Trio of backups pacify Porter problem in Oakland

By Anthony Carroll  |   Monday, July 31, 2006  |  Comments( 21 )

Oakland Raiders
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"If that's how they want to spend their money, have at it."

Jerry Porter, the center of Oakland's offseason attention, contently asserted his position with the Silver and Black. If need be, Porter publicly stated his unruffled mindset with sitting the bench in '06, already guaranteed his paycheck by contract.

The setback resulting from a Porter benching, however, would not be a considerable one.

Alongside Randy Moss, Oakland's wide receiving corps includes a deep lineup of names highly capable of replacing Porter.

3. Ronald Curry - Injury has severely slowed down Curry's young career. However, when a healthy No. 89 is streaking down the field, the 27-year-old is anything but slow. Cut four games short by an Achilles injury, Curry's 2004 campaign included 50 receptions, 679 yards and six touchdowns. Last season, however, the North Carolina alumnus fell yet again to injury, finishing with just a pair of catches on the season. Reportedly, Curry is fully recovered from his injury-laden past, recently removed from the physically unable to perform list. If the four-year vet can avoid a fifth-year injury, Oakland will once again possess one of the most electrifying wide receivers in the game.

2. Johnnie Morant - Standing 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Morant is the ideal flanker to 6-4, 210-pound All-Pro Randy Moss. An early fifth-round selection in '04, Morant has been held close to the bench over the past two seasons, sitting behind more aged wideouts Moss, Porter, Curry, Doug Gabriel and Alvis Whitted. Despite just a single catch on the professional plane, Morant is more than ready to assume a prevalent role on the Raiders' roster. At Syracuse, the physical wideout emerged strongly as a senior, finishing the 2003 season with 799 yards and five touchdowns as the team's big-play threat. Last preseason, he completed the team's four-game set with 315 receiving yards, positioning him second in the league in the category. Morant has appeared in just five regular season games with Oakland; however, the third-year wideout has all the tools needed to become a full-time contributor in '06.

1. Doug Gabriel - Gabriel started just two games in 2005; however, he took full advantage of those eight quarters. In his pair of starts, the Central Florida alumnus hauled in 10 balls for 159 yards and a touchdown. Despite a minimal amount of media buzz, Gabriel quietly posted a thunderous '05 season in limited time on the field. The 6-2, 215-pounder finished with 37 catches for 554 yards and three touchdowns. In all, the third-year wideout finished with just 388 yards and two touchdowns less than Porter, despite missing two straight weeks and starting in 12 less games. Gabriel's second NFL season was a near mirror-image of the last, as he posted equally impressive numbers. A quiet, but physical specimen, the 25-year-old plays with the audacity needed to excel as a full-time NFL receiver. Hoarding 70 receptions, 1,105 yards and five touchdowns in his past two seasons with the Silver and Black, it's not far off to predict comparable numbers in a lone 2006 campaign.

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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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CommentsComments: 21  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
CHRIS PETRICONE		08:14 AM
07/31/2006
I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT PORTER ANYMORE, HE'S A CANCER. TRADE HIM AWAY TO A TEAM THAT NEEDS A WR. LET'S GET THIS SEASON STARTED...
No.2
PAPA RAIDER		10:42 AM
07/31/2006
CAN'T TRADE HIM DUE TO THE CAP HIT. PUT HIM ON THE BENCH..ALONE..AS WITH MARCUS ALLEN. YOU JUST CAN'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH...
No.3
Kyle Jensen		12:57 PM
07/31/2006
I agree with you papa! Bench him! Hes not worth trading due to cap like you mentioned. Make an example out of him! These over...
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