The Raiders will have to be very creative in order to come out of this year’s NFL Draft with impact players.

If you haven’t seen mock drafts projecting who Oakland will take in the first round, it’s because they don’t have a pick in the opening round. In fact, the Raiders won’t make a selection until 95th overall.

Oakland sent what turned out to be the 17th pick to Cincinnati in the Carson Palmer trade last year. The Raiders traded their second round pick in last year’s draft to the Patriots. Unless they make a deal to move up in this year’s draft, they won’t make a pick until the last selection of the third round.

Despite their lack of picks, the Raiders will look to add players that will help their roster in 2012. For the second straight season, Oakland finished at 8-8 in 2011, and is looking to finish above .500 for the first time in a decade.

The Raiders are on the verge of becoming a playoff team, and will look to make a few picks that might put them over the hump. Here are Oakland’s biggest needs heading into the draft, as well as some specific players they may be targeting.

Linebacker

The Raiders are extremely lacking in the middle of their defense. Oakland was poor against both the run and the pass in 2011, and a lack of talent at the linebacker position was one of the biggest reasons. The loss of Kamerion Wimbley to the Titans depletes an already weak linebacking corp.

At pick 95 or 129, the Raiders could look at someone like Jake Bequette from Arkansas.  He played defensive end in college, but impressed scouts in linebacker drills at the Scouting Combine. If Bruce Irvin from West Virginia makes it past the second round, the Raiders may have a chance to nab him.

Cornerback

Oakland never recovered from losing cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha in the 2011 offseason. The Raiders finished 27th best in the league in passing yards allowed, after not finding an adequate replacement. They added Ron Bartell from the Rams, but it’s unknown how he’ll play a year after fracturing his neck.

Iowa State’s Leonard Johnson would be a good fit for Oakland at number 129 or 148 overall. If Vanderbilt’s Casey Hayward is still available in the third round, the Raiders may use their fist pick on him.

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OAKLAND (CBS/AP) – For nearly a half-century, Al Davis ran the Oakland Raiders’ draft room in his own unique way. He coveted speed and size, seemingly ahead of almost all other attributes.

His picks often baffled so-called experts and other teams, with some turning into surprising successes and others into notable flops.

Now there’s a new man in charge in Oakland. General manager Reggie McKenzie began overhauling the organization after being hired in January and now is preparing for the team’s first draft since Davis died last October. This will be the first Raiders draft that Davis has not run since 1962.

“It’s an exciting time,” McKenzie said. “Coach Davis, this has been his deal since the Raiders were the Raiders. So, I am the new guy. This is my first time drafting after a legend has been drafting for the Raiders for so long. So, it’s huge. But I am excited about it and I am looking forward to it. There are still so many people in the organization, so I get to hear everything about how he used to do it.”

McKenzie will likely have to wait a while to make his first pick, which won’t be until the final selection on Day 2 with the 95th overall pick at the end of the third round—the first of the team’s three compensatory picks.

The Raiders traded their first-round pick last October for quarterback Carson Palmer, a second-rounder during last year’s draft for backup running back Taiwan Jones and offensive lineman Joe Barksdale, and spent a third-rounder to take quarterback project Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft.

Oakland also dealt a fourth-rounder to Washington in 2010 for former starting quarterback Jason Campbell and a seventh-rounder last year for starting outside linebacker Aaron Curry.

That leaves McKenzie with compensatory picks at the end of the third, fourth and fifth rounds and Oakland’s original picks in the fifth and sixth. With McKenzie unable to trade compensatory picks and unwilling to give up future high picks, it seems unlikely the Raiders will be able to pick before 95th.

“We need some depth to compete and hopefully win jobs,” he said. “That’s what we’re targeting. When we say best player, whether it’s D-line, linebacker, O-line, tight end … it doesn’t matter. We want to get a good player. We’ve got five picks. We need to make them all count.”

Davis’ drafting acumen helped build championship teams in the 1970s and 80s. He got Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ken Stabler and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Art Shell in the second and third rounds in 1968; big-play receiver Cliff Branch in the fourth round in 1972; Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper in the second round in 1974; star cornerback Lester Hayes in the fifth round in 1977 and Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long in the second round in 1981.

But there were more misses than hits in recent years, contributing to a run of nine straight seasons without a winning record or playoff berth.

Of the 12 first-round picks since 2001, including six players in the top 10, Nnamdi Asomugha is the only one to make a Pro Bowl. More notable were busts like quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007 or taking offensive lineman Robert Gallery over Larry Fitzgerald in 2004.

There was also the constant obsession with speed, most notably when Davis drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey seventh overall in 2009, ahead of far more accomplished receivers. Heyward-Bey had a breakthrough season last year but still has fewer receptions, yards and touchdowns than the five receivers taken after him in the first round that year.

The infatuation with speed got to the point that as soon as a player clocked in at under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, jokes immediately started that the Raiders will draft him no matter what he’s done on the football field.

Last year’s Raiders roster featured the fastest players at the last three combines and five other players clocked at 4.36 seconds or better in the 40 at the combine or their pro days.

“Speed is always going to be important,” McKenzie said. “But if you’re insinuating that speed only? No, we’re not looking for just guys that run fast. Of course we love size, and we’re going to emphasize size. But we’re going to make sure they’re good football players. Make sure they’re tough, they understand the game.”

It truly is a new era.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

ALAMEDA (AP) – For nearly a half-century, Al Davis ran the Oakland Raiders’ draft room in his own unique way. He coveted speed and size, seemingly ahead of almost all other attributes.

His picks often baffled so-called experts and other teams, with some turning into surprising successes and others into notable flops.

Now there’s a new man in charge in Oakland. General manager Reggie McKenzie began overhauling the organization after being hired in January and now is preparing for the team’s first draft since Davis died last October. This will be the first Raiders draft that Davis has not run since 1962.

“It’s an exciting time,” McKenzie said. “Coach Davis, this has been his deal since the Raiders were the Raiders. So, I am the new guy. This is my first time drafting after a legend has been drafting for the Raiders for so long. So, it’s huge. But I am excited about it and I am looking forward to it. There are still so many people in the organization, so I get to hear everything about how he used to do it.”

McKenzie will likely have to wait a while to make his first pick, which won’t be until the final selection on Day 2 with the 95th overall pick at the end of the third round – the first of the team’s three compensatory picks.

The Raiders traded their first-round pick last October for quarterback Carson Palmer, a second-rounder during last year’s draft for backup running back Taiwan Jones and offensive lineman Joe Barksdale, and spent a third-rounder to take quarterback project Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft.

Oakland also dealt a fourth-rounder to Washington in 2010 for former starting quarterback Jason Campbell and a seventh-rounder last year for starting outside linebacker Aaron Curry.

That leaves McKenzie with compensatory picks at the end of the third, fourth and fifth rounds and Oakland’s original picks in the fifth and sixth. With McKenzie unable to trade compensatory picks and unwilling to give up future high picks, it seems unlikely the Raiders will be able to pick before 95th.

“We need some depth to compete and hopefully win jobs,” he said. “That’s what we’re targeting. When we say best player, whether it’s D-line, linebacker, O-line, tight end … it doesn’t matter. We want to get a good player. We’ve got five picks. We need to make them all count.”

Davis’ drafting acumen helped build championship teams in the 1970s and 80s. He got Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ken Stabler and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Art Shell in the second and third rounds in 1968; big-play receiver Cliff Branch in the fourth round in 1972; Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper in the second round in 1974; star cornerback Lester Hayes in the fifth round in 1977 and Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long in the second round in 1981.

But there were more misses than hits in recent years, contributing to a run of nine straight seasons without a winning record or playoff berth.

Of the 12 first-round picks since 2001, including six players in the top 10, Nnamdi Asomugha is the only one to make a Pro Bowl. More notable were busts like quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007 or taking offensive lineman Robert Gallery over Larry Fitzgerald in 2004.

There was also the constant obsession with speed, most notably when Davis drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey seventh overall in 2009, ahead of far more accomplished receivers. Heyward-Bey had a breakthrough season last year but still has fewer receptions, yards and touchdowns than the five receivers taken after him in the first round that year.

The infatuation with speed got to the point that as soon as a player clocked in at under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, jokes immediately started that the Raiders will draft him no matter what he’s done on the football field.

Last year’s Raiders roster featured the fastest players at the last three combines and five other players clocked at 4.36 seconds or better in the 40 at the combine or their pro days.

“Speed is always going to be important,” McKenzie said. “But if you’re insinuating that speed only? No, we’re not looking for just guys that run fast. Of course we love size, and we’re going to emphasize size. But we’re going to make sure they’re good football players. Make sure they’re tough, they understand the game.”

It truly is a new era.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.)

ALAMEDA, Calif. – For nearly a half-century, Al Davis ran the Oakland Raiders’ draft room in his own unique way. He coveted speed and size, seemingly ahead of almost all other attributes.

His picks often baffled so-called experts and other teams, with some turning into surprising successes and others into notable flops.

Now there’s a new man in charge in Oakland. General manager Reggie McKenzie began overhauling the organization after being hired in January and now is preparing for the team’s first draft since Davis died last October. This will be the first Raiders draft that Davis has not run since 1962.

“It’s an exciting time,” McKenzie said. “Coach Davis, this has been his deal since the Raiders were the Raiders. So, I am the new guy. This is my first time drafting after a legend has been drafting for the Raiders for so long. So, it’s huge. But I am excited about it and I am looking forward to it. There are still so many people in the organization, so I get to hear everything about how he used to do it.”

McKenzie will likely have to wait a while to make his first pick, which won’t be until the final selection on Day 2 with the 95th overall pick at the end of the third round — the first of the team’s three compensatory picks.

The Raiders traded their first-round pick last October for quarterback Carson Palmer, a second-rounder during last year’s draft for backup running back Taiwan Jones and offensive lineman Joe Barksdale, and spent a third-rounder to take quarterback project Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft.

Oakland also dealt a fourth-rounder to Washington in 2010 for former starting quarterback Jason Campbell and a seventh-rounder last year for starting outside linebacker Aaron Curry.

That leaves McKenzie with compensatory picks at the end of the third, fourth and fifth rounds and Oakland’s original picks in the fifth and sixth. With McKenzie unable to trade compensatory picks and unwilling to give up future high picks, it seems unlikely the Raiders will be able to pick before 95th.

“We need some depth to compete and hopefully win jobs,” he said. “That’s what we’re targeting. When we say best player, whether it’s D-line, linebacker, O-line, tight end … it doesn’t matter. We want to get a good player. We’ve got five picks. We need to make them all count.”

Davis’ drafting acumen helped build championship teams in the 1970s and 80s. He got Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ken Stabler and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Art Shell in the second and third rounds in 1968; big-play receiver Cliff Branch in the fourth round in 1972; Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper in the second round in 1974; star cornerback Lester Hayes in the fifth round in 1977 and Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long in the second round in 1981.

But there were more misses than hits in recent years, contributing to a run of nine straight seasons without a winning record or playoff berth.

Of the 12 first-round picks since 2001, including six players in the top 10, Nnamdi Asomugha is the only one to make a Pro Bowl. More notable were busts like quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007 or taking offensive lineman Robert Gallery over Larry Fitzgerald in 2004.

There was also the constant obsession with speed, most notably when Davis drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey seventh overall in 2009, ahead of far more accomplished receivers. Heyward-Bey had a breakthrough season last year but still has fewer receptions, yards and touchdowns than the five receivers taken after him in the first round that year.

The infatuation with speed got to the point that as soon as a player clocked in at under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, jokes immediately started that the Raiders will draft him no matter what he’s done on the football field.

Last year’s Raiders roster featured the fastest players at the last three combines and five other players clocked at 4.36 seconds or better in the 40 at the combine or their pro days.

“Speed is always going to be important,” McKenzie said. “But if you’re insinuating that speed only? No, we’re not looking for just guys that run fast. Of course we love size, and we’re going to emphasize size. But we’re going to make sure they’re good football players. Make sure they’re tough, they understand the game.”

It truly is a new era.

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. 

Read More: Lito Sheppard (DB – OAK), Nnamdi Asomugha (CB – PHI), New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos

Oakland Raiders fans may see the familiar number 21 roaming the secondary at the Oakland Coliseum whent he Raiders host the Denver Broncos this weekend. Except, this time, the man wearing number 21 will not be Nnamdi Asomugha, but rather, corner back Lito Sheppard.

Sheppard was signed to the Raiders roster during the pre-season, however, the Raiders cut him before the season started, opting instead to go with a rather young and shallow depth at the corner position. Now, with injuries to Chris Johnson and rookie Chimdi Checkwa, the Raiders are looking to add some depth to the already depleted position and have re-signed Sheppard.

Sheppard is a former pro bowl coner back who has spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, the New York Jets and the Philidelphia Eagles. While he was a very good corner for a while, most agree that he is clearly past his prime. In addition, the fact that he had not yet signed with an NFL team hints that he might be past his time in the NFL.

That, however, does not seem to bother the Raiders who are likely more concerned with getting someone who can fill in right away if necessary. Sheppard has already learned a little bit of the playbook due to the time he spent with the Raiders in the pre-season, and has played a good amount of man coverage during his career in the NFL. I do not expect him to get much playing time, but its never a bad thing to have an experienced vet on your team for depth purposes.

Read More: Antonio Cromartie (CB – NYJ), Nnamdi Asomugha (CB – PHI), Stanford Routt (CB – OAK), Chris Johnson (CB – OAK), DeMarcus Van Dyke (CB – OAK), New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills

The Oakland Raiders have already had issues in figuring out how to survive in the post Nnamdi Asomugha era. It was assumed that the Raiders might have some issues with their secondary this season and that assumption became a reality in the second half of their week two game against the Buffalo Bills as Chris Johnson had one of the worst games of his career trying to cover Stevie Johnson of the Bills.

Well, things may have gone from bad to worse to epic levels of despair this week. Both Chris Johnson and Demarcus Van Dyke sat out of Wednesday’s practice with injuries sustained in last week’s game. It appears as though Johnson aggravated a groin injury that caused him to miss part of the preseason. Van Dyke, a rookie taken by the Raiders in an attempt to help make up for the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha, suffered a leg contusion against the Bills.

If both of these players miss the game on Sunday, the Raiders will play the Jets with only two true cornerbacks on their roster, Stanford Routt and Joe Porter. Now that is truly scary.

With Jerome Boyd playing well this season, the Raiders have been able to use their safeties in many of their nickel formations. If the Raiders are without two of their cornerbacks, they will be forced to play back up safeties Boyd (who also is nursing an injury) and Matt Girodano much more often in order to free up Huff to play some corner.

With news coming out this week that Raiders owner Al Davis made a personal pitch to Jets corner Antonio Cromartie during the off season, it begs the question, if the Raiders knew they needed help at the cornerback position, why on earth did they start the season with only five cornerbacks on the roster, two of which are rookies?

In one of the highest-profile moves of the offseason, the Oakland Raiders lost an All-Pro cornerback when Nnamdi Asomugha signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles.

More than five months earlier, the Raiders had added an All-Pro cornerback when they hired Rod Woodson as assistant defensive backs coach.

Woodson’s main task is to help develop four young cornerbacks the Raiders have drafted the past two seasons into reliable NFL players as Oakland tries to replace Asomugha.

Eight years after retiring from the NFL, Woodson is using his Hall of Fame playing credentials to try to teach a young group of cornerbacks how to succeed.

“It’s a start. But if I tell them to go the wrong way, it’s not going to last too long,” he said. “I’m just trying to point them in the right direction. Each player is different. Every player learns differently. Some guys are audio learners, some guys are visual, some guys need to do the reps. The things that I did in my career, I can’t ask the same guy to do the same thing. It really depends upon their abilities.”

Few had abilities like Woodson, who was one of the league’s all-time best defensive backs during a 17-year career with Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore and Oakland.

Woodson was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team, won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award for Pittsburgh in 1993, went to three Super Bowls, was named to 11 Pro Bowls, picked for the 1990s all-decade team and selected first-team All Pro six times.

Woodson’s 71 career interceptions rank third all-time in NFL history. He is the career leader in interception returns for touchdowns (12), and interception return yardage (1,483).

“The guy is a first-class gentleman and obviously a first-class football player,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson said. “Obviously that gives you instant credibility when you talk to guys about what to do, how to do it and why you need to do it this way.”

Since retiring after the 2003 season, Woodson had spent time refreshing his body and working as a television analyst. But he realized he also wanted to get into coaching. So he called Jackson and told him he wanted to coach and Jackson was receptive to the idea of adding a Hall of Famer to his coaching staff.

The players say Woodson has taken to his new job.

“He’s always teaching. Always,” cornerback Stanford Routt said. “Whether it’s in the meeting room, lunch room, whether it’s in the restroom, he’s always teaching. The biggest thing he’s probably said is, ‘Pull the trigger. Just make plays, don’t be afraid to mess up. If you do, just come back the next play and make up for it.’”

Woodson said he models himself after many of the coaches he played for during his brilliant career, including Chuck Noll, Tony Dungy, Rod Rust, Dick Lebeau, Dom Capers and Bill Cowher.

He considered himself more of an instructor than a yeller on the practice field, pulling aside players to give them advice rather than chewing them out.

“I don’t think I need to scream and holler,” he said. “Every coach has his own style. At the end of the day, the train is leaving. It’s going to leave with the guys or without the guys. My style is, if you want to get a paycheck, be on the train. I don’t need to tell you that. At the end of the day, if you’re not doing your job, you’re going to get cut.”

Woodson has had to spend much of his time working with rookies DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa, as well as second-year players Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware.

With only two proven cornerbacks on the roster in Routt and Chris Johnson, the Raiders will need at least one of those young players to step up quickly.

They have struggled in practice and during the exhibition season shutting down receivers but Woodson wants to make sure they don’t get timid and are willing to attack the way he did during his career.

“Pulling the trigger gives you the opportunity to make picks,” he said. “They have to start pulling that trigger. You only get two or three plays as a defensive back to make plays. Once they start learning how to pull that trigger … we’ll be an explosive defense.”

Notes: TE Brandon Myers left practice after getting kicked in the foot. … LB Rolando McClain and DT Richard Seymour were held out of practice by Jackson. … K Sebastian Janikowski made a 64-yard FG and then was just short on a 69-yarder at the end of practice.

Early in Hue Jackson’s first training camp as Oakland Raiders head coach he staged movie night for his players.
Instead of a Hollywood blockbuster, Jackson pulled out a historic film that depicted the history of a once-proud franchise that has fallen on tough times.
Former stars talked about what it meant to be a Raider and highlights were shown from the team’s glory days of three Super Bowl titles in eight seasons.
“My job is to make sure these guys understand the history of the Raiders and we did that,” Jackson said. “We really talked about the tape that was put together. If you ask our players, they’d say it was fantastic. I mean there have been some great players that have played here and we need to uphold that standard.
The recent editions of the Raiders have fallen far short of the standard set in the 1960s, ’70s and early ’80s when Al Davis built one of pro football’s best franchises. The Raiders have not had a winning record since 2002, losing 91 games in eight seasons for the league’s second worst mark over that span.
Jackson hopes to turn back the clock by building a team that can dominate physically to get Oakland back to the playoffs after improving to 8-8 last season.
That .500 record ended seven straight years of at least 11 losses and prompted former coach Tom Cable to proclaim “we’re not losers anymore.” That statement irked Davis and falls far short of Jackson’s goals.
“I expect to win here,” he said. “I want our players to expect to win and I want our fans to have an expectation that this organization is making a comeback to where it rightfully belongs. And 8-8 doesn’t cut it for me. I’m not interested in being 8-8. I’m interested in being great.”
Jackson helped transform a lackluster offense last season as coordinator. Behind a 1,000-yard rushing season from Darren McFadden, big plays from receiver-kick returner Jacoby Ford and improved play at quarterback from Jason Campbell, the Raiders more than doubled their scoring output from the previous year to finish sixth in the league with 410 points.
Now Jackson tries to translate that improvement to the entire team.
“I don’t know what the Raiders’offense was before that, but when he got here we were scoring a lot of points last year,” Campbell said. “We were making plays, and the reason is because of his mentality. He brings that mentality of physical, relentless football and playing like a Raider. That’s what he’s all about.”
The key to Oakland’s success rests heavily on Campbell’s right arm. Given some rare stability with a second year in Jackson’s system and a reunion with former offensive coordinator Al Saunders, Campbell is being counted on to take a big step forward from the up-and-down quarterback he has been for his first six years.
Campbell lost his starting job twice last season, but still managed to post the second-highest quarterback rating of his career. He has a firm hold on the job — and the offense — this season in a change evident to all around him.
“His pocket presence, his huddle presence, is definitely better than it used to be,” said offensive lineman Stephon Heyer, Campbell’s teammate in Washington. “It looks like he’s more of a leader. He’s comfortable. I can see that now more so than ever.”
The Raiders believed so much in last year’s talent that they made few major additions in the abbreviated offseason.
Despite losing a pair of Pro Bowlers in cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and tight end Zach Miller, as well as their most consistent lineman in recent years, Robert Gallery, to free agency, the Raiders signed only one potential starter in tight end Kevin Boss.
The one big change was at coach.
“Hue stresses just being a bully, being a big bully on the block and just being more physical than anybody in the AFC West,” defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said. “That’s what he wants us to be and that’s what we got to be.”
While Jackson is in charge on the field, the Raiders are still Davis’ team. Davis has been a much less visible presence this summer, not attending practice even once in the first three weeks of training camp.
But Jackson says he still talks to Davis daily about what it will take to improve the Raiders.
“This is his football team and he lets me drive the engine,” he said. “I talk to him all the time about what we are doing, where we are, what we are, and where we are getting to. … I give him my input, he listens; he gives me his input, I listen and on we march.”
How far they march remains to be seen.

The Oakland Raiders used a third-round pick Monday in the NFL’s supplemental draft to select former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

The Raiders and the league announced that Oakland used the 18th selection of the round for Pryor. Oakland forfeits its third-round selection in the 2012 draft.

Pryor’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said his client was excited about going in the third round after waiting until last Thursday to find out he’d even be eligible for the supplemental draft and not working out for teams until Saturday.

“We’re tickled and thrilled that Terrelle went in the third round and to the Raiders,” Rosenhaus said. “The third round is quite an accomplishment for a young man who had his pro day 48 hours ago and didn’t know he would be in the draft until Thursday morning and wasn’t able to meet with any decision makers.”

Pryor immediately headed to the Bay Area after being drafted and Rosenhaus said he hoped to finalize a contract as soon as possible to get Pryor on the practice field. Rosenhaus has already negotiated a third-round deal with the Raiders this summer with rookie cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke.

“We’re optimistic this will be a smooth negotiation,” he said. “We enjoy working with the Raiders and he’s very excited.”

Pryor will be able to practice immediately after signing and play in the remaining two exhibition games. But he will not be eligible to practice with or play for Oakland during the regular season until the team’s sixth game.

When he was allowed to enter Monday’s draft, he was handed a five-game suspension by Commissioner Roger Goodell — the same number of games he would have sat out had he returned to Ohio State. Pryor has said he will not appeal the suspension.

Pryor gave up his final season with the Buckeyes after an investigation into the team’s memorabilia-for-cash scandal that cost coach Jim Tressel his job.

His selection by the Raiders hardly is surprising. Oakland often makes bold moves in the draft because owner Al Davis covets size and speed. Pryor ran a 4.36 in the 40 during his workout for 17 NFL teams Saturday. At 6-foot-5 and 232 pounds, he is similar in height to JaMarcus Russell, the LSU quarterback chosen No. 1 overall by the Raiders in the 2007 draft.

But Pryor is much more mobile. As a junior, Pryor had his best season statistically, throwing for 2,772 yards and 27 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He also ran for 754 yards and four scores while helping the Buckeyes win the Sugar Bowl.

“We all know how Al Davis likes big players who can run and Terrelle brings a dimension of size and speed that’s unique to the quarterback position,” Rosenhaus said. “The Raiders are a good fit for him because they have had an unsettled quarterback situation for a number of years and have worked in a number of different players. Any young quarterback would like the opportunity to go there and compete and be the guy.”

Oakland’s starting quarterback is Jason Campbell, now in his second season with the Raiders after being acquired from Washington, where he spent five seasons. Campbell is in the last year of his contract, as are backups Kyle Boller and Trent Edwards.

The Raiders considered drafting a quarterback to groom for the future in April but did not find the right fit. Now they have Pryor to fill that role.

Oakland is now without picks in the second, third and fourth rounds next year. The Raiders traded the 2012 second-round pick along with a 2011 seventh-round selection for third- and fourth-round picks this past draft to take offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones. They sent their fourth-round pick a year ago to the Redskins for Campbell.

Oakland could recoup some picks as compensation for losing Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller and Robert Gallery as free agents.

No other players were chosen.

Also eligible for the draft were former Georgia running back Caleb King, former Northern Illinois safety Tracy Wilson, former Western Carolina cornerback Torez Jones, former Lindenwood University defensive end Keenan Mace, and former North Carolina defensive end Mike McAdoo.

With running back Darren McFadden already out with a fractured orbital bone, the Raiders are spending more time in the trainer’s room than on the field.

“I told you I’m going to be very cautious with our football team,” coach Hue Jackson said. “I don’t bat an eye at those things when a guy goes down or a guy’s out of here. I don’t like it for our players, but you can’t worry about that.”

Jackson revealed that Johnson underwent a medical procedure that will keep him sidelined against San Francisco. Jackson declined to discuss specifics of the procedure but added that he expects Johnson to be back in time for the Raiders’ regular-season opener at Denver on Sept. 12.

“Chris will be back here very shortly,” Jackson said. “I’m not going to go into detail exactly what it is, but we had to have some things cleaned up with him, for him, and I think he’ll be back and on the mend and ready to play.”

Johnson had been working at left cornerback almost exclusively with Oakland’s starters but left halfway through Sunday’s practice and hasn’t been back on the field since.

The Raiders’ secondary has been a focal point during training camp ever since Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha signed with Philadelphia as a free agent.

Rookie DeMarcus Van Dyke, the team’s third-round draft pick who had a rough time in his NFL debut trying to handle Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, replaced Johnson in practice Wednesday. The Raiders also have tried Walter McFadden at the position.

“It’s an opportunity to show out, to show the team that I can play,” Van Dyke said. “And this is an opportunity to show Coach Hue that I’m ready to play. I’ve improved a lot, and every day I try to get better at different things.”

The loss of Johnson is another blow for Oakland’s secondary.

Backup safeties Hiram Eugene (dislocated hip) and Zac Etheridge (knee) were both injured in the preseason loss to the Cardinals, forcing the Raiders to sign Josh Bullocks and Matt Giordano earlier this week as insurance.

The situation with the offensive line could get just as tricky if Satele is out for any length of time.

Satele, who had been taking most of the reps with Oakland’s first team offense, left practice early then limped cautiously away from the team’s training camp facilities.

“I’m good,” Satele said before getting into a van driven by a team employee to be taken to a hospital for X-rays.

Jackson again refused to say how Satele got hurt but didn’t think the injury was too serious.

“Nothing major, didn’t get rolled on or nothing,” Jackson said. “(He) just started feeling a little discomfort and we decided to get him out. Just didn’t feel some strength in some areas. I really believe he’s OK and he’ll be fine. We’ll do all the precautionary things that you need to do to make sure our players are OK.”

That meant another position change for rookie Stefen Wisniewski, who had been lining up at left guard after originally being drafted to be Oakland’s center. Wisniewski has played both positions in training camp but was at left guard only in the exhibition opener.

Additionally, only two days after Murphy told reporters that he’s been slowed by a sore groin and hamstring Jackson said the third-year wide receiver may not be back until after the Raiders’ opener in Denver.

“Murphy had a kind of procedure also,” Jackson said, again declining to discuss details. “Murphy’s was a little bit more extensive than Chris, so Murph might be out a little longer than C.J.”

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

“Those things in a first preseason game are things that a lot of people are trying to overcome, and we will,” Jackson said Friday. “It was good to see some guys really competing and getting after it. We have something to build on there.”

Jackson was pleased with the play of the first-team defense, the passing game and many of his offensive linemen, including rookies Stefen Wisniewski and Joe Barksdale.

The key in the upcoming weeks is to build on those and fix the lingering issues before the season begins Sept. 12 in Denver.

While all teams are hindered this summer by the lockout which canceled minicamps and OTAs, all of Oakland’s problems couldn’t be attributed to the lack of offseason work.

The issues began even before the opening kickoff. The Raiders won the coin toss and one of the captains apparently told referee Ron Winter the team wanted to kick off before another said defer. Winter went with the first declaration, allowing the Cardinals the chance to receive in the second half as well, when they got an opening drive field goal.

“I think it’s unfortunate that it happened,” Jackson said. “I’m glad it happened (in preseason).”

Then some of the same problems that plagued the Raiders a year ago reared up once again. Oakland drove inside the Arizona 30 five times but ended up with just one touchdown and four field goals on those trips.

Oakland was 22nd in the league a year ago, scoring touchdowns on 40.9 percent of trips inside the 30, but improved as the year progressed. Jackson expects similar improvement with more practice time spent in the scoring area.

“We’ve been there for two weeks and we’re trying to pack everything in as fast as we can and sometimes you don’t get to hit on all the things that you got to hit on right away. You get bits and pieces,” Jackson said. “As we move forward, we’ll make sure that those things are all tidied up and ready to go.”

The Raiders, who were the most penalized team in the NFL a year ago, committed 10 for 84 yards on Thursday in a performance that really riled Jackson because he has stressed reducing those.

Starting right tackle Khalif Barnes committed three false starts in two series, costing Oakland a chance at a field goal on the second drive. Rookie Richard Gordon also committed a false start, giving the Raiders four on the night. They led the NFL with 31 false starts last season

Backup cornerback Walter McFadden committed a pair of pass interference penalties on a touchdown drive late in the second quarter. Oakland had a league-worst 13 pass interference calls last season.

McFadden was one of many backup defensive backs who struggled in the opener but will be needed to contribute when the season starts. The Cardinals had few problems moving the ball through the air after starting cornerbacks Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson sat down following the first series.

Arizona quarterbacks combined to go 17-for-27 for 297 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions at a 137.4 passer rating once the starting cornerbacks sat for the night.

Rookie Demarcus Van Dyke was one of the players who struggled, getting beaten twice in one series by star receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Van Dyke also got beat by Stephen Williams on a touchdown pass in the second quarter.

“It’s a pretty good way to go out there and judge yourself on a guy of his caliber and see what I can get better at,” Van Dyke said. “I just have to finish on plays, that’s about it.”

With Chris Johnson moving into the starting lineup following the loss of All Pro Nnamdi Asomugha to free agency, the Raiders are searching for reliable coverage cornerbacks from a group that includes McFadden, fellow second-year pro Jeremy Ware and rookies Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa, who is out with a shoulder injury.

“It’s something we’ll continue to look at as we continue to move forward,” Jackson said. “But those young guys, they’ll step up. They got to rise up and play, and I expect that they will.”

Oakland also lost backup safety Hiram Eugene to a dislocated hip. Receiver Chaz Schilens and undrafted free agent safety Zac Etheridge had knee injuries. Jackson said he’d know more about the extent of the injuries in the next few days.

___

Josh Dubow can be reached at http://twitter.com/JoshDubowAP

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

It was a surprising scene following an offseason filled with rumors of Huff parting ways with the team that made him the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft.

“It was funny because every week it was a different story,” Huff said. “I know everybody associated me with (former Oakland defensive coordinator) Rob Ryan going to Dallas, and I’m from Dallas so everybody put two and two together. The whole time I knew what was going on and the Raiders knew what was going on, so there was really no panic on our side.”

Huff, who earned $5.75 million in 2010, is coming off his best season after struggling his first few years in the league. The sixth-year veteran had 94 tackles, three interceptions, four sacks and three forced fumbles in 2010.

Mike Mitchell and Tyvon Branch have been alternating between the two safety positions through the first few days of camp. Huff’s return likely means Branch, last year’s leading tackler, can remain at strong safety.

“He’s one of the guys that can play several things, but he’s our safety,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson said of Huff. “He’s returning at the position he played and I’m expecting a big season from him.”

There has been talk of possibly moving Huff to cornerback, a need position for the Raiders after Nnamdi Asomugha signed a $60 million, five-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Huff played there sporadically last season after injuries to the team’s other cornerbacks depleted the depth.

For now, though, the plan is to keep him at safety.

“Whatever the defense needs I’ll do it,” Huff said. “I’ll play dime. I’ll play a little linebacker in there. I’m not really too big but I’ll do anything to help the defense. I just want to win.”

Although Huff was free to sign with another team, he declined any offers to visit and didn’t take phone calls based on previous discussions he had with the Raiders’ front office.

“(Teams) called but I didn’t answer,” Huff said. “I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. They drafted me so I’ve been here through the bad times. I’m looking forward to turning this around and being here through the good times.”

The Raiders had the league’s second-ranked pass defense last season but surrendered 29 touchdown passes, fifth most in the NFL. Improving that unit was a priority in the offseason.

Oakland hired Hall of Famer Rod Woodson to assist defensive backs coach Kevin Ross, signed Stanford Routt to a $31.5 million, three-year contract, and drafted cornerbacks DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa. Chekwa dislocated his left shoulder during Saturday’s practice and was wearing a sling on Sunday.

Asomugha’s departure, while certainly not unexpected, left a void Huff hopes to help fill.

“He’s the one that kind of showed me how to watch film and showed me how to study,” Huff said. “I definitely give him a lot of credit for helping me grow to the next step. Now I have to take that next step. What he taught me, I gotta teach the young guys that.”

Huff is the fifth free agent who has returned to the Raiders since the end of the lockout. Oakland also signed eight of its potential free agents before the lockout.

Tight end Zach Miller remains the team’s highest profile free agent.

“I’ve talked to him several times and hopefully that situation will be resolved soon,” Jackson said. “Which way it’s going to go, nobody knows. Obviously, his teammates, his coach and everybody else would love to have him back here but again, no different than everybody else who’s a free agent.”

NOTES: KR/WR Jacoby Ford is sidelined indefinitely after breaking a hand on Saturday but Jackson expects the second-year player to be ready in time for the season opener. Ford set a single-season team record with three kickoff returns for touchdowns in 2010 and was also one of the Raiders’ most explosive wide receivers.

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