Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Your New #2

After two days of mystery and speculation, the official Raiders depth chart has been updated...and Alvis Whitted has leapfrogged into the slot vacated via trade by Doug Gabriel.

Wow, I thought it would be Porter...or Curry.

Is this just more cloak and dagger stuff, or will Alvis join Randy as the new dynamic duo?

19 Comments:

Blogger Calico Jack said...

I guess our minds are on the same wave length. I just posted a similar entry. My take is that it is some tactical mind games to play with Marty.

8:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

glad he's gone to be honest but can anyone PLEASE tell me WHY whitted is still on this team? gosh darnit - i and everyone else hates pouter but come on AL, whitted starting over pouter? MORANT should be starting and deserves a shot especially if you base it on the last 2 productive preseasons he's had. i sure HOPE these ARE mind games for marty!!!!!

12:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i agree scorpio, i think that chart should look like:
moss-curry-
morant-pouter-buchanon
i like walters #2 though. i also like grove starting center over treu.
i like the defensive set with exception of grant irons in the 2-hole behind williams.

6:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Curry will start in the slot when we are in 3WR sets, which I hope is most of the time. Whitted is banged up, Porter is likely to start....

7:03 AM  
Blogger Calico Jack said...

Raider Nate 75:

I like Will Buchanon too. Unfortunately he didn't make the 53 man roster but was signed to the practice squad. As far as the WR depth chart, this is how I have it;

1. Moss
2. Porter
3. Curry
4. Morant
5. Whitted

7:28 AM  
Blogger TheFreakingPope said...

Strange indeed.

Is it possible that this is not for Marty's sake, but for Porter's? A little object lesson, if you will. If you miss training camp you sit the bench until you've earned it.

--

Hey Peter, do you play Madden on Live? If so, shoot me a friend request. Just be sure to leave a voice message so I know it is you.

TheFreakingPope

8:21 AM  
Blogger Raider Take said...

I do believe that this might be one last procedural kick in the pants for Porter.

8:35 AM  
Blogger BlandaRocked said...

Well, I guess I'm going to have to be the one to disagree. One needs to listen to Art Shell, because if he tells you anything, he'll always tell you the truth.

He said early on that every player on this team was going to have to earn his spot. Throw away whatever has happened in previous seasons, Whitted has been the most consistant WR in the preseason of 2006. And if you do want to go back to prior seasons, I've always wondered why Whitted hasn't played more. He's made a good many clutch plays over the previous years, but they go unremembered because they didn't produce wins.

Frankly, I don't believe that Whitted will be the #2 by the end of the season. I think Curry will come on, and take it from him.

There's an old story about Stabler, when Madden was coach, and I'm sure Shell is well aware of it, and believes in it. In Stabler's second year he came into Madden's office and complained that he should be starting. Madden told him that nobody was going to give him that job. If he wanted that job, he was going to have to take it.

Whitted took the job in the preseason. If Curry wants it, if Porter wants it, if Morant wants it... one of those guys is going to have to take it from Whitted.

But ultimately, it's all window dressing. Every receiver on this team will get catches in this offense. When much of the offense is geared to stretch the defense, receivers will be rotated liberally to keep them fresh, and the defense tired.

9:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

guys, i am doing my part in showing davis that he should keep the raiders here in oakland. i am purchasing my season tickets today at the facility. i won't be able to attend every single game because i have a sick and dying parent. it is only 1 season ticket but every single person counts. al must also consider doing his part when the lease ends in 2010. come 2010, there is NO MORE practice facility in alameda. it has been surrendered as part of the lawsuit settlment between the city/county and the team. THE RAIDERS ARE EVERYONE'S TEAM true BUT the raiders BELONG to oakland.

it doesn't help matters when questionable personnel decisions are made like making a track guy the #2 receiver. when you put your hard earned money on the table you want to see the best players out there and the personnel dept. making sound and correct decisions.

sorry but that's the CUSTOMER in me venting.

9:36 AM  
Blogger BlandaRocked said...

Scorpio, you have every right to the customer vent. However, remember what Shell is trying to do here, and that he is battling against attitude as much as anything else. He has to establish the proper mindset on the team, and if that means sitting a couple of "stars" because some backups are working harder, so be it. Ultimately, as a customer, you want to see the team win, and win consistantly, and that takes a winning attitude. Nancy Gay has an excellent analysis. Here's the link:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2006/09/06/SPGT2KVQ7K1.DTL

9:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Isn't everyone making a big deal out of the term "starter"? After all, you can be out on the field for the first play of the game and sit for the rest of it and guess what - you're the "starter". The thing that makes a difference is how many passes get thrown to a player throughout the ENTIRE game - not just the first play.

10:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

blandarocked, i understand what you're saying bro and believe me when i say that pouter is getting what he deserves. but whitted over morant? getting rid of riddle - one of your best special teamers and a an improving LB for ebeneezer eczema? why is james adkisson on this team? OH I KNOW - because he is an al davis project! and we all know al davis projects don't get cut (ie: james jett). they take up valuable roster space for years and leave off promising players like oh - will buchannon (who btw, luckily is on the practice squad).

anyway, i don't work there and i am just a fan like all of y'all so i'll just shut up now before i get on one of my al davis rants again.

11:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thought everything was cool now between Shell, & Porter. If this is the case, then why pile on with silly mind games about the depth chart.

As far as sending a mixed message to Rottenheimer, the only message we should send is beating the hell out of his team on Monday night.

12:51 PM  
Blogger TheFreakingPope said...

Nice link blandarocked. My favorite quote:

"So Porter remains a No. 3 option, someone to go to across the middle. Look for Curry to assume the slot-receiver spot -- the Raiders hope that he stays healthy -- and for Morant to challenge him.

3:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So we start our veterans at WR, the guys with the most experiance.

One who scares the hell out of the "D" and one who runs like the wind unseen,
Look out for #3 and RB "The True LT" for passes to see,
Let the "D" chase after thee until the 3 puts you on your knees,
I can't wait til I see my RAIDERS kick some ASS for me,
What will be will be the "Greatness or the Raiders" to see,
On Monday night I will be totally down with that seen.
"GO RAIDERS" I shall screem!!!

Lets all wait and see how it all plays out. I like Shell and I was behind him back in LA and was sad when he was let go. Mr Davis understands he made a mistake and has now tried to correct the mistake and I repect him for that. What other owner has ever admitted he needed a coach this way or that he made a mistake? It is one thing to hear thease NO-body sports writers badmouth BIG Al but quit another to here it come from would be Raider Fans. Those guys started that shit as soon as Al became a hall of famer and they believe if they say it loud enough for long enough you people will listen and believe it. The RAIDERS are AL DAVIS, it is his personality of toughness and defiance that brought me to them back in "62" at the age of 12. If you can't hang, go follow some goody goody in a white hat!!!!!!!! Or pink panties.

8:56 PM  
Blogger Calico Jack said...

Al Davis & Art Shell's unyielding dedication, passion, and will to win should never but up for debate or questioned. Everything they do is with a singular focus to bring glory to the Silver and Black.

It is fair game to question the means, methods, and decisions. However I sincerely doubt any true Raider fan doubts the intentions or motivation.

10:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Follow a goody goody in a white hat, or pink panties! Hilarious, anon! I love it!
There is nobody else that even compares to Mr Davis. His innovation, his brashness, the way he can take throw-aways from the league, and make them respectable winners, and is never unwilling to make a risk.
Here is a guy who has developed numerous first time coaches, who turned out to be great. John Madden (who should have been in the HOF a long time ago), Tom Flores (the first and only hispanic head coach; and won 2 SB), Jon Gruden, and Art Shell (the first black head coach, and who I think will be amongst the great coaches). Not too mention he has hired the first lady to be his right-hand "man" in Amy Trask! Mr Davis is as epic as they come. You would think he'd get a little more respect from the "Politically Correct" media, but he doesn't. You know why? Because Mr Davis doesn't do these things to be Politically Correct, he does them because that is the type of guy he is. He looks beyond the cover of the book, and reads the story to see if you fit into the RAIDER WAY! If you don't, you will never taste the Silver and Black. If you do, then you are Silver and Black for life.
Despite his problems with Tagliabue, he put his differences aside and helped save the NFL this year, but Tagliabue got the credit; not Mr Davis; even though it was Mr Davis who brought the idea to Tagliabue.
So here's to Mr Davis, innovator, idealist, "maverick," and RAIDER FOR LIFE!

6:10 AM  
Blogger StickUm25 said...

As noted, it doesn't matter who starts, it matters how many snaps they get and how often they are targeted. I'm less concerned with who is on the field for the first snap than I am with who is on the field for 3rd & 7, the two minute drill, etc. Plus, if you want to put some pressure on the D for the opening series, you've got to believe their DBs (pretty weak by the way) will be on their heels 10 yards back with Moss & Whitted on the field, and that's got to help open up running room for Jordan.

7:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes about the fear of the WR's, having gift on one side and speed on the other we can run them raged until they were down and the run is open and the other WR is open and the TE and you can throw under coverage to the RB, I like it. But the key is the OL, "Please Please Me" is on Brooks mind the song of the times. If we can get the "D" backs and a LB to play deep we can do alot under the coverage and Run Run Run, and if they play up, Pass Pass Pass. This team should be able to dictate how the "D" plays and than change up and dictate a change up. Keep them guessing and wear them down like in the old days when the Raiders were a 4th quarter team. "Monday Monday Can't Trust That Day" but "Monday Evening We Can Watch Our Raiders Play" Yipy-Yipy!!!!!

1:32 PM  

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