Sports
ESPN is reporting the Oakland Raiders are awaiting approval from owner Al Davis to cut 2007 No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell. Russell was benched after 12 games last season due to his poor performance.
Michael Moore, the Oakland Athletic League’s commissioner, is in charge of one of the oldest high school sports organizations in the state—but it’s also the smallest, and under pressure to combine with larger sections. The league’s future was in doubt until Moore came along and could still face more questions about its status—but Moore wants to keep the league independent.
The first three round of the NFL draft usually earn the most attention. That’s when the familiar names and big “numbers guys”—meaning players who look really good on paper—get picked up by teams that have done their homework and have wrestled with trades and money to attain them.
It’s been confirmed that Raiders owner Al Davis has told recently traded Kirk Morrison the “doors to the organization will always be open” to him. Morrison was traded to Jacksonville in the fourth round in return for a second fifth round pick. It has also been confirmed that quarterback Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins will now be a Raider.
Mid-way through the fifth round, reports are coming out that the Redskins and Raiders are discussing a trade for QB Jason Campbell. Before the draft, the Redskins acquired Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles and if he starts, which he more than likely will, Campbell will have to take a place on the bench. Campbell can have a fresh start in Oakland, a team that definitely needs a pair of fresh legs to fill that position.
In the fifth round, the Raiders picked Walter McFadden from Auburn at the defensive back position. This should round out the defensive front head coach Tom Cable has been focusing on as top priority in press conferences following the first three rounds. McFadden played cornerback for the Auburn Tigers. The 23-year-old Pompano Beach, Florida native weighs in at 175 lbs. He finished 12th in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference (SEC) in passes defended.
Morning, early risers! The action is well under way at Day 3 of the draft. Oakland has already drafted two newbies, Bruce Campbell (106th pick) and Jacoby Ford (108th pick). Now that linebacker Rolando McClain, drafted in the first round, is in the picture, there’s no more need for veteran Kirk Morrison, who led the team in tackles last season. So the Raiders orchestrated a trade with Jacksonville, trading Morrison for a second fourth round pick, which they used to…
With Rounds 1-3 complete, the Raiders have hammered out the line of scrimmage, building upon last year’s mid-season acquisition, defensive end Richard Seymour. Oakland lost most of its games last season due to the team’s inability to stop the run. In its first three picks, the organization has done its best to fill that need.
The Raiders remain a mysterious force. There’s been talk about Bruce Campbell, the large-and-in-charge offensive lineman from the University of Maryland, since early on in the day and he was still available by the time the Raiders had to make a choice in the third round. And the Raiders choose… Jared Veldheer? He’s not one of those well-known names, but believe it or not NFL analysts think this may have been a good move. Part of Veldheer’s lack of notoriety…