MercuryNews.com Jared Veldheer gets call as Raiders' starting center

Jared Veldheer gets call as Raiders' starting center

By Steve Corkran, San Jose Mercury News

scorkran@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 09/04/2010 09:58:57 PM PDT
Updated: 09/05/2010 02:18:37 AM PDT

ALAMEDA -- The Raiders pared 22 players from their roster Saturday, but the biggest news involved a player who made the team.

Rookie Jared Veldheer, a third-round draft pick out of Division II Hillsdale College in Michigan, was named the starting center. He beat out four-year veteran Samson Satele, whom the Raiders traded for before last season.

Raiders coach Tom Cable settled upon Veldheer after starting him at center in only one exhibition game. He was drafted as an offensive tackle, a position for which his 6-foot-8, 315-pound frame would seem better suited.

"I looked at his consistency and his upside, what his mistakes are," Cable said. "There are things that you can fix easily and improve him, but he certainly makes us a little bigger and a little more physical in there."

Satele is 6-3, 300 pounds.

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