Raiders Sign Heyward-Bey
NAPA, Calif. — Rookie receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed with the Oakland Raiders on a five-year contract Thursday that will guarantee him at least $23.5 million.
Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in April’s draft, reported to training camp on Thursday and is expected to practice on Friday.
“I think it’s big because we want him to be a big part of the offense,” Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said after hearing reports of the deal. “Everybody was waiting on him to come in. I think that’s great that he signed.”
Oakland did not reveal terms of the contract, but a person involved in the deal told ESPN on condition of anonymity that the seventh overall pick will get a base salary of $38.25 million along with the guarantee.
The seventh pick in last year’s draft, Sedrick Ellis, got $19.5 million in guaranteed money from the Saints.
The Raiders were able to get the deal done before Heyward-Bey missed too much time in training camp. The team was dealt a serious setback in 2007 when No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell missed all of training camp and did not sign a contract until after the first game of the regular season.
His rookie season was almost a complete loss and the team considered him a rookie still for most of last year.
“He needs to be here,” Russell said. “I missed a whole lot. … I hope he gets here and gets a chance to work with us.”
Heyward-Bey was a controversial pick by the Raiders, who passed over more highly touted receivers like Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin to take the fastest one in the draft.
The Raiders are counting on a big contribution from the rookie this season. They need plenty of help at wide receiver after getting just 82 catches from the position last season, led by Johnnie Lee Higgins‘ 22, and needed to get their star rookie in camp quickly.
“It can hurt your development as a player,” Asomugha said. “When you’re coming into training camp as a rookie you have to be there to see how it goes. You have to get into a groove. In 2007 that didn’t happen. That’s good to get it out of the way now. He only missed one practice. It’s good for him.”
The deal with Heyward-Bey was the highlight on a first day of practice that featured a heavy dose of fundamentals.
The team repeatedly lined up and snapped the ball, before a whistle immediately blew to stop the play as the focus was on proper footwork and alignment instead of running plays and hitting.
“Minicamp is a lot like going to Disneyland,” coach Tom Cable said. “You get through it and enjoy it and you’re learning all that, and to me, this is like the U.S. Open, every shot counts. Every practice, every rep. … Every rep counts because you’re learning something, you’re getting back, getting your mind lined up right.”
The Raiders will spend the first four days of training camp working on the mental part of the game more than the physical. There will be lots of individual drills, time spent reinstalling the schemes taught in the offseason and the aborted plays.
Next week, the players will finally put their pads on and practice. The get-back-to-basics focus is definitely different, but the players say it was needed on a team coming off its sixth straight season of at least 11 losses.
The Raiders are hoping for something different this year under Cable.
The Raiders were almost at full strength at the start of camp. Former Pro Bowl defensive end Derrick Burgess has not reported to camp as he looks to be traded. Left guard Robert Gallery is out after undergoing an emergency appendectomy and receiver Javon Walker was placed on the physically unable to perform list after offseason knee surgery.
Raiders Fantasy Outlook 2009
By Andy Behrens
The Juggernaut Index is our annual ranking of NFL teams for fantasy purposes. Repeat: FOR FANTASY PURPOSES. We’re interested in yards and points here. We begin at No. 32, the NFL’s least useful franchise, and we’ll work our way toward the elite teams. These ranks are astonishingly accurate and highly collectible. Please enjoy them responsibly.
32. Oakland Raiders
Parity? Really?
Oakland fans do not know this parity of which you speak. The Raiders haven’t won more than five games in any season since 2002 and they haven’t averaged 20.0 points per game since 2004. They’ve obviously had no shortage of high draft picks, yet over the past four seasons they’ve finished 21st, 32nd, 25th and 29th in the NFL in total yards.
This year, in many 10-team fantasy leagues, there won’t be a Raider in anyone’s starting lineup in Week 1. There will, however, be at least two Raiders on fantasy rosters — running back Darren McFadden(notes) and tight end Zach Miller — so let’s focus on the ownable commodities before discussing the rest of the team.
McFadden gave us a brief glimpse of his potential in the opening weeks of ’08 when he gained 232 total yards on 32 touches against the Broncos and Chiefs, but his rookie season was largely a disappointment due to a medley of injuries (toe, ankle, shoulder). The offseason reports have been positive, and it’s worth recalling the fact that McFadden has elite speed (4.33 at the combine).
Despite their lack of competence in other areas, the Raiders actually have a respectable ground game. Oakland’s rushing attack finished among the league’s top 10 in each of the past two seasons (124.2 YPG in ’08, 130.4 in ’07). McFadden will be a significant factor in the short passing game, too, so he deserves a bump in PPR ranks. His current Mock Draft Central ADP is 53.8. Expect Justin Fargas’(notes) role to diminish in ’09 — if it doesn’t, something has again gone wrong. Michael Bush(notes) remains a solid late-round play; his fourth quarter outburst against the Bucs in Week 17 should not be forgotten (13 carries, 129 yards, TD).
The Oakland passing game? Well, it isn’t pretty at all times, but here’s the good news: Miller is legit. He separates quickly and he’s capable of making degree-of-difficulty catches. Miller led the Raiders in both receptions (56) and yardage (778) last year, and his totals dwarfed those put up by any Raiders wide receiver. (Johnnie Lee Higgins(notes) led the WRs with 22 catches for 366 yards). Miller broke the plane just once, but the team only managed 13 passing TDs so it’s not as if anyone was covered in glory.
Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell(notes) has exceptional arm strength, but he completed only 53.8 percent of his passes last year. He enjoys $61 million worth of job security, although that doesn’t seem to intimidate 39-year-old backup Jeff Garcia. This from the Chicago Tribune:
“Not knocking JaMarcus or anybody else on the team, but I have a belief in my own abilities,” Garcia said in a phone interview from his home in San Diego. “[That has] me feeling I am the best quarterback on the team.”
Still, Russell easily beats Garcia on raw skills, even if he doesn’t crack the Yahoo! preseason quarterback ranks. Russell has a nice rapport with Miller, but the rest of the receiving corps simply can’t be trusted. Higgins is an explosive kick returner, though not a refined pass-catcher or route-runner. Chaz Schilens(notes) is a tall target (6-4) with impressive pro-day credentials (43-inch vertical, 4.38 speed) and he closed the ’08 season with a pair of nice games (six receptions, 98 yards, two TDs). He and Darrius Heyward-Bey(notes), the Raiders first-round pick in ’09, have all kinds of athleticism, and there’s clearly hope for the future of the deep passing game. But Heyward-Bey is entering his third month of hamstring troubles and he’s hardly a lock to start in Week 1. Even if he does, he’s a drop-prone rookie facing a steep learning curve. Javon Walker(notes) is off the fantasy radar following knee and ankle surgeries. This offseason has gone much better than last year’s, but that’s not saying much.
Other Raiders notes: Last season in Week 4, we learned that Sebastian Janikowski cannot kick 76-yard field goals. His accuracy rebounded in ’08, but he hasn’t topped 100 points since ’04. … Linebacker Kirk Morrison(notes) (136 tackles in ’08) is the Oakland IDP you’ll want to pursue. Corner Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) is just a little too good in real-life, relative to his teammates, to be a fantasy factor in IDP leagues. Asomugha is rarely tested so his playmaking opportunities are limited. … No disrespect intended to Shane Lechler(notes), but when fans consider the punter to be the second-best player on the roster, that probably means the team’s fantasy potential is limited.
Silver and Black Legends Have Eye on Young Players
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
(07-06) 19:52 PDT — Oakland rookie Mike Mitchell remembers well his first peek behind the eye patch at Raiders headquarters. The Lombardi Trophies shined, the team slogans resounded, the black-and-white pictures reminded of a more glorious time.
“Just seeing that tradition, the pictures of Fred Biletnikoff, Willie Brown, Bo Jackson and all those guys,” Mitchell said in wide-eyed wonder. “I was overwhelmed. This is a rich tradition.”
As Mitchell studied each legend’s hallway photo, he had no idea those ghosts of Raiders’ past were staring back at him and the rest of the 2009 team, studying their every move and dissecting their every play.
Yesteryear’s players are wearied by six straight losing seasons. They see hope in a young roster that could start nine players with two or fewer years of experience.
They want to tell the next generation of Raiders how to grow up to be just like them. So, turn off the iPods and listen: After all, these are the guys who have been there and won that. Read more
Can the Raiders Win with Al Davis at the Helm?
The Raiders Post
I have spoken with my fare share of Raiders fans and the consensus amongst them seems to be the Raiders will not be a winning team until Al Davis is no longer running the team.
Most people myself included believe that Al Davis is stuck in the past, and he thinks he can still win games with a vertical passing game like he did in the 70′s and early 80′s. This has proven to be ineffective, the last time the Raiders were productive they employed a West-Coast style of offense.
Al Davis has done a lot for the Raiders and the NFL, but it is time that he loosen the reigns and turn over the talent evaluation and football management over to someone else.
Recent history has shown a spotty track record in the last several drafts and off seasons. Oakland has made its fair share of questionable picks and free agent deals as of late.
Hopefully Al Davis will see the error of his ways and step aside, but based on his personality I doubt it.
So for us Raiders fans it looks to be an arduous few years.
The Raiders Receiver Woes
The Raiders Post
Should the Raiders go after a veteran WR, like Plaxico Burress or Marvin Harrison?
At this stage in the season and with the other players on the roster currently, I say no. I think the Raiders should focus on developing the players they have. Play them as much as possible this season and truly re-evaluate their receiving corps next year. If they still feel they need another WR they should see what next years’ crop of veteran WRs offers and possibly look to sign a veteran next season.
With Marvin Harrison not getting any looks, most teams must believe to be finished. Plaxico still has a couple years left but his legal troubles and fore-coming suspension need to be dealt with making him a buyer-beware proposition at this point in time.
Time will tell if he Raiders made a wise choice in taking Darrius Heyward-Bey (Personlly I think they made the wrong pick). It is also yet to be seen if Javon Walker has his head back in the game or if he is done for good. Johnny Lee Higgins showed some flashes of ability, the other WRs, well we still need to see what they have to offer.
What does the rest of the Nation think?
