SEYMOUR JOINS RAIDERS AFTER FIVE DAY ‘SIT OUT’

Richard Seymour will finally join the Oakland Raiders, five days after he was originally slated to report to his new team following a trade by the New England Patriots.  Seymour had not publicly spoken to the media following his ‘no show’ earlier in the week, though Raiders’ officials maintained that they had spoken to the pro bowl cornerback and that he insisted he wanted to play for Oakland.  There was further speculation that Seymour was looking for a new contract, but at no point did it appear that the trade would fall apart.

Seymour did admit he was ‘blindsided’ by the trade:

"First of all, I was blindsided by this whole event. When you get blindsided, you should take a moment to gather your thoughts. I have a lot of personal issues more pressing than football."

Seymour suggested that his first priority was to get his family used to the transition.  He has four children and is the guardian of a 15 year old cousin.  His family will return to South Carolina while Seymour travels to the Bay Area to join his new team.

Raiders’ coach Tom Cable has informed the team that Seymour will be in the lineup for Monday night’s NFL season opener against the San Diego Chargers.  Raiders’ cornerback Nmamdi Asomugha indicated that the team is looking forward to having him:

"It is a morale boost. I think guys are pretty excited to have him because guys know what he's done in the past. He's got a good reputation so the morale of the team is pretty good right now."

In a separate interview with the Bay Area media, Seymour dismissed claims that he was trying to work a new deal and again cited the impact on his family of the transition:

"I didn't demand anything to go there. I'm happy to go there, and I told them that. But me and my family have never been separated. This was a difficult transition."

Seymour won’t even have the benefit of a full practice with his new team, but Raiders’ guard Greg Ellis expects him to make an immediate impact:

"That's not far-fetched. You think about it. He's been a pro now nine years. It's not like he wasn't practicing with the Patriots. It's not like he was just sitting there doing nothing. So he's in football shape, I'm pretty sure, with the program he's coming from. So I don't think that'll be an issue at all."

To be sure, Seymour was a very valuable contributor to the Patriots.  He played on three Super Bowl winners while recording 39 sacks.  He was also selected to five straight Pro Bowl teams starting in 2002.  The Raiders acquired him last Sunday for a first round draft choice in 2011 and should further bolster a talented defense that will be expected to compensate for a struggling offense.

The Raiders face their hated rivals, the San Diego Chargers on Monday night to open the 2009 NFL regular season schedule.  They’ll play against the Chiefs at Kansas City on Sunday, September 20th before returning home the following Sunday to face another traditional rival, the Denver Broncos.