Six days after Richard Seymour's trade from the New England Patriots, the five time pro bowl defensive lineman reported to the Oakland Raiders on Saturday. Seymour told the Boston Herald that he expects to see some play time in the season opening game versus the San Diego Chargers. Seymour will make his debut for the Raiders on Monday Night Football.

Seymour apparently wasn't expecting the last minute trade from New England, as he likened the news of his trade to Oakland as being "blindsided". The sudden trade didn't leave Seymour with much time to prepare for his relocation to the west coast, but he's rolling with it. He's pumped over the idea of playing in the seaoson opener and told the Boston Herald that, "I'll be the guy on top of the quarterback".

This was a shocking move by Oakland, considering that many feel they could have traded down and nabbed him later in the first round, or even in the second. It was especially surprising considering the fact that Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin, both regarded as better prospects than Heyward-Bey, were both still on the board when Oakland went on the clock.

Heyward-Bey wowed scouts at the NFL combine when he turned in the fastest 40 time of any of the receivers entering the draft. Those familiar with the Raiders organization and their drafting habits know that speed has always been a commodity held in the highest regard by Mr. Davis.

Obviously, the Raiders are looking for Darrius Heyward-Bey to be a real playmaker for them coming into the '09 season. The Raiders are currently lacking any real threats at the WR position, so it'll be important that the first round pick be able to step in right away and make an impact for his football team.

Many analysts feel that the more polished recievers, Crabtree and Maclin, would have been a safer bet at 7th overall. However, Oakland is viewing Heyward-Bey as their speedy gem in the rough. Hopefully they're right about this guy.

On Thursday, the Detroit Lions signed former Raiders' receiver Ronald Curry to a one year deal. By Friday, he was already on the practice field working out with the team during their mandatory 3 day mini-camp.

Curry struggled along with the rest of the Raiders offense last season, amassing a mere 19 receptions for 181 yards. Prior to that, he averaged 50 plus catches in three out of four seasons, with the exception being the 2005 season where he was out most of the year because of an injury to his achilles' tendon. Curry hopes to make a positive impact on the Lions' squad and plans to re-invent himself in Detroit.

"I talked to a lot of other teams, but a lot of teams wanted to wait until after the draft, and I felt like the longer I waited, the worse position I was going to be in", said Curry. "Right now I'm just basically trying to make the team. It seems like a talented receiver group, but I talked to the coach and he said it's a great place to reinvent yourself. So I'm just looking for the opportunity to go out there and still show people I can play."

Lions' coach Jim Schwartz recognizes Detroit's need for a reciever in the slot position, and sees Curry as a perfect candidate for that role.

"He's had a lot of production in the slot and with Calvin and Bryant Johnson outside, we have a need for a slot receiver. As a defensive coach, I've gone against him a lot of times and he fits there."

Curry is optimistic about his role as the slot receiver for Detroit. He feels his best years with the Raiders were when Norv Turner was head coach, and was working Curry in the slot position.

"That's kind of how I really became who I was in Oakland. When Norv (Turner) was there, he really worked me in the slot, making a lot of plays. With three receivers, I can play outside, but I'm more effective inside. And I think I could help this team out a lot in the slot."

Curry will be playing with a familiar face in former teammate Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper was among the list of starting Quarterbacks for Oakland during the 2007 season. Curry had some of his better games with Culpepper throwing to him, and he looks forward to the chemistry continuing in Detroit.

"I think our chemistry will be good," Curry said. "We had good chemistry in Oakland, the time that he played. The playbook was a little limited for him, because he joined us late, and then he wasn't playing and then he was playing and then he got hurt at the end.

"But he looks great now. He looks like he's in better shape than he was when he came out to Oakland. He's real fiery right now, and I think he's gonna do a great job."

Source: The Detroit News

The Raiders have three glaring needs which have to be addressed come draft day later this month.

The first of which is wide receiver. Last year Johnnie Lee Higgins led all receivers with 22 receptions during the 2008 season. It doesn't get much more abysmal than that. The Raiders are predicted to take either Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree or Missouri's Jeremy Maclin with their 7th overall pick. Darrius Heyward-Bey, who's projected as a late first rounder or possibly early second-rounder, may also be in the runnings. Heyward-Bey ran the fastest 40 of any receiver at the scouting combine, and anyone who's followed the Raiders' trend of drafting speedy receivers knows how important that is to Mr. Davis.

Secondly, the Raiders need some help on their offensive line. Oakland has sorely needed some capable blocking at tackle since they drafted Robert Gallery back in 2003. So far gallery hasn't demonstrated first-round quality for the Raiders, so their need for talent at the tackle position has yet to be fulfilled.

Right now it's looking like Baylor's Jason Smith, Virginia's Eugene Monroe, and Alabama's Andre Smith are the top prospects. By the time the Raiders are on the clock, Jason Smith will most likely have already been picked up. Andre Smith is a controversial choice, and could likely be a detriment to an already troubled and dysfunctional locker room. If the raiders are to move on an offensive tackle at number 7, then Monroe would probably be their guy.

Lastly, after ranking 31st against the run in 2008, it's certain that the Raiders need a big run stuffer on the defensive line. Boston College's B.J. Raji should still be around at number 7 and could step in right away and make an impact for the Raiders.

Another scenario has the Raiders doing the unthinkable, which would be trading down. The Raiders have never traded down in the first round, but this year would be a good time to break that rule. If the Raiders were to trade their 1st round pick to a team like Philly who is looking to trade up, they could almost assuredly pick up a great receiver like Heyward-Bey and a solid DT. Chances are that won't happen, but you never know. This offseason has been very promising and fairly unpredictable where Oakland is concerned.