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| The Raiders selected offensive lineman Paul McQuistan in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. |
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Tony Gonzales |
By Drew Christensen
In the 3rd round in the 2006 NFL draft, The Oakland Raiders selected Paul McQuistan, a fairly unknown prospect from Weber State. At the time, fans rallied behind the newly acquired lineman and his long, red mullet. However, McQuistan quickly showed Raider fans that they should start paying attention to something other then his hair – his play on the field.
Entering his fourth year with the Raiders, McQuistan hopes to continue to make a name for himself at the top level. With his former position coach, Tom Cable, being elevated to head coach, McQuistan is enjoying a level of familiarity with the Oakland coaching staff. “Coach Cable is great for the players because he understands what we need to do and what we do well,” the Lebanon, Oregon, product said recently following a meeting with his fellow offensive linemen.
After a successful collegiate career, his size and athleticism impressed the Raider organization enough to take him 69th overall. During the 2006 and 2007 campaigns, he played in 31 games, making 12 starts along the Raider line. “It was nice to get in there right away. I was able to step right in and get valuable playing experience on the professional level.”
McQuistan’s versatility has allowed him to start games at both guard spots and right tackle in his career, something that makes him an asset to the team.
Unfortunately, McQuistan suffered a knee injury early in the 2008 campaign, cutting short a promising season. He spent the remainder of the season on injured reserve, but is determined to get back to seeing the kind of playing time he became accustomed to in 2007. “It was hard sitting out last season, especially watching the team struggle because you feel like you could help the team if you were out [on the field].”
With the Raiders on the verge of training camp, McQuistan will have his first shot at showing he’s fully recovered and ready to compete. McQuistan believes that with the help of new position coach, Jim Michalczik, he’ll be able make the transition from situational lineman to full time starter. “It has been great working with him so far,” said McQuistan about Michalczik. “We have been going over new stuff, new terms and watching film so we can be on top of our game. I’m really excited.”
As an added incentive to earn a starting role this year, McQuistan and the Raiders will face his twin brother Pat, who plays for the Dallas Cowboys, when the two teams meet in the pre-season and on Thanksgiving Day. “It is kind of a dream,” McQuistan said about the thought of facing his brother, adding that the two talk regularly about what they see in each other's games that’ll help them improve.
The offseason additions of Khalif Barnes and Erik Pears, as well as returning starters like Robert Gallery and Mario Henderson provide Oakland with a plethora of talent along the offensive line, but don’t think that McQuistan is letting the crowded locker room discourage him. “I plan on being a better player than before [the injury]. I’m ready to show I’m healthy and earn my spot.”
He’ll have his chance to prove he’s up to the challenge of regaining his starting spot when the Raiders open camp later this month in Napa.
Joined: Oct 2005
Current Posts: 925
Wow, I had forgotten all about him too.
The more I start to look at the roster, the more comfortable I become with SOME of the positions. Obviously there's desperate need for improvement on the DL. But with the talent that is present along the OL it's beginning to show signs of life. Perhaps not All-Pro or even Pro Bowl talent but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be effective. Satele, Barnes, and Gallery (yes Gallery) are all relatively young and should be able to quickly shore up deficiencies. Combine the younger guys there and it appears that the line may not be as questionable as we think. We're going to have some growing pains. But like many of the other positions on the team it's just incredibly young and raw. It's going to take some time to get it where we want it.
Hopefully McQuistan can step up this year and help us out wherever he may be. With his size he would be a tremendous asset in pass blocking and a force with run blocking. Lets also not forget that Lorenzo Neal is in the backfield these days which really makes him the 6th lineman on the field.
Joined: Mar 2007
Current Posts: 83
No doubt, this team has gotten better especially at OL. No, we didn't draft a big name there but we've got a few younger guys who've been hurt/under utilized and have talent as well as the mid-level free agents that we've signed. Kwame Harris was as bad as it's gonna get, period! Anything else is an upgrade from here on out. Nobody can argue against that. We paid him $7 million last year and now he doesn't even have an offer yet. That doesn't look good.
Every move we made last year was total horse s**t through and through. Even S-Gibril Wilson was a total failure and he was our 'sure thing' of the off season. Anybody remember Wilson making a tackle that wasn't 8+yards down field last year? He was like Schweigert all over again except he was a better tackler and had like 1 interception. Clearly, that wasn't worth the jack we paid him and he wound up getting I belive around $5 million a year from The Fins. The good news is that for the most part we will have swallowed the bitter pill financially after this year and therefore won't have as much 'dead money' lingering on our books for years to come. We will recover financially rather quickly(except for Walker-that move simply staggers the imagination even though he was willing to give us a break this year by renegotiating his contract!) from last year's debacle.
With all of the speed we drafted on defense this year and the signing of DL-Greg Ellis there is no doubt we will be better at rushing the QB among other things. Fans here don't seem to realize/and or accept the fact that it was our poor pass rush that gave opposing offenses so many 2nd and 3rd chances to run the ball against us. Furthermore, the fact that we scored so few points gave them no real reason to throw the ball against us. Throw against Namdi when you're up by 3 points? Why would anybody do that? Even at the end of the season when our run D was playing better, teams still continued to pound the ball against us with the same regularity thus even when we held their yards per carry down they still got decent yardage.
At DT I like the fact that we kept William Joseph and signed Ryan Boschetti(6'4 315 lbs- 6th year from UCLA). We don't have a top 5 DT by any means but I think even a little improvement is all it will take to help this unit make a difference this year. Can Tommy Kelly improve from last year? How could he NOT improve? Can DT Gerrard Warren stay healthier? That would help!! Can The Terd finally show us why we paid him so much? Well, he lost 40 lbs so that can't be a bad sign. Can Rookie Free agent DT Desmond Bryant(6'5 290lbs, 4.89 40 yard dash and played NT/DE at Harvard) make the team? Who knows but the competition couldn't hurt and our depth should improve one way or the other.
Why doesn't this team ever invest in the DT position during draft time? It doesn't make sense and it DOES bother me. None the less the potential for improvement at DT alone is very likely and easy to see if you open your eyes. The same can also be said for just about every position on this team. So, you don't like the DHB pick at #1? Join the club!! Can you really say that our WR's will NOT improve after drafting 2 more in the top 4 rounds? Be realistic!! Who did we lose? Ronald Curry? PLEASE!!!There is not one position on this team that even the most negative(or should I say phony/fair weathered/whiny) fan can say with out a doubt will be much worse than last year. Not DT, not Safety, not any where!
No we didn't sign Hayesworth(thank goodness), or draft BJ Raji(again-No thanx!) but after that what else was really left? This wasn't a very good year to draft a DT(undersized group), or to sign one either. Who's the best free agent DT available? Dwan Edwards(BAL-6'5 295-6th year) or John Thornton(6'3 290-10th year)? I'm not sure if they even fit our scheme and they seem like the most able body's out there.
At Safety, there's a few names still floating around out there but most are old. Safeties Laywer Milloy or Kevin Keasviharn might be worth checking out but I'm more intrigued at some of the larger corners who could posibly switch to safety in their later years. Guys like Chris McAllister(6'1 210 lbs-11th year) or Chris Gamble(6'1 204 lbs-6th year) strike me as being smart enough, fast enough, and big enough to play center field until Mitchell or Branch can man the spot. Much like Reynaldo Hill did for us a few years ago. By the way, he's out there too along with many others. Dexter Jackson, Ty Law(cb), Dwight Smith, Mike Mkenzie(cb), Mike Doss, Will Demps, Corey Chavous, etc. S Brian Dawkins was clearly the second best safety on his own team the last few years and his skills/speed have deteriorated so I don't think we really missed the boat there.
Hoping that we're headed in the right direction and I can't wait for some real action. GO RAIDERS!!!
Joined: Feb 2009
Current Posts: 902
who's the dmbfk that wrote that????? he must be the only human on the planet to think we're loaded at Offensive Line!
face it you can't get playing time on Oakland's line its because YOU STINK!!!!
who the hell is Erik Pears? ridiculous
Joined: Mar 2007
Current Posts: 83
Hey [bleep]bag!!! Nobody said we were loaded!! Not me or the company man who wrote the article. You listening MORON??? Why don't you give me your address so I can come down and kick the living s**t out of you you [bleep] spineless [bleep]!! I dare you!! I double dare you!! You won't do it!! Losers like you are ALL THE SAME!! All talk and no walk.
Say something positive, I dare you!! You can't do it, can you?? Can you?!! Nothing you have EVER said on this board has been even close to a compliment. Didn't your mother tell you if you don't have anything to say then STFU????? I'm sure you never listened to her or anybody else either. I am dumber for even responding to your negative Pre-School dribble.
You Bronco's fans are all the same!! Go the F away buzzkill. You can't get PT when you're hurt either! Can you even READ numbnuts? So why don't you read the WHOLE article or just STFU!!! Nobody here wants to know what your ignorant lame [bleep] thinks of the 5% of the article that you were actually able to read. Get hooked on phonics or shut your miserable whole queef!! Are you related to Shannarat's left nut?
Do the world a favor and just OFF YOURSELF you pathetic PHUQ WAD!!!
Anybody here want to stand up for ICRYTOOMUCH?!!! All the $$$ in the world says nobody sticks up for you & why would they? You could fall off the face of the earth and even you're mother wouldn't miss you because you don't help with the rent and you live in her basement. You're a total joke and a coward and you know it. Pissing people off isn't a skill, if it was then you could be CEO of MANBLA. Get a [bleep] job and GO AWAY!!!
Joined: Feb 2009
Current Posts: 902
The offseason additions of Khalif Barnes and Erik Pears, as well as returning starters like Robert Gallery and Mario Henderson provide Oakland with a plethora of talent along the offensive line, but don’t think that McQuistan is letting the crowded locker room discourage him
- - from the article posted starting this thread (you dmbfkr!)
let me guess, you're going to argue that having a "plethora of talent" on the Oline is much different than "being loaded". ok have fun with that, pooh, you'll sound like a reject
man dude QUIT CRYING!!! you sound like a phagg Niners fan!! which I'm sure you are. or now they are pathetic too so you're jumping back on the raider bandwagon. we get it you little woman!!!
Joined: Sep 2006
Current Posts: 168
I picked him to be the next solid player last year.. Then he got hurt. He lost a years experience, but will catch up. I promise you that. Henderson will anchor and protect very well Russell's blind side, McQuistan and Galery will be solid up the middle and I'm not counting out Chris Morris to outplay Satele, And Barnes at RT. It's going to happen. Pears and the rest will be good back ups. UCrytoomuch is a Goof. Ingnore Cyber Bullying lol. Listen to McGruff when he speaks.
Joined: Nov 2006
Current Posts: 344
I like McQuistan also. I thought he did well enough in filling in at RT in 2007 that he should be allowed to compete for that spot in 2008. My concern is that he seemed to have been forgotten before he was hurt. I belive the O-Line starters were being called by Cable even though Lame was HC. I wouldn't be surprised if McQ doesn't get any serious consideration barring an injury.
Joined: Feb 2009
Current Posts: 902
everyone knows that! D'oh!!!!!
geez if i wasn't a goof i wouldn't even realize how great those clowns, I mean players, are