The ongoing saga with the Raiders and running back LaMont Jordan have taken another turn, as reports say the Raiders have told the back to stay away from the teams training camp. ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the Raiders have contacted Jordan with the news, but have not decided on their next course of action with him.

The issue with Jordan is that cannot keep him away from camp, as they have one of three options - let him come to training camp, release him, or trade him. In other words, if Jordan wants to show up, there is nothing that the Raiders can legally do about it.

There were recent reports that Jordan talked to and worked out for Detroit, but that was as far as it went. If the team can’t quickly find a trading partner, they probably will simply release him and let him find a team on his own as the Raiders move on with Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and rookie Darren McFadden.

The Raiders are getting a visit from former Chiefs safety Greg Wesley, who asked for and got his release from KC this past week.  ProFootballtalk.com is stating that Wesley will be in Oakland on Sunday as well as Monday.  The Chiefs were looking to trade Wesley, but were unable to find any takers.  The Broncos were another team that earlier in the offseason was talking about taking a look at Wesley if he was let go, so it remains to be seen if they will or not.

Wesely was chosen by the Chiefs with their third-round pick back in 2000, and had played his entire career with KC.  The former Arkansas-Pine Bluff safety played in 15 games last season with the 4-12 Chiefs, making 30 tackles.  He has played in 118 career games, making 593 tackles, 29 picks and has six sacks.

The Raiders are stocked at running back already with rookie Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and the returning Justin Fargas. That means the odd man out will be former Jets back LaMont Jordan, who the team is actively seeking to deal. ESPN’s Hashmarks says that a deal may come down between the Raiders and Detroit Lions, a team that Jordan recently visited according to agent Alvin Keels.

The site says that it was a pre-trade visit arranged by the Raiders and Lions, and that it could set up a deal that would send Jordan to Detroit for a sixth or seventh-round draft choice back to the Raiders. Jordan will join his third team, as he started hie career with the Jets, then went to the Raiders back in 2005. Last season in 12 games he ran for 549 yards on 144 carries with three TD’s.

The writing about Jordan was on the wall when the team used the 4th pick in the draft on McFadden. The Lions need help at running back, and even went so far to attend the workout of a player they released not that long ago - Kevin Jones. Jordan will be 31 in November, so the Lions probably feel he has some gas left in the tank.

Drexel Perry - Total Titans

Cowboys vs Redskins

Just as the Cowboys and the Indians battled each other in Western movies, the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins have had their share of violent skirmishes on the gridiron.

Highlights of one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries include head-to-head battles in two NFC Championship Games, with the Redskins winning both of those contests (1972, 1982). In 1989, a shocking 13-3 victory over the Redskins gave the Cowboys their only win in Jimmy Johnson’s forgettable 1-15 debut as an NFL head coach.

Toss the W-L records out of the window, because you can expect a full-fledged war each time two of the NFL’s flagship franchises face off during their bi-annual NFC East grudge matches.

Brian Miller - Phinphanatic.com

An AFC East Point Of View

Breaking down rivalries in the AFC East is no easy task. Ask a Bills fan..he says Miami, ask a Pats fan and he says Miami, ask a Jets fan and he will throw bottles and batteries…at Miami. Ask a Miami fan
and the answer is not so clear.

While the Dolphins and Patriots have had some memorable games, the Bills and Jets would probably fall into a more “bitter” rivalry. In the 1990’s the Bills and Dolphins rekindled a dwindled rivalry with
epic games between Dan Marino and Jim Kelly. Despite the Bills and the Bryan Cox 2 finger salutes to the Bills crowd, it is the Jets that make Miami fans and players’ blood boil. A long history that dates
back to the Don Shula led Colts losing in Super Bowl III, the Dolphins and Jets have had some amazing and memorable games. From ultra high-scoring affairs to a fake spike, from a Monday night miracle
comeback to a rain soaked playoff game. If you want rivalry. Bitter hold no bar rivalry, you don’t have to look any further than north on interstate 95.

The NFL has had some great rivalries over the years. The 49ers vs. Cowboys during the 1990s was awesome. The Colts and Patriots in recent years has been the best in the NFL. The historical rivalries that include Packers vs. Bears and Steelers vs. Browns are steeped in tradition. But there is one rivalry that stands far above the others.

A Media Member Who Has Covered the NFL for Over 13 Years

The Raiders vs. Anybody

True, this rivalry isn’t what it used to be because the Raiders are just so bad. Still, no team draws as much ire and vitriol like the Raiders. Maybe it’s the fans – because it isn’t about what they have done on the field in recent years – but teams still enjoy beating the Raiders. A lot. Especially the teams AFC West opponents. And really, that doesn’t seem like it will die down in the near future.

Matt Loede - NFLGridironGab

Pittsburgh vs Cleveland

Being in Cleveland the rivals of the Browns over the years include the Bengals and Ravens, but no rivalry is quite as heated as the one against the city about 90 miles away - Pittsburgh. The Steelers and Browns have had some fierce battles over the years, and despite the fact that the Steelers have owned the series since the Browns return since 1999, this one continues to be a good one, and in 2008 it should only get better.

In an interview with the “St. Petersburg Times,” retiring Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp didn’t have kind words to say about his former employer. Asked to describe his experience with the Raiders, the soon-to-be Hall of Famer said it was, “As dark as a black hole. Stuff went on in that organization that shouldn’t go on in sports. I don’t think there’s one person who knows who or what is making the call. Let’s just say the Oakland experience was unique. The phone rings quite a bit on that sideline.”

The 35-year old Sapp announced his retirement on January 8th, ending a 13-year career that saw him record 96-and-a-half sacks, the second most for a defensive tackle, and win a Super Bowl ring while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As for his next move, Sapp has said he plans to accept an offer to appear on “Dancing With the Stars.”

It is hard to believe, but it appears that no less than seven teams are interested in the services of former Saints and Browns OL LeCharles Bentley, who asked for and got his release from the Browns two weeks ago.  Bentley feels that he is healthy and can be a starter on a team this season, but it’s going to up to the team that he eventually signs with to figure that out.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network put out a list of the seven teams, breaking down as follows:

Buffalo - The Bills O-line was better in 07 than 06, but could use some help.  They need to make sure to get Jason Peters signed, and they have Melvin Folwer as their center, a good, but not great player.

Cincinnati - They need some help up front, and if Bentley is going to line up at center, it’s a position they can use, with right now Eric Ghiaciuc listed as the starting snapper.  Staying in the North means he can stick it to the Browns as well.

Miami - Bentley can teach some traits to #1 pick Jake Long, and probably take some playing time away from center Samson Satele.  The line needs some experience, and Bentley can add that.

Oakland - The silver and black were 6th in the league in rushing last year, and while they could use some depth, I can’t see him wrestling away a starting job on this already pretty good line.

Pittsburgh - The issues on the O-line were well documented for the Steelers in 2007, and now that Alan Faneca is gone, it’s still a problem spot.  They will have 2-3 new starters on the line this year, and while they already brought in a center in Justin Hartwig, Bentley might be an interesting fit here.

St. Louis - This is the top spot in my opinion for Bentley to land.  The Rams lost out on Barry Sims this week to the Niners, and have been looking hard at the O-line market since they were so banged up there last year.  Mark Setterstrom will be the center in 08, and he can be displaced if Bentley signs.

San Francisco - This may have been a more pressing need before they got Sims this week, but the Niners want to upgrade the O-line still, and would love to add someone like Bentley that can teach youngsters like Chilo Rachal and last years #1 Joe Staley.

Seattle - Walter Jones is coming off another shoulder surgery, and the middle three spots are trouble issues, which is why Bentley is getting consideration here. Center Chris Spencer has offseason thumb surgery, making a run at Bentley even more of a possibility.

Only Al Davis would start throwing out regret over the spending spree that his team went out BEFORE THEY EVEN PLAY A GAME in the 2008 season.  Maybe it’s the recent issues with wide out Javon Walker, who the team way overpaid for, or the simple fact that the team has made strides in adding talent, but at the same time look like they are going to have their issues in the upcoming season.

Jason Cole, who we’ve talked to on the site before, from Yahoo Sports wrote the story on Davis and his feelings about his teams offseason.  “Three sources who have had conversations with the Oakland Raiders general managing partner within the past two months said Davis has expressed regret over the team’s offseason spending spree on players and worries about his ability to end the longest-running slump in team history.”

It just goes to show that the way the Raiders have done business in their history, which at times has meant trying to buy their way to the top, is no longer the right and proper way to do business in the NFL.  The best teams are built with few big name free agents, and more with the development of players from drafts, and even doing a better job scouting players that are taken in the later rounds of the draft that have an impact on the team in a positive sense.

Some of the head scratching moves that the Raiders made include signing safety Gibril Wilson to a six-year deal worth $39 million, with $16 mil guaranteed, problem child corner DeAngelo Hall to a 7-year, $70 mil deal, and re-signing okay, but not great DT Tommy Kelly to a deal that will pay him $50.5 mil over seven years with $18.125 ml guaraneteed.

These are the types of moves that have kept the Raiders from being the team that they can become, and moves that will keep them from winning their first Super Bowl since the 1984 season.  The Raiders are 19-61 since losing to the Super Bowl in 2003 vs Tampa Bay, and now it’s time for Davis to realize that the way the team has done business has got to change, or the team will continue to get laughed at by others around the league.

It looks as if things may be picking up in the Javon Walker robbery case, as today police arrested one man and a second was being sought in the case. Police arrested 30-year-old Arfat Fadel today, he’s accused of multiple felonies, including kidnapping, robbery, battery and conspiracy in the June 16th robbery that police say netted some $3,000 in cash from Walker and $100,000 worth of his jewelry.

“The suspects knew who Mr. Walker was. He did not know who they were,” Lt. Clinton Nichols said. “Whether they were part of his entourage or not remains to be seen. The suspects knew who Mr. Walker was. He did not know who they were, whether they were part of his entourage or not remains to be seen.”

Walker’s story in the whole deal has really been back and forth, first telling a website he was assaulted at his hotel in Vegas and dragged out. Now it comes out that story is false. Police say that two men were seen in some of the crowded nightclubs where Walker was shown on surveillance videotapes partying from about 9 p.m. June 15, until shortly before he was found unconscious at 7:19 a.m. the next morning about a block east of the Las Vegas Strip.