Raiders’ line could get big boost from Jackson

By Anthony Carroll  |   Tuesday, June 27, 2006  |  Comments( 20 )

Oakland Raiders
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Grady could become a grade "A" signing for the Silver and Black.

Set to meet with the Oakland Raiders' top brass later this week, 33-year-old Grady Jackson is looking for a new team to suit up for in 2006. However, if owner Al Davis and his crew of negotiators like what they see, Jackson's new team won't be an unfamiliar one.

Jackson, who began his career in 1997, spent his first five professional seasons in Oakland. A sixth-round draft choice, Jackson was eased into the Raiders starting lineup early in his career. After a five-game rookie season that featured just six takedowns, the massive defensive tackle saw increased reps as a sophomore. In the following two seasons, Jackson began to turn heads, posting 72 tackles and seven sacks in scattered action. In 2000, the Knoxville alumnus proved a mass of NFL scouts wrong. The sixth rounder climbed the ranks of NFL defensemen, posting 66 tackles and eight sacks en route to the Raiders first winning campaign in six long years. The following season, Jackson sustained his top status, tallying another 69 tackles and four sacks.

With the departure of head coach Jon Gruden in 2001, Jackson also exited the Bay Area. Gruden, who became the Raiders head coach in 1998, played a large role in the renaissance of the young lineman's career--easing him into the defensive rotation as a sophomore and eventually the starting lineup as four-year veteran.

Following his early years with the Silver and Black, Jackson joined New Orleans for a short stint in 2002. Starting 15 games with the Saints, the 345-pounder posted 42 tackles with 5.5 accompanying sacks. In the following season, he split the 16-game schedule in two, spending half the year as a member of New Orleans and the other half with Green Bay. On the year, he finished with 48 tackles and six sacks. Finally, for the following two seasons, Jackson remained in Green Bay, adding another 77 tackles and pair of sacks to his career totals.

Despite a highly productive ninth season, Green Bay passed on Jackson in favor of 310-pound Ryan Pickett. Since then, the former Packer has received interest from a handful of NFL ball clubs, with St. Louis coming the closest to acquiring his services.

With a defensive tackle roster deficient of aged reliability, Grady Jackson could quickly become Oakland's best option this offseason. Beyond 33-year-old Warren Sapp sits an array of question mark-linked players. Tommy Kelly, a highly-touted young prospect in Oakland, has a question mark surrounding his position on the line, while Terdell Sands and Anttaj Hawthorne lack the experience needed to take on a full load. Both Sands and Hawthorne--along with Rashad Moore from Seattle--should provide reliable depth up front; however, that reliability would likely not translate into full-time, starting productivity.

As a veteran of the NFL for a longstanding nine years, Jackson's great mixture of dependability and reliability may find a home down in Oakland's trenches in 2006. Sans a 10-game 2004 campaign, the 33-year-old has gone eight straight years missing just one game or less in each season. With 380 career tackles, 32.5 sacks, and 123 games under his belt, Jackson's late-week meeting could likely become a long-term reaffiliation with the Oakland Raiders.

Derrick Burgess, Lance Johnstone, Warren Sapp, Grady Jackson.

A firm handshake and passed physical could solidify the final quarter of that veteran lineup.

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Anthony Carroll can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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