Q: Denarius Moore, was he, I think that's his name, the receiver from Tennessee? He really came out of nowhere. I know you guys did not draft a receiver this year, but was he a guy you looked at? Liked? Expected anything like this?
NC: They had a few receivers down there at Tennessee last year. Gerald Jones and Moore were their starting receivers and both were productive players for their team last year. He had a productive game there against Buffalo - he's athletic, he has good hands, has good quickness. He has been able to develop a little bit of a role for himself offensively. They play a lot of receivers. [Louis] Murphy hasn't played yet this year. They roll a lot of people through there with [Darrius] Heyward-Bey, Moore, [Chaz] Schilens gets some snaps [and] Jacoby Ford when he is healthy. So collectively they are a fast, athletic group and Moore has done a good job to this point for them.
Q: It seems each week that you guys do a little roster juggling. Do you think we will see more today? And any idea about how the health of your team will dictate some of the roster juggling moves?
NC: This week will really be no different than any other week. I think it is pretty commonplace throughout the rest of the league and ourselves included. We will figure out where we are as a team, from a health standpoint, who is available to play and then we will go out there and practice. If there are moves for us to make then we will go ahead and make them. It is really a day-to-day sort of proposition for us.
Q: Nick, what did you like about Stevan Ridley coming out of college? Have you seen some of those things translate to the pro-level?
NC: He was a productive back against a good level of competition. He made the most of his opportunities on Sunday - like a lot of players have. I think the most important thing is week-to-week try to improve on your performance from the previous week and develop a level of consistency - whether it is Ridley or whether it is really any other player on this team. I think that's really the most important thing - to learn from last week and move forward and figure out how you can improve and how you can help the team in whatever capacity that may be.
Q: It appears he is a very decisive runner. Is that an accurate assessment?
NC: I think he's got strong qualities - he's big [and] physical. He's got a lot to learn and a long way to go, but we will see how it goes this week.
Q: To follow up the decisiveness aspect, is that more of a natural thing or a learned trait at the pro-level?
NC: Really I think every runner is sort of different. The most important thing for a runner is to get positive yards, be able to break tackles, find the holes and understand how plays are blocked. Our backs, between Benny [BenJarvus Green-Ellis] and Danny [Woodhead], are really good in that respect. The most important thing for a back is to get positive yards and when the ball is in your hands to make something happen with it - whether you are throwing, whether the quarterback throws it to you or hands it to you. Any running back - that's his job is to get yards and make positive plays.
Q: With the Raiders style of football - they seem to be big and physical. Do they look different from a lot of the other teams in the league? I mean, they run the ball more than almost anyone and they seem to definitely be physical up front. Do they look different from some of the other teams just as far as how they are configured?
NC: I wouldn't say so. I mean Buffalo has the biggest team in the league, of the 32 teams they are the biggest team in the league. The Raiders are a big team - they have big players. They are strong and physical and also have fast and athletic guys. They have a good combination of players that fits what they do and it has been successful for them up to this point this season.
