No, this isn't a joke. With highly controversial quarterback Tim Tebow getting cut from the New York Jets on Monday (via ESPN), it's worth pondering whether the Raiders would be a good fit for his services. The arguments are there. Here are a couple that stand out: Oakland's uncertainty at quarterback Despite the addition of free agent Matt Flynn and rookie Tyler Wilson, the Raiders are still seeking to identify a franchise signal-caller. General manager Reggie McKenzie told reporters after the NFL draft (Raiders.com) that he prefers to have four quarterbacks compete this summer for a starting role that could well extend into future seasons. ...
Nineteen innings? No problem. The A's erased two deficits, including their second straight five-run hole, and Brandon Moss' two-run blast in the bottom of the 19th gave them a 10-8 victory. The home run, which likely was seen by less than a few hundred loyal fans who stuck out the six-hour, 32-minute marathon, gave the win to Jerry Blevins, Oakland's eighth pitcher of the game. The game lasted so long that it's easy to forget that Oakland trailed 7-2 in the eighth before scoring four runs to make it a one-run contest. Then in the ninth, a walk to Coco Crisp—who moved ...
When the Oakland Raiders drafted D.J. Hayden—a cornerback from University of Houston—with Sharrif Floyd still available, it stunned many fans and experts alike.Floyd had been almost unanimously predicted to go to the Raiders with the third pick before Oakland traded down to No. 12. Nonetheless, Hayden, not Floyd, will be playing as a member of the Silver and Black. He's an interesting addition to the defensive backfield, which has also added Tracy Porter and Michael Jenkins via free agency this offseason. As with any rookie, especially a rookie drafted in the first round, the question is now about how much playing time ...
After a blistering 12-4 start, the A's have since gone 2-8 pending Monday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels to settle at a 14-12 record. While that's still a game better than they were in 2012, the A's have to be a bit disconcerted at their level of play in the last two weeks.While injuries have had something to do that that, notably to Yoenis Cespedes, that has not been the biggest problem. Quite simply, some players have not delivered. And going forward, there are three in particular who must make adjustments in order to help contribute to the ...
After allowing for a day of recovery and letting it all settle in, here is my take on how the Oakland Raiders did in the 2013 NFL draft.Understand, I don't give grades until after a season is played. It is absolutely pointless to grade picks without any gauge of production or performance. It is also important to have a better understanding of the players with a little film study and idea of how they may be asked to contribute. Oakland managed to turn seven picks into 10 overall with trades in the first, fourth and sixth rounds. With the huge chasm ...
Sunday was quite a nerve-wracking day for the Oakland Athletics. The A’s entered play in a collective funk, having lost the first three games of the four-game home set against the Baltimore Orioles and eight of their previous nine contests overall.To say that Sunday’s tilt was a must-win game could have been an overstatement—but nobody would exactly argue against that sentiment. A loss would have given the Athletics a 13-13 record—a dismal free fall from their 12-4 start. Instead, Oakland managed to pull out the victory, 9-8, in prototypical come-from-behind A’s fashion, salvaging a lone game in the series, but ...
The Oakland Raiders are in the midst of a massive rebuilding project under general manager Reggie McKenzie, and many fans of the team were hoping that McKenzie was going to get an impact player with the third overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.Some of those same fans, as well as some members of the media, have questioned the Raiders' decision to first trade back in the first round and then take a player who very nearly died several months ago.Well, that segment of Raider Nation needs to take a deep breath and just relax, because the selection of Houston ...
From the second the 2013 NFL draft concluded, the Oakland Raiders, like every other team around the league, started to receive their draft grades from the media and fans alike. This year, in comparison to all too many of the Raiders’ drafts over the past decade, may prove to be very different. In employing a new and extremely refreshing draft strategy of “best player available,” GM Reggie McKenzie and his staff were able to add many players in spots that gave them great value, and addressed many positions of need in the process. As with any offseason personnel decisions, initial ...
Just one day after the Oakland A's lost to the Baltimore Orioles after leaving the bases loaded in a four-run defeat, the A's came back to deliver the late-game heroics that we all know and love.The A's got back to their winning ways and avoided a four-game sweep at home from the Orioles. It took the A's 10 innings to do it, but they salvaged the series.Per tradition, whenever the A's win a game with a walk-off, the man who wins the game is pied in the face by outfielder Josh Reddick. The A's won the game when Coco Crisp ...
On the day that the Oakland A's honored their 1973 World Champion team with a pregame ceremony, the A's had a chance to add to another legacy.In 2012, the A's led MLB with 15 walk-off wins (including one in the postseason) en route to winning the AL West division crown.On Saturday, the A's fell behind 7-3 as they went to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning. With the bases loaded and only one out, newcomer Jed Lowrie came to the plate. Lowrie watched the A's late-game heroics from afar in 2012 as a member of the Houston ...