Curry officially a Raider

ALAMEDA -- The Raiders' trade for Aaron Curry is complete. The former Seattle linebacker passed his physical Thursday afternoon.
Curry didn't wait to alert the Raider Nation, issuing the following on Twitter."Raider Nation!!!!! STAND UP!!!!! RaiderNation RaiderNation RaiderNation Silver n Black JustWinBaby," is what the No. 4 pick of the 2009 NFL draft tweeted.Also, Raiders legacy linebacker Bruce Davis took to the social network site and announced he was being let go, the week after he blocked a punt in Oakland's emotional victory at Houston, in what appears to be the corresponding roster move.
"Twit fam, I regret to inform you that the Oakland Raiders told me today that they no longer need my services. I still love @RaiderNation," Davis tweeted.The Raiders have reportedly agreed to send a seventh-round pick in the 2012 draft and a conditional pick in 2013 to Seattle for Curry, who re-worked his initial six-year, 60-million contract before this season began. He can now become a free agent at the end of the 2012 season.On Wednesday, the Raiders tried out 10 players -- linebackers Prescott Burgess, Phillip Dillard, Stanford Keglar, Kevin Malast and Gerris Wilkinson; defensive backs Don Carey, Quentin Demps, Darcel McBath and DeAngelo Smith; and guard Chris Harr.The Raiders, obviously, found what they were looking for in Seattle.Raiders linebacker Darryl Blackstock is a close friend of Curry from their days playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Blackstock at Virginia, Curry at Wake Forest, and said Curry should not be labeled a bust."A.C.? That's my dog," Blackstock said."A lot of energy. I remember him as a recruit when I was at UVA, and he just brought a lot of energy. He's a great dude. Awesome, awesome football player. Awesome man. We've upgraded our team by getting him, just for the quality of a person he is."With the Seahawks, Curry struggled mightily against the pass. According to Stats, Inc., Curry has given up eight of eight passes thrown his way this season. In his career, opposing passers have completed 62 of 76 (81.6 percent) for 613 yards and six touchdowns against him.Curry does not have an interception in his career and opponents have a 126.6 passer rating against him.Troubling? If it is, the Raiders aren't letting on."He's athletic, he can run, he tackles, he takes on linemen, he takes on backs," said coach Hue Jackson. "I think he's a really good football player. Obviously I can't speak to what went on up there, but I know what's going to go on here. So I'm excited about getting him, once we can get everything done. It's hard to comment about everything when you know everything's not done, but hopefully things will get squared away here soon and we can move forward."Jackson was asked if Curry, who has primarily been a strong-side linebacker in his career, was varied enough to play multiple positions.You better know he is," Jackson said. "But I don't want to put him in a whole bunch of spots. I want to let him play one thing and let him become great because I think the guy has great talent."In college, Curry was a pass-rusher who caught Raiders speedster Jacoby Ford one time in a game against Clemson."It was me and him, just one on one and I tried to make a move and I spun and he wrapped my legs up," Ford said. "It was a good play. That's what great players do, they make plays and that's exactly what he is."With Seattle, Curry's responsibilities changed. And his production suffered."I've been in his shoes," Blackstock said. "You're this (certain) guy in college, then you have to adjust to a whole lot of different concepts at the pro level and if you don't do it to the quality of their liking, they call you whatever they want. Can the man play football or not?"Blackstock believes he can."Football is being in the right system. You have to adjust to something new and when you've been doing something for so long, it's like asking a receiver to play tight end...you get taken out of your element and the organization feels like your production is low, and they label you as a bust, or whatever they want. It has nothing to do with you as a football player. He's a football player."I watched him on film a couple of times, he was doing great to me, as far as the energy, how he was playing. How his assignments were, I'm not the coach or the one evaluating him."He'll be judged by the Raiders and their fans soon enough.