ALAMEDA – The state of the Raiders secondary remains a question.
Lane Kiffin said how Nnamdi Asomugha (knee) and Fabian Washington (calf) felt Saturday would help determine if either plays Sunday against Chicago.
Asomugha practiced, but didn’t finish as the team planned to hold him out. Washington didn’t practice for the third straight day.
Kiffin said that Asomugha practiced makes it more likely he would play, but officially both are questionable for the game.
Reserve cornerbacks Chris Johnson and John Bowie – the rookie acquired in the Randy Moss trade – are possibilities to be active on Sunday depending on the health of Asomugha and Washington.
Should he play, it would be Bowie’s first action of the season. Johnson has been inactive since Jarrod Cooper returned and began playing a lot on special teams.
Warren Sapp (knee) is probable. Gerard Warren (quadriceps) is also expected to play after practicing this week.
Center Jake Grove (knee) is doubtful.
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Daunte Culpepper will be the No. 2 quarterback against Chicago. Kiffin’s dilemma with putting JaMarcus Russell in that spot is if there were an injury, Russell would have to play.
Russell playing isn’t out of the question, but if he’s No. 3, he could only come in for the fourth quarter or if Culpepper and McCown were both injured before then.
NFL rules mandate teams declare who the third quarterback is before kickoff. If Culpepper is third and McCown were hurt, it might mean Russell playing a lot more than Kiffin wants as an injury replacement.
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Injured defensive lineman Tommy Kelly was at the team facility today in the backseat of a pickup truck holding an envelope, presumably a paycheck.
It reminds me of a conversation I had with an injured Raider last season who was around on a Friday.
I asked why and he said he had to pick up his check.
What? No direct deposit? He said no and that Al Davis signs every check.
It’s one of the reasons why working for the Raiders is a unique experience.
--Jason Jones
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