I have to fall on the sword here. I neglected to do the put out the countdown to kickoff pieces from over the weekend. I picked it up come Monday, but I just couldn’t pass over those numbers and not give those players their due. So, here they are from Saturday and Sunday which were numbers 22 and 21 in our countdown.
No. 22
Who’s wearing it now: CB Eric Stokes
Stokes was one of the Raiders key free agent signings this offseason. With a complete overhaul of the secondary this offseason, he was pegged as a starter early on and that has remained the case. The former first round pick spent his first four seasons in Green Bay, but not since he was a rookie has he started a full season. He gets a shot at a career revival in Las Vegas.
Who wore it best: CB Michael Haynes
Haynes was already a six-time Pro Bowler when he joined the Raiders in 1983. Just in time to start all three of the team’s playoff games and Super Bowl XVIII. He would make three more Pro Bowls in Silver & Black, splitting his 14-year career evenly between the Patriots and Raiders. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
No. 21
Who’s wearing it now: No one
Who wore it best: WR Cliff Branch
At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL’s all time leader in playoff receiving yards. A title that remained until Jerry Rice eventually broke it. Branch spent his entire 14-year career with the Raiders. He twice led the league in receiving touchdowns, made four Pro Bowls and was a part of all three Super Bowl winning squads. After his retirement in 1985, Al Davis spent the rest of his life trying to find another of him. He never did. It took until 2022 for Branch to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. By which time he had passed away. Not getting the honor of taking that stage himself will forever stick in my craw.
Honorable Mention: CB Nnamdi Asomugha
The 6-2 college safety was selected by the Raiders in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He was switched to corner and in his third season became a full time starter. His fourth season, he picked off eight passes. And that’s when quarterbacks simply stopped throwing his way. His next four seasons, he was on an island on the left side, closing off that side of the field. And his lockdown abilities had him named a Pro Bowler three times and twice and All Pro. Then, just like Charles Woodson before him, once he hit 30, Al Davis wasn’t willing to pay him to stay, so he left for elsewhere. He would start two more seasons in Philadelphia and one season in San Francisco and call it a career.
