[BobCarl]

When did we start caring for fans in Oakland?

I started caring when I watched a black & white TV and saw Ben Davidson throw Joe Nameth around like a rag doll.

The day was November 17, 1968 ... some game I watched on TV was when I was 8 years old ... It was two touchdowns in 9 seconds of a game on TV I didn't get to see because of some 10-year old actress named Jennifer Edwards.



That is the day I started caring.

[St. Loser Fan]

I totally took his comment as "you didn't care about St. Louis fans so why start caring about Oakland fans". Am i wrong?

Not really, but you can throw that cherry on top if you want to.

Is the dynamic really that different between Oakland Raider fan and Los Angeles Raider fan? Now I didn't check the IDs on the Raiders fans that were yelling/cursing at us in St. Louis: especially during the 52-0 game. But at least to me Raider fan is Raider fan: doesn't matter if they're from Oakland, LA, Las Vegas or Dayton Ohio.

[St. Loser Fan]

I'll eat my words.

Rams offered package for Khalil Mack, but Raiders believed the draft pick would be too low in 2019
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-s ... story.html

[Elvis]

I'll eat my words.

Rams offered package for Khalil Mack, but Raiders believed the draft pick would be too low in 2019
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-s ... story.html

Yeah me too, did not think that was for real...

[PARAM]

Same can be said of AD though. You wouldn't have us re-sign him?

A losing team will start winning when they get good (great) players.
So the logical thing to do is to jettison the good (great) players you already have?
Or to build around the ones you already have and make your job easier.

First off, do you think Donald and Mack have similar impacts on the game? I don't. Donald has an impact in the passing game and running game. Mack? Not so much. Donald is a disruptor every down. Mack is a disruptor on 3rd and >>>>>>.

And the Rams brought in those "good" players before signing Donald long term. The Rams went from 4-12 to 11-5, then signed Donald. The Raiders went from 12-4 to 6-10 and Mack started making demands.


Imho, Mack is way over rated. Plus, his sack numbers have dropped each of the last two years. Which is why seasoned, intelligent Jon Gruden said, "see ya".

[/zn/]

First off, do you think Donald and Mack have similar impacts on the game? I don't. Donald has an impact in the passing game and running game. Mack? Not so much. Donald is a disruptor every down. Mack is a disruptor on 3rd and >>>>>>.

And the Rams brought in those "good" players before signing Donald long term. The Rams went from 4-12 to 11-5, then signed Donald. The Raiders went from 12-4 to 6-10 and Mack started making demands.


Imho, Mack is way over rated. Plus, his sack numbers have dropped each of the last two years. Which is why seasoned, intelligent Jon Gruden said, "see ya".

I agree with part of that and not with some of it.

I thought upfront cash was part of the situation and I still do to an extent, though apparently it wasn't the single heaviest deciding thing (and before I thought it was).

In terms of Mack's demands...turns out at least 2 teams we know of were willing to meet them. So they're not outrageous in themselves. And as Breer put it, the demands especially did not seem so crazy when Donald signed:

Because the financial area that Donald and Mack sought to reach was uncharted by anyone other than the guys throwing the ball, the Raiders certainly had their right to believe that Mack’s asking price was crazy. ....The tone changed as Donald and the Rams closed in on their deal. By then, Oakland knew what Mack was asking for was about to seem a great deal more reasonable than it had a few weeks before. .... At that point, it seemed like they actually wanted to deal him.

Other points. I too if I had to choose between them would take Donald. I agree that an elite DT has the power to disrupt a game more than an edge rusher does.

As to why Gruden would deal him, he has been representing the Raiders as a rebuild project. That includes trashing the last couple of drafts. So a lot of people are saying if you're rebuilding why pay for both a qb and a "best defender" when you're 2 years away. After 2 years Mack will be approaching 30. In contrast the Rams can win now with Donald.

Notice also some other things Mack tells us about the Donald situation, meaning the kinds of speculation that was going on before he signed. It seems the Raiders didnt think they could just keep Mack by tagging him. (And the one team that is tagging a top player, the Steelers, are in a complicated situation because of it.) So the idea of using tags for Donald were probably always more "on paper" than real, and that's independent of the fact that both the Rams and Donald were working on a contract and it seems not worrying about anything beyond that. And turns out there is a market for players like this...Mack was easy to trade, even with the high price in picks and with the knowledge that he is taking up "top defender" level cap space.

And now. All lessons of history aside...

We get to watch Donald next to Suh and Brockers.

And so there yah go.

[RamsFanSince82]

I love it!

[BobCarl]

I love it!

King is a riot!

I was more hurt by him being showed the door than I was for Mack. As a punter he is in Johnny Hekker's league.

Yesterday King pooched a 66 yarder.

[BobCarl]

Donald has an impact in the passing game and running game. Mack? Not so much. .... Mack is way over rated. .

I agree with your conclusion, but not your narrative.

Mack is very good against the Run. Mack is an elite player, who looks awesome on TV too.

Donald is a more elite player, but TV cameras are unable to capture just how bad he abuses the opposing O-lines nor can they capture how much Donald gets into the head of the QBs