By Paul Wexler
RaiderBeat.com Staff Writer
The Raiders are the Lindsey Lohan of the NFL, the talented superstar that no one can take their eyes off of and who almost is as captivating while imploding as she is when things are going well. She has had to overcome some issues with her overbearing father, to be sure. Lohan has made a few mistakes in recent years, but you know there will be a comeback.
The Raiders are in a no-lose situation. Their seven selections in the NFL Draft last weekend was given an F by most evaluators with a soap box to stand on. Everyone outside of the Raider Nation expects every member of the 2009 draft class to fail.
With such low expectations, any success will be viewed from the outside as shocking. However, the Raiders are talented enough to sneak up on a few teams that overlook them or get caught looking toward the next opponent.
For example, the Philadelphia Eagles play the Raiders in Oakland in Week 6, and then have to fly back to the East Coast and prepare for a Monday Night game against NFC East rival Washington Redskins.
This lethal combination makes the Eagles ripe for the picking. The Raiders are in prime position to steal a game from a playoff-caliber team.
DUNGY MEETING WITH VICK
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy is off to visit current federal convict Michael Vick to “talk about the Lord.”
My first thought is that Dungy no longer is in the league, Vick no longer is in the league and our Lord savior hasn’t been in the league, so this is a non-story.
Yet, that just ignores the obvious. Somehow an attempt at a few verbal “Hail Marys” is going to be used as Vick’s ticket back into the NFL.
OK, so Vick is doing his time. Only a few chose to ignore his other transgressions prior to the fall from grace for killing so many dogs.
Now any effort to try to paint himself as anything other than man who paid the price for his crimes is repugnant.
Even if he does find the Lord, let him keep it to himself. Don’t let him use it as a marketing tool to get back into the league. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us.
JONES AT A CHEAP PRICE
Free-agent wide receiver Matt Jones still is available for little more than a song and a dance.
The perennial screw-up from the Jacksonville Jaguars is facing suspension from the league for off-field issues, and he has questionable work habits.
Raiders coach Tom Cable has gone out of his way to been bring in high-effort, drama-free players this offseason, so it is understandable why the Raiders haven’t given Jones any consideration.
But Jones is the exact type of receiver that quarterback JaMarcus Russell needs to be successful.
Jones is a 6-foot-6 speedster with the largest margin of error of any receiver in the NFL, meaning that with his height and 39 ½-inch vertical jump, he has the largest area around him from which to catch a football.
The risks associated with signing Jones can’t be overlooked and is reflected in his low asking price. That doesn’t change the fact that he is a physical freak of nature.
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What are you talking about. Am I reading E entertainment. Isn’t Lindsey one of the beaver girls. You usually write great stuff though Wex.
Only part of the site I hate is this blog
Exactly what is Lindsey Lohan that good at or what has she doen to earn the “talented superstar” designation? As a Raiders fan, that comparison is very scary.
Seriously, I have said it before and I’ll say it again, the writers and staff at this site are NOT Raider fans. Why bother writing about the Raiders at all Wexler? I will again challenge you to give us your credentials/experience.
Otherwise you might as well call this ESPN West… oh wait, you are located somewhere in the eastern time zone.
I agree, what is Lindsey Lohan talented at?
I like this site cause its a place to go for Raider info. I don’t think the writers here neccesarily have to be Raider fans, they just need to provide us with raider news.
The thing I don’t appreciate is how some of the writers here only report negative stuff about Jamarcus.
Maybe the writers here are the type who think that because Jamarcus wears fur coats & shades that he’s not working hard. For some reason they want so badly to pre-maturely call this guy a bust.
wex,i’v only read a couple of your blogs, but they have been as ridiculous as this one, i don’t know what to say except stop please, it hurts to read.
RAIDERS 4 LIFE!
Ms. Lohans only talents are her huge, fake, freckled boobs, and those are wearing thin these days.
What the hell???
Matt Jones is the Todd Marinovich of WR’s. All the talent and physical gifts in the world, and he still just can’t seem to keep himself off of drugs and out of trouble. No team should be interested in signing him right now while he has an almost certain suspension looming, especially the Raiders who already have a glut of WR’s on the roster.
I tihk if Jones gets another shot in the NFL it will be after his suspension is served, and even then only if a team somewhere has injuries to their other WR’s.
I’d rather you guys write stuff every other day if you are struggle for material. The Lohan’s at least give me Hallie Berry, Beyonce, or Kate Hudson. Get access to interviews with Raiders past and present do some work, Get on the phone and make things happen. The site is getting dull I could go on you tube and and video to a site.
Kate Hudson is HOTTTT!!!
It is time to drop the Matt Jones analysis, one decent season last year does not make up for the fact that several of his former teammates that he was a coward. He has always under produced and I would rather take our chances with whom we got now with the exception of Javon Walker (another headcase).
“our Lord savior hasn’t been in the league”!?!?!
Are you kidding me? Is this supposed to be funny? I would stick to making fun of pop princesses and teen idols, at least they can’t smite you!
I can’t seem to stop being a fan of the Raiders, which is a troubling obsession given how awful this organization has become with Al Davis as CEO of Everything. But what is more troubling is that most of the readers of this blog talk as if they are 10 years old. According to them, the world is black and white–there can only be Raider “fans” and “Raider haters”. No-one can be allowed to objectively criticize this organization, and if they do, they get attacked personally. If you don’t like this website, stay the hell off it and delete it from your Favourites!!
Well, because of the media brainwashing of the sheeple, people do usually wind up under one of the two categories of – Raider fans or Raider haters. Even some Raider “fans” overtly criticize and blatantly disrespect Al Davis, even childishly talking about his old body “parts.” I was even kicked off of a Raider board for defending Al Davis against these Bay Area Raider “fans.”
Matt Jones is cukoo for cocoa puffs!
I’m a dog lover. Nuff said about Vick……… The Matt Jones talk is crazy. THat’s all we need is a bunch of problems on a rebuilt team. We have quality guys with size and speed. Amen to Kate Hudson!!!!
I thought this was a Raider website. This guy sounds like just another Raider hater. IMO
I think Matt Jones would help us and Jamarcus out but what the heck is what with the whole Lindsey BS!?!?
***What the heck is up with the whole Lindsey BS!?!?
The Cookoo for Cocoa puffs line is historical.
Funnier then chit!!
Eflo-Bleeder of Silver & Black
Wow! I had to re-read this story after reading so much negative comments regarding this entry.
…I still don’t get the negative reaction to the “Lindsey Lohan” comparison to start off the story.
It was a simple selection regarding someone who, in the media, appears to be imploding, but will still have the opportunity for success in the future.
Logically, the comparison was made because “we haven’t heard the last of Lindsey Lohan or the Raiders”, no matter what all the talking heads on the NFL Draft have said about our choices this off-season. (Most experts have left us for dead…we shall see.)
Whether or not Wexler could have found a more “flattering personality” to compare the Raiders to is irrelevant. Suffice it to say, it was a “necessary evil to get his point across.”
I read this entire story and assumed that it was just “heresay”, or “one man’s fantasy” by the title of this blog.
The title “Wexler’s Wild Thoughts” tells me right off the bat that this is an opinion blog and not based on inside information.
That said, I don’t read any line in this story that leads me to believe Wexler is a Raider hater.
To the contrary, his pondering as to “whether or not Jones might help out our Receiving corps” leads me to believe that he’s a fan that simply wants to see our organization do whatever it can to get back on top.
Nexx
Who cares im tired of sneaking up on teams all the time when are we going to be respectable team that other teams have to prepare well for and doesn’t want to face? I wanna be that team!
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