Keith Adams Philadelphia Eagles

The need to tear a page out of Nike's book and "Just do it."Ever since free agent linebacker Keith Adams visited with the Raiders last week, the team has been silently sitting on their wallet-a wallet that should have enough cash in it to permanently bring the linebacker to Oakland. In two moves alone, the team saved $9.2 million by releasing quarterback Kerry Collins and $9,415,000 by restructuring the contract of safety Derrick Gibson. And despite the fact that Adams would come courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, he would not be looking for Terrell Owens-like money.With their current linebacking crew, Oakland is equipped with two able starters and one fish out of water. The two protected roster spots are occupied by Danny Clark (113 tackles in 2005) and Kirk Morrison (116 tackles in 2005). The fish out of water could be tagged to Tyler Brayton, Grant Irons, Sam Williams, or DeLawrence Grant-take your pick.With the recent hearsay surrounding Keith Adams, the seem to be in the ideal position to nip their linebacking troubles in the bud. In last week's events, the 26-year-old out of Clemson had talks with three clubs: Arizona, Washington, and Oakland. However, last Wednesday Adams' agent, Jordan Woy, spieled that a deal between the Cardinals and his client was not in their future plans. On the same day, the Washington Post reported that the Redskins' organization had not spoken with Adams and a contract agreement wasn't in the works.So, at the moment, the window of opportunity for the Raiders seems wide open. But if Al Davis doesn't act quickly, this window can abruptly be slammed shut by any team.If he knows anything about the Keith Adams saga, however, he may want to act quickly. Adams was picked with the last pick in the last round of the 2001 draft by the Tennessee Titans. Shortly after, he voyaged to Dallas, where he saw very little playing time with the team. On October 21, 2002, the Philadelphia Eagles picked up the journeyman; and from that day on, he has not looked back. In the subsequent season, he registered 30 tackles while just on special teams-the second-highest total in Eagles' history. In 2004, Adams played a full season with Philadelphia and started in four games. In all, he racked up 54 tackles during the regular season and impressively added another 16 in the postseason. Last year, the former seventh-round special teams standout started all 16 games with the Eagles.If that story doesn't exemplify the meaning of "rags to riches," then neither does the story of self-made steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie.This constant perseverance on the field is what makes Keith Adams the perfect candidate to fill the void at the third linebacker position for the Raiders. Current Raiders' linebacker, Danny Clark, began his NFL chronicle much like Adams did. He entered the Jacksonville Jaguars' camp as an undrafted rookie in 2000 and saw barely any playing time in his first two seasons with the team. In his fifth year as a pro, Clark moved to Oakland. Since then, he has racked up 242 tackles in two years with the Silver and Black.Furthermore, the price tag on Adams would likely be a very reasonable one for Oakland to handle, as he is one of the lesser-known linebackers on a pricey free agent list that included names such as Julian Peterson, LaVar Arrington, and Willie McGinest. Thus, if the price is right, the Raiders could bring in a potential starter at a cost that would still enable the team to sign April's draftees.Oh, and maybe you have heard of an ex-Eagle free agent pickup named Derrick Burgess. Plenty of quarterbacks got acquainted with him last year.If the are on the ball, they will give opposing running backs the opportunity to make the same acquaintance with linebacker Keith Adams next season.Stay tuned...