Tag: mini camp

Too Early to Call Hayden a Bust

The big news out of Raiders’ Mini-camp has been the absence of last year’s 1st round pick D.J. Hayden. After being injured off and on last season, the corner back has  left many fans disappointed that he has been unable to stay on the field. So much disappointment that many people are already calling him a bust, but I am here to say lets simmer down.

I get Raider-nation wants to see what Reggie Mckenzie’s first No ! pick can do, but he is only entering his second off season. How can you call him a bust already, before he can even piece together a real season? The best argument would be that he might not be able to complete a full-season, and might just be an injury prone guy. Yet, lets not get ahead of ourselves, as injuries happen to every single player.

As Raider fans we grow nervous because of players like Darren McFadden who have broken our heart over and over again. Yet injuries are part of the game, and young players have to learn to deal with them. Silver innings are usually BS, but Hayden’s injury means he will be able to get mental reps that should help him when he can get out there again.

Out of all the players on the Roster, I think DJ Hayden needs these off season reps more than anyone. Hayden was out of football for an entire year due to his extreme chest injury, and he still needs time adapting to the speed of the game. However, the young player has shown he can deal with the adversity of injuries as he came in willing and ready to compete after each of his injuries.

In the past, Hayden has shown an injury will not keep him from competing. Nor will it discourage him from believing in his abilities. Hence, I hope he takes the time to get fully healed before the real season comes along, because that is when real lingering injuries occur.

Further, Hayden is still an extremely young player with a lot of upside. His speed and athleticism are something you can not teach, but his football iq and work ethic should keep fans believing he can live up to his potential. This season, he added fifteen pounds of muscle so his body could take the pounding of the NFL, which illustrates his work ethic.

As fans, it is frustrating that he is already out, but lets remember it is only mini-camp. They are still not actually playing football, so until Hayden misses some time in actual pads then I will worry. Other than that our secondary is going to need depth, so getting McGill and Chidekwa reps is just as important.

Either way it was too early in Hayden’s career and the 2014 season to label Hayden a bust. Our team wants and needs him, so lets be a little more fair to him and give his game and health a little more time before labeling him a bust.

Saying who we could have drafted last season does us no good. The fact is, Hayden was drafted to be a cornerstone of our defense and it is our job as fans to support him as he strives to meet that goal. Labeling him a bust does nothing good for a player we fans want to see succeed, especially this early.

Raiders Draft 2013 Pt.1

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Now that the dust has settled on the NFL draft and mini camps, it’s time to look at the Oakland Raiders Draft.

Reggie Mckenzie has received much praise for his work in the NFL Draft, after he was able to add a few picks in the draft via trade. Mckenzie was able to draft ten players after starting the draft with far less. The raiders high turnover rate has also left room on the roster for 12+ undrafted rookies, but the overall theme from Mckenzie and the Raider’s draft was competition.

At the top of the draft, The Raiders selected D.J. Hayden from the University of Houston. The rookie has been a huge story as he has been able to recover from an extremely rare football football injury. As for the football field, I think Hayden brings a variety of skills to the Oakland Raiders. His combination of size and speed make him a valuable defender in zone or man coverage. His instincts combined with his explosiveness give him the tools to be be an elite corner. If Hayden’s durability isn’t and issue, his work ethic and pure ability could make him the next shut down corner and a steal in the Draft. Reports from mini-camps have shown that Hayden has clearly been the best defensive back on the field.

After trading down in the First round, the Raiders were able to reclaim another 2nd round pick. With the pick they selected Menelik Watson from Florida State. The tackle has an interesting background where he came to the states for basketball. His limited football experience has made this pick a gamble. But his size and athleticism had many people giving Watson a first round grade in the pre-daft. This is a pick Al Davis would love, and Watson’s athleticism adds another element to the  Raiders Offensive like that is looking to continue improvement. While little wiz and Valdheer have two of the positions on the offensive line on lock, the other three positions are up for taking. Watson could be the anchor needed to protect the right side of the offensive-line if he continues to learn the game and is able to adjust to the strength of the next level.

Linebacker, Sio Moore from Uconn was drafted by the raiders in the third round. The Self proclaimed best linebacker in the draft has shown that he has the ability to rush the passer and drop in coverage at the collegian level. The confident linebacker adds a tenacity and swagger to an already improved line-backing core. The Raiders hope that this guy will be able to  rush the passer in both 3-4 and 4-3 looks. The linebacker will give competition to the free agent addition backers, Roach and Malava, but he will also improve the Raiders special teams.

Tyler wilson out of Arkansas was selected in the fourth round. The quarterback was graded as a high pick until a letdown senior season due to a coaching change at Arkansas. The quarterback adds a skill set different the Matt Flynn or Terrelle Pryror,and possess enough potential to atleast compete for the starting job.  Raiders Beat writer Jerry Mcdonald has said Wilson has looked better than previous raiders rookie’s Proyer, Russell, Walter, and Tuisosopo. The quarterback continued to impress media members with his accuracy all around the field, and his command of the huddle.

Overall, I think the Raiders maximized the amount of potential competition with their first four picks. They were able to select four players at key need positions who can become building blocks for them. Eventhough I would have liked to see them select an impact pass rusher or pass catcher, I think Mckenzie adressed other key positions. Hayden and Moore seem like they can be two potential impact players from the get-go, While Watson and Wilson seem like to players with very high ceilings. Overall the Raiders did a good job of adding competition to their roster by selecting players at good value positions. However, their real abilities will not be confirmed until they are in pads and on the field on Sundays.