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.

INDIANAPOLIS — Raiders coach Dennis Allen resists the notion that the NFL scouting combine is somehow less important to his team because they currently have only two picks in the upcoming draft.

“I told the coaching staff the most important thing we can be doing right now is picking players, and making sure we’ve got the right guys on our team,” Allen said. “The offensive scheme, the defensive scheme, that’s going to take care of itself.”

Oakland has picks in the fifth and sixth rounds of the draft, having traded away the rest, but will receive a compensatory pick or picks next month based on the loss of free agents such as cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, tight end Zach Miller and left guard Robert Gallery.

The Raiders are in the initial stages of college scouting, with Allen taking the better part of his first two weeks on the job completing a coaching staff. He’s been living out of an Alameda hotel room, not to be joined by his family until his 7-year-old son completes his first Communion.

Allen flew under the radar to an extent, with the majority of the media flocking to Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III at a different podium.

Allen handled himself like a veteran head coach, talking in generalities about his vision for the future andkeeping schematic specifics close to the vest while general manager Reggie McKenzie sorts through contract issues with players such as Kamerion Wimbley, Michael Huff and Aaron Curry who contribute to

a reported $11 million salary cap overage.

Allen is in lockstep with McKenzie’s view of the combine as a valuable place to judge athletic ability and get personal and medical information, without attaching too much significance to a hundredth of a second in the 40-yard dash.

“If you’ve got two guys who are about the same football playing-wise, when you look at the tape, let’s take the faster guy,” Allen said. “But we’re not going to take guys just because they are real fast because that doesn’t correlate to being a good football player.”

In his first meeting with the media since his introductory news conference Jan. 30, Allen promised that new schemes on both sides of the ball would be tailored to suit the talent on hand.

Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp’s offense, Allen said, would fit nicely with quarterback Carson Palmer in the same way Matt Schaub ran a similar offense with the Houston Texans.

Allen also thought running back Darren McFadden, who missed the last nine games of the season with a severe mid-foot sprain, would flourish in a system that will include heavy doses of zone blocking.

When healthy, McFadden’s numbers took off when coach Hue Jackson instituted more gap and power blocking in place of Tom Cable’s zone blocking system.

“When you look at the running games that Greg’s been a part of, they’ve all been very successful, with a lot of different styles of runners,” Allen said.

McFadden, defensive end Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder) and wide receiver Jacoby Ford (foot) are all healthy, Allen said.

Allen also discussed defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, a surprise hire in that he had been a co-coordinator at Stanford after being a 49ers assistant for nine seasons.

“When I interviewed Jason, there was no doubt in my mind that this is a guy who had answers for everything,” Allen said.

The Raiders meet for the first time as a team on April 2, the first day a new coach can be on the field with his team.

By Tyler Smith

– Contributor

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Oct 27, 2011 – Despite not having a first round selection in the 2011 draft, the Oakland Raiders came away with quite a haul of talent. Of the rookie class only Stefen Wisniewski is a full-time starter at left guard, but the whole group has been getting playing time.

Before we get to the players actually drafted this year, we should note that the Raiders traded for Richard Seymour prior to the 2009 season using their 2011 first-round draft pick. That trade has paid off in spades, as Seymour has been one of the premier defensive tackles in football during his time as a Raider, performing admirably as the leader of the defense. He has spearheaded the defensive line into becoming one of the best defensive line units in all of football. Now let’s take an individual look at each of the players selected by the Raiders in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Round 2: Stefen Wisniewski- The unquestioned starter at left guard. When the Raiders lost Robert Gallery, many feared for the health of the running game. However, Wiz has ably stepped in and the running game is even better than it was last year. He is a large part of the reason Jason Campbell was barely sacked for the first part of the year and why Darren McFadden was able to run wild. He should be one of the best linemen in the AFC West for years to come.

Round 3: DeMarcus Van Dyke: A speedster with promise, DVD was introduced to the Raider Nation by being repeatedly torched by Drew Brees in the preseason. However, Brees has torched everyone else too so we cannot hold that against young DeMarcus. He has been coming on strong of late, showing the speed to keep up with any receiver. His technique will need time to develop under the tutelage of Rod Woodson, but he has all the physical tools. He did step in front of an errant Matt Cassel pass to record an interception in the game against the Chiefs this past Sunday.

Round 3: Joseph Barksdale: Currently the backup right tackle, Barksdale has gotten plenty of playing time. He hasn’t been overpowering in general, but Khalif Barnes is playing very well and currently there is no need to rush Barksdale into full-time action. Barksdale does possess very good size, and should develop into a road-grading run blocker in time.

Round 4: Chimdi Chekwa: Chekwa was showing promise as a cover corner (after being an excellent one at Ohio State) until he suffered an injury. He was listed as questionable for Week 7 but did not play. Hopefully he will be back after the bye week. Chris Johnson was not playing particularly well before his injury, and until his own injury Chekwa was filling in admirably. Chekwa will be needed to bolster the Raiders’ injury-riddled secondary in the last half of the season.

Round 4: Taiwan Jones: Shows tremendous burst out of the backfield, elite speed and cutting ability. A luxury in the run game as a backup to Darren McFadden, Taiwan has also exhibited good kick-return skills in the absence of Jacoby Ford. With Ford back healthy those will be needed less often, but Jones is a strong backup option and a steal in the fourth round. No team can have too many fast, elusive running backs.

Round 5: Denarius Moore: The steal of the draft at this point. No player drafted anywhere near him has shown the type of ball skills, athleticism, and sheer speed as Denarius Moore. He was a game-breaker at Tennessee and the fact that he fell so far in the draft is truly baffling. Moore is not a starter, but the Raiders’ top 5 or 6 wide receivers all get substantial playing time so his place on the depth chart isn’t terribly important. So far this year he has 14 catches for 212 yards and two touchdowns. With Carson Palmer at the helm, Moore is certain to continue racking up yardage.

Round 6: Richard Gordon: Primarily a blocking tight end in college at the U. of Miami, that’s what he has done for the Raiders. He only has one reception for two yards this year. I wouldn’t expect much in the way of statistics from him, but we all know what good a blocking tight end can do for a rushing game.

Round 7: David Ausberry: His playing time has been slim and none so far. He displayed good skills during the preseason with an athletic TD catch vs. the Cardinals, but so far he only has one catch for four yards in the game against the Browns. He has good size and athleticism, and may become a larger part of the offense in the future; only time will tell.

Overall the Raiders’ draft class has had an impact about what you might expect given their draft positions (except for Denarius Moore). I don’t see any busts, but I do see several players who will be strong contributors and potential Pro Bowlers in the future. Even without a first round pick, this looks to be one of the Raiders’ strongest classes in a long time.

Read More: Jason Campbell (QB – OAK), Richard Seymour (DT – OAK), Khalif Barnes (OT – OAK), Carson Palmer (QB – OAK), Robert Gallery (G – SEA), Darren McFadden (RB – OAK), Chimdi Chekwa (CB – OAK), DeMarcus Van Dyke (CB – OAK), Stefen Wisniewski (C – OAK), Joseph Barksdale (OT – OAK), Taiwan Jones (RB – OAK), Denarius Moore (WR – OAK), David Ausberry (TE – OAK), Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals

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Coach Hue Jackson paid a high price to acquire a quarterback he knows well but who has struggled in recent years and refused to report the Bengals this season despite being under contract through 2014.

The Bengals had been adamant about not trading Palmer, who wanted to be dealt from a team that has had only two winning records in the last 20 years.

Owner Mike Brown repeatedly insisted he wouldn’t consider Palmer’s request for a trade because he didn’t want to reward him for holding out. He changed his mind after the Raiders offered a 2012 first-round pick and a second-rounder in 2013 for the 31-year-old quarterback.

The Raiders (4-2) became desperate for a quarterback after Campbell broke his collarbone during a win over the Browns on Sunday. Campbell had surgery Monday and was expected to miss at least six weeks, leaving the Raiders with only Kyle Boller and Terrelle Pryor on the roster.

Jackson’s mantra all season has been “the time is now,” and he backed that up by dealing for Palmer, who is coming off a 20-interception season last year with the Bengals.

Brown said the play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton made it easier to trade Palmer.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team, which is performing well and is showing real promise for this year and years to come,” he said in a statement. “When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward with the football team if we could.”

Palmer, who had been working out in Southern California, already reported to the Raiders’ facility and will immediately start learning the offense. Oakland hosts Kansas City on Sunday and then has a bye week.

While Palmer has not played or practiced since last season, he has a history with Jackson, who was his offensive coordinator for two years at USC and the wide receivers coach for three seasons in Cincinnati.

Jackson was with the Bengals when Palmer had his best season in 2005 when he threw for 3,836 yards with 32 touchdown passes and a 101.1 rating while leading the team to an AFC North title. Palmer tore up his left knee during a playoff loss to Pittsburgh that season.

He came back and had two solid seasons before partially tearing a ligament and tendon in his passing elbow during the 2008 season. He has not been an elite quarterback since, despite getting back to the playoffs in 2009.

Over the past two years, Palmer completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 7,064 yards, 47 touchdowns, 33 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.9 while posting a 14-18 record. Those numbers are comparable to what Campbell has done since the start of the 2009 season.

But the Raiders were not willing to trust their playoff chances with Boller, who had not started a game since 2009 and had lost his previous 10 starts since October 2007, or Pryor, a project who will need time before he can be an NFL quarterback.

“It’ll be a learning curve for him because he hasn’t played football in a while but I’m excited to have a leader on that side of the ball of his caliber,” Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Anytime you have an opportunity to acquire someone of Carson’s pedigree I don’t think it’s something that you can pass up on.”

This is the second trade the Raiders have made since the death of longtime owner Al Davis, who also served as general manager and oversaw the entire football operation. Jackson dealt last week for former No. 4 overall pick in 2009, linebacker Aaron Curry from Seattle.

The trade leaves the Raiders with picks only in the fifth and sixth round in next year’s draft. They traded their second-rounder during April’s draft to New England for the picks to draft offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones. They used their third-rounder to take Pryor in the supplemental draft in August. They traded their fourth-rounder in 2010 to get Campbell and the seventh-rounder for Curry.

Oakland is expecting to get compensatory picks after losing Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Thomas Howard and Bruce Gradkowski in free agency.

The Bengals (4-2) have started well with Dalton taking Palmer’s place. The message board by the entrance to the Bengals’ locker room Tuesday had an anonymous scrawled message: “Let My People Goooooo!” Otherwise, there wasn’t much reaction from a team that had moved on from Palmer a long time ago.

“I don’t think even one player in this locker room’s even thought about that,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We haven’t worried about it. We’ve gone forward with the guys we have and tried to play as good as we can and that’s all we can do.”

The Bengals severed ties with Palmer when the season started and he didn’t show up, giving his locker to Dalton, a second-round draft pick.

As recently as Monday afternoon, coach Marvin Lewis reiterated there was no change in the team’s position regarding Palmer. Then came the offer from the Raiders.

The Oakland Raiders made a bold move to replace injured quarterback Jason Campbell on Tuesday, trading two high draft picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for Carson Palmer.

Coach Hue Jackson paid a high price to acquire a quarterback he knows well but who has struggled in recent years and refused to report the Bengals this season despite being under contract through 2014.

The Bengals had been adamant about not trading Palmer, who wanted to be dealt from a team that has had only two winning records in the last 20 years.

Owner Mike Brown repeatedly insisted he wouldn’t consider Palmer’s request for a trade because he didn’t want to reward him for holding out. He changed his mind after the Raiders offered a 2012 first-round pick and a second-rounder in 2013 for the 31-year-old quarterback.

The Raiders (4-2) became desperate for a quarterback after Campbell broke his collarbone during a win over the Browns on Sunday. Campbell had surgery Monday and was expected to miss at least six weeks, leaving the Raiders with only Kyle Boller and Terrelle Pryor on the roster.

Jackson’s mantra all season has been “the time is now,” and he backed that up by dealing for Palmer, who is coming off a 20-interception season last year with the Bengals.

Brown said the play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton made it easier to trade Palmer.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team, which is performing well and is showing real promise for this year and years to come,” he said in a statement. “When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward with the football team if we could.”

Palmer, who had been working out in Southern California, already reported to the Raiders’ facility and will immediately start learning the offense. Oakland hosts Kansas City on Sunday and then has a bye week.

While Palmer has not played or practiced since last season, he has a history with Jackson, who was his offensive coordinator for two years at USC and the wide receivers coach for three seasons in Cincinnati.

Jackson was with the Bengals when Palmer had his best season in 2005 when he threw for 3,836 yards with 32 touchdown passes and a 101.1 rating while leading the team to an AFC North title. Palmer tore up his left knee during a playoff loss to Pittsburgh that season.

He came back and had two solid seasons before partially tearing a ligament and tendon in his passing elbow during the 2008 season. He has not been an elite quarterback since, despite getting back to the playoffs in 2009.

Over the past two years, Palmer completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 7,064 yards, 47 touchdowns, 33 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.9 while posting a 14-18 record. Those numbers are comparable to what Campbell has done since the start of the 2009 season.

But the Raiders were not willing to trust their playoff chances with Boller, who had not started a game since 2009 and had lost his previous 10 starts since October 2007, or Pryor, a project who will need time before he can be an NFL quarterback.

“It’ll be a learning curve for him because he hasn’t played football in a while but I’m excited to have a leader on that side of the ball of his caliber,” Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Anytime you have an opportunity to acquire someone of Carson’s pedigree I don’t think it’s something that you can pass up on.”

This is the second trade the Raiders have made since the death of longtime owner Al Davis, who also served as general manager and oversaw the entire football operation. Jackson dealt last week for former No. 4 overall pick in 2009, linebacker Aaron Curry from Seattle.

The trade leaves the Raiders with picks only in the fifth and sixth round in next year’s draft. They traded their second-rounder during April’s draft to New England for the picks to draft offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones. They used their third-rounder to take Pryor in the supplemental draft in August. They traded their fourth-rounder in 2010 to get Campbell and the seventh-rounder for Curry.

Oakland is expecting to get compensatory picks after losing Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Thomas Howard and Bruce Gradkowski in free agency.

The Bengals (4-2) have started well with Dalton taking Palmer’s place. The message board by the entrance to the Bengals’ locker room Tuesday had an anonymous scrawled message: “Let My People Goooooo!” Otherwise, there wasn’t much reaction from a team that had moved on from Palmer a long time ago.

“I don’t think even one player in this locker room’s even thought about that,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We haven’t worried about it. We’ve gone forward with the guys we have and tried to play as good as we can and that’s all we can do.”

The Bengals severed ties with Palmer when the season started and he didn’t show up, giving his locker to Dalton, a second-round draft pick.

As recently as Monday afternoon, coach Marvin Lewis reiterated there was no change in the team’s position regarding Palmer. Then came the offer from the Raiders.

___

AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this report.

The Bengals had been adamant about not trading Palmer, who wanted to be dealt from a team that has had only two winning records in the last 20 years.

Owner Mike Brown repeatedly insisted he wouldn’t consider Palmer’s request for a trade because he didn’t want to reward him for holding out. He changed his mind after the Raiders offered a 2012 first-round pick and a second-rounder in 2013 for the 31-year-old quarterback.

The Raiders (4-2) became desperate for a quarterback after Campbell broke his collarbone during a win over the Browns on Sunday. Campbell had surgery Monday and was expected to miss at least six weeks, leaving the Raiders with only Kyle Boller and Terrelle Pryor on the roster.

Jackson’s mantra all season has been “the time is now,” and he backed that up by dealing for Palmer, who is coming off a 20-interception season last year with the Bengals.

Brown said the play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton made it easier to trade Palmer.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team, which is performing well and is showing real promise for this year and years to come,” he said in a statement. “When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward with the football team if we could.”

Palmer, who had been working out in Southern California, already reported to the Raiders’ facility and will immediately start learning the offense. Oakland hosts Kansas City on Sunday and then has a bye week.

While Palmer has not played or practiced since last season, he has a history with Jackson, who was his offensive coordinator for two years at USC and the wide receivers coach for three seasons in Cincinnati.

Jackson was with the Bengals when Palmer had his best season in 2005 when he threw for 3,836 yards with 32 touchdown passes and a 101.1 rating while leading the team to an AFC North title. Palmer tore up his left knee during a playoff loss to Pittsburgh that season.

He came back and had two solid seasons before partially tearing a ligament and tendon in his passing elbow during the 2008 season. He has not been an elite quarterback since, despite getting back to the playoffs in 2009.

Over the past two years, Palmer completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 7,064 yards, 47 touchdowns, 33 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.9 while posting a 14-18 record. Those numbers are comparable to what Campbell has done since the start of the 2009 season.

But the Raiders were not willing to trust their playoff chances with Boller, who had not started a game since 2009 and had lost his previous 10 starts since October 2007, or Pryor, a project who will need time before he can be an NFL quarterback.

“It’ll be a learning curve for him because he hasn’t played football in a while but I’m excited to have a leader on that side of the ball of his caliber,” Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Anytime you have an opportunity to acquire someone of Carson’s pedigree I don’t think it’s something that you can pass up on.”

This is the second trade the Raiders have made since the death of longtime owner Al Davis, who also served as general manager and oversaw the entire football operation. Jackson dealt last week for former No. 4 overall pick in 2009, linebacker Aaron Curry from Seattle.

The trade leaves the Raiders with picks only in the fifth and sixth round in next year’s draft. They traded their second-rounder during April’s draft to New England for the picks to draft offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones. They used their third-rounder to take Pryor in the supplemental draft in August. They traded their fourth-rounder in 2010 to get Campbell and the seventh-rounder for Curry.

Oakland is expecting to get compensatory picks after losing Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Thomas Howard and Bruce Gradkowski in free agency.

The Bengals (4-2) have started well with Dalton taking Palmer’s place. The message board by the entrance to the Bengals’ locker room Tuesday had an anonymous scrawled message: “Let My People Goooooo!” Otherwise, there wasn’t much reaction from a team that had moved on from Palmer a long time ago.

“I don’t think even one player in this locker room’s even thought about that,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We haven’t worried about it. We’ve gone forward with the guys we have and tried to play as good as we can and that’s all we can do.”

The Bengals severed ties with Palmer when the season started and he didn’t show up, giving his locker to Dalton, a second-round draft pick.

As recently as Monday afternoon, coach Marvin Lewis reiterated there was no change in the team’s position regarding Palmer. Then came the offer from the Raiders.

,,,

AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this report.

Updated Sep 11, 2011 12:50 AM ET

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)

The Oakland Raiders will be without tight end Kevin Boss for their opener at Denver on Monday night.

Boss was ruled out of the game Saturday because of a knee strain sustained against San Francisco in the preseason on Aug. 20. He appeared to make some progress shortly after getting hurt but hasn’t returned to practice since then.

Sensing Boss might not be ready for the opener, Oakland kept four tight ends on its 53-man roster, though none of the remaining three have much experience.

Brandon Myers, the likely starter with Boss out, has five starts in two years and only 16 career receptions. David Ausberry and Richard Gordon are both rookies.

For Myers, it will be his first game in prime time since the Raiders lost to the San Diego Chargers 24-20 in their 2009 opener.

”It’s a different atmosphere so everyone’s kind of jacked up a little bit,” Myers said. ”I’m confident in myself and my abilities. I just feel like my play has been consistent. I think that’s what every football player tries to do.”

Boss signed a four-year, $16 million deal on Aug. 5 after the Raiders lost Zach Miller to free agency. Miller, who led the team in receptions each of the past three seasons, signed with the Seattle Seahawks to join ex-Oakland teammate Robert Gallery and former Raiders coach Tom Cable.

Wide receiver Louis Murphy (sports hernia) and backup safety Mike Mitchell (knee) have also been ruled out for Oakland.

Murphy, the team’s fourth-round draft pick in 2009, underwent surgery for a sports hernia early in training camp and told reporters he might not return until Oakland’s home opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 25.

”That’s what we’re shooting for,” said Murphy, who led all Raiders wide receivers with 41 catches a year ago ”I’ve been jogging and doing some light sprints. Just been trying to get back into the groove of things. It’s coming along real well.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders will be without tight end Kevin Boss for their opener at Denver on Monday night.

Boss was ruled out of the game Saturday because of a knee strain sustained against San Francisco in the preseason on Aug. 20. He appeared to make some progress shortly after getting hurt but hasn’t returned to practice since then.

Sensing Boss might not be ready for the opener, Oakland kept four tight ends on its 53-man roster, though none of the remaining three have much experience.

Brandon Myers, the likely starter with Boss out, has five starts in two years and only 16 career receptions. David Ausberry and Ben Gordon are both rookies.

For Myers, it will be his first game in prime time since the Raiders lost to the San Diego Chargers 24-20 in their 2009 opener.

“It’s a different atmosphere so everyone’s kind of jacked up a little bit,” Myers said. “I’m confident in myself and my abilities. I just feel like my play has been consistent. I think that’s what every football player tries to do.”

Boss signed a four-year, $16 million deal on Aug. 5 after the Raiders lost Zach Miller to free agency. Miller, who led the team in receptions each of the past three seasons, signed with the Seattle Seahawks to join ex-Oakland teammate Robert Gallery and former Raiders coach Tom Cable.

Wide receiver Louis Murphy (sports hernia) and backup safety Mike Mitchell (knee) have also been ruled out for Oakland.

Murphy, the team’s fourth-round draft pick in 2009, underwent surgery for a sports hernia early in training camp and told reporters he might not return until Oakland’s home opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 25.

“That’s what we’re shooting for,” said Murphy, who led all Raiders wide receivers with 41 catches a year ago “I’ve been jogging and doing some light sprints. Just been trying to get back into the groove of things. It’s coming along real well.”

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

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders will be without tight end Kevin Boss for their opener at Denver on Monday night.

Boss was ruled out of the game Saturday because of a knee strain sustained against San Francisco in the preseason on Aug. 20. He appeared to make some progress shortly after getting hurt but hasn’t returned to practice since then.

Sensing Boss might not be ready for the opener, Oakland kept four tight ends on its 53-man roster, though none of the remaining three have much experience.

Brandon Myers, the likely starter with Boss out, has five starts in two years and only 16 career receptions. David Ausberry and Ben Gordon are both rookies.

For Myers, it will be his first game in prime time since the Raiders lost to the San Diego Chargers 24-20 in their 2009 opener.

“It’s a different atmosphere so everyone’s kind of jacked up a little bit,” Myers said. “I’m confident in myself and my abilities. I just feel like my play has been consistent. I think that’s what every football player tries to do.”

Boss signed a four-year, $16 million deal on Aug. 5 after the Raiders lost Zach Miller to free agency. Miller, who led the team in receptions each of the past three seasons, signed with the Seattle Seahawks to join ex-Oakland teammate Robert Gallery and former Raiders coach Tom Cable.

Wide receiver Louis Murphy (sports hernia) and backup safety Mike Mitchell (knee) have also been ruled out for Oakland.

Murphy, the team’s fourth-round draft pick in 2009, underwent surgery for a sports hernia early in training camp and told reporters he might not return until Oakland’s home opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 25.

“That’s what we’re shooting for,” said Murphy, who led all Raiders wide receivers with 41 catches a year ago “I’ve been jogging and doing some light sprints. Just been trying to get back into the groove of things. It’s coming along real well.”

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

It’s looking as if rookie Stefen Wisniewski, anointed the starting center on draft day when he was the only one on the roster, will instead be the Raiders’ starting left guard.

While coach Hue Jackson wouldn’t come out and say it Monday in a conference call with local media, Wisniewski probably will be the replacement for free-agent departure Robert Gallery when Oakland opens the regular season Sept. 12 against the Denver Broncos.

“I wouldn’t say he’s all the way entrenched there, but I think he’s done some very good things,” Jackson said. “I think as we move closer to our opener, as we move closer to our game this week, we’ll have a pretty good idea where we’re going to play him at.”

The Raiders (0-3) close out the exhibition season Friday night in Seattle, with most starters likely playing very little if at all.

With the offensive line a bright spot in a 40-20 loss to New Orleans on Sunday night, it appears Wisniewski’s destiny is to begin his career at the same position his uncle (and position coach) Steve Wisniewski did as an eight-time Pro Bowler for the Raiders.

“It looks like that,” Stefen Wisniewski, a second-round draft pick out of Penn State, said Sunday night. “Certainly, things could change at any point, but it seems like that might be my permanent spot.”

For the past several practices, Wisniewski, who played center when camp opened, has played at left guard while incumbent Samson Satele, who was re-signed

Aug. 2, played center.

Jared Veldheer has taken virtually every snap as the first team left tackle, while the right side has been manned by Cooper Carlisle at guard and Khalif Barnes at tackle. Jackson wouldn’t commit to those five being the Week 1 starters, but it appears to be the most likely scenario.

“I’m not going to tell you I’m set, but I’m definitely moving in that direction,” Jackson said.

Besides keeping quarterback Jason Campbell upright, the Raiders ran well against New Orleans, including 32 yards on five carries by Michael Bush against the Saints’ first-team defense.