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Archive for January, 2011
It’s game on in Oakland. Very, very quietly, the Oakland A’s have had a very solid offseason. They have improved their offense with the additions of Hideki Matsui, David DeJesus and Josh Willingham (loved that move by them), and now they are really improving their already-existing solid bullpen.   Fuentes is the latest reliever signed by the A's   To go along with Brad Ziegler, Craig Breslow, Jerry Blevins and Andrew Bailey, the A’s added Grant Balfour last week and now they have signed LHP Brian Fuentes. According to the Associated Press, the A’s have signed Fuentes. Official terms ...
"Sources" tell us that former closer Brian Fuentes has signed a two-year deal with the Oakland A's, pending the always dubious physical.  He will be added to a bullpen that also added Grant Balfour and resigned Brad Ziegler.  This is likely bad news for Fuentes as a future closer. The A's aren't set at closer, but they aren't going to give up on Andrew Bailey. He went on the DL multiple times last year and is coming off elbow surgery. Fuentes will likely see some save action; he is a great insurance policy if you draft Bailey.  Still, if Bailey is junk this year, then ...
Amid recent distress in Raider Nation regarding coaching changes and free agency, along with the uncertainty with an expiring CBA, I've decided to write an article focusing on something a little different than recent ones on the coaching situation.It's come to my attention that the Oakland Raiders are still being named as candidates for landing a quarterback this off-season, via draft or free agency.As you know, the current starting quarterback is Jason Campbell.After a shaky start which included getting benched for Bruce Gradkowski, Campbell finished the season off strong, going 6-4 in his last 10 starts, to go along with ...
Well, I know it hasn't been announced yet, but the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders is 2010 offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Al Davis, like I've said plenty of times, does things his way. Al does things differently. I am pretty sure he has known Hue Jackson would be the HC in 2011 since he hired the former Raven assistant last off season. Now that Hue Jackson is on the cusp of being the lead man in Oakland, he, along with Al Davis, will have to figure out who will be the offensive coordinator. Is Davis going to overload ...
Are the coaches of the Oakland Raiders walking on egg shells lately? Clearly, there are no sacred cows in the mind of Al Davis, and heads may roll, to your surprise, while Davis purposefully irritates the dynamics of the team. Well, one reason this may be happening is to uncover whatever incompetence may be cloaked and lurking in the lower level coaching positions and in the players. There was a time I would connect myself to the accomplishments of the students. I would say, "A teacher is only as good as her students." Poor learning, poor teaching. Of course, the assumption was ...
In college, the Maryland wide receiver was considered to be a speed demon who could break off a huge touchdown on every play. The Oakland Raiders shocked the world when they selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, taking him over Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin.  The pick was highly criticized, and rightfully so.  In Heyward-Bey's rookie season, he only caught nine passes for 124 yards and one touchdown.  A very disappointing season for a top 10 pick. He was determined to improve his play and worked hard in the offseason.  His numbers improved as he caught 26 ...
And so it continues to change in Oakland. John Marshall, who worked to rebuild the Raiders run defense is now unemployed, after being told that his contract, like Tom Cable's would not be renewed. To some this is a shock, given that on some Sundays the Raiders looked great on defense. Against Kansas City and Denver, the Raiders' defense managed to lock up the Chiefs' tandem of backs, winning both games. At other times the Raiders defense looked tired and old, best seen by the tear that Ricky Williams put in in Oakland. The hardest part about gauging why this move was made, is ...
Barring a total failing of reason, or business as usual with Al Davis, sometime next week Al should name Hue Jackson as his head coach for the next season, be it 2011 or 2012. What does this mean for the Raiders? For one, business as usual, involving shakeups in coaching, free-agent signings and even the occasional press conference that comes with something of importance. However, what in all does this mean for the Raiders, and for their coach, Hue Jackson? For one, it could be given that instead of looking for the next head coach in Oakland, the interviews are more of the ...
I already know that I don't know enough to make decisions about the situation with the Oakland Raiders. That's exactly why I do so much research on the team. After reading so many articles and comments, I have to admit that I am concerned that the Raider Nation is either dealing with genius so far ahead of the crowd that some are confounded about the decision-making process. It could be pathology, however, that is driving the franchise in a strange pattern, according to some observers. The situation reminds me of students who progress too slowly to attain mastery by the time of the ...
Let me start by saying that my worst fear of all is that there will be no football in 2011.  With that proclamation out of the way, I would like to give you all some insight into what moves I would like for us to make in free agency, versus my worst fears for each position.   Quarterback Wish: Jason Campbell.  I watched this year as Jason had his ups and his downs.  I was a firm believer in dearly departed Tom Cable's statement that we were "a quarterback away from the playoffs." Campbell gives us that quarterback.  Although his delivery and decision-making seems to ...