<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Adam Archuleta agreed to a one-year, $730,000 contract with the Oakland Raiders and plans to start his career anew. Archuleta was at the Raiders facility Monday morning and left with trainer Rod Martin to take a physical. Archuleta was expected to take part in the night practice. The team did not immediately announce a corresponding roster move to create space for Archuleta. Selected by the St. Louis Rams as a safety in the first round of the 2001 draft, Archuleta plans to try to make the Raiders as an outside linebacker. For more than a month, Archuleta had been talking to the Tennessee Titans about being a weakside linebacker. Some of his best days in the NFL were in St. Louis when he played for defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, who built a defense around Archuleta's speed and play-making ability as a safety-linebacker. At Arizona State, Archuleta was a 210-pound linebacker with great speed and a great workout ethic. His hope in signing with the Raiders is resurrecting his career. The Raiders will be his fourth stop in the NFL. He played for the Rams from 2001 through 2005. He joined the Washington Redskins in 2006, receiving the largest contract given to a safety: $30 million for six years, with a $10 million bonus. But he was traded to the Chicago Bears the next season. He broke a hand early last season and started in just 10 of the 15 games in which he appeared. He lost his starting job to Brandon McGowan and finished the season on special teams. He hopes that his change in positions will spark new things for his career. Ricky Brown, Robert Thomas and Sam Williams are competing for the starting role at linebacker alongside Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard. Coach Lane Kiffin said after the morning practice that he wanted to bring more players into camp to create more competition for jobs and improve the team's depth. "It's been a situation that unfortunately, we haven't brought guys in," he said. "I control what I can control, come out every day and get our guys as good as we can. I'm pleased with the top of our roster but we need to add to the bottom of our roster. We need more competition." Archuleta has started 86 of his 103 games in the NFL, making 423 solo tackles and intercepting four passes. "He's a great guy with talent, a good nose for the ball, he brings a lot to the game. I'm excited to have him here," said Thomas, who played with Archuleta in St. Louis. "He can cover tight ends, play defense, play the run, so I'm excited to have him."</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp...tory?id=3530153 Interesting signing. We could use a SLB but Archuleta seems too small for that position. He could play WLB but Thomas Howard has that position tightly secured.
Today, we signed another saftey. We also let go of Wesley (garbage saftey), and another linebacker. There are guys ahead of him, I'm not sure Adam will make the team. Isaiah Ekejiuba, Ed Hartwell, and Robert Thomas might be more effective, I think.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Return of the Raider @ Aug 12 2008, 09:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Today, we signed another saftey. We also let go of Wesley (garbage saftey), and another linebacker. There are guys ahead of him, I'm not sure Adam will make the team. Isaiah Ekejiuba, Ed Hartwell, and Robert Thomas might be more effective, I think.</div> Hartwell just got cut, we signed a punter in his place. Too bad, I thought he might have been a contributor in certain situations. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The Raiders made one final roster move before wrapping up training camp in Napa on Wednesday, signing punter Glenn Pakulak and releasing linebacker Ed Hartwell.</div> http://oak.scout.com/2/779196.html
