Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden are two veteran running backs with plenty to prove. Because of that, the Oakland Raiders have one of the preseason's most intriguing positional battles on their hands.
McFadden missed six games due to injury last season and has never played a full, 16-game slate. With that in mind, Oakland decided to go out and get some competition in the form of MJD. Jones-Drew has had some injury issues in his own right, but he is also a three-time All-Pro.
The competition is certainly too close to call at this point, but Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle is ...
For a team that went through as much turnover as the Oakland Raiders did this offseason, the first week of camp is especially important. This was the first opportunity for the coaches to see how close—or how far—the team is to competing on a weekly basis.
After the first week, the Oakland coaches should be pleasantly surprised and encouraged by how the team has played.
It's still early, and there is still a lot for the players to prove, but so far, the signs have been encouraging. Veterans have lived up to expectations, and several unheralded players have stepped up and made ...
The Oakland Athletics are in the midst of an historic season.
Not only do the A's have the best record in the majors at 67-43 and an eye-popping plus-164 run differential, but they also are the talk of the baseball community with the two boldest blockbuster acquisitions in recent history. Simply put, having a conversation about anything other than the accomplishments and improvements of the big league club may be doing the organization a disservice.
But let us step back from the mega-deals that general manager Billy Beane has orchestrated over the past weeks and take a closer look at the foundations ...
It’s been 11 years since the Oakland Raiders were a winning team. In nine of those years, the Raiders had five or fewer wins. On average, the Raiders have finished 23rd in points scored and 25th in points allowed over the last decade plus of football futility.
Given these facts, it’s hard to fault a fan or foe for skepticism about this team’s chances to make noise in the AFC West. A nefarious bacteria called negativity has grown in the tepid waters of losing and has infected even a very devote fanbase.
If the Raiders do manage to be a winning team ...
The Oakland Athletics have had the American League's best record for virtually the entire season, but any A's fan knows in-season success doesn't guarantee playoff wins. Winning in October takes a deep roster, a couple of top-level players and a whole lot of luck.
After consecutive Game 5 losses to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series, the A's have gone all-in to win this year, trading for starting pitchers Jeff Samardzija, Jon Lester and Jason Hammel.
Building a starting rotation of four aces didn't come cheap, as general manager Billy Beane dealt top prospect Addison Russell and left fielder Yoenis ...
Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane is tired of his team being “one-and-done” in the playoffs.
The A’s have been to the postseason seven times during Beane’s 17-year tenure, but they reached the American League Championship Series just once. More recently, the A’s have won the American League West in each of the last two seasons only to lose to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series.
This year, however, Oakland officially is “all-in.” And based on Beane's aggressive trades over the last month, he surely will be disappointed if the A’s season concludes with anything less than a World ...
Oakland Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera has reportedly been a "major mismatch" in training camp thus far.
Is Rivera's early camp performance for real, or is it just hype? Will he win the Raiders' starting tight end job? Could he end up leading the Raiders in touchdown catches?
Watch Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms in the video above as they discuss Rivera's potential.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The trade deadline is officially over, and Oakland A's fans can finally go take the shower they've been avoiding while hovering over Twitter.
In the last month, the A's have pulled off two major blockbusters, a minor move and three non-moves that lit social media up. Today, Oakland looks like a popular pick for this year's World Series title. After the first trade alone took place, it became clear general manager Billy Beane decided to go all in. Another league-shaking deal later, and he's clearly not bluffing about stacking his cards.
But while the moves are great for 2014, are they worth ...