Raiders Draft day
Include the Oakland Raiders among the major story lines developing for the April 29-30 draft, and there's a good reason.
Most NFL trades occur this time of year, and Raiders owner Al Davis has a history of boldness and unpredictability during the selections.
That said, intrigue is building in this draft as well as where Oakland's interests really lie if Houston, as expected, makes USC running back Reggie Bush the No. 1 overall pick and New Orleans, at No. 2, begins fielding trade offers from quarterback-seeking teams.
The Saints no longer need a seasoned starter now that they have lured Drew Brees away from San Diego, but the question is: do the Raiders still want a quarterback after replacing their two-season starter, a dumped and still unsigned Kerry Collins, with ex-Saint Aaron Brooks?
It wouldn't seem to be a position of priority anymore for Oakland, particularly with two young backups of promise, Marques Tuiasosopo and Andrew Walter, on the roster as alternates to Brooks.
Then again, it wasn't long after Brooks was signed that the Raiders, according to media reports in Detroit, were among teams asking permission to speak to Joey Harrington.
The Raiders, to no one's surprise, didn't comment on whether they've had any contact with Harrington, who has drawn trade interest from Miami and Cincinnati.
At the league meetings, Raiders coach Art Shell smiled when asked, in the context of the draft, how he would feel about nurturing a young quarterback in 2006.
"How young?" Shell asked. "I think if you've got your veteran quarterback, then you sit that [new] guy. I think what Cincinnati did with Carson Palmer was excellent [before he became a starter]. Bringing a young guy in and throwing him to the wolves, that's hard."
RACE IN PAT TILLMAN'S HONOR: Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer was one of more than 8,000 people who participated in the 4.2-mile "Pat's Run" Saturday, raising $350,000 for the foundation established to honor Pat Tillman's memory.
Most NFL trades occur this time of year, and Raiders owner Al Davis has a history of boldness and unpredictability during the selections.
That said, intrigue is building in this draft as well as where Oakland's interests really lie if Houston, as expected, makes USC running back Reggie Bush the No. 1 overall pick and New Orleans, at No. 2, begins fielding trade offers from quarterback-seeking teams.
The Saints no longer need a seasoned starter now that they have lured Drew Brees away from San Diego, but the question is: do the Raiders still want a quarterback after replacing their two-season starter, a dumped and still unsigned Kerry Collins, with ex-Saint Aaron Brooks?
It wouldn't seem to be a position of priority anymore for Oakland, particularly with two young backups of promise, Marques Tuiasosopo and Andrew Walter, on the roster as alternates to Brooks.
Then again, it wasn't long after Brooks was signed that the Raiders, according to media reports in Detroit, were among teams asking permission to speak to Joey Harrington.
The Raiders, to no one's surprise, didn't comment on whether they've had any contact with Harrington, who has drawn trade interest from Miami and Cincinnati.
At the league meetings, Raiders coach Art Shell smiled when asked, in the context of the draft, how he would feel about nurturing a young quarterback in 2006.
"How young?" Shell asked. "I think if you've got your veteran quarterback, then you sit that [new] guy. I think what Cincinnati did with Carson Palmer was excellent [before he became a starter]. Bringing a young guy in and throwing him to the wolves, that's hard."
RACE IN PAT TILLMAN'S HONOR: Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer was one of more than 8,000 people who participated in the 4.2-mile "Pat's Run" Saturday, raising $350,000 for the foundation established to honor Pat Tillman's memory.
