Do the Raiders even understand football?? Teaming Sapp with Ted Washinton makes no sence....one guy is the classic 1 gap tackle, the other is the classic 2 gap tackle....do they even have a plan for the defense they want to run?? Sapp can only be effective penetrating, and Washington can only be effective anchoring, so what gives here?? My guess is those 2 moves will be huge salary cap blunders for the Raiders within a year...
It makes you wonder if Davis is getting senile. I am totally with you beef, this makes no sense at all. They spent a ton of money on two players whose best years are way behind them.
I am with Beef & E4L Al Davis has been off the reservation for years. Boy; Do I feel sorry for Norv? Not really, he had to know what he was gettng into. Paying full time $ for Washington who New England used as part time player was par for the course. Signing Sapp was out of the blue. It seems that the Raiders still think they can succeed with castoffs from other teams. Unless Oakland has a phenomenal draft and Gannon returns to his 2002 form, the AFC west is a 2 team race; Denver & Kansas City.
i would not write off san diego. they do have the ultimate weapon in tomlinson. they have good young corners and with some breaks they could win division too. to quote glanville "this is the NFL, you know what that stands for 'not for long' . . ." A teams fortunes can change very quickly
Just because Sapp is known for playing in one defensive scheme doesn't mean he can't thrive in another. I don't know how much the Raiders paid him (or will pay him) but I think picking him up is a good move. They have other needs, to be sure, but why not? Sapp will improve their defense...either with ability or with leadership. Maybe both.
i see what your saying, but it is a matter of skill set and physical make-up. 2 gap tackles drive lineman backwards with strength, usually 2 lineman for the good ones. one gap tackle relies on quickness to take control of 1 gap and make sure no RB goes thru it while moving upfield to attack the QB. so a 2-gap tackle like washington would never be able to play a one gap system because he could not move quickly enough. Sapp who has relied mostly on his quickness his career will be hard pressed to take a double team block and just hold it or push it back.
Washington has played both 4-3 and 3-4 effectively in his career, though he is a prototype nose takcle. Its just his durability over the last two years that has been a problem (same leg broke in two years). As for Sapp I have been a long believer that his mouth is better than his play but maybe having a huge body that requires a double team most of the time like washington will allow sapp some more one on one matchups. The raiders will most likely run some version of the 4-6 since Rob Ryan I believe, Buddy ryans' son and former pats LB's coach, likes that defense. I'm not all that familar with that defense other than Madden video games.haha
Sapp will not be effective in a 2 gap system and Washington will not succeed in a 1 gap system, so one way or the other, they bought a bust for a ton of cash
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TheBeef)</div><div class='quotemain'>Do the Raiders even understand football?? Teaming Sapp with Ted Washinton makes no sence....one guy is the classic 1 gap tackle, the other is the classic 2 gap tackle....do they even have a plan for the defense they want to run?? Sapp can only be effective penetrating, and Washington can only be effective anchoring, so what gives here?? My guess is those 2 moves will be huge salary cap blunders for the Raiders within a year...</div> It's easy to sit back and say, "Player A has been historically better at this position than that position, therefore this won't work." For as much specialization that goes on in the NFL, there are just as many players capable of playing positions other than the one that they were "meant" to play. This occurs in all positions. Now, if the Raiders were going to put Janikowski side by side with Ted Washington, I would be more inclined to side with you on this, this early in the year. On the other hand, I've never liked Sapp as a football player, so I would go so far as to say that he's not the best guy to sign at that position. It's going to be really difficult for me to root for him (as it was when Romo came over). I eventually got over it when I saw the plays that he made in 2002.
Washington played 1 gap with traylor in chicago in 2001 and they went 13-3 because of their defense. I'd say washington has been successful in any system he has played in because he's not asked to do much just eat up bodies so the LB's can run free and we all know he loves to eat.
The thing is, no one outside the Raiders locker room really know exactly how these two guys will be utilized on defense. It's a safe bet that they will both be placed somewhere on the line, but I have heard that they could be implementing a number of different looks (defensively), and some will likely be hybrids of others. It's too early to tell, really.
The only way I can imaging it working is if the defense calls for 2 gap tackle technique, Washington plays tackle and Sapp plays LE.....another other configuration means those 2 guys cant be on the field at the same time and be effective
well, since they still have parralla sapp at end isnt such a bad idea, but he would be an average end at best
Guys, guys, guys...don't you understand? Oakland has a long, proud tradition of keeping up. They are the nursing home of the NFL. I saw this brochure from them the other day: "Were you once a dominant player in the NFL? Did you once have all the potential but are now just too plain old to play? You have a home with the Oakland Raiders, the NFL's nursing home for players on their way out."
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vikingfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>Guys, guys, guys...don't you understand? Oakland has a long, proud tradition of keeping up. They are the nursing home of the NFL. I saw this brochure from them the other day: "Were you once a dominant player in the NFL? Did you once have all the potential but are now just too plain old to play? You have a home with the Oakland Raiders, the NFL's nursing home for players on their way out."</div> Hehe, yeah, they'll probably pick up Favre next year
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rube Cred)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vikingfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>Guys, guys, guys...don't you understand? Oakland has a long, proud tradition of keeping up. They are the nursing home of the NFL. I saw this brochure from them the other day: "Were you once a dominant player in the NFL? Did you once have all the potential but are now just too plain old to play? You have a home with the Oakland Raiders, the NFL's nursing home for players on their way out."</div> Hehe, yeah, they'll probably pick up Favre next year </div> Favre? Nah, they can do just as well or better with somebody more cap friendly. I wish the Raiders could play the Vikings 16 times per year. Old Rick Mirer looked like Joe Montana against them during that regular season game in Oakland this past season. He sure showed up young Culpepper, didn't he?! Imagine what Old(er) Rich Gannon would have done to them had he been healthy for that game.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Return of the Raider)</div><div class='quotemain'>The thing is, no one outside the Raiders locker room really know exactly how these two guys will be utilized on defense. It's a safe bet that they will both be placed somewhere on the line, but I have heard that they could be implementing a number of different looks (defensively), and some will likely be hybrids of others. It's too early to tell, really.</div> Galvy (ROTR), I have heard a rumor that Al Davis has recently become enamored w/ 3-4. Any truth to those rumors? How Ted & Warren will fit in if the that scheme is employed full time. Warren did play the "3 technique" DT which to my understanding lines up like a DE in a classic 3-4. If memory serves, Ted played lined up over center while Traylor played a position similiar to Warren in Chicago. Further, Norv being from the Jimmy Johnson coaching tree might run a 4-3 like the Dolphins & Cowboys. Also, Buddy Ryan's son (the new D co-ord) migh also put in his 2 cents. Its ironic as the offense will get much simpler w/ Callahan gone but the D could get kinda messy scheme wise.
