The zone blocking scheme was developed for a few reasons:
First in order for teams to counter line-shifts without the o-line having to adjust assignments.
Second so that smaller (athletic) line-men can be effective despite size and strength disadvantages.
And to counter increasingly athletic pass-rushers by utilizing more athletic o-linemen.
Today in the NFL the ZBS is catching on with about a dozen of the teams in the league running it.
And it has seen some success:
Mike Shanahan installed it in Denver, and it made an unspectacular Terrell Davis look great. But it is being reported that Josh McDaniels is doing away with the ZBS in Denver.
With the ZBS, the Seahawks ...
Nnamdi Asomugha, three years, $45.3 million.
Shane Lechler, four years, $16 million.
Now, Sebastian Janikowski, four years, $16 million.
Three guys who are the highest paid players at their position, and they are deserving of it, but where has that gotten us? Seven straight losing seasons.
Was it a good move to sign those three guys, though? Yes, because without them, the Raiders would be a whole lot worse, if you could imagine that.
Also, with JaMarcus Russell being the fifth highest paid QB and Richard Seymour receiving the franchise tag worth over $13 million, the Oakland Raiders have a little over $50 million invested ...
Well, call it a case of the repeats.
Last year, Oakland was looking at the possibility of watching both Shane Lechler and Nnamdi Asomugha walking away from Oakland for more money.
Then Al Davis, ever the rich sort, dropped two contracts that left the NFL Network heads spinning.
Fast forward to this season, and you discover that Seabass, AKA Sebastian Janikowski, inked out the exact same deal that Shane locked up last year.
Not a bad deal, considering Janikowski put together a good season, missing only three kicks.
Oh, and don't forget the 61-yarder, as Janikowski is one of only four players to attempt a ...
Overall Defense: B-
Richard Seymour was acquired a week before the season started. He was traded for a 1st round pick. He didn't play like a guy that had first round worth. I'm not saying he was awful, but he certainly didn't play great. That's where I'm coming from.
He had two 2-sack games.That's all. Yes, he got double teamed many times, but great defensive ends get more than four total sacks. He dousn't really have a signature move to fall back on too.
For example, Dwight Freeney has the spin move and Jared Allen has his bull rush.
Seymour was also better ...
The NFL offseason is just one week old, and already things are heating up. From trade rumors to reports of certain players entering free agency, this offseason should provide more excitement for year-round football fans.
For the Oakland Raiders, most questions have focused on the NFL Draft, as to whether or not owner Al Davis will surprise us all with his top-10 selection.
The front office is making different news, however, with the contract extension of kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
Janikowski has been a household name within the Raiders organization for years now. Whenever anything positive comes out of the Raiders, he is normally ...
Almost a year ago, Al Davis pulled his predictable unorthodoxy by selecting Derrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh overall pick of the NFL Draft—a receiver that some had as a third-round pick.
Mr. Davis is no stranger to head-scratchers.
And a little question keeps chattering: Would Al Davis be "crazy" enough to take Tim Tebow at eighth overall in the 2010 NFL Draft?
Most wonder where Tebow will fall in the NFL Draft, and much speculation has stirred from Tebow's lackluster performance at the Senior Bowl.
I think that if nothing else, Tebow is a fan-favorite who can at least generate ticket-sales for a season ...
After spending the last few drafts on skilled position players, it’s time for the Oakland Raiders to fortify the offensive line. So, with the eighth selection in the 2010 NFL draft, the Raiders will take Anthony Davis from Rutgers.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper says that Davis is the “most naturally gifted” of the offensive linemen in the draft. Davis is projected to be better in pass protection than Bryan Bulaga, for example, and we all know how much Al Davis loves his QB.
Unfortunately, most Raiders fans don’t share that love for JaMarcus Russell, who is simply bad at playing the ...
As Raider Nation settles into the offseason, there are more than a few topics for the team to deal with, including re-signing key free agents Richard Seymour and Sebastian Janikowski (which as of this writing is rumored to be a done deal), finding impact players in the April draft, and hopefully finding some solid free agents to add to the roster.
Another issue of note, considering the past season, is who the starting quarterback will be next season. The debate has centered on the assumption that it will either be Jamarcus Russell or Bruce Gradkowski.
However, that debate may be a moot ...
According to ESPN's Bill Williamson the Raiders are about to make Sebastian Janikowski the highest paid kicker in the league. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4918465
I think this is a big first step to a successful offseason for the Raiders. It not only solidifies an area of strength, but also keeps the Raiders from using the franchise tag to retain Sea-bass.
Now the Raiders can move on to retaining Richard Seymour with the bargaining chip of the franchise tag when negotiating a long-term deal.
Once a deal is in place with Seymour, the team can decide which of their own free agents they want ...
This year heading into the off-season the Raiders have alot of work to do.
They also have alot of questions and uncertainties.
The Raiders ended the year with the o-line in shambles.
They have 4 line-backers, all of who started last year at one point, entering free agency.
And the FB postion is foggy: Oren O'neal may be the answer, but he may also be deemed to injury prone. Luke Lawton and Gary Russell are serviceable but not ideal lead blockers. And Marcel Reece's playmaking ability may or may not translate to the position.
Add Al Davis and his lust for speed into the mix ...