Here are some quick hits about the first team organized activity, yesterday. The team met at their headquarters, playbooks were distributed and the players met each other.
Wheeler talks about being recruited
Also, Philip Wheeler spoke on a media conference call and said that he partially chose Oakland due to the coaching staff and schemes and partially due to the fans.
TFDS has already talked a bit about the fans roll in bringing Wheeler to Oakland here. He said that he gained about 2,000 followers from his Oakland visit which helped him make the decision to choose the Raiders, adding, “it showed me how big of a football city this is and how much they paid attention to football instead of going somewhere else. Indianapolis, it was pretty good football city, but the fans, they didn’t’ get more involved in media, and just showing us how much they care about the game. I always wanted to play in a big football for a legendary team, something like that and that kind of helped me choose Oakland.”
Wheeler also said that he had known DC Jason Tarver because he met him when he was transitioning from college to the NFL and he felt comfortable with Tarver. He said the Raiders will be playing a blitzing scheme and mixing in multiple looks, many of which feature the linebacker and some of which will allow him to blitz which he never did in the Colts’ schemes.
A funny side note to the conversation – Wheeler said he is somewhat familiar with the Raiders players already because he always picks the Raiders when playing Madden. Specifically, he said he likes to put QB Terrelle Pryor in and “run around with him.” He said he picks the Raiders because “they were always bigger, faster and stronger than everybody.”
There is a link to the transcript of his conference call here.
Derrick Jones cut
WR Derrick Jones, who suffered a season ending injury while in training camp and was on IR all of last seasn was cut today. Jones is 6’0″, 195. He is now an unrestricted free agent but will have a hard time catching on to any other team. His contract with the Raiders was through 2015 with 2014 being a restricted free agent year. He was due to make $390,000 this season.
Raider-Giants connection?
The Giants signed former Raiders and Colts S Stevie Brown yesterday. They are reportedly going to try out former Raiders LB Quentin Groves this week.
For more Raiders news and analysis, or to ask questions or tell me what you think, follow me on Twitter @AsherMathews
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