One year later and once again T.O. is on the market meaning once again those same rumors have returned like a wrestler’s cauliflower ear.  

Is there really any need to even rehash the numerous reasons why this scenario makes about as much sense as a Jim Zorn fake field goal attempt?

One year ago it made no sense because Owens was not a good fit for a young locker room. One year later the Oakland locker room has gotten even younger. One year ago it didn’t make sense to add such a volatile element to an equation with an unknown variable at the quarterback position. One year later more is known about time travel than the future of JaMarcus Russell in the East Bay.

In short, not much has changed and cash is even harder to come by as evidenced by the recent roster moves.

Then again, Larry Johnson is scheduled to make a visit in Alameda. Being that the possibility of replacing a high character guy like Justin Fargas with a homophobic low life like LJ exists then there is plenty of kindling for the T.O. fire to burn.

Al Davis has yet to even dip a toe into the free agency pool. If he signs Owens and Johnson he’ll be doing a belly flop of Kirstie Alley proportions. Let’s hope Al takes the high road instead of the high dive.

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The staff over at NoLogoNeeded.com is conducting a mock draft among NFL blogs. They were kind enough to ask yours truly to represent the Raiders in their draft. I did my best to utilize the logic (or lack thereof) of Al Davis and apply it to the available prospects at the #8 spot in the first round.

Taking the Davis approach I went with the workout warrior of the combine, Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell.

With Cornell Green suckering signing a 3-year contract in Buffalo and Khalif Barnes in town on another one year contract, the position of right tackle needs a long term solution. The jury is still out on Mario Henderson who struggled in his first full season protecting the blind side. All in all, the tackle positions are a major question mark going forward.

If not the offensive line, the defensive line needs some serious consideration as well. Now that Greg Ellis has been shown the exit, expectations are raised for second year end Matt Shaugnessy who displayed promise during his rookie campaign.

No matter what, the Raiders must make fixing the trenches a priority this off-season.

While Campbell is considered a reach at #8, he has the physical tools that Davis covets.

For more on my reasoning behind the selection you can read the full entry here.

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Today the Raiders finally swallowed their stubborn pride and severed ties with the $55-million mistake.

How Javon spent the '09 season. (Photo: YardBarker.com)

In recent California history, there have been three epic cash failures.

3) IndyMac Bank

2) Andruw Jones

1) Javon Walker

Here is a timeline detailing Walker’s days as an Oakland Raider.

March 6^th, 2008 – Raiders sign free agent Javon Walker to a 6-year contract valued at $55-million ($16-million guaranteed). Bernie Madoff praises Walker as the NFL’s Ponzi scheme king.

June 16^th, 2008 – Walker is found unconscious at 7:19am on a Las Vegas street. Reports surface stating that Javon was seen at a Vegas night club two nights earlier where he sprayed the crowd with 15 some odd bottles of Dom P. Al Davis declares the incident a national tragedy. He later urges Vegas club promoters to begin immediate sensitivity training for their patrons who clearly failed to understand that Walker’s intentions were to impress skanks and not to promote violence.   

August 2^nd, 2008 – Reports circulate claming that Walker was talked out of retirement by Al Davis. Davis denies the claim and then sends senior executive John Herrera back in time to assault every journalist who reported the story. Unfortunately Herrera was mistakenly sent into the future where he proceeded to accost San Jose Mercury writer Tim Kawakami. The incident creates a parallel reality in which Darrius Heyward-Bey becomes the greatest receiver in NFL history.

October 19^th, 2008 – Walker scores the only touchdown of his Raider career in a 16-13 overtime win against the New York Jets. The touchdown helps little Timmy Okerman of Hemet, California, to a dramatic win in fantasy football. That same evening, on his death bed, Timmy thanked Walker for fulfilling his dying wish just prior to slipping into a diabetic coma. Walker establishes a fund for the continued research on the effects of abusing Mountain Dew Code Red. Slowly but surely, Mountain Dew begins to scale back distribution of Code Red.

November 9^th, 2008 – Javon catches what would be his final pass as an Oakland Raider in a 17-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Herrera returns to the present where he attempts to warn Davis not to sign Walker but arrives too late. However, Herrera strongly advises Davis to draft Heyward-Bey to replace Walker.

November 14^th, 2008 – Walker undergoes season ending ankle surgery. He finishes his first season in Oakland with 15 catches for 196 yards and 1 TD. Andrew Walter is saddened by the news and decides to dedicate the rest of the season to honoring Javon by refusing to take the field again until Walker returns. Walter is later released to make room on the roster for Darrius Heyward-Bey. 

May 8^th, 2009 – Javon is unable to participate in off-season OTAs due to his recovery from a secret knee surgery. Walker becomes incredibly cryptic when discussing the surgery which we later discover took place in Israel (true story).

January 3^rd, 2010 – The regular season comes to an end with Walker having been active for only three games. His stats: 0 catches, for 0 yards and 1 fumble. Bernie Madoff sends a letter to Walker offering him a job once Bernie’s 150-year jail sentence has concluded.

February 16^th, 2010 – Walker returns to Las Vegas with rapper Bow Wow who convinces Javon to refrain from making it rain with expensive Champaign.

March 8^th, 2010 – Javon Walker and veteran defensive end Greg Ellis are released by the Oakland Raiders. Walker vows to never rest until every can of Mountain Dew Code Red is removed from the shelves of convenient stores in the United States.

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Farewell to Fargas: The last Raider to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

The writing was on the wall and now it appears the Justin Fargas era has come to an end in Oakland.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders have released Fargas. The move had been rumored earlier in the week and was all but expected in lieu of Darren McFadden’s arrival and the emergence of Michael Bush.

Injuries have limited Fargas in recent years. Still it is his locker room presence that will be missed most of all.

Next weekend Fargas, along with Zach Miller, will be given the Commitment to Excellence Award, the third year in a row he has been bestowed with the honor.   

There has been some speculation that the Raiders could bring him back at a reduced price. No matter the case the franchise is turning the page as the youth movement continues to sweep through the East Bay.

I’d like to thank Young Hugg for representing the Silver and Black with such class over the years. He played every snap with passion and a reckless abandon that coincided with his punishing running style. If the coaching staff told Justin Fargas to run through a brick wall, you felt bad for the bricks.

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Instead of passing out multi-million dollar meal tickets to total strangers, Al Davis has been rewarding his own.

$45-million to Nnamdi Asomugha, $16-million to Shane Lechler, $16-million to Sebastian Janikowski.  

The biggest splash the Raiders made in the free agency last year was inking Greg Ellis to a three-year deal.

This time around might not be much different.

Even without a salary cap, the Raiders have little wiggle room to pursue any of the big names seeking new places of employment. Of course, the Julius Peppers and Dunta Robinsons were off the market by the time Davis fired up his projector this morning. Not that Oakland was going to make a play anyway.

Give Davis some credit. While he might not have a keen eye for talent around the league, he seems to have a pretty good grasp on his own roster. (JaMarcus Russell not withstanding)

Last year Al wasted no time in ridding himself of his wayward signings from the ’08 crop. Gibril Wilson was given a shocking 6-year deal worth $39-million. The Bay Area native only made it through one year of that deal. Davis sent him packing and the Tuna came calling in Miami.

After one year in South Beach, Wilson was once again shown the exit as the Dolphins gave him his outright release today.

Al knew he had Tyvon Branch in his back pocket thus making Wilson expendable.

Maybe he knows Stanford Routt is ready to breakout next. At least one can only hope considering the high value Davis placed on the man poised to become the NFL’s highest paid nickel corner.

While there is, as of yet, no movement on the Raider front you can bet that things will pick up very soon. Sure, Davis knows he’s got some young talent blossoming but he also knows that there are certain voids that can only be filled via free agency and trades.

Or, Davis could view the uncapped year as a chance to trim a little fat off the payroll.

After handing out a good share of RFA tenders, Davis is positioning his pieces on the board.

The silence today is good news sign for Al’s wallet. But not as good for the wallets of the players given their tenders. Consider Thomas Howard among the latter.

As always, you should expect the unexpected. Just don’t expect anymore mega-millionaires to be made in the East Bay during free agency. After all, Al’s got to save that money for his newest toy to be purchased in April’s draft.

Update: David White reports that the Raiders have re-signed Khalif Barnes to a one-year deal.

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Dolphins to Cut Gibril Wilson Loose – Al Davis wasn’t the only one fooled by that Super Bowl ring on Wilson’s digit. Tuna, you’ve been had.

Rejected Numbers for LeBron’s Jersey Change – Before he decided to cash in…errr…honor MJ, King James had to decide on a new number. It wasn’t an easy process as this list of rejected numbers proves.

What Canadian Hockey Fans Really Think of the U.S.A. - I guess our neighbors to the North aren’t the gracious winners we all assumed they were. Don’t take my word for it, check the picture to see the proof.  

7 Reasons Why Fantasy Baseball is Not for Losers – Two words: productive procrastination. Think of it as being a congressman with even more free time.  

Adam Morrison Hopes He’s Still Allowed to Wear #6 - Poor Adam Morrison. He’s known more for his crying than his game and now LeBron James has claimed his jersey number.

David Carr Headed to the 49ers? - Those Niners just can’t get enough of top picks who went bust. Now David Carr could be joining Alex Smith in the Bay.

The “Dangerous” Dunk, With Reverse Dismount – Charles Barkley called it the bets dunk he’d ever seen. I call it the worst gimmick since Dee Brown pumped up his kicks. Watch the video and decide for yourself!

Hasheem Thabeet is a Big Success…in the D-League - Is it too early to call Thabeet the new Darko? Is it too late for Big Country Reeves to get a shot in the D-League?

Barry Zito Thinks He’s Tough – Spring Training has just started and we’ve already got a little controversy thanks to Zito plunking Prince Fielder in the ribs. I’m sure Barry can’t wait until he has to stand in the batter’s box against the Brewers this season.

That seems to be theme around the Raider organization these days.

One day after effectively putting Kirk Morrison on the trading block, Adam Schefter has stated that he expects both Justin Fargas and Gerard Warren to be released.

Warren never lived up to his draft status after being selected third overall by the Cleveland Browns in the ’01 draft. His best asset was rushing the passer yet like most defensive linemen in Oakland in recent years he struggled against the run.

Fargas has been the only consistent offensive producer for the Silver and Black over the last four seasons including his 1,000-yard effort back in ’07. With the emergence of Michael Bush and the arrival of Darren McFadden, it was a given that Young Hugg was on borrowed time in the East Bay.

If true then there is also the obligatory element of the bizarre involved since this is the franchise ESPN loves to hate.

Both Fargas and Zach Miller are set to receive the Commitment to Excellence Award next weekend. For Fargas, it marks the third consecutive year he’s been bestowed with the honor.

Hey, it’s a business, I get that.

Fargas has represented the Silver and Black with pride every Sunday. He’s a hard worker who Lane Kiffin once referred to as the “heartbeat of the offense”. Always willing to accept whatever role the multiple coaching regimes he’s played for assigned him, Fargas has defined professionalism and exemplified excellence.

While his production has diminished each year since he surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau, his locker room presence will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace.

Hopefully this is one rumor that is rooted more in speculation than fact.

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Morrison could be yours for cheap but Routt is gonna cost ya.

Hey Kirk Morrison!

What did the five fingers say to the face?

That pretty much sums up the offer the Raiders made to Morrison today. It was a straight up slap in the face.

Oakland placed a first and third round tender on nickel corner Stanford Routt. The same Stanford Routt who has started just 5 times in the last two years and has yet to consistently live up to any of the potential he displayed when selected in the second round of the ’05 draft.

Meanwhile, Morrison (picked in the third round of ’05) was given an original round tender. That’s right! The same Kirk Morrison who ranks fourth in the NFL since 2006 in efficient defensive stops.

I can’t front. I’ve been as critical of Morrison as anybody else for his hot and cold tendencies. He’s routinely out of position, over pursues and has racked up some gaudy numbers due in large part to the opposition constantly running the ball down the throats of the Raiders.

How much of that fault can be blamed on Morrison’s short comings and how much of it is a direct result of the leatherhead era style of defense the Raiders still employ in the 21^st century?

That’s debatable.

What is not debatable is Morrison’s professionalism, his work ethic and his toughness. The Oakland native and Bishop O’Dowd alum has only missed one game in his entire career. Since being plucked out of San Diego State in ’05, Morrison has been a starter every time he’s stepped onto the field sporting Silver and Black.

Now, the Raiders are willing to let him go for the low price of a third round pick should another team make an offer.

Trust me, somebody will come calling. Al Davis is betting on it.

To add insult to injury, the Raiders gave Ricky Brown a second round tender. That’s right! The same Ricky Brown who was in competition with Morrison for the middle linebacker job in training camp last summer.

I’ve always felt that Morrison would be better suited as an outside backer, but that never seemed to be an option for the Raiders.

Maybe Morrison will remain in the East Bay for the ensuing season. Maybe this is just an overreaction to a benign decision made by management.

No matter what, the value speaks for itself.

The Raiders placed a high price on Routt all but assuring no team would pay the costly amount for his services. Meanwhile Morrison is suddenly available at a bargain rate. If these two were stocks then Morrison’s value has remained stagnant while Routt’s over bloated price is ripe to be sold short.

In addition, the Raiders applied second round tenders to Thomas Howard, Bruce Gradkowski, Hiram Eugene (not a misprint) and long snapper extraordinaire Jon Condo.

No doubt the Raiders could have easily lost 11 or more games a year without the services of Morrison. But it certainly is not going to be any easier winning without the leadership and dedication of players like Captain Kirk.

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The Raiders are taking a strange Routt in free agency.

According to Adam Caplan of Scout.com the Oakland Raiders will place the highest tender on cornerback Stanford Routt.

Just when you thought there was the remote possibility of a case of sanity breaking out in the Raider organization, Al Davis occurs.

The terms of the tender state that Routt will be valued at a 1^st and 3^rd round level in addition to receiving a base salary of $3.268-million in 2010. Should anyone else overvalue Routt as much as Davis, the Raiders will receive a first and third round pick in the upcoming draft if Oakland does not to match another team’s offer.

Safe to say that Routt will be wearing Silver and Black again next season.  

As of now this is all rumor and the news won’t be official until Thursday’s deadline has come and gone.

Routt has spent the last two seasons as a nickel corner. Since 2007, Stanford has started just 5 games while being passed over for a starting role by Chris Johnson who just inked a four year deal last off-season.

The two most memorable moments of 2009 for Routt are hardly even worth mentioning. During Oakland’s 13-9 victory over the Eagles, Routt picked a Donovan McNabb pass and took it to the house. Too bad he was flagged for a PI on the play, thus negating his first INT in two years. One play that did stand was Routt’s ejection in the first half of the embarrassing loss to the Browns.

To be fair, Stanford did perform well more often than not in ’09. In that same game against Philly, Routt replaced an injured Nnamdi Asomugha and played brilliantly. The problem for Routt has been playing at a high level consistently.

If the decision to give Routt the highest tender does in fact come to fruition then it certainly raises a few questions.

As Jerry McDonald points out:

The Raiders are either dramatically overpaying a size/speed player whose play has never matched his physical attributes, or are planning on moving a starting cornerback. There have been trade rumors regarding Nnamdi Asomugha.

In other words Davis is either going to do something dumb and possibly something ever dumber.

Also, the Raiders have placed an original round tender on guard/center Chris Morris who nearly took the starting job away from Samson Satele last year.

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How can Al say no to Mays?

We all knew this day was coming. One year ago almost to the day, I stated exactly what would happen once USC safety Taylor Mays hit the NFL Combine. Now that the world has bore witness to the most physically intriguing prospect in the NFL draft, there is but one question to ponder.

How can Al Davis resist drafting a 6’3”, 230 pound headhunter with true Raider Speed?

Sure, there are plenty of other needs to be addressed with the 8^th pick in the draft. But when did that ever stop Davis – who values potential over production – from nabbing the biggest, strongest and, most importantly, fastest player on the board?

If there is one player who could disrupt Al’s perfectly laid plan, it would be Tennessee’s Eric Berry slipping to the #8 spot.

At that point Davis would look like Peter Griffin trying to decide between renting Ernest Goes to the Beach or Ernest Doesn’t Go to the Beach with two minutes left before the video store closes.

While Mays is a monster roaming the last line of defense, he’s far from a ball hawk and tries to make every hit a highlight instead of wrapping up. Berry, on the other hand, is dynamic in both pass coverage and run support. Both men possess Raider Speed. Both can jump out of the gym. Both are locks to be first round picks.

With the performances today in Indianapolis, Berry has all but cemented himself a spot in the top 10 and the contract that comes with it. Mays still has many questions to be answered but again, that has never stopped Davis from rolling the dice on a physical prospect like the Seattle native.

Both Davis and head coach (?) Tom Cable share the unified vision of resurrecting the Raider Mystique of the past. Last year Oakland made headlines by drafting Michael Mitchell in the second round. Mitchell’s athletic prowess impressed but it was his hard hitting highlight reel that sealed the deal.

While Mitchell struggled with a hamstring injury during his rookie year, he did manage to find a role in goal line packages and as a nickel corner. Perhaps he’s already been tapped to inherit the throne at free safety. In that case drafting Mays could be pointless.

However, Davis knows that his defense needs an identity.

There was once a point in time when men like Jack Tatum patrolled the last line of defense, daring anybody to step foot in their territory where pain was the chief export.

What the last line of Silver and Black defense used to look like.

Now at days it is the other way around with Willis McGahee stiff arming fear into the heart of Hiram Eugene. For Raider Nation, the chief import has been pain these last seven years.

If history is any indicator then it would seem nearly impossible for Davis to take a flyer on Mays. Al spent the better part of the last decade drafting defensive backs (5 DBs picked in the first round during the 2000’s). While cornerback is perhaps a more pressing need, top ranked Joe Haden might just have taken himself out of the running with, well, his running (4.57 isn’t Raider Speed).

Once again it is that familiar conundrum that comes with Al Davis and his outlook on the draft. Berry has the physical tools but will most likely be unavailable at number 8. Haden has the talent but does not possess the impressive physical traits. Mays is great in the weight room but doesn’t have the game film to match.

Sit tight Raider fans; the discussion of this dilemma is just getting warmed up.

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