Photo by Patrick A. Patterson/EXAMINER.com
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Yesterday, was a look at the good and the bad from the Oakland Raiders offseason workout programs. Today is a look at the questions swirl around the franchise that were not answered.
Many of these answers will be revealed once the team convenes in Napa for their training camp. That is when the actual contact begins, and the battles for a spot on the team heat up. However, it is time to ask the questions that need answered.
Who is the left tackle? Incumbent Mario Henderson has taken the bulk of the snaps as the first team left tackle so far this offseason. However, Coach Tom Cable stressed to local reporters not to read too much into that.
My Take: It has to be Henderson's job to lose. He played well once he took over for Kwame Harris, and the offense came to life. Unless Henderson falters, Khalif Barnes will be moved to the right side.
What is Darrius Heyward-Bey's status? First round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey has missed a sizable chunk of the on field workouts thus far due to a hamstring injury he suffered during the mandatory minicamp. There have been questions about his ability to hold on to the ball, which have not been answered with his limited on field activity.
My take: With over a month of no practices, there is no need for him to push at this time. He should be ready to go by camp, where the questions about his catching will be answered.
What is the status of Mike Mitchell? The Oakland Raiders selection of Mike Mitchell in the second round set off shock waves of ridicule from the talking heads during the draft. Like DHB, Mitchell has been limited with an injury suffered during the mandatory minicamp. He has also had to stay away from the OTAs due to the NFL rules regarding his graduating class.
My take: Mitchell is far from a polished prospect, and missing the time is setting him back. He will definitely have eyes on him once the pads come on in Napa.
What will happen with Derrick Burgess? Derrick Burgess has been chronically unhappy with his contract, and has taken to showing his dislike for his current deal by doing absolutely nothing with the team. During the mandatory minicamp, Burgess was present but did not take the field due to what was described as the flu. He has not been at any of the OTAs, and the Raiders signed another pass rusher in Greg Ellis.
My take: Unless Al Davis gets the proverbial offer he can't refuse, Brugess will play out his contract and become a free agent at the end of the season. No way he gets tagged or cut.
NOTE: If you have any questions you would like answered in a future article, email them to me at patrick at tfdssports.com
You can also find Patrick Patterson on Thoughts from the Dark Side.
Comments
Nice article. I think Barnes will be RT. Heyward-Bey's injury is a big concern for me, but he seems like a smart and motivated player. So, hopefully he will have a good camp. I'm most concerned about DTs stopping the run.
Nice article, keep them coming. Al's mistake in not drafting Monroe over Bey and Brace over Mitchell will be obvious right away in the 2009 season. Henderson and Barnes should be going against any DE that exhibits a combination of swim, rips and spin moves to get to the QB in practice because Moday night they will get a full dose of Madman Merriman. Brace would have put a lot of pressure on the DTs to either put up or get out of town.
Patrick,
You got quoted in the article about the Air Asia plane.
I was going to put the link, but you disabled links. He is the line:
The story was written by Patrick Patterson, who started investigating when he saw a photograph of a mystery Airbus A340 airliner with the Raider shield on the tailfin.
Monroe and Brace sounded good to me. LT - Henderson will get every chance in the world to stay at LT. Don't put too much into last year, he got alot of help. We can only hope he takes the next step. DHB - He fit what we are trying to do on offense but picked too high. Hopefully, we can at least expect him to stretch the field for us. Mitchell - Looks good on paper (numbers) and on film but there is alot to learn at the safety position, so I would not be overly optimistic about him contributing very soon. Burgess - do not trade him. He will be motivated and produce this year. Next year we will get a third round compensatory pick for him if he leaves via FA anyway. Our first two picks were huge gambles. Murphy can probobly do what we can expect from DHB. I don't like passing on blue chip lineman. How many times is DHB going to touch the ball vs. Monroe busting his butt on every play.
I still think we need that #1 receiever, man I hope Walker steps up!
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