It's hard not to be Excited!

[JayCee]

Positivity Bandwagon 2.0? Me likes!

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by G-MoNeY

we need to get Grady signed

yes, yes and yes!!!!!!

[or24]

Originally Posted by THEROOK

Lol. I love how us raider fans are cautiously optimistic after all the disappointment in the past. But I'm feeling pretty confident this year. Way more than usual.

What do you expect after 19-61? I get bashed for being negative, now I get insulted for being cautiously optimistic. What makes you so confident? Hartwell and Wilson won't make Sands look any better. Tom Cable didn't make Sims, Green, or Paul great pass blockers, so why should Harris all of a sudden be a stud?

[CHAMPION316]

Originally Posted by BlackHeart

The pass blocking was pretty much decent then it was in 2006 but thats not hard to do. With this zone blocking system big name guys doesn't suppose to be needed and the Broncos have done it for years so we shall see

Indeed we will see, this gutsy side of me says we can win 10 games. What can I say I've had that feeling once to many times and nothing happened.

[THEROOK]

Originally Posted by or24

What do you expect after 19-61? I get bashed for being negative, now I get insulted for being cautiously optimistic. What makes you so confident? Hartwell and Wilson won't make Sands look any better. Tom Cable didn't make Sims, Green, or Paul great pass blockers, so why should Harris all of a sudden be a stud?

No i wasnt tryna insult you at all sorry if it came accross that way. I'm just confident about the offense especially because of all the young talent. Our O-line is still a question mark but I know they can be good run blockers & pass blocking is a skill that takes a lil longer to learn but I think they will get it down.

[guydon]

The run D is the only thing that really hasn't been addresed and that worries me, however like has been said before if our O clicks like I think it can we may be able to get away with it

[AnDroiDRaider64]

Robert Gallery and talent shouldnt be in the same category/thread.

[Da Swami]

You didnt watch Gallery play last year?

Im going to come to RGs defense big time here.

Gallery showed that he can make that transition and fit in quite well with that zone/read scheme we run. Theres no shame in not panning out as a tackle because DEs are so quick in todays game due to many teams going to hybrid types so they can run both 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. Thats why OTs are a premium in todays game.

But so what?

Gallery is playing Guard now and he played very well so for you to say that makes me wonder if you watched him play last year. I dont mean to come down on you but that is polpulist thinking albeit inaccurate given the way he played last year. We got a starter at that draft slot and thats OK with me. People throw the term "Bust" around a lot when talking about Gallery but guys with starting jobs in their sixth pro season are not busts. Gallerys lateral quickness allows him to play guard the way he played tackle in college. Hes quicker than most DTs and NTs. You dont run well inside without the guards getting the job done and we ran exceptionally well between the A gaps last year.

Youre also forgetting to factor in that he had 4 different schemes in the first 5 seasons he played. When he was drafted, we executed a hybrid zone/man blocking scheme and the next year went to a pure zone scheme with Bob Colletto. Then, when Art Shell was hired, we went to a pure man blocking scheme and that doesnt suit Gallerys skills at all.

I dont mean to hijack a thread here but for all of you that constantly rip on Gallery, youre failing to see the strides hes made in Tom Cables zone/read scheme.

Im saying this to point out the positives weve seen since Kiffin came on board. Robert Gallerys play was a huge part of our success running the ball last year.

Marshall Faulk, on the NFL network stated a few weeks back that he thought Gallery would become a Pro Bowl Guard.

Given the condition of the team when he was drafted, and the problems weve had, Im willing to let the man prove me wrong.

His play was excellent last year and I expect him to get better. Its only a matter of time before the populist thinking catches up with that fact.

[BlackHeart]

Originally Posted by Da Swami

You didnt watch Gallery play last year?

Im going to come to RGs defense big time here.

Gallery showed that he can make that transition and fit in quite well with that zone/read scheme we run. Theres no shame in not panning out as a tackle because DEs are so quick in todays game due to many teams going to hybrid types so they can run both 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. Thats why OTs are a premium in todays game.

But so what?

Gallery is playing Guard now and he played very well so for you to say that makes me wonder if you watched him play last year. I dont mean to come down on you but that is polpulist thinking albeit inaccurate given the way he played last year. We got a starter at that draft slot and thats OK with me. People throw the term "Bust" around a lot when talking about Gallery but guys with starting jobs in their sixth pro season are not busts. Gallerys lateral quickness allows him to play guard the way he played tackle in college. Hes quicker than most DTs and NTs. You dont run well inside without the guards getting the job done and we ran exceptionally well between the A gaps last year.

Youre also forgetting to factor in that he had 4 different schemes in the first 5 seasons he played. When he was drafted, we executed a hybrid zone/man blocking scheme and the next year went to a pure zone scheme with Bob Colletto. Then, when Art Shell was hired, we went to a pure man blocking scheme and that doesnt suit Gallerys skills at all.

I dont mean to hijack a thread here but for all of you that constantly rip on Gallery, youre failing to see the strides hes made in Tom Cables zone/read scheme.

Im saying this to point out the positives weve seen since Kiffin came on board. Robert Gallerys play was a huge part of our success running the ball last year.

Marshall Faulk, on the NFL network stated a few weeks back that he thought Gallery would become a Pro Bowl Guard.

Given the condition of the team when he was drafted, and the problems weve had, Im willing to let the man prove me wrong.

His play was excellent last year and I expect him to get better. Its only a matter of time before the populist thinking catches up with that fact.

Gallery is a bust dude no matter how you or anybody else try and spin it. He is a bust cause we drafted him to be our LT for years to come but he failed and now had to be put at Guard. He can't play the position that we drafted him to play and he was a second overall pick and you damn sure don't draft a Guard that high with the second pick in the draft so again Robert Gallery is a bust

[Da Swami]

Oh Lord.

Great non response.

Thats all you can add after all I wrote?

Wow!

So busts have starting jobs in their sixth season in the NFL?

Thank you for so eloquently pointing out an example of somebody loosely throwing that term around.

Since we got a starter out of that draft slot, why does it matter?

A bust is a guy who is drafted to play pro football and cant compete at the pro level so he gets cut.

Ryan Leaf
Tony Mandarich
Keith McCants
Bob Buzckowski

Need I go on?

Gallery has a starting job and an NFL line guru thinks he can play. Thats good enough for me since it makes no difference to me whether he plays the position we drafted him to play. He took a pay cut to compensate too so were not paying him a tackles pay any more.

Your thinking truly confuses me since to me a bust is a guy who cant play and thats not the case with Gallery at Guard which is why he still has a job.

Nothing that you say can change that.

Let me guess? You know more than Tom Cable right?

Please dude, I gave you enough to work with so at least do better than that rationale.

That makes no sense.

Like I said, a bust doesnt have a starting job in his sixth year.

You also didnt address one word about the fact that this is the 4th scheme that hes had to learn in 5 years.

Dont come around me with weak stuff or I wont respond to your posts. I only respond to serious people who can add substance and at least tell me why I am wrong.

You did neither.

Care to try again?

[or24]

Originally Posted by Da Swami

Oh Lord.

Great non response.

Thats all you can add after all I wrote?

Wow!

So busts have starting jobs in their sixth season in the NFL?

Thank you for so eloquently pointing out an example of somebody loosely throwing that term around.

Since we got a starter out of that draft slot, why does it matter?

A bust is a guy who is drafted to play pro football and cant compete at the pro level so he gets cut.

Ryan Leaf
Tony Mandarich
Keith McCants
Bob Buzckowski

Need I go on?

Gallery has a starting job and an NFL line guru thinks he can play. Thats good enough for me since it makes no difference to me whether he plays the position we drafted him to play. He took a pay cut to compensate too so were not paying him a tackles pay any more.

Your thinking truly confuses me since to me a bust is a guy who cant play and thats not the case with Gallery at Guard which is why he still has a job.

Nothing that you say can change that.

Let me guess? You know more than Tom Cable right?

Please dude, I gave you enough to work with so at least do better than that rationale.

That makes no sense.

Like I said, a bust doesnt have a starting job in his sixth year.

You also didnt address one word about the fact that this is the 4th scheme that hes had to learn in 5 years.

Dont come around me with weak stuff or I wont respond to your posts. I only respond to serious people who can add substance and at least tell me why I am wrong.

You did neither.

Care to try again?

My opinion of a bust is someone who does not meet expectations. Gallery, Huff, Washington, Buchanon, Gibson=all 1st rounders who haven't made anywhere near the same impact that they did in college. Gallery has at least found a home at Guard, but Huff hasn't done anything since coming in the league and Washington, after 1 good year, had an awful 2007 campaign and looked like the typical Al pick of late. Buchanon is a backup somewhere and Gibson is out of the league. I undrstand you probably agree with Gibby and PBurnt, but imo Huff and Washington have still been busts up to this point.

[Da Swami]

Where is it written that a guy has to be a "stud" to play effectively?

There are a lot of reasons why a guy doesnt play well. A guy can be used improperly, or not be happy in other areas of his life. Maybe his technique isnt good and all he needs is someone to work with him.

Theres a reason why some guys are still around and others arent. Theres also a reason why some guys were brought in.

Tom Cable is like Hudson Houck is or like the late Bobb McKittrick was. Hes a techniue freak who insists that his players pay close attention to detail when it comes to technique.

If Cable can improve Harris technique then he will be fine because hes a great athlete and thats what is required to play in the zone read scheme we run that employs cut blocks to create cutback lanes for runnners.

You dont need him to be a stud, you just need him to lay down the block when the time calls for it.

Ill let our RBs do the rest.

Heads up Raider fans, this coaching staff is on top of things.

[BlackHeart]

Originally Posted by Da Swami