Raiders’ Grove tries to ‘center’ himself

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, August 03, 2007  |  Comments( 31 )

Oakland Raiders
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With JaMarcus Russell a holdout and Daunte Culpepper newly signed, the Oakland Raiders aren't quite sure who will be under center when they host the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game on the night of Aug. 11.

For that matter, they're not sure what center he'll be under.

As a matter of courtesy, if nothing else, the Raiders had fourth-year pro Jake Grove starting at center when summer workouts began. After a few days, however, it was reported that he was sharing first-unit reps with Jeremy Newberry, signed during the offseason from San Francisco.

Something has to give here. Newberry has started all 90 NFL games in which he's played since being drafted out of Cal (where he played under current Raiders offensive line coach Tom Cable) in 1998. Grove has started 32 of his 35 games as a Raider. No team has yet come up with a two-center formation.

As just about everyone knows (especially the Oakland quarterbacks), the Raiders' line was as leaky as a Lake Pontchartrain levee last season, allowing a league-high 72 sacks. And Grove and tackle Robert Gallery, the two players the Raiders were planning to build their offensive line around, were a major part of the problem.

Enter Cable, who previously refined his zone blocking schemes with the Atlanta Falcons. He's been all over his new linemen as they struggle to learn a different way of doing things.

On the other hand, the 2006 way of doing things didn't work too well.

Grove has been the overdog and the underdog in his career. Raised, like Gallery, on a farm, and lightly recruited out of Jefferson Forest High School in Central Virginia, he worked his way into Frank Beamer's heart (and starting lineup) at Virginia Tech, overcame a serious knee injury, and won the Rimington Award as the nation's best center as a senior.

Now, as the New Age people say, he has to center himself again.

As for Newberry, he appeared recovered from the knee surgery that sidelined him last season but was carrying more weight than Cable -- who knows him well -- would like.

"I wouldn't say that he has the exact same ability because that goes with age," Cable told reporters at practice when asked about Newberry. "But you do see a guy that, if he does stay healthy, he can help us a lot."

But Cable also praised Grove and Gallery and the other much-maligned 2006 starters, saying "There's nothing wrong with their bodies."

An erosion of confidence -- some might say post-traumatic stress -- is the problem now, he added.

One thing appears for certain, though: If Jake Grove is going to watch his quarterback get sacked more than 70 times this year, he'll be watching from the bench.

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CommentsComments: 31  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
EPRAIDER		02:07 AM
08/03/2007
If Newberry is healthy he starts but Grove could spell him and play beside him. As far as confidence for Gallery and the 06...
No.2
raidersensation		02:38 AM
08/03/2007
Pardon the pun, but both Grove and Gallery need to "sack" up and start playing with some toughness. I remember Gallery got...
No.3
GavRaider		02:42 AM
08/03/2007
I have confidence in our current coaches to make the right decision about which of them should start. If he is healthy, Newberry...
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