ALAMEDA, Calif. —
The Oakland Raiders had a quiet first day of the NFL draft with no pick in the first round.

New general manager Reggie McKenzie did not trade into the first round Thursday and will have to wait another day to make the team’s first pick since the death of longtime owner Al Davis.

The Raiders traded their first-round pick and a conditional 2013 second-rounder to Cincinnati in October for quarterback Carson Palmer. The Bengals drafted Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick with Oakland’s 17th overall pick.

McKenzie even had time to leave the draft room during the proceedings to get a glass of lemonade.

“I just want you guys to know we took Carson Palmer,” McKenzie said.

This is the second straight year Oakland didn’t have a first-round pick, having dealt last year’s to New England for Richard Seymour. The Raiders have just five picks in the draft. The first one comes at the end of Friday’s third round at 95th overall. That is one of three compensatory picks Oakland received for losing free agents last summer.

The Raiders also have compensatory picks at the end of the fourth and fifth rounds and their own picks in the fifth and sixth rounds to be used Saturday. Oakland cannot trade any of its compensatory picks.

The Raiders previously traded a second-rounder during last year’s draft to New England for the picks to draft running back Taiwan Jones and offensive lineman Joe Barksdale, used a third-rounder to take quarterback Terrelle Pryor in last summer’s supplemental draft, dealt a fourth-rounder in 2010 to Washington for quarterback Jason Campbell and a seventh-rounder to Seattle last October for linebacker Aaron Curry.

McKenzie had success with later picks when he worked in the personnel department with the Green Bay Packers, helping the franchise build two Super Bowl-winning teams.

McKenzie said his focus in this year’s draft is adding needed depth throughout the roster. Oakland’s biggest needs are in the secondary, defensive line, linebacker, tight end and running back.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

What if you could go back in Oakland Raiders history and select the greatest players for each position, from any time period, to assemble the ultimate Raiders all-time dream team. I was having lunch with my friend Raider Rick, a hardcore season-ticket holder with seats in the infamous Black Hole of the O.co Coliseum and we started talking about who we would put on the Raiders’ all-time greats fantasy team.

Here’s our dream line-up for the ultimate Oakland Raiders offense:

Quarterback – Ken Stabler, Rich Gannon

Two of the Oakland Raiders’ greatest players and I would take Plunkett as my number three.

Running Backs – Marcus Allen, Napoleon Kaufman and Clarence Davis

Allen is one of the greatest to ever play the game and does it all, running and blocking. Kaufman isn’t huge, but he’s ultra explosive and can run. Davis has sure hands and guts. Allen is the Raiders’ career rushing leader.

Fullbacks – Pete Banaszak, Mark Van Eeghen

Both these guys are runners. They may not be huge but they will run you right over. Van Eeghen is the Raiders’ number two rusher, behind Marcus Allen.

Wide Receivers – Tim Brown, Fred Biletnikoff, “Swervin” Mervyn Fernandez and Cliff Branch

All these guys are quick, with great hands. I know Swervin Mervyn isn’t statistically one of the top-ranked Raiders receivers but this guy just had great hands and could catch anything. He was an exciting player to watch and had a tough time being recognized when he was playing with a dominant player like Brown.

Tight Ends – Dave Casper, Todd Christensen and Raymond Chester

All three are amazing athletes and Christensen had so many receptions he was almost like a wide receiver. Casper was part of some of the Raiders’ greatest plays ever, like the “Ghost to the Post” run in 1977.

Offensive Line – Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, Steve Wisniewski and Max Montoya

All three are awesome and Wisniewski’s nephew Stefen is now a Raiders lineman, building the future of the Raider Nation. Upshaw was a great leader, both on and off the field.

Center – Jim Otto

Quite simply, the greatest center to ever play in the NFL.

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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The 2012 NFL draft is now just hours away, and there are many rumors and reports as to which players the Oakland Raiders might pick up this year. On Wednesday, April 25, James Robert Sanos of East Bay Sports tweeted that the Raiders are showing a strong interest in the former Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen.

Sanos wrote, ” Source: #Raiders looking to sign CU QB Tyler Hanson. Scout that went to see him work out loved what he saw,” and shortly after he added, ” #Raiders looking to sign Hanson to a try out deal for training camp and to put him on the PS for the up coming season.”

At this point the Raiders do not have a solid quarterback other than Carson Palmer. If something were to happen as it did in 2011 with Jason Campbell’s season-ending injury, who would be backup?

The Raiders have third-string quarterback Terrelle Pryor who only spent a matter of minutes on the field in Oakland against Kansas City last year , the week after Campbell went down. I think he could eventually become a primary backup , but he needs more time to develop.

Oakland signed Rhett Bomar in January . As of yet, he’s an unimpressive quarterback who was released by the Minnesota Vikings just prior to the 2011 season following an arrest for third degree drunken driving. Kyle Boller is still listed on the Raiders’ web site, however, he’s a free agent and it’s likely he’ll disappear in the near future. His contribution to the team in 2011 came in week seven when he became the Raiders first quarterback in 13 years to throw three interceptions in the first half.

While I believe Oakland really needs another veteran quarterback added to the roster, we all know that general manager Reggie McKenzie is not working with a lot of extra cash.

The former CU Buffs quarterback started in 12 games last year and was a co-recipient of the John Mack Award, along with wide receiver Tony Celmons, as the team’s most outstanding offensive player. He is listed on Colorado’s all-time career list at fourth in passing yards with 5,705, third in pass completions at 505 and fourth at touchdown passes with 35.

With just hours away from this year’s draft, there is a lot of excited anticipation building as we move a little closer to the start of the 2012 season. I have faith that McKenzie is putting the pieces of the puzzle back together in a way that could result in the Raiders finally making it to the postseason after a decade of disappointment. We have to hope for the best.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan for her entire life. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett. Follow her on Twitter @kcdermody or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kcdermodywriter.

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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. (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.

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.

Although I find there are many Oakland Raiders who are missing from the Pro Football Hall of Fame (like Ken Stabler) there are 18 players (plus Al Davis and John Madden) in the Hall of Fame who wore the Silver and Black. Here’s a look at three great Oakland Raiders Hall of Famers:

Gene Upshaw

Truly one of the greatest pro football players in the history of the game, Gene Upshaw was was a first-round draft pick for the Raiders in 1967, which was the first combined AFL-NFL draft. He played 15 seasons for the Silver and Black, retiring after the 1981 season. Gene Upshaw played in 307 preseason, regular season and post-season games. He helped the Raiders win the AFL championship in 1967, along with Super Bowls XI and XV. He was a leader on the field and was the Raiders’ offensive unit captain for eight seasons.

This great Raider passed away in 2008, after 25 years as the head of the NFL player’s union. Influential off the field as well, he helped introduce free agency into the NFL, and I think he helped create the modern business of professional football we know today. Another milestone for Upshaw, he was the first African-American head of a professional sports player’s union.

Dave Casper

Dave Casper, known as “The Ghost” as in “The Ghost to the Post,” one of the Raiders’ greatest plays ever. In 1977, during the AFC playoff game against the Colts, Casper had the reception that won the double-overtime game for the Raiders. The “Ghost to the Post” refers to his 42-yard reception, that set up the field goal that tied the game at the end of regulation.

Casper was part of another famously named Raider play, the “Holy Roller” against the Chargers in 1978. With the Raiders down six points, QB Ken Stabler fumbled, but the ball rolled towards the Chargers goal line, RB Pete Banaszak knocked it further, and Casper helped it along before falling on it in the end zone to tie and then win the game. Dave Casper played for the Oakland Raiders from 1974-1980, then returned to play in Los Angeles in 1984 after playing with the Oilers and Vikings. In his eight years with the Raiders, Casper had 255 receptions for 3,294 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Mike Haynes

Cornerback Mike Haynes is unique as he is one of the only Raider Hall of Famers to only play in Los Angeles. He came to the Raiders from the Patriots in a settlement that gave the Pats a number one draft pick in 1984 and a number two pick in 1985, which shows his value. He got to work quickly and played the last five games in 1983, then started and even grabbed an interception in the Raiders’ Super Bowl XVIII win. In his seven years with the Raiders, he had 18 interceptions for 295 yards and one touchdown.

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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North Syracuse, NY — Fourth-grader Elijah Adkins had no idea that he would be meeting one of his favorite football players when he went to school Friday.

“It was shocking,” Adkins said.

Oakland Raiders and Cicero-North Syracuse graduate Tyvon Branch visited KWS Bear Road Elementary School to tell the students about the importance of making the right choices.

“School is very important,” Branch said. “Getting good grades in school gives you the opportunity to go to college. Go to school everyday and listen to your teachers.”

Branch, 25, was a former star football player at C-NS and is still shining on the field as the starting strong safety for the Oakland Raiders. He agreed to come in to talk to the students when he was home for a visit.

The room of kindergarten through fourth-grade students erupted in applause and cheers as Branch entered the gymnasium at the elementary school. And every hand shot up in the air when Branch asked the students if they liked football.

Adkins said his favorite team is the Oakland Raiders and he said he liked Branch because he’s an amazing athlete.

“I just like how good he is,” Adkins said.

Branch has played in the NFL for four years and played for the University of Connecticut. At C-NS, he holds numerous school records in indoor and outdoor track and was a state champion in 2004.

Branch said he was happy that the students were taking part in the NFL’s Play 60, which encourages kids to be active for 60 minutes a day in order to reverse childhood obesity.

“It’s important that you stay active,” he said. “I got these muscles by eating right and working out.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) Coach Dennis Allen will get a prime-time stage to the start of his tenure with the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders will once again open the season in the back end of a Monday night doubleheader on Sept. 10 at home against San Diego. This marks the fourth time in five years that Oakland has opened in the late Monday night game.

”I’m excited about it. You grow up watching Monday Night Football and the theme song,” Allen said Tuesday. ”We’re excited about getting to open up the new era of Raider football both in the preseason on Monday night and in the regular season.”

The NFL released the 2012 schedule on Tuesday, the same day Allen held his first voluntary minicamp since taking over as Raiders coach from the fired Hue Jackson in January.

Many of the players had already been at the facility the past two weeks for voluntary offseason conditioning, but this was the first time Allen and his coaching staff could get them out on the field.

”We’re using this as an opportunity to really install a core base offense, defense and special teams,” he said. ”Really just get a chance to let the guys go through the motions of breaking a huddle lining up in a formation, lining up in a defense, lining up in a punt team formation and allow them to get a feel for what we’re going to do and how they’re going to be asked to do it.”

This is the first chance for the staff to get a firsthand look at their new players. General manager Reggie McKenzie said last week this would be a particularly important three-day test for second-year quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

The Raiders used a 2012 third-round pick to take Pryor in the supplemental draft last August but never got a chance to see what the former Ohio State star could do. He signed too late to play in the preseason and got on the field just once in the regular season, committing a false start on his only play.

”What I want to see is that every day he gets a little bit better,” Allen said. ”That’s what we’re looking for with all of our players. None of us are where we need to be right now.”

One encouraging sign was that star running back Darren McFadden was able to participate. McFadden missed the final nine games last season with a sprained right foot and never got a chance to play with new quarterback Carson Palmer, who made his debut with the Raiders later in the game that McFadden hurt his foot.

McFadden ran for 614 yards and scored five touchdowns in seven games last season. He had a big season in 2010 when he gained 1,664 yards from scrimmage and scored 10 touchdowns but has missed 19 games in four seasons because of various injuries.

”He’s one of our most explosive players on offense,” Allen said. ”He’s a dangerous weapon. We’re looking forward to finding different ways of using him and kind of exploiting his talents.”

Allen hopes to have a healthy McFadden for the entire season. Other highlights of the schedule include a Thursday night home game against Denver on Dec. 6. That comes in the middle of a three-game homestand to start December, with games also against Cleveland and Kansas City.

The Raiders end the season with their only back-to-back road games, making trips to Carolina and San Diego. They also have road games surrounding their Oct. 7 bye, going to Denver before the week off and Atlanta the following week.

The trip to Atlanta is one of five to the Eastern time zone, the most the Raiders have ever made in a regular season, including a Week 2 trip to Miami.

Oakland also hosts Pittsburgh on Sept. 23 and travels to Cincinnati Nov. 25, where Jackson returned as an assistant after being fired by the Raiders.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)

The Oakland Raiders have re-signed safety Matt Giordano to a free-agent contract.

The team announced the move Monday.

Giordano played 15 games for Oakland last season. He led the team with five interceptions and added 66 tackles and one sack.

The 29-year-old Giordano has history with the Raiders new hierarchy. He played one season in Green Bay, where new general manager Reggie McKenzie worked in the personnel department and spent 2010 in New Orleans with Oakland coach Dennis Allen serving as defensive backs coach.

Giordano played his first four seasons with Indianapolis, winning the Super Bowl after the 2006 season. He has eight interceptions in his seven-year career.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) The Oakland Raiders have re-signed safety Matt Giordano to a free-agent contract.

The team announced the move Monday.

Giordano played 15 games for Oakland last season. He led the team with five interceptions and added 66 tackles and one sack.

The 29-year-old Giordano has history with the Raiders new hierarchy. He played one season in Green Bay, where new general manager Reggie McKenzie worked in the personnel department and spent 2010 in New Orleans with Oakland coach Dennis Allen serving as defensive backs coach.

Giordano played his first four seasons with Indianapolis, winning the Super Bowl after the 2006 season. He has eight interceptions in his seven-year career.

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

More from this contributor:

’76 Raiders Are the Greatest Team Ever – NFL Fans Have Spoken

Oakland Raiders’ Great John Madden: Fan’s Perspective

Oakland Raiders’ Legend George Blanda: Fan’s Perspective

Oakland Raiders’ Legend Fred Biletnikoff: Fan’s Perspective