wing we have a lively owner,” Newton said.

Eighteen years after the Raiders made kicker Sebastian Janikowski a surprise first-round draft pick Shelby Harris Jersey , his career in Oakland has come to an end.

The team told Janikowski this week that he won’t be brought back when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next month.

”The Raider Nation salutes Sebastian Janikowski as the sun sets on his illustrious career with the Oakland Raiders,” owner Mark Davis said in a statement Thursday. ”He joined the team as a surprise first-round pick in the 2000 Draft and finishes his time in Oakland as one of the greatest or perhaps the greatest kicker in pro football history. His powerful left leg produced an NFL-record 55 field goals of 50-or-more yards. The motto `Once a Raider, Always a Raider’ has never been more true as his 18-year career makes him the longest-tenured player in Raiders history.”
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Davis’ father, Al, made the stunning decision in 2000 to take Janikowski with the 17th overall pick. The only other kicker taken in the first round since the start of the common draft era in 1967 was Steve Little, who went 15th to the Cardinals in 1978.

Janikowski’s successful career made him the Raiders all-time leader in games played (268) and points scored (1,799). His 55 field goals from at least 50 yards are the most in NFL history. The only other player from the 2000 draft still on his original team is Tom Brady, who was picked 199th by New England.

Janikowski Anthony Munoz Jersey , who turns 40 on March 2, missed all of last season with a back injury. His agent, Paul Healy, said in an email that Janikowski is too young to retire.

Janikowski said last spring that he hoped to still be with the Raiders when the team moved to Las Vegas in 2020. But that didn’t happen after the back injury sidelined him before the start of last season and Giorgio Tavecchio took over as kicker.

There was some thought that new coach Jon Gruden might give Janikowski another chance since he was Oakland’s coach when Janikowski was drafted and for his first two seasons. Janikowski is one of five players who were on NFL rosters last season who have played at least one game for Gruden, joining punter Shane Lechler, kicker Matt Bryant, cornerback Aqib Talib and Raiders left tackle Donald Penn.

Janikowski’s departure leaves long snapper Jon Condo as the only player on the Raiders with the team before Al Davis died in October 2011. Condo is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent next month and his long-term status with the franchise is unknown.

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An optimistic Cam Newton says he’s adjusting well to a new offensive scheme and boldly proclaimed it’s time for the Carolina Panthers to ”take back the division.”

Wearing a ”Change the culture” t-shirt and a ”Keep Pounding” hat, an upbeat Newton was budding with enthusiasm on Saturday even after starting right tackle Daryl Williams went down with a knee injury earlier in practice.

In his first football-related interview in six months Samson Ebukam Jersey , Newton set a positive tone for training camp for a team that hopes to recapture the NFC South it won in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Carolina went 11-5 last season, but New Orleans won the head-to-head tiebreaker and took the division title.

Part of Newton’s optimism surrounds the hiring of offensive coordinator Norv Turner and the addition of wide receivers D.J. Moore, Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright.

Newton said Turner has been ”extremely easy” to work with and joked that his offense is ”Boogie approved.”

The 2015 league MVP said he likes that Turner is open to listening to suggestions about what plays may work best, even to the point to keeping the names of some of the predecessor Mike Shula’s play calls.

”I think the onus is on (Turner) more so than us to take what we have done good and expand on it, rather than just ripping the sheets of paper up and having a this-is-my-way-or-the-highway mentality,” Newton said.

Newton said it didn’t take long to realize Turner has a high football IQ.

But he added that it’s still a little too early to know exactly what to expect from the Panthers offense when the regular season arrives.

”I can’t tell you that, (but) I know that the transition as far as philosophies has almost been as easy as anyone could expect Josh Rosen Jersey Cardinals ,” Newton said. ”He is super relatable and is someone who has been around this league and been around a lot of egos and lot of different players and knows how to adjust. That alone makes my job easy knowing that he is a person who you can go to and say, `This is how I feel about certain things.’ And (he’ll say), `OK, let’s find out how we can implement it.’ He’s not a guy who is so egotistical who says, `No, this play is going to work versus this.”’

Turner has already talked about wanting to improve Newton’s completion percentage.

Newton’s has completed just 58.5 percent of his career passes, but Turner would like him to be above 65 percent.

”That’s a goal of mine and it is certainly attainable,” Newton said.

Newton said that means learning to accept what the defense gives him Adidas Jamie Benn Jersey , even if it means short dump-offs over the middle and to outlet receivers.

”That has to be my mentality,” Newton said. ”We have a lot of guys who can take two yards and turn it into 20 yards, or more. But it starts with me and I have to trust those guys and get the ball to them.”

The 29-year-old Newton said he’s feeling healthy heading into the season.

That’s a big difference from last season when he underwent shoulder surgery and missed all of OTAs and minicamp and a large portion of training camp undergoing rehab.

”It was very big for me making the proper steps this offseason knowing that I am full go,” Newton said. ”My body feels great and I always have to mention to TD (linebacker Thomas Davis) that I even look great. I am in a position where I am all smiles.”

Newton also addressed new owner David Tepper, teasing that ”I’m up for an upgrade” after seeing he paid $2.2 million to purchase the team from founder Jerry Richardson.

”The excitement is something we all should get prepared for knowing we have a lively owner,” Newton said.

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