Raidersblog.com

How do you fix the pro-bowl? NFC vs AFC needs to be there. The players need motivation to go. How do you do that and make it entertaining? Take the players out of the game. The pro-bowl NFL players will be there, but they will be coaching the 7-on-7 game between NFL head coaches. Which conference would have the edge in a 7-on-7 game? Here is what I came up with: Grading System: Skill Level (playing career): All-Pro: A Pro: B Semi-Pro: C College: D Didn't play/HS: F Fitness (current): Excellent Shape: A Decent Shape: B Average Shape: C Gut /Chubby: D Competes with lineman in hot dog eating contests: F Age: Less than 45: A 46-50: B 51-55: C 56-60: D 61+: F NFC: Offense: QB: Sean Payton - the Drew Brees of NFC coach team. Played Semi-Pro ball. Lives in a town Paul Shirley doesn't particularly love. Skill: C Fitness: B Age: B TE/WR: Ken Whisenhunt - A former TE seems to keep himself in shape. Known as a blocking TE, but will produce big in the passing game. One of the few NFC offen...

According to several reports, Baltimore Ravens Quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson will be the Oakland Raiders new Offensive Coordinator. NFL.com reports that the deal is for three years. Jackson has confirmed the hiring to the Baltimore Sun. He told Raven.com that he would call the plays. Jerry McDonald of the Contra Costa Times reports Paul Hackett did not travel with the rest of the coaching staff to Mobile for the Senior Bowl and there was talk late in the season of Davis displeasure with Hackett's blunt assessments of JaMarcus Russell. There are several key things to take from this hiring/potential firing: 1) The three-year deal will make him coach with longest contract term on the team. If Cable should start slow, Davis wouldn't hesitate to go with Jackson. 2) Hue Jackson has been credited with three major accomplishments a) as OC, turned Stephen Davis into 1000+ yard rusher b)as WR coach, turned Housh and Ochocinco into 1000+ yard WR c) as QB coach, developed a very raw Joe ...

Lets see: It is Saturday. So now that you have probably hit the snooze a few times, allow me to quickly catch you up on the Raiders quest to maybe, kinda, sorta, probably, maybe not make a head coaching change. It's been a real snooze-fest in its own right. The Raiders announced last night the hiring of Mike Waufle as the D-Line coach. Seems like a solid hire for a needed area. The best nugget of the press-release was this gem, He and Coach Cable spent six years together at the University of California where they enjoyed working together.  So...as time goes on, it appears Cable is inching towards remaining as the Raiders head coach. If Cable does stay on, don't expect a formal announcement, the Raiders typically like to point the finger at the media for overreacting and "rumor-mongering." It could be that simply no high profile parties were interested in the job. Cable was and still is teetering ever so close to the edge of the head coaching carousel of horrors, but ...

As we wait to hear the fate of Tom Cable, I keep hearing different Raiders players voice support for Cable. If you have heard others, please post a comment with a link or catch me on Twitter. In many ways this reminds me of the end of the Norv Turner era, the players were voicing support, but Davis fired him anyway. Bruce Gradkowski Robert Gallery Shane Lechler Zach Miller Richard Seymour Nnamdi Asomugha JaMarcus Russell Kirk Morrison Thomas Howard Cooper Carlisle

No one should be surprised that JaMarcus missed the final team meeting only to check in at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas today. Going on a tip from a commenter, local columnist Cam Inman called the Palms and the front desk was able to confirm he was staying there. A few months ago, going information I received from a friend of a friend, who just so happens to be a club promoter in the bay area, I reported JaMarcus was frequently seen at clubs for rap shows and that he drank heavily while there. Like it or not JaMarcus has a ton of talent that he has flushed down the toilet. He isn't a dumb guy, meaning he doesn't have some type of handicap that prevents him from progressing. He just isn't putting in the type of work required to be a decent NFL Quarterback. For JaMarcus it just heart and desire. He doesn't care about being a good quarterback or he doesn't think he needs to. He got his money. As far as this situation goes. JaMarcus was excused by the team on Monday fro...