In this edition of FDT we’ll take a look at some players who were Raiders in 2010 who most likely won’t be back for another stint in 2011. We’ll also discuss the comparison between Darren McFadden going into his third season versus Darrius Heyward-Bey going into his. Additionally, we’ll tell you the player who we think is going to be the most improved in 2011 and what game has Richard Seymour beaming (and why you should be excited for it too).
1st Down – The Raiders learned that they have about $6.5 million more in cap room under provisions in the new CBA that allow $3.5 million for performance-based pay and $3 million to be borrowed from future years. That said, name some players that will be 2011 salary cap casualties.
BA’s Take: Oh man, there are a lot of them. We can already go ahead and put Robert Gallery on it, he’s as good as gone. We’ve already talked about Cooper Carlisle – he’s probably out the door. Then you can go with Johnny Lee Higgins, Sam Williams, Michael Bennett, Michael Huff, perhaps Nnamdi Asomugha even though they’d really like to have him back. Rock Cartwright is in danger, Chris Johnson is in serious danger if they re-sign Nnamdi. Quarterbacks Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski likely won’t be back, John Henderson may not be back, and Thomas Howard is in trouble. There are a lot of players who are probably being counted against the cap based on the fact that they were on the team last year, and there is a good chance a lot of them will be looking for work.
Dizzle’s Take: This is a tough question to answer before free agency. The only player I could see being cut for cap reasons is Cooper Carlisle. He carries a $2.5 million cap hit and it appears the team is moving on without him. Most of the others are not cap casualties, they are free agents or just won’t make the team regardless of cap numbers. I can see several other players getting restructured contracts including Darren McFadden, Tommy Kelly, and Chris Johnson. They could also continue to work on giving Kamerion Wimbley a long term deal to bring his cap number down for 2011.
2nd Down – Is Darrius Heyward-Bey really the 15th least valuable player in the NFL and could you have said the same thing about Darren McFadden going into last year?
Dizzle’s Take: Yes, DHB is the 15th least valuable player in the NFL. And no, the same could not have been said about DMac. Sure, that is easy for me to say now. I was highly critical of Darren McFadden’s play in his first two seasons. So I will explain it. One of the more popular excuses for DHB’s poor performance in his first two seasons is his quarterback. But that excuse holds absolutely no water. DHB has started more than any other Raider wide receiver the past two seasons, he has seen a considerable amount of balls thrown his way, and is still one of the least productive receivers on the team. If it is all about the quarterback then how do Zach Miller, Louis Murphy, and Jacoby Ford manage to catch as many passes as they do? Murphy and Ford were fourth round picks while DHB was the seventh overall selection. That means the Raiders are getting a lot more bang for their buck with Murphy and Ford than DHB.
As for McFadden, his woes can be partially attributed to health issues. He was also not training properly. After two injury plagued seasons, he changed his training regimen which began bringing out the style of runner the Raiders expected him to be as the Heisman Trophy winner out of Arkansas. DHB works extremely hard but he has never once shown the ability to make tough catches. He rarely even catches a ball away from his body. A receiver chosen as high as he was and getting paid as much as he is should make those catches. He has yet to show he can reach up and pluck a pass out of the air or fight for a ball with a defender. And I am not in the business of believing he has the ability to learn until I see proof he is showing signs he can. Keep in mind, I see him in games as well as practice. Even though value is earned in games.
BA’s Take: DHB is probably right up there with the worst big money players in the league, but I think it’s highly likely that Darren McFadden would’ve made this list if it was designed last year. Look, a lot of people were calling for DMC’s head last year and he came out and was on the verge of a Pro Bowl level season. I’m not saying DHB will have the same kind of success, but I am saying there is no telling what is going to happen. Plus, I’m also saying I’d still take him over Michael Crabtree any day of the week… except Sunday.
3rd Down – Hue Jackson said earlier this offseason that Matt Shaughnessy was the most improved player of 2010. Who will it be this year?
BA’s Take: This is a really hard question because there are so many things that can factor into this equation. To be the most improved, I think you have to go from okay to excellent and you have to compete in most of the season’s contests. That means not only do you have to drastically improve, but you also have to stay healthy and get enough field time to have the opportunity. Factoring in all of this, I am going to have to go with the player that will be the left tackle this year, like it or not, Jared Veldheer.
Dizzle’s Take: I believe it will be Jared Veldheer. He showed tremendous strides by season’s end at left tackle. He had a lot to overcome. In one year’s time, he went from a Division II school to the NFL. Then he was being moved back and forth in practice at center and left tackle. Tom Cable decided to try him at center and gave him one half of football in the third game of the preseason before starting him at center in the first game of the season. Then he moved Veldheer back to left tackle where he was splitting time with Mario Henderson until week six when he was given the job outright. It was a rocky beginning to a career but one that Veldheer handled extremely well. He will come into camp at left tackle and stay there so by the start of the season, he should be ready to handle the position.
4th Down – Is Richard Seymour salivating when he sees the Patriots on the home schedule in week four, and is there any chance the Raiders can lose that game?
Dizzle’s Take: Yes and yes. Both of these seem like no brainers. There is no doubt Seymour has marked that week on his calendar since the day the schedule came out. He will be a monster in that game. The Patriots will know to double team him so he may not have a lot of stats of his own. But he will free up his teammates and I expect the pass rush to be ferocious by the Raiders. Still, that doesn’t mean they are going to win. The Patriots will exploit the Raiders’ weaknesses in run protection as well as the short pass. That is the area they will be attacking all day and how well the Raiders can improve in that area will be a bigger deciding factor in the outcome of this game.
BA’s Take: Oh, you bet your butt he’s licking his chops. He had a grin ear to ear as soon as he saw this game on the schedule. This game is why he decided not to retire this year (joking). But, oh boy, I bet he cannot wait to be in that moment. If you thought Seymour was an animal in the middle of that defense last year, you haven’t seen anything yet. Another element of this that plays into the Raiders’ favor is the fact that Seymour is very fine tuned to the AFC East, a division the Raiders will face this year. Not only is Seymour looking forward to this game, but the entire team is going to be and that makes it exciting for me as a fan. There is no way the Raiders can lose this game.
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