Johnnie Morant "Birthday" Commentary

When thinking of the ' receiving corps, the two names that likely jump to mind for most are Randy Moss and Jerry Porter. The 29-year-old, uninterested Moss is the team's No. 1 wideout, having hauled in 40 receptions on the 12-game-old season. Porter, meanwhile, has gotten playing time in just four games and has a total of 36 Bettis Black Jersey
one reception. The highly talented target has been in head coach Art Shell's doghouse since the summer.Beyond that pair of big-name disappointments lies a group best represented by Ronald Curry, a legitimately promising 27-year-old who would probably fare much better on a different team with a better quarterbacking situation. Curry, who has 29 catches, is stuck, for some odd reason, behind No. 2 receiver Alvis Whitted, a ninth-year man who has spent the entirety of his career making virtually no impact in Jacksonville and Oakland.While Curry, the slot wideout, actually has been given a decent chance to produce this season, a forgotten man in the Raiders organization is another receiver, Johnnie Morant. Currently in his third season, Morant has just one career catch in only 12 games. The 25-year-old Morant (today's his birthday) has dressed for seven of Oakland's contests this season, but the Raiders' coaching staff treats him as though he's wearing an invisibility cloak.Morant, during his college career at Syracuse, was often the center of attention, so his NFL tenure has been disappointing. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he clearly has the size to be a truly solid target for any offense, making it a wonder why he hasn't been given a fair opportunity to make an impact.Morant, who has an impressive 41-inch vertical leap and outstanding 4.4 speed, was an excellent performer at Syracuse. The New Jersey native had a 29-game reception streak and finished his career as a member of the Orange with 88 catches on 17.4 yards per grab and seven touchdowns. Thanks to his impressive numbers and scouting combine results, Morant was pegged by plenty of experts as a third-round pick. The Raiders ended up selecting him in the fifth round in 2004, and many labeled that choice as a great steal on the draft's second day. So far, though, it hasn't panned out -- especially for Morant.During the preseason back in August, the talented Morant made headlines by grabbing a 68-yard touchdown pass in a game against the Vikings. Most thought it was a sign of things to come; it proved a mere footnote in Oakland's five-game exhibition schedule."They don't make 6-4, 230-pound guys like that every day," Syracuse strength and 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
conditioning coach Will Hicks once said, referring to Morant.Perhaps Hicks should tell that to clueless Raiders head coach Art Shell, who would rather play a never-was (Whitted) and make a tall, speedy, 25-year-old a never-will-be in Oakland. For the grossly underutilized Morant, Dec. 7, 2006 isn't a very happy birthday. He can thank Shell for that.Senior Writer Anthony Carroll returns tomorrow. (26)