macbob
  • macbob
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
13 years ago
The 2nd shot I find implausible (trading for him as part of the Moss deal or as part of the #1 overall pick deal), but the first shot, where they picked #23 and let Aaron Rodgers fall to us at #24 was beautiful. Thanks, Al! How'd Fabian Washington work our for you???

http://www.ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders/2011/02/05/raiders-had-two-shots-at-rodgers/ 

Raiders had two shots at Rodgers

At the very end of the post-press conference gaggle with Al Davis on Jan. 18, the Raiders owner was asked about Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and if he regretted not taking the Cal quarterback in the draft.

Sure I would regret not drafting him. Fact, I made two calls to two people, Davis said. Yeah, hes a good player.

Davis said his normal course of action when he sees someone he likes on television is to go back in the files upstairs and we got a report on the guy thats, `ehh, hes 50 percent. I might call (the scout) and say, what were you doing?

The exchange happened at the very end of the marathon press conference with no follow-ups. So its left to the imagination as to who Davis called, when he called them, and if he thinks scouts responsible for evaluating Rodgers were in error.

A couple of things:

Davis didnt need to call anyone from another team to take Rodgers in the draft. He was sitting there when the Raiders selected at No. 23, undergoing the draft day free fall which has been recounted daily as Rodgers prepares to lead the Green Bay Packers into the Super Bowl Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Oakland took Fabian Washington out of Nebraska who was _ surprise! _ the fastest cornerback at the NFL scouting combine. Green Bay followed with the selection of Rodgers at No. 24.

The Raiders quarterback in 2005 was Kerry Collins, with Rich Gannon out of the picture after suffering a broken vertebra in his neck and making his retirement official in August of 2005. Erstwhile backup Marques Tuiasosopo was named the starter for the rest of the season by coach Norv Turner with the Raiders at 4-8 heading into a Week 14 game against the New York Jets, only to play horribly in a 26-10 loss.

Turner then backtracked and went back to Collins, giving a tortured explanation that it was his call while his eyes and mannerisms said something entirely different.

Turner was gone following the season, and while Rodgers remained in Green Bay, immersing himself in a single system of football, the Raiders continued playing musical chairs, running through Aaron Brooks, Andrew Walter, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper, JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski and Jason Campbell.

Campbell, by the way, was taken No. 25, one pick after Rodgers, by the Washington Redskins. Walter went to the Raiders in the third round at No. 69, two picks after Cleveland selected Akrons Charlie Frye at No. 67.

Oakland had a second chance at Rodgers entering the 2007 season as Packers quarterback Brett Favre was lobbying hard for wide receiver Randy Moss. Green Bay G.M. Ted Thompson, however, wanted a lot in return _ and not just Moss. He also wanted draft picks. Thompson could have been the couple of calls referred to by Davis.

The Raiders had the No. 1 overall pick that year and rather than put together a Moss-to-Green Bay package by getting additional picks, trading out of the top spot and dealing for Rodgers, Davis went with Russell.

Sounds ridiculous in hindsight. At the time, however, Rodgers had sat the bench for two years and while there were scouts who were worried about Russell, others thought the LSU quarterback worthy of the top pick.

So Russell became a Raider and perhaps the biggest flop in the history of the NFL draft. Rodgers stayed in Green Bay.

Could Rodgers have changed the course of Raiders history?

If the Raiders had drafted Rodgers instead of Washington, he would have had to survive the stone-age Art Shell-Tom Walsh offense in 2006. Had the Raiders decided to trade for Rodgers in 2007 and pass on Russell, Lane Kiffin would have had a quarterback much more suited to his style of offense.

As for how things would have transpired after that, feel free to write your own doomsday or happily-ever-after scenario.

ibabuzz.com wrote:

Zero2Cool
13 years ago
This is surely to look hypocritical, but I don't think Brett should hold it against Ted for not landing Moss.
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Greg C.
13 years ago
I can't get enough of these we-could've-had-Aaron articles. Seriously! Thanks for posting it. The Raiders, like the Niners, had a shot at a northern California guy and passed him up.

Unfortunately, as you pointed out, this article goes off into la-la land at the end, pretending that the Raiders could've had Aaron Rodgers as part of a Randy Moss trade in 2007. That's the most preposterous thing I've heard in awhile.
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Kingkoopa
13 years ago
Makes me love crazy Al even more.
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tonyagnese
13 years ago
I bet all those teams that didn't make that move wish they would have done things different.
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hardrocker950
13 years ago
Let us also remember that he likely wouldn't have developed into the player he is today if he had ended up in Oakland. He had the fortunate opportunity to study with arguably one of the best QBs in the leagues history - obviously a factor in development. He was signed to a team with many great people that undoubtedly inspired him. Young players are shaped by those around them.

Don't get me wrong, he would have been huge to pretty much any team in need of a QB. I just feel other factors should be looked at when looking at "what could have happened."
Nonstopdrivel
13 years ago

He had the fortunate opportunity to study with arguably one of the best QBs in the leagues history - obviously a factor in development.

"hardrocker950" wrote:



Really? He is pretty much the anti-Favre in almost every way, so I don't think that played a huge role in his development, particularly given Favre's disdain for mentoring potential successors.

But I don't want to ignite yet another such debate on the eve of the Super Bowl.
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Greg C.
13 years ago

He had the fortunate opportunity to study with arguably one of the best QBs in the leagues history - obviously a factor in development.

"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:



Really? He is pretty much the anti-Favre in almost every way, so I don't think that played a huge role in his development, particularly given Favre's disdain for mentoring potential successors.

But I don't want to ignite yet another such debate on the eve of the Super Bowl.

"hardrocker950" wrote:



Agreed. I think Rodgers learned some things from watching Favre, but he also had the judgment not to copy some of Favre's quirkier or less functional qualities. There are plenty of guys who have had the opportunity to play under great QBs, and very few of them have been successful.

The bottom line for me has always been that Aaron Rodgers is by far the #1 person who is responsible for Aaron Rodgers' success. And I've said the same thing about Favre. Although he was clearly in need of a guru like Holmgren when he arrived in Green Bay, Favre still had to have the talent and the smarts and put in a lot of hard work in order to become the player he eventually became. I don't think Rodgers even needed a guru, although McCarthy certainly helped.
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K_Buz
13 years ago
I'm not sure Aaron Rodgers would have been half the QB he is today if he hadn't ended up with the Packers. Only if we had a time machine to go back and find out.
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
13 years ago
There was no 2nd opportunity. Ted was asking for the moon knowing he wouldn't get it. Then again with crazy Al you never know.
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Mucky Tundra (24-Dec) : Jacobs gonna be OK???
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packerfanoutwest (24-Dec) : Inactives tonight for the Pack: Alexander- knee Bullard - ankle Williams - quad Walker -ankle Monk Heath
packerfanoutwest (24-Dec) : No Jaire, but hopefully the front 7 destroys the line of scrimmage & forces Rattler into a few passes to McKinney.
packerfanoutwest (24-Dec) : minny could be #1 seed and the Lions #5 seed
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : We'd have same Division and Conference records. Strength of schedule we edge them
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I just checked. What tie breaker?
bboystyle (23-Dec) : yes its possible but unlikely. If we do get the 5th, we face the NFCS winner
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Ahh, ok.
bboystyle (23-Dec) : yes due to tie breaker
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I mean, unlikely, yes, but mathematically, 5th is possible by what I'm reading.
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : If Vikings lose out, Packers win out, Packers get 5th, right?
bboystyle (23-Dec) : Minny isnt going to lose out so 5th seed is out of the equation. We are playing for the 6th or 7th seed which makes no difference
Mucky Tundra (23-Dec) : beast, the ad revenue goes to the broadcast company but they gotta pay to air the game on their channel/network
beast (23-Dec) : If we win tonight the game is still relative in terms of 5th, 6th or 7th seed... win and it's 5th or 6th, lose and it's 6th or 7th
beast (23-Dec) : Mucky, I thought the ad revenue went to the broadcasting companies or the NFL, at least not directly
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I think the revenue share is moot, isn't it? That's the CBA an Salary Cap handling that.
bboystyle (23-Dec) : i mean game becomes irrelevant if we win tonight. Just a game where we are trying to play spoilers to Vikings chance at the #1 seed
Mucky Tundra (23-Dec) : beast, I would guess ad revenue from more eyes watching tv
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I would think it would hurt the home team because people would have to cancel last minute maybe? i dunno
beast (23-Dec) : I agree that it's BS for fans planning on going to the game. But how does it bring in more money? I'm guessing indirectly?
packerfanoutwest (23-Dec) : bs on flexing the game....they do it for the $$league$$, not the hometown fans
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I see what you did there Mucky
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : dammit. 3:25pm
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Packers Vikings flexed to 3:35pm
Mucky Tundra (23-Dec) : Upon receiving the news about Luke Musgrave, I immediately fell to the ground
Mucky Tundra (23-Dec) : Yeah baby!
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : LUKE MUSGRAVE PLAYING TONIGHT~!~~~~WOWHOAAOHAOAA yah
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I wanna kill new QB's ... blitz the crap out of them.
beast (23-Dec) : Barry seemed to get too conservative against new QBs, Hafley doesn't have that issue
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : However, we seem to struggle vs new QB's
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Should be moot point, cuz Packers should win tonight.
packerfanoutwest (23-Dec) : ok I stand corrected
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Ok, yes, you are right. I see that now how they get 7th
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : 5th - Packers win out, Vikings lose out. Maybe?
beast (23-Dec) : Saying no to the 6th lock.
beast (23-Dec) : No, with the Commanders beating the Eagles, Packers could have a good chance of 6th or 7th unless the win out
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I think if Packers win, they are locked 6th with chance for 5th.
beast (23-Dec) : But it doesn't matter, as the Packers win surely win one of their remaining games
beast (23-Dec) : This is not complex, just someone doesn't want to believe reality
beast (23-Dec) : We already have told you... if Packers lose all their games (they won't, but if they did), and Buccaneers and Falcons win all theirs
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