Raiders sign McClain, everyone in camp
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The Oakland Raiders start off training camp on a high note, all their players are signed including first round selection, Rolando McClain. McClain totaled 275 tackles, 8 sacks and 5 interceptions in his college career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. This marks a departure from past training camps when the Raiders had to deal with holdouts.
Raiders Cable addresses media
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Raiders head coach addressed the media on Wednesday regarding the opening of camp and the state of the Raiders heading into 2010. You can read the transcript below.
Campbell is Cable’s guy in Oakland
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The Oakland Raiders opened training camp on Wednesday and as expected, Jason Campbell was practicing with the first team. Campbell, acquired via trade during the draft in April, has been considered the starter for the Raiders for much of the off season. Raiders head coach, Tom Cable was signing Campbell’s praises after only one day.
“You don’t have to be a boisterous, outgoing, run-your-mouth kind of guy to be a great leader,” Cable said. “He’s even showed some of that already, just this morning in some earlier things that went on, that he’s capable that way. … He loves it. It’s important to him. It was interesting talking to those guys last night after they got checked in, just how that whole group of quarterbacks, they’re so much further ahead and prepared right now than we’ve been. It’s a tribute to all those guys, and it starts with Jason.”
Campbell joins a Raiders club which has suffered miserably since being defeated in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Raiders have had a lack of leadership form the quarterback position and Campbell is an immediate upgrade. Campbell is vastly underrated in my opinion and suffered only from a non stop turnover at the coaching position when he was in Washington. Raiders fan have every reason to be optimistic this season and might even have the thought of a possible playoff berth in the back of their minds with the AFC West in a state of flux.
Oakland Raiders legend, Jack Tatum has died
Several media outlets are reporting this afternoon that Oakland Raiders legendary safety Jack Tatum has died. Tatum, 61, reportedly has died of a heart attack. I grew up watch Jack Tatum and he set the standard that safety’s today try to live up to.
He will however, forever be remembered for the hit on New England Patriots WR Darryl Stingley in a 1978 game which left Stingley paralyzed.
Tatum was fearless across the middle of the field, he would smack any receiver in the mouth that tried to come across the middle of the field. He truly was a force to be reckoned with. Tatum had to be laughing at the Twitter exchange this season between New Orleans Saints S Darren Sharper and Minnesota Vikings TE Visanthe Shinacoe tweeting back and forth about what each was going to do to the other on the field come September 9th. Tatum would never have tweeted, he simply would have gone on to the field and smacked Shinacoe right in the mouth, end of story.
Tatum had suffered from diabetes after he left the NFL and had to have his right leg amputated as well as some toes on his left foot. However, he will always be a major part of the Raider legacy and will never be forgotten. Raider Nation mourns the loss of one of the truly great ones, Jack Tatum, 61.
Houston, this is Oakland.
Just in time for the start of training camp opening on Wednesday, the Oakland Raiders have signed 2nd round selection Lamarr Houston. The University of Texas star recorded 160 career tackles and 14 sacks. Houston, 6’3″ 305 pounds was drafted 44th overall.
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