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Oakland Press, Oakland, Ca
It's no secret to anyone that isn't living in a hole that Jave has never been all that concerned about defense. He has always preferred to just load up receivers and attempt to outscore the other team. However, since he has returned to the Oakland organization he seems to have turned a new leaf.
The majority of his high draft picks the last 3 seasons have been on the defensive side of the ball shocking fans in Oakland. "When I returned to Oakland I wanted to create balance on the team. With Hamilton Bice and Martinez I was really going to just air it out 35 times a game and dare teams to stop me. While it was successful it's no secret that the team is still without a ring and I take the blame for that. My new goal is to spread the wealth around so to speak. I want quality players on both sides of the ball rather then 30 million dollars being spend on 3 players. My goal is a championship ring, not great stats or indivitual awards. This time around I won't settle for anything less then a championship".
Lets take a look at this years Oakland defense.
Left Defensive End
Sean Carlson
Drafted in the second round of last years draft, Sean is a big part of the new focus on the defensive line. He is a well rounded player capable of both stopping the run and rushing the passer. In his rookie season he racked up 36 solo tackles with 5.5 sacks including 15 QB hurries.
Carlson is another of those "Myer" type players that Jave is rebuilding this team with. Guy's that show up to work, get the job done and go home. Their not there for the fanfare or multi-billion dollar contracts, they are the blue collar type guys that get the job done quietly and that's just fine with us here in Oakland.
With another year under his belt we expect Carlson's number to jump up in a big time way. Definitely a player to watch he should be a force on the defensive line.
Right Defensive End
Ricky Doyle
That's right, for those who didn't pay attention. Ricky is the younger brother of current phemon Nicky Doyle and Jave couldn't resist the chance to have the brother's reunited. Both attending infamous De La Salle high school in Concord, California, the brothers were a big reason the team went undefeated all four years the brothers attended, winning 4 straight state championships and winning the national championship twice in the span.
The brothers are no stranger to winning and Jave in intent on bringing in players who know how to win.
Lining up on the other side of Carlson will prevent teams from double teaming either player and opposing offenses will have to respect the speed and power of both lineman.
Left Defensive Tackle
Dwayne Francisco
Francisco has been all over the defensive line and the Oakland coaching staff is hoping he has found a home at defensive tackle. He has made it clear to the media and staff he is unhappy in his current role however has not excelled or played himself into a starting role on this team as of yet. He has thus far struggled and look for this to be an experiment. Jave has made his displeasure with Dwayne loud and clear and look for him to be on a short leash this season.
Right Defensive Tackle
Tod Woods
Jave was elated when the opportunity came to bring Woods back into the fold. Long a sore spot with Jave he has admitted to having made a huge mistake when he traded Woods for the opportunity to acquire failed runningback experiment Wesley Connell. " I didn't stick to my gut feeling when it came to the direction I was taking the team. You have to remember, at the time Tart was tearing us up two times a year and after seeing the success SLC was having I altered the gameplan to go to a power running attack. The team at the time was not setup for that and I payed the price with a wasted pick of Connell and the trade of Woods".
Woods was selected in the second round of the initial allocation draft in 2003, then traded to Little Rock the following season and Jave has regretted it ever since. Woods comes back to Oakland to finish out his career however he still has the speed and power to be a force in the middle for at least 2 more years. With Woods clogging up the middle and Carlson and Doyle rushing the passer, this could be one of the premier defensive lines in the league this year.
Middle Linebacker
Jon Hawkins
After being injured last season, Hawkins look to regain the form he had in the 2011 season when he garnered 140 tackles, 3 sacks and was named All League Second Team Middle Linebacker. One of the best MLB'ers in the league there isn't much he cannot do. He has the speed, strength and heart to hunt down runningbacks and put the lights out quick. " When you run at me, expect to get knocked the fuck out. It's not personal, it's business. Don't try to run on us and you won't have a problem. I'm actually a nice guy, off the field that is".
Starting his 5th year with the team, Hawkins has been training the entire offseason and been setting the example spending weeks studying film and starting a team workout program that many of the rookies who attended stated "was the hardest I ever worked. That guy is intense, never stops. He has the motor of a tri-athlete. The guy tries to kill ya, then he starts the actual workout".
Strong-side Linebacker
Ken "Tank" Allmon
Starting his 11th season in Oakland "Tank" has set the example for an entire league of linebackers. Named "Defensive Player of The Year" in 2004, Allmon ranks 5th in all time tackles and 6th in all time assists and looks to add to that before he retires next season. Easily winning the starting position for his 11th straight season, Allmon is the very definition of an Oakland Devil and plans on this being his best season yet. With Hawkins in the middle "Tank" is making a living off of "cleaning up the trash" making life a living hell for opposing runningbacks. 16 games and counting Allmon is a sure bet for the IFL Hall Of Fame.
Weak-Side Linebacker
Bennie Durham
Bennie has patiently waiting 5 years to work his way into the starting lineup, and this is his year. With the retirement of longtime linebacker Dennis Gallup, Bennie quickly showed the fans and coaches he has what it takes to play in this league and Jave gave him the starting position right out of training camp. Now it's up to him to back it up.
Left Cornerback
Wade Boyd
Boyd has a solid rookie season despite being injured for 2 games last season. "We actually didn't expect him to progress as well as he did. We are impressed with how quickly he picked up the playbook and the speed of the IFL. Being a stud in college and a high draft pick means nothing when you have to show up in training camp. The coaches and other players don't give a crap how impressive ESPN thought you were, they wanna see you translate it to the field and I think Wade did a damn good job last season. He appeared to fit right in."
He still has a lot to learn but we think with Boyd on one side and Doyle on the other, opposing quarterbacks are going to have a tough time this season finding lanes to throw in. They are going to have to hope and pray for either corner to make a mistake, and we here in Oakland don't see that happening often.
Right Cornerback
Nicky Doyle
Doyle was on his way to an easy Rookie of The Year" trophy however nagging injuries sidelined him for 3 games putting him just out the running, however he had the kind of season many expected.
Despite only 3 interceptions last season, one was returned "to the house" 80 yards for a score. And it's the things you don't see on the stat sheet that counted. Teams were forced to throw away from him often basically cutting the field in half. However with Boyd improving and another year under his belt, we expect Doyle will improve upon last years numbers and be in serious consideration for "Player Of The Year" this season.
Safety's
Cornell Berrian
Conrad de Marco
If Oakland had a weakness this season, it appears this could be it. With the impending retirement of Stephen Edelstein this leaves a giant hole in the Oakland defense. How well they play could make the difference between a 10 win season, and yet another high draft pick. But Jave is putting his money where his mouth is and is confident that even as rookies, these 2 can perform at a high enough level. "I suppose being rookies one could assume it's a weakness and try to attack us deep. I mean, depends on how lucky they are feeling it's not going to be Doyle or Boyd they end up throwing against. We will play zone heavy, not leaving any one of our players out on an island defending themselves. As a unit we have one of the strongest defensive backfields in the league. I'm not all that worried"
It's no secret to anyone that isn't living in a hole that Jave has never been all that concerned about defense. He has always preferred to just load up receivers and attempt to outscore the other team. However, since he has returned to the Oakland organization he seems to have turned a new leaf.
The majority of his high draft picks the last 3 seasons have been on the defensive side of the ball shocking fans in Oakland. "When I returned to Oakland I wanted to create balance on the team. With Hamilton Bice and Martinez I was really going to just air it out 35 times a game and dare teams to stop me. While it was successful it's no secret that the team is still without a ring and I take the blame for that. My new goal is to spread the wealth around so to speak. I want quality players on both sides of the ball rather then 30 million dollars being spend on 3 players. My goal is a championship ring, not great stats or indivitual awards. This time around I won't settle for anything less then a championship".
Lets take a look at this years Oakland defense.
Left Defensive End
Sean Carlson
Drafted in the second round of last years draft, Sean is a big part of the new focus on the defensive line. He is a well rounded player capable of both stopping the run and rushing the passer. In his rookie season he racked up 36 solo tackles with 5.5 sacks including 15 QB hurries.
Carlson is another of those "Myer" type players that Jave is rebuilding this team with. Guy's that show up to work, get the job done and go home. Their not there for the fanfare or multi-billion dollar contracts, they are the blue collar type guys that get the job done quietly and that's just fine with us here in Oakland.
With another year under his belt we expect Carlson's number to jump up in a big time way. Definitely a player to watch he should be a force on the defensive line.
Right Defensive End
Ricky Doyle
That's right, for those who didn't pay attention. Ricky is the younger brother of current phemon Nicky Doyle and Jave couldn't resist the chance to have the brother's reunited. Both attending infamous De La Salle high school in Concord, California, the brothers were a big reason the team went undefeated all four years the brothers attended, winning 4 straight state championships and winning the national championship twice in the span.
The brothers are no stranger to winning and Jave in intent on bringing in players who know how to win.
Lining up on the other side of Carlson will prevent teams from double teaming either player and opposing offenses will have to respect the speed and power of both lineman.
Left Defensive Tackle
Dwayne Francisco
Francisco has been all over the defensive line and the Oakland coaching staff is hoping he has found a home at defensive tackle. He has made it clear to the media and staff he is unhappy in his current role however has not excelled or played himself into a starting role on this team as of yet. He has thus far struggled and look for this to be an experiment. Jave has made his displeasure with Dwayne loud and clear and look for him to be on a short leash this season.
Right Defensive Tackle
Tod Woods
Jave was elated when the opportunity came to bring Woods back into the fold. Long a sore spot with Jave he has admitted to having made a huge mistake when he traded Woods for the opportunity to acquire failed runningback experiment Wesley Connell. " I didn't stick to my gut feeling when it came to the direction I was taking the team. You have to remember, at the time Tart was tearing us up two times a year and after seeing the success SLC was having I altered the gameplan to go to a power running attack. The team at the time was not setup for that and I payed the price with a wasted pick of Connell and the trade of Woods".
Woods was selected in the second round of the initial allocation draft in 2003, then traded to Little Rock the following season and Jave has regretted it ever since. Woods comes back to Oakland to finish out his career however he still has the speed and power to be a force in the middle for at least 2 more years. With Woods clogging up the middle and Carlson and Doyle rushing the passer, this could be one of the premier defensive lines in the league this year.
Middle Linebacker
Jon Hawkins
After being injured last season, Hawkins look to regain the form he had in the 2011 season when he garnered 140 tackles, 3 sacks and was named All League Second Team Middle Linebacker. One of the best MLB'ers in the league there isn't much he cannot do. He has the speed, strength and heart to hunt down runningbacks and put the lights out quick. " When you run at me, expect to get knocked the fuck out. It's not personal, it's business. Don't try to run on us and you won't have a problem. I'm actually a nice guy, off the field that is".
Starting his 5th year with the team, Hawkins has been training the entire offseason and been setting the example spending weeks studying film and starting a team workout program that many of the rookies who attended stated "was the hardest I ever worked. That guy is intense, never stops. He has the motor of a tri-athlete. The guy tries to kill ya, then he starts the actual workout".
Strong-side Linebacker
Ken "Tank" Allmon
Starting his 11th season in Oakland "Tank" has set the example for an entire league of linebackers. Named "Defensive Player of The Year" in 2004, Allmon ranks 5th in all time tackles and 6th in all time assists and looks to add to that before he retires next season. Easily winning the starting position for his 11th straight season, Allmon is the very definition of an Oakland Devil and plans on this being his best season yet. With Hawkins in the middle "Tank" is making a living off of "cleaning up the trash" making life a living hell for opposing runningbacks. 16 games and counting Allmon is a sure bet for the IFL Hall Of Fame.
Weak-Side Linebacker
Bennie Durham
Bennie has patiently waiting 5 years to work his way into the starting lineup, and this is his year. With the retirement of longtime linebacker Dennis Gallup, Bennie quickly showed the fans and coaches he has what it takes to play in this league and Jave gave him the starting position right out of training camp. Now it's up to him to back it up.
Left Cornerback
Wade Boyd
Boyd has a solid rookie season despite being injured for 2 games last season. "We actually didn't expect him to progress as well as he did. We are impressed with how quickly he picked up the playbook and the speed of the IFL. Being a stud in college and a high draft pick means nothing when you have to show up in training camp. The coaches and other players don't give a crap how impressive ESPN thought you were, they wanna see you translate it to the field and I think Wade did a damn good job last season. He appeared to fit right in."
He still has a lot to learn but we think with Boyd on one side and Doyle on the other, opposing quarterbacks are going to have a tough time this season finding lanes to throw in. They are going to have to hope and pray for either corner to make a mistake, and we here in Oakland don't see that happening often.
Right Cornerback
Nicky Doyle
Doyle was on his way to an easy Rookie of The Year" trophy however nagging injuries sidelined him for 3 games putting him just out the running, however he had the kind of season many expected.
Despite only 3 interceptions last season, one was returned "to the house" 80 yards for a score. And it's the things you don't see on the stat sheet that counted. Teams were forced to throw away from him often basically cutting the field in half. However with Boyd improving and another year under his belt, we expect Doyle will improve upon last years numbers and be in serious consideration for "Player Of The Year" this season.
Safety's
Cornell Berrian
Conrad de Marco
If Oakland had a weakness this season, it appears this could be it. With the impending retirement of Stephen Edelstein this leaves a giant hole in the Oakland defense. How well they play could make the difference between a 10 win season, and yet another high draft pick. But Jave is putting his money where his mouth is and is confident that even as rookies, these 2 can perform at a high enough level. "I suppose being rookies one could assume it's a weakness and try to attack us deep. I mean, depends on how lucky they are feeling it's not going to be Doyle or Boyd they end up throwing against. We will play zone heavy, not leaving any one of our players out on an island defending themselves. As a unit we have one of the strongest defensive backfields in the league. I'm not all that worried"
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