Clan-Members » For me, theyre th

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Reggie McKenzie took a methodical approach to rebuilding the Oakland Raiders when he was hired as general manager in 2012.He spent most of his first two seasons dismantling the roster to get the salary cap in order after years of mismanagement by late owner Al Davis before building the team back up again starting with the 2014 draft that netted franchise quarterback Derek Carr, elite pass rusher Khalil Mack and other key pieces.The process has paid off handsomely. McKenzies Raiders are off to a 9-2 start this season and stand in first place in the AFC West and tied for the top record in the conference with New England. Oakland is assured of its first winning record since 2002 and is closing in on clinching a playoff berth for the first time since that season, when the team went to the Super Bowl.We feel good about where we are, McKenzie said Thursday. We think we built this thing to last.But the speed of the turnaround from an 0-10 start in 2014 to possible Super Bowl contender two years later is somewhat staggering and a credit to the job McKenzie did building a roster and hiring Jack Del Rio as coach in 2015.All but three of the teams starters were added since 2014 with McKenzie using successful high draft picks like Carr, Mack and Amari Cooper, key free agents like Michael Crabtree, Donald Penn, Rodney Hudson, Kelechi Osemele, Bruce Irvin and Sean Smith, and numerous finds late in the draft and off the street like David Amerson, Seth Roberts, Jalen Richard and Perry Riley Jr., to build a team able to compete with just about anybody.We knew we had some pieces to develop and if we could just add on that, we felt like wed win some ballgames, McKenzie said. We had those guys in 2014, they were young, being 0-10 is no fun, but we were 3-3 at the end of that stretch and we were moving in the right direction.It has all paid off this season as a franchise that seemed to always find a way to lose is pulling out close games. Carr has led five fourth-quarter comebacks already this season as the players and management are confident each week that they will find a way to win.McKenzie said that started when Del Rio decided to go for a 2-point conversion and a win instead of playing for overtime in a season-opening 35-34 win at New Orleans.As many heart attacks as Ive had, absolutely, McKenzie said. It goes without saying, the players, you can feel it. They have an air about them that they know theyre going to win and its good to be around.The next step for McKenzie will be figuring out a way to keep all his young stars. He has structured most of his free-agent contracts with a pay-as-you-go philosophy meaning that the salary cap shouldnt hinder the teams chances of retaining Carr, Mack and Cooper. Carr can negotiate an extension this offseason and become a free agent in 2018, while Mack wont hit free agency until the following year and Cooper in 2020.The premiere players will get paid and we try to keep everything intact as much as we can, McKenzie said. But thats what happens when youre talented players, play well and their contract comes up a certain time to where they can benefit from it, thats what free agency is all about.In other topics, McKenzie said defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. resumed workouts on the field Thursday for the first time since injuring his hip in the preseason opener on Aug. 12.Edwards was placed on injured reserve with hopes that he would be able to come back after about eight weeks but the injury has taken longer to heal than originally thought. The next step will be to see how Edwards responds to the workout before deciding whether to allow him back to practice.Its a day to day thing for him now, McKenzie said. See how he comes in in the morning after he did some work today. Hes been working out. Hes had a good week.McKenzie also had no update on the status of suspended pass rusher Aldon Smith, who is waiting to be reinstated by the league after serving a one-year suspension for violating the substance-abuse policy.Theyll let us know in due time, McKenzie said. Im sure theyre in communication with each other with that. But they dont fill us in on anything in that process.McKenzie still believes Smith could contribute this season despite being out so long as long as he is in good shape physically and in a good state of mind.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Yeezy 350 Mens Wholesale . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Yeezy 350 v2 Static Reflective Replica . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. http://www.yeezys350cheap.com/fake-yeezy-350-static-wholesale.html . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Wholesale Yeezy 350 V3 .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. Cheap Yeezy 350 V2 . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth.Can Liverpool make a last-minute run for the top four? The Reds thrashed their local rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday evening and are now unbeaten in April during the Premier League, winning the last three games and drawing one. Throw in an incredible comeback performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League and Jurgen Klopps men - currently six points off fourth place but with a game in hand over some of their rivals - look to have hit a fine vein of form at a crucial time. West Ham and Manchester United kept up their charge with respective wins over Watford and Crystal Palace, while Arsenal leapfrogged Manchester City into third with a win over West Brom on Thursday.Whos got the toughest run-in? And could European competition prove a distraction? We assess the chances of the top-four chasers... Premier League table PL position Team Games played Goal difference Points 3rd Arsenal 34 24 63 4th Man City 34 28 61 5th Man Utd 34 12 59 6th West Ham 34 14 56 7th Liverpool 33 13 54 FormLiverpool have scored four goals in two of their last three Premier League games against Everton and Stoke, now going unbeaten in the last month, but they do have a Europa League semi-final on the cards before the end of the season.After a comfortable 3-0 win against Chelsea on Saturday Night Football, Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Newcastle on Tuesday.They might be Champions League semi-finalists but City cannot afford to keeping slipping up at home, with United cutting the gap between the sides to just two points following their 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening. Man City were held to a 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Tuesday The Eagles had another hand in the race for the top four as they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw on Saturday, but the Gunners - who had been frustrated by successive draws - won their game in hand over West Brom on Thursday night to go four clear of United.West Ham broke their run of four consecutive Premier League draws with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Watford on Wednesday and sit three points behind Man United in the Europa League spot.Remaining fixtures Remaining fixtures for teams in race for fourth Man City Arsenal Man Utd West Ham Liverpool Stoke (h) Sunderland (a) Leicester (h) West Brom (a) Newcastle (h) Southampton (a) Norwich (h) Norwich (a) Swansea (h) Swansea (a) Arsenal (h) Man City (a) West Ham (a) Man Utd (h) Watford (h) Swansea (a) Aston Villa (h) Bournemouth (h) Stoke (a) Chelsea (h) West Brom (a) Man City welcome Stoke to the Etihad on Saturday following their 4-0 defeat by Spurs on Monday Night Football and, looking at their run-in, theyll be optimistic of a strong finish to the domestic campaign, regardless of their European commitments.Southampton (a), and Swansea (a) should offer opportunities to take maximum points, while Citys penultimate fixture, at home to Arsenal, offers the ideal stage for Pellegrinis men to strike a direct blow against a top-four rival.Sunday, May 8 will no doubt be circled in Arsene Wengers diary, too. Like City, Arsenal will hope to win their other remaining games - against Sunderland (a), Norwich (h) and Aston Villa (a) - but that trip to the Etihad could be key. Matteo Darmian scored his first Man Utd goall on Wednesday to keep the pressure on the top four.dddddddddddd Manchester United - who beat both City and Arsenal in their previous meetings with them - are aiming to put themselves in a position to capitalise on any slip-up and will be favourites to win at least four of their five remaining games. The other comes against leaders Leicester.Liverpool face a big test on Saturday as Rafa Benitez returns to Anfield with his battling Newcastle team, with Chelsea in their penultimate game of the season the pick of their remaining fixtures.As for West Ham, they play United on Tuesday, May 10 and will need to win that final fixture at Upton Park, plus the majority of their other four remaining games to spring a surprise. Andy Carroll has scored five goals in three games to boost West Hams top four hopes. Current injuries Team Number of injuries (According to physioroom.com) Liverpool 8 Man United 4 Man City 4 West Ham 1 Arsenal 1 Liverpool have a eight first-team players on the injury table at the moment with Divock Origi the latest name on the list from Wednesday evening. Martin Skrtel, Emre Can, Jordan Henderson, Christian Benteke and Jordan Rossiter are also sidelined along with long-term absentees Joe Gomez and Danny Ings. Manchester United are currently hampered by four injuries with Adnan Januzaj, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luke Shaw and Will Keane all unavailable. Shaws journey back With Luke Shaw on the brink of a return, Gregor Robertson shares his experiences of the same injury. Man City are also without four players, although Samir Nasri has returned. Gael Clichy, David Silva and Bacary Sagna are also suffering. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is still sidelined for Arsenal but Jack Wilshere is close to a return, while long-term absentee Carl Jenkinson is West Hams only player in the treatment room. Are they confident? Louis van Gaal pulled no punches when he was asked about Uniteds hopes for the top four, saying after the win over Crystal Palace: We are putting pressure on them (Arsenal and Man City) throughout the season. At the end of the season it counts much more... We have four matches to go and we must win them all. Then we have a chance.Slaven Bilic is also ready for a top-four fight and said after the win over Watford: This is not over... We will give everything in this last four games to win all of them. Where that will take us we dont know but we are going to give everything and if we play like this or even better we have a chance against every team.Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker was in a similarly fighting mood, telling Sky Sports News HQ before the West Brom game: I think as long as the team is still hungry, still wants to go for it, thats going to be the key. As long as we keep that, we have the opportunity to get 15 points out of the five games. Then lets see what the outcome is. Its one down, four to go for the Gunners. Louis van Gaal believes Manchester Uniteds latest win over Crystal Palace keeps them in with a chance of clinching a top four spot. Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has pinpointed the two games that cost his side, but says he is pleased with how they have reacted heading towards the end of the season.For different reasons, we lost important games in February against Leicester and Tottenham, he said. For me, theyre the two games that dont allow us now to be involved in the title... Now I think we are stable again and Im very happy to finish the way we are doing in these last games.Jurgen Klopp was also in a positive mood after the Merseyside derby victory, telling Sky Sports: We are in a good moment... Beating Everton is a special thing in our situation in the table where we want to take what we can get.Conclusion Arsenals clash with Man City in the penultimate round of fixtures could be key. With just four points separating third and fifth - and considering West Ham are only five points out of the picture - the race for the top four is far from over. Its tough to call, too.West Ham bounced back from their late draw with Leicester with a positive performance against Watford, but Manchester United will also be optimistic of reeling in the two teams above them.A win for either Man City or Arsenal when they meet in the penultimate round of fixtures could send the loser crashing out of the Champions League qualifying spots.Citys involvement in the Champions League semi-finals cannot be discounted, either. Pellegrinis side face a trip to Southampton and that home game with Arsenal immediately after their ties with Real Madrid. Could their exertions in Europe damage their domestic ambitions?How City and the other teams in contention deal with the pressure of the run-in will be key. Who do you think has the toughest run-in? Let us know using the message boards or by tweeting @SkyFootball Also See: Table Live on Sky Premier League video Fixtures ' ' '