Here goes another free agency article.
That's about all we writers can do these days with all the uncertainties that the NFL now has. There are especially a lot of articles on free agency because it still has yet to happen with no C.B.A. in place.
The last article I wrote on free agency was on the odds of the Raiders picking up certain players. This time around, I'm going to show you the players the Raiders absolutely must make a run at this offseason for the Raiders to contend.
Turn the page to see who they are.
Begin Slideshow
While the big league club is showing flashes of the expectations that were placed on them during the preseason, several members of the team's future are making strides towards reaching the big leagues playing for the A's minor league affiliates.As early as this season with a September call-up, several top prospects aim to make an impact in a hopeful 2011 pennant race. The others will look to keep the team competitive in 2012 and beyond.Right now the A's are hovering around .500, and currently are just 3 1/2 games out of first place.The offseason acquisitions are finally starting to show ...
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Bleacher Report asking me to write a few articles for the site. Apparently they found my Twitter account "funny" and wanted to see if that would carry over to pieces that were more than 140 characters.I'm pretty sure it won't, due to a crushing lack of self-confidence, but I'll give it a shot.On the outside, Twitter and athletes seem like a match made in heaven. The idea of being able to connect with fans directly, give your own updates, set stories straight and show your true personality seems like a dream scenario ...
Jacoby Ford is an Oakland Raider who has started his career with a blast of talent and commensurate performance. Potential is being converted to kinetic energy for Ford.Let's hope the players picked during the 2011 draft adjust and perform at a similarly accelerated rate.There are a few historical examples to motivate this discussion. Jacoby Ford fit well with the Oakland Raiders and his adjustment period was short and effective.Let's compare this young player with a couple of senior players who are legends in the NFL.Here is a table:
Comparison of First ...
This article is part one in a two-part series.In 2010, the Oakland Raiders had one of, if not, the worst offensive line in the NFL.Maybe it was due to the lack of a true center. Maybe it was because of an aging right tackle. Maybe it was because their best lineman was injured for half of the year. Or, maybe it was due to the starting left tackle being a division II rookie.That starting left tackle was Jared Veldheer.Veldheer, an athletic freak of nature, was drafted in Round 3 of the 2010 NFL draft. Entering the league, he was considered ...