Every team has 60 interviews they are allowed at the Combine.  And, chances are that most if not all of the Raiders 2013 draft class had an interview with the Raiders in the Combine that started last week and lasted through Tuesday.

Every year, when the draft picks are interviewed for the first time after the Draft invariably they say that they met with the Raiders at the Combine and then didn't hear from the team again until Draft day.

This is because usually all NFL teams go out of their way to seem uninterested in players they are actually very interestedin acquiring so teams that pick around them won't take "their guy."

It's impossible to know everyone who met with the Raiders at the Combine unless the Raiders released a list which, of course, they would not do.

Instead we rely on players giving that information out.  Some of these players, like Geno Smith or Tyler Bray, are known interviews because the players said they spoke with the Raiders in front of the media.

Others may have just told one media member in passing so they are unconfirmed interviews.

Either way, here is the list of known or reported players who met with the Raiders as part of the team's 60 interviews allowed at the Combine:

Raiders DT Desmond Bryant’s arrest for Criminal Mischief might have gone unnoticed in most circles – he’s not a household name after all – except for two things.  First, his name is very close to the Cowboy’s WR Dez Bryant (a fact that tripped up more than one national writer into initially saying it was the Cowboys receiver that was arrested in Florida) and second, he had one of the best/worst mug shots you’ve ever seen, depending on how you feel about it.

Bryant’s mug shot went viral all around twitter after it was released.  It is rather classic.  The Raiders, who used to be known as the bad boys of the NFL, have been much more tame recently, not having the same issues that they used to have with players getting arrested.  However, reputations die hard and many comments were centered around the Raiders having “another player arrested.”

Perhaps the problem isn’t the frequency – the Raiders are actually fairly low in terms of the numbers of arrests in recent years – but the high profile of the people involved.

Under the new Raiders regime the Combine isn’t expected to be as important as it was to the team under Al Davis.  Davis famously and publicly coveted speed, size and athleticism and felt that he could teach an exceptional athlete to play football.

Raiders second year GM Reggie McKenzie has specifically mentioned that he’s targeting football players, first and foremost.  No longer will the Raiders be the bastion for fast but inconsistent football players.

So, the Combine will not carry the weight that it did under Davis, that much is clear.  Football players don’t start or stop being football players at the Combine.  The best it can do is clarify what each player can bring to the table athletically.

The Combine did help bring some clarity to positions the Raiders may target – at defensive end for example – where some players really stood out.

Coming into the Combine there were 5 Defensive Ends all vying for being named the top spot, named alphabetically: Ezekial Ansah, Dion Jordan, Barkevious Mingo, Damontre Moore and Bjoern Werner.

The 2013 Combine kicked off today and the action starts tomorrow as the players begin their testing in font of scouts, GMs and coaches.

As the Combine gets ready to go, TFDS gives our final Pre-Combine rankings, looking at the Safeties.  The Raiders are likely set at Free Safety with former top 10 pick Michael Huff returning next season but if one of the these guys fell, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie may just snap up a talented safety to groom for the future.

1. Kenny Vaccaro 6’1 215 lbs Texas
A very good man coverage safety that can line up as a slot corner if needed, Vaccaro shows good deep zone cover, too.  He shows proficiency reading the QB and flying to the ball.

Very versatile, he can come off the edge as a blitzer, also.  Vaccaro is a decent tackler who has the vision and instincts to be there but he can be over aggressive on his pursuit and take bad angles.

A relentless competitor and on-field leader, Vaccaro has the potential to be a top safety in the league.
Pro Comparison: Michael Huff

 

The NFL Draft is fast approaching and the Combine starts in earnest tomorrow so TFDS is finishing up our rankings for each of the positions.

Today, we look at cornerbacks,a position that the Raiders so desperately need to upgrade from 2012:

1. Dee Milliner 6’2 200 lbs Alabama
Milliner has good size and fluid hips for the position. He shows great man to man skills, pressing his man at the line and running with him stride for stride.

He attacks the ball well in the air, with his head on a swivel and he’s always aware of where the ball is. 

He will have trouble in zone coverage and most especially with backpedaling, not doing much of it at Alabama. A hitter more than tackler, Milliner nevertheless reads the play well and can stop his man when needed. He’s also able to rush up and support the run on the edge.

He may lack the speed to be a top pick but if he posts a 4.4 - 4.5 40 yard dash, it could put him in the discussion for the top 10.
Pro Comparison: Derek Cox (not as fast)

There are a few different ways to grade football players.  One is by looking at tape and grading what your eye sees.  That can be highly subjective, however, with the viewer’s own prejudices coming out. 

Another very common way to look at a team’s success and failure is through statistical analysis.  Statistics are objective – although the application and interpretation of them may not be – but it also lacks the nuance of taking into account the circumstances.

For example, as with the Raiders some time ago, a team can be ranked very high in their pass coverage because their run defense is so bad, opposing teams don’t need to pass against them.  That nuance isn’t taken into account in the ranking of the pass defense.

So, take the following statistics with a grain of salt.  Some of these may be interesting and applicable and some may not.

There are two “specialized” statistical football websites that focus on non-regular statistics for football teams: ProFootballFocus and Football outsiders.

Below are some of the Raiders-specific statistics from both sites.

First, we’ll start with some PFF Signature Stats:

-At CB, two Raiders were in the top 15 worst in yards allowed per snap in pass coverage - Ron Bartell at 1.65 & Joselio Hanson at 1.69 yards allowed per snap in coverage.

-Neither of them were the worst, however. Per PFF, the qualifying CB that allowed the most yards per snap in pass coverage?  Former Raider & Chief defensive back Stanford Routt at 2.22

-WR Darrius Heyward-Bey was in the bottom 15 in PFF's yards per route run - He averaged only 1.19 yards for every route he ran.  Even worse was former Raiders WR Louis Murphy who averaged only .86 yards for every route ran.

The Raiders struggled on defense at various points last year and it's not entirely clear whether the Raiders will have any of 2012's starting linebackers other than Miles Burris back.  Two of last year's starting linebackers - Phillip Wheeler, Omar Gaither - will be free agents in March if the team doesn't resign them before March 12th.

The other starting linebacker, Rolando McClain, is a likely cut this offseason.

The team is also potentially moving to a 3-4 alignment.  In that scenario, Burris would likely move from weakside LB, where he played in the 4-3 alignment, to inside linebacker in the 3-4.

The team, therefore, will be in the market for linebackers - both outside and inside linebackers.

Here is a look at the top prospects in each category in the 2013 NFL Draft:

Outside Linebackers:

1. Chase Thomas 6’4 250 lbs Stanford
Thomas is far from flashy as an athlete, but he more then makes up for it with great technique and motor.  With a great first step and and good hand useage, he can bend the edge and has a good array of moves to get to the QB but he needs to add a power move.

Thomas is a good run defender, able to get his arms extended then shed blocks to make the tackle but he can get overwhelmed by better tackles and run at.  He might not have the upside of others but has more refined technique.

Pro Comparison: Connor Barwin