Making his return to Arizona on Friday night, Raiders quarterback Matt Leinart had injury added to insult. Booed when he entered the fray, Leinart eventually left on a cart with a cut on his right index finger. (Leinart throws with his left hand.) Per a source with knowledge of the situation, X-rays were negative and…
When they were together at Southern Cal 10 years ago, Carson Palmer was the mentor and Matt Leinart the student. These days, the Raiders backup quarterback has flipped those roles, serving as Palmer’s teacher in his new offensive system. Because Leinart’s worked with Raiders coordinator Greg Knapp the last two years in Houston, he’s sharing [...]
July 24, 2012 – Vincent Frank
Once again, the Oakland Raiders franchise was forced to go through another massive overhaul. The death of long-time owner Al Davis coupled with front office issues forced their hand.
New managing partner Stephan Davis made the decision to start from square one. Only on the job one season, Hue Jackson was fired as the Raiders’ head coach. The younger Davis also made a wise decision to bring in long-time Green Bay Packers’ executive Reggie McKenzie to run the front office. For the first time in nearly a half-century this franchise actually has a general manager to run things, not just a figurehead. McKenzie’s first order of business was to hire a head coach, former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who becomes the youngest head man in the NF, which has become somewhat of a trend with this franchise.
McKenzie’s second order of business was to “cut” the proverbial fat from a roster that had grown a bit too right in this salary cap era. The time for fiscal discipline and modern economic philosophy under the cap was now for a new Raiders organization.
They released Kamerion Wimbley and Stanford Routt, both starters along their previously under achieving defense. Both were wildly overpaid as well. This is what McKenzie was talking about in regards to fiscal discipline.
Even with those two large contract off the roster, Oakland was in a precarious salary cap situation and didn’t have a whole lot of money to spend. Additionally, they were missing selections in each of the first three rounds of the draft due to trades made by previous regimes. Although a slew of compensatory selections helped a bit, it is safe to say that McKenzie was behind the proverbial eight-ball.
That being said, the new general manager did an amazing job with what he had.
Oakland made a few tremendous under-the-radar signings in the offseason. First, they were able to bring in one of the best run-blocking guards in the form of Mike Brisiel, formerly of the Houston Texans. He fits the Raiders zone-blocking scheme to a T and will be a tremendous upgrade over who they had there previously.
Dave Tollefson may have gotten lost in the New York Giants elite front-seven, but make no mistake about it, he was one hell of a rotational performer for the defending Super Bowl Champions last season. The veteran defensive end will come in to spell starter Lamarr Houston on the left side of the line.
Oakland also brought in two veteran cornerbacks who are coming off injury. Shawntae Spencer started every game for the San Francisco 49ers in 2009 and 2010 before seeing an injury-plagued season cost him a spot in their improved secondary. If healthy, Spencer will be a nice little addition. Ron Bartell was a fixture in the St. Louis Rams secondary from 2007 to 2010, starting a total of 55 games during that span. While these two veterans cannot be counted on as true shutdown guys, they add depth and experience to a secondary that was lacking in those two areas last season.
Oakland utilized the trade route to replace backup running back Michael Bush when they acquired Mike Goodson from the Carolina Panthers. General manager Reggie McKenzie had previously stated he wasn’t going to trade future picks for veterans and maintained that philosophy in sending Bruce Campbell to the Panthers in the trade.
Goodson, also coming off an injury-plagued season, tallied nearly 800 total yards for the Panthers in 2010. While he wont be able to match the production of Bush, the veteran running back came in on the cheap.
There wasn’t much to see in regards to the draft though. The Raiders first selection was the final pick of the third round. That being said, they did a pretty decent job with what they had to work with.
Third-round pick Tony Bergstrom from Utah figures to challenge for the starting left guard position with incumbent Cooper Carlisle. The former Ute’ has the experience and physical ability to move inside from tackle and be a solid force for the next decade. He was, by all accounts, one of the better mid-round selections in the entire draft.
Another favorite, Miles Burris in the fourth round, fills a tremendous need for depth and young talent at the outside/weak side position for Oakland. All he did at San Diego State was become one of the most productive linebackers in the entire country. Of course people will question the talent that Burris played against in college, but that cannot be held against him right now.
Many experts, including myself, had Juron Criner going in the third round. The Arizona product fits the mold of Oakland’s previous regime, namely the deceased Al Davis, in terms of speed. Look for him to add an immediate deep threat for Carson Palmer in the passing game.
These are the moves that solid franchises make. They are signs that McKenzie took the Packers philosophy with him to Northern California. While they might not payoff in the form of a postseason performance in 2012, the Raiders are much better off with the talented general manager at the helm.
Free Agent Signings
CB- Ron Bartell, St. Louis Rams
G- Mike Brisiel, Houston Texans
RB- Mike Goodson, Carolina Panthers (Trade)
QB- Matt Leinart, Houston Texans
FB- Owen Schmidt, Philadelphia Eagles
CB- Shawntae Spencer, San Francisco 49ers
DE- Dave Tollefson, New York Giants
LB- Phillip Wheeler, Indianapolis Colts
2012 NFL Draft Picks
3. G- Tony Bergstrom, Utah
4. LB- Miles Burris, San Diego State
5. DE- Jack Crawford, Penn State
5. WR- Juron Criner, Arizona
6. DE- Christo Bilukidi, Georgia State
7. LB- Nathan Stupar, Penn State
Coming off the first playoff berth and 10-win season in franchise history, the Texans can’t help but feel it should have been better. They were 7-3 when Matt Schaub suffered a foot injury, ending his season and throwing the potential for a deep playoff push out the window. T.J. Yates proved himself capable last year,…
The Oakland Raiders have gone nine seasons without a playoff berth. Under Hue Jackson, the 2011 Raiders believed they were poised to end the drought after a 5-2 start. They lost quarterback Jason Campbell to a broken collarbone in Week Six. Capitalizing on a brief power acquisition following the passing of longtime owner Al Davis, [...]
The Oakland Raiders have gone nine seasons without a playoff berth. Under Hue Jackson, the 2011 Raiders believed they were poised to end the drought after a 5-2 start. They lost quarterback Jason Campbell to a broken collarbone in Week Six. Capitalizing on a brief power acquisition following the passing of longtime owner Al Davis, [...]
Like a growing number of NFL players, Jets quarterback/personal punt protector Tim Tebow has decided to spend his non-football time engaged in MMA training. Unlike many of the players who engage in MMA training, Tebow hasn’t engaged the services of FOX’s Jay Glazer. According to TMZ, Tebow is working out with the “legendary” Gracie family…
There’s no easier way to point out the differences between the NFL and college football than by pointing to the list of Heisman Trophy winners. College football’s biggest award doesn’t always go to the best player in the country, but it always goes to a player who has reached the highest levels of success at…
The Oakland Raiders may be in the market for a Heisman Trophy-winning USC quarterback to back up their starter, another Heisman Trophy-winning USC quarterback.
Matt Leinart, who was cut by the Texans last week, is a likely target for the Raiders as they look for a backup to Carson Palmer, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com reports.
The Raiders aren’t expected to re-sign free agent Kyle Boller, and Jason Campbell has already signed with the Bears, so Oakland needs a backup to Palmer.
Full story on Pro Football Talk
HOUSTON (AP) — Matt Leinart had a quick chat with Andre Johnson before leaving the Texans’ locker room on Tuesday to catch a flight home to Southern California.
When he returns to Houston next week, Leinart will have a first-place team to lead. And maybe Johnson will be back from the injured list.
Leinart is the Texans’ starting quarterback for the immediate future, with Matt Schaub out with what coach Gary Kubiak calls a “significant” foot injury.
Kubiak says Schaub will undergo testing and his status for the rest of the season will be determined next week. Schaub’s agent, Joby Branion, did not return a phone message.
The Texans (7-3) have a bye week. Leinart will make his first start since 2009 in Houston’s next game, at Jacksonville on Nov. 27.
Copyright Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) — Chris Ogbonnaya made the most of his opportunity in Houston’s preseason opener, with virtually every other Texans running back hobbled by injuries.
Ogbonnaya caught a touchdown pass from Matt Leinart and ran for the winning score in the fourth quarter of the Texans’ 20-16 win over the New York Jets on Monday night.
“This time of the year is a grind,” Ogbonnaya said, “and you just have to be ready for the opportunity when it comes.”
The regular starters for both sides only played the first quarter.
Mark Sanchez looked sharp, completing 6 of 7 passes, two to Santonio Holmes. Sanchez’s usual backup, Mark Brunell, did not play because of a finger injury, leaving the rest of the game to seventh-round draft pick Greg McElroy, the former Alabama star.
The Jets’ first-string offense produced four first downs and 73 yards, but only three points.
“We would’ve liked to score a touchdown on that first drive, but we didn’t,” Sanchez said. “I was proud of the first group moving the ball the way we did. Now, we just need to finish in the red zone.”
Matt Schaub, meanwhile, looked shaky for the Texans. He went 2 for 5 for 20 yards and was sacked once before Leinart replaced him.
Ogbonnaya accounted for 104 total yards – 37 on the ground and 67 receiving. He was just about the last running back standing for Houston after Derrick Ward left in the first half with a head injury. Arian Foster, the 2010 NFL rushing champ, and backups Steve Slaton and Ben Tate were sidelined with hamstring injuries.
“Hats off to Ogbonnaya, the young man’s had a great camp for two weeks,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “Really, he was all we had. He played the whole game. He’s been a real warrior for us.”
Houston trailed 16-13 in the final quarter when Derrick Townsel returned a punt to the New York 37. Two plays later, rookie T.J. Yates completed a 28-yard pass to rookie Lestar Jean to the 1. Ogbonnaya dived into the end zone on the first play following the 2-minute warning.
The Jets had a chance to win it in the final minute, but undrafted free agent Michael Campbell dropped a 32-yard pass from McElroy in the end zone.
Houston’s defense, learning a 3-4 scheme under new coordinator Wade Phillips, produced seven sacks. But McElroy, a seventh-round draft pick, still found gaps and completed 23 of 39 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown.
Phillips has only had a few weeks to teach his players the new scheme because of the lockout, and Texans coach Gary Kubiak saw obvious progress.
“In general, you could see they’ve grasped the nature of the defense,” Kubiak said. “We stayed away from giving up big plays.”
Matt Leinart, who turned down offers from other teams to return to Houston and back up Schaub, also looked solid, except for an interception that led to the Jets’ lone touchdown. Leinart went 8 for 14 for 78 yards in about two quarters of action.
Sanchez completed his first four throws, and the Jets drove inside the Houston 15. Linebacker Xavier Adibi sacked Sanchez on third down, forcing New York to settle for Nick Folk’s 33-yard field goal. Folk, who signed a one-year deal after going 30 of 39 on field-goal attempts last season, is competing with veteran Nick Novak for the job.
Leinart replaced Schaub at the start of the second quarter, and immediately completed a pass to James Casey for a 9-yard gain. On third down, Leinart rolled left and threw a short pass to Ogbonnaya, who picked up 29 yards to the Jets’ 31.
The drive stalled, and Neil Rackers’ 49-yard field goal tied it with 12:13 left in the first half.
McElroy replaced Sanchez on New York’s first drive of the second quarter.
Linebacker Jesse Nading sacked McElroy, forced a fumble and defensive end Tim Jamison recovered at the Jets’ 14. Ogbonnaya converted a fourth-and-1, and Jets’ coach Rex Ryan stomped up the sideline and angrily called a timeout and ripped off his headset before Houston could snap it again.
“Too many guys out there, and we had to burn a timeout,” Ryan said.
Leinart then rolled left again and flicked an easy pass to Ogbonnaya for a touchdown.
Ogbonnaya had a 15-yard run, and gained 16 more yards on a screen pass on Houston’s next possession. Rackers capped the drive with a 47-yard field goal with 57 seconds left before the break to put the Texans ahead 13-3.
Novak kicked a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Leinart’s first pass of the second half was tipped at the line by Kendrick Ellis and intercepted by Josh Mauga. Bilal Powell gained 19 yards on a short pass, and McElroy found Patrick Turner for the tying touchdown.
The Jets got the ball back near midfield with about 10 minutes left. Powell, a fourth-round pick out of Louisville, rushed for 21 yards on the drive and Folk kicked a 40-yard field goal with 6:12 remaining to give New York a 16-13 lead.
Notes: Jets’ guards Rob Turner (lower leg) and Chris Stewart (shoulder) left in the first half. Texans’ guards Antoine Caldwell and Kasey Studdard both went out with ankle injuries. … Houston All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson (dislocated finger) and linebacker Brian Cushing (knee) also sat out.
© 2011 The Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) — Matt Leinart knows his time is coming.
The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner is back in a reserve role with the Houston Texans behind incumbent quarterback Matt Schaub. During the free-agent frenzy, Leinart had a chance to rejoin his college coach, Pete Carroll, in Seattle and possibly earn a starting role.
Instead, he chose to return to the Texans, learn more from Schaub and coach Gary Kubiak, and bide his time.
“I did what was best for me, and this is the best fit for me, by far,” Leinart said Thursday. “I still want to be a starter, that’s my goal. I’m still young. I’ve still got a lot of ball left.”
Leinart and Carroll guided Southern Cal to back-to-back national championship games after the 2004 and ’05 seasons. Leinart went 37-2 as a starter in college and left as the Trojans’ all-time leader in touchdown passes (99) and completion rate (65 percent).
He was drafted 10th overall by the Cardinals in 2006 and appeared in 12 games as a rookie under coach Dennis Green, throwing 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He broke his collarbone in the fifth game of the next season, Kurt Warner took over and Leinart was mostly a spectator over the next 2 1/2 seasons.
Warner retired after the 2009 season, giving Leinart a chance to run the offense. But Leinart clashed with Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, Derek Anderson won the job in training camp, and Leinart was released in September 2010.
“I’ve taken a different path, obviously,” he said. “I have some starting experience. I’ve played well, at times, and there are times when I’ve struggled. It’s all part of the maturation process.”
The Texans signed him to a one-year contract, but Leinart didn’t take a snap in the 2010 season. By now, if Leinart has learned anything through his topsy-turvy NFL career, it’s patience.
“It’s been a roller-coaster ride, but my career goal is always to be a starter,” he said. “I want to start in this league, I want to get to a Super Bowl. No matter what people say or think or believe, I’m working at that every day and waiting until my time comes.”
Leinart relaxed in Southern California over the summer, working on his game and spending time with his 4-year-old son, Cole. When the lockout ended, Leinart spoke with Carroll about reuniting in Seattle.
The Texans wanted him, too, and as Leinart weighed his options, he leaned more and more toward returning to Houston. Though he didn’t get on the field in 2010, he had clicked with Kubiak, offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp. He also felt comfortable in the offense, which ranked third overall last season (387 yards per game) and fourth in passing (259 yards per game).
“Despite my relationship with Pete, I had to put that aside and really do what was best for me, in the big picture,” Leinart said. “This is the best thing for my career, to be here, to learn and improve and get better under this great coaching we have here.
“It just made more sense for me to be here. It turned out to be an easy choice.”
On Thursday, Leinart zipped a perfect pass to fullback James Casey down the sideline. He rolled left and overthrew tight end Owen Daniels on another play, but was on a target with an off-balance throw to receiver Dorin Dickerson later in practice.
“He’s a smart guy and he’s really learning,” Schaub said of Leinart. “It’s fun to work with him. It’s just the little things in our offense that he’s got to pick up on and the nuances. But he’s doing well.”
Kubiak says Leinart will play “a great deal” in Monday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets.
“He’s confident and he knows our offense,” Kubiak said. “He believes this offense suits him, so you see that confidence and it’s exuded every day in practice. I think we’re all excited as a team. We’ve got so much confidence in our starter. But I think, right now, the team says, `Hey, if something happened, we know we can keep moving forward because of the way he’s practicing and the way he leads this group.’”
Leinart is still only 28, and he’s encouraged by the success of Warner, Aaron Rodgers and Steve Young – veterans who had to wait their turns before emerging as stars. He’s focused on daily improvement, and maintains his belief that his best NFL days are still in front of him.
“Guys have taken so many different routes in their careers,” he said. “Every way is different, and you never know what’s going to happen. For me, I just know that my opportunity is going to come.”
© 2011 The Associated Press