With six months to go before the season starts, the Raiders officially have a quarterback controversy. On Monday, April 6th veteran quarterback and Bay Area native Jeff Garcia signed with the Raiders for a one-year deal.
After playing journeyman for 10 seasons and traversing through the 49ers, Browns, Lions, Eagles, and Buccaneers, Garcia looks to spend his final years in Oakland.
While the Raiders organization continues to leave the training wheels on Jamarcus, Garcia’s readiness and historic efficiency where in the last three seasons, Garcia has thrown 35 TDs, 12 INTs, at a 64% completion rate, Garcia is ready to lead the Raiders now. Garcia gives the Raiders a legitimate shotor f an 8-win team. However, there’s no telling what ousting Jamarcus would do the young player’s psyche.
As news of the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones’ recent separation with Terrell Owens, Al Davis must be salivating right now. With a young Raiders team far from turning the corner, no one in the league needs T.O. more than the Raiders.
While no player or coach wants to go to Oakland and where no team wants near T.O., Davis and Owens are meant for one another. Chicago, Kansas City, and St. Louis remain the likely contenders to enlist Owens’ services, the Raiders and Al Davis are the clear front runners to acquire the flamboyant receiver.
In a quantifiable sense of Owens likelihood to join the Raiders, there’s no better authority on the matter than Vegas. According to sports-odds.com, Owens is favored to join the Raider are -200. A clear favorite, if you believe Owens will join the Raiders and want to put your money where your mouth is, you’d have to bet $200 to win $100.
Regardless what plague Owens will bring to Oakland, I remain skeptical of any tangible benefit Owens will bring to the field if he fails to get along with Jamarcus. Remember Randy Moss? A top-5 wide receiver in every season of his career EXCEPT for his time in Oakland. Owens will likely fall into a similar trend as soon as his first check cashes.
Welcome Owens or not, take his likely arrival in Oakland with a grain of salt.
After continuing to search the Gulf of Mexico for Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith, and William Bleakley for five days, the Coast Guard announced Tuesday, March 3rd that the search will be abandoned. With a massive space to cover, the capsized boat already found, the Coast Guard had little intuition on where to locate the missing sailors.
With Marquis Cooper and the fate of others remain grim, Cooper’s family has vowed to continue to search for the missing players.
Earlier today, the Raiders front office released the following statement:
We continue to hold out hope that Marquis Cooper, Will Bleakley and Corey Smith will be located and rescued…However, with the Coast Guard’s decision to cease search and rescue efforts, we are faced with the reality that this mission may not turn out the way that we all desire.
Marquis Cooper is a NFL journeyman who played for eight NFL franchises in his five season career. Cooper played eight games at linebacker for the Raiders in 2008. Cooper was well liked around the clubhouse and his presence will be missed.
With six months to go before the season starts, the Raiders officially have a quarterback controversy. On Monday, April 6th veteran quarterback and Bay Area native Jeff Garcia signed with the Raiders for a one-year deal.
