Current Raiders scheduled for Free Agency: 2013

[Ancyent Fathoms]

Meyers is kind of like a shooting guard who drops an average of 25 points each game....yet gives up 30. Sure, he did some good things down field and is able to create space, but his run blocking cost the Raiders a ton of negative yards.

And I guess that is what is reflected in PFF's final grade. Colour me totally shocked by their grade on Myers:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...kland-raiders/

This doesn't show exclusive rights free agents

Free Agents - Oakland Raiders

Name	         Pos.	Years	2012Team	Rating	Snaps
Shane Lechler	 P	13	OAK	   UFA	+18.6	0
Desmond Bryant	 DI	4	OAK	   UFA	+16.5	645
Philip Wheeler	 LB	5	OAK	   UFA	+9.9	1043
Richard Seymour	 DI	12	OAK	   UFA*	+9.5	361
Mike Goodson	 RB	4	OAK	   UFA	+6.9	145
Phillip Adams	 CB	3	OAK	   RFA	+4.8	178
Joselio Hanson	 CB	8	OAK	   UFA	+4.2	571
Derek Hagan	 WR	7	OAK	   UFA	+1.2	257
Andre Carter	 ED	12	OAK	   UFA	-0.1	323
Coye Francies	 CB	3	OAK	   RFA	-0.3	11
Cooper Carlisle	 G	13	OAK	   UFA	-0.3	1104
Shawntae Spencer CB	9	OAK	   UFA	-0.5	113
Omar Gaither	 LB	7	OAK	   UFA	-1.9	148
Matt Leinart	 QB	7	OAK	   UFA	-1.9	62
Mike Mitchell	 S	4	OAK	   UFA	-2.9	344
Matt Giordano	 S	8	OAK	   UFA	-4.2	820
Khalif Barnes	 OT	8	OAK	   UFA	-8.3	571
Matt Shaughnessy ED	4       OAK	   UFA	-11.6	689
Brandon Myers	 TE	4	OAK	   UFA	-14.6	1034

[RunOvrByHubbard]

Meyers is imminently replaceable. We lost a lot of great blocking when Zach Miller moved north. He opened a ton of holes with excellent in-motion, then blocking moves. Plus, he has good hands. He is not elusive, but slightly more than Meyers. I maintain that we go with Ausberry and Gordon as platooning tight ends, draft one more and concentrate on our offensive and defensive lines, and defensive backfield.

[Nate88]

Goodson, Bryant, and Wheeler sucked the least so bring them back.

[kinz]

These PFF ratings mean nothing to me. Last year, with our truly horrid run defense, they had our front 7 all rated pretty well. I don't care whether it is somebody looking at each play and making a grade. The results they give are at odds with common sense in a fundamental way. So to use PFF numbers to make arguments for or against particular players is meaningless in my opinion.

[DmacMVP]

I think most of Seymour and Kellys grades last season came as pass rushers, not run defense.

[Ancyent Fathoms]

Per: KFFL - 2013 NFL Free Agents

Oakland Raiders

Pos 	Player 	           FA Status 	Previous Team 	        Current Team
FB 	Jon Hoese 	   Signed 	Green Bay Packers 	Oakland Raiders
WR 	Travionte Session  Re-signed 	Oakland Raiders 	Oakland Raiders
WR 	Isaiah Williams    Signed 	Arizona Cardinals 	Oakland Raiders
TE 	Mickey Shuler 	   Re-signed 	Oakland Raiders 	Oakland Raiders
OG 	Jason Foster 	   Re-signed 	Oakland Raiders 	Oakland Raiders
C 	Jason Slowey 	   Re-signed 	Oakland Raiders 	Oakland Raiders
DL 	Johnny Jones 	   Signed 	Green Bay Packers 	Oakland Raiders
LB 	Jerrell Harris 	   Re-signed 	Oakland Raiders 	Oakland Raiders
CB 	Akwasi Owusu-Ansah Re-signed 	Oakland Raiders 	Oakland Raiders

[ghosttothepost]

i think adams and ross should be resigned, they both showed some skill at the end of the season and will be cheap.

[Ancyent Fathoms]

Just for camp competition, I'd bring in Josh Johnson.

He spent 2012 playing in the UFL, in Sacramento. Actually looked free and easy against that competition level, but he dealt with a little injury during the season. He was signed by the Browns for the final game of the year (2012). He's an unrestricted free agent. An Oakland kid. Nothing great but competition brings out the best for everyone and there's not a QB on the roster that should be exempt from competition.

[Ancyent Fathoms]

For the record, I don't think that PFF is the definitive voice in grading players. I take everything from them with a grain of salt. Their weekly breakdown, however, offer nice situational stats like "times DB is targeted" and "completion percentage against."

For example someone like Talib allows a fairly decent completion percentage against - meaning the QBs completion percentage vs Talib himself, when he's defending a receiver, is towards the top-half of all the other CBs graded across the league by PFF. Yet Talib allows a low amount of YAC against - meaning he nullifies large gains and/or limits the deep pass, while only giving up the short passes, like Slants or quick Out.

So that's what PFF stats can provide, an insight to a player without actually seeing him. But once you do go to game rewind and watch, my own eyes verify of Talib what PFF's numbers indicate.

That's not always the case however. So, nothing can replace real watching for yourself.

Those stats over the course of the year, for example, the "yards allowed" by each Defensive Back, specific to CBs and correlated with "number of attempts" and "overall completion percentage," all that together helps paint a decent picture of a player for me and how he measures up against the rest of the league.

It's quick reference and another voice amongst a sea of opinion.

BUT, it's at least a measured voice and one that details a lot of information and situational grades. If they be flawed, they are flawed in that they don't weight the situations with varying degree, like football outsiders apparently does. Even then, PFF claims: "we are not scouts." Yet their voice is substantially more thought-out and reasoned than your typical drive-bye RF post of: "He's BeaSt!" or "He SuckS!!!"

I then go and use game rewind and my own standard of scouting and grading to form my own opinion. But I like to weight in some statistical info along the way.

[Raidersman321]

The link here is to a video breakdown of Paul Kruger (OLB) of the Ravens.

He's a free agent at years end.


www.ravens.clubs.nfl.com/videos/videos/Play-Like-A-Raven-Studying-Film-Of-Paul-Kruger/38336dd5-cb37-4c1e-9b2e-47c7bce931fc]Play Like A Raven: Studying Film Of Paul Kruger[/url]

15.3% Pass rushes on which Paul Kruger has a sack, hurry, or hit...Best in the NFL by a OLB...I would love to get him.

[Raidersman321]

What about Philip Adams too?? He did pretty good in the late of December.

[raiderjohn622]

Just for camp competition, I'd bring in Josh Johnson.

He spent 2012 playing in the UFL, in Sacramento. Actually looked free and easy against that competition level, but he dealt with a little injury during the season. He was signed by the Browns for the final game of the year (2012). He's an unrestricted free agent. An Oakland kid. Nothing great but competition brings out the best for everyone and there's not a QB on the roster that should be exempt from competition.

I think he was battling for the Niners 3rd job with Tolzien. He's the son of one of Jason Kidd's high school coach.

[Ancyent Fathoms]

Personally I'm not that high on Tracy. Porter. I actually think he gives up more than he takes away. And I think his top level talent is somewhat average for an outside corner. I find him very often giving steps and allowing receivers behind him.

If I remember correctly his famous play in the Super Bowl came when he was covering the Slot and jumped the Manning pass vs Wayne.

So if anything he could conceivably play a Slot Corner role, because I seem to remember that he's athletic enough to jump routes when he can read things in-front him. However when it comes to draping a receiver deep, that's not his forte.

However with the state of the Raiders secondary, he would likely challenge for a starter spot regardless (because the unit overall is fairly weak). And he would probably be asked to play on the outside.

And I think his market value will probably reflect the feeling that I've expressed about how he can give up deep passes for large gains or TDs. He has a handful of highlight type plays in his career, but he has just as many if not more plays in which he gets burned.

I don't think he'll be able to ask for a large payday, he just isn't on that level - imo. So that too works for the Raiders, since Reggie is working with a budget. He'll have to shop down market.

Notwithstanding, Allen was Porter's DB coach from 2008 to 2010 in New Orleans, before Porter went to denver:

And the game will take on added importance for Porter because of his relationship with Oakland Head Coach Dennis Allen. Allen was the defensive backs coach for the Saints from 2008-10, where he taught Porter valuable lessons that have stuck with the corner ever since.

“He stayed on me more than anything about finishing plays,” Porter said. “Early on in my career, he said I didn’t finish plays well. He stayed on me about that and I appreciate him for that also. He taught me how to play within myself, don’t try to do anything out of the realm. I’m a good player, he knows what type of talent I have. He believed in me and that gave me more confidence week in and week out for them to put me out there. Me playing the way he taught me, he was just a great DB coach for me.”

article with snippet:
Porter Moving Forward
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Porter did visit Oakland last year during free agency, but ended up in denver:
Raiders bringing in free agent corner Tracy Porter for a visit | ProFootballTalk (March 2012)
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Perhaps that familiarity will be reason enough for Porter to venture to Oakland this time around. He's a 2013 UFA. If Reggie uses his trained eye as a good evaluator, he'll be able to offer a deal that works for both the team's cap and Porter himself. But realize that this is shopping a bit down-market.

For what it's worth, PFF has Porter listed 44th on the available CBs for free agency (2013).

Tracy. Porter	CB	5	DEN	UFA	-2.1	316

link:
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...t-cornerbacks/


You'll note the number of snaps for Porter at 316. That normally would indicate a situational player. He only started 4 games this year, while playing in 6 overall. He has dealt with some healthy and injury this year. In the summer he had a seizure, it limited his work. He started the season but also had a knee thing that kept him out. Then it gets grey. He either had a concussion or more complication with this seizure stuff. But I read that he, in fact, did not have a second seizure. But it is troublesome. And his snaps (or plays) are significantly less than an full fledged outside corner, starter, like Cary Williams, who has over 1,000 snaps in 2012.
__

For additional reference, PFF gave these stats for the 2011 season concerning which DBs gave up the best and worst completion percentage against. 2011, the last season Porter spent in New Orleans:

It goes Targeted, Receptions and Completion Percentage

TA	Rec	% Ct
73	52	71.2

To give context to those numbers, Porter was third worst in 2011 in terms of completion percentage against (71.2). Only two others were worse, Munnerlyn (73.8) & Lacey (73.5). The best, by comparison was Revis (41.2) & Ike Taylor (41.7).

here:
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...-2011-numbers/
__

The optimistic side of me looks at it with context to Phillip Adams. Perhaps if Adams keeps improving, he showed flashes, and if Porter relies on Allen's tutelage as a main driving force to not only sign here but improve his play, then the works of a cohesive secondary may be started. That and perhaps Porter would take on a more "Slot Corner" role. Regardless, his improvement under a coach he respects would be my hope. It would at least take away the necessity of Huff having to play out of position at CB, back to free safety.

Yet one would have to think that Porter will continue to give up a fairly high completion percentage regardless of where he plays, whether it be inside on Slot or outside. Just like earlier this year when he got torched by Andre Johnson against the Texans. Detailed in the article above, which I quoted, concerning Porter and Allen's history.

I would also then Hope that Reggie finds a way to land some prospects in the Draft. Notably starting calibre Outside corners.

I like Will Davis, I called him a 2nd rounder when CBS still had him as a middling 5th rounder. He leads the nation in passes defended. We'll just see if he goes in the 2nd or slides to the top of the 3rd.

Also a big fan of Aaron Colvin. He may enter early (Tony Jefferson of OU has himself). He's at least one year of seasoning away from being an absolute shutdown corner. He pops and flashes some brilliant coverage plays.

Adrian Bushnell is another mid-round CB. He has a knack for defending the pass, making a break on the ball and disrupting things. Plays for Louisville under Charlie Strong (good coach).

I like Leon McFadden as press man corner. Steady and distinguished, 3-time All MWC.

There's something to be said about trying to draft the large sized, physical outside corners, a la seattle. Xavier Rhodes would be an example. Someone over 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds, yet still athletic.

Milliner and Rhodes are surefire 1st rounders, so my focus would be on others that could be had from the 3rd to 5th round. Guys like:

Amerson
Sanders Commings
Micah Hyde (FS/CB)
Khalid Wooten

perhaps even a late round consideration for local boy Nigel Malone.

Besides that one could argue for doubling down in the draft and selecting some safety help as well, in rounds 3 through 7.

A hybrid SS in Vaccaro, who plays kind of like Glover Quin - covering the Slot, in the box and physical.

Phillip Thomas more of a Cover 2 SS with a knack for the INT - those two early on.

Followed by Tony Jefferson who is entering the draft early. He's a hybrid FS, former CB turned FS. He can cover the Slot due to his change of direction quicks and fluid hips.

Later, someone like Boyett, more of a Cover 2 SS later on (if the knees check out). I'm a fan of McCoil as well (deep middle FS). I'd even consider someone like Cody Davis, SS, toward the later rounds.

__

Porter
General reference material:
Tracy Porter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
__

[Ancyent Fathoms]

per roto, the contracts of the re-signs (futures) and new signs:

Jon Hoese
1/4/2013: Signed a one-year, $405,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Tray Session
1/1/2013: Signed a one-year, $405,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Isaiah Williams
1/4/2013: Signed a one-year, $405,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Mickey Shuler
1/1/2013: Signed a one-year, $480,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Jason Foster
1/1/2013: Signed a one-year, $405,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Jason Slowey
1/1/2013: Signed a one-year, $405,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Johnny Jones
1/4/2013: Signed a one-year, $405,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Jerrell Harris
1/1/2013: Signed a one-year, $405,000 contract.
2014: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah
1/1/2013: Signed a one-year, $555,000 contract.
2014: Restricted Free Agent

[80sr8dr]

Well looky here. I've been touting Bryant's play and here is some supportive evidence. This guy needs to start along with Lotulelei!