The recent cut of rookie safety Stevie Brown is the only move I've truly hated this off-season.
At the expense of true depth at tight end and fullback, the Raiders cut tight end Tony Stewart and recently cut John Owens, as well as, the very promising blocker Manase Tonga.
Instead, the Raiders have retained linebacker Sam Williams, safety Hiram Eugene, rookie cornerback Jeremy Ware and an extra wideout.
Musings and Mutterings:
Al Davis could not resist the speed of Johnnie Lee Higgins, Yamon Figurs, and Nick Miller and thus decided to axe a tight end.
Perhaps maybe, the Raiders will use a wideout as a tight end.
Marcel Reece however could see time as a third tight end after he lit up the highlight reels in preseason with some big catches. Reece has made big catches going back to his days with the Washington Huskies.
That however would mean that the Raiders will require subbing, whereas, a blocker like Tonga would have simplified the formations and substitutions.
Al Davis though, likes some fluidity to the formations, because when executed properly, it can "psych out" the defense. I know that this is "Madden-think," but I've been able to slice and dice good teams on Madden 11 with the Raiders by effectively calling audibles.
Rock Cartwright could also see time as a third tight end.
Cartwright has a rapport with Jason Campbell in picking up the blitz, so I surmise that the Raiders expect Cartwright to be more active as a blocker and want to see what he can do before committing to Tonga as a starter.
Whatever the reason may be, the Raiders need their blockers to step up in the running ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
