New Raiders value film over stopwatch

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INDIANAPOLIS -- The 40-yard dash is no longer the key component of the Raiders' talent evaluations.New coach Dennis Allen, speaking Friday at the NFL scouting combine, said the emphasis of draft preparations will be placed on game film and not the stopwatch."We're not going to take guys just because they run real fast because that doesn't correlate to being a good football player," Allen said.

Under the direction of the late Al Davis, the Raiders had a well-earned reputation for taking a chance on players who tore up the combine with fast times. But, now, Allen said speed is just another piece of the puzzle.
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"It only fits after we find out whether this guy on tape, when we look at him, if we feel like he's a good football player," Allen answered when asked about the importance of the 40 time."That's where 40 times come into effect. If you have two guys when you look at the tape that are about the same football-player wise, well, let's take the faster guy."
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The Raiders have only two of their original draft picks -- in the fifth and sixth rounds. They are likely to pick up multiple compensatory draft picks due to net losses last year in free agency. Allen said he and general manager Reggie McKenzie will work together in free agency and the draft."First and foremost, I think our relationship has been outstanding," Allen said. "We've discussed every situation that comes up. I've come to him with questions about coaching staff and he's come to me with questions about personnel issues."And I think that's the way you run a top quality organization when your head coach and your general manager see eye-to-eye and have conversations. And we might not always agree, but at the end of the day we've got to make sure we come to the best decision for the Raiders. And that's why I'm excited about working with Reggie because I think he's a top-quality human being and he's an excellent talent evaluator."

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