by Dean Cady
blogger, WFL Network
The Carolina Panthers drafted QB Christopher Rossouw with the 29th pick in the first round of the WFL draft. The 6'7" QB played his college ball for the LSU Tigers where he lead the SEC in passing yards his senior year. The Panthers decided last season to move on from Cam Newton and finished the season up with Phillip Rivers at QB. Rivers lead the team into the playoffs but was not resigned at seasons end. That left a glaring need at the QB position. So far, Rossouw has made good on his first round selection. He has completed 72% of his passes for 812 yards with 9TD and only 1 INT. He has the Panthers sitting at 3-1 and currently on pace to make the playoffs. We were able to catch up with HC Michael Alexander to ask him about his star rookie.
Q: Has anything surprised you about the early success of Rossouw?
A: The biggest surprise has been his poise and taking what the defense gives him. Usually rookies come out and fling the ball when they can, but he’s shown an awareness of when to give up on a play and just take the sack, or throw the ball away. After speaking to him during practice, I know he is still furious about the interception he threw against the Chargers, and that just speaks to his intelligence and willingness to execute the game plan and not stray away from it when the situation is against him.
Q: What was the biggest factor when making the decision to draft him in the first round?
A: There were several quarterback prospects in the draft this year, and management was specifically aiming for upside and development. We were not sure he would still be on the board due to our later pick, but when he was there we were ecstatic to grab him. A big quarterback prospect with a strong arm is what we were looking for, and our scouting department let us know that he would thrive on our system with the playmakers we have on this team.
Q: What are your expectations for him this season?
A: Our expectations are very high for our rookie this season. We felt as a team that our quarterback was the only main concern during the offseason, and we addressed that need through the draft. Our fans and players see this team as a contender, and anything less than the divisional round would be a disappointment to us. Management has stocked this team with weapons, and we will continue to put him in positions to succeed – but he must take advantage of them. We believe he can be offensive rookie of the year, and our veterans see that in him too. He just has to seize the opportunities, because they will be there.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
The Denver Broncos came into Oakland probably not expecting much of a game after their week 2 blowout of the Raiders 37-7, but the Raiders defense would have different plans. After the front office made several trades during the week, the Raiders came out with a sense of belief again. Newly acquired QB Mason Rudolph struggled early in the game and it was apparent that he had not quite learned the playbook. He would finish the night 8-16 for 146 yards with 1 TD and an ugly 4 INTs. Rudolph threw two of those early in the game when it was pretty clear that his nerves were getting the best of him. He looked to get settled in the game and did hit on some big passes in his first outing, but he made one very bad mistake. Looking to take control of the game going into the half, the Raiders marched down the field with the game tied at 7. The offense made it inside the 10 and Rudolph dialed up rookie Frank Victorians number. The 6'6" WR has been a big time threat to opponents in the redzone so far this year. Victorian would run a slant route and appear to be wide open for the TD only for Rudolph to miss the throw by five yards and hit Bronco defender right between the numbers for the pick. The game would go back and forth in the second half with both teams having one scoring drive. With the score tied at 14 late in the fourth, Denver marched all the way to the 2 yard line and would kick the game winner with 1 second left on the clock. It was a heartbreaking defeat that will not sit well with the team going to the bye week. The Raiders and Rudolph will look to get back on track in two weeks against Kansas City.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
The Oakland Raiders have acquired QB Mason Rudolph from the Steelers in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick. The Raiders offense has struggled once again to start the season and HC Wil Louise has started three different guys at QB so far. Rudolph will most likely make it four starters as the Raiders will take on division rival Denver for the second time in three weeks. Rudolph will look to jump start an offense that is averaging an embarrassing 11 points per game so far with a passing attack that ranks 30th in the WFL. With the Steelers drafting a QB, Rudolph found himself back on the bench again in Pittsburgh. The 6'5" QB has all the tools to be successful in this league and will need to make the most of his opportunity in Oakland.
by Dean Cady
blogger, WFL News
Philadelphia Eagles Defensive End Dillion Foote was undrafted out of Kansas University. The Eagles signed Foote giving him the opportunity to prove his worth in the WFL. He has made the most of his chance early on for the Eagles and HC Robert Jones. Foote will be expected to play a larger role in the coming weeks with some injuries on the line in Philadelphia. We were able to catch up with Coach Jones to ask him a few questions about his potential star in the making.
Q: What did you see in Dillion to give him the opportunity to play for the Eagles?
A: Dillion had a good size for an edge rusher, which paired well with his pass rush abilities from the outside. He plays hard and has good traits, something that allowed him to immediately be the first DE to rotate off the bench. With the loss of Brandon Graham and our straddled cap space, Foote provided an inexpensive, quality option as the defense likes to keep rushers fresh and utilize several guys on the defensive line per game.
Q: Were you surprised to see him get two sacks in his first game?
A: I was definitely surprised to see him get 2 sacks in his first real reps, especially with the timing of them. With him playing next to great young players that were higher draft picks, it's good to see Dillion stand out amongst established talent in the WFL.
Q: Can he keep up that type of production throughout the season?
A: Because Michael Bennett is out for the next 5 weeks, Foote will be given the opportunity to produce on a large scale, and I'm hoping he does. However, with this, it wouldn't be shocking to see teams underestimate him and put more resources into stopping the other guys up front, allowing him to get 1 on 1 looks that he could win. With Bennett's return, Foote will likely become more of a rotational player, but he's proven he belongs on the field immediately and will continue to play a significant part of our defensive line. I'd estimate 7-10 sacks on the year for Foote, and hopefully they're all just as meaningful as his two were against Carolina.
WFL Rookie Spotlight
by Dean Cady
blogger, WFL News
Dylan Hetherington of the New England Patriots was the 21st pick in the first round of the draft. The 6'5" QB from Wisconsin stepped right into the starting role for the Patriots and has the team sitting at 2-0. Hetherington has completed 75% of his passes for 496 yards and 2 TDs and has been a vital part of the teams success. The Patriots fan base sure seem to have a lot to be excited about and will hope Hetherington can take them back to the playoffs this year. We were able to catch up with Patriots HC Dablakpope to as him a couple of questions about his rookie QB:
Q: What has impressed you the most about Dylan Hetherington?
A: I am most impressed with the fact that he can make every throw. With a rookie sometimes that doesn't come easily. Another thing is the fact that he's a born leader. He's taken control of the huddle and realizes that they have to do things as a collective unit not as individuals.
Q: Can he lead the Patriots to the playoffs?
A: This early in the season we haven't put any expectations on how far this team can go. We only play one week at a time.
Q: What is the ceiling for his success in year 1?
A: His ceiling for year one and beyond is no limit, but he has to continue to be a student of the game and get better day by day.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
The Oakland Raiders beat the Miami Dolphins 12-6 in the season opener. After going 1-15 last season and losing 14 straight games, it was great for the team and fans to remember what it is like to win a football game. The passing attack for the Raiders still left a lot to be desired, undrafted rookie QB Christian Burgess completed only 9 of 18 pass attempts for 113 yards and 3 interceptions. Dalvin Cook had 21 carries for 99 yards. He did leave the game with a late injury but is expected to be ready for next weeks game. The Raiders defense played a great game, allowing less than 200 total yards and -1 rushing yards. They also forced 3 Dolphin turnovers and had 4 sacks on the night. It was great to see that unit performing at a high level at least for one week. They will have to keep that up in order for the Raiders to have any success on the season. I expect we will see a different starting QB next week against division rival Denver. Who that will be? Well, I think your guess at this point is as good as mine or anyone else's.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
The Oakland Raiders have traded Derek Carr to the Arizona Cardinals. Carr and Raider HC Wil Louise could never seem to get on the same page during the past two seasons. Carr and SS Obi Melifonwu were sent to Arizona for MLB Jaylon Smith and FS Tre Boston. The players coming over from Arizona should help tremendously with a Raider defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in every major category. The biggest question still remains though, who is going to play QB? Rookie QB Ross Dennis showed some flashes but also struggled as expected from a rookie QB. Can he take the next step forward and be productive week in and week out? Does the front office look at the free agent market for answers? Rumor is, Louise is a long time fan of Dak Prescott. Prescott fell out of favor with Dallas and is expected to be on the FA market. Does Louise draft a higher rated QB in the first round of the upcoming WFL Draft? The Raiders currently have the 1st and 31st picks in the first round and have 6 picks in the first three rounds. The bottom line here is Louise has to get more consistent play from the QB position.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
The Oakland Raiders are on an 8 game losing streak after losing to Green Bay 20-3 last night. The only bright note is the season will be over soon and everyone can look forward to next year. Maybe by that time some of the fans will have some belief again. I wish we could sit here and point to one thing being the issue but that simply is not the case, in fact, you could say everything is an issue or has been an issue at some point this season. So, what exactly is there to look forward to you ask. The answer is simple, the draft. Oakland will need to have a great draft with all the picks they have. The Raiders have played some playoff caliber opponents close only to lose the game late. This season has been full of disappointment for everyone involved. With five games remaining, pride is what we will look for. The playoffs have long been out of the question but building for the future remains the goal. We will see how that plays out for Coach Louise and the Raiders in the remaining weeks of this season.
This week's rookie spotlight shines on WR Lester Wilkerson from the Buffalo Bills. Wilkerson was drafted by the Bills with the 16th pick of the second round. He played his college ball at Colorado University where he set school records for most TD's his senior season. The speedster is off to a great start in the WFL and has given the Bills a deep threat for 2nd year QB Josh Allen to throw to. Wilkerson has been flying past defenses and has compiled 372 yards and 4 TDs on 19 receptions in just three games. The Bills will hope this kind of success continues for the remainder of the season. We will be back next week checking on some more rookies in the WFL.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
Raider Head Coach Wil Louise continued his roster shakeup last night by dealing Amari Cooper to the 49ers in exchange for WR Dante Pettis and DE Arik Armstead. The trade also sends the Raiders a 3rd round pick in exchange for a 4th round pick. Amari Cooper has gotten off to a great start to the season and was leading the team in yards and receptions. He and rookie QB Ross Dennis seemed to work well together but that did not stop the organization from shipping him off to San Fran. The Raiders do get back two young players who should help out immediately. Arik Armstead will move into a starting DE spot and hopefully improve one of the weaker positions on the team. The Raider defense has ranked towards the bottom of every major category and Armstead should bring some much needed help. Dante Pettis will be an exciting target for Dennis on the outside as he will look to help fill the shoes left of Cooper. "We feel good about the trade. I think it improves our defense and gives us a young very talented WR to pair with Ransom. We appreciate everything Amari has done for the organization and wish him the best in San Francisco", Louise said.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
The Oakland Raiders secured their first win of the season last night, cruising past the Chiefs 31-13. There was a lot of talk leading into the game about who would start behind center for Oakland and Coach Wil Louise did not tip his hand all week. We all got our answer when rookie QB Ross Dennis trotted out for the first offensive series. Dennis had replaced Derek Carr in the past two games as Carr has struggled to adapt his play to the new offensive system.
The first quarter started slowly for both sides as the teams exchanged punts in what looked to be a battle of field position. It was not until late in the second quarter when Dennis was able to get a drive going. "He looked a bit nervous to start, which we expected, but he settled in nicely as the game went on", Louise said. Dennis would lead the Raider offense on a 10 play 91 yard drive that would end in a Dalvin Cook TD run giving the Raiders a 7-0 lead as they looked to go in the locker room with the lead. Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill had different plans it turned out. After the Raider defense had played so well in the first half, they would see all that hard work go to waste with one play. Mahomes dropped back and threw it as far as he could to hit Hill for the 59 yard TD. We went to halftime with the score tied at 7.
The Raiders could have gotten down on themselves as the Chiefs seemed to steal momentum heading into halftime, but Coach Louise made sure that would not be the case. "We told them at halftime this was their game to win. The coaching staff felt like the guys played well in the first half. We just needed to keep it going, put that one play behind us and go win the game", Louise said. They were definitely able to put that behind them as they went out and scored 24 second half points behind the strong arm of Dennis. Dennis finished the day 11-15 for 237 yards and 1 TD. Most importantly, he did not turn the ball over, something Carr had struggled with in the first two games. The defense also came through and finished the day with 4 takeaways and 6 sacks. "We won the turnover battle tonight. That is huge in every game", Louise said.
The Raiders will look to keep the winning going next week as they will travel to Houston to face the Texans. It will be a tough road game as the Texans are currently 2-0 with victories over LAC and Miami.
This week's Rookie Spotlight shines on SS Matt Stecker of the San Francisco 49ers. The 6'3" 23 year old was drafted in the 6th round out of UL Monroe. Stecker was impressive at the combine putting up solid numbers across the board. He was known in college for his hard hits and dependable tackling in the secondary but he has shown there is more to his game since making his WFL debut. Stecker has 9 tackles on the season to go with 5, yes I said 5, interceptions. He returned 2 of those 5 interceptions to the house for touchdowns. It will be hard for him to keep up with this pace, but Stecker will be hoping to continue improving his game week by week as he gets more WFL game reps under his belt. We look forward to watching his progress and will be back next week to see where the spotlight is shining on the WFL rookie class.
by Sammie Wes
blogger, The Oakland Press
The struggles continued in week 2 for the Raiders as the Bears came in and made themselves right at home, blasting the Raiders 37-14. The Bear defense held the Raiders rushing attack to a pitiful 27 yards on the night. Derek Carr struggled once again with ball security and was benched once again for rookie QB Ross Dennis early in the first half of the game. The Raider defense wasn't much better, as they gave up explosive plays all night to the Bear offense.
Coach Wil Louise was less than pleased with the outcome of the game saying, "We have to do better. That starts with me and goes for every single guy in that locker room. These fans deserve better and we will continue to work to give them something to cheer for. We flat out got our *explicative* kicked tonight in all phases of the game".
As for the QB controversy, Derek Carr is not doing himself any favors on quieting the critics. Carr threw an early interception and was sacked three times in the first quarter. Now part of that falls on the fact that the running game was nonexistent and the bears were able to play the pass. In relief of Carr for the second straight week, Dennis played well against one of the top defenses in the league. He finished the night 12-20 for 130 yards with 1TD 1INT and only being sacked once. Head Coach Louise has yet to name a starter for week 3 but you would have to think Dennis may get the nod. Louise will definitely want a more balanced attack next week no matter who starts under center. "We have to be able to run the football and play solid defense to win games", Louise said.
The Raiders will play host to the Chiefs in week three as they look to win for the first time this season. It will take a better effort all around for that to happen. The Chiefs are coming off a big win against Baltimore and will look to keep that momentum going.
The Raiders dropped their opener on the road to Denver last night 29-12. Turnovers haunted the Raider offense once again as Derek Carr struggled with ball security. With the Broncos leading 6-0 early in the second quarter, Oakland's offense got it going with what looked to be a promising drive that would end in the first points of the season. Well, Bradley Chubb had different plans as he came in for the strip sack on a 3rd and goal play that would change the game and ultimately give Denver all the momentum they would need. The Broncos went on a drive that would end in the games first touchdown and leave only three seconds on the first half game clock. With Denver receiving the second half kick, it was an absolute must for Oakland to get a stop to try to get back in the game. After a facemask on the opening kickoff return gave Denver great field position, Bronco RB Royce Freeman would take over from there. On the first offensive snap, Freeman burst into the secondary, broke a tackle and coasted into the endzone basically putting the game out of reach for the Raiders inept offense. Trailing 19-0, Derek Carr engineered the Raiders first scoring drive that was capped off by a Dalvin Cook TD, his first as a Raider. The Raiders two point conversion would fail leaving the score at 19-6. After giving up touchdowns on each of the last two possessions, the defense needed to show some sort of a pulse at this point to have any chance to get back in the game. That did not happen and the Denver offense marched down for yet another TD giving them a 26-6 lead. Carr would then come out and throw an interception that would lead to a Bronco FG making the score 29-6. Head Coach Wil Louise and Carr were seen having a heated exchange on the sideline during the Bronco possession and when the offense came back out Carr would stay put on the sideline. In came rookie QB Ross Dennis. Dennis led what was a seemingly meaningless drive that would end in a TD pass to fellow rookie WR Keiwone Ransom. Dennis finished the day 3-3 for 56 yards and the one TD pass to Ransom. That of course led to the questions after the game for Coach Louise. He immediately responded by saying, "Every single position is up for grabs and the best players will play. I don't care who you are. We have to play better in all three phases of the game." The Raiders will host the Chicago Bears in week 2, the Bears are coming off a blowout victory in week one and will look to build on that success against the struggling Raiders.
Coach Wil Louise and the Raiders went into the WFL draft with nine picks last night. These picks were desperately needed for the aging roster. With the 25th pick in the first round the raiders picked up WR Keiwone Ransom out of Auburn. With Jordy Nelson aging and Amari Cooper going into a contract year, this was a great addition for the Raider offense. Ransom will step right in and play a significant role this season hoping to improve on the passing attack that faltered last season. Coach Louise had two picks in the 2nd round after picking up the Vikings 2nd round pick in a trade earlier in the week. With their first pick they selected C Lucas Day out of Maine. This was probably a bit of a reach but with the quality OL flying off the boards Louise felt the need to strike while the iron was still hot. Day will start the season as a backup to veteran Rodney Hudson. With the lack of quality depth on the defensive side of the draft, specifically the MLB area, Louise decided to go BPA with their next pick selecting RB Sexton Vincent out of Nortre Dame. Vincent was tabbed by most as the top RB available in the draft. Vincent is an explosive back who will compete for 2nd team reps right away. With the Raiders offense built on running the football, Louise felt like he could not have too many backs in the stable. The Raiders finished out the night strong picking up some key players that will also contribute right away. They were able to steal TE Mack Bailey out of Cincinnati who is expected to make the starting line up on opening day. Another steal late in the draft was LT Zach Shaffer out of Delaware. Shaffer has been very impressive and will start opening day at RT for the Raiders. Louise expects Shaffer to be a star player in the very near future. It was a great draft for Coach Louise and the Raiders capping off an offseason of excitement for the organization who needed it after last season’s failures.