I'll create a thread each week, and will post articles from our opponents local newspaper to keep us updated on our opponents current news. http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_26440522/raiders-trim-roster-53 Raiders trim roster to 53 By Jerry McDonald jmcdonald@bayareanewsgroup.com Posted: 08/30/2014 05:08:34 PM PDT2 Comments | Updated: a day ago ALAMEDA -- There were no major surprises as the Raiders trimmed 22 players from the roster Saturday to reach the 53-man limit. The only minor drama was the release of wide receiver Greg Little, a former second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns who was picked up on a waiver claim and was a standout in the early days of training camp in Napa. Little, however, had trouble holding on to the ball and was outperformed in recent weeks by holdovers Denarius Moore and Brice Butler. The roster could have additional changes in the coming days leading up to the season opener Sept. 7 against the New York Jets as general manager Reggie McKenzie considers players waived by other teams. Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt Schaub (8) runs onto the field prior to the start of their preseason NFL game against the Detroit Lions at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) ( ANDA CHU ) Neither McKenzie nor coach Dennis Allen was available for comment. The only players released who had consistent playing time for the Raiders last season were safety Brandian Ross, a 15-game starter at strong safety after Tyvon Branch was injured, and running back Jeremy Stewart, whose role was primarily as a special-teams player. Other players who were let go included running back George Atkinson III, defensive end Denico Autry, cornerback Chance Casey, tackle Jack Cornell, defensive end Jack Crawford, linebacker Carlos Fields, linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu, linebacker Spencer Hadley, tackle Dan Kistler, tackle Erle Ladson, defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, guard Lamar Mady, tight end Jake Murphy, wide receiver Seth Roberts, defensive end Ryan Robinson, offensive tackle Jarrod Shaw, tight end Scott Simonson, place-kicker Giorgio Tavecchio and fullback Karl Williams. The Raiders wound up keeping their entire eight-man draft class -- linebacker Khalil Mack, quarterback Derek Carr, guard Gabe Jackson, defensive tackle Justin Ellis, cornerback Keith McGill, cornerback TJ Carrie, defensive end Shelby Harris and safety Jonathan Dowling. All 11 undrafted free agents were let go, although some probably will be back in the building when the Raiders assemble a 10-man practice squad Sunday. For more on the Raiders, visit the Inside the Oakland Raiders blog at ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders. Follow Jerry McDonald on Twitter at twitter.com/Jerrymcd. SEPT. 7 OPENER Raiders at N.Y. Jets, 10 a.m. CBS RAIDERS' FINAL 53 QB: Matt Schaub, Derek Carr, Matt McGloin RB: Darren McFadden, Maurice Jones-Drew, Latavius Murray FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale TE: Mychal Rivera, David Ausberry, Brian Leonhardt WR: Brice Butler, Denarius Moore, Andre Holmes, Rod Streater, James Jones OL: Stefen Wisniewski, Gabe Jackson, Kevin Boothe, Khalif Barnes, Menelik Watson, Donald Penn, Austin Howard, Matt McCants, Tony Bergstrom DL: LaMarr Woodley, Shelby Harris, Justin Ellis, Pat Sims, Justin Tuck, Stacy McGee, Antonio Smith, C.J. Wilson LB: Khalil Mack, Nick Roach, Sio Moore, Miles Burris, Kaelin Burnett, Kaluka Maiava CB: Tarell Brown, Carlos Rogers, Chimdi Chekwa, TJ Carrie, Keith McGill, Taiwan Jones, Neiko Thorpe S: Charles Woodson, Tyvon Branch, Jonathan Dowling, Usama Young K: Sebastian Janikowski. P: Marquette King. LS: Jon Condo.
Geeezzz...after looking at their WR corps. I do not feel as bad about ours....Same goes for their TE's and Corners. Carlos is the only name of significance...everyone else...well.....this is a VERY winnable game for the Jets and should be won. We need that initial shot of confidence going into the season and the Raiders should provide that for us.
Andre Holmes is a really good young WR. He's the only guy Im worried about but chances are it wont matter if their QB cant get him the ball. Call me crazy but I dont think its a good thing to not know who's gonna be starting at QB Week 1 , less than a week away from the game. Id imagine we'll see Schaub but ya never know.
I'd prefer to see Schaub than Carr... Carr, to me, looks like he's got skills....Schaub is washed up. Why take a chance with our secondary banged up?
Haha what? Carlos Rodgers is absolutely terrible at this point in his career. Oakland's secondary is very poor. Pretty good front 7 though.
Rodgers decline in play withstanding, I was unaware we had a receiver who would be guaranteed to beat him. The front 7 look decent, I agree. That's why I think our season is gonna come down to putting the ball in the air. If we can't pass on the Raiders we have an issue. Their secondary looks beatable.
A lot of receivers are guaranteed to beat him. He's horrendous. Decker and Kerley are both much better at their positions than Rodgers is at his at this point in his career and its not even close. You obviously didnt watch him last season or this preseason. Their secondary isnt just beatable its worse than ours. Their front 7 is good but its not great. They can still be run on and I think we will get it done on O.
Lol anyone can look like they have skills in a preseason game. We would murder Carr if they put him out there. Raiders have oldest team in the league after cuts. Yikes not good for a rebuilding team.
I just hope we don't "sleep" on an "inferior" team. Remember, any given Sunday... That said, we usually play with a great sense of urgency historically on opening day...
I sort of feel bad for the Raiders because they will be in contention for the #1 pick in the draft and the top 2 offensive players in college (Winston and Gurley) play QB and RB, which are the 2 positions on this team they really don't need to address. McFadden and Jones Drew are a pretty solid combo even late in their careers. Carr may or may not be good but he atleast deserves a chance. On the other hand I don't feel bad for the Raiders because they are the Raiders. If the Jets don't win this easily I will be concerned for this season. 30-14 Jets win.
A lots gonna change between now and the draft. RB's don't get taken in the first anymore and Winston's stock will fall far.
Oakland Raiders name Derek Carr their starting quarterback http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_26448215/report-raiders-players-told-carr-will-be-starting By Jerry McDonald jmcdonald@bayareanewsgroup.com Posted: 09/01/2014 03:22:34 PM PDT5 Comments | Updated: about 13 hours ago 1/5 Derek Carr: 2014. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) Kerry Collins: 2004-05, 28 starts. (Jim Gensheimer/Mercury News) Marques Tuiasosopo: 2005, one start. (AP Photo/John Russell) Andrew Walter: 2006, 2008, nine starts. (Nhat V. Meyer/Mercury News) See additional gallery images here. Aaron Brooks: 2006, eight starts. (Nhat V. Meyer/Mercury News) ‹› ALAMEDA -- The NFL will have a rookie quarterback starting in Week 1 after all. Derek Carr, a second-round draft pick out of Fresno State, officially overtook Matt Schaub on Monday when coach Dennis Allen named him the starter for the Raiders' regular-season road opener against the New York Jets. "It's not an indictment on Matt Schaub at all," Allen said after practice. "I feel very confident in Matt Schaub. I think it says more about where we feel Derek Carr is in his progression." Neither quarterback was available for comment, and a club spokesman said they would speak Tuesday. The story was first reported by Fox Sports shortly before the Raiders began practice. None of the three quarterbacks selected in the first round -- No. 3 Blake Bortles of Jacksonville, No. 22 Johnny Manziel of Cleveland and No. 32 Teddy Bridgewater of Minnesota -- are starting for their respective teams. Carr, selected by the Raiders at No. 36, joins strongside linebacker Khalil Mack and left guard Gabe Jackson as rookies who will begin the season in the starting lineup. Carr will be the first true rookie quarterback in franchise history to start a regular-season opener. Schaub, acquired in March for a sixth-round draft pick from the Houston Texans, was Allen's unquestioned No. 1 throughout the entire offseason and deep into training camp. On several occasions, Allen referred to Schaub as a "top 10 quarterback" in the NFL based on his body of work in Houston. Instead, Schaub, guaranteed $8 million this season, will open the season as the backup with Matt McGloin as third string. Although Schaub struggled to get the ball downfield and missed time last week with a sore elbow, Allen said the switch was more about what Carr did than what Schaub couldn't do. "You see a guy who continues to develop and continues to be mature beyond his years as a quarterback and a guy we feel very comfortable putting him out there and helping us win games," Allen said. Carr started the exhibition finale while Schaub rested his elbow against the Seattle Seahawks and completed 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards, three touchdowns and led the offense to four touchdowns in four possessions. Since Schaub was throwing in practice Monday and will be the backup, health wasn't the reason for the switch. At least temporarily, Schaub will be denied the "fresh start" he had been hoping for after bottoming out in a 2-14 season with the Texans in 2013. "He's disappointed, like any competitor would be, but he's handling it like a pro," Allen said. "It's not an easy situation to be in. ... He understands how things operate. He'll be ready when his number is called." Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) warms up by throwing a pass before the start of their preseason NFL game against the Detroit Lions at O.co Coliseum in Oakland on Aug. 15, 2014. The Raiders went on to win the game 27-26. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) It is the second consecutive season the Raiders benched a high-salaried starter before the regular-season opener. A season ago, Matt Flynn, acquired by trade from Seattle, was replaced by Terrelle Pryor. Flynn was released after performing poorly as an injury-replacement starter in a 24-14 loss to Washington in Week 4, pocketing a $6.5 million guarantee. In winning the starting job, Carr beat out the quarterback who was brought to Houston in 2007 to replace his older brother, David Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft. As David Carr's younger brother, Derek began immersing himself in game film as a preteen, and teammates say he is far ahead of most rookies. Players were careful to pay respect to Schaub while at the same time give credit to Carr. "Matt came in here and did a great job. So did all our quarterbacks. D.C. is behind center right now," wide receiver James Jones said. "We all support him." Allen said Jackson is playing with the first team at left guard and Khalif Barnes is at right tackle ahead of Menelik Watson. Tight end David Ausberry (knee) practiced for the first time in a month. Cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Taiwan Jones, both with knee strains, did not practice. Middle linebacker Nick Roach has yet to be cleared for a concussion suffered in the third exhibition game. Running back George Atkinson III, defensive end Denico Autry, cornerback Ras-I Dowling, linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu, linebacker Spencer Hadley, tackle Dan Kistler, defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, guard Lamar Mady, wide receiver Seth Roberts and tight end Scott Simonson were named to the practice squad. Sunday's season Opener Raiders at New York Jets, 10 a.m. CBS
