AFC West: Dave Casper
The NFL said it will expect its players to live up to the league’s personal conduct policy during the lockout. Thus, Henderson could be disciplined by the league when the lockout ends after his arrest Thursday for carrying a concealed weapon. There is no guarantee Oakland will try to re-sign Henderson. It is expected to try to upgrade the offensive line through the draft.
Here are some other AFC West-related nuggets on a Friday afternoon:
New Denver coach John Fox caught up with some old friends at an NCAA tournament game Thursday.
Here is a look at how strong-legged Denver kicker Matt Prater could benefit from a proposed new kickoff rule.
Former NFL coach Brian Billick takes a look at the Chiefs’ draft needs.
Oakland Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper is not a fan of the lockout. He blames both the players and the owners. Here are some of Casper’s thoughts about the lockout mess:
Casper said he had "no idea" how the labor disagreement between the owners and NFL players would be resolved, likening the stalemate to a "bunch of 26-year-olds" showing their testosterone against owners "more afraid of each other in general. I just don't know," he said.
I wouldn’t be surprised to hear more former players chime in on this issue as it drags on.
AP PhotoJohn Madden's 1976 season was nearly perfect -- culminating in a Super Bowl win over the Vikings.The Raiders didn’t have the titles that Miami, Dallas and Pittsburgh had, but they were a dominant team in the 1970s. If you were going to win the Super Bowl, you probably had to go through the madcap marauders of the East Bay.
Wild, free-spirited and wickedly clutch on the field, the Silver and Black was a special fabric of the NFL in the 1970s. They were always known for close calls, but in the end not having enough to be complete the championship journey.
That all changed in 1976. The Raiders had plenty. They were, by far, the class of the NFL and they have the hardware to prove it.
Led by a stunning group of players, this team had depth on offense and defense. Stabler was the engineer, as he seemingly rolled out of bed and led the Raiders to one last-minute win after another. He had great receivers in Biletnikoff, Branch and Casper. The offensive line was anchored by future Pro Football Hall of Famers Shell and Upshaw.
Defensively, the Raiders were nasty with first-year Raider Matuszak and Sistrunk up front, Hendricks in the middle and Brown and Tatum anchoring the unit.
It was enough for Oakland to nearly go unbeaten. After New England thrashed the Raiders in Week 4, Oakland didn’t lose another game. Oakland went 13-1 in the regular season (despite having a five-game trip spanning Weeks 2-6) and then won home playoff games against New England and Pittsburgh before toying with Minnesota in Super Bowl in XI.
It was a culmination of a great run in Oakland. In the end, this team will be remembered as one of the NFL’s great all-time teams.
Most impressive win: A 32-14 victory over Minnesota in Super Bowl XI. The Raiders showed their dominance on offense and defense by completely suffocating the Vikings. It was a fitting day to end a near-perfect season. No one in Oakland will forget the sight of a jubilant Madden being carried off the Rose Bowl field by his victorious Raiders. Davis surely never will.
Crazy start: The Raiders had some memorable battles with Pittsburgh. This special season started with a classic battle between the two 1970s powerhouses in Oakland.
The Steelers led 28-14 with five minutes to go. However, Oakland made a furious comeback to tie the score. Oakland then got the ball back and won it with a short field goal with 18 seconds remaining, sending the home crowd into a wild celebration.
Nothing like beating the hated Steelers on opening day. It set the tone for Oakland’s best season of all time.
Honorable mention:
1967: The Daryle Lamonica-led Raiders were 13-1 in the regular season before being worn down by Green Bay in Super Bowl II.
1980: The Raiders became the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl. The 11-5 Raiders were led by coach Tom Flores and spunky, resurgent quarterback Jim Plunkett.
1983: The Raiders’ third Super Bowl champion was a dominant unit. Led by a great defense and young running back Marcus Allen (1,014 yards rushing, 11 TDs), this was a special team.
Miller aims to build on Raiders' tradition
Posted by ESPN.com Bill Williamson
Zach Miller was not an expert on the Oakland Raiders' history of brilliant tight end play when the team drafted him two years ago. He has since become an authority on the subject.
 | |
| AP Photo/Paul Sakuma | |
| Tight end Zach Miller has caught 100 passes in his first two NFL seasons. |
Watching video and reading about the success of Dave Casper, Raymond Chester and Todd Christensen have inspired Miller and given him a feeling of responsibility. He wants to carry on the tradition of Silver and Black tight ends.
"There is a great tradition here," Miller said. "I've talked to Al Davis about the history and how important the tight end has been in Oakland. I've talked to Raymond Chester about it, and it's really important to me to continue what all those great players did. It's my turn now."
If the first two seasons of Miller's career are any indication, the Raiders have found themselves another star at the position. Miller caught 100 passes in his first two NFL seasons and has quickly developed into one of the best young players at his position. He's an easy choice as this season's AFC West emerging star.
Miller certainly has his backing from those in the organization. Oakland head coach Tom Cable offered this: "Good choice. He can be special."
Said Oakland star left cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha: "There's no doubt that Zach deserves that label. He's that guy."
| |||||||
As Oakland tries to emerge from a miserable six-season span, it is young players like Miller who give Oakland hope.
Miller has great hands. Asomugha swears he's never seen him drop a ball, even in practice. He is a precise route runner and a fine blocker.
Miller and Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell have already built an outstanding rhythm together. Miller is by far Russell's favorite target. They bonded as rookies, Miller said, and when all else fails, Russell always looks for him.
Last season, Miller caught 56 passes for 778 yards for a respectable 13.9 yard per catch average. Miller feels like he is ready to take the next step in his career.
"I have a lot of confidence and really feel good in this offense," Miller said. "I think my game is ready to grow."
He has set high goals. With superstar Tony Gonzalez now in Atlanta, Miller knows there is an open spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team.
"That's where I want to get to -- I want to get to that level," Miller said. "The Pro Bowl is the next step for me, I hope."
Miller surely has his supporters. San Diego tight end Antonio Gates, now the best tight end in the conference with Gonzalez out of the mix, lauded Miller earlier this year. He said Miller is one of the most exciting tight ends to come into the league in recent years.
Asomugha said what makes Miller so effective is his combination of natural gifts and his work ethic.
"When you combine Zach's talent and how hard he works, great things are going to happen," Asomugha said. "We really have a great one in Zach."
Asomugha is most excited about Miller because he knows what his presence means to Russell. Asomugha laughed about how Russell and Miller tried to get extra work together during the first four days of camp, when Cable kept the actual plays to a minimum in order to stress the fundamentals of the game.
"Even in those days, JaMarcus was trying to throw the ball to Zach -- and they would get in trouble because they weren't supposed to be doing that," Asomugha said. "There is a great chemistry there."
Miller doesn't just help his quarterback in the passing game. When Russell is called to hand the ball off to one of Oakland's trio of running backs -- Darren McFadden, Michael Bush or Justin Fargas -- he can rely on Miller as well. He is developing into a stalwart blocker.
Unlike many catch-first tight ends, Miller relishes the opportunity to block. He said the reason why he spends time on the blocking aspect of his game is simple.
"You can't be an elite tight end unless you block," Miller said. "I see a lot of tight ends with great hands, but they won't want to block. That won't work here. We run the ball a lot in Oakland. You have to know how to block."
A former offensive line coach, Cable bursts with pride when talking about Miller's blocking chops.
"That's what makes Zach so special because he isn't afraid to help in the blocking game," Cable said. "He understands blocking. He's understands the entire game."
And he understands the history of the tight end in Oakland as he tries to become the next great Raider at the position.
Miller aims to build on Raiders' tradition
Zach Miller was not an expert on the Oakland Raiders' history of brilliant tight end play when the team drafted him two years ago. He has since become an authority on the subject.
AP Photo/Paul Sakuma
Tight end Zach Miller could be poised to have a huge year for the Raiders.
Watching video and reading about the success of Dave Casper, Raymond Chester and Todd Christensen have inspired Miller and given him a feeling of responsibility. He wants to carry on the tradition of Silver and Black tight ends.
"There is a great tradition here," Miller said. "I've talked to Al Davis about the history and how important the tight end has been in Oakland. I've talked to Raymond Chester about it, and it's really important to me to continue what all those great players did. It's my turn now."
If the first two seasons of Miller's career are any indication, the Raiders have found themselves another star at the position. Miller caught 100 passes in his first two NFL seasons and has quickly developed into one of the best young players at his position. He's an easy choice as this season's AFC West emerging star.
Miller certainly has his backing from those in the organization. Oakland head coach Tom Cable offered this: "Good choice. He can be special."
Said Oakland star left cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha: "There's no doubt that Zach deserves that label. He's that guy."
Emerging Stars
A series examining a potential breakout player in each division.
Tues.: AFC West | NFC West
Wed.: AFC North | NFC North
Thurs.: AFC South | NFC South
Fri.: AFC East | NFC East
As Oakland tries to emerge from a miserable six-season span, it is young players like Miller who give Oakland hope.
Miller has great hands. Asomugha swears he's never seen him drop a ball, even in practice. He is a precise route runner and a fine blocker.
Miller and Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell have already built an outstanding rhythm together. Miller is by far Russell's favorite target. They bonded as rookies, Miller said, and when all else fails, Russell always looks for him.
Last season, Miller caught 56 passes for 778 yards for a respectable 13.9 yard per catch average. Miller feels like he is ready to take the next step in his career.
"I have a lot of confidence and really feel good in this offense," Miller said. "I think my game is ready to grow."
He has set high goals. With superstar Tony Gonzalez now in Atlanta, Miller knows there is an open spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team.
"That's where I want to get to -- I want to get to that level," Miller said. "The Pro Bowl is the next step for me, I hope."
Miller surely has his supporters. San Diego tight end Antonio Gates, now the best tight end in the conference with Gonzalez out of the mix, lauded Miller earlier this year. He said Miller is one of the most exciting tight ends to come into the league in recent years.
Asomugha said what makes Miller so effective is his combination of natural gifts and his work ethic.
"When you combine Zach's talent and how hard he works, great things are going to happen," Asomugha said. "We really have a great one in Zach."
Asomugha is most excited about Miller because he knows what his presence means to Russell. Asomugha laughed a
bout how Russell and Miller tried to get extra work together during the first four days of camp, when Cable kept the actual plays to a minimum in order to stress the fundamentals of the game.
"Even in those days, JaMarcus was trying to throw the ball to Zach -- and they would get in trouble because they weren't supposed to be doing that," Asomugha said. "There is a great chemistry there."
Miller doesn't just help his quarterback in the passing game. When Russell is called to hand the ball off to one of Oakland's trio of running backs -- Darren McFadden, Michael Bush or Justin Fargas -- he can rely on Miller as well. He is developing into a stalwart blocker.
Unlike many catch-first tight ends, Miller relishes the opportunity to block. He said the reason why he spends time on the blocking aspect of his game is simple.
"You can't be an elite tight end unless you block," Miller said. "I see a lot of tight ends with great hands, but they won't want to block. That won't work here. We run the ball a lot in Oakland. You have to know how to block."
A former offensive line coach, Cable bursts with pride when talking about Miller's blocking chops.
"That's what makes Zach so special because he isn't afraid to help in the blocking game," Cable said. "He understands blocking. He's understands the entire game."
And he understands the history of the tight end in Oakland as he tries to become the next great Raider at the position.
AFC West emerging star: Zach Miller
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson
| |
| AP Photo/Paul Sakuma | |
| Tight end Zach Miller could be poised to have a huge year for the Raiders. |
Zach Miller was not an expert on the Oakland Raiders' history of brilliant tight end play when the team drafted him two years ago. He has since become an authority on the subject.
Watching video and reading about the success of Dave Casper, Raymond Chester and Todd Christensen have inspired Miller and given him a feeling of responsibility. He wants to carry on the tradition of Silver and Black tight ends.
"There is a great tradition here," Miller said. "I've talked to Al Davis about the history and how important the tight end has been in Oakland. I've talked to Raymond Chester about it, and it's really important to me to continue what all those great players did. It's my turn now."
If the first two seasons of Miller's career are any indication, the Raiders have found themselves another star at the position. Miller caught 100 passes in his first two NFL seasons and has quickly developed into one of the best young players at his position. He's an easy choice as this season's AFC West emerging star.
Miller certainly has his backing from those in the organization. Oakland head coach Tom Cable offered this: "Good choice. He can be special."
Said Oakland star left cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha: "There's no doubt that Zach deserves that label. He's that guy."
As Oakland tries to emerge from a miserable six-season span, it is young players like Miller who give Oakland hope.
Miller has great hands. Asomugha swears he's never seen him drop a ball, even in practice. He is a precise route runner and a fine blocker.
Miller and Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell have already built an outstanding rhythm together. Miller is by far Russell's favorite target. They bonded as rookies, Miller said, and when all else fails, Russell always looks for him.
Last season, Miller caught 56 passes for 778 yards for a respectable 13.9 yard per catch average. Miller feels like he is ready to take the next step in his career.
"I have a lot of confidence and really feel good in this offense," Miller said. "I think my game is ready to grow."
He has set high goals. With superstar Tony Gonzalez now in Atlanta, Miller knows there is an open spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team.
"That's where I want to get to -- I want to get to that level," Miller said. "The Pro Bowl is the next step for me, I hope."
Miller surely has his supporters. San Diego tight end Antonio Gates, now the best tight end in the conference with Gonzalez out of the mix, lauded Miller earlier this year. He said Miller is one of the most exciting tight ends to come into the league in recent years.
Asomugha said what makes Miller so effective is his combination of natural gifts and his work ethic.
"When you combine Zach's talent and how hard he works, great things are going to happen," Asomugha said. "We really have a great one in Zach."
Asomugha is most excited about Miller because he knows what his presence means to Russell. Asomugha laughed about how Russell and Miller tried to get extra work together during the first four days of camp, when Cable kept the actual plays to a minimum in order to stress the fundamentals of the game.
"Even in those days, JaMarcus was trying to throw the ball to Zach -- and they would get in trouble because they weren't supposed to be doing that," Asomugha said. "There is a great chemistry there."
Miller just doesn't help his quarterback in the passing game. When Russell is called to hand the ball off to one of Oakland's trio of running backs -- Darren McFadden, Michael Bush or Justin Fargas -- he can rely on Miller as well. He is developing into a stalwart blocker.
Unlike many catch-first tight ends, Miller relishes the opportunity to block. He said the reason why he spends time on the blocking aspect of his game is simple.
"You can't be an elite tight end unless you block," Miller said. "I see a lot of tight ends with great hands, but they won't want to block. That won't work here. We run the ball a lot in Oakland. You have to know how to block."
A former offensive line coach, Cable bursts with pride when talking about Miller's blocking chops.
"That's what makes Zach so special because he isn't afraid to help in the blocking game," Cable said. "He understands blocking. He's understands the entire game."
And he understands the history of the tight end in Oakland as he tries to become the next great Raider at the position.
Derrick Thomas joins special list
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson
Saturday, Kansas City outside linebacker Derrick Thomas became the ninth person who spent the majority of his career in the AFC West to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this decade.
Here is a look at those who preceded him this decade:
Howie Long, defensive line, Oakland Raiders (2000)
Comment: Many people around the league thought he was overrated but Long played an important role in the Raiders' history.
Dave Casper, tight end, Oakland Raiders (2002)
Comment: "The Ghost" was one of the great tight ends of his era and one of the Raiders' legends of the 1970s.
Marcus Allen, running back, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs (2003)
Comment: A falling out with owner Al Davis ended Allen's time as a Raider. He finished his career with the hated Chiefs, which still angers many Raiders' fans.
Hank Stram, coach, Kansas City Chiefs (2003)
Comment: He'll always be remembered for roaming the sidelines in Kansas City.
John Elway, quarterback, Denver Broncos (2004)
Comment: The Broncos' first taste of the Hall of Fame came with much style.
John Madden, coach, Oakland Raiders (2006)
Comment: Many thought that Madden's election was long overdue.
Fred Dean, defensive lineman, San Diego Chargers (2008)
Comment: He won a Super Bowl with San Francisco, but Dean was a star with the Chargers early in his career.
Gary Zimmerman, tackle, Denver Broncos (2008)
Comment: Zimmerman spent the first half of his career with the Vikings but he considers himself only as a Bronco. Denver owner Pat Bowlen was his presenter at the induction ceremony.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Bill Williamson
Williamson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Denver Broncos for the Denver Post. He previously covered the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
