As some of you may have heard, as of noon today, I am the new owner/GM of the Oakland Raiders. In taking this position, I assume the responsibilities of all aspects of the team, from the financial works of the front office, to the individual performances of the players on the field. I feel honored to be placed at the helm of such a great franchise. This team has strong history and a bright future, and I intend to respect both. I will be working closely with the coaching staff, to be involved in the play calling philosophy of this team and to gain a better knowledge of what type of players we need to make that philosophy work.
As I have said before, I have a great respect for this organization and the players within. In the next few weeks I will continue to evaluate the direction of this team, to be sure that we are on a path that will lead to greatness for years to come. I believe in this organization, and will do whatever is necessary to insure the future of this team. I will now open the floor to any questions you may have.
The previous management of this team went into the free agent pool and landed two studs in Samari Rolle and Leonard Little. While these two players would no doubt make any team better do you feel that they were over paid and how do you feel about the long term effects they could present you on the salary cap?
Most people, including the commish of this league, think that the Raiders are a SuperBowl contender, just looking for a owner to lead them to the promised land. Do you feel any additional pressure to preform because of this?
The previous management of this team went into the free agent pool and landed two studs in Samari Rolle and Leonard Little. While these two players would no doubt make any team better do you feel that they were over paid and how do you feel about the long term effects they could present you on the salary cap?
The previous management of this team did an excellent job of bringing talent to this team. I would almost say that we have an overabundance of talent here in Oakland. Unfortunately, there are always two sides to a coin. I’m not sure that I can say that Samari or Leonard are overpaid, as they are tremendous players. The question really comes down to if we can afford to pay them as much as we are. That is one of the issues I am carefully considering.
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Originally Posted by Yoda
Most people, including the commish of this league, think that the Raiders are a SuperBowl contender, just looking for a owner to lead them to the promised land. Do you feel any additional pressure to preform because of this?
Well, there is always a degree of pressure when taking over a team, especially one of this caliber, but pressure isn't something that I let bother me very much. I think we have a great team, but we can't allow the stars in our eyes to blur our vision. My job isn't just to win this year, but to ensure we continue winning down the road, which is what I plan on doing.
do you think that this a team that will win the division?
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Originally Posted by Disturbed
The simple fact is that he is a over rated piece of **** that can't cover. He makes bad reads on routes and lacks the ability to recover when he is beaten.
For Madden people the best way to explain it is that he has a very low awareness.
do you think that this a team that will win the division?
Well, gosh... I certainly hope so! I have to say that the AFC West may be one of the toughtest divisions in the league, but I think if we stay healthy, keep our heads on strait, and do what we need to do, I think we can come out on top.
Your team currently has alot of offensive players on your roster who are in the final year of their contracts (Robinson, Branch, Johnson, Andruzzi, Hutchinson & Robbins). Should we expect to see much in the way of roster moves, or do you plan on re-signing the majority of these players when they hit the FA pool?
How many wins do you think it will take to win the division this year?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Disturbed
The simple fact is that he is a over rated piece of **** that can't cover. He makes bad reads on routes and lacks the ability to recover when he is beaten.
For Madden people the best way to explain it is that he has a very low awareness.
Your team currently has alot of offensive players on your roster who are in the final year of their contracts (Robinson, Branch, Johnson, Andruzzi, Hutchinson & Robbins). Should we expect to see much in the way of roster moves, or do you plan on re-signing the majority of these players when they hit the FA pool?
The plan at this point will be to keep as much of the team here as possible. This may depend on how we look in the pre-season as well.
One thing I plan on doing with the next offseason is working on the depth of this team. Right now we have a lot of cap room used by our starters, and I fear what will happen if we loose a offensive lineman or Linebacker to injuries. If we run into that problem within the first 6 weeks of regular season play, I might be forced to make some moves ealier than I would like to.
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Originally Posted by TheOneFromNone
How many wins do you think it will take to win the division this year?
It's hard to say because this is such a strong and evenly matched division. The key will be to win the division games. I would say 12-4 would be comfortable to win this division.
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