Robert Gallery out 2-weeks

6'7 325

Raiders starting left guard Robert Gallery recently underwent an emergency appendectomy and will miss at least the first two weeks of training camp, according to the Oakland Tribune.

The second overall pick of the 2004 draft awoke one night last week with a 104 degree temperature and pain in his side. He had the procedure performed soon thereafter.

Gallery didn't work out as a left tackle, but he is quietly been shedding the "bust" tag since Tom Cable arrived in Oakland.

He has transformed into a quality run-blocking guard that some believe deserved Pro Bowl consideration last year.

Gallery may be limited when he first returns to practice, but should be recovered with plenty of time before the regular season.

When the Raiders take the field for the first time Thursday, it will be without the services of starting left guard Robert Gallery.

Gallery recently underwent an emergency appendectomy and will miss at least the first two weeks of training camp, according to a team source.

When Gallery does return, his duty will be limited until it is determined the wound has healed to the point where a hernia is not a concern. He awoke one night last week with a 104 degree temperature and a pain in his side, with the procedure performed shortly after arriving at Valley Care Medical Center Hospital in Pleasanton.

Chris Morris was the backup left guard for the Raiders last season and could open camp there with the first team, with other options being Paul McQuistan, Marcus Johnson and Jonathan Compas.

Robert Gallery had the best season of his career in 2008.

Penalties weren't a problem. He looked good blocking defenders beyond the line of scrimmage.

Had Gallery been on a good team, talk of him being a Pro Bowl player wouldn't sound laughable.

Gallery's spot at left guard is one position on the offensive line the Raiders don't have to worry about.

Every other spot ... is anyone's guess at this point.

Center Jake Grove improved under Tom Cable, but can test the open market as a free agent. His backup was John Wade, who made a lot of money to be Grove's insurance policy because Grove was coming off knee surgery.

Right guard Cooper Carlisle can do the same.

Cornell Green isn't the long-term solution at right tackle.

And even though he ended the season as the starting left tackle, whether Mario Henderson can hold up over an entire season is unknown.

How the Raiders go about rebuilding the offensive line will have a lot to do with who is the head coach.

Retaining Cable or hiring someone that believes in zone blocking might lead to the team retaining some of the same players or upgrading with younger versions of Carlisle and Green.

The Raiders claimed tackle James Marten off waivers in September, but never used him in a game even as Green struggled. Henderson was given the opportunity to replace Kwame Harris, who struggled in pass protection and with false starts.

There are no young guards on the roster that would appear ready to step up opposite Gallery. Chris Morris (a restricted free agent) might be better suited to play center, not guard.

It was said Paul McQuistan could play guard or tackle in the zone-blocking scheme. So until a new coach is decided up, it's uncertain at to whether he'll be a guard or tackle in 2009.

McQuistan was lost early in the season with a knee injury.

The uncertainty means the Raiders could use multiple draft picks on offensive linemen and will need to look at adding some veteran depth in free agency.

But look for Gallery to be the leader of this group, no matter who the other starters are around him.

High school career

Robert Gallery attended East Buchanan High School in Winthrop, Iowa and starred in football, basketball, and track. In football, Gallery played tight end and linebacker positions in high school, and he also handled punting and kickoff duties. He was an all-conference honorable mention selection as a sophomore before being named first team all-conference as a junior and senior. Gallery helped his high school team to a three-year record of 24-8, including a 19-2 record in district play. He was a Des Moines Register Class 1A All-State first team selection as a senior.

College career

Robert Gallery went to the University of Iowa, where his older brother, Nick Gallery, was an All-Big Ten punter. His younger brother, John Gallery, later also became a punter at Iowa. After redshirting in 1999, Gallery had three catches for 52 yards as a starting tight end as a freshman in 2000 before moving to the tackle position. He started six games at right tackle as a freshman.

As a sophomore, Gallery started every game at left tackle and made vast improvements throughout the year. He helped Iowa lead the Big Ten Conference in scoring in 2001 as Iowa qualified for their first bowl game in four years. As a junior in 2002, Gallery started all 13 games at left tackle and was a first team All-Big Ten selection. He helped lead Iowa to their first Big Ten title in 12 years and their first undefeated conference season in eighty years. He also won the team's Hustle Award.

In 2003, Robert Gallery led Iowa to another ten win season and was voted as Iowa's co-captain and co-MVP for the season. He was a first team All-Big Ten selection for the second straight year and named the Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Gallery was a consensus first team All-American in 2003. He was also awarded the 2003 Outland Trophy, making him only the third offensive lineman from Iowa to win the award (Alex Karras and Cal Jones being the other two). He was also a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection at Iowa.

It should be noted that Gallery received a teaching diploma from the University, and as part of his training, taught at two local elementary schools, Lincoln and Weber.

Professional career

Robert Gallery was selected with the second overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, with a perfect 9.0 Draft Prospect Rating, the highest for any offensive lineman, he became the first offensive lineman in University of Iowa history to be drafted in the first round. [2] In 2004, he started 15 games at right tackle and gave up 3 Sacks. In 2005, he started all 16 games at right tackle and gave up 3.5 Sacks. The Raiders moved him to left tackle at the beginning of the 2006 preseason. In the Raiders' first game of the 2006 regular season, Gallery was part of an offensive line that gave up nine sacks (at least 3 charged to him) to the San Diego Chargers. He played 10 games on the season, and gave up 10.5 Sacks on the season, placing him 4th in most sacks given up, despite missing 6 games. In 2007, Oakland coaches moved Gallery to left guard.

Although Gallery has generally been considered a bust at the left tackle position for which he was drafted and also had limited success at the right tackle position, he has resurrected his career at the left guard spot. [3] He is the only player selected in the top 8 picks of the 2004 Draft not to have made it to a pro bowl.