Nov 4, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders safety Matt Giordano (27) during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the O.co Coliseum. The Buccaneers defeated the Raiders 42-32. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Giordano is leaving the Silver and Black to don the Blue and Gold of the St. Louis Rams.  Apparently the Rams were in need of some veteran leadership to help out their young secondary.  The man nicknamed “Gio” was utilized mainly for Special Teams and Safety with the Raiders.  He will now fill that role in St. Louis.

Giordano always reminded me of Rocky Marciano when I watched him play.  He always put his heart and soul into every play.  When he was knocked down, he always got back up and took his lumps.  Yes, he got beat on some occasions, but so did most of our secondary in 2012.

Although he suffered a shoulder and knee injury last year, he played all 16 games.  The Fresno, CA, native combined for 51 tackles and had 2 interceptions in 2012.  When he stepped up to make a play, the home crowd chanted, “Gio, Gio, Gio, Gio!”  Though, he spent a short time wearing the Silver and Black, he is a player that will be missed by Raider Nation.  Raider Nation always remembers the players that put everything they had into their position.  He is definitely one of those players.

Giordano has primarily been a reserve and special team player during previous stints with the Saints, Packers and Colts.  The Colts drafted him with the 134th pick in the 2005 draft.  Giordano will be competing against Darian Stewart for a starting position, and the rookie, T.J. McDonald, is expected to occupy the other safety position.

Farewell, Gio, you had the heart of a lion and played like there was no tomorrow.

“I will keep playing. I don’t feel like I have to go out there and say what I have left. I know what I can do. I’m not worried about it. Once I get the opportunity, it will be all good,” McGahee told Josina Anderson of ESPN. “There are a lot of places I wouldn’t mind playing. You got Miami, Dallas, Green Bay, San Diego, Oakland. That’s not necessarily my order of preference, though. All of those teams I mentioned I would go to with no problems.” That quote and Oakland being on it was bound to create ripples around NFL circles given McGahee’s reputation as well as the fact McGahee put two AFC West teams in his Top Five, a sign that any team that gets him will be getting the most motivated and hungry version of a very talented veteran running back possible.

November 18, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee (23) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being released by the Broncos, McGahee is not that long removed from being the heart and soul of one of the best running games in the NFL. In 2011, the Broncos set a team record with 164.5 rushing yards per game. McGahee had 1199 yards, 4 TDs, 4.8 yards per carry, and 1 receiving TD in 15 games.

As usual McGahee’s luck quickly turned south due to injuries in 2012, but he says he is healthy now and wants to find a home right away and get back into the mix. A player who has had plus 1,000 yard season in his first year with all three teams he has played for should be one that should be on every General Manager’s wish list.

Yet with a slow to heat up veteran running back market this offseason (Michael Turner, Beanie Wells, Brandon Jacobs, and Cedric Benson are all also out of work as of today) and McGahee’s penchant to break down after a season of heavy workload and his injury problems in 2012 ended his stay in Denver and will likely be what shies GM’s and owners away from him as he looks for a team.

Still the Raiders could give McGahee, or any of the current running backs available a look as they build their running game around the hope that Darren McFadden can stay healthy and play to the flashes of brilliance he shows every so often for an entire season. Still draft pick Latavius Murray and Rashad Jennings were both brought in for the purposes of giving McFadden rest so Reggie McKenzie would have to be really high on a veteran to bring him into the mix as well for training camp.

With those 1,000 yard seasons in his pocket, it couldn’t hurt to give McGahee who is clearly a player who performs well coming into a new environment a chance. A player that is vastly underrated due to his durability problems is the perfect backup for Darren McFadden, and after being humbled by being cut and understanding his role in the league would be a great asset for Dennis Allen and Reggie McKenzie to bring in.

This is sure to be a developing talking point in the coming day as the Raiders continue on with minicamp and the buzz builds around Oakland being on McGahee’s shortlist.

November 18, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Derek Hagan (10) catches a pass as New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer (33) defends during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

According to ProFootballTalk, 2012 Oakland Raider Derek Hagan has been signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to bolster their wideout corps as the team attempts to lock Mike Williams into a new deal. General Manager Mark Dominik made the announcement of Hagan’s signing on Thursday.

An NFL journeyman since coming into the league in 2006 after being drafted by the Dolphins, Hagan played in 14 games with the Raiders last season, catching 20 passes for 259 yards stepping in to fill the void left by Jacoby Ford’s season ending injury. It was Hagan’s second stint with the team as he also played for the Raiders for six games in 2011 before eventually being cut and then joining the Bills. With the Raiders having health problems at the receiver position last year, Hagan was brought in and contributed enough to draw the attention of the Bucs, who are looking to continue to build towards the playoffs in a tough NFC South division.

Hagan also spent time with the New York Giants for the 2009 and 2010 seasons as part of a career that has seen Hagan bounce around as a depth player since being cut from the Dolphins in 2008. Yet as a wideout there will always be a place for a receiver like Hagan, as was shown in his comeback stint with the Raiders last season where Hagan was good enough to stick around for the entire season. Going to Tampa, he will be hoping to see an even more elevated role on a new team.

With reports that Mike Williams is close to reaching on terms for an extension in Tampa, Hagan will be looking to make his case to be the Bucs #3 target behind Williams and Vincent Jackson at training camp. Hagan will be competing with receivers Kevin Ogletree, Tiquan Underwood, Chris Owusu and David Douglas for playing time as the Buccaneers do have a list of receivers for coach Greg Schiano and new offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan to look at, but the veteran Hagan will have as good of a chance as any to break into at least the top four of the depth chart behind Ogletree.

Oakland will likely not miss Hagan in 2013 as the return of Jacoby Ford and the addition of Josh Cribbs and two other receivers meant that the Raiders had no room for Hagan. Still it is nice to see a guy who has been trying to get himself into a more featured role in the NFL continue to get an opportunity to showcase his talents. Hagan seems destined for a journeyman career in the league, bouncing from training camp to training camp and stepping in on a team that loses a wide receiver when he can find the work, but maybe a chance in Tampa Bay can lead to a long awaited breakout from Hagan.