Silver and Black Report

Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski was on KNBR on Tuesday and spoke openly about his position with the club, wanting to get a fair shot to start in 2010, the return of Tom Cable and other topics. Here’s a transcript of his chat.

About being on the air and disseminating information:

Anything I can do to get to the fans out in this area and a lot of Raider fans, and we’re excited.

Reflections of the Pittsburgh Steelers game – his homecoming:

Oh, it was unbelievable. To go home, be in front of all my family and friends and to get a big win against a good football team like that was unbelievable. Just for my family, in sharing that with me and just the excitement. Just the feeling we had in the locker room and as a team that we were finally coming together.

About his college career, putting up great numbers and surpassing legendary names:

Just to be mentioned in the same sentence with those guys – it’s an honor. But it’s also humbling to know, I have a lot more to do in my career to even be mentioned with those guys. Being out now in the west coast, you saw what Joe Montana did out on the west coast. Hopefully one day I can do that for the Raiders. It’s definitely in my future and my goals and the dreams I have.

That was an awesome game against the Steelers, but it also would make it even more special if that was the AFC Championship game and we are going to the Super Bowl after that win. That’s kind of what I’m thinking about.

About the return of Tom Cable:

Yeah, coach Cable is going to be back. A lot of our coaching staff has stayed the same and we brought in a good coach in Hue Jackson, coming from the Baltimore Ravens, and you know, I’m excited.

Have you’ve been told Cable will be back, specifically?

We are going to work everyday like it’s the same. Coach Cable is in there working and that’s all I care about. I don’t look into details, but I just go in and take care of my own business and whoever is there I’m going to work with and we are going to do just fine.

Last season’s inconsistent play, beating the Steelers and Eagles, but failing against lesser opponents or in back-to-back games:

I think it shows that we are a good football team. And the only thing we have to work on is being consistent. And that’s the number one thing we are going to be focused on coming into this year is knowing and understanding that we are a good football team – the Oakland Raiders can compete with anyone. And we’ve proven that, we’ve showed that and now its just time to be consistent and show week-in and week-out and just prepare like that every week and believe in ourselves and know that we can get the job done just like any other team in the NFL.

What he brought to the table as oppose to JaMarcus Russell and if his leadership and work ethic was what won people over:

I think so. It was the way I’ve been raised.

Your going to get what you deserve. I believe that, so I’m just going to keep on working hard, just like I’ve been and that’s just the way my parents raised me.

I’m not really worried about how other people do their job. I’m just worried about being a professional, taking care of my own business and when the opportunity comes, just take advantage of it. And I was blessed with a good opportunity this past season.

About the situation with Russell, and how his large contract may dictate what occurs on the field:

Well, its tough. A guy like Jeff Garcia whose been in the league for years and he’s been successful, he’s never gotten the big signing bonus, the big contract that he’s deserved. And you know, its crazy how things work out in the NFL. It’s frustrating to a certain point, but you can’t worry about those things.

You just keep on working hard and good things will come. And you’ll get what you deserve. So that’s all I can really focus on.

Whether he’s officially signed?

I haven’t officially signed with them yet. They offered a second round tender. So its still free agency going on, so there are other teams out there, but in my heart, I want to be in Oakland. I believe I’ll be in Oakland and I’ll like to be here for years to come. I just feel a good presence here, especially with the fan-base we have. It’s the best in football and fans that love their team. And we need to give them something to cheer for. So that’s what I’m looking forward to changing this year and going in and having a good season.

Do you want assurance about having an open quarterback competition?

Yeah, I think that’s the way it always has to go. I believe that in any business that you are on, any field of work, competition just makes you better and the best person should be out there for the job. I think that’s the way it should take place. That’s the way it will take place and I’m looking forward to it. I’m just excited for getting this opportunity and like I’ve said, competition makes you better and there’s going to be competition everywhere. It’s just the nature of the game. So I’m looking forward to it this year and I’ll love to get it from the start and see what we can do with it.

About being the underdog year in and year out and communicating with Jeff Garcia:

Yeah, that’s why I think me and Jeff have such a good relationship. I think we are so similar in so many ways. At this point in Jeff’s career, where I’m at, he wasn’t even in the NFL, he was still in Canada, so I still have to stay positive. He reminds me of that. And when the opportunity comes, take advantage of it…

If you can win football games, if you can find a way to win, I think that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter about how much skill you really have, its about does the team rally around you, do you get the job done, are you smart and the leadership role – I think that’s one of the most important things about being a quarterback.

Differences between Cable and Jon Gruden:

I think every coach is different. And that is what makes every coach unique. There is no really right way to do it – it’s your own way. And I think coach Gruden, coach Gruden wanted his hands in everything. He was the offensive coordinator, the QBs coach, he kind of did everything.

Coach Cable is more of a overseer. A discipline guy. He’s a player’s type coach. The players want to play for a coach like coach Cable. He’s easy to communicate with and he wants the best for his players. So you like playing for a coach like that. Gruden and Cable, they each have their own way and its all about how to get the job done. And I think coach Cable did a great job with us last year and so, I’m exciting in moving forward with him this year and I think there are good things in store for us.

About the Randy Hanson incident:

I think the players, we just kind of have to worry about our job.

Just coming to work everyday and letting that stuff be handle by the people that handle that situation.

It’s unusual but, I think Mr. [Al] Davis, he just wants to win. And I think he really just wants to win and he wants the best for his players.

I’m hoping our fans back us from day one, ‘cause we can use them and we need them to be a part of this year and to be a part of this thing when we turn it around.

The Randy Hanson and Tom Cable saga continues…

The former Oakland Raiders defensive assistant reportedly filed a lawsuit against Cable and the team, as it contains three causes of action – assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In August, Hanson alleged that the head coach assaulted him which led to his fractured jaw and broken teeth.

The suit filed in Alameda County also states that Cable threatened Hanson by saying, “I’ll…kill you.”

The Raiders did not disseminate a comment in response today.

Late in 2009, Napa County district attorneys stated that they would not pursue any charges against Cable. Gary Lieberstein cleared Cable citing inconsistencies in Hanson’s story that were not substantiated by any of the witnesses in the room at the time of the alleged altercation.

Tom Cable is in the news again. Two women, including his former wife and recent girlfriend, gave interviews to ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” and stated that the current Oakland Raiders’ head coach acted violent towards them during their relationships.

Sandy Cable and Marie Lutz talked about Cable being physically abusive.

This comes after Napa County district attorneys stated that they would not pursue any charges against the coach regarding an alleged incident in which Randy Hanson accused Cable of breaking his jaw during an attack. Gary Lieberstein cleared Cable citing inconsistencies in Hanson’s story that were not substantiated by any of the witnesses in the room at the time of the alleged altercation.

In 1989, Sandy Cable sought a temporary order of protection that stated, “On two occasions, one back in ‘86 and the other in ‘88, he hit me. The second time in the face, however on attempts to call law enforcement, my husband would rip the phone out of the wall.”

Lutz dated Cable earlier this year, commenting to ESPN that the head coach hit her, “three, four times,” and recounting an incident in which he “just got so angry I could not recognize him.”

Lutz also detailed an incident in which she confronted Cable regarding him seeing another woman and that Cable “grabbed her by the left arm, causing her to fall to the ground” and “eventually pick[ed] her up and pushed her out the front door.”

On Sunday, Cable disseminated a statement through his attorney Donald Yee, stating, “on only one occasion in my life have I ever touched a woman inappropriately.”

“More than 20 years ago, during my first marriage, I became aware that my wife Sandy had committed adultery. I became very angry and slapped her with an open hand. What I did was wrong and I have regretted and felt sorrow about that moment ever since,” Cable said in his statement. ” … The incident involving Ms. Lutz, in which she came to my home uninvited, was fully investigated by the Alameda Police Department and I cooperated fully with that investigation. I never battered her in any way. The police concluded, correctly, that I had done nothing wrong and that was the end of the matter.”

Yee also questioned ESPN’s fairness in going with the story stating: “In our view, ESPN has quite purposefully chosen not to provide a fair and balanced story.” He continued, “To us, this represents ambush journalism and utterly fails to meet the standards and practices of responsible journalists.”

Cable, 44, is 6-13 since taking over as interim head coach early in 2008 for the Silver & Black and being hired this off-season to lead this team full-time.

ANALYSIS

This situation, compounded with the Hanson scenario and the way this crop of Raiders has performed, does not bode well for the future of Tom Cable. Oakland is facing a record seventh straight losing season with 11 or more losses in 2009. And the head coach has been in the news all season for all the wrong reasons. The continual negative aura around the team compounds the misery in this organization.

His handling of JaMarcus Russell and the offense has been uninspiring. The team has always rallied around him and they seem to enjoy playing for him, but the lackluster efforts and coddling of some of the talents on this roster may be the reason why this team just can’t put together solid efforts or sustain any positive results they accomplish.

Constant change is never good along the sidelines in this league. Especially when most of your building blocks are young and still trying to develop into starters at this level. But Oakland may need to severe their ties with a coach who is the subject of such controversy and that can’t bring the stability that is needed to get this organization back to respectability.

The Oakland Raiders (2-4) will face the New York Jets (3-3) this Sunday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for the second straight season. The Silver & Black hold a 20-14-2 advantage over the Jets in regular season contests, with the Raiders winning 16-13 in overtime last season when Sebastian Janikowski booted a franchise record 57-yard field goal.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

Ok, so Chaz Schilens may not be ready for this week’s match-up against the Jets. It appeared that the second year wide receiver would make his debut this season on Sunday, but soreness in his left foot prevented him from finishing practice on Friday. “It’s really more soreness than anything else,” Raiders coach Tom Cable commented. “So we shut him down to not push it too far.”

Cable planned to split time between Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy and Schilens. And a slight boost in the passing attack was expected with a guy who the team feels is the best receiver on the roster.

What to Expect:

Regardless of whether he plays or not, Oakland has to run the football consistently with Justin Fargas. His rugged style of running gave the Raiders a boost last weekend in their win, and at this point, he is their best option at running back with Darren McFadden sidelined and not producing and Michael Bush not making the most of his chances when he is in there. “I have a fondness for him in that he plays the game the way you’re supposed to,” Cable said about Fargas. “He’s just all out and really doesn’t worry about his body. He just goes at the defense a thousand miles per hour. Let the smoke clear and do it again. I like that. Our team needs that.”

If Oakland can move the chains on the ground against a Jets team that has allowed 148 rushing yards per game during their three-game slide, they will be able to notch their second consecutive victory.

On Defense:

Richard Seymour and Greg Ellis are both suffering through ailments that cut curtail their effectiveness this week. Seymour did not practice due to stomach-flu like symptoms and Ellis went through another week of knee problems.

The obvious difference defensively for the Raiders last weekend was the amount of blitzes they attacked the Eagles with. Defensive coordinator John Marshall stated there could have been more, but the scenarios presented prevented more of what was an onslaught of defenders attacking Donovan McNabb, “What happened sometimes is you call a pressure but because of formation or something you get checked out of it. I think what they remember are how may huddle calls were pressure oriented. Because of formations or whatever might be happening offensively you might be checking out of it. So you don’t really run how many you call during the game.”

What to Expect:

Mark Sanchez is struggling, and even though the Raiders defensive coordinator stated that their blitzing is based on the strength of the opponent’s offensive line, Oakland should keep the intense pressure on this weekend. The Jets have a formidable line protecting Sanchez, but the rookie is playing so poorly right now, its in the Raiders best interest to try to rattle him and force him into miscues with early pressure.

NEW YORK JETS

On Offense:

“This is where good players either figure it out or they don’t,” said Sanchez. “This is a good test for me. As difficult as it is, I want to ace it.”

Sanchez has committed at least one turnover in five of his games, with nine in the last three. So Brian Schottenheimer has scaled back the offense this week in hope of getting the player that made headlines in the big city by opening the campaign with a perfect 3-0 start.

Jerricho Cotchery will not play for a second straight contest. “I don’t want to be out there for five games just half speed,” said Cotchery, New York’s leading receiver with 24 catches for 360 yards and a touchdown. “I just want to be out there ready to go full speed and be able to help the offense and not hinder the offense. That’s the focus to get back to full speed so I can get out there and be who I want to be.”

What to Expect:

Thomas Jones rushed for a career high 210 yards last week versus Buffalo. The offensive line is in tact, and head coach Rex Ryan wants to get back to basics with his young passer. When he does drop back; look for Braylon Edwards to be his main target and tight end Dustin Keller, who also has disappeared in recent weeks.

On Defense:

How much of an impact will Kris Jenkins loss be? Sione Pouha, Howard Green, Marques Douglas, Mike DeVito and Ropati Pitoitua are just some of the names the Jets will have to utilize to try to replace the former All-Pro defensive tackle, who will miss the remainder of the season with a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

“We’re going to roll that whole group,” Ryan said. “I feel confident with this group, I really do. Obviously, you don’t have the huge bell cow in Kris Jenkins, but we’re certainly going to be good enough with this group of guys.”

What to Expect:

The Jets will continue mixing up their defensive fronts, going to a 4-3 look to confuse opponents, who generally prepare for their 3-4 schemes. The Jets have dropped to the bottom of the league in sacks. So pressure will be applied this week to Oakland’s re-schuffled offensive line. Ryan will put JaMarcus Russell’s decision making to the test.

GAME NOTES

• Tom Cable was relieved to hear this week that the Napa District Attorney’s office decided not to charge him with assault in the alleged altercation with Randy Hanson. He stated: “Ok, the whole experience was interesting to me, humbling to me. I’m obviously very thankful that the authorities did the the throughness that they did in terms of getting the facts and all that. Other than that, really, my family and friends really supported me through it. Never let it become a distraction because as I mentioned many times, I just had a lot of faith. I knew what happened, and it’s just amazing what happens. Like I always tell you guys, I respect what you have to do, but it certainly got made out to be more than it needed to be. But it’s done, and now the focus is even more so on the next opponent, which is the Jets.”
• Raiders that will be out for Sunday are: LG Robert Gallery (broken fibula), RB Darren McFadden (knee), T Cornell Green (calf) and LB Ricky Brown (ankle).

KEY MATCH-UPS

Can Oakland take advantage of Jenkins’ absence?

He was the Jets anchor. And they struggled to stop the run the last three-weeks with him in the line-up. Now, without Jenkins, can the Jets slow down a tough running Fargas and force Oakland to drop back Russell more than they want?

Find Leon, and stop him!

The Jets all-purpose threat has accounted for 842 yards on offense and special teams. Oakland has to be aware of his presence as a rusher, pass catcher and return man.

Russell vs. Ryan

Ryan likes to bring the kitchen sink. And Russell has not proven to be a decisive decision maker. Russell can lock in on targets, so that can make it easy on the Jets when blitzing to play tight on receivers and come up with big momentum swinging plays.

PREDICTION

Raiders 17 – Jets 16

TV & RADIO

The game will be televised on CBS with Greg Gumbel providing play-by-play and former NFL player and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf handling color analysis. If sold out per NFL blackout rules, the game will air in the Bay Area on KPIX Channel 5. The game will also air in Sacramento on KOVR Channel 13 as well as on KHSL in Chico, KION in Monterey and KJEO in Fresno. The game will air on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the Silver and Black’s Flagship for the multi-state Radio Network. Greg Papa and former Raiders player, assistant and head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year. The radio pregame show and postgame show will feature Raider Legends George Atkinson and David Humm along with KSFO’s Rich Walcoff. (Broadcast information cited from the official Oakland Raiders web site)

GAME INFO

Sunday, October 25, 2009, 1:05 p.m. PT | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, OAK

Home Team: Oakland Raiders (2-4) Home: 1-2 Road: 1-2

Road Team: New York Jets (3-3) Home: 2-1 Road: 1-2

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The following are some highlights from Tom Cable’s post-game press conference, regarding the Oakland Raiders 44-7 defeat at the hands of the New York Giants.

Tom Cable:

Really, other than our effort on special teams, we just got outplayed on both sides of the ball. We are trying to just keep on pushing through. At some point, we have to get it stopped, so we can move forward as a football team.

Effort I felt like it wasn’t such a big deal. I felt like we were just getting beat on the line of scrimmage. IN terms of protection, we used a lot of 7 and 8 man protection, but lost individual match-ups.

I expected more out of us and we just did not deliver today.

When asked about the reshuffling of the offensive line:

It doesn’t help, that’s for sure, but who ever you put in there has to go in and be able to execute what you are trying to do. And certainly, the Giants have an excellent d-line.

Whether JaMarcus Russell was aware of the pressure:

Really, it was just a matter of moving around, and second effort by their guy, a second move really. It was just individual match-ups where we got beat.

What is your level of concern with Russell?

Well, I’m concern for this football team, not just JaMarcus.

I have so much faith in them, believe so strong in them, but you know, at some point, you got to draw the line in the sand, you have to put your foot down and say that is enough, so that you can move forward as a football team.

How do you do that? How do you say that [to the team]?

You stay the course. You don’t start making wholesale change. You just keep pushing and it just takes, you know a few plays here and there to get yourself on track if you will and once that happens, you can take off as a team.

What has happened to the defense?

Today, it looked like poor tackling to be quite honest with you.

About the Randy Hanson situation:

I don’t know why he would do that [talk publicly about his side of the story]. But, the process will take care of it.

For me, is just go to work every day and do your job…

About Hanson’s accusations:

I will not respond to any of that…

About the losses and keeping team from thinking its just another bad season:

Because its not. We are not them, and we just have to take care of us right now. We have a couple of home games coming up and a ability to get healthier at a coupe of other spots and see if we can move forward.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report.net Columnist

According to several reports, the Napa Police Department has plans to question head coach Tom Cable about the alleged role he played in an encounter with assistant Randy Hanson.

Hanson was treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for a broken bone in his face. Cable stated on August 17^th, “It’s an internal issue that we are dealing with, and that’s all I’m going to say. He continued, “I’m not going to comment on [what happened to Hanson].”

The defensive assistant reportedly told the police in a statement that a member of the Oakland coaching staff at the team’s hotel initiated the attack. Other news outlets have stated that Cable attacked Hanson during a meeting.

Just last week, Cable replied, “When all the facts come out, everything will be fine.”

Hanson has not been at the Raiders’ facility since the incident occurred and since, the case has taking a new turn because of his willingness to collaborate with the authorities.

This cannot be good news for the team, who is heading into their third preseason game and is wrapping up a summer of optimism.

Cable seems confident in his statements that all will be worked out and that his name will be cleared of any wrongdoing. But you tend to think that there is fire where you see smoke, and with the police now involved, and Hanson retaining an attorney specializing in employment law, you could see some more drama coming out of Oakland as the pre-season winds down and the regular season begins.

Never a good thing for any team, especially one that has the recent on the field track record that this one has.

WR OUT, DB IN

Oakland waived WR Samie Parker and inked DB Michael Hawkins.

The speedy DB has been with Cleveland, Minnesota, Dallas and Tampa Bay after being Green Bay’s fifth round selection (167^th overall) in the 2005 draft. Hawkins made his debut in 2004-2005 with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.

Parker did not distinguish himself in camp and will move on once again, as he has been with 5 clubs in the last 3 years. The Raiders don’t have a lot of quality depth at wide receiver, but with the return of Javon Walker this week, and the expected return of Chaz Schilens in the first quarter of the season, keeping Parker seemed a long shot.

RAIDERS CLAIM DEFENSIVE TACKLE

In another transaction, the Raiders claimed DT Joe Cohen off waivers from the Miami Dolphins. They also waived CB Jason Horton in the process.

At this point, they are looking for any willing bodies to compete at defensive tackle. The front four does look good heading into the season; especially after the San Francisco 49eers torched them last weekend. Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, Terdell Sands and William Joseph were expected to be tackles rotating time once the regular season began.

But Sands looks to be a player near the cut-line with his ineptness and contract. Joseph was one of the few on that defense that had good glimpses last weekend.

NEAL NEWS

On the official Raiders web site, Lorenzo Neal is listed as “released.” And it appears both sides agreed on a injury settlement, ending any curiosity about the move.

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable denied reports that he punched assistant Randy Hanson in the jaw, which caused injuries that required a visit to the hospital.

According to other web sites, Cable hit Hanson on August 5 for unknown reasons. Then, a report filed with the Napa Police Department stated that a 41-year old coach was treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for an injury that was given to him by a member of the Oakland coaching staff.

Cable stated last night. “It’s an internal issue that we are dealing with, and that’s all I’m going to say. He continued, “I’m not going to comment on that.”

On Monday, at the beginning of the practice session, a few players began to hymn “Cable, bumaye, Cable, bumaye”, referencing the crowd chants in the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

“I don’t even know what they were saying,” star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha stated. “I think there’s still some guys who don’t even know. I found out as I was coming out on the field. Guys were finding out here and there. It wasn’t like a big announcement, so the reaction wasn’t like a collective reaction. People were like, ‘What’s going on?’ — trying to find out, but no one really knew.”

In just a year, Hanson has made a name for himself with the Raiders. Last season, then head coach Lane Kiffin suspended Hanson for what amounted to five days, including their game in Kansas City.

“Randy had some personal issues going on,” Kiffin said Sept. 17 of last year when questioned if the defensive coach had been suspended. “Randy still did some work for us, but he spent some time at home to get some things straight in his personal life.”

Hanson appears to be a very boisterous coach. Critiquing the team’s effort after their loss to Denver in 2008 and now, reportedly, speaking unfavorably about a current Raider staffer, which may have facilitated the incident that led to his injury.

It will be interesting to see if the NFL takes action on Cable if there is any wrongdoing on his part. If so, the head coach is subject to the league’s Personal Conduct Policy and could face some sanctions.

As crazy as this story may sound, in my opinion, it’s a non-issue and just another chapter in the bizarre world of the Oakland Raiders.

No one is condoning an assault on another person.

But those that are ranting for Cable’s head and that are appalled by the happenings in Oakland should realize that this is an organization that built a reputation of being outlaws, renegades and their players made night’s their playground for debauchery and any thing that could be considered immoral by many.

If you are a Raider fan now, that was not around to see the teams of the 1970s and 1980s, and cannot accept the fact that ‘strange’ things happen within this organization, then get over yourself.

Many players then, that this organization built their legacy on would have never sat around eating crackers and drinking tea with you and your friends during your sewing circles. And none will now.

Granted they were winning titles and dominating football then. And a coach taking such a heinous act on another staffer was never ‘the Raider way’, nor it shall be accepted.

But it is what it is and when coaches are under a microscope and news is disseminated at a furious pace, situations like this occur.

I’m sure many coaches argue with other players and staffers. And behind closed doors, we may never hear about the confrontations that may be legendary within inner circles.

This cat was out of the bag…

And now the team that has built much of their history on renegade acts and ghoulish behavior on and off the field has another story to tell.

I for one don’t think this will influence one way or another where this 2009 version of the Raiders is headed.

But it really makes for some interesting banter. And NO; this is not the end of the world for a team that has far more important matters on the field to deal with.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

On Saturday, the Oakland Raiders inked cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. and said goodbye to tight end John Paul Foschi.

This after the Silver & Black struggled against the Dallas Cowboys’ passing attack in their pre-season opener. Nnamdi Asomugha will blanket one side of the field and is expected to have another stellar season. But after that, Oakland has questions all over their secondary.

Oakland this off-season retained Johnson with a substantial raise that included a $4 million signing bonus. In 2008, he started 7 games once the Raiders parted ways with DeAngelo Hall, and Johnson answered the call with 12 passes defended and 3 interceptions. But during camp, head coach Tom Cable has talked about competition and how the left cornerback spot will be up for grabs.

“We want to have competition everywhere that it’s possible to have it,” Cable stated in early August.

Those statements were a surprise to many, especially to Stanford Routt, as it seemed like Johnson was going to reprise his role. “I’m not going to lie to you, probably not; I really didn’t,” Routt said, when asked if he thought he could start on this defense. “But you go ahead and you just try to hope for the best sometimes, and it will shake out the way it’s supposed to shake out.”

Routt did not have the best showing last week versus Dallas, picked on by Jon Kitna and Roy Williams as soon as he substituted for Asomugha. And just because he was given a new deal and played well as the season wound down in 2008, don’t expect the Raiders to hand over the starting duties to the confident Johnson.

“Since I got drafted (in 2003 by Green Bay), I felt I was one of the top league corners in this league,” Johnson commented this summer, “but I just never got the opportunity to play. Last year, Mr. (Al) Davis and Tom gave me the opportunity to play, the opportunity to show my abilities. “… I just needed an opportunity to play. Once I got an opportunity to play, it showed.”

Manning now is in the mix with his 14 career interceptions, as he has spent his first six seasons in the league with the Panthers, Bears and Rams.

He has not had the chance to play as much man-to-man coverage in the league as the Raiders require of their cornerbacks. But Manning feels that this situation will make for an effortless transition, stating, “It makes it easier to learn the playbook, I’ll tell you that. You got a lot more man coverage, just cover your man. Getting the language is going to take a little time, but not too long, but that’s fine, I’m a gravity player, I like to get in there and bump and press and be physical.”

“He’s a proven guy,” coach Cable said. “He’s here obviously to give us more juice and to compete as well.”

Analysis: Oakland needs to have a steady secondary. Asomugha is a given, and because of that, teams will shy away from his side of the field and attack whoever else is covering the other targets. Johnson has speed and has shown the knack for the big play. But Johnson has not shown he can do it consistently over the course of 16-games and no one knows how a player reacts when given a new deal, especially when that player does not have a reliable track record. Routt was drafted by Oakland, unseated a year ago by Hall, but has never been able to get back to a caliber of play that warrants being a starter. He struggles as a nickel/dime defender and is consistently torched when in the slot. Which gives a defender like Manning an edge due to his experience in such formations.

As for the back-end; Oakland is still hoping that Michael Huff can realize his first round potential and whoever is next to him, whether Tyvon Branch, Hiram Eugene or rookie Mike Mitchell, neither is a safe bet to play at a steady pace.

CABLE THE PUGILIST?

Reports from several media outlets are stating that Tom Cable punched on of his assistants on August 5^th at the team’s training camp headquarters.

One web site reported that a Raider staffer struck defensive assistant Randy Hanson in the jaw. Then an unidentified source stated on another site that it was Cable who landed the blow on the third-year coach.

It was reported that Hanson did not want to pursue the matter, but staff at the hospital alerted the authorities according to fanhouse.com.

Hanson sustained a fractured jaw. Napa police Lt. Brian McGovern stated “unless we are re-contacted by the victim, and the victim changes their mind that they want us to follow through and pursue an investigation. At this point we’re not doing anything else with it.”

Cable is scheduled to address the media at 8:30 pm ET.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist