Tribal Warfare
05-18-2008, 08:24 PM
http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/ci_9301902?nclick_check=1
Davis assembles a volatile group
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 05/18/2008 02:57:08 AM PDT
ALAMEDA -- the Raiders' offseason workouts are in full swing, and the team might want to post some large "no smoking" signs at its headquarters. No one should even think about lighting a match around this group.
Raiders boss Al Davis, that mad silver-and-black scientist, spent the offseason mixing together assorted elements, some of them more volatile than a night at a strip club with Pacman Jones or a day on the television set with Bill O'Reilly. Davis traded for Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, an extremely gifted but combustible talent.
Davis signed free agent wide receiver Javon Walker, another highly skilled but emotional player.
With the fourth pick in the draft, Davis took Darren McFadden, an explosive runner who ran into a few problems off the field during his career at Arkansas.
After going 4-12 last season, Davis went on a free-agent spending spree, throwing money around as if he were Charles Barkley in Las Vegas.
Give the man credit. He has taken bold action, trying to fix his team. Even though some of Davis' moves seemed a bit desperate or risky, he's going all-in, and he's staying true to his nature, playing by his own rules.
Davis has never been afraid of welcoming outcasts, renegades and free spirits, as long as he believed they could help his team dominate, to use one of his favorite words.
Recent history tells us there's a good chance that Al's chemistry experiment will blow up in his face. But there's always the chance that
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it will work, that the Raiders will harness all this energy and channel it in the right direction.
Either way, it makes for great theater, especially when the regular season arrives and the heat is turned up higher and higher each week.
What makes this unfolding story even more fascinating is that the situation surrounding Davis' coaching staff appears to be as volatile as that surrounding his roster.
Start with coach Lane Kiffin, the man most responsible for making sense out of Davis' extreme Raiders makeover and for putting all these new pieces together on one of the NFL's youngest teams.
Despite offseason reports that Davis asked for his resignation, Kiffin still has a job. But it's clear that Davis has reasserted his supreme authority over all things Raider.
The players aren't blind. They see that. So the old Raiders-coach-as-Davis-puppet scenario is as viable as ever. As for Kiffin's goals of changing the team's culture and having greater authority than past Raiders coaches? Yeah, right.
If Kiffin had more authority, Rob Ryan wouldn't be back as defensive coordinator, serving the final year of his contract. According to Kiffin, he and Ryan agreed to part ways after last season but Davis nixed that move.
Then there's the James Lofton factor. Davis hired Lofton as Raiders wide receivers coach. It's important to note that Davis has interviewed Lofton for his top coaching job in the past. So you couldn't blame Kiffin if he took an occasional peek over his shoulder.
With so many changes, so much uncertainty and so much potential volatility, it's imperative that the Raiders get off to a fast start this season.
The last thing the Raiders need is for Hall to get into a negative funk and have another meltdown like he had in late September last season during then-winless Atlanta's 27-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
On one Panthers touchdown drive, Hall drew three penalties -- one pass interference and two personal fouls -- for 67 yards. Then he got into verbal confrontations on the sideline with assistant coach Joe Whitt Jr. and coach Bobby Petrino.
The Raiders might want to keep the footballs flying in Walker's direction early and often. He has a history of becoming unhappy, whether over his contract or the number of passes thrown his way.
Davis is paying Walker plenty of money. So finances shouldn't be a problem. But it will be up to Kiffin, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell to get Walker the football.
Russell missed the entire training camp last year during a contract dispute. He started just one game as a rookie. But he has logged many hours during the offseason at team headquarters and is in much better shape -- physically and mentally -- than he was last season.
"We really feel good about JaMarcus' shape and the way he's throwing the ball," Kiffin said after Thursday's workout. "Now we've got to get all the pieces around him to come together. ... As important as anything out here, as far as the rest of our team, is getting that chemistry."
And avoiding a chemical explosion.
Davis assembles a volatile group
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 05/18/2008 02:57:08 AM PDT
ALAMEDA -- the Raiders' offseason workouts are in full swing, and the team might want to post some large "no smoking" signs at its headquarters. No one should even think about lighting a match around this group.
Raiders boss Al Davis, that mad silver-and-black scientist, spent the offseason mixing together assorted elements, some of them more volatile than a night at a strip club with Pacman Jones or a day on the television set with Bill O'Reilly. Davis traded for Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, an extremely gifted but combustible talent.
Davis signed free agent wide receiver Javon Walker, another highly skilled but emotional player.
With the fourth pick in the draft, Davis took Darren McFadden, an explosive runner who ran into a few problems off the field during his career at Arkansas.
After going 4-12 last season, Davis went on a free-agent spending spree, throwing money around as if he were Charles Barkley in Las Vegas.
Give the man credit. He has taken bold action, trying to fix his team. Even though some of Davis' moves seemed a bit desperate or risky, he's going all-in, and he's staying true to his nature, playing by his own rules.
Davis has never been afraid of welcoming outcasts, renegades and free spirits, as long as he believed they could help his team dominate, to use one of his favorite words.
Recent history tells us there's a good chance that Al's chemistry experiment will blow up in his face. But there's always the chance that
Advertisement
it will work, that the Raiders will harness all this energy and channel it in the right direction.
Either way, it makes for great theater, especially when the regular season arrives and the heat is turned up higher and higher each week.
What makes this unfolding story even more fascinating is that the situation surrounding Davis' coaching staff appears to be as volatile as that surrounding his roster.
Start with coach Lane Kiffin, the man most responsible for making sense out of Davis' extreme Raiders makeover and for putting all these new pieces together on one of the NFL's youngest teams.
Despite offseason reports that Davis asked for his resignation, Kiffin still has a job. But it's clear that Davis has reasserted his supreme authority over all things Raider.
The players aren't blind. They see that. So the old Raiders-coach-as-Davis-puppet scenario is as viable as ever. As for Kiffin's goals of changing the team's culture and having greater authority than past Raiders coaches? Yeah, right.
If Kiffin had more authority, Rob Ryan wouldn't be back as defensive coordinator, serving the final year of his contract. According to Kiffin, he and Ryan agreed to part ways after last season but Davis nixed that move.
Then there's the James Lofton factor. Davis hired Lofton as Raiders wide receivers coach. It's important to note that Davis has interviewed Lofton for his top coaching job in the past. So you couldn't blame Kiffin if he took an occasional peek over his shoulder.
With so many changes, so much uncertainty and so much potential volatility, it's imperative that the Raiders get off to a fast start this season.
The last thing the Raiders need is for Hall to get into a negative funk and have another meltdown like he had in late September last season during then-winless Atlanta's 27-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
On one Panthers touchdown drive, Hall drew three penalties -- one pass interference and two personal fouls -- for 67 yards. Then he got into verbal confrontations on the sideline with assistant coach Joe Whitt Jr. and coach Bobby Petrino.
The Raiders might want to keep the footballs flying in Walker's direction early and often. He has a history of becoming unhappy, whether over his contract or the number of passes thrown his way.
Davis is paying Walker plenty of money. So finances shouldn't be a problem. But it will be up to Kiffin, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell to get Walker the football.
Russell missed the entire training camp last year during a contract dispute. He started just one game as a rookie. But he has logged many hours during the offseason at team headquarters and is in much better shape -- physically and mentally -- than he was last season.
"We really feel good about JaMarcus' shape and the way he's throwing the ball," Kiffin said after Thursday's workout. "Now we've got to get all the pieces around him to come together. ... As important as anything out here, as far as the rest of our team, is getting that chemistry."
And avoiding a chemical explosion.