DHB will block as well as catch.
Photo by AP Photo/Nick Wass, File
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The common thread among all of the players selected by the Oakland Raiders is that all of the draft picks are high work ethic players who are leaders and winners. This is a far cry from the Raiders of the recent past who were about themselves first, and a sign that the culture of losing that has infected the Raiders for years is finally lifting.
The first round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland, whose selection at number seven was mocked by most draft followers, could not talk enough about following the lead of Jerry Rice's legendary work ethic. He has also made it a point that one of his strengths is his ability to block down-field. This is a stark contrast to the favored pick Michael Crabtree making a gesture of relief when his name wasn't called to join the Oakland Raiders.
Second round pick, Mike Mitchell from Ohio University managed to work his way up draft boards for different teams, despite not getting invited to the combine or receiving any of the predraft hype. He had to work harder than anybody else taken on the first day to receive that honor. He has also handled himself with nothing but class since hearing his selection bashed mercilessly.
Fourth round pick Louis Murphy was a team captain his senior year at Florida. He toiled in the shadow of first round pick and now Minnesota Viking Philadelphia Eagle Percy Harvin. This did not bother him as his goal is not personal numbers, but wins. When Cable called him to tell him that he was now a Raider, Murphy's first response was to ask for the strength and conditioning coach's number, and his second thing was asking to play special teams. Special teams is the all guts no glory type work, that makes the difference between wins and losses.
The Raiders added another worker as an undrafted free agent in Florida Atlantic's Frantz Joseph. These guys are representative of what Coach Cable wants to bring to the Oakland Raiders. It has to be about having that winning attitude and playing as a team. Nnamdi Asomugha and Justin Fargas shared the Oakland Raiders "Commitment to Excellence" award this past offseason, because they have that attitude.Gibril Wilson, on the other hand, was cut because he didn't.
Coach Cable is bringing the team together, which is something that has not happened for the Raiders. Fullback Luke Lawton said it best, "I love Coach Cable. I would take a bullet for that man. He cares for us as individuals, and he understands that we have to stay together in the system."
There have been numerous questions about the draft after a very solid free agent signing period. However, the draft guides only go so far in analyzing the prospect. There is no measurement for heart. The Raiders are populating the team with players who will leave everything on the field, and that is a recipe for success.
Comments
Great Article but I thought Percy Harvin played for the Vikings.
This is what I've been saying for the last few years. Too many Raiders strutting around with their paychecks not realizing the game is a team sport. Not enough personal sacrifices have been made for the team. I was glad when we got Moss but even happier to see him leave. I was tickled we didn't sign the Diva and landed DHB. Bring me the blue collar guys w/o the bling any day.
Well said. Attitude has been a key element to the Steelers success and Cowboy's failings. Cable knows that good character guys and teamwork will make the difference in winning close games.
Well Raider fans, it sounds like our prayers have been answered. Instead of getting Jerry Porter in the offseason. The Raiders used there noodle and drafted young talented and hungry wide receivers. I agree with you on this article, and now is the time for payback!
I will take heart over super talent any day. Talent fades away heart and hard work never do. Besides DHB is ripped and will be able to take an NFL hit. Unlike that skinny frail looking Crabtree. Watch him fall apart after he gets lit up by someone like Adrian Willson.
I've began to love the players we drafted, you nailed it with this article, "There is no measurement for heart" great article
The players coach Cable until they start losing. Then they make him walk the plank.
I can't wait 'til Crabtree goes "diva" on the 9ers. Singletary will bench him so fast it'll give him whiplash.
The Raiders are back and Nation we should feel good about this year and what is said in this article proves it we have players who want to be here and play and not just take Al's money, that locker room has jelled and there ready to play i cant wait till mini camp when they put the pads on and get to work so they can bring it come Sept 14, 2009 in the black hole against the hated Bolts GO RAIDERS!!!!!!!!
this draft is what we need to come back. im glad we didnt get crabtree because he would have done the same thing moss did for us. catch some passes bitched then stoped trying if they start losing. michael mitchell is EXACLY what we need. he probably already is the best takler in our secondary and the kid got heart and somthing to prove since everybody said he was a bad pick. If u watch his highlights then u know al made the right decision
True dat! This team is coming together because of the players we have and drafted. (Team Players) not selfish fools who only play for paychecks but for the game. Like I said before the west is there for the takin and we will make a run for it. DHB is a good blocker which will benefit our running game and he'll stretch the field opening holes underneath for Zmill and Chizaz. Fargas and Dmc will be in the secondary alot for big gains. Jmarc will throw 20-25 TD's this year also. Man, Mike Mitchell has a great attitude on the field if you see his highlight when he's talkin after a big play he made. He was saying "we're bringing it hard, they wanna play hard, we'll give him hard" and was all pumped up.. He'll be a good motivator on the defensive side of the ball, just what we need. RAIDERS ALL DAY HOMIE!! 2009 AFC CHAMPS!
#1 Crabtree was only doing that because it was the biggest insult that anyone could endure in that setting. Watch the tape, theres a moment of shock before the show of "joy" for not being selected.
Good article. I like the way Cable has come in and rallied the troops, I hope Al doesnt stop him from putting the players he sees fit on the field and play guys just because of where they were drafted or what their salary impact is. Al has dug the hole and I think someone like Cable can help digg him out, but he has got to give Cable the keys to the car and let him drive.
Heart will get you a long way but what we need is DHB and Jamarcus to practice like Peyton and Harrison did for so many years. Seperate practices with receivers only, getting out on the field before anyone else practicing routes and getting in the same rythm so come gametime its like pitch and catch.
Thats what seperates the great ones, look at many great players in the past, they all had some of the best work ethic in the game. We need Jamarcus to Want to be the best QB in the game. Although we all will agree the guys mentioned were drafted alot higher than anticipated and I think in the end that will inspire them to be great players with great work ethic. Tom Cable is the guy that has the respect and sounds like they will lay it on the line for him, which goes to say something for the guy. Now Al please sit back and let him drive you back to the top of the mountain.
did you even graduate from the 2nd grade? every one of your articles reads out almost as if you have a bucket of magnets with words and threw them out of the bucket all at once at a refrigerator. "presto! there's my article!" damn.
Nice article but Crabtree did not show relief of not being picked by the Raiders.
He showed he was stunned not to be picked and you could see how much he was bothered to not have been the first wide receiver picked in the draft.
Calvin Johnson, Fitzgerald, these were as close to so called "cannot miss" receivers as you will see in the draft and teams picked them early.
The Browns, Jags, Cincy, Raiders and others all took a pass on Crabtree for a reason.
Theres always hope, it is hard to deny all the positive steps taken by Cable so far. Raider fans can only hope the all important chemistry you mentioned in the another article works the same for Al Davis and the coaching, that the coaching is much improved and the work ethic instilled serves as a glue for the team.
sonny, Crabtree DID show relief and made a joke that it was "close" he went to Oakland. But if he would have been drafted by them, he would have been stoked.
I'm glad Crabtree is not a Raider. Don't need any me-first attitudes here anymore.
Patrick, thought this was a solid read. "There is no measurement for heart." Very, very true.
Because you have to look at it like this...and it reminds me of football practice my senior year the first year I played football EVER; when ONE person or more is hustling their tail off and giving their all, it rubs of on people.
Hard work goes a long way. You could be practice squad material, but if you bring it just about every play and let the guy know who is blocking you or coming at you I'm still coming and HARD, and that spreads.
At the very least it calls out the veterans who don't go as hard and the coaches may call them out saying this guy may not get to the QB every play but he has heart...like that movie Rudy. You can't teach it, but you always love to have a few players with it.
Being a Raider fan since the 60's I can tell you this much. Watching Path to the Draft on the NFL Network convinced me even more that we made the right decision in taking DHB. Behold,"Now They Will Fear the Raiders Once Again." DHB you deserve to be the first wide receiver taken in the draft. Welcome to the Raider Nation-good luck and God Bless.
The Kool Aid is flowing and i'm not drinking it this year. 4 - 12 if we're lucky Al Davis go away and let us win again please.
We will see how they come together - SD at home on Monday Night - I was at that debacle last year for the opening game and it hurt more than any loss in a long time. Different angle then, new angle of "hard working, coming together" now. I will believe it when I see it. Raiders need to come out and out muscle, and out "want it" over the Dolts. Let's SEE it.
I get the feeling that perhaps DHB was also drafted because the team felt they could get him signed cheaper than Crabtree. After investing 100 million bucks in McFadden and Russel, could we really afford to shell out another 50 million for Crabtree? I still dont like the pick, but Im hoping for the best. Awfully risky taking a second round talent with the 7th pick, we got burned by the Michael Huff pick, hopefully this will yield better results.
I really think coach cable is leading the team in the right direction and more now than ever the Raiders have my support and i really hope DHB could shut all this sport announcers up this season...GO RAIDERS
agreed..when u want to be somewhere its so much better than having to be somewhere, and our guys want to be here,want to turn it around,and quite frankly this is the year the NATIONS been waiting for,all those years that i've said "we'll next year" i believe this is it!!!!!dmc/jlh/dhb/expy-ala-doshes...GO RAIDERS
crabtree is gonna get jammed alot and will struggle off the line. He's gonna have trouble separating from defenders. his YAC isn't that impressive. He is mostly dangerous in the red zone area i think. Im not knocking him because of the "diva" thing or the fact he's not a raider. im not saying this to justify DHB, but this is what I always thought. Good player, but over hyped if you ask me. and his inflated numbers in the spread had something to do with that. The kipers and mcshays jumped on him early and rolled with it.
As an extreme fan of all sports I have decided to explore a career in sports analysis/journalism. I am not quite sure how I will achieve this as of yet but I have ambition to make it work out for me. I have read a lot of articles from Patrick A. Patterson and I really admire his non-bias views and knowledge of the game. My only hope is that I am half of the writer that Mr. Patterson is. It is very frustrating to read articles from other sports writers in regards to the Oakland Raiders concerning how dysfunctional their whole organization is from the owner on down to the players. The lack of work ethic and actual journalism is lost in a lot of the sports writers analysis concerning this team. Due to the fact that they have been on a downward spiral since their Super Bowl appearance against the Tampa Bay Bucs, a lot of sports writers have gotten by with merely jumping on the band wagon with most of the other sports analysts and only writing articles which seem downright disrespectful towards any NFL team. I haven't read an article from any other writer that looks at the other end of the pendulum like this one has done. Only the negative parts of the Raiders organization are written about these days, and although there was a team that went winless this past year, there still hasn't been an article that can match the negative attitude that analysts express when writing about the Raiders. As explained in this article the Silver and Black are trying to bring back that swagger that they were once known for. They are cleaning the locker room of all negative attitudes and bringing in players that want to win for this team and most importantly the fans in Oakland. I really enjoy watching "Coach Cable" mold and shape this this team back to their roots "Commitment to Excellence". Thank you for the amazing article which brings to light the positive aspects about this team and the young group of players which could be our next hope for a winning season. The Oakland Raiders are moving in the right direction and I have high hopes that we are close to bringing back the respect to this city and this team.
Bradley says it best. Patrick all your articles are enjoyable to read, you are probably my favorite journalist to read, regarding the Oakland Raiders. Keep it up man.
I like this article, and I think it accutaely reflects what Cable is trying to do.
I would take guys with heart and drive to succeed over just talent any day. Because the people who succeed in this life aren't the ones with the most talent, they are those who are the most focused and relentless.
Crabtree is a diva, glad we passed on him
Enough said, THANK YOU PATRICK FOR JUST SEEING IT FOR WHAT IT IS AND NOT BECAUSE IS THE POPULAR THING TO DO. I will remember as I go online this year and buy me and my wife tickets to the season opener against the DOLTS. When Darrius catches his first pass for over the head of the F.S, and Mitchell knocks the helmet of an Wideout trying to get deep on him and J.R. become the QB that we all know he can be. I'll remember.....no words will be needed when I look around the Stadium and here all of the fans cheering and celebrating our victory and think to myself," Who is the crazy now, huh??
I think it's very important to get that hard working team belief and effort back into the Raiders orginization.Less me,myself & I and more TEAM will bring back the Raiders to glory.I wish the best for Tom Cable and hope he brings the stability the Raiders need.GO Silver & Black, The RAIDERS!
So the Raiders will have a bunch of great guys that lose 10 games.
DHB is Troy Williamson. They got the same WR in Murphy in the 4th round. How many sprinters does Al need to have to learn that guys like Rice, Fitz, Boldin, Carter and on and on, weren't burners but all they did was make plays.
Until Davis start drafting players instead of a track team the Raiders will be near the bottom every year.
I'm pulling for Mitchell to make it [underdog and all] but lets be realistic he's a SS. Is that going to improve the run defense? Unless he gains 200 lbs and plays DT I don't think so.
With Kelly/Sands it will be 100+ yards per game again. And anyone who thinks that the OT's they signed solved the LT issue is smoking crack. Russell will be running for his life again.
Raiders will go 5-11.
These punks don't know their head from their ####!! Al wanted speed & and safety who could bring it hopefully like Jack Tatum, he got it!!
Tom Jackson, no rings and his Bronchos disrespected the AFC with their blowout losses in the Super Bowl. Cris Carter, his Vikings gave away the NFC championship to Atlanta by TAKING A KNEE then years later get CRUSHED by the Giants. Trent Dilfer, the only Super Bowl winning QB I can remember to get cut the following year? Nuff said on these analysts illustrious careers!!!
Al Davis opened the door for Black folks via the players from the HBCU's, referees,& coaches. Carter and Jackson should STFU!!!
When the Raiders were in LA, the masses were united on gameday at the Coliseum. The gang violence between Blacks and Latinos on gameday with the Raiders came to a halt!!! Why, Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett!!! Blacks, Whites, Latinos, you name it, the masses stood together and bled SILVER & BLACK.
Check the crowd at the game nowadays, from all walks of life, real Raider fans are united and will stand by their team because no one can say we don't have talent. The pieces are coming together and the "Cable Guuuuy" head coach can see the picture. Jack Tatum/Michael Mitchell? Cliff Branch/Darrius Heyward-Bey? We shall see. Just Win Baby!!!!
Great article and observations about building a team with individuals who have good character and strong work ethics. That said, seems like every year about this time I'm always optimistic about the Raiders' upcoming season only to have that bubble burst soon after the seasoning-opening kickoff. Man, I sure hope this year will be different. My biggest concern now is our ability (inability) to stop the run. Off season player acquisitions have not allayed my fear that teams will continue to fatten their run stats against us. I'm forced to place my optimistic (blind?) hope in our new defensive coordinator who hopefully will redo our schemes and gain more production from current talent by doing so. Lastly, I'm a bit concerned that we do not have an offensive coordinator. Can't quite figure why this is the case.
I know this year will be different. The way Tom is changing the culture of this team is huge for our success, with the way he is bringing in players with great attitudes and weeding out the ignorant selfish ones goes a long way. I do agree with, how will we stop the run issue? One way way is a different scheme and hopefully with that and the resigning of Nnamdi and CJ shuting down both wideouts we'll be able to bring 8 to 9 in the box. Hope Mitchell is one of those in the box bringing the heat. As for our O, we will be more productive because we are gaining experience on that side of the ball. The running game will be close to 200 YPG again, with more Td's from Fargas and Dmc. The passing game will increase its YPG by 100 to total 248 yards in the air with Jmarc averaging 1.5 Td's (thats 24 Td's this year). Basically more competitive and making a run for the AFC west. Its going to be off the hinges, cant wait for the season to get under way. RAIDERS 2009 AFC Champs. All day homie.
How you like thes nicknames?
Money Lee-Higgins ( he's money with the ball)
Daylight Hayward-Bey
Mike "The Crusher" Mitchell
Cable is doing the right thing to win. His conversations are not filled with BS and he has the support of the team and he gets rid of jerks. I fully expect less penalties and a Warren Moon type run and shoot offense with decoy receivers who know how to block and read a playbook. Now the only piece to put in place is a quarterback who can see downfield and pass accurately. That will be Garcia. If Jamarcus gets traded I would not shed a tear. He's the only jerk left.
Patrick is 100 percent on point. Tom Cable is building a team that reflects both his own character and that of the city it plays in. Blue collar, hard working, nose to the grindstone. Kids ready to work and eager to learn. No more divas and primadonnas, no more whiners and attitudes. This is a team that's gonna battle for 60 minutes.
Like a man mixing concrete, you can see Tom Cable pouring a solid foundation into this team. It's a good mix.
G.
'09 for COOP and 'CANE
Watch the vid of Mike Mitchell strength training on youtube, hard worker. That's what it takes, that's why you draft guys that can fly, you know how much hard work it takes to be faster than your competition? Yes speed kills and it's great to have, but the work ethic it requires to posess that speed is what you love. You can't fake fast, you have to earn it, and the watch will prove it, and that speaks louder than any other information that could be exaggerated or embelished. How many coaches are gonna say "Yeah my boy only worksout half-assed, I don't think you should draft him."? The stopwatch is the golden barometer of working hard for it, why not use it? Davis is a smart man that cannot be hyped by Mayock and the other Bozos.
"Now They Will Fear the Raiders Once Again."
LOL. Who the hell fears a team that goes 4-12? The first thing the Raiders should do is take down the "Commitment to Excellence" signs. It's a joke.
4-12 again this year. DHB catches 25 passes.
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