Raider Coach Dennis Allen on injuries: “I’ll go through them. Juron Criner had a hip. It’s pretty sore today, but we’ll see where he’s at on Wednesday. Richard Gordon had a bicep. There’s no structural damage, but he’s, again, a guy we’ll have to look at on Wednesday to see where he’s at.



(raiders.com)

Backup tight end Richard Gordon returned to practice Wednesday after missing three games with a hamstring injury — and he should help the running game a little bit. Cornerback Shawntae Spencer (foot) and tackle Khalif Barnes (groin) aren’t expected to be back this week.



(sfgate.com)

proCane Richard Gordon #82 of the Oakland Raiders catches a one yard touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers, his first career touchdown, during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 23, 2012 in Oakland, California.


proCane Richard Gordon #82 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after he scored his first career touchdown after catching a one yard touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 23, 2012 in Oakland, California.

Raiders TE Richard Gordon will make his second straight start Friday night against Arizona in place of the injured Brandon Myers (shoulder).

Gordon started Monday night against Dallas despite an illness but left the game early. He's healthy now and will have a chance to make a case for why he should prevail in what's seen as a three-man battle for the starting job between Myers, Gordon and David Ausberry.

“Nobody's locked that job down,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. “Obviously it's hurt Brandon that he hasn't been able to be out here with a shoulder, but I've been impressed with what Richard's been able to do. He gives us a little bit better blocking presence on the edge. I'll be interested to see how he comes out and plays.”

At 6-foot-4 and 268 pounds, Gordon is the Raiders' biggest and most powerful tight end. This year he's improved his route running, and he's been catching the ball better.


(cbssports.com)

When the Raiders drafted tight end Richard Gordon out of Miami last season, it was a bit of a surprise. Even as a sixth round pick, it was a head scratcher. He had just ten catches from the tight end spot his entire four year college career so what did the Raiders see in this guy that made them think he was worth a draft pick? The answer: blocking.

And it takes a seriously good blocker to have a team drafting a player based on that skill alone. Well, unless that player is an offensive lineman. The tight end is the next best thing to an offensive lineman but if he can't catch, there is no point.

The small sample size for Gordon at tight end was due to his switching positions several times in college.

"I went from D end to D tackle." Said Gordon. "Going into my sophomore/junior year I went back to tight end, then went back to defense, then went back to tight end. So I've been switching around in Miami, played kickoff return, I played everything."

"I went to Miami as a defensive end. The only reason I ended up at tight end is because the tight ends went down and I [said] ‘coach, I can play it, coach, I can play it.' The biggest thing was the aggressiveness and I didn't get that many balls but when the ball did come my way, I made my best to catch the ball but I put the best out there in blocking and that's how I got here. And since I got here, I've been trying to step my game up."

The Raiders took a real flier on him because of how great a blocker he was. They hope he could develop the receiving part of his game and become a more complete tight end. Last season, he ended up in the same situation as he had at Miami. This time it was the fullback position which needed a fill in. The result was one catch for Gordon the entire season. Now he's no longer going to be content with just paving the way for others.

"I came in as a blocker. In training camp last year, I showed a couple catches and everything. I had a big game against Seattle in the preseason so I think I forced to coaches to see that I could receive the ball rather than in Miami I was just ‘alright coach, I just wanna block coach, I'll just block all day' and didn't really care about catching the ball but now I think trying to get to the next level in my game and trying to catch the ball."

"Always been developing. I work with the receivers. I worked with Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers, I work with Chad Johnson, everybody down in Miami, I work out with Andre Johnson. So I take things from them and then when I'm here I see [Darrius] Heyward-Bey, I look at his when he runs through the ball... just taking skills from everybody and trying to put it together."

That hard work has been showing dividends in training camp. The lumbering tight end has developed into a surprisingly good receiver. He still has the occasional concentration drop but no more than any other receiver on this team and sometimes less than many of them.

The staff showed their faith in him by naming him the second team tight end coming into camp and despite his being out the first week with an injury, he retained his spot at the primary backup once he returned.

"I was in a rush to get back. You can't stay out too long. In this game you stay out too long, somebody's gonna step up, somebody's gotta step up, the team gotta keep moving."

The next move for this team comes Monday night when they face the Cowboys in their preseason opener. Brandon Myers was slated to start but he went down in practice Friday with a shoulder injury and hasn't practiced since. So unless David Ausberry leapfrogs him, Gordon is in line to be the starter.

Whether Gordon is technically the starter or not, he will see the field a lot. His blocking skills are invaluable to the team on offense and special teams. But now he can be a receiving threat as well. Monday night will be his first big test to see how far he has come as a receiver. And if what we have seen in training camp is any indication, he is could be ready.


(silverandblackpride.com)

The Raiders listed Brandon Myers as the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart heading into their first preseason game, but we hear the competition at the position is not over. Of the players in contention to see time — second-year veterans David Ausberry and Richard Gordon could carve out roles — Myers has established the best connection with QB Carson Palmer thus far, we hear.

Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp would like to utilize the tight end as a receiver more than Oakland did last season when former head coach Hue Jackson was calling plays.

Ausberry, a former wide receiver, could factor as a receiving specialist. We hear he has been very up and down in camp, however. Gordon has been the best blocking tight end. While Gordon’s hands are the weakest part of his game, he has flashed some receiving ability and could give Myers a strong push for the No. 1 job if he shows more consistency as a pass catcher.


(profootballweekly.com)

Oakland Raiders TE Richard Gordon (hip) returned to practice Sunday, Aug. 5.





(fantasysp.com)

NAPA, Calif. -- Some impressions from Day 2 of the Raiders’ training camp:

A couple players were nicked up on a hot day. Backup running back Mike Goodson hurt his hamstring and tight end Richard Gordon suffered a hip flexor. Both are expected to be key role players and are day-to-day. There weren’t any indications that the injuries are serious, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Goodson is given a few days to heal since hamstrings can be tricky.


(espn.com)

ALAMEDA – Little was known about tight end Richard  Gordon when the Raiders selected him in the sixth round of April's NFL  draft.

Gordon had just six catches as a senior at Miami and 10 for his career.

But the Raiders saw enough in Gordon to draft him and have found various ways  to use his skills on offense and special teams.   

The latest position is fullback. Gordon is filling in for injured starter  Marcel Reece, who injured his ankle during Sunday's win over the New  York Jets.

"(Gordon is) a very smart, bright young man," said Raiders coach Hue Jackson.  "I feel very comfortable with him. He does a lot of things well. He'll go back  there if that's what we need to do, and he'll go back there and do well. I  really believe that."

Gordon said blocking from the fullback position is a slight adjustment from  blocking as an extra tight end.

Gordon was the lead blocker on Michael Bush's one-yard touchdown run in the  fourth quarter Sunday against the Jets.

"You've got to just hit them before they get to you," Gordon said. "That's  the biggest thing, beating them to the punch."

The Raiders use Reece in the passing game to create mismatches. Gordon isn't  sure if he'll be used in that scenario this weekend.
And if he has any questions about his assignments, Gordon trusts his  teammates to help him.

"I've got a lot of vets back there helping me out, so it's not as hard as it  seems," Gordon said. "Mike (Bush) tells me, you got this one or this one. I just  listen to the vets."


(cbssports.com)

Tight end/fullback Richard Gordon broke his hand but Raiders coach Hue Jackson said he should be able to keep playing with it. Jackson added “there’s a chance” fullback Marcel Reece (ankle) returns this week.




(sfgate.com)

Oakland Raider TE Richard Gordon got a few snaps at fullback, and did a fine job laying his massive body on overmatched Jets. Gordon has gotten snaps at both TE and FB for the Raiders and though he hasn’t recorded a catch yet, he has been solid at blocking.

Raiders agreed to terms with sixth-round TE Richard Gordon on a four-year deal.

Gordon will fall in line behind Zach Miller (once he's re-signed) and Brandon Myers.


(twitter.com)

The Raiders have gone down to Georgia, with the goal not of stealing souls but getting in shape for football, whenever it returns.
According to Jerry McDonald and Ben Beitzel of InsideBayArea.com, 34 players showed up for workouts in Duluth, organized by quarterback

Jason Campbell and defensive lineman Richard Seymour.  Seymour, who signed a lucrative new contract before the lockout, is paying the travel expenses of his teammates.

At least three rookies participated in the workouts:  Center Stefen Wisniewski, cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke, and tight end Richard Gordon.  The session was described as demonstrating “moderate” intensity.



(profootballtalk.com)