Why Seymour wants to avoid Oakland

This artical is just another generic Raider bashing piece... Oaklands roster is full of players that played for other teams...as far as Greg Ellis goes... He never ever said he has doubts that Oakland is committed to winning.... Find the quote..wouldn't trading for Seymour kill that argument?... And the Raiders traded for him to help stop the run... This whole artical is just this sorry writers attempt at trashing Oakland and Raider fans..don't forget it takes Two teams to make a trade and a trade is meant to benifit both teams... Your articals just your opinion... And your opinion is trash ... Theirs no sports news here...

Yeah, I can't imagine why he would want to transition from a franchise that has done almost everything you can do right in the past decade to one that would trade a FIRST ROUND PICK for someone in the twilight of their career.

The Patriots are just so far ahead of the rest of this league. I can't stand it.

I somehow feel for R. Seymore, going from a Superbowl contender to one of the worst teams in the NFL today. On the other hand he still gets lots of money for playing this year, and his contract is up after the season. Playing strong this year might get him one last big contract.
I say: Make the best out of it, get your sacks, maybe help get the Raiders to a 8-8 season, and get out after it to a new huge contract.

That's the flip side of playing for the Pats- no one is untouchable. Just go there for 4 months, make your money and hopefully they won't franchise him at the end of the year. He already won 3 rings. That's more than 99.9% of other players in the league.

Can the Patriots get any freakin' luckier? Every year they get two first round draft picks due to taking advantage of other teams' stupidity. They are always good, and always able to re-stock with high draft picks. The Pack should have shipped Favre out there for two first round draft picks.

Yeah , Seymour will swallow his pride & play for the Raiders . He is in the final year of a contract & will be a free agent going into an uncapped year . He will play & play hard if he is smart . It's all about money .

And since it is all about money , isn't that why the Patriots & Yankees could never be compared. Sure both teams have one multiple championships but isn't that where the similarities end . The Yankees are made up of superstars who for the most part were signed as free agents . The Patriots , for the most part , build though the draft . The Yankees this offseason signed CC Sabathia & AJ Burnett for over a hundred million dollars . Before Tom Brady's first large contract, I read Bellichick told Robert Kraft not to overpay him . He could win a championship with Rohan Davey . Two totally different ways to " skin a cat " it seems to me .

The police comment was out of line look rest of the NFL far more things happen to other teams then the raiders SD THIS WEEKEND

"This whole artical is just this sorry writers attempt at trashing Oakland"

Actually, I think their record for the past 6 years is enough to trash Oakland. There's no opinion in that stat. Just trash.

It has nothing to do with what team he plays for, it has to do with money. Period. Why did he hold out two times with the Pats? If he was so happy with the Pats and their winning ways why did he hold out for more money there too?

I'm sure Seymour isn't happy about moving his family, and you're right, losing like the Raiders have the last 6 years doesn't make them an ideal destination. But, you're wrong about the Raiders shutting it down in December now that Cable has taken over. Just ask your beloved Texans and the Buccaneers if the Raiders shut it down in December last year. Both of whom were thinking playoffs when they met the Raiders in December.

This is a team with a different mind set than the Raider teams of the past 6 years. They will be much improved.

laughable...because new england has done well this decade all of a sudden they are americas team....pathetic is all I can add....the day will come when new enland faulters and the band wagon media and band wagon fans will jump off....what has new england done before their so called dynasty years...nothing....the hatred and bias towards the raider organization only strengthens us as real fans.

I love how this has become a bad trade! Only because its with Oakland! Wow, if this trade would have happened with any other team it would be considered an outstanding deal, but its Oakland so it must be bad! And Pats fans, you all think your the smartest kids on the block lol! Let's recap the offseason trades between Oakland and NE... Oakland traded Burgess to NE for a 2o1o 3rd and 4th with a possible 5th round pick and Oakland got Seymour for a 1st so who got the better deal? Football fans and writers get far to caught up in 1st round picks the thing is the Raiders have had early 1st round picks for far too many seasons and have come to the realization that they can't afford to continue to pay early 1st round money on unproven commodities! Use your heads people but that is expecting too much from Raider Bashers.

Matt;
Best article on how the player might feel concerning this trade. Good job.

Looks like Seymour is trapped by the CBA

I know defensive linemen trade at a premium in the NFL, but let's compare the Seymour trade with other trades this off-season:

Tony Gonzalez - Record breaking tight end, 33 but still has a few years left, team player. He's worth a 2nd round pick.

Jason Peters - Premier left tackle, about to entire his best years, needs a new contract. He's worth a late 1st round pick.

Yet Richard Seymour, a 29 year old DE, is worth a (presumably) early 1st round pick? He doesn't even fill the Raiders biggest hole (NT). On top of that, he's due a new contract in what could be an uncapped year.

in 2006 the great belicheck was working a trade with the raiders for moss or porter(i think porter)....he didnt pull the trigger and went into the season with a bunch of garbage receivers....he lost the afc championhip that season to the colts when resche caldwell dropped a wide open TD......that no-trade may have cost him a SB...the next year he went and got moss

now in 2009 they trade away their pro bowl DE to the raiders and replace him with the raiders burgess....who the raiders wanted to dump cause he sucks against the run...will history repeat itself and find the pats in the championship game only to see the opposing team trample over burgess and keep the ball away from brady/moss and cost the great belicheck yet another SB

mike, there was no way the patriots were going to resign seymour at the end of the season. with
multiple standout players due for new contracts and approaching free agency (brady, wilfork,
mankins, gostkowski, etc.), seymour would have been the most likely to go. while the patriots'
acquisition of burgess and the raiders' acquistion of seymour have yet to play out, it's hard to imagine the patriots lost out in this latest deal. an early 1st round draft pick in what may be a season with set rookie contract values vs. one year of production. what the patriots did makes complete sense, whether they keep the pick or trade it for multiple picks.

Lol, wow. Matt Bowen you didn't think that I saw the twist you made in reference to G.Ellis making comments about the Raiders franchise??? "even questioned by one of its newest members, Greg Ellis, about its commitment to winning."
He questions the younger players on the team about their commitment to winning because McFadden had a birthday party two days before the Raiders played the Saints in the pre-season. NOT, the Raiders franchise/front office.

DON'T BELIEVE ME, WATCH THIS VIDEO OF G.Ellis.......

http://www.sbreport.net/raider_news/008/1675.html

Instead of delivering the hits, seems like you took them, DO YOUR RESEARCH before making TWISTED statements.

what? wahteva. and the Cheatriots are not gonna make the playoffs not with that OLD team. its time to get of that rusty bandwagon Matt.

as far as the Raiders, the future is ours baby. just let Russell lose the babyfat in the next couple years and let the skill players around him get joked for the big league...you can always and more easily find a big ugly OL or DLineman ready to contribute from day one.- just look around the starting lineups.

why do you think we didnt gave the Patsies our 2nd next year and chocked up a 1st 2011? cause we are gonna find at least two players that will play immidiatly at the lines next year IF we dont trade our picks for more proven vets. think Gallery&Grove before falling into cliches of AD never going that route.

just wait a year or two and yall see how you rebuild a team nowadays. outside in, baby, thats how. and with old-school patience.... Kiffin would still be the coach today even if we had another top 5 pick-type patience if he didnt act ill.

doesnt matter though, we dont have an owner with Alzheimer who lets some coaches dismantle his team, plan, mm mm, not us. Kiff was just a hickup in the process. we are well on our way still.....

Wow, Mr. Bowen! 2 career sacks and 4 career interceptions! Logic says you would have taken money from whoever threw it your way (chances are you would have dropped it). Seymour (and most professional athletes) are so out of touch with reality it makes the average working man sick. If he shows, fine. If not, let him sit out a year. As for Rodney Harrison's comments - take it in stride, he's a life long Raider Hater. He says the Patriots got a deal by dealing a 30 year old. Well, he could just prolong his career another 7 years just by 'roiding' up like ex-teammate Harrison.

i find it odd that the Patriots take the Raiders scrap players when they are released very often.also why do the Patriots and Raiders seem to be very common trade partners,even back in the 70's.some examples are VanEagan,Plunkett,Tatupu.the Raiders and Patriots are very similar in a lot of ways,they both aren't afraid to take risks drafting,they both bring in older players to see if they have anything left.also remember the Raiders are an older team that has had one majority owner only.i'd like to see your mental makeup when you're 80 years old.i know the whole league laughs right now but you'll be on the bandwagon and wearing silver and black very soon.the raiders are a on the rise DYNASTY about to form right in front of your blind eye.look at our young roster.it's more impressive than the Patriots.the Raiders are set for the next ten years on offense.

Here is Bill Belichick's plan: Seymour reports to Oakland four weeks late then plays like crap. Then after the year is up he becomes a free agent and re-signs with New England. NE gets a top 5 draft pick in 2011 and Oakland still sucks. It is game planning like this that makes BB a genious. It is also why The Patriots are an annual Super Bowl contender and Oakland blows.

It's pretty simple people, and Raiders fans, take some time to think about this....

Players want to play for a winner and be a winner of a Super Bowl....

The Pats and other teams regularly in contention for the playoffs are viewed as good teams to join.

The Raiders however are viewed as a dysfunctional organisation that is unlikely to win anything soon (look back at this last few years and dysfunctional is a charitable choice of words). The longer they don't get close to the playoffs (in a pretty poor division), the less that players and coaches will want to be associated with them.

Now, of course, players will play for the Raiders when they are paid huge amounts of cash, and, of course, Coaches will come to the Raiders to try to get a move up the coaching tree, but that still doesn't make it a good place to play or coach (or one that they would be happy about joining).

Do Raiders fans live on the same planet as the rest of us? All the article is pointing out is why RS would be reluctant to go to Oakland. And anyone in their right mind would have the same reservations. We all know the RS is going to show up eventually because at this stage of his career it is all about money and all he is doing at the moment is posturing. But the constant bleating by Raiders fans about bias in the media is just ignorant garbage. Your club has been a joke for too long now win some games get that Raider menace back and the perception will change pretty quickly.

Another artical written by somebody who was picked LAST in kickball every day in school

"Sure, there have been some who followed the money to Oakland via free agency, but we all saw how that turned out. They flipped on the cruise control the minute they signed on the dotted line..."

I love how old jocks like you talk about accountability, professionalism, blah, blah, blah, then you write something like this. "THEY flipped on the cruise control the minute they signed on the dotted line." As if that's a reflection of management. That's a reflection of the PLAYER, Matt. Is it the Raiders' fault for giving big money to low character guys? Yes. But that doesn't make these guys victims.

Jerry Rice, Charlie Garner, Romanowski, Armstrong, and many others have taken Al's money and busted their butts. Be honest; Sapp, De Angelo, and Moss had selfish reputations before they ever stepped foot in Oakland.

So here's my question to you Matt; is Seymour more like the first group I mentioned, or the second group I mentioned?

@Maverick

"picked last in kickball"

Um, yeah, the writer, played 7-years in the NFL, so I am pretty sure that he was probably picked first.

You were picked last dude, and the Raiders haven't won for the last six years.

Get over it.

A high 1'st round pick????? Sounds like they'll end up with 2 early mid rounders as another sucker lines up to take the bait. Probably 2 players that will start for 8-10 years. Almost 10% of you future starters to avoid overpaying, or releasing seymore next year. It"s called infrastructure.

I love reading comments by Raiders apologists. Your team stinks, deal with it.

"Delusion" seems to be the word of the day.
Maybe the folks @ NFP could install spell check so posters who can't spell "article" correctly won't undermine their already-tenuous positions.

Come on Bowen, you were a second rate player that would have played for any NFL team that was dumb enough to bring you in.

Pre Tom Brady who wanted to play for New England?, New England is headed right back to where they have been for 90% of their time in the NFL and that is the bottom.

They have a secondary with many players that grade out much like you did when you played (very low), the O line cannot protect Brady and Brady is on his last leg, another good year or two maybe.

But Bowen, do not ever mention your name and the Raiders in the same sentence for you my friend when playing had about as good a chance of ever becoming a Raider as I do walking on the moon.

Note to Patriot players: Do NOT make Bill Belichek mad!! I repeat Do NOT make Bill Belichek mad, this is what could happen to you.

Also as a Raiders fan where does he fit into the scheme on the defense, he is a 3-4 end not a 4-3 end. How does he fit?? Either way the Raiders are terrible and they gave up a lot for him. Maybe this is Al Davis way of saving money, not having to pay first round money in 2011.

Brian, I know Seymour is expensive and expendible to NE. The rest of your logic is base on "assumptions" you assume the 1st round pick will be early(a lot can happen in 1 season imagine 2 Miami says Hi) and you assume there will be a set rookie prices. I understand you can't compare Seymour v Burgess this upcoming season but you compare what they've done to this point and that makes Seymour the better player thus far.

Melandra, that's got the most pathetic logic I've EVER read! According to YOUR logic the Pats should be garbage, not have any SB rings and we should be having this conversation. Before 2oo1 the Pats had only been to the Playoffs ten times in there history! Want to talk about sucky teams! Get off your soapbox

Listen, noone is more pissed about the Raiders then us fans! The last 6 seasons have been a circus we KNOW! What gets us Raider fans is that everything Oakland does is bad, Vick has ESPN says his 3game suspension is to much and then sympathise with Meriman but Cable? Oh no he's guilty right? That's the issue. We want to be optimistic about our team you patriots fans should know more than most what it's like to be bad generation after generation and still support your team.

congratulations you have completed your mandatory Raider Bashing Article, cut and paste it on to your resume. You may get a job as senior writer for ESPN.

Wow, can't believe I'm seeing so many people supporting the Raiders, and calling them dynasty material. You really should have limited Al Davis to one account so he couldn't spam the message boards.

Chris,

The Pats are a multiple defense he has played all over the line for them, with the possible (probable?) exception of nose guard. In fact, they were primarily a 4-3 team his first two seasons. Having said that, maybe we should let him step off the plane in Oakland before we assume too much about his role.

@GO Bolts,

You Charger fans kill me, your team has been to all of (2) AFC Championship games in your entire history, (2). The Raiders have been to a NFL RECORD (14) AFC Championsips in their history. No Super Bowl rings and even only (1) trip to be blowed out.

Talking about the Chargers organization in the same breath as the Raiders organization is like talking about the great Man O War and the 5000 claimer running on a bush track in the same breath.

The Raiders will be back, after all THE FACTS are that under Al Davis the Raiders have made it to (5) Super Bowls winning (3). But the stunning stat is that under Al Davis they were also a play away or a Liddel fumble away from playing in another (5) Super Bowls.

Under Al Davis the Raiders have played in or were knocking on the door to play in almost 25% OF EVERY SUPER BOWL PLAYED TO DATE, just a stunning.

So enjoy the diggs while we are down but we are on the way back. My son is still rolling around on the ground after reading the Bowen did not want to play for the Raiders line.

"congratulations you have completed your mandatory Raider Bashing Article, cut and paste it on to your resume. You may get a job as senior writer for ESPN. "

Can't say it any better. I believe the fumble will come back to haunt the Patsies and their obnoxious "fans", the Raiders are loaded with young talent and have a very bright future ahead of them.. The patsies have a gimpy aging QB, no running back to speak of and a decrepit D.

The correct angle for this article should have been - Seymour trade makes Raiders better this year and the Pats worse, this year. Anyone wanna argue that?

2009 Raiders AFC West Champs.

See your old asses in the playoffs if you can make it that far

@ Diana,

Do you know what team you root for? Pittsburgh, not the Raiders, has the record 14 AFC championship appearances. Oakland has a respectable 11, but to get to 14 you must have been counting AFL championship games. That's fine, but the Chargers have 4 AFC championship appearances, jumping to 9 with AFL championship games. Much more than the 2 you claim.

You're right, I wouldn't want to mention the Chargers (or most other NFL teams, for that matter) in the same breath as the Raiders. I'm sure they'll be good again someday, but not until Al Davis is no longer leading the team. His mindset is still stuck in the 70's, when the Raiders made it to 6 AFC championships out of 8 years. Great then, but I don't get why fans still rush to defend his present-day decisions.

Wow a ton of good posts. I like

wow looks like Al Davis is back on NFP using his Diana alias again.....seriously though can the Post stop writing articles about anything to do with the Raiders..at the moment they are not relevant there a plenty of other clubs worth writing about and discussing.. let all the delusional Raiders fans crawl back to there hilarious fan sites..

lol, angry Raider fans are the best for when you want some comedic gold. Hilarious. Thanks Bowen, I'm enjoying this.

The internet has killed any hope of good writing. We are forever doomed to muddle through the pathetic ramblings of washed up jocks, forever searching for some real content or insight. The Raiders are an easy target right now, and easy is clearly the only kind of writing Mr. Bowen is capable of. I’m disappointed that NFP would publish such crap. Is this what constitutes "player insight", the mindless bashing of a team for simply trying to field a better defense? I would like to know what really happened on the New England side of this story; did Seymour have a bad camp? Or is this a straight up money issue? If you don’t know, then do everyone as service and shut the f up.

Enough already, you were traded now is time to play.. Could of been worst, lions,bengals,etc. Dont worry uncle Al will take care of you.

The problem with the Raiders and the Raider faithful is simple. During the years of success Al Davis put a team on the field that played a vicious brand of the game that encouraged drug riddled psychos to ply the trade. When the rules changed the Raiders did not. They still think that a group of thugs is at the core of a successful team. Problem is..todays players are much too professional to buy into that image. I hope the opposition continues to humiliate the Raiders. Their "fans" deserve it.

Do you people actually know anything about sports history? The Raiders were winning for decades when the Cheatriots were still laughing stocks of the NFL.

As far as this decade goes, the Raiders have won 3 divisional championships, and one AFC Championship game going to the SuperBowl in 2002. There are over 3/4's of the NFL teams who have not been to the SuperBowl in this decade.

So if the Raiders are so horrible, there where does that leave them?

Just sit back. Mr. Davis has put together a young team that will win for years to come.

If the Pats are such a class operation then why would they send a player who has meant so much to their success somewhere without consulting him?

guys like yu who said that you played tfhe game never cease to amaze me! I'm not angry but it seems to me that this guy's career, according to the glorious Patriots, is alreadyderailed. Otherwise ,why are they dumping him-even for a 1st round choice-in 2011! On one hand, you praise him as a player with 3 super bowl rings and two breaths later you call him an aging veteran. Male up your mind on what you really think instead of using this as an opportunity to bash the Raiders.

I guess this writer conveniently forgot to mention that the Pats were 1-15 in 1990, won 9 games out of 30 in a span between 1970-1972, 7-12 in 1960, lossing seasons in 1978 to 1981 and between 1993-1996 under Parcels were mediocre since they only had a 50% winning record. Those are facts which were not disclosed to the reader to embelish what the Pat's history really show.

There are teams that have never won a Super Bowl, the Raiders have won 3 and been in 5. Unfortunately, Pat fans like this writer still cannot get over the hit (clean hit) that Tatum put on Stingley and have hated anything about the Raiders since. To imply that Raider players are just a bunch of criminals because of unidentified "police reports" is just plain ignorant. Maybe you had mental diareah and meant Atlanta and San Diego.

If the Pats are the class of the NFL then why would they trade a player of such high caliber that has meant so much to the success of their team without consulting him and waiting until 1 week before opening day to do it? Kind of classless no matter where you send him. Also, would he have been happier going to Detroit? Cincinnati? Kansas City? Cleveland?

The Raiders had 3 divisional championships, and one AFC championship with a SuperBowl appearance in this decade. There are over 3/4 of the teams in the NFL who cannot say that.

If the Raiders are so horrible, where does that leave these other teams?

Mr. Davis had plenty of young talent, and the Raiders will be on top again soon, and the Cheatriots will be back where they were before.