Are the Silver and Black on Crack?

By Fernando Gallo

In the words of Vince Lombardi: What the hell is going on here?

The Raiders have traded for defensive end Richard Seymour, giving up a first-round pick in 2011 in the process. That the Raiders made a move from completely out of left field is not really a story these days. But this trade? Oy vey...

For the Patriots, I completely understand why they made this deal. Seymour is in the last year of his contract and they don’t like to pay anybody. He’s got three rings already, so he’ll likely want to set up the rest of his life with one last fat contract. The Pats certainly weren’t going to give him that, so they trade him for a possible top-ten pick. Makes sense.

As for the Al Davis All-stars - what are you guys thinking? This move makes sense for a team that really is one piece away from Super Bowl contention, but not for the bumbling Raiders. Seymour is a former Pro Bowler, and certainly talented, but is his addition going to shore up a run defense that got gashed by three of four opponents this preseason? Doubtful.

This solidifies the fact that Davis is simply too stubborn to succeed in today’s NFL. He refuses to flat-out rebuild, and this latest reach might be one of the most painful. Based on the fact that Oakland hasn’t won more than six games since 2002, the pick they just gave up is likely to be a good one. And if Seymour leaves for free agency after this year, this is one of the dumbest trades in NFL history.

On a slightly different note, is there some sort of secret, under-the-table deal between Davis and Patriots owner Robert Kraft? These two teams just can’t seem to get enough of each other. The Raiders hired former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan from the Patriots in 2004, gave away Randy Moss to them in 2007 in a deal that still gives me nightmares, and sent disgruntled defensive lineman Derrick Burgess there earlier this year. Oakland seems to be doing New England a lot of favors - how about a little reciprocation one of these days?

The Roundup: Marshall on the move? Kobe gets his and the boy wonder skips the prom

Press coverage? No problem.
But watch out for that Big
Mac box! Photo by user
JeffreyBeall on Flickr

I’m Lovin’ it

Brandon Marshall is a dope, plain and simple. He’s also immature, as evidenced by his inability to take the hit for previous injuries he inflicted on himself by supposedly slipping on a McDonald’s wrapper. As a man who’s enjoyed his share of McChickens in his day, I can tell you that I’ve never been close to slipping on a wrapper. I guess making a tip-toe catch in the back of the endzone is easier than avoiding a piece of paper from Mickey D’s.

But now Marshall has decided he’s done with the Denver Broncos, and everyone has a different opinion about what happens next. Should the Broncos trade him? No. As much of a child as Marshall is, he is still very talented and the Broncos need all the talent they can get right now. But then again, they shouldn’t have traded Jay Cutler, and we all know how that worked out. Josh McDaniels can’t afford to have disgruntled players in his first year as head coach, so Denver is likely to move Marshall if they get a decent offer. The Jets, Bears and Raiders are all teams that would get immediate upgrades from a guy like Marshall, provided he doesn’t fall over a Chicken McNuggets box at some point in 2009.

Why Al Davis? Why do you hate me?

It is with a heavy heart that I write this first blog post. I want to express my displeasure with the Oakland Raiders and the Cryptkeeper, er, Al Davis, but it is just so hard to find words that are strong enough.

Seriously? Another speedster? Another defensive back? Sigh...

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm talking about the NFL draft, and Davis' inexplicable and moronic moves. If there was ever any doubt on who's calling the shots in Oakland, it's been cemented now. Crazy old man Davis is sitting in his office watching tape from the 80s, cackling as he dreams of the days of Willie Brown and Fred Biletnikoff.

First there was the selection of Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh overall pick. Sure he's big (6'3") and yeah, he's fast (4.2 40-yard dash). But he would have been just as big and fast at the No. 20 pick! The Raiders could have traded down and gotten some extra draft picks, and still drafted Heyward-Bey. Plus, he would have been a lot cheaper then, too. Based on last year's contracts, the Raiders could have saved about $35 million dollars.

And let's not forget who was available at No. 7: a receiver by the name of Michael Crabtree. Perhaps you've heard of him and his playmaking abilities? I gave myself a concussion with how hard I smacked my forehead on Saturday.

This is a classic Davis pick. It's sad that all those Raider-haters on the networks can snicker and say the pick was because of Davis' obsession with speed - and they're right. And now Crabtree will wear red and gold across the bay, and his numerous Pro Bowl selections will taunt us for years to come. Heyward-Bey might turn out to be a great player, but I am worried about a guy who never caught more than 51 passes or 5 touchdowns in a season.

Then the Raiders pick a guy in the second round who was being projected as a Day 2 pick (hell, maybe even an undrafted free agent). Michael Mitchell might be talented, but why waste a second round choice on him? It came out on Sunday that the Bears were ready to take Mitchell with the No. 49 pick, just two picks after the Raiders selected him. NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock said Mitchell had seen his stock rise late, but the Raiders have drafted defensive backs in the first two rounds in eight of the last nine years. Mix in an offensive tackle now and then, will you?

NFL experts on ESPN and NFL Network love to ramble on about the ineptitude of the Raiders, and they take pleasure in ripping my beloved Raider Nation to shreds. This has made me angry for years, and the East Coast bias thing on ESPN especially gets old, but I have no defense anymore. It hurts me to type this, but the Raiders deserve to be the laughingstock of the league right now. And the main reason for this? You guessed it - Al Davis.

In his day, Davis was a badass who was a perfect fit for the Raiders. He hated the NFL and it hated him right back, but the term Commitment to Excellence actually meant something and people feared the Silver and Black. Now, the game has passed you by, Mr. Davis. And the Raider faithful have to sit here and watch as you pick speed and flash over substance. Former head coach Jon Gruden said on NFL Network Sunday that Al Davis, "could care less what any of us think." Unfortunately, Chucky, I think you're right.

John Madden, please return home and buy this team before its too late. And if anyone out there can run a 4.3 40-yard dash, please report to Raiders training camp this summer. Al Davis might want to offer you a contract.