2008 Season - Day 3 - Knapp

Coach Knapp Interview
Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Knapp spoke with the media in the press room at the team's Alameda, Calif., facility at the conclusion of the 2008 NFL Draft and discussed the offensive prospects the Raiders selected, QB JaMarcus Russell. and more.

Q: What about the people who look at the running backs here and say, ‘Oh my goodness.’ Is it kind of one of those things where it is a nice problem to have?

Raiders Offensive Coordinator Greg Knapp: It is. My background from being in the league is that you need more than one; you need two for sure and probably three. Last year was a case and example, we went through three guys at the running back spot. There is no doubt you need a definite combination because the season is so long and now the game is so physical because the defensive side has got much faster, stronger and quicker. So, you can’t have enough backs in my opinion. This kid’s versatility is just unbelievable watching the things he has done from quarterback and outside; catching the ball out of the backfield, not to mention the running back himself and so to me it made a lot of sense when you have a guy with that kind of ability that even though we had some quality guys already in place; it is just a great weapon to have.

Q: Can you draw any comparisons to him with any other players you have coached or coached against?

Knapp: No, he is unique to me in my experiences. His homerun ability is very unique from what I have seen on the college tape and hopefully that will transfer over to the pros as well. What does make it even more so is that ability to move him around and put him in different places.

Q: Was it important to add speed at wide receiver?

Knapp: You bet. We definitely wanted to increase the speed. Chaz and Arman…one ran a 4.41 and one a 4.42 (40-yard dash) and they really can stretch the field and with Chaz you get a 6’4’’ guy, a big target for the quarterbacks to throw to. With Arman you get a little more experience.

Q: How much of a project is Chaz? You look at what he did in this pro day and Arman as well, but he wasn’t getting a ton of national interest. Is that because he is going to take a little time to get adjusted?

Knapp: I don’t know. Sometimes the guy is from a program that maybe wasn’t exposed as much, just didn’t get that exposure to bolt them higher in the draft and they go to the right place that has the right fit that allows that guy to grow faster. That’s kind of how we see him fitting in with us. He is going to be a really good fit for what we do on offense, so he may grow faster than maybe his draft round was for him.

Q: So many quality defensive lineman at the top of the draft, do you as a coordinator get greedy when you see that one homerun hitter?

Knapp: Heck yeah! Ultimately it is what’s best for the team, but when you got a guy on the board that gives you that kind of potential that every time he touches the ball he could go the distance, yeah, I would be lying to you if I said you don’t get a little greedy sometimes, but ultimately what’s best the team is what counts because that is what makes this game great. It is a team sport.

Q : What was it that you guys saw in [Kwame Harris]?

Knapp: I was in San Francisco the year he got drafted and really liked what I saw in his athletic ability, his smarts and power. He is an excellent run blocker. His power in the run game is outstanding and his protection is good. We just have to develop some of the techniques to be more consistent.

Q: From what you have seen with WR Javon Walker, do you think he could be at the level where he was at the All-Star level?

Knapp: Yes, definitely. His progress has been excellent and what I have found is that guys like that, that have already reached a certain status - and I was with him at the Pro Bowl back in ’04, when he went there for Green Bay - they have something to prove now and they got a little hunger and they get a little fire. He is going to make it exciting for us because he is that determined and the pros who are like that you want around because he is going to make it show to everybody, ‘Hey, I wasn’t done. Here I am again.’ He is doing it right now in the off season.

Q: What do you know look for in the guys that didn’t get drafted, free agents?

Knapp: Yeah, It’s more based on what our needs are. What are our open slots? We have done a great job. Our personnel department, and front office in conjunction with the coaching staff have filled the needs whether it be through free agency or our draft. One of those slots may be a quarterback. We only have two proven guys on the roster right now. The fullback situation, we only have two on the roster right now. So we are going to look at our needs to fill the rest of the roster spots.

Q: What has JaMarcus done this off-season? How much has he progressed?

Knapp: Because we are not allowed to do team settings it is hard to tell, but as far as the classroom goes he is done a great job. He has been meeting with me for an hour and 45 minutes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday since March 10th. We have been on the field an hour on those same respective days and to see the progress of the footwork and the correlation that we are getting in the classroom as far as quizzing and taking the tests. We give him a study guide each week to take home and bring back. The quizzes we give him in the classroom, he really has progressed and it’s exciting to see. The time we get to spend now really wiring the guy’s brain on how to really play the position and our offense is during this time. We have seen great strides in the classroom and in the individual stuff and now we hope to see it carry over to [Organized Team Activities] when we start practice.

Q: For these quizzes do you grade him?

Knapp: No, a lot of it would be like right now I would throw, in the middle of watching a play, ‘what would be your progression right here? What is your footwork? Who is your first read on defense?’ And obviously the feedback I get, ‘oh that’s good, he is stepping that much quicker.’ Some of the things he has brought up to us really has impressed me, like when we started this off-season back in March; we showed something on the board and he goes, ‘Well why did you ask me that question coach? That is the question you asked me before my Pro Day at LSU.’ And he is exactly right. That is exciting because if he has that kind of recall on a night that was very important to him a year ago way before the draft, than you know he is into it and he really wants to become a better quarterback.

Q: What does John Wade do for you? What does he bring to the table?

Knapp: Great experience, 10 years in the NFL, very familiar with our protection schemes. He has to learn the terminology, but the same types of reads will be applied with what he was running at Tampa Bay and just knowledge of the run game. He did some of the stuff that we did, not as much as we do here but he does seem to be a quick learner from what we are finding out from offensive line coach Tom Cable and their classroom meetings and on the field.