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Oakland
RAIDERS
2002 Record: 11-5
Head Coach: Bill Callahan
11-5 overall, 2-1 postseason
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TEAM LEADERS
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Passing
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Rich Gannon
418-618, 4,689 yards, 26 TDs, 10 INTs
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Rushing
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Charlie Garner
182 carries, 962 yards, 7 TDs
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Receiving
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Jerry Rice
92 catches, 1,211 yards, 7 TDs
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Kicking
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Sebastian Janikowski
26-33 FGs, 50-50 PATs, 128 points
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Schedule | Roster |
Statistics | Stadium
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By B. Duane Cross, SI.com
OK, so everyone was a year early in declaring the Raiders too old. Or maybe 18 games, because that 19th one was a doozy. Fact is, the Raiders are old; no less than a half dozen of their key players were born in the 1960s. But hat's off to the front office; Oakland is poised to remain competitive after several deft draft.
Then again, Bruce Allen is the son of "Over the Hill Gang" leader George Allen, and look what it got Washington in 1972 -- a shot at Super Bowl glory, which is just what QB Rich Gannon, WR Jerry Rice, S Rod Woodson, LB Bill Romanowski, DT John Parrella, WR Tim Brown and DE Trace Armstrong want.
Add free-agent DT Dana Stubblefield (49ers) to that list, though he was born in 1970. "I think I am going to fit well," Stubblefield said the day his signing was announced. "My style is like Johnny's [Parrella], we're low center of gravity, stop the run type guys." Stubblefield has previously played with Rice and Romo, and added, "Those guys are some of the guys that helped get me here. Romo was pulling for me. He said this is the place to be. It's good that those guys still would like to play with me."
And if Raiders fans want to think youth movement, consider this: Since 1998, Oakland's fifth-round draft selections include LB Travian Smith, one of the top special teams players in the NFL, LB Eric Barton and DL Rod Coleman, P Shane Lechler and DE Kenyon Coleman. Barton led the team with 124 tackles last year, while Coleman had a team-high 11 sacks. Lechler holds the second-best punting average for a rookie in league history.
One can only wonder what the future holds for 2003's fifth-round pick, WR Doug Gabriel. After all, Rice and Brown cannot play forever.
Slim pickin's between aging DT Dana Stubblefield and non-descript RBs Ronney Jenkins, Chris Hetherington and Cecil Martin. Look for a rookie to make his mark; S Nnamdi Asomugha, DE Tyler Brayton or WR/TE Teyo Johnson are the best bets to have an impact among the newcomers.
DE Regan Upshaw -- The Raiders currently list LDE DeLawrence Grant as the only starting end, backed up by Kenyon Coleman, while Chris Cooper is penciled in as the RDE second-stringer. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila -- younger brother to Green Bay's Kabeer -- also was signed as a free agent. ... Yeah, the Raiders are hurting on the ends.
QB Rich Gannon -- Since joining the Raiders, Gannon had been a quietly consistent quarterback who will put up about 3,700 yards, throw 25 or so TDs plus run for a few more on the ground. He did just that last season, except that he threw for a whopping 4,689 yards, including 10 300-yard games. The yards are what made him a fantasy superstar last year, and he had five games with at least three TDs. If the Oakland offense stays the same as last year, Gannon rises further up the quarterback charts.
WR Tim Brown -- While he did have 81 catches last year, he also had a career-low two TDs and saw his string of nine consecutive 1,000-yard seasons come to an end. Brown has developed into a possession receiver, with Jerry Rice and Jerry Porter getting the bulk of TDs. Don't expect Brown to put up the big numbers on a consistent basis anymore.
TE Doug Jolley -- With as many passes being thrown around by Gannon, there are plenty of players to catch them. Jolley, a second-round pick last season, emerged as one of the most productive tight ends down the stretch, catching 25 passes in his final eight games of the regular season (after seven in the first half). He'll eventually find his catches in the end zone, but for now, he'll get his share of yards as one of the top fantasy tight ends.
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>> Raiders will make the playoffs because ...
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The veterans know what it takes to win when it counts, which will come in handy down the stretch. Oakland's final six games: at Kansas City, Denver, at Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Green Bay, at San Diego.
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>> Raiders will miss the playoffs because ...
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Father Time will come calling -- probably during that six-game season-ending stretch. It's unrealistic to believe Rich Gannon can duplicate his MVP numbers from last sason.
| Oakland Raiders |
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| Signed |
From |
Lost |
To |
| RB Zach Crockett |
Re-signed |
DT Sam Adams |
Bills |
| T Brad Badger |
Re-signed |
S Anthony Dorsett |
Released |
| DT Dana Stubblefield |
San Francisco |
RB Terry Kirby |
Buccaneers |
| RB Ronney Jenkins |
Chargers |
CB Tory James |
Bengals |
| QB Rick Mirer |
Re-signed |
WR James Jett |
Bills |
| FB Chris Hetherington |
Rams |
DE Regan Upshaw |
Redskins |
| FB Cecil Martin |
Eagles |
FB Jon Ritchie |
Eagles |
| RB Tyrone Wheatley |
Re-signed |
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| G Mo Collins |
Re-signed |
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| Unrestricted |
Restricted |
| OL Darryl Ashmore |
CB Brandon Jennings |
| WR Alvis Whitted |
S Eric Johnson |
| CB Darrien Gordon |
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| RB Randy Jordan |
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| 2003 Draft Picks |
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| Rd. |
Pick |
Player |
Pos. |
School |
| 1 |
31 (31) |
Nnamdi Asomugha |
S |
California |
| 1 |
32 (32) |
Tyler Brayton |
DE |
Colorado |
| 2 |
31 (63) |
Teyo Johnson |
WR |
Stanford |
| 3 |
19 (83) |
Sam Williams |
OLB |
Fresno State |
| 3 |
32 (96) |
Justin Fargas |
HB |
Southern Cal |
| 4 |
32 (129) |
Shurron Pierson |
OLB |
South Florida |
| 5 |
32 (167) |
Doug Gabriel |
WR |
Central Florida |
| 6 |
31 (204) |
Dustin Rykert |
OT |
BYU |
| 7 |
32 (246) |
Siddeeq Shabazz |
S |
New Mexico State |
| 7 |
48 (262) |
Ryan Hoag |
WR |
Gustavus Adolph |
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