One of the biggest problems with the Oakland Raiders in 2012 was the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Due to salary cap concerns, the Raiders were forced to jettison their top pass-rusher last year, and they didn’t have the cash or draft picks to address the problem. Reggie McKenzie tried his hardest to put a bandage on the problem by signing Dave Tollefson, but the pass rush was still anemic. McKenzie went out and signed veteran defensive end Andre Carter, but that didn’t help much either.Fixing Oakland’s pass rush is going to take a lot more than signing a ...
Going into the 2012 season, it was thought that the Oakland A's pitching staff would take a hard hit with the trades of Trevor Cahill to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Andrew Bailey to the Boston Red Sox and Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals. However, as the 2012 season ran on and pitchers went down with injuries or suspensions, the A's showed that they had a deep pool of pitching talent in the organization.The A's pitching staff has undergone more changes this year, with Brandon McCarthy departing via free agency and trades involving pitching prospects A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, among others.Going into ...
Going into the 2012 season it was thought that the Oakland A's pitching staff would take a hard hit with the trades of Trevor Cahill to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Andrew Bailey to the Boston Red Sox and Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals. However as the 2012 season ran on and pitchers went down with injuries or suspensions, the A's showed that they had a deep pool of pitching talent in the organization.The A's pitching staff has undergone more changes this year with Brandon McCarthy departing via free agency and trades involving pitching prospects A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock among others.Going into ...
As Reggie McKenzie begins his second offseason as the general manager of the Oakland Raiders, several issues must be addressed before September rolls around.Oakland isn't as financially strapped as it was last year, but the team still needs to rebuild while dealing with the bloated contracts left behind by Al Davis.The Raiders are now under the $121 million salary cap, but there are still players who must restructure their contracts or they will be cut.Here is a breakdown of where the Raiders stand right now with their salary cap situation.Begin Slideshow
It appears that new Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson is prepared to undo one of the errors of his predecessor, one that led to the Raiders ranking 18th in the NFL in rushing in 2012.While he's at it, Olson should make an even bigger change. One that carries with it significant risk but gives the Raiders the best chance of moving forward after years of mismanagement.It's time for Terrelle Pryor to start at quarterback.The first switch Olson is making, according to Eric Gilmore of Bay Area Sports Beat, is abandoning the zone-blocking technique implemented by previous offensive coordinator Greg ...
This series will evaluate one team per day, starting on Jan. 23 and ending on Feb. 22 (the first game of spring training). It is based on last season's performance, the offseason changes since then and the author's outlook for the team in 2013. Please keep in mind that rosters can, and will, change before Opening Day. We started in the American League East, worked across to the National League, tackled the Central divisions, and now jump to the AL West, going in alphabetical order. Next up, the Oakland A's. 2012 finish: 94-68 (1st place, AL West -- lost 3-2 to Detroit Tigers ...
This series will evaluate one team per day, starting on Jan. 23 and ending on Feb. 22 (the first game of spring training). It is based on last season's performance, the offseason changes since then and the author's outlook for the team in 2013. Please keep in mind that rosters can, and will, change before Opening Day. We started in the American League East, worked across to the National League, tackled the Central divisions, and now jump to the AL West, going in alphabetical order. Next up, the Oakland A's. 2012 finish: 94-68 (1st place, AL West -- lost 3-2 to Detroit Tigers ...
The hopes of the Oakland A’s to start off the 2013 season strong took a hit with the announcement that closer Grant Balfour will miss four to six weeks because of arthroscopic knee surgery. Balfour’s surgery, resulting from a torn meniscus, was announced to the public in a statement, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee. The 35-year-old right-hander was a revelation as Oakland’s closer last season; the first time he assumed that role during his nine-year major league career. He appeared in a career-high 75 games and went 3-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 24 saves, while allowing just 41 hits ...
The hopes of the Oakland A’s to start off the 2013 season strong took a hit with the announcement that closer Grant Balfour will miss four to six weeks because of arthroscopic knee surgery. Balfour’s surgery, resulting from a torn meniscus, was announced to the public in a statement, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee. The 35-year-old right-hander was a revelation as Oakland’s closer last season; the first time he assumed that role during his nine-year major league career. He appeared in a career-high 75 games and went 3-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 24 saves, while allowing just 41 hits ...
When Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen took over the Oakland Raiders franchise prior to the 2012 season, they had a lot of work ahead of them. The team was in a terrible position in regards to the salary cap and available draft selections, making addressing the lack of talent and depth an extremely difficult task. Just one offseason later, the salary cap situation is now much improved, and could even be considered favorable by the time the 2014 season rolls around. In April’s 2013 NFL draft, the Raiders will have what will seem like their most significant crop of draft ...