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Archive for August, 2011
The 2011 Oakland Raiders will be without two of their stars from last season. Nnamdi Asomugha and Zach Miller have moved on and the Raiders will be hard pressed to fill the talent gap left in their respective wakes. Will Asomugha or Miller have the bigger impact on the Raiders this season? Zach Miller has the larger statistical impact. In his first four seasons in the NFL, Miller caught 226 passes for 2,712 yards and 12 touchdowns. Miller led the Raiders in catches, yards and receiving first downs each of the last three seasons. Miller was the one constant in the ...
What a week, what a week.And a disappointing one at that.The Raiders have lost two intricate pieces of their football team: Nnamdi Asomugha and Zach Miller.Asomugha's departure via free agency could have been stopped—all the Raiders had to do was make an offer. But they didn't, according to Asomugha.So, that ship has sailed. The All-Pro cornerback signed with the Eagles. That was just fine and dandy for Raider Nation—all that cash would go to pro bowl tight end Zach Miller.But it didn't. Miller cashed in with the Seattle Seahawks, earning Antonio Gates-type money.So, now here the Raider Nation is—torn between ...
Free agency has not been kind to the Oakland Raiders. Not only did the team lose football’s best cornerback in Nnamdi Asomugha, but standout TE Zach Miller also departed for greener pastures in Seattle. Of course, not all the news is about the players who are gone. Several new faces, including top draft pick Stefen Wisniewski, are looking to rebuild the offensive line (which, of course, suffered a substantial loss of its own with the departure of Robert Gallery). What do all the changes mean for Oakland’s chances in 2011? Can the defense come back strong even in Asomugha’s absence? ...
The Oakland A's made only one move before the July 31 trade deadline.  This lack of activity is a possible sign that Billy Beane and company could be content with what they have and are looking to build for the future with the current nucleus in tact.The A's stumbled into the All-Star break going 3-10 in their final 10 games before the break.  The dismal finish included getting swept in a four game series against the American League West Leading Texas Rangers.Since then the A's seem to have their legs back, kind of.  While going 10-9 since the break is not ...
The Oakland Raiders are in training camp for the first time in a while without Nnamdi Asomugha and Zach Miller. Many Raider fans are sick with Raider owner Al Davis for allegedly letting them go after overspending before the lockout. If Davis is over the cap and no one but he knows it, he can and has always massaged the cap to get his men. I believe Asomugha wanted a supposed guaranteed title contender and Miller wanted Tom Cable. I guess Shane Lechler was right about the hiring of Hue Jackson leading to free agents leaving. We all knew that Gallery was leaving and didn't mind but ...
It was July 11, 2011, just a few days ago, that a young man asked to speak with me about his math class. He introduced himself and said he worked for the Houston Texans YMCA. Later he added that his grandparents lived next door to the parents of Bubba Smith, a former Oakland Raider. Smith played for the Raiders from 1973 to 1974. I was surprised on that day, July 11, at noon. The church bells ring at noon each weekday, and they tolled on that day, too. The chapel is across the street from the college. We heard the bells. Those ...
Everyone in Oakland knows of the huge void on the offensive side of the ball. However, it’s not at quarterback, as for the first time in years, the Raiders head into the season with a clear-cut starter in Jason Campbell. And while Oakland’s wideouts are not scaring any defenses per se, the receiving corps boasts some precocious young talent that has rounded into form over the past couple of seasons.  Instead, the vacancy on offense has been created by the recent departure of tight end Zach Miller, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as free agent with the Seattle ...
It is being reported by the Los Angeles Times that former NFL star Bubba Smith was found dead in his Los Angeles home.A cause of death was not reported.Smith played in the NFL from 1967 to 1976 for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers.More details will be posted as they become available.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The Raiders are in trouble.Zach Miller skipped town to join the Seahawks and now are without any legitimate tight ends on their roster.Only four players are currenlty listed at tight ends, including one, David Ausberry, who was drafted as a wide receiver.Only one has any NFL experience and none project to be a starting level tight end. The Raiders likely need to look outside to find a replacement tight end but here is quick breakdown of who the Raiders currently have.Begin Slideshow
The Raiders have lost another player today in free agency, with TE Zach Miller signing with the Seattle Seahawks.  When the free agency period began, there wasn't much noise on Zach Miller.  It was believed that he was going to re-sign with the Raiders once they got under the salary cap.  The Raiders restructured Kamerion Wimbley's deal to save some money, then the next thing you know Zach Miller is in Seattle, having lunch with Tom Cable.  Initial reports were that this was just a leverage move to get more money out of the Raiders.  That obviously wasn't the case, ...