Football

There weren't a lot of options for the Raiders in last year's free agency. But as it turned out, the team didn't make a lot of great decisions with the options they did have and Reggie McKenzie is having some regrets about how things played out. As it turned out, the best signing the team had last year was getting Phillip Wheeler from the Colts. Raiders fans knew Wheeler's potential when he was available and courted him hard to get him to come to the Raiders. But while that was a great signing, the team didn't lock him up long term. So, after one season in which he actually performed as the team had hoped he would, he was signed elsewhere to a contract the Raiders couldn't afford. "It's always parameters and you know that going in. To be honest, to not be cliché, the one kid [I wanted to keep most] was Philip Wheeler," said Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie. "The fact that we brought him in last year and how he fought and how he practiced and played. He made a lot of plays for us and he became kind of a favorite around here amongst the Raider fans so I really wanted to try to keep him if I could, but he played well, he was warranted the money that he received, and the attention that he received from other teams. There was opportunity for him last year and he took advantage of the opportunity and played well here in Oakland and the contractual parameters, we couldn't compete with that." Without really knowing more, it may have been Wheeler who insisted on a one-year deal in the hopes he could do just what he did - prove his worth and get a bigger deal. The problem is the Raiders knew they would still be in a bind financially this off-season so that big deal was not going to come from them. If they could have somehow got him to sign a two-year deal, they would have plenty of money to sign him next off-season to the money he deserves. The only player who got a sizable multiyear free agent contract from the Raiders was offensive lineman Mike Brisiel who struggled all season with a lingering ankle injury. Had he been signed to a one-year contract, it wouldn't have been near as difficult to re-sign him if the team chose to do so. There were other players who the team signed in the hopes they could lightning in a bottle -- namely the two players who were supposed to be the starting corners this season, Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer. Both Spencer and Bartell were lost essentially for the rest of the season by week two, leaving the Raiders scrambling to find replacements and even shifting Michael Huff from safety to corner out of desperation. Both Spencer and Bartell were over 30-years old and had just come off injuries. Reggie McKenzie was hoping their previous injuries were not a sign of things to come. He was wrong. "The thing is, when you talk about injuries to players, injury history of players, you don't account for another injury to another area of their body." Said McKenzie. "That's when you make a decision to sign a player, although that injury is all fine and dandy, there's another injury that could pop up and that's usually what happens when you get to signing players that are in their early thirties and when you get injured, other things can start to falter as well. That's what happened. When I signed a couple players and hoped I could have them for the season and I wasn't in position to lose players so that was a struggle." Unless you count the re-signing of Khalif Barnes, the only starter the Raiders have from last year's off-season free agency haul is Mike Brisiel. He was arguably the worst starting offensive lineman the Raiders had last season and therefore must prove his play was due solely to his ankle injury. If Brisiel's play doesn't pick up, the new regime's first free agent class will be awash. They seem to have learned from that experience - namely signing linebacker Nick Roach to the biggest free agent deal (4 years) - but that first class sets them back a year in this team's rebuild

As the NFL continues to look at playing more games in London, there is increasing speculation that there will someday be a team overseas. It's no secret that the NFL wants to grow the game in Europe, and given the emphasis they have put on games in England, London seems to be the logical location if a team were to ever make the move across the Atlantic Ocean on a permanent basis. The biggest problem with this idea is the travel. Logistically, it just doesn't seem like a team could make eight games in London each year work. The time difference would be an issue, and spending so much time traveling would be tough to do for an entire season. There's a reason why teams always get a bye the week after playing in London. If a team ever does end up in London, expect a mixed reaction to the news around the league. The Free Press' Dave Birkett recently sought out the opinions of Detroit Lions players on this topic, and there were players for it and players against it. Wide receiver Nate Burleson, for example, likes the idea. "That would be tough, but I like traveling, so I would love it," receiver Nate Burleson said. "I’m in my later years, so a free trip to London wouldn’t be bad at all. But no, I like it. I think change is always good, no matter how far or how foreign it may seem to people who are used to this traditional look of the NFL. "We have an international fan base, so why not take it to the next level?" On the flip side, center Dominic Raiola, who is very familiar with time differences given that he's from Hawaii, said it'd be tough to have a team in London. "If you can have one there, why can’t you have a team in Hawaii? I feel a little slighted," said center Dominic Raiola, a Hawaii native. "Seriously, it’d be hard. It’s a time adjustment. You’d have to have a bye after teams play there. That’d be tough." My guess is that there will be a team that London can call its own at some point down the road, just not on a permanent basis. I could easily see a team splitting its home schedule with four games in the United States and four games overseas. I just don't see how having a team permanently based in London could ever work, though.

J.D. Walton (50) prepares to snap the football during second quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders at Sports Authority Field. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports) We’re now in the thick of the off season. Players and coaches are taking their last chunk of time off to relax, recover, and get the engine revved for the beginning of the 2013 season, which begins in late July with training camp. Unfortunately, for some players, this is also the time when additional medical treatment is needed. That’s the case for Denver Broncos center J.D. Walton, who had another surgical procedure on his left ankle to repair some of the hardware that was inserted into the ankle to repair his dislocation from the September 30 game against the Raiders. This surgery could leave him on the sidelines for the Broncos’ entire season. That would be the worst case scenario. Best case would be Walton returning to practice in late-October, according to Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post. This spells bad news for an offensive line that was already battered and bruised in the off season. Chris Kuper had off season ankle surgery as well. Both Ryan Clady and Orlando Franklin had shoulder surgery after the 2012 season. With Walton down and out, that leaves Manny Ramirez to fill in at starting center. The seven-year veteran played in 15 games (11 starts) for the Broncos last year. There’s also the possibility that the Broncos could sign Dan Koppen again. Koppen came up huge last season, starting 12 games. Peyton Manning needs ole reliable getting him the ball. Ramirez didn’t work with Manning much last season at center. Koppen, 34, remains a free agent, and already has great timing with Manning. It’s the surefire way to go, at least from an outside perspective. Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.

Dave Jennings, who punted for the New York Giants from 1974-84, was later a radio analyst for the team and is a member of the organization's Ring of Honor, died today in his New Jersey home. Jennings, who turned 61 June 8, had suffered from Parkinson's disease, a chronic degenerative neurological disorder, since 1996. "Dave Jennings was one of the all-time great Giants," said John Mara, the Giants president. "He was a valued member of the Giants family for more than 30 years as a player and a broadcaster, and we were thrilled to include him in our Ring of Honor. More importantly, he was an outstanding person who battled his illness with rare courage and dignity. We will miss him dearly." Jennings played for the Giants from 1974-84. He holds the franchise records for punts (931, or 405 more than runner-up Sean Landeta) and yards (38,792). Jennings was selected to play in the Pro Bowl in 1978, ‘79, ‘80 and ‘82. He punted a career-high 104 times in 1979, which was the Giants record until Brad Maynard had 111 punts in 1997. Jennings punted for more than 4,000 yards in a season three times (1979-81) and had a career-best 44.8-yard average in 1980. "Dave was a guy that everyone not only liked, but loved. Anyone who knew Dave would say he was a great guy. He was a terrific person with a bubbly personality," former Giants linebacker Harry Carson said. "The Giants were not very good when Dave and I were teammates in the 1970s. Dave was one of the few bright lights on those teams as a punter." Giants Chairman Steve Tisch said “Dave is and always will be a Giants’ Giant. He lived his life with class and dignity, and he was the ultimate professional as a player and commentator.”

The two-year contract extension that defensive end Justin Smith signed with the 49ers is likely to be the final contract that the 33-year-old signs in the NFL. “Justin’s All-Pro contributions on the field, as well as his leadership on and off the field, are integral to our success as a team,” 49ers General Manager Trent…

Dec 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) in a huddle with his teammates during the game against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports It is the time of year when every NFL fans wants to believe their team has good things in store for the season ahead. That is particularly true of Detroit Lions fans who had to endure a terribly disappointing 4-12 season following a ten-win season and a playoff appearance. The Lions have done a good job adding talent at critical areas but there is more than good old fashioned optimism that says the Lions are primed for a bounce-back year. In fact, there are two metrics that say the 2012 Lions’ 4-12 season was an artificially low result. Statistical Underachievers The net difference between points scored and points allowed has been shown to be the best predictor of team success. If you want to know the particulars you can read up on Pro-Football-Reference but the basic premise is that an expected win value can be calculated based on how many points a team gives up and how many they score based on historical data. Cold Hard Football Facts tracks correlation between winning percentage and five different independent variables. After all the wheel turning CHFF lists the Lions as the second biggest underachiever checking in with 2.08 wins less than expected. In other words, while the Lions won just four games, they performed like a team expected to win six games. That doesn’t make the 2012 any less painful, but it does suggest their foundation heading into 2013 isn’t as bad as it might look according to the standings. Offensive Mix In yesterday’s ‘Scanning the Savanna’ I linked to a good article by The National Football Post’s Joe Fortenbaugh in which he recounted his experience working under current Cleveland Browns general manager Mike Lombardi. One of the things he learned from Lombardi was the target of 50 combined completions and rushing attempts. He notes the link between hitting (or getting close to) that magic number and team success. Fortenbaugh did the work of compiling the data for the 2012 season and the Lions were one of just seven teams to meet or exceed 50 combined completions and rushing attempts. Fortenbaugh took a look at the top ten for combined completions and rushing attempts per game and that group’s winning percentage checks in at .631. Conversely, the bottom ten teams for combined completions and rushing attempts had a combined winning percentage of just .387. The Lions find themselves in the “right” group but their 4-12 record makes them a severe outlier. Outliers have a tendency to not hang around so we have to ask ourselves what is more likely to change, the Lions’ record or their combined number of completions and rushing attempts? If you belive the Lions are going to mostly do what they have done in the past offensively, you’re left with the record changing for the better. Is all this a guarantee of success in 2013? Of course not, but don’t sleep on this team just because the win total took a steep step back last season.

The NFL has shown in recent years a willingness to aggressively enforce the personal-conduct policy.  Typically, the NFL will allow a first-time incident to make its way through the legal system before taking action. The league gets more interested when a player has had two or more incidents. That becomes problematic for Patriots tight end…

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman will be one of the hottest names on the head coaching market next offseason. Until then, he'll enjoy some job security with a new contract.

Dave Jennings, perhaps the Giants best punter ever, died on Wednesday morning after a long bout with Parkinson's disease.

The Bears added a layer of technological know-how to their football staff, hiring Mitchell Tanney as the team’s director of analytics. Tanney, who has been the manager of football products for STATS LLC in recent years, will work with the front office and coaches on “player evaluation concepts and game situation principles,” according to a…