Louis Murphy's Bad Day

"Police in Gainesville, Fla., arrested Oakland Raiders WR Louis Murphy on Sunday and alleged a series of violations stemming from a traffic stop. Among the allegations, police said Murphy was carrying a bottle of Viagra that he did not have a prescription for. They charged him with drug possession without a valid prescription, failure to obey a police officer and resisting arrest.

Police attempted to pull Murphy's SUV over after they said he was spotted blaring music from it. Police said Murphy wouldn't pull over when flagged by police and that he resisted arrest when they tried to detain him. They said it took three officers to corral the 6-2, 200-pound Murphy into custody (USAToday)."

Well, he's an idiot. All he had to do was pull over and I very much doubt they bust him for Viagra. I guess the reason that Murphy ripped the label off the bottle was that he didn't want his girlfriend to know that he used the stuff. Now everyone knows, he has to go to court, and will be the butt of jokes for years to come.

The Raiders have had a tough offseason. Murphy is now the 3rd Raider to be arrested. Michael Bush was arrested for alleged drunken driving in Indiana on Feb. 12 and Mario Henderson was arrested for allegedly carrying a concealed firearm in Florida on March 17. Then again, what do you expect from the Raiders?

Raiders Promote Hue Jackson To Head Coach

"The Oakland Raiders promoted offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to head coach on Monday after he helped the team more than double its scoring output in his first year with the franchise (ESPN)."

I don't like that Cable got fired, but I do think this is the best thing the Raiders could do. They obviously are starting to head in the right direction and keep the staff intact as much as possible is probably a good idea.

The one that this will help the most is Jason Campbell. He had four different offenses in four years at Auburn, then four more in six years in the NFL with Washington and Oakland, so it'll be nice to see if he can develop now that he has some consistency.

Nnamdi Asomugha A Free Agent

Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha's contract voided and he will be allowed to become a free agent without the Oakland Raiders being able to use their franchise tag on him, Raiders senior executive John Herrera confirmed Sunday. ESPN

Apparently the Raiders has some stupid clause in his contract that if he didn't surpass the games he played last year he will be a free agent. Anyone who is able to snag Nnamdi is going to have a real good, young cornerback. he is in the Revis mold where he can shut down big play WRs. My early prediciton will be the Jets because they will have a lot of extra salary cap with all of their "big names" being free agents.

Oakland is in a bit of trouble after a somewhat impressive year. Oakland could have many other key free agents this offseason depending on the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour, safety Michael Huff, cornerback Stanford Routt, tight end Zach Miller, left guard Robert Gallery and running back Michael Bush are among the Raiders' other potential free agents. You got to feel bad for them somewhat after having such an up year.

Tom Cable Let Go

"The Oakland Raiders informed coach Tom Cable on Tuesday that they will not bring him back as coach next season even though he led them to their best record in eight years this season (ESPN)."

Tom Cable is a terrible person, and if they got rid of him because of that then I can understand it, but from a football perspective this doesn't make any sense. Cable gave the Raiders an 8-8 season that was its first non-losing record since winning the 2002 AFC championship. Oakland will now be looking for their 6th coach the end of the 2001 season. I just really don't get this at all, unless (like I said) it was because they didn't want to deal with him punching coaches in the face anymore.

Darren McFadden Injury Update

"Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group speculates that Darren McFadden will miss the Oakland Raiders' Week 5 matchup against the San Diego Chargers, and maybe even more than that.

On the other hand, Raiders coach Tom Cable said Monday that neither McFadden nor Michael Bennett "felt real bad" that morning (per the San Francisco Chronicle), which could be a good sign (ESPN)."

From everything I have read it sounds like he is going to be out this week, which is really too bad because McFadden had finally been productive posting totals of 95, 145, 105 on the ground before getting hurt against the Texans. Hamstrings worry me, because they can linger all season, so if you got this guy on your fantasy team make sure you keep an eye on his updates.

If McFadden really is out this could be Michael Bush's time to shine. I personally don't think he is all that good, but the Raiders are really going to need him to pick up the slack.

2010 NFL Preview: Oakland Raiders

2009 Record: 5-11

Key Additions:
Kyle Boller, QB, St. Louis
Jason Campbell, QB, Washington
Rock Cartwright, RB, Washington
Chris Cooper, DT, None
Quentin Groves, DE, Jacksonville
John Henderson, DT, Jacksonville
Daniel Loper, G, Detroit
John Owens, TE, Seattle
Kamerion Wimbley, LB, Cleveland

Key Losses:
Greg Ellis, DE, Free agent
Justin Fargas, RB, Free agent
Cornell Green, OT, Buffalo
Kirk Morrison, LB, Jacksonville
Oren O’Neal, FB, Free agent
JaMarcus Russell, QB, Free agent
Javon Walker, WR, Free agent
Gerard Warren, DT, New England

Offense:
Jason Campbell might not be a Pro Bowler, but he is sure better then anything Oakland has had from the QB position in a long time. The Raiders lost Fargas, but McFadden and Bush should be good enough to carry the load. What I don't like is their offensive line and WRs. Campbell might be a good decision maker, but it won't matter if no one is open, and he is being pressured. I think this offense will be improved, but not enough to make this an above .500 team.

Defense:
This defense doesn't get talked about a lot, but it is actually one of the better ones in the NFL. Asomugha is a big part of that, as most QBs are afraid to throw it to his side of the field. It is amazing how much easier defense is when you only have to worry about half the field. On top of him the Raiders have a good defensive line, and a solid set of LBs.

Overall:
While their defense is ready for the playoffs their offense will once again cost them any chance to be in the playoffs. Unless McFadden somehow turns out to be a top 5 RB this team is looking at no more then 7 wins.

2010 Record: 7-9

Raiders v. Russell

Why do I feel like this trivial case will somehow find its way to the Supreme Court?

The Raiders want about $9.55 million from JaMarcus Russell, money that they claim was an advance for the 2011-12 seasons.

I kind of want to side with Russell here. Why the hell would the Raiders advance him some salary? Why would any NFL team advance anyone their salary? I kind of struggle to believe the Raiders actually did this at all. It seems like a senile maneuver by an ancient and decrepit owner who doesn't remember when and why he paid JaMarcus Russell anything. Who is that guy? What team do I own?

The Raiders made a mistake drafting Russell, and they've paid for it. But if they were dumb enough to advance him nearly $10 million in salary, I think they should have to pay for that, too.

Could you imagine the Patriots, or any other conscientiously run team fronting a mediocre, likely-to-be-cut play any salary? The Autumn Wind is a lawyer, filing suits just for fun...



-The Commodore

JaMarcus Got JaCut Yesterday

So let me start off by saying, this may delay his pro bowl year this year, but Jamarcus will be back and ready to kill it in the NFL once he goes to a stable organization and not the terrible Raiders (good luck Jason Campbell). I don't know how much he will be in demand due to the Raiders giving him a bad name, but the boy still has all the talent in the world he just needs to utilize it and work at it and he should find a back up roll somewhere.

Russell will now likely be considered one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history, joining Ryan Leaf, Ki-Jana Carter, Akili Smith and others on that list. He will have been paid more than $39 million by the Raiders, while producing only seven wins as a starter. But it isn't his fault, it's the organizations.

McNabb To Raiders

It looks like the Oakland Raiders have emerged as the lead candidate to land Donovan McNabb and even though the 290 pound Jemarcus Russell would be a pro bowler this year, this is a deal the Raiders have to make. Bob says that the Raiders would be hesitant to do this because McNabb wouldn't sign an extension, however, with the Raiders there is always a chance. If they threw Donovan crazy money (which they would) I bet he would put the ink to the paper.

He would be an excellent fit on the Raiders who have two up and coming wide receivers in Heyward Bey and Louis Murphy, a decent TE in Zach Miller and capable runningbacks in Michael Bush and Darren McFadden. He has already done more with less talent.

These are just rumors, but at the end of the day if the Raiders do this deal, I think it would increase their win total significantly.

Slimmer Jemarcus Russell Ready For First Pro Bowl Season

I guess Jemarcus Russell showed up to camp slimmer and in shape and that means one thing for the rest of the NFL, Pro Bowl. Jemarcus Russell regressed a little last season and was ultimately benched. However, this year is going to be the year, I believe he is motivated and ready to prove to the Raiders and the NFL he is ready to play. I mean, if David Garrard made the pro bowl, why can't Russell? The biggest problem with Russell has been his attitude and not caring. But showing up to training camp in shape is a step in the right direction. I'm thinking around 3,000 yards this year with about 25 TDs and 11 picks. He has all the tools to be a great QB, and hopefully Heyward-Bay will learn to catch the ball so he will have a primary target.

I'm guarenteeing he is a pro bowler this year.

Jamarcus Russell Went To A Clinic For Being Too Lethargic?

Jamarcus Russell has rumored to have spent part of the offseason at a clinic being treated for lethargy addiction.

I mean if we are going to buy into the whole Sex addiction thing, why can't we buy into this? I think it makes perfect sense, figuring I say he is going to be a pro bowler every year. His sluggish atmosphere has been haunting him his whole career and now he can finally put all of this behind him and become the pro bowler I know he can be. Mark my words DuelingCouches.com viewers, there is a new Jemarcus in town.

NFL: No Punishment For Cable

Here is your WTF story of the day...

The NFL announced that there will be no punishment for Cable breaking the jaw of his assistant coach and beating up a woman. Seems a little odd to me considering they suspend players for being assholes, so why does a coach not get the same treatment? I understand they can't suspended Cable for hitting the woman, because it was before he joined the NFL, but he BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIS ASSISTANT COACH. That seems like the kind of activity the NFL is trying to get away from. You can question the merits of suspending someone for something they do on their own time, but this is done at the stadium.

I don't know maybe I'm overreacting, but this just seems unfair that a coach can get away with acting like this, and yet players have to follow a conduct policy.

I Will Never Understand The Raiders

I mean who does right???

Well today the Raiders signed Hue Jackson to be their offensive coordinator. A seemingly uninteresting story until you dig a little deeper. Hue Jackson interviewed for the head coaching job as well. There have been rumors going on for weeks now that Cable was on his way out. As of right now he is still the head coach, but most reports suggest that if the Raiders start out slowly next season that they will fire Cable and put Hue Jackson as the head coach.

I usually wouldn't have too much of a problem with this since my normal thinking is that every coach should get 2-3 years to show that he can build a team. Yet, with Cable there is a lot more too it. When he is not punching women in the face he is punching his assistant coaches. This guy has done everything he can to get fired, and yet here he is. Now you got your next head coach right next to him on the sidelines. Does no one else see this as a potential problem?

Cable has a long history of anger management problems, so if the team was to lose their first couple games, and the pressure mounts on Cable, don't you think this could be a dangerous situation with the next head coach stand just a couple feet away from him?

I don't know, but if I was the Raiders Cable would have to be let go.

Seymour Not Coming Back To Patriots

"Just like Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors, veteran DE Richard Seymour is going to have 31 options if he hits unrestricted free agency this offseason, according to what he told CSN New England. So what happens if the New England Patriots give him a call about a return? "That isn't something I'm looking to do at all (ESPN)."

For the Raiders' sake I hope they are able to resign him since they gave up a first round pick for him. There were rumors that the Patriots might look to bring him back after this season, but there is a good amount of bad blood between Belichick and Seymour, so that doesn't seem very likely anymore. In the end, I think Seymour is a hell of a player, but he does have a tendency to disappear for several games at a time, which makes me concerned with giving him a long term deal (plus he has been injured a good about during his time with the Pats).

This Would Only Happen To A Raider

Tom Cable Doesn't Discriminate When It Comes To Hitting People

Two women, including his former wife and a recent girlfriend, say that Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable has a history of violent behavior toward women.

In separate interviews with ESPN's "Outside the Lines," Sandy Cable and Marie Lutz say that Cable hit them during relationships dating back more than 20 years. Cable's alleged temper has been in the news since August, when Oakland assistant coach Randy Hanson accused Cable of breaking his jaw during an altercation in a coaches meeting. More

I don't condone hitting women at all, I believe it's the worst thing a man can do, however, I have to laugh at this story because it's happening to the Raiders and because Tom Cable and he's kind of a badass. The Raiders franchise is awful and Al Davis is the worst owner in the history of sports. Jamarcus couldn't hit a WR if no defense was on the field, Heyward-Bey has bust written all over him and there is no end in sight. I don't expect Davis to let Cable go this season, but he is most likely finished after the season.

No Charges Against Cable

"Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable won't face charges after being investigated over allegations that he assaulted one of his assistants, ending a two-month saga that was a cloud over the team's season. Napa County district attorney Gary Lieberstein said Thursday that the investigation concluded no charges were warranted.

"Our duty is to do the right thing for the right reasons," Lieberstein said. "Under the facts and circumstances of this case, it would be a miscarriage of justice to pursue criminal charges and we will not ask our citizens to give up their valuable time for jury duty, nor will we allow our criminal justice system to be compromised (Sportsline)."

Good. For some reason I like Cable. I have no idea if he is a good coach, but that defense is actually pretty damn good. If they could get some solid play from Russel this is a team that could win a few games. The big decision coming up is whether or not to trade Seymour. On one hand they could try to resign him. On the other hand they could trade him for a first round pick, so basically they got Seymour for a year free (except probably not as good of a pick). I think they should do everything they can to resign him, because he has made a big difference, and finally there is someone on that team that knows how to win...

15 Yards for Praying?

On Sunday, Raiders CB Chris Johnson picked off a pass in the end zone. In celebration, he dropped to his knees and extended his hands. The refs threw the flag and called Johnson for unsportsmanlike conduct. The rules specifically state that a player cannot "go to the ground" during their celebration.

Johnson felt like he was penalized for praising God. But God probably doesn't appreciate praise from a guy on a shit team celebrating an interception when he's down 13 points.

But the NFL and its clamping down of celebrations is ridiculous. All Johnson did was drop to his knees, and that's 15 yards? (actually, half the distance, because his INT resulted in a touchback) Football players are entertainers. Football is entertainment. So let these guys entertain us.

Ban group celebrations, ban derogatory celebrations (example: Randy Moss mooning Packer fans), ban planned celebrations (Joe Horn pulling a phone out from the goal post). But if you're going to let Shawne Merriman do his spazoid dance after a measly sack, then let other less innocuous celebrations go.

-The Commodore

McFadden Out 2-4 Weeks

"Add yet another low to a long list of them for the Oakland Raiders during a seven-year run of losing. Adding to the woes was news Monday that starting running back Darren McFadden will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair torn cartilage in his knee and miss two to four weeks. With a quarterback who can't even complete 40 percent of his passes, a hit to the struggling running game will only make things worse for Oakland. McFadden injured his knee during his worst game as a pro, finishing with negative-3 yards rushing on six carries. He is averaging 36.3 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry this season - far from the production the Raiders expected when they drafted him fourth overall in 2008 (Sportsline)."

I love McFadden, and I truly believe he would be a very solid running back if he was on a team with any kind of passing game. That being said, he is not, and he isn't getting the job done. The Raiders actually have a good amount of running backs, so I don't think it will affect them much, but then again how can it? They really can't get much worse.

So Tom Cable Was Punchy

Oakland Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson told investigators that he was struck by head coach Tom Cable and suffered a broken jaw, his lawyer told NFL Network on Monday.

A few weeks after the Aug. 5 incident, Cable said "nothing happened."

"When all the facts come out, everything will be fine," he said.

Hanson's lawyer, John McGuinn, disputed that, calling the skirmish a "textbook case of felony assault," according to NFL Network.ESPN

Well the Raiders are a terrible franchise and this couldn't surprise me in the least. Tom Cable was obviously frustrated at something and decided to make Randy Hanson a punching bag. But what do you expect when all Al Davis does is hire or sign terrible people. This stuff happens.