Date: March 25, 2004
Subject: Oakland Raiders(old)
e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Column: The free agency period always has its thrills. One of the most unnoticed teams has been the Oakland Raiders. The two biggest signings for the already aging team, are DT Warren Sapp and DT Ted Washington. Sapp is coming out of his prime, and Washington returns from an injury from the Patriots. Last year the team suffered the loss of starting QB Rich Gannon, who has been in 16 seasons. It looks as if the Raiders are becoming desperate, and are not looking at the age factor. Jerry Rice is done and so is Tim Brown. The two do not have the speed or strength to still be the NFL's most elite. Jerry Porter is the key to this team's success, but he too was plagued with an injury. If the team wants to be good down the road, it needs to free up salary cap, and get some young players, or it could soon become the Bengals of the 90's type team.
Here are some of the ages:
Gannon-38
Brown-37
Rice-41
R. Woodson-39
Washington-35
Sapp-31
*Note; they have 3 other players in their 11th year.
