Oakland Raiders News

Javon Walker was merely the latest of costly free agents around the Bay Area
Comment
March 10
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Monte Poole
"Though it's exceedingly difficult for a man of action and authority to admit error, such admissions are even harder for a legendary sports executive. Maybe that's why it took Al Davis two years to dump Javon Walker. Though the troubled wide receiver needed to go, he is but the latest NFL free agent to show up here only to leave his bosses bathing in regret. Named by NFL Network as the worst free-agent signing of all time, Walker might not be the worst to hit the Bay Area. Having been provided a deep field of contenders by the Raiders and 49ers, we submit these as the 10 most regrettable NFL free agents in local history. 10: Strong safety Gibril Wilson, who received from Oakland a six-year ..."
Oakland Raiders release Javon Walker, Greg Ellis
Comment
March 9
Oakland Tribune
 
"Veteran wide receiver Javon Walker and veteran defensive end Greg Ellis were released by the Raiders on Monday, according to league records, as part of the team's offseason makeover. The Raiders gained a roster spot by releasing Walker but failed to save any money because Walker's $2.6 million salary was guaranteed. Parting ways with Ellis saves the Raiders $2.5 million. Cutting Walker, 31, closes the book on a free-agent signing that yielded only 15 catches for 196 yards and one touchdown during his two seasons. Ankle and knee injuries necessitated surgery and limited his playing time. Raiders coach Tom Cable so soured on Walker's ability to help the league's 29th-ranked passing attack ..."
Raiders cut Fargas
Comment
March 7
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"To the surprise of nobody who sees the way the player market in the uncapped year is going, the Raiders' first move of the allegedly hyperactive free agency period was to shed salary, specifically that of running back Justin Fargas. Fargas, who was due a $1.7 million roster bonus, never found clear sailing as a running back in his seven years in Oakland, was released Saturday and joins an already bloated running back market."
Raiders' Cable soap opera shows no signs of ending
Comment
March 7
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Gary Peterson
"Quick-and-easy assumption No. 1: Tom Cable remains the Raiders' head coach, based on the lack of any statement to the contrary from the team. Quick-and-easy assumption No. 2: Cable remains resolutely skeptical of JaMarcus Russell's quarterbacking acumen, based on Cable's comments to reporters at the recently concluded NFL scouting combine. "Let the (quarterback) job be competed for," Cable said. "I think that's where we're at in terms of our starting quarterback." Cable didn't stop there, suggesting the Raiders could conceivablya quarterback in next month's draft. And that was before the team tendered offers to restricted free agents Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye, who began last season ..."
Raiders bid farewell to RB Justin Fargas
Comment
March 7
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Raiders parted ways with running back Justin Fargas on Saturday in a move that saves them approximately $2.5 million and clears the way for Darren McFadden and Michael Bush to get more playing time. Fargas, 30, spent seven seasons with the Raiders and was the most-tenured position player on the roster, along with linebacker Sam Williams. His best campaign came in 2007, when he supplanted LaMont Jordan as the lead back and rushed for 1,009 yards. Fargas started 14 games in 2008 and rushed for a team-high 853 yards. However, his rushing average dropped to 3.8 yard per carry in 12 games last season. It's conceivable the Raiders will re-sign Fargas at some point, though at a much lower ..."
Raiders, 49ers win at expense of division rivals
Comment
March 6
Contra Costa Times
 
"Piece by piece, the Raiders and 49ers are inching closer to ending their seven-season playoff droughts. This is not a byproduct of their actions, however. This is thanks to their adversaries' backpedaling. The AFC West and NFC West are losing star power at an alarming rate, especially both defending division champions, the San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals. It's providing much-needed relief for the Raiders and 49ers. Fear not about the Raiders' and 49ers' lack of signings or trades at Thursday night's launch of free agency and the uncapped year. Their offseasons have been acceptable in almost all facets. Six months remain for our local yokels to make second-tier acquisitions via ..."
Howard's end, or a new beginning?
Comment
March 5
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist David White
"Outside linebacker Thomas Howard wore a black Raiders T-shirt to a workout Thursday, only he technically isn't a Raider. That's because, effective Thursday night, Howard was a free agent, only he wasn't really free at all. "You are, but not totally free," Howard said after a workout at the UFC Gym in Concord, hours before the NFL's free agency season opened. "I am not excited at all about this free agency. I wish they got a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) done and over with." They didn't, with they being the NFL and players' union. That's why the 2010 season will be an uncapped year, making players with less than six years of experience - such as Howard - restricted free agents ..."
Warren, Fargas could be cut
Comment
March 4
Oakland Tribune
 
"ESPN's Adam Schefter is expecting defensive tackle Gerard Warren and running back Justin Fargas to be released before scheduled bonus payments are due early this month."
QB Gradkowski is tendered
Comment
March 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"As expected, the Raiders gave Gradkowski a second-round tender Wednesday, one day before free agency begins, said his agent, Ralph Cindrich. The only way he isn't a Raider next season is if Oakland lets him sign elsewhere in exchange for a second-round pick in the April draft. Since Gradkowski is a journeyman quarterback coming off a knee injury, it isn't likely another team will give up a draft pick that high. And if someone does, the Raiders have the right of first refusal and can keep Gradkowski by matching the offer. This means former first-round pick JaMarcus Russell isn't being crowned the 2010 starter by any means. "Let the job be competed for," Cable said Sunday at the NFL combine. ..."
Oakland Raiders tender contract offers to Gradkowski, Morrison, Howard, among others
Comment
March 4
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Raiders took significant measures toward keeping several of their key players from last season by tendering one-year offers to quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, linebackers Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard and Ricky Brown and long-snapper Jon Condo, among others. Tendering Gradkowski was one of Oakland's top priorities because of how well he played in relief of benched starter JaMarcus Russell last season. Raiders coach Tom Cable said at the NFL Scouting Combine last Sunday that the competition for the quarterback spot next season is "open" among Gradkowski, Russell and whoever else is on the roster. Cable has made it known that he favors Gradkowski over Russell. Hence, the Raiders tendered ..."
A forecast on what 49ers and Raiders will do in NFL draft
Comment
March 4
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"Only 50 more shopping days until the 2010 NFL draft . . . From now until April 22, this will be a sprint, and you know how much Al Davis loves sprinters. That's why it's not too tough to ESP ourselves into the minds and motivations of Scot McCloughan's 49ers (who have pick Nos. 13 and 17) and Davis' Raiders (pick No. 8). Let's focus on three names: USC safety Taylor Mays is too big and too fast for the numbers-crazy Raiders to bypass; and Florida cornerback Joe Haden and Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams are perfect fits for the 49ers' blue-collar way of doing business. Could I be wrong? Of course. Could things change? Yep."
Raiders won't name starting QB
Comment
March 1
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Raiders coach Tom Cable is not naming JaMarcus Russell his starting quarterback for the 2010 season. At the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Cable said he's open to a competition. That means Russell will have to win back his job, with Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye, both restricted free agents, in the wings. "That would help our football team right now, getting into more of that competition," Cable said. "I'm for having guys go at it and battle for the job." On Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, Cable said, "JaMarcus is working and doing the things he should be doing right now. He'll get himself prepared to compete for the job. I think that's the only way to look at ..."
Cable sees value in Seymour
Comment
March 1
Boston Globe
 
"Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable said today the addition of defensive end Richard Seymour was well worth the 2011 first-round draft pick traded to the Patriots last year. "I think so," said Cable at Lucas Oil Stadium. "If you look at what he brought to our team. The ability of opponents or lack there of to run at him on that side of the line of scrimmage. I would like to see a little more pass rush out of him, which he would probably be the first to tell you that. With all those things considered, yeah, definitely, you get that out of a first round pick and [you've done well.]" The Patriots gave up leadership for the pick, and the Raiders benefited. "I think he was everything that I thought ..."
Raiders the leaders of Seymour's fan club
Comment
March 1
Boston Globe
 
"The Raiders gave up a 2011 first-round draft pick to add defensive end Richard Seymour to their roster last year. The Patriots said goodbye to their five-time Pro Bowl lineman and his leadership. Yesterday at the NFL Combine, Raiders coach Tom Cable said Seymour was well worth the first-round pick. The Patriots will have to wait and see whether the trade works out for them. Seymour, who was drafted by the Patriots in the first round in 2001, was shipped to the struggling Raiders in early September. He played in all 16 games, registering 47 tackles and four sacks. But to Cable, it was what Seymour brought to the locker room that made him worth the investment. "I think so,'' said Cable. "If ..."
Tom Cable: Richard Seymour worth pick
Comment
March 1
Boston Herald
 
"The Patriots still don't know what they will ultimately have in return for Richard Seymour. That won't come until next year's draft. In Tom Cable's mind, however, the Raiders didn't lose out on that deal. Yesterday, the Oakland coach said the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end was well worth the 2011 first-round draft pick the Raiders handed over in the blockbuster trade that sent shockwaves through Patriot Nation. "I think (he was worth it) if you look at what he brought to our team: The ability of opponents, or lack there of, to run at him on that side of the line of scrimmage," Cable said. "We'd like to see a little more pass rush out of him, which he'd probably be the first to tell you ..."
Raiders give Richard Seymour exclusive franchise tag, meaning he'll stay in Oakland
Comment
February 26
Contra Costa Times
 
"The Raiders designated defensive end Richard Seymour as their exclusive franchise player Thursday in a move that prevents him from negotiating with other teams. Seymour is guaranteed at least $12.398 million for 2010 if he signs the one-year tender. That figure could soar if the average salary of the five highest-paid defensive ends for 2010 exceeds $12.398 million by April 15. The exclusive designation prohibits any of the league's 31 other teams from making an offer to Seymour. In exchange, Seymour is guaranteed the average salary of the five highest-paid defensive ends from last season - the non-exclusive figure of $12.398 million - the figure as of April 15 or 120 percent of his 2009 ..."
Raiders put non-exclusive franchise tag on DE Richard Seymour
Comment
February 25
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Raiders placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on defensive end Richard Seymour on Wednesday to protect themselves from losing him to another team without compensation, according to a person familiar with the process. Teams have until this afternoon to use the franchise tag designation, which guarantees a player the average salary of the five highest-paid players at his position from the previous season. In Seymour's case, that works out to $12,398,000. That figure would go away if the Raiders and Seymour agree to a long-term deal before the regular-season opener in September. Negotiations between the team and Seymour's agent, Eugene Parker, on a multiyear contract have heated up in ..."
Raiders' Seymour tagged, too
Comment
February 24
Boston Herald
 
"As expected, the Oakland Raiders just franchised former New England Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour at a cost of $12.398 million for 2010 but the two sides have been in ongoing contract negotiations on a long-term deal. Those talks are continuing. Seymour recently told the Herald he would be "happy to stay with the Raiders and be a part of bringing them back to the playoffs." That would be some accomplishment. Although armed with a solid defense led by Seymour and Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland has not reached the playoffs since its losing Super Bowl appearance in 2002 because of intractable offensive problems. Since that 2002 season, Oakland has gone 29-84, had five ..."
Hanson files civil suit against Cable
Comment
February 24
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Raiders employee Randy Hanson on Tuesday filed a civil lawsuit against Raiders head coach Tom Cable for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, reviving assault allegations first made during training camp. Hanson also is suing the Raiders for not punishing Cable after the alleged assault during training camp in August, all while demoting Hanson from assistant coach to the personnel department. Napa police investigated Cable but the district attorney's office declined to press charges, citing an initial lack of cooperation from Hanson, followed by inconsistencies in his story. Hanson's attorney filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court, seeking ..."
Combine time is time for Raiders fans to be very afraid of Al Davis' obsession with the stopwatch
Comment
February 24
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Monte Poole
"With the NFL Scouting Combine beginning today, Al Davis once again confronts perhaps his most irresistible temptation. Speed, as determined by the 40-yard sprint. Davis always was attracted to speed. Some say the Raiders boss is obsessed with it. Truth told, speed has delivered such wondrous gifts as Cliff Branch and Bo Jackson and Willie Gault and Napoleon Kaufman. Speed occasionally has been good to Al. Nowadays, though, he too often is susceptible to its seduction. It's as if speed blinds him from parts of the equation he once understood so well. You know, um, the parts about playing effective football. That brings us back to the combine, where representatives from all 32 teams will ..."
Randy Hanson files civil suit against Raiders, Tom Cable
Comment
February 24
Oakland Tribune
 
"Former Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson filed a civil suit against the Raiders and coach Tom Cable on Tuesday, according to court documents. The suit, filed in Alameda County, cites assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. "I have no comment at all," Hanson said by phone from Raiders headquarters in Alameda on Tuesday morning. A Raiders official said the team would not comment on the matter. John McGuinn, Hanson's attorney, and Cable did not return phone calls. The suit stems from an incident in training camp in Napa last August, when Cable allegedly punched Hanson in the face and threatened several times to "kill" him. Hanson is seeking damages in excess of ..."
Oakland Raiders assistant Clancy Pendergast leaves for Cal
Comment
February 20
Contra Costa Times
 
"Clancy Pendergast is still busy moving to the Bay Area. He's just taking a different exit off the freeway. Less than two weeks after accepting a job with the Raiders to be an assistant to defensive backs coach Lionel Washington, Pendergast has been hired as Cal's new defensive coordinator. "We are extremely pleased and excited to be able to hire a football coach with Clancy Pendergast's experience and credentials," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said in a statement Friday. "He has been a defensive coordinator on football's biggest stage and will be a tremendous asset to Cal football." Pendergast's hiring comes 48 hours after Bob Gregory announced he was leaving Cal to become a defensive assistant ..."
Pendergast leaves Raiders, takes Cal coordinator job
Comment
February 19
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"Hired recently by the Oakland Raiders as their secondary coach, former Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast has a new job. Pendergast has accepted a position as the new defensive coordinator at Cal-Berkeley, per a league source. Pendergast was replaced in Kansas City by Romeo Crennel. Now, he has joined Jeff Tedford's staff after an extremely brief tenure in Oakland. He replaces Bob Gregory, who left to join the Boise State staff as a defensive assistant. Gregory spent eight seasons in Berkeley."
Source: Seymour will get franchise tag
Comment
February 19
ESPN.com
 
"Oakland invested a 2011 first-round pick to get defensive end Richard Seymour from New England, and it seems determined not to lose him. The Raiders will use their franchise tag on Seymour if the two sides cannot agree on a long-term contract extension, according to a source close to the situation. The move would be neither surprising nor cheap. The franchise tag for defensive ends is $12.398 million. The deadline for teams to use their franchise tags on prospective free agents is next Thursday."
Raiders make Janikowski highest-paid kicker
Comment
February 17
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Raiders may not have the greatest record as of late, but they sure have the richest players. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski is the team's newest member of an exclusive club of highest paid players at their position. Janikowski agreed to terms Monday on a four-year deal worth $16 million, with $9 million guaranteed. Yes, that would be the richest contract for an NFL kicker. Paying their best free agents is one thing the Raiders have done best. Last year, punter Shane Lechler got the exact same deal as Janikowski, almost doubling the high-water mark for NFL punters. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha also was retained last year with a three-year, $45.3 million contract that gave him the highest ..."
Owners, players both at fault in labor mess
Comment
February 17
Houston Chronicle
 columnist John McClain
"At this time next year, expect the NFL to be in panic mode. The NFL Players Association and Management Council will be locked behind closed doors trying to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement and avoid a lockout that would begin in March. There won't be a salary cap when free agency begins March 5 of this year. There's a good chance that in 2011, a season will be interrupted for the first time since the players strike in 1987. Locking out the players in March seems foolish because players don't get paid game checks until the season starts in September. Maybe I'm missing something, but the only ones who'll get hurt in March, April, May, June, July and August are the employees ..."
Raiders keep Janikowski for four more years
Comment
February 16
Contra Costa Times
 
"Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski reportedly agreed to a four-year, $16 million contract Tuesday morning. So the Raiders have him through 2013. It's surprising Al Davis didn't sign him through 2024. Morten Andersen kicked in the NFL for 25 seasons and tallied a record 2,544 points. Janikowski is at the 1,000-point mark after 10 seasons, putting him on Andersen's pace. Why does it seem silly to consider that Janikowski could last as long as Andersen? Likely because of all the off-field baggage he packed into his Polish frame earlier in his career. But instead of staying in the police blotter, Janikowski has morphed into a fantastic kicker. The Raiders just don't use him enough, an evil ..."
Goodell Receives Extension Through '15
Comment
February 13
Sports Business Daily
 
"The NFL has added 3 1/2 years to Commissioner Roger Goodell's contract, SportsBusiness Journal has learned, extending the deal through March 1, 2015. His initial five-year deal was scheduled to expire September 1, 2011. Goodell is taking no increases in his base pay, a move designed to send a message that the league is willing to tighten its belt in light of its battle with the NFLPA over how much players are paid, and after a recent round of cutbacks at league headquarters. The extension was approved unanimously by NFL owners at a meeting in Dallas in mid-December, but the league only publicly disclosed it today. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, Goodell earned $2.9M in base pay ..."
Oakland Raiders don't plan to let free agents Richard Seymour, Sebastian Janikowski get away
Comment
February 12
Contra Costa Times
 
"Coach Tom Cable still hasn't been told by managing general partner Al Davis whether he is going to be the Raiders coach next season, and he isn't alone in wondering where he will be working next season. Defensive lineman Richard Seymour and kicker Sebastian Janikowski highlight a group of prospective free agents that the Raiders are figuring out ways to bring back for at least one more season. Davis traded a 2011 first-round pick to the New England Patriots for Seymour shortly before last season started. Therefore, there's almost no way that Davis will let Seymour walk after only one season. The Raiders have three options regarding Seymour: Sign him to a long-term contract that includes a ..."
Willis, Davis best of the Bay
Comment
February 11
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Monte Poole
"HAVING STUDIED both teams during and after the season, we have done our best to combine the best of the 49ers and Raiders. The goal is partly to create a better team but mostly to recognize efforts put forth in 2009. And we begin with defense, because it was the, um, least dreadful side of the ball for Oakland and for San Francisco. DE (2): Richard Seymour (Raiders) and Justin Smith (49ers). Seymour and Smith, very different types of players, weren't even challenged. Seymour was Oakland's best lineman, no matter where he lined up, and Smith was rightfully selected as a replacement player for the Pro Bowl. DT: Aubrayo Franklin (49ers). Going with a 3-4 base defense because the teams had ..."
Raiders hire Clancy Pendergast to coach defensive backs
Comment
February 9
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Raiders hired Clancy Pendergast on Monday as their defensive backs coach. Pendergast, 42, has coached in the NFL the past 15 years, including the past six as a defensive coordinator. He was with the Kansas City Chiefs last season and the Arizona Cardinals from 2004-08. The Raiders hired Pendergast to replace longtime secondary coach Willie Brown, who announced his retirement soon after last season ended. Pendergast is the third assistant coach hired since the end of the regular season. He joins Mike Waufle (defensive line) and Hue Jackson (offensive coordinator)."
ESPN: Pendergast will coach Raiders DBs
Comment
February 7
Oakland Tribune
 
"ESPN is reporting that deposed Kansas City defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast will coach the Raiders' defensive backs in 2010. Pendergast could either replace incumbent secondary coach Lionel Washington, who is still under contract, or join Washington on staff."
NFL players preparing for 2011 lockout
Comment
February 5
Boston Globe
 
"As collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL owners continue to drag, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expects the owners to lock out the players before the 2011 season. Chad Ochocinco, representing OCNN, asked the first question of a press conference this afternoon in which the NFLPA laid out their message. He asked Smith how worried he is about a lockout next season. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said, "it's a 14." Smith said he and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae have informed players to save 25 percent of their paychecks in order to prepare for a lockout. Mawae said negotiations for a CBA have been "frustrating" and moved ..."
Silent Al Davis must be ready to deliver goods
Comment
February 4
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Monte Poole
"WITH THE NFL and much of the sports world fixated on Super Bowl 44, you just know the Raiders are quietly finalizing their amazing bailout plan. A scheme, if you will, articulated to prove they can and will find answers that have eluded them for seven years. The unveiling should come as soon as Tuesday. That's the strategy, isn't it? Why else would a professional sports organization, in the hour of perhaps its greatest need, spend the first full month of an offseason willfully and dutifully shrinking its profile? Something has to be up, something more than hiring Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator and Mike Waufle as defensive line coach. Despite the lunacy exhibited by Raiders boss Al ..."
Cable comes from winning staff at San Diego St.
Comment
February 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Saints receivers coach Curtis Johnson thought he knew Tom Cable. They played college ball together at Idaho. They broke into coaching together at San Diego State. But when Cable became the Raiders' head coach last year, Johnson barely recognized the animated man making those brash promises with emphatic hand gestures during a televised press conference. "I couldn't believe that was Big Red," Johnson said Wednesday before the Saints practiced for Super Bowl XLIV. "I can't imagine him being in front of a team, giving a big speech or anything. Back then, he never said anything. Not a word. I was like, 'Check him out.' " Check them all out, that beginner's group of Aztecs coaches in 1989, ..."
Raiders CB says he was joking about joining Jets
Comment
February 4
New York Post
 
"Well, we knew Nnamdi Asomugha could play defense. Days after saying he and Darrelle Revis talked about teaming up in the Jets' defensive backfield, the Raiders Pro Bowl cornerback claims it was a two-way joke and "the story was totally overblown." "The only thing we were 'dead serious' about was the fact that it would be fun to one day play on the same team," Asomugha told the San Francisco Chronicle in an e-mail. "That's all. We were two guys enjoying the Pro Bowl and completely clowning around during the week. "We were playfully recruiting each other; I was talking about getting him to Oakland and vice versa." Asomugha, in the second year of a three-year, $45 million contract, said he ..."
Oakland Raiders should trade Nnamdi Asomugha
Comment
February 2
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Cam Inman
"I LOVE New York ... as the next home of Nnamdi Asomugha, the Raiders' Pro Bowl cornerback who apparently has his eye on joining the Jets. Get rid of Nnamdi? The sanest voice in the NFL's looniest locker room? The Raiders' best player, at least among those who don't kick a football for a living? Yes, yes and yes. Do the deal, as long as Al Davis nabs a franchise-saving package of draft picks and players in return. Asomugha's value is sky high. The Raiders, since Asomugha's rookie year of 2003, have been 6 feet under. Even at his peak, he hasn't stopped their tailspin and five-win seasons. He is a magnificent bargaining chip who could generate a blockbuster trade, along the standard set by ..."
Once again Bay Area teams left out of Super Bowl rotation
Comment
February 1
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Monte Poole
"IT'S SUPER BOWL Week, which means for the next seven days our cumulative national energy will be concentrated in one region. Once again, it's not the Bay Area. That, frankly, makes me a little envious. It's been a quarter century and counting since we were granted the privilege of hosting America's grandest annual sports event. The 49ers on Jan. 20, 1985, pounded the Miami Dolphins into a thin paste with a 38-16 win at Stanford Stadium. There have been 43 Super Bowls. That was our first and last. The 44th comes Sunday in Miami. Of course it's Miami. Isn't it always Miami? Though the Bay Area meets or exceeds the league's basic requirements for a host region - three international airports, ..."
Raiders' silence shows contempt for fans
Comment
February 1
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Raiders to fans: Buzz off! If you want to know who our head coach will be next season, buy a ticket and show up for the first game. We've got more important things to do thanyou on our coaching situation. Like finding a shade of black more slimming for our quarterbacks. Last Thursday, Tom Cable - rumored to be the coach of the Raiders - broke a 23-day media silence by chatting on a Sacramento radio station. Cable answered, sort of, some of the questions hanging over the troubled team. He "absolutely" expects to return as head coach. He has had several talks with Al Davis, although none about whether Cable will be retained. JaMarcus Russell's leadership role is no more important than that ..."
Darting Here and There
Comment
January 30
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Carl Steward
"DARTING HERE and there ... i No wonder the Raiders wanted Hue Jackson. In his only two stints as an NFL offensive coordinator, he went 5-11 with the 2003 Redskins and 4-12 with the 2007 Falcons. He fits perfectly. i Seriously, I can't wait to see how good Bruce Gradkowski might become in Jackson's offense. i So what's Tom Cable going to do now that he can't spend the whole game scouring for something that might work on his play menu? Organize Gatorade cups in neat little rows? i Of course, this is presuming Cable is staying. It's still hard to believe The Al is recommitting to a coach who is never going to recommit (honestly, anyway) to his unsalvageable flop, JaMarcus Russell. i Actually, ..."
Raiders to sponsor first Oakland marathon in two decades
Comment
January 29
Contra Costa Times
 
"Runners who make the full 26.2-mile trek to the finish line of Oakland's first marathon in more than 20 years will arrive to the cheers of the Raiderettes, organizers announced Wednesday. The Oakland Raiders are sponsoring the first mile of the Oakland Running Festival marathon, the longest run in a festival set for March 27 and 28, festival spokesman Dave Gell said. "The Raiders are pleased to work with the City of Oakland to support an event that highlights the city's parks and recreation facilities, helps sustain worthwhile community endeavors and bolsters the local economy," Raiders chief executive Amy Trask said in a written statement."
Tom Cable says his job status with the Raiders has 'never been an issue'
Comment
January 29
Contra Costa Times
 
"Raiders coach Tom Cable, ending a prolonged silence over his job status, said in a radio interview Thursday that he has no doubt that he will continue in his current capacity for the 2010 season. Cable spoke for about 11 minutes with KHTK-Sports 1140-AM in Sacramento on an array of topics that he has avoided since his season-ending news conference Jan. 4. Cable has refused all interview requests from Bay Area media, save a brief, off-the-cuff remark earlier this week to a TV reporter camped in the parking lot of the team's year-round facility in Alameda. "I don't think there was ever any question," Cable said, when asked if he expects to be the Raiders coach next season. "That, really, was ..."
Can Jackson turn Russell around?
Comment
January 28
Sacramento Bee
 columnist Paul Gutierrez
"Hue dat? Hue dat? Hue dat say dey gonna fix JaMarcus Russell? While the rest of the country got wrapped up in the feel-good story that is the New Orleans Saints' Who Dat Nation, the Raiders went about their business this week. Business as usual. Or at least, business as usual as it can be when it comes to that old Eastern Bloc cloak-and-dagger mentality that reigns over Raider Nation. Announce the rehiring of a defensive-line coach in Mike Waufle, who was part of the Jon Gruden Regime, but fail to mention what has become of the the former D-line coach, Dwaine Board? Check. Issue a statement denying an ESPN report that says Al Davis has chosen to retain Tom Cable by saying he has not ..."
Raiders' assistant coach Hue Jackson moves to reach his goals
Comment
January 27
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Monte Poole
"STEVE MARIUCCI once stood in a corridor at Memorial Stadium pondering the source of the friction with his former boss, Bruce Snyder, and guessing it was linked to a man named Hue Jackson. Jackson, having spent four years as an assistant under Snyder at Arizona State, was an energetic 30-year-old running backs coach equally popular with players and staff - much as Mariucci was during his time as an assistant under Snyder at Cal. Mariucci had hired Jackson away from Arizona State, bringing him to Cal and installing him as offensive coordinator - and perhaps alienating Snyder. "I called Bruce to let him know I was interested in Hue," Mariucci recalled at the time. "And, boy, he wasn't happy ..."
There's only so much new Raiders assistant Jackson can do with JaMarcus
Comment
January 27
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Cam Inman
"New Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson won't save JaMarcus Russell's Raiders career. No coach, assistant or muse can do that. Only Russell can. It won't happen, anyhow. No disrespect to Jackson, but he can't be coming to the Raiders simply to hold Russell's hand. Jackson must coordinate one of the league's most feeble offenses, one that Russell wanted no part of this past season. Here is your word of the day: Fun. We all like to have fun. Jackson thinks coaching Russell will be just that. But Russell and fun can't coexist, not with his career in such serious demise. "This guy was the first player drafted. It's going to be fun to see if we can get him up and playing the way we all ..."
Raiders offense takes on a new Hue
Comment
January 27
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Raiders maintain they have not decided if head coach Tom Cable will be back next season. They have decided that, one way or the other, Cable no longer will be calling the offensive plays. New offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will handle those duties. The Raiders hired the Ravens' quarterbacks coach Tuesday to run an offense that scored 17 touchdowns under Cable's play-calling last season, the second-fewest in franchise history. The Raiders did not make Jackson, 45, available for interviews, but Jackson explained his job description to the Ravens' official Web site. "I'm hired as the offensive coordinator and I'll be the primary play caller," Jackson said. "That's my role. It's a ..."
Raiders hire Hue Jackson as their new offensive coordinator
Comment
January 26
Contra Costa Times
 
"The Raiders have hired Baltimore Ravens assistant coach Hue Jackson as their new offensive coordinator, Jackson confirmed on Tuesday. Jackson, who has been credited with helping develop Joe Flacco while serving as the Ravens quarterbacks coach, told the Baltimore Sun via a released statement that he's headed to Oakland. "After much consideration I have decided to accept a position as offensive Coordinator with the Oakland Raiders," said Jackson. "I will miss the fans here and I thank them for all the encouragement and support they have shown me while I called Baltimore my home. I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude to Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, Dick Cass and especially Coach John ..."
Hue Jackson accepts Raiders offensive coordinator job
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January 26
Baltimore Sun
 
"Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson, left, confirmed that he has agreed to become the Oakland Raiders' offensive coordinator. In his two seasons with the Ravens, Jackson has helped develop quarterback Joe Flacco. He interviewed with the Raiders for three days last week and was headed to talk to the Chicago Bears on Tuesday before canceling. Jackson was previously the offensive coordinator in Atlanta (2007) and Washington ('03). The Raiders didn't have an offensive coordinator last season."
Oakland hires Ravens QB coach Jackson to run offense
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January 26
Foxsports.com
 
"The Raiders insist that no decision has been made on Tom Cable's future, but the team continues to build a staff for him. Oakland has hired Baltimore quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson as its new offensive coordinator, FOXSports.com has learned. Sources close to the current Raiders head coach insist that Jackson is to be Cable's offensive coordinator and not the new head coach."
Sources: Jackson to take Raiders' offer
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January 26
ESPN.com
 
"Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson, who was scheduled to interview Tuesday in Chicago for the Bears' offensive coordinator job, will accept an offer to serve in that capacity for the Oakland Raiders, sources close to the situation tell ESPN. Jackson interviewed with Raiders owner Al Davis last week and has had a desire to become an NFL offensive coordinator. His biggest project is expected to be working with Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who has been a disappointment since Oakland selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2007. Russell again struggled this season and was benched by coach Tom Cable for four of Oakland's final seven games."