest during several workouts. Bush has sat out or been limited in 10 of the team's 26 training camp practices, including a scrimmage.
He said the lack of work during training camp won't be a hindrance, though.
"I don't think I need a lot of reps," he said. "But it's just a matter of getting myself back to full-game speed and when it's live bullets seemingly and taking hits."
Against the Raiders, Payton said Bush likely will be on the field for about 20 plays.
"We gauge it by how we feel he is doing in practice," Payton said of Bush's workload. "I think he has had a good training camp. I want to give him playing time in this game, and then I think he'll be close to being ready. I would like to see him get out there in this game and get at least 20 snaps.""
Peterson: Raiders backup could make an impact
Posted: 08/25/2009 06:16:01 PM PDT
Updated: 08/26/2009 05:11:52 AM PDT
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Oakland Raiders quarterback Jeff Garcia, #7, releases a throw while playing against the San...
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Quarterback news is being made all over the NFL these days.
In San Francisco, where Shaun Hill has been named the starter. In Philadelphia, where Michael Vick is getting acquainted. In San Diego, where Philip Rivers signed a six-year, $92 million extension. In Minnesota, where the calliope and dancing elephants can mean only one thing: Brett Favre is back in the league.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are relatively drama-free at the position. JaMarcus Russell is the unquestioned starter. Jeff Garcia, who came to the team hoping to insinuate himself into a competition for the starting job, is discovering he never really had a shot. If you want breaking news, try the Napa cops, because there's nothing to talk about here.
Except maybe this:
Garcia, it says here, has a chance to have a bigger impact this season than any Raiders backup since Jim Plunkett in 1980. That's a pretty high bar, incidentally, and this isn't to predict Garcia will win the Super Bowl after taking over for an injured starter, as Plunkett did back in the day.
But considering who he is and how he got here, Garcia has value two different ways. One is obvious — Russell gets banged up, and Garcia steps in to give the team a chance. He's seen it all, he's done it all (well, almost), he doesn't panic and he can turn chicken feathers into a first down with his feet and his head.
It's a nice security blanket to have. Then again,
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But there's more than one way for a backup quarterback to make himself useful. Here Garcia brings something to the table, since his personality and life experience dovetail nicely with some of Russell's perceived shortcomings.
And by shortcomings, we're not talking so much about Russell's play. He finished last season with his two best games as a pro, and coach Tom Cable says he sees continued progress this summer. While Russell has intermittent accuracy issues, he hasn't turned the ball over in either exhibition game this summer.
But being a quarterback isn't just about making the plays. There's leadership to be considered, and here perhaps the fiery Garcia could be an influence on the laid-back Russell.
Garcia approaches the game with the urgency of a guy who had to fight for every scrap of playing time he could get. He made a name for himself at San Jose State. He played five years in the Canadian Football League before Bill Walsh convinced the 49ers to take a chance on him as Steve Young's backup. There's a reason he's still going at 39, playing for his sixth team in seven years — he doesn't want to let go of something he earned the hard way.
Russell took an entirely different path — highly recruited out of high school, taken with the top pick in the NFL draft out of LSU, signed a six-year, $68 million contract as a rookie.
You want to be careful when drawing conclusions about a guy's desire based on his demeanor. But it is accurate to say Russell sometimes gives the impression of a guy who's content taking things as they come as opposed to making things happen.
If you want to paint the difference between Russell and Garcia in more vivid hues, consider last week's scrimmages against the 49ers. Observers were struck by a) how much better the 49ers looked, b) how the 49ers, especially cornerback Nate Clements, taunted the Raiders, and c) how the Raiders just stood there and took it.
When it came time for something to be said, it was Garcia who called the offensive players together for a pep talk.
"He brought the guys up," Russell said afterward. "You can see some of the guys haven't been in that situation to where a guy (is) jumping on them like that. Jeff is a guy that's been in the NFL for quite some years. I think a lot of the young guys will take heed (of) that."
It would be in the Raiders' best interests if, next time, a certain young guy did.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Raiders notebook: New linebacker long ago gathered the Moss
By Steve Corkran
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 08/24/2009 09:46:15 PM PDT
Updated: 08/24/2009 10:34:48 PM PDT
Related
* Aug 24:
* Singletary names Hill the 49ers starting QB
* Inman: Hill is back on top -- for now
* Chargers roll on with Rivers
* New Raiders assistant is living the dream
The Raiders signed middle linebacker Napoleon Harris on Monday in response to projected starter Kirk Morrison sustaining a dislocated left elbow Saturday night against the 49ers.
Harris was the second of Oakland's two first-round selections in the 2002 NFL draft, and he started 13 games for a team that played in the Super Bowl his rookie season.
Harris, 30, played for the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs the past four seasons, including two stints with the Vikings.
He gained almost as much notoriety in Raiders lore as being part of the package the team used in a trade with the Vikings for wide receiver Randy Moss in 2005. The Raiders sent Harris to the Vikings, along with first- and seventh-round draft picks. The trade didn't work out as well as hoped for either team.
# Wide receiver Javon Walker participated in a full-team practice for the first time since training camp opened July 30. He spent the first 25 days rehabilitating the right knee he had surgically repaired in April. The Raiders activated him from the physically-unable-to-perform list so that he could practice with the rest of the team.
Walker missed eight games in 2008 because of a hamstring injury and a left ankle injury he sustained against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 9. He also had surgery to repair that damage.
"The rehab part is the hard part," Walker said. "The easy part is being out there practicing and catching balls now."
Walker said
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he intends to play Saturday against the New Orleans Saints.
# The Raiders released veteran cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. to make room for Harris on the 80-man roster. Manning Jr. was signed Aug. 15 and played Saturday.
# Punter Shane Lechler (groin), safety Mike Mitchell (hamstring), running back Justin Fargas (hamstring) and safety Hiram Eugene (flu) were among those who missed practice.
# Raiders coach Tom Cable said Monday he has not been contacted by the Napa Police Dept. or the NFL regarding defensive assistant Randy Hanson's telling police that he was assaulted by another member of the Raiders coaching staff.
The Napa police issued a release Friday saying that it has reopened the investigation. Numerous media outlets have identified Cable as the attacker in the alleged assault that took place Aug. 5 at the Napa Valley Marriott.
Hanson could not be reached for comment. He was treated for a jaw injury at Queen of the Valley Hospital on Aug. 6 and removed from his coaching duties.
By Steve Corkran
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 08/24/2009 09:46:15 PM PDT
Updated: 08/24/2009 10:34:48 PM PDT
Related
* Aug 24:
* Singletary names Hill the 49ers starting QB
* Inman: Hill is back on top -- for now
* Chargers roll on with Rivers
* New Raiders assistant is living the dream
The Raiders signed middle linebacker Napoleon Harris on Monday in response to projected starter Kirk Morrison sustaining a dislocated left elbow Saturday night against the 49ers.
Harris was the second of Oakland's two first-round selections in the 2002 NFL draft, and he started 13 games for a team that played in the Super Bowl his rookie season.
Harris, 30, played for the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs the past four seasons, including two stints with the Vikings.
He gained almost as much notoriety in Raiders lore as being part of the package the team used in a trade with the Vikings for wide receiver Randy Moss in 2005. The Raiders sent Harris to the Vikings, along with first- and seventh-round draft picks. The trade didn't work out as well as hoped for either team.
# Wide receiver Javon Walker participated in a full-team practice for the first time since training camp opened July 30. He spent the first 25 days rehabilitating the right knee he had surgically repaired in April. The Raiders activated him from the physically-unable-to-perform list so that he could practice with the rest of the team.
Walker missed eight games in 2008 because of a hamstring injury and a left ankle injury he sustained against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 9. He also had surgery to repair that damage.
"The rehab part is the hard part," Walker said. "The easy part is being out there practicing and catching balls now."
Walker said
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he intends to play Saturday against the New Orleans Saints.
# The Raiders released veteran cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. to make room for Harris on the 80-man roster. Manning Jr. was signed Aug. 15 and played Saturday.
# Punter Shane Lechler (groin), safety Mike Mitchell (hamstring), running back Justin Fargas (hamstring) and safety Hiram Eugene (flu) were among those who missed practice.
# Raiders coach Tom Cable said Monday he has not been contacted by the Napa Police Dept. or the NFL regarding defensive assistant Randy Hanson's telling police that he was assaulted by another member of the Raiders coaching staff.
The Napa police issued a release Friday saying that it has reopened the investigation. Numerous media outlets have identified Cable as the attacker in the alleged assault that took place Aug. 5 at the Napa Valley Marriott.
Hanson could not be reached for comment. He was treated for a jaw injury at Queen of the Valley Hospital on Aug. 6 and removed from his coaching duties.
New Raiders assistant is living the dream
Miramonte High grad Sanjay Lal is in charge of the wide receivers
By Steve Corkran
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 08/24/2009 06:34:22 PM PDT
Updated: 08/25/2009 06:56:09 AM PDT
Click photo to enlarge
Rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey, pictured, could help new Raiders receivers coach Sanjay Lal get more...
* «
* 1
* 2
* »
More
* Jerry McDonald's Inside the Raiders blog
* Follow Jerry McDonald on Twitter
* Darth Raider: Blogging from the Darkside
* Discuss the Raiders at ContraCostaTimes.com and InsideBayArea.com
* Schedule: 2009-2010 season
* Depth chart
* More Raiders
Related
* Aug 24:
* Singletary names Hill the 49ers starting QB
* Inman: Hill is back on top -- for now
* Raiders notebook: New linebacker long ago gathered the Moss
* Chargers roll on with Rivers
NAPA — Sanjay Lal says working for the Raiders is his dream job. He maintains that view even though some might regard his situation — replacing Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton and inheriting the NFL's least-productive receiving corps — a nightmare.
Far from it, Lal said.
"You have your dreams," Lal said during the early days of his first training camp coaching the Raiders wide receivers, "and this comes true and you look back and say, 'How did I get here?'
"If I could've written it, I wouldn't have been able to write it or believe it. But it happened, and I'm not going to let go."
Lal's dream sprouted soon after his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Washington ended. By 1996, he had returned to Miramonte High and worked under his former coach, Floyd Burnsed. He also coached at Los Medanos College, Saint Mary's College and Cal before joining the Raiders in 2007 as an offensive quality control assistant.
"One of the major things I liked about Sanjay was his strive for perfection," said Burnsed, now the football coach at Solano College. "Everything we did, he wanted it to be perfect. That's the mark of a good coach."
It won't take anything near perfection, at least this season, for Lal to be considered a success in his current role.
Raiders wide receivers ranked last in the league in production last season. Johnnie Lee Higgins led the unit with 22 receptions for 366 yards and four
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touchdowns.
Numerous things conspired against Lofton and the Raiders. Projected starters Drew Carter and Javon Walker suffered injuries in training camp. Carter missed the entire season, Walker played in only eight games.
It also didn't help that quarterback JaMarcus Russell struggled with his accuracy or that the pass protection was anything but airtight.
The lack of production cost Lofton his job. Lal was the beneficiary and now is in charge of transforming a liability into an asset.
It will be a challenge. Walker and Samie Parker are the only wide receivers on the roster with more than two years' NFL experience, and Parker isn't expected to make the team at this point.
Lal isn't deterred one bit by the apparent drawback.
"I've always had a vision of how I would want the receiver corps to be," Lal said, "and with a clean slate, you can implement everything from (scratch)."
Walker is in his eighth NFL season. He has seen his share of receivers coaches.
"I was telling Sanjay, 'Man, you've got the best technically sound group I've ever been around,'"‰" Walker said.
Lal aspired to be an NFL receiver. Once that dream faded, he turned to coaching.
At first, Lal wasn't sold he made the right decision. That changed when he pulled aside Miramonte receiver Phil Wagner one day and passed on some of the vast knowledge he gleaned in his years of playing.
"I taught him a move, and he used the move and scored," Lal said. "He came back and hugged me on the sideline and said, 'Coach, I wouldn't have scored if it wasn't for you.' And right then, I was hooked."
Miramonte High grad Sanjay Lal is in charge of the wide receivers
By Steve Corkran
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 08/24/2009 06:34:22 PM PDT
Updated: 08/25/2009 06:56:09 AM PDT
Click photo to enlarge
Rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey, pictured, could help new Raiders receivers coach Sanjay Lal get more...
* «
* 1
* 2
* »
More
* Jerry McDonald's Inside the Raiders blog
* Follow Jerry McDonald on Twitter
* Darth Raider: Blogging from the Darkside
* Discuss the Raiders at ContraCostaTimes.com and InsideBayArea.com
* Schedule: 2009-2010 season
* Depth chart
* More Raiders
Related
* Aug 24:
* Singletary names Hill the 49ers starting QB
* Inman: Hill is back on top -- for now
* Raiders notebook: New linebacker long ago gathered the Moss
* Chargers roll on with Rivers
NAPA — Sanjay Lal says working for the Raiders is his dream job. He maintains that view even though some might regard his situation — replacing Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton and inheriting the NFL's least-productive receiving corps — a nightmare.
Far from it, Lal said.
"You have your dreams," Lal said during the early days of his first training camp coaching the Raiders wide receivers, "and this comes true and you look back and say, 'How did I get here?'
"If I could've written it, I wouldn't have been able to write it or believe it. But it happened, and I'm not going to let go."
Lal's dream sprouted soon after his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Washington ended. By 1996, he had returned to Miramonte High and worked under his former coach, Floyd Burnsed. He also coached at Los Medanos College, Saint Mary's College and Cal before joining the Raiders in 2007 as an offensive quality control assistant.
"One of the major things I liked about Sanjay was his strive for perfection," said Burnsed, now the football coach at Solano College. "Everything we did, he wanted it to be perfect. That's the mark of a good coach."
It won't take anything near perfection, at least this season, for Lal to be considered a success in his current role.
Raiders wide receivers ranked last in the league in production last season. Johnnie Lee Higgins led the unit with 22 receptions for 366 yards and four
Advertisement
touchdowns.
Numerous things conspired against Lofton and the Raiders. Projected starters Drew Carter and Javon Walker suffered injuries in training camp. Carter missed the entire season, Walker played in only eight games.
It also didn't help that quarterback JaMarcus Russell struggled with his accuracy or that the pass protection was anything but airtight.
The lack of production cost Lofton his job. Lal was the beneficiary and now is in charge of transforming a liability into an asset.
It will be a challenge. Walker and Samie Parker are the only wide receivers on the roster with more than two years' NFL experience, and Parker isn't expected to make the team at this point.
Lal isn't deterred one bit by the apparent drawback.
"I've always had a vision of how I would want the receiver corps to be," Lal said, "and with a clean slate, you can implement everything from (scratch)."
Walker is in his eighth NFL season. He has seen his share of receivers coaches.
"I was telling Sanjay, 'Man, you've got the best technically sound group I've ever been around,'"‰" Walker said.
Lal aspired to be an NFL receiver. Once that dream faded, he turned to coaching.
At first, Lal wasn't sold he made the right decision. That changed when he pulled aside Miramonte receiver Phil Wagner one day and passed on some of the vast knowledge he gleaned in his years of playing.
"I taught him a move, and he used the move and scored," Lal said. "He came back and hugged me on the sideline and said, 'Coach, I wouldn't have scored if it wasn't for you.' And right then, I was hooked."
Sunday, August 23, 2009
JaMarcus Russell's weighty issue: Must 'deliver the goods'
Comment
August 24
Green Bay Press Gazette
"The weight. Always with the weight.Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell grins and shakes his head before his visitor even finishes a question after a recent training camp practice. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007, Russell is painfully aware of - and amused by - near-constant chatter about his weight. Even at 6-6, a player - a QB, mind you - who more than once has visited the 300-Pound Club never will be mistaken for being slim and sleek. To which Russell says, "So what?" He's listed at 260 pounds on the preseason roster. He says he currently is about 270-275, and plans to shave about five more to reach his "playing weight." But Russell will be dealing with a much more ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Contra Costa Times
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
'Wrangle' is not a sign of disaster
Comment
August 24
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"The apocalypse is near, the haters sing with glee. Raider Nation continues to crumble from within, they mockingly chant. This whole Tom Cable-Randy Hanson Wrangle in Wine Country is a mammoth distraction, they recite with ear-to-ear grins. It will retard the growth of a promising young team. Fairly reasonable claims, right? Except it isn't that big of a disruption, and it won't stunt said development. In fact, Cable's potential legal woes are working just the opposite. And you need not have been at the team's Napa training camp facility this week to hear players greet the coach with "Cable, bumaye." Keep in mind, this is not Mike Ditka vs. Buddy Ryan for the heart and soul of the 1985 ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Oakland Tribune
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
Russell keeps starting job
Comment
August 24
San Francisco Chronicle
"Call it the quarterback competition that never was, because JaMarcus Russell vs. Jeff Garcia is over before it ever got started. Raiders coach Tom Cable said as much Sunday when asked if Russell would start the season opener against the Chargers on Sept. 14. Cable said, "At this point, he's the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders," and there was nothing stunning about the bulletin. Garcia missed the first half of training camp with a calf strain. He didn't have a chance to push Russell. "Unfortunately, Jeff hasn't had much work," Cable said. "I feel like (Russell) has improved. It would have been nice to have someone really pushing him." Instead, all the push Garcia had in his 39-year-old ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Rookie runs all over Raiders
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes met Glen Coffee, he told the rookie how much he disliked him. "Why?" Coffee said, stunned. "Because you used to run all over Auburn,'' Spikes replied. Suffice to say, Spikes is glad to have Coffee on his side now. The third-round pick out of Alabama rampaged through the Raiders' defense for 129 yards in a little more than one quarter of action during the 49ers' 21-20 exhibition victory Saturday at Candlestick Park. Running back Frank Gore played only a series before enjoying Coffee's spectacular 16-carry show. "He's doing a great job,'' Gore said of his understudy. "Running strong. Finding the holes. Glen's going to be a great player." Coffee was the ..."
Raiders decide Russell doesn't need two-minute drill work
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When the story of the 2009 Raiders is put to bed, the last 1:59 of the first half of a 21-20 preseason loss to the 49ers Saturday night at Candlestick Park will not even merit a footnote.The Raiders failed to score, with Jeff Garcia throwing a pass slightly behind Johnnie Lee Higgins that went off his hands and was intercepted by the 49ers' Allen Rossum at the 9-yard line.Until the turnover, it was vintage Garcia, finding Michael Bush for nine yards over the middle, scrambling for nine yards on the next play, finding Louis Murphy for 10 more to the 38-yard line.On second-and-10, Bush ran for 10 yard and Garcia went to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 48 seconds ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Raiders had no answer for 49ers signature run
Comment
August 23
San Francisco Chronicle
"Raiders middle linebacker Kirk Morrison said it hurt to watch his run defense get gashed by the same play, over and over, and not just because he had a dislocated left elbow. All the heavy medication in the world couldn't dull the sight of 49ers backups Glen Coffee and Michael Robinson exposing the Raiders' most long-running weakness - the inability to stop the run - in Saturday's 21-20 loss to the 49ers in an exhibition game at Candlestick Park. "That's definitely always hard, especially when I'm not in there," said Morrison, the team's leading tackler the past three seasons. He was hurt in the first series and will be out at least for several weeks. "It's like, dang, you feel like you ..."
Raiders, 49ers fans square off
Comment
August 22
Sacramento Bee
"Before there was a Raiders booster club in Sacramento, Denise Browne recalls walking into sports bars with her silver and black jersey and being taunted by 49ers fans. "I wanted to watch my guys play in peace," Browne laughed. She wondered if there were other Raiders fans in Sacramento who wanted to watch the games in public. There were. Browne called the Raiders and was given the go-ahead to start a booster club in Sacramento. The Raiders recognized the group in 1992, and the Sactown Original Raiders Booster Club is still going strong. "We had about 50 people that first year, and it grew to over 300 pretty quick," said Browne, now the vice president. "That was before people had ..."
Hanson's Raiders dream crumbles into nightmare
Comment
August 22
Oakland Tribune
"Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson is managing general partner Al Davis' kind of employee: loyal, a tireless worker and of the belief that the Raiders are the standard by which all other organizations are measured. "I just want to do anything I can to help the team," Hanson told Bay Area News Group last September in his only interview since he joined the Raiders in 2007. "That's all I care about. I don't care if anybody even knows my name." While Hanson, 41, achieved his lifelong goal of coaching for the Raiders, he has failed at keeping his name out of the public eye. Far from being anonymous, he is at the center of an incident that has gained national attention for its bizarre ..."
Smith will start at QB for 49ers against Raiders
Comment
August 22
Oakland Tribune
"A week after Shaun Hill started the 49ers preseason opener, Smith gets the nod for Saturday night's game against the Raiders. Each quarterback will play about 15 snaps. Coach Mike Singletary, who made the announcement after today's practice, said that Hill will also play behind the first-string offensive line. Singletary has indicated that he might wait through three games before settling on his regular-season starter. With Hill and Smith getting a start apiece, Singletary could use the Aug. 29 game against the Dallas Cowboys as a tie-breaker if necessary. Singletary has yet to assess the state of quarterback competition, choosing instead to say what he will be looking for against the ..."
Raiders need to stick with the running game
Comment
August 22
San Francisco Examiner
columnist Glenn Dickey
"Darren McFadden could become a premier NFL running back this season, but only if the Raiders become sensible and return to a run-first offense. McFadden has impressed observers since his first day of minicamp workouts in 2008. He was slowed by injuries last season, but he's healthy now and having a terrific camp. He's a dynamic runner, with the ability to go inside or outside, and also a receiving threat, able to catch deep passes down the sideline and swing passes out of the backfield. He can even play quarterback if the Raiders use a version of the "Wildcat" - he did it in college at Arkansas. McFadden is not the only potentially great young running back for the Raiders. Michael Bush was ..."
JawGate is business as usual
Comment
August 21
Contra Costa Times
columnist Gary Peterson
"OK, kids, we've had our 15 minutes to digest the latest developments in the curious case of Randy Hanson's mandible. Now it's time to start jumping to conclusions. What's new: Hanson, the Raiders assistant coach who wound up in a Napa emergency room Aug. 6, reportedly has hired an attorney. He's ready to talk with police, which is a pretty bold move for a guy who's got his jaw in a sling. According to a report on nationalfootballpost.com, Hanson is prepared to submit medical records to authorities and cooperate in a felony assault investigation. The report also identifies Raiders coach Tom Cable as the man who caused Hanson's injury. What it means: You have to start with the news report to ..."
Painful lessons for JaMarcus Russell
Comment
August 20
Oakland Tribune
columnist Cam Inman
"JAMARCUS RUSSELL is right, it's "not the end of the world" that his first two passes of a Raiders' red-zone drill got intercepted Wednesday by an overjoyed 49ers defense. It's actually the beginning of a new world. The Raiders are finally taking off the restrictor plate and letting Russell's supercharged arm do what it got drafted for No. 1 overall in 2007. Russell needed a reality check from the 49ers. His development is the driving force of this coming Raiders season. Tutorial sessions aren't always a cool breeze. Wednesday's was a Category 5 hurricane. He must learn how to "cut it loose" better near an opponent's goal line. He must learn to inspire his sullen teammates when facing ..."
Norris battles to be a Raider
Comment
August 20
Portland Tribune
"The rookie linebacker made four tackles and played more than half of the game as the Oakland Raiders thrashed the Dallas Cowboys 31-10 in the Aug. 13 exhibition opener for both teams. The 6-3, 240-pound Norris - a fourth-round draft pick by Oakland after a stellar career at Oregon State - was one of four players to earn a "thumbs up" rating in the Oakland Tribune after the Dallas game. "I was kind of nervous at first, but once I got out there, it's just 'put on the pads and play,' " says Norris, who played the entire second and third quarters and part of the fourth. "It's just like college. There are some things I need to work on, but overall, I was pretty happy with how it went.""
Foot injury sidelines promising Raiders receiver Schilens
Comment
August 19
Sacramento Bee
"It had been one of the more uplifting, inspirational scenes of training camp thus far - second-year wide receiver Chaz Schilens emerging from the locker room after practically every practice with that massive binder containing a Raiders playbook under his arm. Especially when relatively few of his teammates have acted out the same scene. It was one of the more depressing, dagger-to-the-heart scenes of training camp thus far - Schilens limping out of the locker room on crutches, thanks to a broken left foot. Especially since Schilens had emerged as the best pass catcher in camp. In a freak accident, suffered on a non-contact play, Schilens said he fractured the fifth metatarsal while ..."
Schilens' injury a bigger blow
Comment
August 19
San Francisco Chronicle
columnist Ray Rotto
"Whatever entertainment the nation had hoped to get from Tusslin' Tommy Cable, the Merced Mauler, had evaporated long before he stepped to the podium Tuesday. He was intent upon combining the first and second versions of the Randy Hanson story (namely, no comment and nothing happened), but by then, he already had gotten all the crummy news he could use for one day. And no, it wasn't the news that Roger Goodell would be sending out one of his little elves to go nosing about all things silver and black - and blue. In fact, it was the loss of wide receiver Chaz Schilens, the offense's third-most-important player (after JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden) to a broken foot in a noncontact ..."
NFL investigating Cable-Hanson altercation
Comment
August 19
San Francisco Chronicle
"The National Football League is investigating a training-camp incident that landed Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson in a hospital with a jaw injury, a league spokesman said Tuesday. Hanson told Napa police he was assaulted by a member of the Raiders' staff Aug. 5 but declined to name his attacker. When the story leaked Monday, multiple team and league sources identified Raiders head coach Tom Cable as the person involved in the altercation with Hanson. There is no police investigation because Hanson declined to cooperate. That won't stop the NFL from deciding if anyone violated its personal conduct policy, and acting accordingly with a potential fine and/or suspension. "We're looking ..."
Cable is dropping the ball
Comment
August 19
San Jose Mercury News
columnist Mark Purdy
"With his NFL head coaching life on the line, Tom Cable was stunningly oblivious here Tuesday. Also in denial. Or rather, in non-denial denial. That's how it felt, anyway, when Cable answered the latest round of follow-up questions about the reported Aug. 5 altercation between Raiders coaches at training camp. I'm calling it the "Throwdown in Winetown." Cable couldn't keep his own policy straight at his media session following Tuesday morning's practice. A day earlier, he had repeated over and over that the incident was "an internal matter" and he would not be commenting on it. But soon after, Cable made the incident a non-internal matter by going out and commenting. He told an ESPN ..."
Combined practices between 49ers, Raiders are beneficial, feisty
Comment
August 19
San Jose Mercury News
"When the 49ers and Raiders cooked up the idea of a shared training camp, the goal was to raise the intensity level of practice. As Ricky Brown might attest, the plan worked just fine. Brown was the unfortunate Raiders linebacker pitted against 49ers running back Frank Gore during a blocking drill Tuesday. Gore was a 217-pound wrecking ball and treated Brown like a condemned building. He delivered a whopper of a block that finished with Brown's back planted into the turf. Raise the intensity level of practice? Gore treated the action like it was the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl rather than 9:17 a.m. on a fog-softened Napa Valley morning. "I was amped up," Gore said. "When you've been ..."
Raiders' Schilens out with foot injury
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
"Raiders second-year wide receiver Chaz Schilens suffered a broken bone in his left foot during the morning practice with the 49ers on Tuesday. The Raiders gave no estimate for how long Schilens will be sidelined, but such injuries typically take six to eight weeks to fully heal. Schilens had transformed himself from a little-known seventh-round draft pick last season out of San Diego State into a potential No. 1-caliber receiver this season. He suffered the injury planting his foot during a pass route. X-rays revealed a broken fifth metatarsal, Schilens said. He is awaiting word from team trainers whether surgery will be performed. "We'll see what it is," Schilens said while propped up by ..."
Hanson incident on league's radar
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
"The NFL is looking into the events that landed Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson in the hospital with a jaw injury and coach Tom Cable on the hot seat for his alleged role as the attacker. "We are looking into it so that we can understand the facts," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of public relations. The incident took place Aug. 5 in Napa, where the Raiders conduct their training camp each summer. Hanson sought treatment Aug. 6 at a nearby hospital and told Napa police that he was assaulted by another member of the coaching staff. Hanson refused to name his attacker or press charges, though he still has ample time to change his mind if he hopes to have the ..."
49ers and Raiders let off some steam against each other before exhibition
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
"When the 49ers and Raiders cooked up the idea of a shared training camp, the goal was to raise the intensity level of practice. As Ricky Brown might attest, the plan worked just fine. Brown was the unfortunate Raiders linebacker pitted against 49ers running back Frank Gore during a blocking drill Tuesday. Gore was a 217-pound wrecking ball and treated Brown like a condemned building. He delivered a whopper of a block that finished with Brown's back planted into the turf. Raise the intensity level of practice? Gore treated the action like it was the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl rather than 9:17 a.m. on a fog-softened Napa Valley morning. "I was amped up," Gore said. "When you've been ..."
Cable vs. Favre, who ya got?
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
columnist Cam Inman
"Raiders coach Tom Cable's alleged involvement in a fracas with an assistant coach will not magically fade off the NFL radar, not even after Brett Favre has relapsed into the NFL and taken the Minnesota Vikings up on their offer to stick it to Green Bay. The NFL, according to The Associated Press, is looking into Monday's revelations that Cable reportedly slugged defensive assistant Randy Hanson on Aug. 5. Cable has veered from calling this an "internal matter" to it being a "nothing happened" incident, or so he's told reporters after the Raiders' training camp practices Monday and Tuesday. Something happened, though, to send Hanson to a Napa-area hospital to seek treatment on his jaw. ..."
It's time for the fight we really want to see: Raiders vs. the NFL
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
columnist Gary Peterson
"IF YOU believe the anonymously sourced reports, it started out as Tom Cable vs. Randy Hanson - a first-round KO for the Raiders head coach according to people who weren't there. Next up for Cable: The NFL's human resources department, which, it was reported Tuesday, will investigate the alleged assault that sent Hanson to the emergency room with a broken or otherwise defective jaw. This is serious stuff, since no one wants to run afoul of HR. Imagine needing help filling out change-of-medical-coverage forms and being told, "Why don't you go ask one of your assistants, smart guy?" But there's an even bigger potential story afoot here, assuming the NFL's investigation turns up a little heat ..."
It's no surprise that Raiders are fighting
Comment
August 18
Contra Costa Times
columnist Tim Kawakami
"Boys will be boys, coaches will be coaches, and the Raiders will inevitably and interminably be all screwed up. They don't want to be screwed up. They don't want to fight among themselves (though they're addicted to fighting everybody else). They don't want to keep reproducing the definition of a losing atmosphere, filled with the defeated, the paranoid, the over-promoted and the frantically pugilistic. But here they are, assaulting each other once again and on their way to many more losses once again. It's the Raiders way these days. If you heard an unnamed head coach for an NFL team had cold-cocked an assistant hard enough for a hospital visit and police report, would you guess anybody ..."
Somewhere, Lane Kiffin is grinning
Comment
August 18
San Francisco Chronicle
columnist Ray Ratto
"Finally, there is something Lane Kiffin and Tom Cable have in common - a desire to pound Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson into a gray paste. Only Kiffin suspended Hanson for five days a year ago, helping hasten his falling-out with The Al, and Cable actually did it by physical force 13 days ago, according to multiple reports. Now we'll see where Davis stands on the matter, where the NFL stands on the matter, and most entertaining of all, where Kiffin stands on the matter. We'll lay odds that Kiffin talks first. By all accounts, Cable clocked Hanson on Aug. 5 while Hanson was speaking with defensive coordinator John Marshall, and though the trigger for Cable's displeasure is not yet ..."
Another jaw-dropping experience for Raiders
Comment
August 18
Oakland Tribune
columnist Cam Inman
"WHAT'S THAT YOU hear about a coach-on-coach fight at Raiders training camp? It never happened. No chance. Not the Raiders. Nothing bad ever happens with the Raiders. It's all a media-driven ruse suggesting that this organization is in eternal chaos. This must be how the thought process goes for Raiders loyalists. You skeptics should try it. It can be a fun exercise whenever crisis erupts. Defensive assistant Randy Hanson got smacked in the jaw two weeks ago? Said who? Not the Raiders. So it can't be true."
Cable mum on reports he punched an assistant
Comment
August 18
Sacramento Bee
"As the Raiders began stretching before Monday's practice, a slow chant rose from the players as coach Tom Cable walked over. "Cable, bumaye. Cable, bumaye. Cable, bumaye." As any fan of Muhammad Ali will tell you, "Ali, bumaye" (Ali, kill him) was the goose-bump inspiring chant fans in Zaire aimed at the Greatest as he fought George Foreman in the epic Rumble in the Jungle. So with reports swirling Cable had punched out one of his assistant coaches earlier this month, allegedly breaking defensive assistant Randy Hanson's jaw in the process, the sing-song had added meaning. Not that the Raiders or Cable were about to confirm, or deny, the alleged Wrangle in Wine Country. In fact, Cable ..."
Report: Raiders' coach Cable punched assistant Hanson
Comment
August 18
Oakland Tribune
"Raiders coach Tom Cable reportedly punched assistant coach Randy Hanson earlier this month, sending Hanson to a Napa hospital to receive treatment, according to sources cited by AOL Fanhouse. The National Football Post first reported the story this morning, saying the altercation occurred Aug. 5, according to a police report. Napa Police Lt. Brian McGovern told the Web site that he isn't permitted to reveal the identity of the injured person. "It's an internal matter, and will be handled as such," Raiders senior executive John Herrera said. Cable has not mentioned the incident in any of his news conferences. Two team officials confirmed that Hanson was not at practice Sunday. The website ..."
Raiders assistant Randy Hanson injured after fight with another coach
Comment
August 17
Contra Costa Times
"Defensive assistant Randy Hanson was involved in a "flare-up" with another member of the Raiders coaching staff earlier this month and treated at a Napa hospital. The National Football Post first reported the story this morning, saying the altercation occurred Aug. 5, according to a police report. Napa Police Lt. Brian McGovern told the Web site that he isn't permitted to reveal the identity of the injured person. "It's an internal matter, and will be handled as such," Raiders senior executive John Herrera said. Raiders coach Tom Cable has not mentioned the incident in any of his news conferences. Two team officials confirmed that Hanson was not at practice Sunday. The website said that ..."
Garcia's back, but will he stay?
Comment
August 17
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"The timing was perfect. As Tom Cable broke the news Sunday that Jeff Garcia was on his way back to Raiders camp, sirens blared in the distance. A police escort? An ambulance on its way to care for Garcia's strained right calf or, as some have hinted, a deeply bruised ego? Not quite. But it would have been appropriate, given Garcia's relative absence here since the team put on pads and started hitting two weeks ago. Garcia came up lame and stopped taking snaps the morning of the fourth and final day of the "learning phase" Aug. 2. He also skipped the last two days of practice. The reason? The always ominous "personal reasons." Indeed, it was time for the Raiders to decide: Either cut Garcia ..."
Raiders put Morrison in must-win position
Comment
August 17
Contra Costa Times
"Soon after his arrival at training camp, Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison learned his grip on a starting job he has held the past four seasons wasn't as secure as he believed. That's not the bombshell Morrison expected on the heels of a season in which he led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league at 135. It's also not the kind of news Morrison wanted to hear as he enters the final season of the five-year contract he signed as a rookie in 2005 and positions himself for a huge payday. "The organization is always trying to replace you, no matter what," Morrison said. "I've got to go out and prove to them on an every-day basis, regardless how many years (I've) been here or ..."
Raiders sign veteran CB Ricky Manning Jr.
Comment
August 16
Oakland Tribune
"The Raiders signed veteran cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. on Saturday in a move designed to provide more depth. Manning, 28, spent last season with the St. Louis Rams. Before that, he played for the Chicago Bears for two seasons and the Carolina Panthers from 2003-05. He played in Super Bowls with the Panthers and Bears. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said he lobbied on Manning Jr.'s behalf last week and that Manning Jr. is a versatile player. "He's more of a physical corner than a speed guy, so that might be a little different from what we had in the past," Asomugha said. "But he'll help because he's done it before. And you know about the games that he's played, his playoff work and all that ..."
Saints joined in pursuit of Brooks
Comment
August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Saints apparently are not the only team interested in veteran free agent linebacker Derrick Brooks, who is trying to get back in the NFL after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. The Oakland Raiders reportedly flew the 11-time Pro Bowl player out for a visit and workout Friday, two days after Brooks left New Orleans without a contract offer from Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis. Loomis and Saints Coach Sean Payton are expected to make a decision this weekend with regard to Brooks and free agent linebacker Derek Smith, both of whom worked out for the team Wednesday morning. Loomis said a decision on either player may or may not be forthcoming, indicating the ..."
Flags take shine off Raider win
Comment
August 15
Contra Costa Times
"Raiders coach Tom Cable's players gave him plenty of things to be pleased about in Thursday night's 31-10 exhibition victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Yet, as is the case with NFL coaches, Cable found a few things that rankled. Committing 14 penalties for 107 yards tops the list. "It's obviously a concern," Cable said in a conference call Friday. "We've put a lot into that, so we'll continue to do that. As I mentioned to them after the game, it's just too many. It's something (where) if we're going to be the type of team we hope to be, we've got to cut them down." Raiders quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye completed 22 passes to 15 receivers Thursday night. ..."
Run defense 'OK' but still needs work
Comment
August 15
San Francisco Chronicle
"Raiders defensive coordinator John Marshall was hired with a full head of white hair this past offseason. At least this way, no one can accuse the team's run defense of adding any gray under his hat. Marshall's fundamentals-first teaching is going to take some time to stick, that much was clear during Thursday's 31-10 victory over the visiting Cowboys in their exhibition season opener. "For the first game, OK," Marshall said. "We've just got to keep working on it. Those things we didn't do well, we'll have to jump on it quick in order to make any strides. It's a start." Patience is in order as Marshall tries to remake a defense that has ranked among the NFL's worst in run defense since the ..."
Cowboys' offense solid in preseason loss
Comment
August 14
San Antonio Express-News
"Tony Romo and Co. showed that life without Terrell Owens can be an awful lot of fun. The Dallas Cowboys dropped a 31-10 decision to the Oakland Raiders in the preseason opener for both teams Thursday night, but they returned to training camp in San Antonio feeling good about the performance of their first-team offense. Without Owens around to demand the ball, Romo spread it around. He finished 4-of-6 for 36 yards, with the completions going to four different receivers. Romo's final pass went to Jason Witten for an 8-yard touchdown, capping a masterful seven-play, 71-yard drive that gave Dallas a 7-3 advantage with 5:16 left in the first quarter. "I don't think it means anything," said ..."
Dallas Cowboys' preseason debut: Good, bad, score is ugly
Comment
August 14
Dallas Morning News
"Football is the ultimate team game, but in the preseason it is more about individuals. In the Dallas Cowboys' otherwise sloppy 31-10 loss to Oakland on Thursday, certain individuals had good nights but far too many did not. "That isn't the way we want to start team-wise, I don't think," coach Wade Phillips said. "The individuals that we think are going to do well ... did some good things. Some of those guys are where we want them to be. Others aren't. Our second group and our young guys, they made a lot of mistakes." The defense gave up too many big plays - a 47-yard completion to Nick Miller and a 45-yard run by Darren McFadden came against the backups, but starting safety Gerald ..."
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Raiders Rumors
* Report: Raiders' coach Cable punched assistant Hanson
Oakland Tribune
* Saints joined in pursuit of Brooks
New Orleans Times-Picayune
* Report: Raiders sign ex-Cowboy Greg Ellis
Oakland Tribune
* Is IR system in line for a change?
Boston Globe
* Raider seen as nice fit
Boston Globe
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Player Stats | Full Roster
Schedule/Results
Past Results
Preseason
Date vs Score
8/13/09 DAL W 31-10
8/22/09 @SF L 20-21
8/29/09 NO
9/3/09 @SEA
Regular Season
Date vs Score
9/14/09 SD
9/20/09 @KC
9/27/09 DEN
10/4/09 @HOU
10/11/09 @NYG
10/18/09 PHI
10/25/09 NYJ
11/1/09 @SD
BYE
11/15/09 KC
11/22/09 CIN
11/26/09 @DAL
12/6/09 @PIT
12/13/09 WAS
12/20/09 @DEN
12/27/09 @CLE
1/3/10 BAL
Comment
August 24
Green Bay Press Gazette
"The weight. Always with the weight.Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell grins and shakes his head before his visitor even finishes a question after a recent training camp practice. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007, Russell is painfully aware of - and amused by - near-constant chatter about his weight. Even at 6-6, a player - a QB, mind you - who more than once has visited the 300-Pound Club never will be mistaken for being slim and sleek. To which Russell says, "So what?" He's listed at 260 pounds on the preseason roster. He says he currently is about 270-275, and plans to shave about five more to reach his "playing weight." But Russell will be dealing with a much more ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Contra Costa Times
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
'Wrangle' is not a sign of disaster
Comment
August 24
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"The apocalypse is near, the haters sing with glee. Raider Nation continues to crumble from within, they mockingly chant. This whole Tom Cable-Randy Hanson Wrangle in Wine Country is a mammoth distraction, they recite with ear-to-ear grins. It will retard the growth of a promising young team. Fairly reasonable claims, right? Except it isn't that big of a disruption, and it won't stunt said development. In fact, Cable's potential legal woes are working just the opposite. And you need not have been at the team's Napa training camp facility this week to hear players greet the coach with "Cable, bumaye." Keep in mind, this is not Mike Ditka vs. Buddy Ryan for the heart and soul of the 1985 ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Oakland Tribune
"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
Russell keeps starting job
Comment
August 24
San Francisco Chronicle
"Call it the quarterback competition that never was, because JaMarcus Russell vs. Jeff Garcia is over before it ever got started. Raiders coach Tom Cable said as much Sunday when asked if Russell would start the season opener against the Chargers on Sept. 14. Cable said, "At this point, he's the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders," and there was nothing stunning about the bulletin. Garcia missed the first half of training camp with a calf strain. He didn't have a chance to push Russell. "Unfortunately, Jeff hasn't had much work," Cable said. "I feel like (Russell) has improved. It would have been nice to have someone really pushing him." Instead, all the push Garcia had in his 39-year-old ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Rookie runs all over Raiders
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes met Glen Coffee, he told the rookie how much he disliked him. "Why?" Coffee said, stunned. "Because you used to run all over Auburn,'' Spikes replied. Suffice to say, Spikes is glad to have Coffee on his side now. The third-round pick out of Alabama rampaged through the Raiders' defense for 129 yards in a little more than one quarter of action during the 49ers' 21-20 exhibition victory Saturday at Candlestick Park. Running back Frank Gore played only a series before enjoying Coffee's spectacular 16-carry show. "He's doing a great job,'' Gore said of his understudy. "Running strong. Finding the holes. Glen's going to be a great player." Coffee was the ..."
Raiders decide Russell doesn't need two-minute drill work
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times
"When the story of the 2009 Raiders is put to bed, the last 1:59 of the first half of a 21-20 preseason loss to the 49ers Saturday night at Candlestick Park will not even merit a footnote.The Raiders failed to score, with Jeff Garcia throwing a pass slightly behind Johnnie Lee Higgins that went off his hands and was intercepted by the 49ers' Allen Rossum at the 9-yard line.Until the turnover, it was vintage Garcia, finding Michael Bush for nine yards over the middle, scrambling for nine yards on the next play, finding Louis Murphy for 10 more to the 38-yard line.On second-and-10, Bush ran for 10 yard and Garcia went to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 48 seconds ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune
"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Raiders had no answer for 49ers signature run
Comment
August 23
San Francisco Chronicle
"Raiders middle linebacker Kirk Morrison said it hurt to watch his run defense get gashed by the same play, over and over, and not just because he had a dislocated left elbow. All the heavy medication in the world couldn't dull the sight of 49ers backups Glen Coffee and Michael Robinson exposing the Raiders' most long-running weakness - the inability to stop the run - in Saturday's 21-20 loss to the 49ers in an exhibition game at Candlestick Park. "That's definitely always hard, especially when I'm not in there," said Morrison, the team's leading tackler the past three seasons. He was hurt in the first series and will be out at least for several weeks. "It's like, dang, you feel like you ..."
Raiders, 49ers fans square off
Comment
August 22
Sacramento Bee
"Before there was a Raiders booster club in Sacramento, Denise Browne recalls walking into sports bars with her silver and black jersey and being taunted by 49ers fans. "I wanted to watch my guys play in peace," Browne laughed. She wondered if there were other Raiders fans in Sacramento who wanted to watch the games in public. There were. Browne called the Raiders and was given the go-ahead to start a booster club in Sacramento. The Raiders recognized the group in 1992, and the Sactown Original Raiders Booster Club is still going strong. "We had about 50 people that first year, and it grew to over 300 pretty quick," said Browne, now the vice president. "That was before people had ..."
Hanson's Raiders dream crumbles into nightmare
Comment
August 22
Oakland Tribune
"Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson is managing general partner Al Davis' kind of employee: loyal, a tireless worker and of the belief that the Raiders are the standard by which all other organizations are measured. "I just want to do anything I can to help the team," Hanson told Bay Area News Group last September in his only interview since he joined the Raiders in 2007. "That's all I care about. I don't care if anybody even knows my name." While Hanson, 41, achieved his lifelong goal of coaching for the Raiders, he has failed at keeping his name out of the public eye. Far from being anonymous, he is at the center of an incident that has gained national attention for its bizarre ..."
Smith will start at QB for 49ers against Raiders
Comment
August 22
Oakland Tribune
"A week after Shaun Hill started the 49ers preseason opener, Smith gets the nod for Saturday night's game against the Raiders. Each quarterback will play about 15 snaps. Coach Mike Singletary, who made the announcement after today's practice, said that Hill will also play behind the first-string offensive line. Singletary has indicated that he might wait through three games before settling on his regular-season starter. With Hill and Smith getting a start apiece, Singletary could use the Aug. 29 game against the Dallas Cowboys as a tie-breaker if necessary. Singletary has yet to assess the state of quarterback competition, choosing instead to say what he will be looking for against the ..."
Raiders need to stick with the running game
Comment
August 22
San Francisco Examiner
columnist Glenn Dickey
"Darren McFadden could become a premier NFL running back this season, but only if the Raiders become sensible and return to a run-first offense. McFadden has impressed observers since his first day of minicamp workouts in 2008. He was slowed by injuries last season, but he's healthy now and having a terrific camp. He's a dynamic runner, with the ability to go inside or outside, and also a receiving threat, able to catch deep passes down the sideline and swing passes out of the backfield. He can even play quarterback if the Raiders use a version of the "Wildcat" - he did it in college at Arkansas. McFadden is not the only potentially great young running back for the Raiders. Michael Bush was ..."
JawGate is business as usual
Comment
August 21
Contra Costa Times
columnist Gary Peterson
"OK, kids, we've had our 15 minutes to digest the latest developments in the curious case of Randy Hanson's mandible. Now it's time to start jumping to conclusions. What's new: Hanson, the Raiders assistant coach who wound up in a Napa emergency room Aug. 6, reportedly has hired an attorney. He's ready to talk with police, which is a pretty bold move for a guy who's got his jaw in a sling. According to a report on nationalfootballpost.com, Hanson is prepared to submit medical records to authorities and cooperate in a felony assault investigation. The report also identifies Raiders coach Tom Cable as the man who caused Hanson's injury. What it means: You have to start with the news report to ..."
Painful lessons for JaMarcus Russell
Comment
August 20
Oakland Tribune
columnist Cam Inman
"JAMARCUS RUSSELL is right, it's "not the end of the world" that his first two passes of a Raiders' red-zone drill got intercepted Wednesday by an overjoyed 49ers defense. It's actually the beginning of a new world. The Raiders are finally taking off the restrictor plate and letting Russell's supercharged arm do what it got drafted for No. 1 overall in 2007. Russell needed a reality check from the 49ers. His development is the driving force of this coming Raiders season. Tutorial sessions aren't always a cool breeze. Wednesday's was a Category 5 hurricane. He must learn how to "cut it loose" better near an opponent's goal line. He must learn to inspire his sullen teammates when facing ..."
Norris battles to be a Raider
Comment
August 20
Portland Tribune
"The rookie linebacker made four tackles and played more than half of the game as the Oakland Raiders thrashed the Dallas Cowboys 31-10 in the Aug. 13 exhibition opener for both teams. The 6-3, 240-pound Norris - a fourth-round draft pick by Oakland after a stellar career at Oregon State - was one of four players to earn a "thumbs up" rating in the Oakland Tribune after the Dallas game. "I was kind of nervous at first, but once I got out there, it's just 'put on the pads and play,' " says Norris, who played the entire second and third quarters and part of the fourth. "It's just like college. There are some things I need to work on, but overall, I was pretty happy with how it went.""
Foot injury sidelines promising Raiders receiver Schilens
Comment
August 19
Sacramento Bee
"It had been one of the more uplifting, inspirational scenes of training camp thus far - second-year wide receiver Chaz Schilens emerging from the locker room after practically every practice with that massive binder containing a Raiders playbook under his arm. Especially when relatively few of his teammates have acted out the same scene. It was one of the more depressing, dagger-to-the-heart scenes of training camp thus far - Schilens limping out of the locker room on crutches, thanks to a broken left foot. Especially since Schilens had emerged as the best pass catcher in camp. In a freak accident, suffered on a non-contact play, Schilens said he fractured the fifth metatarsal while ..."
Schilens' injury a bigger blow
Comment
August 19
San Francisco Chronicle
columnist Ray Rotto
"Whatever entertainment the nation had hoped to get from Tusslin' Tommy Cable, the Merced Mauler, had evaporated long before he stepped to the podium Tuesday. He was intent upon combining the first and second versions of the Randy Hanson story (namely, no comment and nothing happened), but by then, he already had gotten all the crummy news he could use for one day. And no, it wasn't the news that Roger Goodell would be sending out one of his little elves to go nosing about all things silver and black - and blue. In fact, it was the loss of wide receiver Chaz Schilens, the offense's third-most-important player (after JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden) to a broken foot in a noncontact ..."
NFL investigating Cable-Hanson altercation
Comment
August 19
San Francisco Chronicle
"The National Football League is investigating a training-camp incident that landed Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson in a hospital with a jaw injury, a league spokesman said Tuesday. Hanson told Napa police he was assaulted by a member of the Raiders' staff Aug. 5 but declined to name his attacker. When the story leaked Monday, multiple team and league sources identified Raiders head coach Tom Cable as the person involved in the altercation with Hanson. There is no police investigation because Hanson declined to cooperate. That won't stop the NFL from deciding if anyone violated its personal conduct policy, and acting accordingly with a potential fine and/or suspension. "We're looking ..."
Cable is dropping the ball
Comment
August 19
San Jose Mercury News
columnist Mark Purdy
"With his NFL head coaching life on the line, Tom Cable was stunningly oblivious here Tuesday. Also in denial. Or rather, in non-denial denial. That's how it felt, anyway, when Cable answered the latest round of follow-up questions about the reported Aug. 5 altercation between Raiders coaches at training camp. I'm calling it the "Throwdown in Winetown." Cable couldn't keep his own policy straight at his media session following Tuesday morning's practice. A day earlier, he had repeated over and over that the incident was "an internal matter" and he would not be commenting on it. But soon after, Cable made the incident a non-internal matter by going out and commenting. He told an ESPN ..."
Combined practices between 49ers, Raiders are beneficial, feisty
Comment
August 19
San Jose Mercury News
"When the 49ers and Raiders cooked up the idea of a shared training camp, the goal was to raise the intensity level of practice. As Ricky Brown might attest, the plan worked just fine. Brown was the unfortunate Raiders linebacker pitted against 49ers running back Frank Gore during a blocking drill Tuesday. Gore was a 217-pound wrecking ball and treated Brown like a condemned building. He delivered a whopper of a block that finished with Brown's back planted into the turf. Raise the intensity level of practice? Gore treated the action like it was the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl rather than 9:17 a.m. on a fog-softened Napa Valley morning. "I was amped up," Gore said. "When you've been ..."
Raiders' Schilens out with foot injury
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
"Raiders second-year wide receiver Chaz Schilens suffered a broken bone in his left foot during the morning practice with the 49ers on Tuesday. The Raiders gave no estimate for how long Schilens will be sidelined, but such injuries typically take six to eight weeks to fully heal. Schilens had transformed himself from a little-known seventh-round draft pick last season out of San Diego State into a potential No. 1-caliber receiver this season. He suffered the injury planting his foot during a pass route. X-rays revealed a broken fifth metatarsal, Schilens said. He is awaiting word from team trainers whether surgery will be performed. "We'll see what it is," Schilens said while propped up by ..."
Hanson incident on league's radar
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
"The NFL is looking into the events that landed Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson in the hospital with a jaw injury and coach Tom Cable on the hot seat for his alleged role as the attacker. "We are looking into it so that we can understand the facts," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of public relations. The incident took place Aug. 5 in Napa, where the Raiders conduct their training camp each summer. Hanson sought treatment Aug. 6 at a nearby hospital and told Napa police that he was assaulted by another member of the coaching staff. Hanson refused to name his attacker or press charges, though he still has ample time to change his mind if he hopes to have the ..."
49ers and Raiders let off some steam against each other before exhibition
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
"When the 49ers and Raiders cooked up the idea of a shared training camp, the goal was to raise the intensity level of practice. As Ricky Brown might attest, the plan worked just fine. Brown was the unfortunate Raiders linebacker pitted against 49ers running back Frank Gore during a blocking drill Tuesday. Gore was a 217-pound wrecking ball and treated Brown like a condemned building. He delivered a whopper of a block that finished with Brown's back planted into the turf. Raise the intensity level of practice? Gore treated the action like it was the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl rather than 9:17 a.m. on a fog-softened Napa Valley morning. "I was amped up," Gore said. "When you've been ..."
Cable vs. Favre, who ya got?
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
columnist Cam Inman
"Raiders coach Tom Cable's alleged involvement in a fracas with an assistant coach will not magically fade off the NFL radar, not even after Brett Favre has relapsed into the NFL and taken the Minnesota Vikings up on their offer to stick it to Green Bay. The NFL, according to The Associated Press, is looking into Monday's revelations that Cable reportedly slugged defensive assistant Randy Hanson on Aug. 5. Cable has veered from calling this an "internal matter" to it being a "nothing happened" incident, or so he's told reporters after the Raiders' training camp practices Monday and Tuesday. Something happened, though, to send Hanson to a Napa-area hospital to seek treatment on his jaw. ..."
It's time for the fight we really want to see: Raiders vs. the NFL
Comment
August 19
Contra Costa Times
columnist Gary Peterson
"IF YOU believe the anonymously sourced reports, it started out as Tom Cable vs. Randy Hanson - a first-round KO for the Raiders head coach according to people who weren't there. Next up for Cable: The NFL's human resources department, which, it was reported Tuesday, will investigate the alleged assault that sent Hanson to the emergency room with a broken or otherwise defective jaw. This is serious stuff, since no one wants to run afoul of HR. Imagine needing help filling out change-of-medical-coverage forms and being told, "Why don't you go ask one of your assistants, smart guy?" But there's an even bigger potential story afoot here, assuming the NFL's investigation turns up a little heat ..."
It's no surprise that Raiders are fighting
Comment
August 18
Contra Costa Times
columnist Tim Kawakami
"Boys will be boys, coaches will be coaches, and the Raiders will inevitably and interminably be all screwed up. They don't want to be screwed up. They don't want to fight among themselves (though they're addicted to fighting everybody else). They don't want to keep reproducing the definition of a losing atmosphere, filled with the defeated, the paranoid, the over-promoted and the frantically pugilistic. But here they are, assaulting each other once again and on their way to many more losses once again. It's the Raiders way these days. If you heard an unnamed head coach for an NFL team had cold-cocked an assistant hard enough for a hospital visit and police report, would you guess anybody ..."
Somewhere, Lane Kiffin is grinning
Comment
August 18
San Francisco Chronicle
columnist Ray Ratto
"Finally, there is something Lane Kiffin and Tom Cable have in common - a desire to pound Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson into a gray paste. Only Kiffin suspended Hanson for five days a year ago, helping hasten his falling-out with The Al, and Cable actually did it by physical force 13 days ago, according to multiple reports. Now we'll see where Davis stands on the matter, where the NFL stands on the matter, and most entertaining of all, where Kiffin stands on the matter. We'll lay odds that Kiffin talks first. By all accounts, Cable clocked Hanson on Aug. 5 while Hanson was speaking with defensive coordinator John Marshall, and though the trigger for Cable's displeasure is not yet ..."
Another jaw-dropping experience for Raiders
Comment
August 18
Oakland Tribune
columnist Cam Inman
"WHAT'S THAT YOU hear about a coach-on-coach fight at Raiders training camp? It never happened. No chance. Not the Raiders. Nothing bad ever happens with the Raiders. It's all a media-driven ruse suggesting that this organization is in eternal chaos. This must be how the thought process goes for Raiders loyalists. You skeptics should try it. It can be a fun exercise whenever crisis erupts. Defensive assistant Randy Hanson got smacked in the jaw two weeks ago? Said who? Not the Raiders. So it can't be true."
Cable mum on reports he punched an assistant
Comment
August 18
Sacramento Bee
"As the Raiders began stretching before Monday's practice, a slow chant rose from the players as coach Tom Cable walked over. "Cable, bumaye. Cable, bumaye. Cable, bumaye." As any fan of Muhammad Ali will tell you, "Ali, bumaye" (Ali, kill him) was the goose-bump inspiring chant fans in Zaire aimed at the Greatest as he fought George Foreman in the epic Rumble in the Jungle. So with reports swirling Cable had punched out one of his assistant coaches earlier this month, allegedly breaking defensive assistant Randy Hanson's jaw in the process, the sing-song had added meaning. Not that the Raiders or Cable were about to confirm, or deny, the alleged Wrangle in Wine Country. In fact, Cable ..."
Report: Raiders' coach Cable punched assistant Hanson
Comment
August 18
Oakland Tribune
"Raiders coach Tom Cable reportedly punched assistant coach Randy Hanson earlier this month, sending Hanson to a Napa hospital to receive treatment, according to sources cited by AOL Fanhouse. The National Football Post first reported the story this morning, saying the altercation occurred Aug. 5, according to a police report. Napa Police Lt. Brian McGovern told the Web site that he isn't permitted to reveal the identity of the injured person. "It's an internal matter, and will be handled as such," Raiders senior executive John Herrera said. Cable has not mentioned the incident in any of his news conferences. Two team officials confirmed that Hanson was not at practice Sunday. The website ..."
Raiders assistant Randy Hanson injured after fight with another coach
Comment
August 17
Contra Costa Times
"Defensive assistant Randy Hanson was involved in a "flare-up" with another member of the Raiders coaching staff earlier this month and treated at a Napa hospital. The National Football Post first reported the story this morning, saying the altercation occurred Aug. 5, according to a police report. Napa Police Lt. Brian McGovern told the Web site that he isn't permitted to reveal the identity of the injured person. "It's an internal matter, and will be handled as such," Raiders senior executive John Herrera said. Raiders coach Tom Cable has not mentioned the incident in any of his news conferences. Two team officials confirmed that Hanson was not at practice Sunday. The website said that ..."
Garcia's back, but will he stay?
Comment
August 17
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"The timing was perfect. As Tom Cable broke the news Sunday that Jeff Garcia was on his way back to Raiders camp, sirens blared in the distance. A police escort? An ambulance on its way to care for Garcia's strained right calf or, as some have hinted, a deeply bruised ego? Not quite. But it would have been appropriate, given Garcia's relative absence here since the team put on pads and started hitting two weeks ago. Garcia came up lame and stopped taking snaps the morning of the fourth and final day of the "learning phase" Aug. 2. He also skipped the last two days of practice. The reason? The always ominous "personal reasons." Indeed, it was time for the Raiders to decide: Either cut Garcia ..."
Raiders put Morrison in must-win position
Comment
August 17
Contra Costa Times
"Soon after his arrival at training camp, Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison learned his grip on a starting job he has held the past four seasons wasn't as secure as he believed. That's not the bombshell Morrison expected on the heels of a season in which he led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league at 135. It's also not the kind of news Morrison wanted to hear as he enters the final season of the five-year contract he signed as a rookie in 2005 and positions himself for a huge payday. "The organization is always trying to replace you, no matter what," Morrison said. "I've got to go out and prove to them on an every-day basis, regardless how many years (I've) been here or ..."
Raiders sign veteran CB Ricky Manning Jr.
Comment
August 16
Oakland Tribune
"The Raiders signed veteran cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. on Saturday in a move designed to provide more depth. Manning, 28, spent last season with the St. Louis Rams. Before that, he played for the Chicago Bears for two seasons and the Carolina Panthers from 2003-05. He played in Super Bowls with the Panthers and Bears. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said he lobbied on Manning Jr.'s behalf last week and that Manning Jr. is a versatile player. "He's more of a physical corner than a speed guy, so that might be a little different from what we had in the past," Asomugha said. "But he'll help because he's done it before. And you know about the games that he's played, his playoff work and all that ..."
Saints joined in pursuit of Brooks
Comment
August 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Saints apparently are not the only team interested in veteran free agent linebacker Derrick Brooks, who is trying to get back in the NFL after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. The Oakland Raiders reportedly flew the 11-time Pro Bowl player out for a visit and workout Friday, two days after Brooks left New Orleans without a contract offer from Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis. Loomis and Saints Coach Sean Payton are expected to make a decision this weekend with regard to Brooks and free agent linebacker Derek Smith, both of whom worked out for the team Wednesday morning. Loomis said a decision on either player may or may not be forthcoming, indicating the ..."
Flags take shine off Raider win
Comment
August 15
Contra Costa Times
"Raiders coach Tom Cable's players gave him plenty of things to be pleased about in Thursday night's 31-10 exhibition victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Yet, as is the case with NFL coaches, Cable found a few things that rankled. Committing 14 penalties for 107 yards tops the list. "It's obviously a concern," Cable said in a conference call Friday. "We've put a lot into that, so we'll continue to do that. As I mentioned to them after the game, it's just too many. It's something (where) if we're going to be the type of team we hope to be, we've got to cut them down." Raiders quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye completed 22 passes to 15 receivers Thursday night. ..."
Run defense 'OK' but still needs work
Comment
August 15
San Francisco Chronicle
"Raiders defensive coordinator John Marshall was hired with a full head of white hair this past offseason. At least this way, no one can accuse the team's run defense of adding any gray under his hat. Marshall's fundamentals-first teaching is going to take some time to stick, that much was clear during Thursday's 31-10 victory over the visiting Cowboys in their exhibition season opener. "For the first game, OK," Marshall said. "We've just got to keep working on it. Those things we didn't do well, we'll have to jump on it quick in order to make any strides. It's a start." Patience is in order as Marshall tries to remake a defense that has ranked among the NFL's worst in run defense since the ..."
Cowboys' offense solid in preseason loss
Comment
August 14
San Antonio Express-News
"Tony Romo and Co. showed that life without Terrell Owens can be an awful lot of fun. The Dallas Cowboys dropped a 31-10 decision to the Oakland Raiders in the preseason opener for both teams Thursday night, but they returned to training camp in San Antonio feeling good about the performance of their first-team offense. Without Owens around to demand the ball, Romo spread it around. He finished 4-of-6 for 36 yards, with the completions going to four different receivers. Romo's final pass went to Jason Witten for an 8-yard touchdown, capping a masterful seven-play, 71-yard drive that gave Dallas a 7-3 advantage with 5:16 left in the first quarter. "I don't think it means anything," said ..."
Dallas Cowboys' preseason debut: Good, bad, score is ugly
Comment
August 14
Dallas Morning News
"Football is the ultimate team game, but in the preseason it is more about individuals. In the Dallas Cowboys' otherwise sloppy 31-10 loss to Oakland on Thursday, certain individuals had good nights but far too many did not. "That isn't the way we want to start team-wise, I don't think," coach Wade Phillips said. "The individuals that we think are going to do well ... did some good things. Some of those guys are where we want them to be. Others aren't. Our second group and our young guys, they made a lot of mistakes." The defense gave up too many big plays - a 47-yard completion to Nick Miller and a 45-yard run by Darren McFadden came against the backups, but starting safety Gerald ..."
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Raiders Rumors
* Report: Raiders' coach Cable punched assistant Hanson
Oakland Tribune
* Saints joined in pursuit of Brooks
New Orleans Times-Picayune
* Report: Raiders sign ex-Cowboy Greg Ellis
Oakland Tribune
* Is IR system in line for a change?
Boston Globe
* Raider seen as nice fit
Boston Globe
Team Leaders
Touchdowns None 0
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Passing None 0
Receiving None 0
Sacks None 0
Interceptions None 0
Player Stats | Full Roster
Schedule/Results
Past Results
Preseason
Date vs Score
8/13/09 DAL W 31-10
8/22/09 @SF L 20-21
8/29/09 NO
9/3/09 @SEA
Regular Season
Date vs Score
9/14/09 SD
9/20/09 @KC
9/27/09 DEN
10/4/09 @HOU
10/11/09 @NYG
10/18/09 PHI
10/25/09 NYJ
11/1/09 @SD
BYE
11/15/09 KC
11/22/09 CIN
11/26/09 @DAL
12/6/09 @PIT
12/13/09 WAS
12/20/09 @DEN
12/27/09 @CLE
1/3/10 BAL
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