Sports

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…

More and more time passed and the most coveted players remained on the table. Neither Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame nor Taylor Mays of USC had been chosen by the time the Raiders 44th pick came around. Minutes before their time came up, the Raiders traded their 39th pick to the Buccaneers for a 2nd round pick and a spot in the 5th round. Turned out to be a good trade as Tampa failed to nab any Oakland’s prospects, picking…

For the duration of the draft, I will be reporting directly from the Raiders headquarters in Alameda, keeping you up-to-date with the Raiders’ big moves. Any burning questions? Let me know.

“My biggest asset is my intensity, not just as a football player but as a leader and teammate. I’m accustomed to winning,” said McClain.