Anthony Carroll’s Friday Raiders mailbag

By Anthony Carroll  |   Friday, August 04, 2006  |  Comments( 12 )

Oakland Raiders
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In his fifth mailbag editorial, Anthony Carroll--a senior writer for Realfootball365--responds to fans' questions and comments submitted via RaidersLive.com:

Alton O'Neill, 26, Los Angeles, CA: Anthony, I love reading your articles everyday. My question for you involves Jerry Porter. If you were running the Raiders, would you trade him?

AC: Unless owner Al Davis renames the team the "Porters," No. 84 will be more of an impediment than as asset. At this point in the offseason, Davis made the correct move by publicly placing the ball in Porter's court. Joel Segal, Porter's agent, is well aware of Davis' stance on the situation, and now every other NFL team has the same knowledge. To free himself from Oakland, Porter would have to rescind a $4 million bonus he is set to receive for the '06 season. Knowing that, the 28-year-old will have to weigh his options: $4 million and a reservation on the bench or plenty of playing time with a different team.

If the latter is preferred, I would ship Porter out of town for anything as low as a late-round draft pick. In the background, Doug Gabriel, Johnnie Morant, and Ronald Curry are all more than capable of replacing and surpassing
Porter's production. Meanwhile, the Raiders would be receiving a serviceable late-round draft pick in return. Considering both Gabriel and Morant were fifth-rounders and Curry a seventh, that late-round pick would be more useful than Porter--and best of all, it can't talk until 2007.

Jeff Little, 43, Los Angeles, CA: I love all of the stories provided by you, Anthony, but I do have a few questions for you. One, do you feel that Michael Huff starts the season as the starting SS or FS? And two, would it take another injury to LB Sam Williams (hopefully not, though!) for Danny Clark to return to the starting lineup?

AC: This season, you will see Michael Huff line up all over the Oakland defense, much like he did throughout his collegiate career at Texas. However, for the majority of regular season reps, he will likely sit back at strong safety. At free safety, Stuart Schweigert, a promising young prospect entering his third NFL season, will remain the primary starter. With Jarrod Cooper and Derrick Gibson the only two remaining options to fill in the strong safety void, Huff will quickly and permanently put a lock on the position.

As for your second question, no, an injury isn't Clark's only gateway into the starting lineup. Sam Williams, of the three early starters penciled in, is the most expendable of the trio. Clark, over the past two seasons, has proven more dependable and productive than Williams by a landslide. Coming out of the 2003 NFL Draft, Williams was listed as a raw defensive end standing 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. Since then, he has been shifted to outside linebacker, with his weight shooting up to 260 pounds. Clark, on the other hand, is much more experienced at linebacker and is 15 pounds leaner than Williams. If need be, Clark would be able to play on the outside of 24-year-old Kirk Morrison, keeping his production level relatively high. Based upon both Clark's and William's recent history, it's very likely to happen before the regular season comes to pass.

Christian Leiva, 20, Simi Valley, CA: Do you think LaMont Jordan will have a breakout season in 2006 with the hiring of Art Shell and co-offensive line coach Jackie Slater?

AC: Under Art Shell and Jackie Slater--two Hall of Fame classmen--the offensive line should have a breakout season. In turn, LaMont Jordan will produce. With Norv Turner and Kerry Collins--the dysfunctional duo--leading the way in 2005, Jordan racked up 1,025 rushing yards in his first season as a full-time starter.

This season, all signs are pointing in favor of No. 34. The 27-year-old has a season of full-time experience under his belt and will be running behind a much more disciplined front five in 2006. Additionally, much of Tom Walsh's and Shell's simplistic offensive system will operate through the power running game. Under Turner's offensive approach, Jordan hauled in 70 passes for 563 yards via the air-attack. Next season, however, much of those receiving yards will likely shift into the rushing column. Looking ahead, 330 carries, 1,250 yards, and 10 touchdowns sounds about right to me.

To be in next week's mailbag, visit the new, improved RaidersLive.com to submit your questions and comments.

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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