Raiders Look For Speedy Start To Regular Season
ALAMEDA (AP) -- Owner Al Davis has spent his career collecting as much speed as possible for the Oakland Raiders.
The infatuation has gotten to the point that as soon as a player clocks in at under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, jokes immediately start that the Raiders will draft him no matter what he's done on the football field.
Rarely has Davis had a collection of burners like this year's group. The Raiders feature the fastest players at the last three combines and five other players clocked at 4.36 seconds or better in the 40 at the combine or their pro days.
Watch the Raiders kick off the season Monday night at 7:30 p.m. on CBS 5, with special pregame show beginning at 7 p.m. The radio broadcast of the game will also be available on Live 105.3 FM.
"I do feel a little slow," said receiver Chaz Schilens, who was clocked at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day three years ago but says he's "embarrassed" after watching some of his teammates run. "I'm definitely not in the top, but it's good. It's good to have those guys out there though."
From Darren McFadden (4.33) and Taiwan Jones (4.33) at running back to Jacoby Ford (4.28) and Darrius Heyward-Bey (4.30) at receiver to defensive backs Stanford Routt (4.27), DeMarcus Van Dyke (4.28) and Tyvon Branch (4.31) and even suspended quarterback Terrelle Pryor (4.36), the Raiders have enough speed to make some of the top track teams jealous.
