Full Name Darrell Wayne EvansDOB 5/26/47College None (John Muir High School, Pasadena, CA)Drafted 1967, 7th Round, Kansas City AthleticsMLB Seasons 1969-1989Tiger Seasons 1984-1988Career Stats .248 Avg, 414 HR, 1354 RBI, .792 OPS, 119 OPS+, 1605 BBCareer Leaderboard2 time All-Star (1973, 1983)12th all time in walks (1605)42nd all time in HR (414)1973: 1st in walks (124)1974: 1st in walks (126)1985: 1st in HR (40)Best Tiger Season 1985 and 1987 were both monster seasons for Evans, but ’85 was the year I fell in love with him as a player. His 137 OPS+ that year was the third highest of his 21 ...
Overall Grade: C+
Shane Lechler continues to prove why he's the best overall punter in the league. He isn't the best directional punter, but his length on his kicks makes him stand out. He can totally alter field position single handily.
Sebastian Janikowski was excellent this season. Did he deserve a $16 million contract? Probably not, but that's another story. Janikowski was 20-21 from 20 yards to 49 yards. That's pretty impressive. Janikowski is the leagues strongest leg kicker (sorry Rob Bironas), so that is why Cable can afford to send him out there for a 61 yard field goal.
Kick Returning ...
Maybe Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis is onto something in making Sebastian Janikowski the NFL's highest-paid kicker.
With Janikowski signing a record four-year, $16 million deal, it forces the football world to analyze the value of not only special teams players, but place-kickers.
Janikowski is the Raiders' all-time leader in points scored, tallying 1,000 during his 10-year career for a franchise that has been close to the bottom of offensive output since the 2002 Super Bowl season. Just by flipping through any NFL record book, one would see that kickers—not quarterbacks, running backs, or wide receivers—usually appear near the top in terms ...
I will start this article by saying I am not a Raiders for now, and I will never be a Raiders fan. In reality, I hate the Raiders more than any team. My favorite college players get drafted by the Raiders, and I now hate them and root against them.
With that being said, giving the richest contract to a kicker was the right move by Al Davis. He makes some of the worst football decisions I have ever seen, but this is not one of them. You do what you need to so you can keep your best offensive player.
If ...
Prologue
Are you looking for a good cause to get involved in during the offseason? Consider searching for senior Oakland Raiders and answer the question, "Whatever happened to him?"
Sometimes, there is a disconnect between generations of NFL players. Let's attempt to re-connect and to assist the senior Oakland Raiders, if, indeed, they need help in some way during their senior years.
Research shows that many senior NFL players do not have sufficient resources to help them live comfortably and securely during those senior years.
What can the younger Oakland Raiders do to help the senior Oakland Raiders, if there is a need?
Let's at ...
If there is one thing that is not certain in the 2010 NFL Draft is it what the Oakland Raiders and owner Al Davis will do when they're up to pick at No. 8 in the first round.
The 2009 NFL Draft caught everyone off guard when the Raiders selected wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey from Maryland at No. 7 and defensive back Michael Mitchell from Ohio in the second round with the No. 47 pick.
There have been many cases made for both players, whether they were a reach or not. Heyward-Bey was definitely a reach, since he was projected in ...
Kevin Kouzmanoff made the jump from the National League to the American League this year going from the San Diego Padres to the Oakland A’s. While he’s not in the most potent offense, he still has the opportunity to be a low-end fantasy starter at third base (click to see 3B rankings ).
While his average leaves plenty to be desired—career .261 hitter—he has shown some pop despite spending the last three years in PETCO Park. His last three years he has 18 HRs & 74 RBI, 23 HRs & 84 RBI, and 18 HRs & 88 RBI.
The thing that troubles ...
Look at the young catchers that people are focusing on. Matt Wieters. Miguel Montero. They have the potential to be two of the best in the league in 2010, but people need to expand their vision and look out west to Oakland to get the full scope of the top young talent at the position.
Kurt Suzuki is quietly blossoming into a top option (ranked sixth in our most recent rankings, which you can view by clicking here), just look at his 2009 statistics:
570 At-Bats .274 Batting Average (156 Hits) 15 Home Runs 88 RBI 74 Runs 8 Stolen Bases .313 ...
This kid is not a bust...
With the talent he has, Darren McFadden should be a lot more productive than he has been so far. There are a myriad of things that have impeded his growth and production. Some are his fault and some are not.
What isn't his fault?
You can't expect a guy who comes from a spread offense in college to jump right in and immediately be productive in a professional-style offense. There are many more responsibilities for a back in the professional offense than in the college spread. It takes time and patience to learn them all.
As a former ...
The Oakland Raiders head into the tumult that is their offseason. Eight straight desultory campaigns have relegated fans to a level of great apathy and the hope that perhaps owner Al Davis will choose a much anticipated retirement. Davis was a maverick in the heydays of the AFL and the 1960s, but that is a period now distant, 40 plus years in the past.
Davis has mismanaged this team recently, and few players desire the opportunity to sign up for service in Oakland.
The '"D" side is fairly stout and works with zest. The offensive side is competent but does not utilize ...