Random Raider Stuff

[big_palooka]

10 hours ago, MrOaktown_56 said:

With Michel, what do you think changed? The main reason I'm wary is because this season seemed like an anomaly from him.

It wasn't an anomaly actually. His sophomore season, he filled in for Nick Chubb and played really well accounting for 19 TDs.. Kirby Smart took over and he had a down Junior year as did the entire program. He came back determined for his senior season. He's was a leader at UGA and is described as relentless in his approach. He wasn't some one year wonder. He was just coming off a junior campaign that had some growing pains for the program. Biggest moments, he was the man for UGA 

[NightTrainLane]

5 hours ago, SilverNBlackFan said:

I don't disagree with anything Rod said

I do.

I'll go point for point so I'm not misunderstood.

Rod was clearly trying for the sound bite to get more work IMO. That's the job on these shows. You get a few minutes to say something provocative and be "good TV". You can tell toward the end when he tries to wrap it up and gets the records wrong. He is speaking off the cuff and does come of as a jilted lover to me. Gruden did take the Raiders to a Championship game and he did take the Bucs to the playoffs in the last few years being there. You can quote his winning percentage but you can also say he had 2 bad years out of 11 and he had 4 good years out of 11. He also never had a QB like Carr.

The Carr-Rodgers comp wasn't made up by Gruden. The first person to say it was James Jones and then it was backed up by Cook. Both guys that would know. Looking at their traits and stats it's not a hard sell either. I would argue that if Carr had gotten the chance to sit behind a HOF QB and learn for a few years he would be even closer. 2016 Carr was on the cusp of making a truly special year. (I still almost puke thinking about the what if...F U Penn).

Many including Rod want to go at the deal and the money but we know now that the contract is really like a 5 year 25mil deal. If there isn't an out after that 5th year if things aren't going right then I have a problem with it too. I have a hard time believing there isn't. But that isn't pointed out because it isn't good TV.

Saying that Crab is better than Nelson is relative and may be a moot point. I don't think the move was made strictly off of production. I think Gruden wanted Nelson's vibe in the lockerroom over Crabs. I think it's seen by the team as better for Carr, Gruden's offense and Cooper.

I also don't think that Crab was the backbone. I think Hudson and Carr were the backbone and KO and Lynch were the toughness. Do I think that Crab brought some grit? Yes. But I don't think removing him and adding Nelson is gonna dampen the fire in the offense. Especially with Gruden at the reins.

Martin making the team better haha...yeah...I agree there. He is gonna have to prove it and I bet that was the jest of there meeting and why he was signed. Gruden is giving him a shot to prove it. He sat across from him and looked him in the eye. Gruden has said that is what he likes to do. He saw the hunger. This is a tryout IMO. I believe it's a minimum deal or close to it. I don't think this stops us from adding a back in the draft and I also hope which every of those smaller 3rd down backs survives to the 53 kills it and does make us better. We'll have to see.

The '98 think and the analytics were sound bites that are being taken out of context that Gruden has cleared up but like I said already, it's good for TV and for people wanting to cast doubt. I for one would love a coach to come in and say were going to get back to evaluating the player playing the right way and put the stat and advanced metrics in there proper place. It's what Belicheck and Zimmer do and they seem to be doing ok with it in the modern millennial era.

I understand the doubts and the people that have them.

I don't agree with them.

 

[BABPITT]

1 hour ago, NightTrainLane said:

I do.

I'll go point for point so I'm not misunderstood.

Rod was clearly trying for the sound bite to get more work IMO. That's the job on these shows. You get a few minutes to say something provocative and be "good TV". You can tell toward the end when he tries to wrap it up and gets the records wrong. He is speaking off the cuff and does come of as a jilted lover to me. Gruden did take the Raiders to a Championship game and he did take the Bucs to the playoffs in the last few years being there. You can quote his winning percentage but you can also say he had 2 bad years out of 11 and he had 4 good years out of 11. He also never had a QB like Carr.

The Carr-Rodgers comp wasn't made up by Gruden. The first person to say it was James Jones and then it was backed up by Cook. Both guys that would know. Looking at their traits and stats it's not a hard sell either. I would argue that if Carr had gotten the chance to sit behind a HOF QB and learn for a few years he would be even closer. 2016 Carr was on the cusp of making a truly special year. (I still almost puke thinking about the what if...F U Penn).

Many including Rod want to go at the deal and the money but we know now that the contract is really like a 5 year 25mil deal. If there isn't an out after that 5th year if things aren't going right then I have a problem with it too. I have a hard time believing there isn't. But that isn't pointed out because it isn't good TV.

Saying that Crab is better than Nelson is relative and may be a moot point. I don't think the move was made strictly off of production. I think Gruden wanted Nelson's vibe in the lockerroom over Crabs. I think it's seen by the team as better for Carr, Gruden's offense and Cooper.

I also don't think that Crab was the backbone. I think Hudson and Carr were the backbone and KO and Lynch were the toughness. Do I think that Crab brought some grit? Yes. But I don't think removing him and adding Nelson is gonna dampen the fire in the offense. Especially with Gruden at the reins.

Martin making the team better haha...yeah...I agree there. He is gonna have to prove it and I bet that was the jest of there meeting and why he was signed. Gruden is giving him a shot to prove it. He sat across from him and looked him in the eye. Gruden has said that is what he likes to do. He saw the hunger. This is a tryout IMO. I believe it's a minimum deal or close to it. I don't think this stops us from adding a back in the draft and I also hope which every of those smaller 3rd down backs survives to the 53 kills it and does make us better. We'll have to see.

The '98 think and the analytics were sound bites that are being taken out of context that Gruden has cleared up but like I said already, it's good for TV and for people wanting to cast doubt. I for one would love a coach to come in and say were going to get back to evaluating the player playing the right way and put the stat and advanced metrics in there proper place. It's what Belicheck and Zimmer do and they seem to be doing ok with it in the modern millennial era.

I understand the doubts and the people that have them.

I don't agree with them.

 

I couldn't of said it no better ?

[roi34]

lost respect for Rod a bit. you go to war with these dudes months prior then S**t in them on tv.

[Chali21]

On 3/21/2018 at 1:20 PM, SimonGruber said:

Anybody catch Rod woodson on Undisputed had some sour grape feel to his takes on the Raiders 

I'd be pretty sour too if I was fired twice by the same organization.

[Jerry]

B. Irvin's comment on R. Woodson.

[Rich7sena]

4 hours ago, Jerry said:

B. Irvin's comment on R. Woodson.

Extend him.

[MrOaktown_56]

On 3/22/2018 at 6:35 AM, big_palooka said:

It wasn't an anomaly actually. His sophomore season, he filled in for Nick Chubb and played really well accounting for 19 TDs.. Kirby Smart took over and he had a down Junior year as did the entire program. He came back determined for his senior season. He's was a leader at UGA and is described as relentless in his approach. He wasn't some one year wonder. He was just coming off a junior campaign that had some growing pains for the program. Biggest moments, he was the man for UGA 

1

Ah, in that case, yeah he checks out. I definitely see Kamara when I watch Michel.

[RaidersAreOne]

I for one am still intrigued by the legend Jihad Ward. For not being active for most of the year, he was surprisingly disruptive when he did finally get PT. I remember him absolutely destroying a few blockers on occasion. I don't ever expect him to be a good starter, but if he can become a solid rotational guy I would be happy at this point in time. 

[holyghost]

22 minutes ago, RaidersAreOne said:

I for one am still intrigued by the legend Jihad Ward. For not being active for most of the year, he was surprisingly disruptive when he did finally get PT. I remember him absolutely destroying a few blockers on occasion. I don't ever expect him to be a good starter, but if he can become a solid rotational guy I would be happy at this point in time. 

Call me intrigued as well. But very mildly so. He actually did get a sack there, and has flashed pressure occasionally, so who knows. 

[NightTrainLane]

31 minutes ago, RaidersAreOne said:

I for one am still intrigued by the legend Jihad Ward. For not being active for most of the year, he was surprisingly disruptive when he did finally get PT. I remember him absolutely destroying a few blockers on occasion. I don't ever expect him to be a good starter, but if he can become a solid rotational guy I would be happy at this point in time. 

I just touched on this in the draft thread. I think he can a rotation guy at DE for this defense if it does change to a 4-3 as speculated. has the right size and traits and is what he played in college along with Mario. This change could be the best thing that happened for both of them.

[mct288]

1 hour ago, RaidersAreOne said:

I for one am still intrigued by the legend Jihad Ward. For not being active for most of the year, he was surprisingly disruptive when he did finally get PT. I remember him absolutely destroying a few blockers on occasion. I don't ever expect him to be a good starter, but if he can become a solid rotational guy I would be happy at this point in time. 

The best thing this staff can do (and I think they're smart enough to) is put Ward at one position and leave him there. Decide what he was best at doing in college, and ask him to do only that. Mine a singular trait out of him, and then add to it after he is comfortable. His development was crushed by injuries and overextension of assignments.

[Rolni]

12 hours ago, NightTrainLane said:

I just touched on this in the draft thread. I think he can a rotation guy at DE for this defense if it does change to a 4-3 as speculated. has the right size and traits and is what he played in college along with Mario. This change could be the best thing that happened for both of them.

I'm not sure about Ward at DE even at SDE...He is too big IMO...6'5 290/300 I think he fits the 3tech DT position better on paper.

You think he can drop down to 280 and be effective? His combine numbers tells me that he isn't athletic enough to play outside...

[NightTrainLane]

1 hour ago, Rolni said:

I'm not sure about Ward at DE even at SDE...He is too big IMO...6'5 290/300 I think he fits the 3tech DT position better on paper.

You think he can drop down to 280 and be effective? His combine numbers tells me that he isn't athletic enough to play outside...

 Was/Are Reggie White 6'5 290, Mario Williams 6'6 290, Calais Campbell 6'8 300 too big. Those are just a few that I thought of in a few seconds. Im sure there are tons more who play at around that size

Ward played 4-3 DE in college and played DE when Pagano took over last year. He could drop a few pounds to get some more quickness but I don't see an issue with him playing there this year.

It should also be mentioned that, as we all know, he was very raw and had to work on his body coming into the league as we all know. It stands to reason with a year or 2 with an NFL training and nutrition regime he will tighten up and become more athletic and explosive.

 

 

[holyghost]

3 hours ago, NightTrainLane said:

 Was/Are Reggie White 6'5 290, Mario Williams 6'6 290, Calais Campbell 6'8 300 too big. Those are just a few that I thought of in a few seconds. Im sure there are tons more who play at around that size

Ward played 4-3 DE in college and played DE when Pagano took over last year. He could drop a few pounds to get some more quickness but I don't see an issue with him playing there this year.

It should also be mentioned that, as we all know, he was very raw and had to work on his body coming into the league as we all know. It stands to reason with a year or 2 with an NFL training and nutrition regime he will tighten up and become more athletic and explosive.

 

 

Nah, they're not too big. Obviously. But you're talking about 3 historic players, who have movement skills and football ability Ward will never have. So technically Ward isn't too big, but realistically the tweener questions about him are perfectly valid.

And he's had two years to do NFL work on his body. If it hasn't happened yet then he's been lazy about it.