ALAMEDA – If not for some persuasion on the sideline, Raiders defensive end Jay Richardson might have ended his rookie season without a sack.
Richardson's lone sack came in Week 13 against Denver when he pestered defensive-line coach Keith Millard to let him stay on the field in a passing situation.
It took that, because as a rookie, Richardson did not excel at rushing the passer and spent most of the season on the sideline when it was obvious the opposition was going to pass.
He hopes that doesn't happen as much in 2008.
"Keith's going to give me a shot as long as I prove I can do it, which I'm working at every day," Richardson said. "So it's working itself out."
He watched his teammates in passing situations and saw what work he needed to do during the offseason.
If that wasn't enough, the Raiders signed two defensive ends, Greg Spires and Kalimba Edwards, and drafted another, Trevor Scott. They were brought in to augment the pass rushing of Derrick Burgess, who has 35 sacks in the last three seasons.
Richardson started 11 of 16 games in 2007 and hopes to improve his pass rushing enough to start every game this season. He knows the other defenders will get their shot if he proves to be one-dimensional.
"I don't have a job," Richardson said. "In my mind, I'm trying to earn it. I look at it like I didn't do anything last year. I got to start, which is good, but it's a new year."
Richardson, 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, was a good run defender last season, and Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said he is "developing a pass rush."
But Chris Clemons, who left the Raiders as a free agent, often filled in for Richardson when opponents wanted to pass last year. Clemons finished tied with Burgess for the team lead with eight sacks.
Being well-stocked up front is not uncommon, and some teams keep up to eight defensive linemen. It keeps players fresh and allows situational players to get on the field.
"Guys are going to rotate, but you don't just want to be happy being in the rotation," Richardson said. "I want to be in there the whole game."
His improving pass rush will be the key to playing every down at one end of the line that is anchored at the other by Burgess, who rarely leaves games.
"We're giving (Richardson) a shot to take that," Kiffin said. "Again, we're not going to rotate just to rotate. If we can find a guy that does both, we'll leave that guy in there whole time.
"Jay knows that's where he needs to improve to play more."
Read Jason Jones' Raiders blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.
