It’s that time again. The time when we break down some storylines as well as a few burning questions and give our take on them. The two of us tend to think pretty differently so we can often offer opposing sides to an argument. Then it is up to you to choose which you prefer or who made the most compelling case.
Today the Oreo cookies are Jacoby on the field and on the wall of a porn convention. And the cream filling is a couple of burning questions about young potential greatness or the potential for a Hue Jackson hot seat. Also, I am hoping having “porn” in the title will up our readership.
1st Down – Can Jacoby Ford be a true number one receiver for the Raiders in 2011?
Dizzle’s take: He has the edge on the Raiders’ number one receiver spot, yes. But a “true number one receiver in 2011”? That is hard to say. He has the skill set to be the type of receiver that Steve Smith has been for the Panthers for years. If it were up to me, he would be the frontrunner as the Raiders’ number one receiver next season. Schilens has all the skills to be a number one as well but can’t stay healthy. Darrius Heyward-Bey should be put on an even plane as the rest of the receivers to see if he can earn his playing time. Ford has already earned it. Now he must continue to get better.
BA’s take: I’m not going to say that he can right now. What, based on a good half a season of football? JaMarcus Russell had a good second half of his 2008 season and was absolutely putrid in 2009. Ford has always been a playmaker, going all the way back to his four years at Clemson. And if I remember correctly, he was injured a lot at Clemson also, so there’s that X-factor that nobody is accounting for. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ford and I want to see him do well, but I need more than a few games to tell me that he is a super star.
2nd Down – Is this a make or break year for Hue Jackson?
BA’s take: It very well could be if the Raiders come out and play horribly and go back to the 5-11 season type of play. Right now the expectations are very high for Jackson and to be frank it is somewhat unwarranted. He has no previous experience and took an extraordinarily talented group of players and made them the tenth best offense in the NFL. Based on that, he was basically handed the headset. One thing that is without question is that Al Davis needs to win right now and if Jackson is not the guy then they will have to move on rapidly. That said, I think his attitude is far better than Lane Kiffin, he is a far better coach overall than Art Shell II, and he doesn’t have the issues of a Tom Cable. So I’d be really surprised if he isn’t given at least two years.
Dizzle’s take: This question seems ridiculous considering he hasn’t even coached his first game yet. But for the Raiders, one year and out coaches have been all too common. That said, hell no it isn’t a make or break year. Unlike some other head coaches, Jackson has been Al Davis’ top choice for a while. He was groomed to take the job and will be given more than one season to prove he can do it. The Raiders are a young team, even if Al Davis is not. They won’t be expected to go for broke this season. As long as he doesn’t have a fluke meteoric fall, Hue Jackson will be back next season.
3rd Down – After the record breaking U.S. Open golf win by Rory McIlroy, some are calling him a young legendary talent. Do the Raiders have any young talent with legendary potential?
Dizzle’s take: Legendary potential may be a strong term to use and would be a bold prediction. But I believe they have several players with great potential. Any one of them could be great. I will stick to those players with 1-2 years experience. We mentioned Jacoby Ford. Then there’s the defensive end combo of Matt Shaughnessy and Lamarr Houston. And of course there is Rolando “Death Ro” McClain. Of this year’s crop, Stefen Wisniewski has all the potential to be the next great Raider center.
BA’s take: I think if there is a guy on this team who you can make a bronze statue for in Canton – apart from Richard Seymour and Nnamdi Asomugha because they are no longer “young” per se – it has to be the new quarterback of the defense, Rolando McClain. The last time I was so pleased with the first-round draft choice of the Raiders was back in 1998 when they took Charles Woodson out of Michigan. At this point, Woodson is well on his way to the Hall of Fame heading into his 13th NFL season. I think McClain has the potential and the study habits to one day be as much of a household name as Ray Lewis currently is. I predict a Pro Bowl appearance in 2011.
4th Down – Okay, the Jacoby Ford “porno incident” is still fresh, but three other players have been arrested this offseason. Does the NFL have an obligation to inform the Raiders of pending suspensions right now, in spite of the lockout?
BA’s take: I don’t think there is any question about that, the NFL is obligated to let the Raiders know. What else is the disciplinary group of the NFL doing right now? Aside from Ford, none of the other incidents are fresh. So my question is, what are they waiting for? They should let the Raiders and any other teams that have players with potentially looming suspensions know right now. I mean, aside from Mario Henderson, every one of those players is under some type of contract for the team this year.
Dizzle’s take: There are no obligations in regards to communications. The owners are in contact with the commissioner plenty these days and I am sure Al Davis et al are aware of the ramifications of player misconduct even if they have not notified the players themselves. The league has stated they will be enforcing the conduct policy even while the lockout is on. Players must act accordingly and expect suspensions in keeping with those the league has imposed in recent times. As far as the incident in which Jacoby Ford’s likeness was used for a porn convention, unless the league uncovers that it was used with his consent, I don’t see any fines or suspensions being handed down for that. The other arrests are a different story.
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