SB Nation Bay Area: All Posts by James Arcellana

Raiders QB Matt Flynn will have mental toughness tested by Tyler Wilson

2013-05-13T13:46:34Z

The Oakland Raiders made a lot of moves at the quarterback position this off season. They traded away the 2012 starter in Carson Palmer, traded for the presumptive 2013 starter in Matt Flynn and drafted what looked like a project with potential in Tyler Wilson. But after just one rookie camp, there are already murmurs of Wilson pushing for the starting job.

Poor Matt Flynn must be having nightmares right about now.

Before the 2012 season, Flynn signed with the Seattle Seahawks, where he was thought to be the presumptive starter as well. Then the Seahawks drafted a project quarterback in the third round by the name of Russell Wilson. As it turns out, Wilson was more ready to play in the NFL than anyone had imagined and eventually led the Seahawks to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Flynn was a true professional and supported his teammates as he saw his chances of starting in Seattle go down the drain.

This off season, Flynn was traded to the Raiders where it was announced that he would enter training camp as the presumptive starter. Then the Raiders drafted a project quarterback in the fourth round by the name of Tyler Wilson. Sound familiar? Hell, they even have the same last name.

The pick led to mentions of the similarities after the draft, and now, after only one rookie camp, it is being brought up again. Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times is already saying that it is not a stretch to think that Wilson will push for the starting job. This story was quickly picked up by Pro Football Talk.

And like sheep to the herd, here I am writing about it as well, but for a slightly different reason. Not to jump to the way too early conclusion that Wilson will challenge and possibly beat out Flynn, but to point out that Flynn needs to deal with the fact that this is going to be talked about, and probably a lot.

Clearly this is a story that the media is going to focus on throughout the off season as the Raiders go through the process of analyzing what they have and seeing how everyone learns the offense. It Matt Flynn wants to succeed, he will need to do so with the mental strength necessary to ignore the inevitable talk of the similarities from 2012.

He cannot escape the comparisons or the media coverage. Wilson appears to have some legitimate talent, and even if he is not ready to be a starter in the NFL, he will likely show enough flashes to keep this story active. Flynn went through a tough year in Seattle and if he is not mentally tough, this type of off season could really screw with him. But that is ok. A QB must be mentally tough, if Flynn cannot handle this pressure he is not a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Not a bad way to test Flynn's mental toughness. I wonder if McKenzie had that in the back of his mind when he decided to draft a third QB rather than signing a veteran backup.

Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen says team will run a 4-3 base defense

2013-05-12T17:05:52Z

The Oakland Raiders had a very busy off season, and no position saw more action from the Raiders front offices than the linebacker position. The Raiders cut starting middle linebacker Rolando McClain and let free agent linebacker Philip Wheeler go sign an absurd contract in Miami. That meant the only returning starting linebacker was second year player Miles Burris.

Then the Raiders went on a linebacker binge. They started by signing a special teams stud with potential to be a starter on defense with Kaluka Maiava. Not exactly a flashy signing, Maiava will likely contribute mostly on special teams and as a back up linebacker.

Next, general manager Reggie McKenzie signed former Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Roach. Typically an outside backer, Roach showed his versatility by filling in at middle linebacker when Brian Urlacher was injured. Roach is young and eager to prove that he is ready to be a special player. He has the potential to be very good, now he has his chance to show that as he will likely be a starter in Oakland.

In his final linebacker free agent signing, McKenzie added a veteran to the group of young misfits in Kevin Burnett. The older brother of Kaelin Burnett who was signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Burnett is also a versatile linebacker, but one who has found more success in 3-4 defenses. That being said, he is a veteran and a good leader in the locker room. He will likely be the leader of the linebacker group.

And just when you thought the Raiders had added all of the linebackers they could add, along came Sio Moore. The Raiders drafted the University of Connecticut outside linebacker in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Moore was a talent the Raiders just could not pass up on. A talent that should have gone much earlier, Sio dropped and the Raiders benefited. Moore could push for a starting spot this season if for no other reason than the fact that right now he represents one of the best pass rush threats the Raiders have.

With all of those linebackers, many expected the Raiders to switch to a 3-4 base defense this season. The defensive line is not great and with the glut of backers, it just seemed to make sense. But head coach Dennis Allen put a stop to that rumor in his press conference during rookie camp.

"Listen, we’re basing out of a 4-3, just like we did last year," said Allen. "But we’re going to have the ability to have some 3-4 looks, being able to implement those things and try to make them as simple as we can for our players, as well as try to make it complicated for the offense. A lot of people look at, 'Well, they got this linebacker, they got this linebacker', we’re stacked at linebacker, now all of a sudden we’re going to a 3-4. Well, that’s not really necessarily the case.

Makes sense that Allen would not want to completely change the defense in one year. While the Raiders did see a lot of people leave on the defensive side of the ball this off season, there are still some main stays like Lamarr Houston, Tyvon Branch and Miles Burris. It's hard enough having all of the new guys learn a new defense, let alone making everyone on your defense do it.

So why then, did the Raiders go out and get so many linebackers? Allen had an answer for that as well.

"When you look at the team, you got to develop depth across the team," Allen continued. "Fortunately for us, we feel good about the linebacker situation and when you really look at it, the quickest way we’re going to help this football team is improving special teams. That’s a big part of it. The linebackers, the secondary, the tight ends, those are all areas that we can improve our football team through special teams."

The Raiders had needs all over the defense. While they could have addressed many of those needs, when you think about it, they are not over burdened with linebackers. Right now, they have four guys who should legitimately push for the three starting spots and a couple of guys who will make for solid depth and be contributors in special teams. Moving to a 4-3 defense would actually stretch the linebacking corps thin by taking away depth.

Regardless of what the base defensive set is, Dennis Allen has some toys to play with in this linebacking corps. After a year of terrible defensive play in 2012, Raiders fans should be looking forward to what Dennis Allen can do with some good talent on his roster. He is, after all, supposed to be a defensive genius.

Oakland Raiders: Bringing back Richard Seymour would make sense if he comes cheap

2013-05-08T16:24:14Z

The Oakland Raiders entered the 2013 NFL Draft with defensive line being one of their biggest areas of need. The problem is, they finished the 2013 NFL Draft with defensive line being one of their biggest areas of need. They drafted a defensive tackle, Stacy McGee and a defensive end, David Bass, in the sixth and seventh rounds respectively, but players taken that late cannot be expected to be big contributors early on.

The Raiders did, however, take a guy in Sio Moore that could help on the defensive line. Though he played linebacker in college, Moore also spent a good amount of time with his hand in the dirt, rushing the passer. But even with that addition the DE position, the Raiders would be looking at Vance Walker and Pat Sims as their starting defensive tackles. Walker could end up being very good, but Sims is a two down back up, so where do the Raiders turn to solidify their defensive line this late in the game? Perhaps to a familiar face.

Richard Seymour, who spent the past four seasons with the Raiders finds himself without a team as the 2013 season rapidly approaches. Earlier in the off season, it was rumored that Seymour wanted a big payday, but now that he has not had any suitors this late in the game, if he wants to continue his career, he will need to do so at a discounted price.

If Seymour comes to his senses and is willing to accept a reasonable salary, it would make sense for Reggie McKenzie to look at bringing him back. When Seymour first joined the team, he was hearalded for his leadership abilities. He has been credited with turning Tommy Kelly from an overweight average player to a strong presence up the middle. He was also credited with helping turn around the losing atmosphere that had dominated Oakland locker rooms for years.

With the Raiders full of young guys on the defensive line, having another veteran to help them grow and learn the positions would be helpful. The Raiders do not necessarily need or want Seymour as a starter, so they will not be willing to pay him much, but if he will take less and be part of a rotation while helping the young guys learn how to play at the next level, it will be a worthwhile investment.

Oakland Raiders has worst starting QB in the division according to ESPN Blogger

2013-05-06T12:57:39Z

The Oakland Raiders do not have their quarterback position solidified yet, so it is no surprise that when taking a look at the quarterbacks within the division, ESPN AFC West blogger Bill Williamson did not exactly have raving reviews for the Raiders quarterbacks.

Williamson ranked the top eight QBs in the division with Matt Flynn and Terrelle Pryor making the list. It isn't a surprise that two quarterbacks made the list. With four teams in the league, Williamson likely chose eight spots in order to rank both starting and back up QBs. The good news is that Williamson does not think another team in the league has a better back up than the Raiders do a starter, but that's about all of the good news.

Of the starting quarterbacks, Flynn, who was named the starter heading into camp, finished fourth. This is not overly surprising since Peyton Manning is clearly the best in the division and while Philip Rivers has had some down years, he has also been one of the best in the league at times in his career. Meanwhile, Alex Smith is hanging onto the reputation earned on two years of above average play and Matt Flynn simply hasn't seen the field enough to get much recognition.

On the bight side of things, at least Terrelle Pryor was not ranked as the worst back up in the division, that honor went to San Diego Chargers back up Charlie Whitehurst. Pryor ranked third among the back ups, or 7th overall in the rankings. Williamson noted that he has talent and potential but is likely to be pushed by Tyler Wilson for the backup spot.

With three young quarterbacks hungry to play in the NFL, the Raiders should have a good competition in camp, but the question that remains to be answered is whether or not any of them will step up and show that they are ready to be a good NFL starting quarterback.

Oakland Raiders new QB takes draft call in odd location

2013-04-28T21:44:39Z

The Oakland Raiders drafted 10 players in the 2013 NFL Draft and just like every other year and every other player taken in the draft, each one of those players received a call from the team who was taking them in order to inform them of where they would be playing the beginning of their professional football careers.

On Saturday, among other players, the Raiders drafted a quarterback out of Arkansas named Tyler Wilson who took his call in a rather unusual location. Rather than taking the call sitting on his couch watching the draft with his family and loved ones, Wilson took his call from the Raiders at his local Walmart with a fan with whom he had just taken a picture with and other Walmart patrons.

Wilson said that he was right in the middle of taking a picture with a fan when his phone lit up. He excused himself and took the call while the fan and other onlookers at the Walmart watched and listened as he learned where he would be playing in 2013.

Wilson quickly left the Walmart so that he could go home and celebrate with family and friends, but that moment he learned of his fate at the next level will forever have been spent with his fellow fans of Walmart.

NFL Draft round 5 live blog

2013-04-27T18:00:55Z

As round 5 of the NFL draft begins, there are still plenty of quality players available for NFL teams to take. With the run on QBs that went on in the 4th round, there were a number of really good players who began falling and some who continued to fall after being projected to be taken in day two. There are 6 hall of fame players who were drafted in the 5th round of the NFL draft, so don't be confused into thinking that a team cannot significantly upgrade their roster in the 5th round.

Round 5 Pick 134: Kansas City Chiefs select Sanders Commings, CB University of Georgia

-- The Chiefs get a versatile defensive back in Commings. Though he played CB in college, some see him as a safety at the next level. The Chiefs will be able to try him out at different spots in their secondary adding depth across the board.

Round 5 Pick 135: Jacksonville Jaguars select Denard Robinson, WR Michigan

-- This guy is just pure athlete. Denard Robinson is a playmaker who can be used all over the field. The Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the league and have gotten a guy who can help out with a lot of holes and creates another playmaker for the Jags who have very few.

Round 5 Pick 136: Philadelphia Eagles select Earl Wolff, S North Carolina State

-- Eagles add to their secondary with a guy who has been a three year starter and can contribute right away. A two way star in high school, he has better ball skills than most secondary players and he is not afraid to put his nose in a pile and go after a ball carrier.

Round 5 Pick 137: Detroit Lions trade pick to Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks select Jesse Williams, DT Alabama

-- Chiefs get a really good value pick here. Some saw Williams as a guy who could have gone back in day two in the late second or third round. He fell much further than many thought and he would have been a nice selection for the Raiders had he continue to fall.

Round 5 Pick 138: Seattle Seahawks select Tharold Simon, CB LSU

-- The Seahawks add another guy who fits in with the type of secondary that Cheat, I mean Pete Carroll likes to have. Hard hitting aggressive ball hawks. Adds nice depth to that unit.

Round 5 Pick 139: Cleveland Browns trade pick to Indianapolis Colts

Colts select Montari Hughes, DT Tennesee Martin

-- The Colts get a athletic freak with a lot of potential. Started his college career at Tennessee before transferring and has the tools to be a big time player, but he needs a lot of coaching up to reach his potential.

Round 5 Pick 140: Arizona Cardinals select Stephen Taylor Stanford

-- The Cardinals have been trying to find a good running back for years without success. Now that the Beanie Wells expirement is over, they needed to try and find a new guy to fill the hole. More of a power back, Taylor could be a nice pick up for the Cards.

Round 5 Pick 141: New York Jets select Oday Aboushi, OT Virginia

-- The Jets shock everyone by not getting another QB (read: sarcasm). The Jets needed some offensive lineman and look to address that need with Aboushi. He is not a great prospect, but could compete to be a starter at RT one day. If not, could end up being a G if he can show versatility.

Round 5 Pick 142: Tennesee Titans select Lavar Edwards, DE LSU

-- The Titans get a versatile guy who has experience dropping back into pass coverage as well as rushing the QB. Special athlete who can play special teams and a number of positions on the defense. Les Miles even said they lined him up at WR sometimes. Athletic freak.

Round 5 Pick 143: Buffalo Bills select Jonathan Meeks, S Clemson

-- The Bills look to have reached a little bit with this pick. Don't know that Meeks would've been taken before the 7th round. Not a ton of info on this guy other than the fact that he was not a consistent starter at Clemson, but has talent and could be developed.

Round 5 Pick 144: New Orleans Saints select Kenny Stills, WR Oklahoma

-- Saints get a great pick here. Fast guy with good hands. Needs to learn to be more physical in the NFL, but Drew Brees will know how to get the most out of this kid. Easily could have gone earlier in the draft and will likely contribute right away with the Saints.

Round 5 Pick 145: San Diego Chargers select Steve Williams, CB California

-- Chargers got a nice player with Williams. Great speed and good size. He is a decent open field tackler but has room to improve. Had a very good career at Cal and is a nice late round value for the Chargers.

Round 5 Pick 146: Denver Broncos select Quanterus Smith, DE Western Kentucky

-- Big guy from a small school. Can play in both 3-4 and 4-3 who fell to later rounds after a knee injury. Has a lot of athletic ability and has a ton of upside but is still very raw.

Round 5 Pick 147: Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Steven Means, DE Buffalo

-- Guy who can play OLB or DE. Mostly a pass rusher, does not have good sideline to sideline movement. Good physical attributes but needs to show they can translate to good football skills.

Round 5 Pick 148: Carolina Panthers select A.J. Klein, ILB Iowa State

-- Nice value in this pick, Klein is not a bad player. Has good instincts, but relies on them a bit too much as his physical talents are not quite on the level of what one wants for the NFL.

Round 5 Pick 149: St. Louis Rams select Brandon McGee, CB Miami

-- Guy has the prototypical build and physical attributes for a corner in the NFL, but his college career did not show the on field production that makes you confident his physical attributes will convert at the next level.

Round 5 Pick 150: Pittsburgh Steelers select Terry Hawthorne, CB Illinois

-- Another CB with great physical attributes and very good top end speed, but who did not excel in college and had some injury concerns as well.

Round 5 Pick 151: Dallas Cowboys select Joseph Randle, RB Oklahoma State

-- Good option in the passing game, Randle has good hands and is a nice outlet for the QB. Can run in short yardage as well but does not have the bulk to be great at it. Has above average speed.

Round 5 Pick 152: New York Giants select Cooper Taylor, S Richmond

-- The Giants go small school fishing in taking Cooper out of Richmond. Good size and shows some promise, the Giants hope they can help develop the raw talent at the next level.

Round 5 Pick 153: Atlanta Falcons select Stansly Maponga, DE TCU

-- Undersized and injury prone, but he had solid production in college and could make a decent pass rushing specialist with some work at the next level.

Round 5 Pick 154: Washington Redskins select Chris Thompson, RB Florida State

-- Could Mike Shannahan have struck again? Small RB at just over 5'7, that's smaller than even I am, and I'm a little guy. But wouldn't be shocked if he puts up a thousand yard season in Was.

Round 5 Pick 155: Minnesota Vikings select Jeff Locke, P UCLA

-- Great punter with the ability to have a big time impact on field position at the next level.

Round 5 Pick 156: Cincinnati Bengals select Tanner Hawkinson, OT Kansas

-- Good football player who is undersized and has short arms. Might be a good prospect to move inside to guard. Had good production in college.

Round 5 Pick 157: San Francisco 49ers select Quinton Dial, DE Alabama

-- Niners get yet another DE. Project guy who has great size for what the Niners are looking for. Can stuff the run and push the pocket but isn't a great pass rusher.

Round 5 Pick 158: Seattle Seahawks select Luke Wilson, TE Rice

-- Good size and speed for a tight end, but is a project player from a small school.

Round 5 Pick 159: Green Bay Packers select Micah Hyde, FS Iowa

-- Good size and speed and has shown the instincts to be a play maker but does not do is consistently enough to be sold as a player at the next level.

Round 5 Pick 160: St. Louis Rams select Zachary Stacey, RB Vanderbilt

-- Short guy with above average speed and good production in college. Has all of the intangibles you could want. Hard worker, good locker room guy.

Round 5 Pick 161: Denver Broncos select Tavarres King, WR Georgia

-- Broncos add to their WR corps with a guy that has pretty solid attributes. Good speed but needs to put on some weight as he is pretty small.

Round 5 Pick 162: Washington Redskins select Brandon Jenkins, DE Florida State

-- Guy who would've been chosen earlier if not for an injury early in the year in 2012. He is a pure pass rusher who needs to develop his run skills, but can contribute at the next level.

Round 5 Pick 163: Chicago Bears select Jordan Mills, OT Louisiana Tech

-- Solid option to develop into a starting RT prospect. Better in the run than in the pass but has good size and good intangibles.

Round 5 Pick 164: Miami Dolphins select Mike Gillislee, RB Florida

-- Bigger back who does everything well but does not excel in any one area. Can run, catch and pass block well.

Round 5 Pick 165: Detroit Lions select Sam Martin, P Appalachian State

-- Punter from a small school. Not a lot of info on him, but taking a punter in the draft normally represents a guy with a big leg who can change field position.

Round 5 Pick 166: Miami Dolphins select Caleb Sturgis, K Florida

-- Its officially a run on kickers! Strong legged guy who has made some good kicks in pressure situations.

Round 5 Pick 167: Green Bay Packers select Josh Boyd, DT Mississippi State

-- Good height and weight, but arms and hands are on the smaller side and does not have much speed.

Round 5 Pick 168: Baltimore Ravens select Ricky Wagner, OT Wisconsin

-- More likely to be a G at the next level. Developmental player who has the possibility of moving inside and being a contributor at the next level.

And with that, the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Enjoy the rest of the draft, lots of picks for the Raiders in round 6!

Raiders take QB Tyler Wilson out of Arkansas in Round 4

2013-04-27T17:02:29Z

The Oakland Raiders traded the third pick in the fourth round with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in order to get the 112 pick (15th pick in the 4th round) and a sixth round pick. With the trade back, the Raiders selected QB Tyler Wilson out of Arkansas, adding to a group of young quarterbacks already in Oakland.

Many believed the Raiders would target a quarterback in this draft, but were unsure of who or where the Raiders would take one. At the start of the fourth round, the Eagles traded up to get Matt Barkley and not long after, the Giants traded up to get Ryan Nassib, possibly prompting the Raiders to take Wilson a bit early.

Most had Wilson tabbed to go anywhere from the 3rd to the 5th round. With guys who were tabbed in the first two rounds falling deep into the draft, it is a bit surprising the Raiders chose Wilson so early. But there did appear to be a run of QBs happening in day four so it isn't too much of a reach,

Wilson is a solid option for a developmental quarterback. He did not have a very good senior season, but the Arkansas program in general was off its game in 2012 and if you look back at his junior season, Wilson had a solid year with 24 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. He is raw and needs to develop, but he has a strong arm, is accurate and is the type of motivated player that Reggie McKenzie likes.

Don't expect him to pull a Russell Wilson and be a starter in 2013, but with a little time, he is certainly capable of developing into an NFL caliber QB.

Be sure and check out what Arkansas Expats blog had to say about Tyler Wilson and Raiders drafting him.

Oakland Raiders take Hayden in first round, what do the experts think?

2013-04-26T17:04:41Z

The Oakland Raiders traded the third pick in the draft for the 12th pick and 42nd picks while landing cornerback DJ Hayden out of Houston. The Raiders spoke very highly of their pick after making it and even claimed that they would have taken Hayden with the third pick had they not found a trade partner. Sounds pretty good if you take it from the Raiders, but let's take a look at what the so called experts have to say about the Raiders' first round.

Here is what ESPN Insider has to say about the pick:

What he brings: Hayden has one of the best combinations of footwork and closing burst in the 2013 corner class. He is also rarely caught out of position. What separates him, though, are his playmaking instincts and ability to manufacture turnovers. He can get stronger and more consistent in run support, but overall Hayden shows a shut-down skill set in coverage.

How he fits: This was one of the worst secondaries in the NFL a year ago. Part of the problem was corners with marginal cover skills. A bigger problem might have been the lack of an upfront pass rush. As a result, it puts the defensive backs on a lot of island situations. They are forced to blitz to create pressure, which means a lot of tight man-to-man coverages. The problem is that none of their guys did it very well. This will at least be a step in the right direction to allow Oakland's coaches to get back to more aggressive cover packages. They obviously hope that Hayden can be a shutdown corner like the type of player you used to identify with this secondary.

Sounds pretty good. The Raiders certainly needed help at the corner position and according to insider Hayden looks like a guy who can fill that role for years.

Meanwhile, Michael Silver of Yahoo sports is much less enthusiastic about the pick. In his piece, SIlver mentions health concerns and the fact that Hayden was not tabbed to go very high as reasons to be cautious when it comes to the Raiders' newest player. His Yahoo compatriot, Jason Cole, was also not very high on the Raiders' first day, but for him, it was due to the Raiders not getting sufficient value in their trade with Miami.

ESPN blogger Bill Williamson was ok with the choice of Hayden, saying that he could be a good player and if you think a guy is special, you have to take him, even if others think he is a late first round pick. But Williamson also had issues with the trade, believing the Raiders did not get nearly enough for the third overall pick.

Todd McShay believes that Hayden will come in and push for a starting job immediately and will one day become a very good starter in the league. He notes that Hayden has great speed, good ball skills, is a good tackler and is versatile, being able to play well in both man coverage and zone schemes.

Overall, it appears that the Raiders continued their habit of bucking the system by taking the unexpected and perhaps a bit early. But at the same time, there appears to be a consensus that as long as Hayden has fully recovered from his freak injury, that he very well could become a dominant corner in the NFL.