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
Team Leaders
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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
