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3 Reasons McKenzie makes Raiders better in 2016
The “just win baby” era is now behind your team as Al Davis has been resting in peace since 2011. Present Oakland Raiders‘ GM Reggie McKenzie has had the “Juice” since 2012. Looking at this years’ offseason, are you now convinced he knows what he is doing?
Long gone are the days of selecting players of talent but overreaching on them simply because of a 40-time. You as a Raiders fan should be jumping for joy and crowd surfing through the black hole this offseason. Kelechi Osemele is at the top of the list of acquisitions but let’s dive deeper into three reasons you should be proud to be part of the Silver and Black.
#1 Gabe Holmes
I am a huge fan of blue-collar type players. Holmes is a real grinder who has the size, physicality and durability to take on DEs. Holmes may not be one of the flashiest big catch TEs, but he can make those underneath catches in traffic that you may need to extend a drive. The former Purdue TE was cut in Nov of 2015 and resigned in April this year. There is a reason he is back in Silver and Black. If McKenzie sees something in him, you probably should pull up a YouTube video or something on the guy.
#2 Corey James
Here is a versatile player who can play at MLB or Strong Safety. OLB was his draft position but let’s be serious. He has one move and at 6-0, James will be facing LTs that on average will be six inches taller. Plus with all of the talent currently at OLB, he has to change positions. However, his athleticism cannot be ignored. You should also be pleased with his ability to break down on ball-carriers and make smart tackles. With Curtis Lofton’s release, someone needs to step up to help this porous run defense. According to NFL.com, he was mentored by veteran Joey Porter of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look out Raiders’ nation may have a gem.
#3 Karl Joseph
This confident young man should have you and the Oakland D ready for the season, and he told Deion Sanders after boldly staring him in the eye and saying “I am the best player in this whole draft.” This former West Virginia player brings the thunder when he lowers his shoulders for tackles. There was not a Safety this exciting in the draft. In fact, I remember slamming the table when he came off the board to the Raiders, being a huge Ravens’ fan and all. He reminds me of what Matt Elam is supposed to be, except better field vision and can actually make tackles. With Charles Woodson hanging up his hat, you can rest easy knowing McKenzie has shored up the Safety position with the drafting of this opportunistic Safety.
McKenzie was given a roster way above the salary cap in 2012, and the majority of the talent was absolute hot garbage. You can now see it all turning around as the team is starting to look like contenders instead of pretenders in the AFC West. Hats off to the smart GM as you can be proud to say “Raiders…Raiders…Raiders”!
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Jermaine Lockett is a Writer and CEO for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Facebook or twitter.
