Originally published on Silver & Black Report on March 17, 2014

The Oakland Raiders announced the signing of veteran wide receiver James Jones on Monday.

Jones, who assisted in the Packers' Super Bowl XLV victory, played seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers while accumulating 310 receptions for 4,305 yards and 37 touchdowns in 104 games (47 starts).

The signing of Jones gives the Raiders yet another Super Bowl-winning veteran on the roster that can help mentor a relatively young team.

“I think that will be huge just from the leadership standpoint," Jones said in a conference call about the locker-room presence him and other free-agent signings can provide. "A lot of those guys have been in the big games, like you said, won Super Bowls, so we know what it takes to get there. Just our presence in the locker room, our presence on the practice field, just hopefully we can show the young guys how to practice, show the young the guys what it’s going to take to get to the next level. Hopefully, that will rub off on them and we’ll be able to turn it around and do some great things.”

Jones posted a career-year in 2012 as he hauled in 64 receptions for 784 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns. The 29-year-old wide receiver was slowed down last season by a knee injury but still appeared in 14 games and finished with 59 receptions for 817 yards and three touchdowns.

Jones returns home after being drafted by the Packers in the third round out of San Jose St. University. Jones admits that coming home was an appealing aspect of this offer.

“It was one of them, just being able to come back, get some warm weather, play at home," Jones said. "A lot of my family and friends can see me play, drive from home straight down the street to work every day. Not bad.”

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on March 16, 2014

Reports surfaced Sunday morning that the Raiders and Houston Texans are in discussions to try and send veteran quarterback Matt Schaub to the Raiders, according to Sports Radio 610.

Source: #Texans And #Raiders In 'Serious' Trade Talks For Matt Schaub http://t.co/jeHebu38vu
— SportsRadio 610 (@SportsRadio610) March 16, 2014

The Texans are coming off of a two-win season and are believed to be looking for a franchise quarterback with their first-round pick.

It has long been believed that Schaub wouldn't be a Texan come next year but most expected him to become a June 1st cut. Schaub is due $10.5 million against the salary cap next season.

Schaub, a 10-year veteran, was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons but didn't become a regular starter until joining the Texans in 2007. In his 88 starts for the Texans, Schaub has thrown 124 touchdowns and 78 interceptions while averaging 3,317 passing yards per season.

The 32-year-old quarterback was benched last season due to his poor play and in an effort to see what the younger Case Keenum had. Despite being benched last season, Schaub is just one season removed from throwing for 4,008 yards, 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 64.3 percent completion rate.

The report does not list what the possible compensation is that the Raiders would send to Houston.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on March 13, 2014


After losing Lamarr Houston to free agency, the Raiders have signed veteran defensive end Justin Tuck according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

After giving the Giants a chance to improve their offer, DE Justin Tuck is accepting a two-year, $11 million deal with the Oakland Raiders.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2014


Tuck was a key contributor to both of the Giants' Super Bowl wins and has totaled 60.5 sacks in his 127-game career. Tuck, now 30 years old, is coming off of an 11.0 sack year which is nearly double Houston's team-leading 6.0 sacks last season.

The Raiders reportedly also have Lamarr Woodley and Jason Hatcher at the facilities today in hopes of agreeing to terms with them as well.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on March 12, 2014

The Raiders let offensive tackle Jared Veldheer walk via free agency and chose to sign offensive lineman Rodger Saffold instead. But a problem arose as Saffold reportedly failed his physical on Wednesday, leaving the left tackle position still vacant for the Raiders.

#Raiders announce that Rodger Saffold failed a physical and will not be signing with the team.
— Scott Bair (@BairCSN) March 13, 2014

Not only is that crazy enough, but Saffold has now agreed to a new five-year deal with the St. Louis Rams and will be returning to the team he was with last year.

Wow. After he failed his physical in Oakland, Rodger Saffold is headed back to the #Rams on a 5-year deal, per source
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2014


It appears that the Raiders were not satisfied with Saffold's shoulder while the Rams were not concerned about the same injure, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Raiders had concerns about Saffold's shoulder; Rams had "no concerns whatsoever" about his shoulder, per agent Alan Herman and Jared Fox.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2014


The failed physical leaves a major hole in Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie's free agency plan and they still have a void at left tackle after Veldheer bolted for the Cardinals.

The Raiders still have the draft and more free agency options to fill the void but many of the top left-tackle possibilities have already been grabbed via free agency. The Raiders still have second-year player Menelik Watson on the team but he is largely unproven as he was out for much of last year with a calf injury.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on March 9, 2014


Saturday didn't just mark the beginning of the "legal-tampering" period in the NFL but was also a night of celebration for Marcel Reece.

The Raiders fullback was voted for the Commitment to Excellence Award by his teammates and the Raiders celebrated his achievement at the Oakland Aiport Hilton on Saturday night.

Reece joins a list of previous award winners that includes Tim Brown, Jon Condo, Justin Fargas and many more.

Reece took time out of his busy night to talk to Silver & Black Report's Bob Carr and local media about everything from what it means to receive the award to what he wants to see with free agency.

The 28-year-old fullback has repeatedly expressed his appreciation for the late Al Davis by wearing an "Al" shirt under his jersey and takes it as a challenge to represent the Silver & Black the best he can in honor of Mr. Davis.

"I always will," Reece said about wearing the "Al" shirt under his jersey. "He's one man that, at one point in time, believed in me more than I did myself. And that meant a lot to me. He gave me a chance to make my dream, you know. And his son is continuing that and they pretty much put the franchise in my hands and said 'do what you can with it. Lets see what you have' and it's almost a challenge for me and I'm happy for it, I'm grateful for it. I'm blessed."

Reece also didn't hold back when it came to giving his input of what he would like to see happen in free agency. He described his desire for "Raider-ass moves" much like Davis' actions did as a general manager with his "Just Win, Baby" mantra.

"I'll be honest with you, just like I'll be honest with him: I want him to be fearless; I want him to not worry about anybody else, I want him to be fearless," Reece said. "Let's go for it right now, that's one thing that I'm looking forward to. No safe moves, I don't want safe moves. I want smart, calculated, fearless, Raider-ass moves that you don't care about anything else, but just winning, and that's what we want to do. Right now."

You can listen to the full audio from Reece below.

https://soundcloud.com/sbreport/marcel-reece-talks-at

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on March 8, 2014


The Oakland Raiders struggled in the defensive backfield and now find themselves with both of their starting cornerbacks possibly departing in free agency.

Reggie McKenzie and the Raiders signed Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter last offseason to one year deals and neither one of them have been re-signed yet. The Raiders have also not re-signed starting free agent Charles Woodson yet making there another void at the free safety position.

This gives McKenzie a chance to reload and possibly build a better defensive backfield with some of the solid options available in this years defensive back free agent class. With teams able to talk to players tomorrow, it's time we take a look at some free agents that McKenzie and company may look at.

Alterraun Verner, age 25 - Verner has developed into one of the best corners in the league already at just 25 years young and looks to be the most highly-sought corner on the market this offseason. Verner, a California native, played his college ball at UCLA and has now played four seasons in the NFL, all with the Titans. According to Pro Football Focus, Verner has been a top-25 corner in all four seasons he's been in the NFL. Verner was asked to play more man-to-man coverage last season and finished second in the league with 22 passes defensed to go along with five interceptions. There's no doubt that Verner would be a solid signing for the Raiders but it isn't known if McKenzie will be willing to spend that kind of money on a corner. Verner is expected to be asking for a deal worth roughly $10 million per year. Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes signed a four-year, $32 million deal with $16 million guaranteed earlier in the offseason setting the mark for Verner and other free agent corners.

Aqib Talib, age 28 - There was early mutual interest for Talib to return to the Patriots but the talks seem to have died off since the beginning of the offseason. The Patriots don't have a ton of cap room currently and that will be a factor with attempting to re-sign Talib. The seven-year veteran is coming off of a one-year deal where he served as the Patriots' best cornerback and recorded 14 passes defensed and four interceptions in 13 games played. Like Verner, Talib will command a large contract as he has already stated he wants to be paid like a "top-of-the-market player". It will be interesting to see what kind of deal Talib gets with Grimes already receiving his aforementioned deal.

Sam Shields, age 26 - What would a Raiders free-agency discussion be without the mentioning of a former Packer? Shields and the Packers have been unable to reach terms of a contract and it appears that he will be allowed to test the free-agency market. Shields, now 26, originally signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010 out of the University of Miami. Shields is hitting the market at the right time as he comes off his best NFL season, recording 16 passes defensed and four interceptions in his 14 starts this season. Shields possesses great speed and has continuously gotten better since signing with the Packers for a league-minimum in 2010. It will be interesting to see if McKenzie goes after another former Packer and how much money Shields will look for.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, age 27 - It seems like the Broncos would make Rodgers-Cromartie a priority to re-sign, especially with the departure of Champ Bailey and uncertainty with Chris Harris coming off of an ACL surgery. Rodgers-Cromartie has been able to revitalize his career after being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles and producing two poor years. Rodgers-Cromartie helped lead the Denver defense that made its way to the Super Bowl as he accounted for three interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 13 games started. Some have questioned Rodgers-Cromartie's dedication to football after he stated he may retire if the Broncos won the Super Bowl, though he has since stated that he was not going to retire.

Tarell Brown, age 29 - Brown is an interesting prospect and former Colts GM Bill Polian went as far to say that he is the best cornerback in the free agency class on ESPN. If Polian is right and a team offers him big money like he's the best corner on the market, it seems unlikely that the 49er's will be able to match. Brown has also stated that "nothing" has been going on with discussions between the 49er's and his camp. Brown finished last season without an interception but did have 11 passes defensed in his 13 games played. Brown did however have four interceptions in 2011 and two in 2012 since becoming a starter in 2011. The market for Brown will be one to watch to see if it's a fair price that the Raiders could possibly lure him across the Bay into the Raiders locker room.

Captain Munnerlyn, age 25 - I mean, who wouldn't want a guy with the name "Captain Munnerlyn" on his team? But he doesn't just have the cool name, he has the game to back it up. Munnerlyn is coming off his best year and has been named one of the league's top 25 free agents avaialable by USA Today. Munnerlyn is just 5-foot-8 but plays much bigger than his listed height and recorded two interceptions for touchdowns to go along with 12 passes defensed. On top of being a good coverage corner, Munnerlyn is a better-than-average tackler as he only missed three tackles in 932 regular-season snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Munnerlyn may come at a cheaper price due to his height so he's worth keeping an eye on.

Vontae Davis, age 25 - It seemed like it would be likely that the Colts and Davis would be able to agree to terms but recent reports are that they are still "far apart" on a new deal. Davis is just 25 years old and has become one of the best young corners in the league due to his coverage skills and his physical play. Davis is coming off of a year in which he finished with just one interception and 12 passes defensed. Though time is running out, it seems likely that the Colts will try and match any offer that Davis may receive as the Colts have the fourth-most cap room coming into the offseason.

Jairus Byrd, age 28 - Though the Raiders already have Tyvon Branch, they currently have a hole at the free safety position due to Charles Woodson's impending free agency. Byrd is arguably the best free agent available in this years class and he just so happens to fill one of the Raiders' many holes on defense. The one problem may be just how much Byrd may be asking for and whether or not the Raiders want to invest that much money in the safety position as a whole. The Raiders area already due to pay starting safety Tyvon Branch $7.1 million next year. Byrd is a ball-hawking safety that possesses great coverage skills and would be a great addition to the Raiders defensive backfield. The 28-year-old University of Oregon alum is coming of a 2013 campaign in which he had four interceptions. In his 73 games played since entering the NFL, Byrd has recorded 356 tackles, three sacks and 22 interceptions. Adding Byrd would no doubt give the Raiders an above-average safety tandem but would be a lot of money to invest into the safety positions. Byrd will likely be asking for upwards of $8 million per year, with a hefty guaranteed sum.

Malcolm Jenkins, age 26 - Much like listing Shields above, Jenkins must be mentioned for his obvious association to head coach Dennis Allen having worked with the New Orleans Saints previously. Jenkins is just 26 years old and has already logged 71 games (63 starts) in his five seasons in the NFL, while recording 358 tackles, 4.5 sacks and six interceptions. Jenkins was selected 14th overall out of Ohio St. in 2009 and brings versatility much in the same way that Woodson provided it for the Raiders last season. Jenkins would come at a much cheaper price than Byrd (think maybe $3-4 million per year) but doesn't quite bring the same ball-hawking skills. Jenkins is just 26 years old and there's a chance that he can still progress to an even better safety. Allen and Jenkins likely know each other well from Allen's time as the secondary coach when both of their times there overlapped in 2009-2010. It seems likely that Allen will at least want to talk to Jenkins, especially if the team decides against bringing Woodson back.

Other free agent defensive backs not mentioned: Javier Arenas, KC; Walter Thurmond, SEA; Charles Tillman, CHI; Chris Cook, MIN; Brandon Browner, SEA; Corey Graham, BAL; Asante Samuel, ATL; Jabari Greer, NO; Louis Delmas, DET; Antoine Bethea, IND; Chris Clemons, MIA;

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on March 6, 2014

As discussed earlier in the week here, the Raiders are in need of a pass rusher and not it just so happens that one of the league's best is looking to test the free agent market.

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett signed a one-year, $5 million deal with Seattle last year due to a shoulder injury but looks like he will be cashing in for bigger money this offseason.

It appears that Bennett has received an offer from the Seahawks but would like to see what he can get elsewhere before agreeing to any terms, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Seattle DE Michael Bennett will be testing the free agent market and will not be re-signing with the Seahawks before March 11th, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2014


Bennett was one of Seattle's best pass rusher finishing with 8.5 sacks on the season and helping lead a suffocating defense that eventually became Super Bowl champions.

The Raiders have struggled to find a pass rush in recent years and adding Bennett would be a huge step in the right direction. Defensive end and fellow free agent Lamarr Houston led the Raiders last year with just 6.0 sacks. No other Raiders defensive lineman had more than 3.0 sacks for the year.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie and the front office can start talking with Bennett on March 8 but can't make any signings official until March 11. It certainly seems likely that McKenzie will be one of the first to reach out to Bennett's agent given the Raiders' lack of pass rushers.