Memorial grant honors local

The Denver Broncos will honor the memory of cornerback Darrent Williams with a new $50,000 grant, the team announced Monday.

The Darrent Williams Memorial Grant will be presented annually to a Denver agency that "provides positive alternatives to youth." The first grant will be awarded to Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives, which works to combat gang violence.

Williams, a former O.D. Wyatt athlete, was shot and killed on the morning of Jan. 1 in Denver.

 

Raiders fill coordinator job

The Raiders hired former Atlanta offensive coordinator Greg Knapp to fill the same job in Oakland, giving first-year coach Lane Kiffin an experienced coordinator to ease his transition from college to the NFL.

Knapp spent the previous three seasons with the Falcons before being let go when coach Jim Mora was fired after the season and replaced by Bobby Petrino. Knapp ran a West Coast offense in Atlanta that struggled at times to work with quarterback Michael Vick.

Kiffin said at his introductory news conference that he would call the plays in Oakland, meaning Knapp will help in putting together game plans and other activities.

The Raiders need plenty of help on offense after scoring a league-low 168 points last season and allowing an NFL-worst 72 sacks. Oakland scored just 12 offensive touchdowns.

The biggest question on offense for the Raiders is at quarterback, where Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter struggled last season. Oakland could choose to take a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in April's draft, with Notre Dame's Brady Quinn and LSU's JaMarcus Russell the top two coming out this year.

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