While I like to follow along with the Oakland Raiders’ latest signings and draft prospects, I also like to look at the bigger picture and how the team stands historically against other teams in the league.

The Oakland Raiders have a long history that parallels the growth of professional football. The Raiders first played in 1960 as part of the upstart AFL league, started as a direct competitor to the NFL. Things were pretty bad until the man himself, Al Davis, came to the team in 1963. Mr. Davis turned things around for the Silver and Black and the Raiders became the dominant team in the new league. The AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, largely due to the efforts of Mr. Davis, and the Raider nation began to dominate the full, modern NFL.

Since their inception, the Raiders have a .500 record against 25 of the league’s 31 teams. By winning percentage, according to the Raiders official website, here’s a look at the top five NFL teams most dominated by the Raiders:

1 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Raiders are the most dominant against the Bucs with a .857 win percentage. The figure is a bit distorted as they’ve only played each other seven times, with the Raiders winning six of them. The Raiders and Buccaneers first met in 1976.

Tied for 2nd – Cincinnati Bengals

The Raiders and Bengals first met in 1968 and the teams have played 26 games against each other, with the Raiders winning 18 for a winning percetnage of .692.

Tied for 2nd – Minnesota Vikings

With the same winning percentage against the Vikings as the Bengals, .692, the Raiders have played the Vikings 13 times, winning 9 games. The teams first squared off in 1973.

3 – St. Louis Rams

This statistic also covers the Los Angeles Rams and the Rams and Raiders first played in 1972. 12 games later, the Raiders have won 8 for a winning percentage of .667.

Tied for 4th – Washington Redskins

The Oakland Raiders first played the Redskins in 1970 and the teams have played 11 games since. The Raiders have won seven of those games, for a winning percentage of .636.

Tied for 4th – New York Giants

The Giants and the Raiders have only played 11 games since first meeting in 1973, with the Raiders winning 7.

5 – Arizona Cardinals

This also covers the Cardinals when they played in St. Louis. The teams first met in 1973 and have played eight games. The Raiders have won 5 for a winning percentage of .625.

Other side of the coin

The Raiders’ worst record is against the Baltimore Ravens, going 1 and 5 with them since first meeting in 1996, for a .167 winning percentage.

Conclusion

The Raiders have some great numbers against teams where they’ve played them more than 40 times, which I think is a truer statistic, and equally impressive. Against the Bills (.528), Broncos (.573), Chiefs (.466) and Chargers (.548), all with a long history against the Raiders, the team is over .500 in every case but the Chiefs.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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“I don’t have the answer, obviously,” Jackson said. “I talk to the team about it all the time. I don’t just talk. I yell, I scream, I threaten. I’ve done everything. I get a bunch of letters of people telling me other things I should try, too. And please don’t send any new ones because those things don’t work.”

The Raiders (8-7) head into their must-win season finale against San Diego needing four penalties for 11 yards to break both records held by the 1998 Kansas City Chiefs.

Considering the Raiders have committed at least four penalties in 27 straight games and have had at least 11 yards in penalties in all but three games since moving back to Oakland in 1995, it seems like a safe bet those records will fall.

Jackson vowed at the start of training camp that he would fix a problem that has plagued the Raiders for most of their history. Oakland has committed at least 100 penalties for 12 straight seasons and have ranked in the top five in total penalties in the NFL for five straight seasons.

Jackson has had three officials at most practices in order to curb the problem and said they usually see about three or four infractions a day. That rises to more than 10 a game when it counts.

The players have also instituted a $100 fine system for committing penalties with a jar on defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan’s desk collecting the loot.

“Charity will love us at the end of the year,” Bresnahan said.

But the flags keep flying each week. The Raiders have hit double digits in four straight games, including a season-high tying 15 in last week’s overtime win at Kansas City that featured a delay of game that negated a fake field goal for a touchdown.

“I wish we knew what it was,” quarterback Carson Palmer said. “It’s not a bunch of false starts. It’s not just holdings. It’s kind of all over the place. In special teams, on a touchdown a delay of game. It’s just been a weird year. There’s been some calls that you can’t find on film when you go back and watch them. It’s not one thing. It’s not a trend. As those flags get going in games I always have guys come up to me on the sideline saying, ‘This is what happens when you play for the Raiders.’”

There have been quite a variety of penalties with 58 being pre-snap calls, including 20 offsides calls and 19 false starts. There have also been a league-worst 29 personal fouls, and 39 holding calls.

The biggest problem has been on defense where the Raiders have committed a league-worst 78 penalties on defense — more than twice the league average of 35. They have 58 penalties on offense — tied for fourth most — and are tied for sixth with 19 on special teams.

“You want the penalties to hold down because they’re going to come back and bite you sooner or later,” said defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, who has been called for seven. “To me, just limit the 15-yarders, the big ones. We can deal with the 5-yarders. But the 15-yarders are the ones keeping the drives alive.”

There have been some costly ones as the Raiders have given opponents 54 first downs with penalties, including 20 drives that led to a score. Penalties aided Buffalo’s two fourth-quarter TD drives in a 38-35 Oakland loss in September and Detroit’s two fourth-quarter TD drives in the Raiders 28-27 loss earlier this month.

“I stay up late at night trying to figure this out, as much as I can,” Jackson said. “I’ve worked at that as hard as I’ve worked at anything. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen, but we’ll have a long discussion about penalties when this season is over. I promise you that.”

In all, 43 players have accounted for the penalties, including Terrelle Pryor, who committed a false start to negate his only play all season. Jackson also has a penalty for challenging a scoring play in Week 2 at Buffalo, which is against the rules.

Cornerback Stanford Routt has been the most penalized player in the league with 16 — one more than the entire Green Bay defense. Offensive linemen Khalif Barnes and Jared Veldheer are next with 10 apiece, followed by defensive tackle Richard Seymour with nine.

“Obviously, getting penalties is never a good thing, but you can’t let that get in your head, because if you do then you’re playing into the other team’s hands,” Routt said. “You don’t ever want to let the referees decide the game, and if you let them get in your head, you’re letting them decide the game.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

In 2005, the Oakland Raiders promoted 2003 draft pick Nnamdi Asomugha to a full-time starter. He quickly developed into one of the league’s elite cover corners in Oakland’s man-coverage scheme.

From 2006-10, the Raiders ranked in the top 10 in passing defense each season, but Asomugha signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2011 season. Not surprisingly, the Raiders secondary has suffered in his absence. They are currently ranked 23rd in the league, allowing 244 yards through the air each week.

For Detroit, it’s unfair to call this Calvin Johnson’s breakout season. Perhaps it’s more apt to say he’s ascended to elite status with his 1,335 yards and 14 touchdowns through 14 games this season.

At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, it’s Johnson’s size that is the noticeable advantage, but it was his sub 4.4 40-yard speed that torched the Raiders for nine receptions, 214 and a pair of touchdowns. 

Johnson did a significant chunk of damage on two plays, amassing 99 yards on two deep balls over the middle.  In the first quarter, Johnson hauled in a perfectly placed pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford after running a fly route right past the two Oakland safeties. 

In the fourth quarter, with the Lions down six late, the wideout again got behind the last line of coverage. This time Stafford underthrew Johnson, but he was able to adjust, come back to the ball, and haul in the 48-yard pass at the Raiders 13-yard line. 

Appropriately, Johnson caught the game-winning touchdown four plays later when he blew past cornerback Stanford Routt on a post pattern from the slot. 

The Raiders made the mistake of trying to defend Johnson with a single-coverage most of the day, and he made them pay time and time again. Johnson obviously took advantage of his speed on deep routes, but was also able to use it to get a step on his man underneath the coverage and pick up big chunks of yardage after the catch.

Johnson picked up 24 yards on a simple jerk route in the second quarter when he feigned sitting down in coverage two yards beyond the line of scrimmage, but once Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain bit, Johnson accelerated across the middle into open space. He gained 22 yards after the catch.  

Despite the huge statistical performance for Johnson, there were three missed opportunities to pad the box score. 

First, Johnson dropped the first pass thrown in his direction, a 15-yard post pattern that was a touch behind him, but easily catchable.

Later in the first half, on a well designed crossing route that utilized 265-pound tight end Brandon Pettigrew as a moving screen, Johnson caught a short pass going across the middle of the field. Usually one man can’t bring Johnson down, but Routt made an impressive diving tackle. If he had been unable to wrap up, the next, and only remaining defender between Johnson and a 46-yard touchdown was 15-yards down the field. 

Finally, in the third quarter, the Lions lined up in a four-receiver set with two receivers bunched on either side of the line. From the inside position to the right side of the field, Johnson managed to get behind the entire Raiders defense just 18 yards down the field. But a corner blitz by Lito Sheppard forced Stafford to unload his pass a touch early.  The throw, which would have resulted in a 47-yard touchdown, sailed a yard beyond Johnson’s outstretched arms. 

Johnson didn’t need to rely on his size to his advantage against the Raiders. The Oakland cornerbacks rarely physically engaged the over-sized receiver at the line of scrimmage, and because the Raiders didn’t employ double and triple-coverage, the Lions weren’t pressed into throwing him jump balls. 

Because play selection is determined by situation, it’s crude math to project Johnson would have had “X” amount of yards or touchdowns if he and Stafford had capitalized on any of the particular plays the Raiders defense nearly surrendered.

Still, it’s amazing to know that even with a career-high in receiver yards, Johnson missed out on a few more big plays during the course of the game. It’s safe to say future opponents will use the tape from this game as a study guide on how not to defend Johnson. 

In 2005, the Oakland Raiders promoted 2003 draft pick Nnamdi Asomugha to a full-time starter. He quickly developed into one of the league’s elite cover corners in Oakland’s man-coverage scheme.

From 2006-10, the Raiders ranked in the top 10 in passing defense each season, but Asomugha signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2011 season. Not surprisingly, the Raiders secondary has suffered in his absence. They are currently ranked 23rd in the league, allowing 244 yards through the air each week.

For Detroit, it’s unfair to call this Calvin Johnson’s breakout season. Perhaps it’s more apt to say he’s ascended to elite status with his 1,335 yards and 14 touchdowns through 14 games this season.

At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, it’s Johnson’s size that is the noticeable advantage, but it was his sub 4.4 40-yard speed that torched the Raiders for nine receptions, 214 and a pair of touchdowns. 

Johnson did a significant chunk of damage on two plays, amassing 99 yards on two deep balls over the middle.  In the first quarter, Johnson hauled in a perfectly placed pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford after running a fly route right past the two Oakland safeties. 

In the fourth quarter, with the Lions down six late, the wideout again got behind the last line of coverage. This time Stafford underthrew Johnson, but he was able to adjust, come back to the ball, and haul in the 48-yard pass at the Raiders 13-yard line. 

Appropriately, Johnson caught the game-winning touchdown four plays later when he blew past cornerback Stanford Routt on a post pattern from the slot. 

The Raiders made the mistake of trying to defend Johnson with a single-coverage most of the day, and he made them pay time and time again. Johnson obviously took advantage of his speed on deep routes, but was also able to use it to get a step on his man underneath the coverage and pick up big chunks of yardage after the catch.

Johnson picked up 24 yards on a simple jerk route in the second quarter when he feigned sitting down in coverage two yards beyond the line of scrimmage, but once Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain bit, Johnson accelerated across the middle into open space. He gained 22 yards after the catch.  

Despite the huge statistical performance for Johnson, there were three missed opportunities to pad the box score. 

First, Johnson dropped the first pass thrown in his direction, a 15-yard post pattern that was a touch behind him, but easily catchable.

Later in the first half, on a well designed crossing route that utilized 265-pound tight end Brandon Pettigrew as a moving screen, Johnson caught a short pass going across the middle of the field. Usually one man can’t bring Johnson down, but Routt made an impressive diving tackle. If he had been unable to wrap up, the next, and only remaining defender between Johnson and a 46-yard touchdown was 15-yards down the field. 

Finally, in the third quarter, the Lions lined up in a four-receiver set with two receivers bunched on either side of the line. From the inside position to the right side of the field, Johnson managed to get behind the entire Raiders defense just 18 yards down the field. But a corner blitz by Lito Sheppard forced Stafford to unload his pass a touch early.  The throw, which would have resulted in a 47-yard touchdown, sailed a yard beyond Johnson’s outstretched arms. 

Johnson didn’t need to rely on his size to his advantage against the Raiders. The Oakland cornerbacks rarely physically engaged the over-sized receiver at the line of scrimmage, and because the Raiders didn’t employ double and triple-coverage, the Lions weren’t pressed into throwing him jump balls. 

Because play selection is determined by situation, it’s crude math to project Johnson would have had “X” amount of yards or touchdowns if he and Stafford had capitalized on any of the particular plays the Raiders defense nearly surrendered.

Still, it’s amazing to know that even with a career-high in receiver yards, Johnson missed out on a few more big plays during the course of the game. It’s safe to say future opponents will use the tape from this game as a study guide on how not to defend Johnson. 

When it comes to naming the greatest Oakland Raiders of all time, wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff is always one of the top five. As a career Raider, he was part of the Raiders’ legendary teams of the 1970s. As a little kid I can remember watching him play, unfortunately many times beating the Philadelphia Eagles. His achievements, sportsmanship and loyalty to the team make him a great example of what it means to be an Oakland Raider. Here are some key facts about great Raider Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff:

Surface of an American football ball.
Wikimedia Commons

Stats

Fred Biletnikoff caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and scored 76 touchdowns.

Records

At the time of his retirement, he led the league with the record of catching 40 or more passes in 10 consecutive seasons. He also had 70 receptions, 1,167 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in 10 post-season games for another NFL career-record. He was an All-AFL pick in 1969, the final year the league was separate from the NFL. He was an NFL All-Pro in 1972 and All-AFC in 1970, 1972 and 1973. He also played in two AFL All-Star games and four AFC-NFC Pro Bowl games, along with three AFL and five AFC championship games.

Loyalty

Biletnikoff played for the Silver and Black from draft through retirement, clocking in 14 years. To me, it shows the special organization that Raiders’ owner Al Davis created, treating players like a family. Biletnikoff started with Oakland as their number two draft pick in 1965 and retired a Raider in 1978.

1976 season

In what I think was his best season, Biletnikoff caught passes for 558 yards for an average of 12.8 yards each. He scored 7 touchdowns to help the team finish 16-1 and set them up to win their first Super Bowl championship

Super Bowl XI

As the MVP of Super Bowl XI, Biletnikoff helped the Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings 32-14. He also helped the team to an amazing 16-1 season in 1976, I think one of the Raiders’ greatest seasons ever.

Created his own destiny

Biletnikoff was drafted as a special teams player in 1965 and didn’t even play until the seventh game of the season. He started as a flanker and went on to catch seven passes for 118 yards in that first game, securing his position as a starting wide receiver.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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Jackson talked to league officials on Monday, a day after he said calls against his team in a 27-21 win at Minnesota were unfair, complained that he could not get explanations of calls from referee Jerome Boger’s crew and said he didn’t “even know what football is right now” with the way some personal fouls were called.

“Obviously after yesterday I’ve probably reached my boiling point,” Jackson said Monday.

After spending most of his first season as Raiders coach refusing to criticize officials publicly, Jackson snapped after the latest game that included four personal fouls, including three on one touchdown drive by Minnesota in the first quarter.

“All I ask is that when people deal with our football team, that it’s done fairly,” Jackson said. “Now across the league everyone says everything is fair, and I’m not saying that it’s not. But yesterday it was one game that I felt very uncomfortable with what had happened. I was able to address it today. I said what I said yesterday and felt very strongly about and still feel strongly about it today. But I’m going to move on from that because that does me no good, our football team no good.”

Jackson said he did not expect to get fined for his comments and the league would address the complaints publicly. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said coaches can call head of officiating Carl Johnson for explanations of any calls and that the league looked forward to answering Jackson’s questions.

The latest penalty spree started on a first quarter drive when defensive tackle Tommy Kelly was called for a blow to quarterback Christian Ponder’s head on a sack that would have forced a punt. Linebacker Aaron Curry then received 15 yards for what the officials called roughing a defenseless receiver on a completion to Kyle Rudolph and safety Tyvon Branch was whistled for a facemask on Percy Harvin.

Defensive lineman Desmond Bryant was later called for unnecessary roughness in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders have already committed 17 defensive personal fouls this season — more than double the total of 29 teams and the most in the league since the Chiefs had 19 in 1998.

“The thing about it is football is a game full of personal fouls,” said Curry, who has three in just five games with Oakland. “They’re all personal. It all depends on whether a referee decides to throw his flag or not. Every hit we make, they’re all borderline.”

Oakland finished the game with 12 penalties for 117 yards. That keeps the Raiders on a record-setting pace. At this rate, Oakland would finish the season with 164 penalties for 1,427 yards — surpassing the totals of 158 for 1,304 yards by Kansas City in 1998.

Jackson vowed at the beginning of the season to solve the penalty woes. He has had officials at most practices to try to curtail the infractions and the players have instituted fines for some penalties. They’re still happening, so now Jackson is taking a different tack.

“At the end of the day, we still need to get better at doing what we do, but on top of that I just want to make sure that just because we do need to get better in some areas people aren’t saying, ‘OK, let’s have a great day throwing this flag today because there’s the Raiders out here,’” Jackson said. “I think it’s been addressed and we’ll go forward.”

In years past, penalties played a role in the Raiders’ struggles. Oakland has committed at least 100 penalties every year since 2000, including during a run of eight straight seasons without a winning record.

So far, the Raiders (6-4) have been able to overcome the penalties and are in first place in the AFC West.

“We’ve got better players than we had in the past,” Kelly said. “I’ve been around here eight years so I pretty much know what we’ve had in this locker room and we have better players. But we’re also making the job a lot harder than we have to. We say that to ourselves a lot on the sideline. But in the end all you’ve got to do is win the game.”

Notes: K Sebastian Janikowski is still hampered by an injured left hamstring and had a 49-yard FG attempt blocked. … WR Darrius Heyward-Bey was feeling better a day after being carted off the field with his neck stabilized after a scary collision with Minnesota linebacker E.J. Henderson. … Jackson said he would not know the status of running back Darren McFadden and receiver Jacoby Ford until later in the week. Both players have been sidelined by a sprained foot.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders returned from their bye week on Monday by signing former Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and are planning a workout for former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati with new Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer and was coached by current Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, but has been out of the league so far this season.

Houshmandzadeh had been working out with Palmer in Southern California before the Raiders traded for the quarterback two weeks ago. Houshmandzadeh will work out for Oakland on Tuesday.

Jackson said the decision to look at Houshmandzadeh had been in the works for a while and did not have to do with getting a receiver who had worked previously with Palmer.

“What I need to do is find out what he is,” Jackson said. “I’m going to do everything I can to improve our football team. I mean, he may not be what he once was. He may be what he once was. But I get the opportunity to see him, and see him up close and personal and go from there.”

Houshmandzadeh was at his best with the Bengals with Palmer, catching a career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. After averaging 89 catches, for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns over a five-year span in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh struggled the past two seasons in Seattle and Baltimore.

He had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens last season and had a key drop late in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. No one picked him up this offseason but the Raiders are ready to take a look to see if he can regain his old form.

“He’s a born leader,” said safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who played with Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnati. “He’s a competitor. He gets open. You can’t really explain it. He might not be the fastest guy, he might not look like the greatest athlete but he gets it done. In the slot, I don’t think there’s any better in the league in the slot.”

The Raiders had an open spot on their roster this week and used it on Sheppard. He spent time in training camp with the Raiders and played in the final exhibition game before being cut. He had not caught on with any other team and was brought back by the Raiders, who have two cornerbacks banged up in Chris Johnson and Chimdi Chekwa.

Sheppard worked out for a handful of teams over the last few months, including the Raiders a few weeks ago.

“I’ve been preparing as if it was going to happen that next day each day,” Sheppard said. “But it was a relief because I felt like I was doing a pretty good job here and I kind of couldn’t understand it (being released) but then they called me back so they appreciated some of what I was doing so that was a big help.”

Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler but started only two games for Minnesota last season. He started nine games for the New York Jets in 2009 and three for Philadelphia the previous season. He had been a starter for the Eagles before that, intercepting 14 passes from 2004 to 2006.

His coverage numbers have dropped in recent years, according to STATS LLC. Sheppard allowed quarterbacks to complete 58 percent of their passes in his direction the past three seasons with 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.6 quarterback rating. In his first five seasons, Sheppard allowed opponents to catch 56.7 percent of their passes with 11 TDs, 17 interceptions and a 72.3 rating.

“He was somebody that I always watched, especially when I was a rookie,” Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. “He has always had good feet, good instincts and for someone that is undersized, he plays much bigger than his size. He is definitely someone that helps the secondary out physically as well as from a mental aspect.”

The Raiders officially took the past four days off, but the receivers worked with Palmer on their own to build up some rapport with the new quarterback. Receiver Jacoby Ford said that work helped improve the timing of the passing game, which Jackson said was evident at practice

“I thought he looked really sharp today,” Jackson said. “He did some really good things today. He really has a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think when I heard of what those guys did on those two days, spending time together really showed out here.”

Notes: RB Darren McFadden (foot) did not practice and Jackson had no information on what his status would be for this week. … MLB Rolando McClain (ankle) and K Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring) were among the other players who did not practice.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders returned from their bye week on Monday by signing former Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and are planning a workout for former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati with new Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer and was coached by current Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, but has been out of the league so far this season.

Houshmandzadeh had been working out with Palmer in Southern California before the Raiders traded for the quarterback two weeks ago. Houshmandzadeh will work out for Oakland on Tuesday.

Jackson said the decision to look at Houshmandzadeh had been in the works for a while and did not have to do with getting a receiver who had worked previously with Palmer.

“What I need to do is find out what he is,” Jackson said. “I’m going to do everything I can to improve our football team. I mean, he may not be what he once was. He may be what he once was. But I get the opportunity to see him, and see him up close and personal and go from there.”

Houshmandzadeh was at his best with the Bengals with Palmer, catching a career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. After averaging 89 catches, for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns over a five-year span in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh struggled the past two seasons in Seattle and Baltimore.

He had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens last season and had a key drop late in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. No one picked him up this offseason but the Raiders are ready to take a look to see if he can regain his old form.

“He’s a born leader,” said safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who played with Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnati. “He’s a competitor. He gets open. You can’t really explain it. He might not be the fastest guy, he might not look like the greatest athlete but he gets it done. In the slot, I don’t think there’s any better in the league in the slot.”

The Raiders had an open spot on their roster this week and used it on Sheppard. He spent time in training camp with the Raiders and played in the final exhibition game before being cut. He had not caught on with any other team and was brought back by the Raiders, who have two cornerbacks banged up in Chris Johnson and Chimdi Chekwa.

Sheppard worked out for a handful of teams over the last few months, including the Raiders a few weeks ago.

“I’ve been preparing as if it was going to happen that next day each day,” Sheppard said. “But it was a relief because I felt like I was doing a pretty good job here and I kind of couldn’t understand it (being released) but then they called me back so they appreciated some of what I was doing so that was a big help.”

Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler but started only two games for Minnesota last season. He started nine games for the New York Jets in 2009 and three for Philadelphia the previous season. He had been a starter for the Eagles before that, intercepting 14 passes from 2004 to 2006.

His coverage numbers have dropped in recent years, according to STATS LLC. Sheppard allowed quarterbacks to complete 58 percent of their passes in his direction the past three seasons with 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.6 quarterback rating. In his first five seasons, Sheppard allowed opponents to catch 56.7 percent of their passes with 11 TDs, 17 interceptions and a 72.3 rating.

“He was somebody that I always watched, especially when I was a rookie,” Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. “He has always had good feet, good instincts and for someone that is undersized, he plays much bigger than his size. He is definitely someone that helps the secondary out physically as well as from a mental aspect.”

The Raiders officially took the past four days off, but the receivers worked with Palmer on their own to build up some rapport with the new quarterback. Receiver Jacoby Ford said that work helped improve the timing of the passing game, which Jackson said was evident at practice

“I thought he looked really sharp today,” Jackson said. “He did some really good things today. He really has a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think when I heard of what those guys did on those two days, spending time together really showed out here.”

Notes: RB Darren McFadden (foot) did not practice and Jackson had no information on what his status would be for this week. … MLB Rolando McClain (ankle) and K Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring) were among the other players who did not practice.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) – The Oakland Raiders returned from their bye week on Monday by signing former Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and are planning a workout for former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

 Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati with new Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer and was coached by current Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, but has been out of the league so far this season.

 Houshmandzadeh had been working out with Palmer in Southern California before the Raiders traded for the quarterback two weeks ago. Houshmandzadeh will work out for Oakland on Tuesday.

 Jackson said the decision to look at Houshmandzadeh had been in the works for a while and did not have to do with getting a receiver who had worked previously with Palmer.

 ”What I need to do is find out what he is,” Jackson said. “I’m going to do everything I can to improve our football team. I mean, he may not be what he once was. He may be what he once was. But I get the opportunity to see him, and see him up close and personal and go from there.”

 Houshmandzadeh was at his best with the Bengals with Palmer, catching a career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. After averaging 89 catches, for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns over a five-year span in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh struggled the past two seasons in Seattle and Baltimore.

 He had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens last season and had a key drop late in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. No one picked him up this offseason but the Raiders are ready to take a look to see if he can regain his old form.

 ”He’s a born leader,” said safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who played with Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnati. “He’s a competitor. He gets open. You can’t really explain it. He might not be the fastest guy, he might not look like the greatest athlete but he gets it done. In the slot, I don’t think there’s any better in the league in the slot.”

 The Raiders had an open spot on their roster this week and used it on Sheppard. He spent time in training camp with the Raiders and played in the final exhibition game before being cut. He had not caught on with any other team and was brought back by the Raiders, who have two cornerbacks banged up in Chris Johnson and Chimdi Chekwa.

 Sheppard worked out for a handful of teams over the last few months, including the Raiders a few weeks ago.

 ”I’ve been preparing as if it was going to happen that next day each day,” Sheppard said. “But it was a relief because I felt like I was doing a pretty good job here and I kind of couldn’t understand it (being released) but then they called me back so they appreciated some of what I was doing so that was a big help.”

 Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler but started only two games for Minnesota last season. He started nine games for the New York Jets in 2009 and three for Philadelphia the previous season. He had been a starter for the Eagles before that, intercepting 14 passes from 2004 to 2006.

 His coverage numbers have dropped in recent years, according to STATS LLC. Sheppard allowed quarterbacks to complete 58 percent of their passes in his direction the past three seasons with 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.6 quarterback rating. In his first five seasons, Sheppard allowed opponents to catch 56.7 percent of their passes with 11 TDs, 17 interceptions and a 72.3 rating.

 ”He was somebody that I always watched, especially when I was a rookie,” Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. “He has always had good feet, good instincts and for someone that is undersized, he plays much bigger than his size. He is definitely someone that helps the secondary out physically as well as from a mental aspect.”

 The Raiders officially took the past four days off, but the receivers worked with Palmer on their own to build up some rapport with the new quarterback. Receiver Jacoby Ford said that work helped improve the timing of the passing game, which Jackson said was evident at practice

 ”I thought he looked really sharp today,” Jackson said. “He did some really good things today. He really has a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think when I heard of what those guys did on those two days, spending time together really showed out here.”

 Notes: RB Darren McFadden (foot) did not practice and Jackson had no information on what his status would be for this week. … MLB Rolando McClain (ankle) and K Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring) were among the other players who did not practice.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders returned from their bye week on Monday by signing former Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and are planning a workout for former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati with new Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer and was coached by current Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, but has been out of the league so far this season.

Houshmandzadeh had been working out with Palmer in Southern California before the Raiders traded for the quarterback two weeks ago. Houshmandzadeh will work out for Oakland on Tuesday.

Jackson said the decision to look at Houshmandzadeh had been in the works for a while and did not have to do with getting a receiver who had worked previously with Palmer.

“What I need to do is find out what he is,” Jackson said. “I’m going to do everything I can to improve our football team. I mean, he may not be what he once was. He may be what he once was. But I get the opportunity to see him, and see him up close and personal and go from there.”

Houshmandzadeh was at his best with the Bengals with Palmer, catching a career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. After averaging 89 catches, for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns over a five-year span in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh struggled the past two seasons in Seattle and Baltimore.

He had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens last season and had a key drop late in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. No one picked him up this off-season but the Raiders are ready to take a look to see if he can regain his old form.

“He’s a born leader,” said safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who played with Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnati. “He’s a competitor. He gets open. You can’t really explain it. He might not be the fastest guy, he might not look like the greatest athlete but he gets it done. In the slot, I don’t think there’s any better in the league in the slot.”

The Raiders had an open spot on their roster this week and used it on Sheppard. He spent time in training camp with the Raiders and played in the final exhibition game before being cut. He had not caught on with any other team and was brought back by the Raiders, who have two cornerbacks banged up in Chris Johnson and Chimdi Chekwa.

Sheppard worked out for a handful of teams over the last few months, including the Raiders a few weeks ago.

“I’ve been preparing as if it was going to happen that next day each day,” Sheppard said. “But it was a relief because I felt like I was doing a pretty good job here and I kind of couldn’t understand it (being released) but then they called me back so they appreciated some of what I was doing so that was a big help.”

Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler but started only two games for Minnesota last season. He started nine games for the New York Jets in 2009 and three for Philadelphia the previous season. He had been a starter for the Eagles before that, intercepting 14 passes from 2004 to 2006.

His coverage numbers have dropped in recent years, according to STATS LLC. Sheppard allowed quarterbacks to complete 58 per cent of their passes in his direction the past three seasons with 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.6 quarterback rating. In his first five seasons, Sheppard allowed opponents to catch 56.7 per cent of their passes with 11 TDs, 17 interceptions and a 72.3 rating.

“He was somebody that I always watched, especially when I was a rookie,” Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. “He has always had good feet, good instincts and for someone that is undersized, he plays much bigger than his size. He is definitely someone that helps the secondary out physically as well as from a mental aspect.”

The Raiders officially took the past four days off, but the receivers worked with Palmer on their own to build up some rapport with the new quarterback. Receiver Jacoby Ford said that work helped improve the timing of the passing game, which Jackson said was evident at practice

“I thought he looked really sharp today,” Jackson said. “He did some really good things today. He really has a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think when I heard of what those guys did on those two days, spending time together really showed out here.”

Notes: RB Darren McFadden (foot) did not practice and Jackson had no information on what his status would be for this week. … MLB Rolando McClain (ankle) and K Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring) were among the other players who did not practice.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Raiders returned from their bye week on
Monday by signing former Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard(notes) and are planning a
workout for former Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes).

Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati with new Raiders quarterback Carson
Palmer(notes) and was coached by current Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, but has been
out of the league so far this season.

Houshmandzadeh had been working out with Palmer in Southern California
before the Raiders traded for the quarterback two weeks ago. Houshmandzadeh will
work out for Oakland on Tuesday.

Jackson said the decision to look at Houshmandzadeh had been in the works
for a while and did not have to do with getting a receiver who had worked
previously with Palmer.

“What I need to do is find out what he is,” Jackson said. “I’m going to
do everything I can to improve our football team. I mean, he may not be what he
once was. He may be what he once was. But I get the opportunity to see him, and
see him up close and personal and go from there.”

Houshmandzadeh was at his best with the Bengals with Palmer, catching a
career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. After
averaging 89 catches, for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns over a five-year span
in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh struggled the past two seasons in Seattle and
Baltimore.

He had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns with the Ravens
last season and had a key drop late in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. No one
picked him up this offseason but the Raiders are ready to take a look to see if
he can regain his old form.

“He’s a born leader,” said safety Chinedum Ndukwe(notes), who played with
Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnati. “He’s a competitor. He gets open. You can’t
really explain it. He might not be the fastest guy, he might not look like the
greatest athlete but he gets it done. In the slot, I don’t think there’s any
better in the league in the slot.”

The Raiders had an open spot on their roster this week and used it on
Sheppard. He spent time in training camp with the Raiders and played in the
final exhibition game before being cut. He had not caught on with any other team
and was brought back by the Raiders, who have two cornerbacks banged up in Chris
Johnson and Chimdi Chekwa(notes).

Sheppard worked out for a handful of teams over the last few months,
including the Raiders a few weeks ago.

“I’ve been preparing as if it was going to happen that next day each day,”
Sheppard said. “But it was a relief because I felt like I was doing a pretty
good job here and I kind of couldn’t understand it (being released) but then
they called me back so they appreciated some of what I was doing so that was a
big help.”

Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler but started only two games for Minnesota
last season. He started nine games for the New York Jets in 2009 and three for
Philadelphia the previous season. He had been a starter for the Eagles before
that, intercepting 14 passes from 2004 to 2006.

His coverage numbers have dropped in recent years, according to STATS LLC.
Sheppard allowed quarterbacks to complete 58 percent of their passes in his
direction the past three seasons with 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a
97.6 quarterback rating. In his first five seasons, Sheppard allowed opponents
to catch 56.7 percent of their passes with 11 TDs, 17 interceptions and a 72.3
rating.

“He was somebody that I always watched, especially when I was a rookie,”
Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt(notes) said. “He has always had good feet, good
instincts and for someone that is undersized, he plays much bigger than his
size. He is definitely someone that helps the secondary out physically as well
as from a mental aspect.”

The Raiders officially took the past four days off, but the receivers worked
with Palmer on their own to build up some rapport with the new quarterback.
Receiver Jacoby Ford(notes) said that work helped improve the timing of the passing
game, which Jackson said was evident at practice

“I thought he looked really sharp today,” Jackson said. “He did some
really good things today. He really has a grasp of what we’re trying to
accomplish. I think when I heard of what those guys did on those two days,
spending time together really showed out here.”

Notes: RB Darren McFadden(notes) (foot) did not practice and Jackson had no
information on what his status would be for this week. … MLB Rolando McClain(notes)
(ankle) and K Sebastian Janikowski(notes) (hamstring) were among the other players who
did not practice.

Read More: Richard Seymour (DT – OAK), Carson Palmer (QB – OAK), Oakland Raiders

Right before the start of the 2009 season, Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders shocked the league by trading away their first round pick for an aging veteran. Everyone thought this was a bad move on the part of the Raiders. It was seen as giving up a first round pick with potential for future success in order to take a shot at present success with a player who was over the hill.

Fast forward three years and Richard Seymour is one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the league and is a major reason why the Raiders are sitting at 4-2 and are a serious playoff contender.

Just over a week after the infamous leader of the Raiders passed away, whoever is calling the shots in Oakland, is doing so as if they were Al Davis themselves. First, in typical Raider fashion, Oakland traded for a first round reclamation project in Aaron Curry. Much like many of the great Raiders in history, Curry is a former first round pick with incredible athletic abilities, a true Al Davis player.

Now, the Raiders make another Seymour-esque trade by going out and getting Carson Palmer. The rumor is that the Raiders will be giving up a first round pick this season, along with a conditional first round pick in 2013. That is a lot to give for a 31 year old quarterback that will be turning 32 in December. But then again, that is what everyone said about the Seymour trade and in hindsight, that trade was brilliant.