Demarcus

Van Dyke

The fastest player at the 2011 Combine with a forty time of 4.28, Van Dyke surprisingly went unclaimed on waivers early this week. Although Van Dyke’s coverage was inconsistent, he’s long, can obviously run, and showed flashes of potential as a first-year player. Former Steelers great Rod Woodson may have given “DVD” a good review after coaching Raiders cornerbacks last season.

Johnson underwent a mysterious minor surgery two weeks ago. He was “going hard” through drills Tuesday, so expect to see him in the lineup for the season opener. If that means fewer snaps for Demarcus Van Dyke, it’s good news for Raiders fans.

Johnson was practicing at the beginning of the week, so he must have gone down very recently. The Raiders are being tight-lipped about injuries in camp. With Johnson out, raw rookie Demarcus Van Dyke is running with the starting defense. Coach Hue Jackson says Johnson should be back before Week 1.

Ronald Bartell is locked in on one side, while Spencer is a good bet to hold off Demarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa on the other. Remember that Spencer fell off the map in San Francisco, tumbling down the depth chart until he was cut in March. Expect the Raiders to be in plenty of shootouts once again this season.

The Raiders will now be forced to start washed up Lito Sheppard opposite Stanford Routt at cornerback against Philip Rivers, who is coming off a 385-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Packers. Keep the Raiders defense benched this week.

Van Dyke didn’t start for the Canes last year, playing behind Ryan Hill and Brandon Harris. But the Raiders couldn’t resist DVD’s speed. He ran 4.28 at February’s Combine at 6'1/174. Van Dyke has drawn some optimistic comparisons to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, although he rarely played to that capability at The U. He had three interceptions in his entire college career, and is more track athlete than football player at this point.

Van Dyke was perceived as a reach by some draftniks after playing mostly as a nickel back last season, but he’s also drawn comparisons to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for his natural skill set and blazing speed. The Raiders are likely to bring “DVD” along slowly under new defensive backs coach Rod Woodson.

Van Dyke held his own in four spot starts as a rookie, but it sounds like he’s taking his game to the next level in year two. Van Dyke is long and runs well, and he could end up pushing for penciled-in RCB Shawntae Spencer’s starting job.

The move clears a spot for Joselio Hanson. An Al Davis special, “DVD” ran a 4.28 forty at last year’s Combine, but was spotty in coverage, and mostly utilized at nickel back in college. He’s only 23 and was far from a disaster as a rookie, however, so it’s still a surprising move. The steadier and more experienced Hanson will replace Van Dyke in the slot, further signaling Oakland’s sea change in philosophy since the passing of its longtime owner. Van Dyke’s youth and athleticism should land him a new job within the week.

Van Dyke dislocated his shoulder against the Chargers in Week 14. His second NFL season ends with just three tackles during extremely limited playing time in nine games.