Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 15, 2014


The Oakland Raiders and linebacker Khalil Mack have officially agreed to terms with Mack signing the contract Thursday.

Mack is the first of the Raiders’ eight draft picks to sign a contract, and is the highest drafted player from the 2014 draft to sign thus far.

The signing comes just one day before the rookies meet at the Raiders practice facilities in Alameda for rookie mini-camp.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 14, 2014


The Oakland Raiders are inviting anyone that considers themselves a part of Raider Nation to send in a story of why they love the Silver & Black, part of the “One Nation – Your Story” campaign.

To participate, fans will upload a video that can be up to three minutes long to www.Raiders.com/OneNation, where others’ videos can be viewed as well. Your video should display your passion and love for the Silver & Black and how they have positively affected your lives.

The Raiders will allow submissions up until July 28, while a grand prize winner will be selected and given a trip for four to watch the Raiders play the Miami Dolphins in London on Sept. 28.

Five video submissions will win a prize, as follows:

Grand prize: Trip for four (4) to watch the Oakland Raiders play in London.

Prize 2:           One 12-person suite to a Raiders 2014 home game.

Prize 3:           Four (4) club tickets to a Raiders 2014 home game.

Prize 4:           Four (4) first level tickets to a Raiders 2014 home game.

Prize 5:           Autographed Raiders football helmet.

So get to it Raider Nation, and start submitting those videos atwww.Raiders.com/OneNation

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


Now that we’ve given the draft a couple of days to set in, lets take a look back at Reggie McKenzie’s picks and see just how he did.

McKenzie and the Raiders started out with a bang by getting linebacker Khalil Mack. Mack is a defensive playmaker that the Raiders have so desperately needed. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound linebacker will give the Raiders much-needed assistance in rushing the passer while also giving them a versatile linebacker to use around the field. Mack’s versatility is something the Raiders seem to value greatly. Don’t be surprised if we end up looking back on this draft and realizing Mack is the best, or second best draft pick out of this draft.

I don’t think the Raiders were really expecting quarterback Derek Carr to fall to them when they drafted in the second round, but I do know that they’re happy he did. Carr gives the Raiders arguably (there just doesn’t seem to be a consensus number one this year) the best arm in the draft and another opportunity to find their franchise quarterback they’ve been missing since Rich Gannon. Carr is a matured quarterback that is looking to prove doubters wrong that the name “Carr” shouldn’t be a reason to have avoided him. Carr will be given the chance to sit and learn behind veteran Matt Schaub, something can be greatly advantageous to him.

In my opinion, the Raiders knocked the first three picks of their draft out of the park. In the third round they selected mauling offensive guard Gabe Jackson. Jackson is a 6-foot-3, 336-pound guard that could very well end up starting on the Raiders offensive line as a rookie. The Raiders will likely want to rely on the running game in their offense and Jackson could assist in that quite nicely. Projected to be a second round prospect on some boards, McKenzie got very nice value here in the third as he could be a key piece to the offensive line for years to come. Not only did he get a solid player in the third, but McKenzie also acquired an additional fourth-round pick in the process.

McKenzie got that fourth-round pick in his trade with the Miami Dolphins in the third round. With their first pick in the fourth round, the Raiders selected large-bodied Justin Ellis to help their defensive tackle rotation. Ellis provides the defensive line with a big body to help plug up rushing gaps and fills yet another need on the roster.

With their additional pick in the fourth round, McKenzie nabbed up a long-armed, big-framed cornerback out of Utah name Keith McGill. At 6-foot-3, 211 pounds, McGill possesses rare size and speed you see in a corner and is an extremely explosive corner prospect. Graded out to be a second or third rounder by many, getting McGill in the fourth round could turn out to be a steal, especially since the Raiders need help at cornerback with Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers just signed to one-year deals.

The long wait for the Raiders until the seventh round ended when the Raiders selected fellow cornerback T.J. Carrie. Carrie also has solid size to fill the corner position and has punt return experience, something the Raiders most certainly value. Carrie was believed possible to go in the fourth round, so getting a corner prospect like him in the seventh round is a good job by McKenzie.

The questionable pick came in the middle of the seventh round when the Raiders drafted defensive end Shelby Harris, who has been out of football for a year after being kicked off the team due to “conduct detrimental to the team.” Harris was unlikely to be drafted by another team due to his “character issues” and McKenzie could possibly have tried to lure him in via undrafted free agency. But you can’t fault McKenzie for wanting to get his guy while he could, because there’s no telling where he would have signed as an undrafted free agent. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens with Harris and see if he can get back on the football field and make a difference. McKenzie gave defensive tackle Stacy McGee a second chance last year and he’s turned into a nice rotational piece for the Raiders.

The Raiders spent their final pick (#247 overall) on safety Jonathan Dowling. With free safety Charles Woodson getting up there in age, the Raiders needed a safety prospect to find some hopes of filling his shoes with. Dowling likely would have gone earlier in the draft if it weren’t for maturity and character issues, much like the other seventh-round picks. Dowling is a lanky safety that had 14 interceptions his senior year at Western Kentucky.

There’s no doubt that the Raiders took some flyers in the seventh round but there’s nothing wrong with that. McKenzie talked to these guys and he clearly liked what he heard in regards to getting the character issues figured out. If these guys can all stay grounded, then McKenzie could very well have found great value in them as they most likely would have gone earlier in the draft if simply based on talent alone.

McKenzie needed a strong draft with his seat getting seemingly warmer every year, and he sure got it. He was able to fill many of the roster’s holes while also getting very strong prospects and getting the defensive playmaker he needed, and a possible franchise quarterback to groom behind Schaub.

While there’s never anything certain about draft prospects, McKenzie and the Raiders brought hope to Raider Nation with this strong draft.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 11, 2014
The end of the draft marks the beginning of free agency for all of the draft hopefuls that indeed went undrafted and the Raiders didn’t hesitate in trying to sign those at the top of their board.

Reggie McKenzie has show great ability in finding value in his undrafted free agent signing (see Rod Streater).

Teams waste little time, with the Raiders already reportedly signing tight end Scott Simonson and kick returner George Atkinson III.

Atkinson, the son of Raiders legendary cornerback George Atkinson, is an explosive kick returner that may fit right in with the departure of the oft-injured Jacoby Ford in free agency. Atkinson, a running back at Notre Dame started last season as the primary back but fell out of favor of the coaching staff but finished with 93 carries, 555 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Simonson gives the Raiders another prospect at the tight end position, a spot on the roster they have been missing a playmaker for quite some time now. Though Mychal Rivera and David Ausberry appear to be solid prospects, it certainly won’t hurt for McKenzie to continue bringing in prospects until he finds one he’s enamored with.

The full listed of reported undrafted free agent signings are listed below:

Karl Williams, FB, Utah http://www.blocku.com/2014/5/9/57012…-draft-profile

George Atkinson III, RB, Notre Dame http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/p…e-atkinson-iii

Carlos Fields, Jr. OLB, Winston-Salem http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/p…rlos-fields-jr

Mike Davis, WR, Texas http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profil…vis?id=2543757

DJ Coles, WR, Virginia Tech http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profil…les?id=2550001

Danny Kistler, G/T, Montana http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings…2014&genpos=OG

Jake Murphy http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/p…52/jake-murphy

Scott Simonson, TE, Assumption http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings…2014&genpos=TE

Noel Grisby, WR, San Jose State, http://nfldraftdiamonds.com/draft-di…te-university/

Erie Ladson, OT, Delaware http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings…2014&genpos=OT

Austin Flynn, DE, Arkansas http://mocknfldraft.com/Austin%20Flynn.cfm

Darius Millines, WR, Coloroda State-Pueblo http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings…2014&genpos=WR

Joe Southwick, QB, Boise State http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings…2014&genpos=QB

Curtis Porter, DT, Miami http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings…2014&genpos=DT

Rob Henry, SS, Purdue http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings…2014&genpos=SS

These signings have not been confirmed by the Raiders yet.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 10, 2014

The Raiders made their final pick of the 2014 NFL Draft at #247 overall, selecting Western Kentucky’s safety Jonathan Dowling.

Dowling took the time out of his day to talk to the media following his selection. The transcript can be read below.

Q: Were the Raiders a team that you knew were interested in you throughout the whole process, or did this come as any surprise at all?

Dowling: “I knew they had some interest in me towards the end. Just to be in here, that’s a blessing. It was all a surprise just how I got called. When I got called, it just all felt good.”



Q: Did you play a traditional free safety position, or how did they use you?

Dowling: “Western Kentucky pretty much used me at whatever because we played a lot of man [coverage], so I was in man coverage a lot, down in the box, but I was mostly in the middle of the field. I’m mostly a free safety.”



Q: What do you think it will be like to come to a team and actually play alongside Charles Woodson?

Dowling: “I’m ready to learn everything from ‘C-Wood.’ I always looked up to him. He’s done things the right way. He’s played as long as anybody should want to play. I’m just ready to get next to him and read him like an open book.”



Q: Who did you model your game after?

Dowling: “I like to play like Ed Reed. That’s one person I always admired and would like to say I am like.”



Q: What do you know about this organization as far as the history and how you would fit in here in terms of scheme?

Dowling: “They went through a lot but they have always had a bunch of good players. They just have a good coaching style behind him. As far as what I can do, whatever they ask me to do, I am going to do. Whatever they want, I plan on doing it. I am just ready to play, whether it’s at corner, safety, whatever it is, I am going to do it full speed.”



Q: Who have you talked to out here? Have you talked to the defensive coordinator, Jason Tarver?

Dowling: “I spoke with him once they told me they were going to draft me, but mostly I have been talking to [assistant defensive backs] coach [Marcus] Robertson, the DBs coach.”



Q: How did that phone call go?

Dowling: “It was just a big weight off of my shoulders. All I could do was stand up. I got out of the chair and took a deep breath. I probably haven’t breathed in two days. It just feels good. It’s a blessing, just to know that God was working for me.”



Q: What happened at Florida?

Dowling: “Florida was in my past. I don’t really like to speak on it too much anymore. I had a great career at Western and I’m ready to split my page and get this clean slate started with the Raiders giving me a chance to really become a brand new person. I want to show people the type of role model I can be and the type of person that I am. I want to learn how to be a pro. I’ve never been a pro before, so I’m ready to just learn how to be a pro and act like a pro. I’m ready to do things the right way.”



Q: Did you have an idea of where you wanted to go in the draft? How are you feeling about being drafted where you were?

Dowling: “I’m happy. There are only 254 players that got drafted. There are a lot of people that didn’t even get that chance. I can’t be the person that says I’m mad I went here or I’m mad I went there. I’m just really happy to be here. I’m happy that the Raiders wanted me. It feels great to be somewhere that somebody wanted you. I’m very happy with the situation. I feel like this situation went how it should have. I learned from it. I gained something from this situation. I can teach somebody else to do the right things next time. God gives everybody their own testimony, so now that I’ve learned everything from this situation, I can teach it to the next person. Maybe even my little brother, I’ve got a little brother growing up. Maybe I could teach him how to do things the way he’s going to have to.”



Q: Did you play a lot of special teams in college?

Dowling: “Yeah, I played special teams. Like I said, I’ll play whatever they need me to play. Whatever they ask me to play, I’ll play it full speed.”

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 10, 2014


The Raiders didn’t add their first defensive end until the seventh round when they selected Shelby Harris with the 235th overall pick.

Harris spoke with the media following his selection. You can read the transcript below:

Q: Did you have an inkling that the Raiders were in on you?

Harris: “I had a feeling, but just to have my name called was a great feeling. Just knowing that it’s official, and I’m part of Raider Nation. I couldn’t be more excited.”



Q: Having not played last year, what were your thoughts going in to this weekend?

Harris: “I knew I had the ability to play, but also with everything that’s happened in the past, you never know. I just left it all up to God and prayed. My prayers were answered.”



Q: Did you watch?

Harris: “Yes definitely, I was watching the whole time.”



Q: Where did you meet with the Raiders?

Harris: “I met with them at the Northwestern Pro Day. I met with [college area scout] Trey Scott, the Raiders scout. What made me respect the Raiders was that he talked to me like a man. After talking a little bit, he said he could tell that I have matured over the years, which I have. I couldn’t ask for a better organization.”



Q: Do you feel like you have something to prove to try to show that you’ve moved on from your past?

Harris: “Definitely. It’s not necessarily something to prove, but to my teammates and to my coaches, I want to prove to them that I’m a better person. I’m not what the papers and everyone says I am. I am a good person with a great background and I’m a great team person, and that’s what’s important.”



Q: What can you tell us about the dismissal from the team?

Harris: “I’m not necessarily going to get into it. I’m just going to say that I made some mistakes and I’ve moved on. I’ve grown from them. In the end, it has made me a better person and made me who I am today.”



Q: Sitting out of football last season, did you have a self discovery during that team?

Harris: “It was heartbreaking. It was going to be my senior year and just knowing that I had been riding it out with those same guys for the last three years, and coming off the season we had, when we went to the playoffs, I was looking forward to my senior year. When everything went down and I was dismissed from the team, it hit me hard. It made me look at myself in the mirror and look at me as a person and think ‘what do I need to change as a person to be successful.’”



Q: Your bio says you weighed 250 your junior year and now it says you weight 288. Have you put on that much weight?

Harris: “I was around 255 my sophomore year. My last year I played, I was around 270-275.”



Q: You were a tackle your last year at Illinois State. Do you project as a defensive end with the Raiders as far as you know? Or did they not get that specific?

Harris: “We didn’t really go over specifics, but honestly, I can play wherever they want me to.”



Q: How did you stay in shape the year you weren’t playing?

Harris: “Well, I went to a community college that had a weight room and basketball helped out a lot. Also, I got a job, just keeping busy. But, I ran, played basketball and worked out every day. So that’s how I stayed in shape. Then, leading up into the draft, I went and trained in Indianapolis at St. Vincent Sports Performance. That’s really what helped me get into that next level, going to Indianapolis and training there.”



Q: What did you do for a job?

Harris: “I was a server at this Italian restaurant.”



Q: Did the tips come out pretty good there?

Harris: “Honestly, I loved the people I worked with. I had a great time working there. The only reason I left was because I wanted to go train in Indianapolis.”



Q: Would you say the teams that spoke to your before didn’t talk to you like a man? What does that mean?

Harris: “It’s not necessarily that they didn’t talk to me like a man. It’s just the fact that I feel like the Raiders organization in general is a very professional organization and everyone that I talked to in the Raiders organization were the most up worthy, classy people I met throughout this whole process. Everyone else I met throughout the process, they were all great people and they were all great organizations, but the Raiders from the beginning made it known that they were interested.”



Q: The Raiders have made it known the last couple of years to say that they want guys of high character. What do you think that says about taking you?

Harris: “I think that shows in general as me as a person how they can tell from talking to me that I am not a bad person. Even though I may have been through a lot, I’m still a good person and I’m willing to work and I am a good player.”

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 10, 2014


The Raiders added additional cornerback help by drafting Ohio’s T.J. Carrie in the seventh round.

Carrie spoke with the media shortly after his selection. You can read the transcript below.

Q: Do you know Taiwan Jones at all?

Carrie: “Yes, I played against him, ran track against him, and know him very well. I actually tuned in when he got drafted by the Raiders as well. Very familiar face. I see you guys just picked up Maurice Jones-Drew who went to my former high school De La Salle. Definitely some good guys on there that I know, which is good.”



Q: Did you know the Raiders were interested on you?

Carrie: “I had a visit with them and then they actually came and worked me out, too. The visit was great, it was awesome. Loved the staff and loved the facility and the program. The whole defensive scheme that they laid out and the film, adjusted to the coaches and everything like that. The vibe felt good. Me and my agent talked a little bit about the situation, so we kind of had a hunch for something that was going down in this process. Excited to be here.”



Q: How did you run in track against Taiwan?

Carrie: “Actually, that’s a very memorable moment. He actually … he’s fast, let’s put it like that. I won’t embarrass myself too much, but he’s very fast.”



Q: Do you think your ability to return punts might help you stick to this roster?

Carrie: “Definitely. I think special teams is just as important as offense and defense. I think that can separate and give teams momentum shifts. My punt return abilities, my punt coverage ability and the special teams ability that I bring to the table and all of the other players that we’ve gotten in the draft process, I think it will help the program.”



Q: You’ve missed a couple of different seasons with injury issues. How frustrating has that been?

Carrie: “It’s a process. I’ve always surrounded myself with people who have always allowed me to lift up to those situations and continue to believe in everything, as far as the man above and the fate that comes with the situation. Almost all the times that situation happens, I’ve been very optimistic and continued to work hard and dedicate myself to the craft of the game. That is what has prevailed me to this point and the pinnacle of my life.”



Q: As you went through the draft process, were you fighting the injury-prone labels? 

Carrie: “Yeah, that was. The biggest thing I had to execute during my Pro Day was I had to run fast, I had to jump high, and do as well as I could in the drills to dismiss those concerns. We were able to do all of those, as far as my Pro Day. I was excited that we had overcome some stress and some problems and they had put me in the situation I’m in today.”



Q: Are there any lingering effects from the injuries?

Carrie: “No. That’s just on account of my college atmosphere and all of the doctors that have worked on me and the physical therapy that I’ve gotten at Ohio has been great. I think my training facility that I went to for this preparation, they did an excellent job as well. Big thanks to them for helping the recovery process. It’s helped me and put me in this situation to come out of the injuries healthy.”



Q: Did you play with Mike Mitchell at Ohio your first year?

Carrie: “I did play with Mike. He actually texted me and he was excited for me. I played with him my true freshman year. He’s a great guy and when he was down there in Oakland as well, we had a chance to connect with some opportunities. Excited for the opportunity that we have some Ohioans that have gone to the Oakland Raiders and will prevail.”







Q: Who is more intense, you or Mike?

Carrie: “I would say Mike. Mike is a character, in a good way. He brings a lot of enjoyment to the game of football. I think we both do it and express it in different ways. Mike expresses it a little more enthusiastically than me. He gets his point across. I gained some of his enthusiasm and I’m working on where I need to be to be where he was at.”



Q: What did the De La Salle experience do to lay the foundation for today?

Carrie: “De La Salle, I recommend it to a number of athletes who are trying to go through the high school experience. The dedication and the hard work and the commitment that you have to achieve at that school is at the highest bar. The coaches, the school system, it all surrounds around bringing each and every player up. Your challenge there in high school to wake up at 5 in the morning for lifting and other things are things that you’re going to do in college. So, going through that experience prepares you as a man. It prepares you to become a lot more mature, faster. Great blessing that I went to that De La Salle school. It gave me great knowledge and made me the person I am today actually.”



Q: Are you looking forward to seeing the movie?

Carrie: “I am looking forward to seeing the movie. It’s so funny because when I was there in high school, they had come out with a documentary, but it wasn’t as national and as big as it did for this movie. It was more just some of the people in the area knew about it, but it was a great video. So, now that they’re making a movie, I’m so excited to see it. Glad to be a part of that experience of the De La Salle era.”



Q: What do you think about playing so close to home?

Carrie: “I’m loving it. I think that family is a big thing in life. I think that family, being around family, and having family around you really grounds you, in a sense. Being around my family and playing in the National Football League will be great for me. It will give me an opportunity to really work for everything that I’ve accomplished.”



Q: Did I read that your parents moved to Cleveland?

Carrie: “My parents did move to Cleveland. My father is doing real estate, and Cleveland was a good area for him to come to do real estate. They’re kind of on the five-year plan. They’re on year one and a half, so they have a couple of years left before they’ll get the opportunity to move back. It’ll be great to have them back once that plan is over.”



Q: How would you describe your style of corner?

Carrie: “Our style of defense was more man-on-man. Our defensive coordinator is good for that. He’s always put a good game plan in front of us each and every game. He likes the man-blitzes and the man-frees. He likes to put his corners out there on islands and let him do the dirty work. The transition from here, for me, is I’ve had that man-on-man capability. I’m one of the bigger corners, the taller corners. That’s kind of been the trend nowadays for the NFL: bigger and faster. You see that receivers are getting bigger and faster as well. You’re going to need a corner that can be just as versatile. I think that’s a lot that I bring to the table.”

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 10, 2014


The Raiders may need some safety help in the near future with veteran Charles Woodson getting up there in age. The Raiders waited until their last pick of the 2014 NFL Draft (247th overall) to take a safety prospect, selecting Jonathan Dowling out of Western Kentucky.

Dowling is a speedy free safety with a range that can cover a lot of ground when playing “center field”. He has shown the ability to force turnovers while accumulating nine interceptions and eight forced fumbles over the last year.

Dowling also brings experience in special teams play, something that is crucial for late-round draft selections. Dowling has experience in kick coverage.

Dowling’s biggest weakness lies in his interest to deliver the big hits instead of wrapping up a tackle, leaving him undependable on the backside of the defense. Jason Tarver and Dennis Allen will have to get back to the basics with him when it comes to tackling.

The pick concludes the 2014 NFL Draft for the Raiders.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 10, 2014


Adding defensive help was definitely one of the priorities heading into the draft, and the Raiders kept working at it by drafting defensive end Shelby Harris out of Illinois State.

Harris adds a 6-foot-2, 288-pound frame that has worked both inside and outside of the defensive line.

While Harris is usually solid at defending the run, he will have to become much more consistent with his pass rush moves.

Not to mention, Harris has massive red flags for his character as he missed out on playing last season due to being released by the Illinois State team due to “conduct detrimental to the team.”

The Raiders took Khalil Mack in the first round, but Harris represents the first true defensive end that the Raiders have taken in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on May 10, 2014

The after selecting a cornerback in the fourth round, the Raiders decided to add some additional help by drafting Ohio cornerback Travis Carrie.

Carrie possesses great size and has the looks of an NFL cornerback with his 6-foot, 206-pound frame. He has solid speed to keep up with wide receivers while also possessing the ability to jam

As is always important late in the draft, the Raiders also get a player that has experience in punt returns as well as working as a gunner in coverage. Carrie finished last season with an average of 12.7 yards per punt return (led the MAC) to go along with 42 tackles and four interceptions while playing defense.

Carrie did sit out two seasons (2009 & 2012) due to hip and shoulder surgery, which in the end makes him a 24-year-old rookie for the Raiders.

Carrie is also a local product, being from Antioch, Calif. and having gone to De La Salle High School in Concord.