As first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Silver & Black are not bringing back defensive coordinator John Marshall.

Marshall has been with the club for two seasons and even though the defense was much improved, Al Davis has decided not to renew Marshall’s contract, which runs out on Tuesday.

Rob Ryan, Oakland’s defensive coordinator from 2004-to-2008, was mentioned as a possible replacement a few days ago, but the Dallas Cowboys acted quickly and snagged Rex’s brother.

Ryan interviewed with Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Friday. He had a year remaining on his deal with Cleveland, but new head coach Pat Shurmur elected to go in a different direction.

It is still expected that Hue Jackson will eventually take over as Raiders’ head coach. And reports are already circulating about staffers on his coaching unit.

Al Saunders, who worked with Jason Campbell in Washington in 2006/2007, could alleviate Jackson’s move to the top by taking on offensive coordinator duties.

Saunders has interviewed for the Raiders many times, including in 2004 when Bill Callahan was canned and in 2006 after Norv Turner was fired. In 2009, Saunders interviewed for the vacant offensive coordinator position, a Raider official confirmed.

Davis has admired Saunders in the past, as the long time play caller is a proponent of the “Air Coryell” passing game.

As for the defensive side of the ball, Oakland will have to look elsewhere to find their new coordinator.

Darren Perry, Winston Moss, Lou Spanos & Chuck Pagano could be targets for the vacant opening.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

No head coach has been named, but it is presumed that Hue Jackson will take over those duties.

Beat writer Vittorio Tafur reports that league sources have said that, “[Jackson] has called assistants around the league who he might want on his staff.”

He concluded on his blog: “Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who was with the Raiders from 2004-08, could be a candidate to potentially replace Raiders defensive coordinator John Marshall, with the added title of assistant head coach.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

“There is no truth to the rumors that Jim Harbaugh or I have met with the Raiders,” Bechta told the National Football post.

“Further, Jim has not interviewed with nor been offered the head coaching job of the Oakland Raiders. Jim and Al (Davis, team owner) have a very special relationship full of mutual respect. However, the rumors circulating are absolutely false.”

The Raiders still have not made a decision publicly about Tom Cable’s future with the club, but rumors have circulated about possible candidates for the eventual opening if he is jettisoned.

Hue Jackson has recently made a trip to Oakland to interview for a mystery job.

Raider executives have also shot down any reports that they have interviewed coaches such as Jim Fassel and Marc Trestman.

“The reports that we’ve interviewed prospective head coaches are totally untrue, totally false,” John Herrera told the Oakland Tribune.

Fassel stated on Siirus.XM radio that he hasn’t been contacted by the Silver & Black and that he is not lobbying for a position.

Unlike Rob Ryan, who stated, “Hell, yeah, I’d have interest,” if Oakland had an opening.

Trestman has been linked to the Raiders, but his agent also denied some of the news circulating about his client.

“All I can tell you is Marc’s the head coach of the Alouettes and has not interviewed for any jobs,” agent, Darren Weiner reported to The Montreal Gazette. “Nor is he trying to position himself for any jobs. There’s no news to report. He’s the head coach (of Montreal). That’s it.”

“Hell yeah, I’d have interest,” Ryan told USA Today. “I haven’t talked to Mr. [Al] Davis because he has a coach. Let’s see what happens.”

Boy, is the former Raider coordinator really lobbying for a job.

Ryan was employed in Oakland from 2004-to-2008. During that span, the vocal defensive coordinator was liked by many of the young players the Raiders drafted, but the results on the field were erratic.

In the two-win 2006 campaign, Ryan’s bunch was the lone bright spot. With the unit returning all 11-starters the following season, Oakland had a disappointing end to the 2007-year. The inconsistent play, lack of pressure applied by his schemes and feeble rush defense were highlights of his tenure.

Here’s a breakdown of how they fared on the ground against opponents during his time as coordinator:

2008 – 31^st in the NFL – 159.7 yds/g

2007 – 31^st in the NFL – 145.9 yds/g

2006 – 25^th in the NFL – 134.0 yds/g

2005 – 25^th in the NFL – 128.1 yds/g

2004 – 22^nd in the NFL – 125.8 yds/g

Ryan was hired by the Browns and in 2009; they ended as the 31^st ranked defense in the NFL.

He’s boisterous, outspoken, has a lot of bravado and players like performing for him. But the results he’s had since being a defensive coordinator have not warranted any chances of being a head coach. Why should they?

His brother Rex, who was wildly successful in Baltimore at least had a better resume and was known league wide as an up and comer. And this season, he’s proving his worth taking the New York Jets into the playoffs with a rookie quarterback and a defense that improved greatly under his tutelage.

But the only thing Rob has in terms of credentials for being a head football coach is his last name. The Ryan last name name is attached to the great Chicago Bears 46 defense popularized by his father Buddy. And in five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, the elder Ryan posted a 43-38-1 record with three post-season berths.

Rob has been coaching for 23-years – 12 in the NFL – but the only times he has been a part of a successful group was during his years in New England when they won Super Bowls in 2001 and 2003.

Rob has not had the same success coming up the ranks as his other relatives.

“It was like a dream come true for me,” Ryan said. “Me and my brother would say, ‘I’d like to coach for the Raiders.’ That’s something we always dreamed about — being the bad guy. I learned a ton of football from Mr. Davis. It was a great experience.

“We didn’t win, and that’s the thing. Nothing is guaranteed in this business. Even though they have the teams of the decades and had all of those Super Bowls, it didn’t work out when I was there five years.”

And it probably won’t work either with you being the head football man in Oakland.

Al Davis was right when he said:

I like Rob Ryan a lot, but it was time to make a change.

It was time for him to move on.

Yes, you’ll cater to Davis and say all the right things to get a job here.

Heck, he already started that process by stating; “The backup QB (Russell) is the one I thought would be a superstar by now.”

Well, that’s one way of grabbing Davis’ attention.

“He had that 77 rating his rookie year. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t become the superstar. I’m kind of hoping he doesn’t get in the game. That kid can throw it through a storm. I think the young man’s a good kid.”

So the pleading has begun…

Cable still has a job and with no signs of a decision coming, Ryan is already trying to convey the right thoughts to get in good with his former boss.

Davis should look at this and say, ‘fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.’

Michael Bush will look to break-free against the Browns on Sunday

On Sunday, the Oakland Raiders (5-9) face the Cleveland Browns (3-11). It will mark the 18^th meeting between both clubs with the Silver & Black leading 10-7. In their last meeting, Oakland blocked a late field goal to capture a 26-24 victory. The Browns are on a two game winning streak, something the Raiders will try to achieve with a road win – a feat that has been highly elusive in the short Tom Cable era.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

What to Expect on Offense:

The Raiders are moving forward with Charlie Frye. The passer cleared all tests after his concussion and has been practicing with the squad. Bruce Gradkowski has improved per Cable, but there is very little chance for him to see any action.

Justin Fargas is expected to miss the game on Sunday, which means more of the tandem of Michael Bush and Darren McFadden. Zach Miller has been limited during the week. There is a chance he may play, especially with Brandon Myers (concussion) looking like he may be inactive. Rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey will be sidelined once again and will probably not see action again this season.

With Cleveland allowing 149.6 yards per game on the ground, expect Oakland to support Frye with a heavy load of Bush and McFadden sprinkled in all over in varying formations.

What to Expect on Defense:

“We love that guy from when he was here,“ stated Thomas Howard about his former coordinator, Rob Ryan. “You always have a place in your heart for a guy like that. He drafted me and was my coordinator. But, hey, we’re on opposite sides of the field this Sunday and we’re getting after him. Like he said, it’s bedlam.”

This is a different defense than what Ryan last saw when he was their leader.

One key has been their ability to rough the passer, and Greg Ellis has been a huge part of that.  He was limited in practice again this week, but as I stated a few weeks ago, the Raiders will take it easy on him during the week and unleash the veteran on game day.

Don’t expect the Raiders to let up on their pass rush. They’ll continue to bring the heat with extra defenders in hopes of facilitating mistakes out of Derek Anderson.

What to Expect on Special Teams:

Shane Lechler sounded very confident this week when talking about his squad’s ability to lock down the dangerous Joshua Cribbs.

“We’re going to do exactly what we did to [Devin] Hester, what we did to Dante Hall four years ago when he was at Kansas City,” Lechler reported this week. “ When you do (try to avoid the returner) it goes to show that you don’t trust your guys. I’m willing to put my guys up against anybody. I like my guys. My punt team is outstanding, they play their butt off every Sunday.”

Kirk Morrison will face the Browns again, this time with Rob Ryan as the enemy

CLEVELAND BROWNS

What to Expect on Offense:

Jerome Harrison’s 286-yard three-touchdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs was epic. He broke Jim Brown’s team record and now faces a 30^th ranked rush defense that can allow big chunks on the ground and big games from unknown rushers.

Derek Anderson will start for Brady Quinn, but some his thoughts this week were with the looming change atop the organization, as Mike Holmgren agreed to take over as team president recently.

“I think it’s an audition for everybody,” said Anderson, who will try to impress his new boss now that Quinn is out with a foot injury. “We’ve all got to continue to do good things and make plays and just play and do the things we’ve been doing the last few weeks.”

What to Expect on Defense:

The Browns utilize a 3-4 scheme under Ryan and head coach Eric Mangini. And they have been wildly inconsistent, playing stellar against the Steelers once week and then looking like a sieve versus a feeble Chiefs attack.

Linebacker Matt Roth has been a pleasant surprise lately. He recovered a fumble and recorded a key sack last weekend. “Matt’s been great. I think he’s done an excellent job in terms of fitting in with the group. The guys seem to really enjoy having him here. He’s tough,” stated his head coach.

What to Expect on Special Teams:

Cribbs versus the special teams of the Raiders – it doesn’t get better than that. “Every single time I touch the football I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m going to go. Not just good field position, but this is going back to the house,’” Cribbs said. “My eyes light up, it’s like a kid on Christmas Day every time I get the ball.”

He now holds the NFL record for 8 kickoff returns for touchdowns. He may be able to add more scores in a different role, as a defender, per Mangini in the near future.

“He is a physical tackler. He is very aggressive. He has good ball skills in terms of his ability to locate the ball, pluck the ball. He’d be great with interceptions. He’d be a dangerous returner if he got a pick. I don’t think it’s going to happen short term, it could be something that evolves.”

GAME NOTES

• The Browns have won six of the last eight meetings versus Oakland.
• In Oakland’s five-wins, their margin of victory is an average of 2.8 points.
• “He was one of the only coaches that stuck by me when I was in the beginning of my career trying to learn the new position,” Nnamdi Asomugha said of Rob Ryan. “The amount of confidence he had in me was huge and it did a lot for my development as far as growth with the cornerback position. I owe a lot to him and he knows that already so it’s going to be great seeing him. He’s a favorite of mine.”

KEY MATCH-UPS

Cribbs vs. Oakland’s cover teams

Every time the ball is kicked to Cribbs, there is excitement and anticipation he will do something special.

Which Run Defense implodes?

Both teams can put out awful efforts stopping the run. With a record breaking rusher that came out of nowhere on one side and a talented duo on the other side, this could be a game decided in the trenches and by rushers.

PREDICTION

Raiders 23 – Browns 20

TV & RADIO

The game will be televised on CBS with Don Criqui providing play-by-play and former NFL performer Randy Cross handling color analysis. The game will air locally 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 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 directly from the official Oakland Raiders web site)

GAME INFO

Sunday, December 27, 2009, 1:00 p.m. ET | Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cle., OH

Home Team: Cleveland Browns (3-11) Home: 1-5 Road: 2-6

Road Team: Oakland Raiders (5-9) Home: 2-5 Road: 3-4

LINE: Raiders are 3-point underdogs

Contact Author:  Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Linebacker Thomas Howard touches on what it took to defeat the Denver Broncos last week and about Rob Ryan’s ‘prank’ phone call:

Always uber-cool, Shane Lechler briefly discusses about kicking to the dangerous Cleveland returner Josh Cribbs (Off camera, the Raider punter said that he will not kick away from Cribbs just before I began recording):

Richard Seymour chatting about the challenges the defense faces against the Cleveland Browns:

SBReport.net was in attendance when Oakland Raiders’ owner Al Davis opened up to talk about varying topics at the team’s facility in Alameda. Here are some quotes from the session:

Davis talking about the team going younger:

[Kiffin] wouldn’t do it. Yeah, he wouldn’t do it. That’s why he got fired.

Tom [Cable] tried to start breaking it in. But there was resistance from certain assistants, and their not here.

The idea was to go young, because we were young.

Someone the other day said we had to go get a receiver. We should’ve drafted Calvin Johnson instead of JaMarcus Russell. He continued, “But their record was 0-16 last year with Calvin Johnson.”

Then [someone said] we should’ve drafted Larry Fitzgerald. But the year we didn’t draft Fitzgerald, we drafted a guy that was considered the best offensive lineman in the draft. We had as I said, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Jerry Porter; who everyone had thought had greatness in his future.

What kind of effort you made in trying to keep Rob Ryan around?

I like Rob Ryan a lot, but it was time to make a change.

It was time for him to move on.

What about Brian Schneider (special teams coach)?

Well, Brian did well. John Fassel did real well and you have to remember, one of the things that hurt us on special teams for a short period in the middle of the season was when we lost probably the best special teamer we’ve had in a long while [Tyvon] Branch.

We were good on returns, no question about it. But [the opponents returns], against us, we were not great.

[Schneider] wanted to go, and young Fassell is a young talent that we think is pretty good.

On Tom Rathman

The only coach that left, that really we probably would’ve kept at his position was Tom Rathman. And he wanted to go over there, we understood that, that’s where his history was made…

Whether Davis’ old offense works in this new era of football:

They certainly don’t say it now.

When we started 2000, 2001, 2002; I thought we had chance to run this decade. We didn’t do it. It slipped away from us. And we became mediocre.

In every decade, as I told you before, in every decade that started since the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, we’ve played in the championship game at the start of the decade. And the vertical game, you got to throw the ball deep. There’s no one around who can win without doing it, Whether it will be Arizona, or Pittsburgh.

If a coaching change at the start of the 2008 season would’ve made a difference:

I tried to reason with the guy [Kiffin]. I thought we could get something out of him. And I wanted to push it through to see if I could push it through. I guess it was my stubbornness too. But he was bad, He was a liar – flat out. Which I told you. I’m never broken away from it. They know it. The players know it.

All he wanted to do is get out of here and get his money.

Greatest needs in terms of player personnel:

We’ll let you know in a little while. I’m interested to hear how they evaluate our players and what they think of them.

We have a general idea; we’ve got a tough problem with Nnamdi [Asomugha] and [Shane] Lecher. That’s a tough problem. Both are un-signed and we only have one franchise [tag].

On hiring Cable, finally deciding on him:

Just listen to him. Just the fact what he did with the team at the end.

His excellence with the offensive line was never in doubt. He always did well with them.

He’s good, he really is. He really loves football; he has a passion for the goddamn thing.

On Mario Henderson:

We took a left tackle and didn’t play him the whole season because he was my pick. And then when he got in the goddamn game, in the couple games he played– he dominated the game.

On the stadium situation:

I like this stadium right here, I like this location right here.

Sharing a stadium:

I would have to think about that.

Can the Raiders succeed with the current stadium lease and revenue generated:

It’s very difficult. Yeah, it’s very difficult. Succeed? Yeah, it’s very difficult. Because when you talk to me about free agency and things like that, off-course its difficult. It’s ridiculous not to say. You have to have the finances to compete with other teams.

I’m not used to building stadiums.

Do you expect a playoff run next year?

No.

I do like to win Super Bowls, but I’m also realistic. We can win the division. But winning Super Bowls – No. I don’t think this team is ready to win a Super Bowl. We may be a year away from putting a good group together.

On Paul Hackett:

Number two [JaMarcus Russell] – that is a formidable thing. I really think Hackett can handle him. I really feel good about that.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

After being the interim coach for 12 games, posting a 4-8 record and ending the 2008 season with back-to-back wins, it appears that Tom Cable has convinced the Oakland Raiders’ brass that he is the right man for the job.

According to sources close to the organization, Cable will be named the next head football coach of the Silver & Black.

Cable, 43, served as offensive line coach in his first season with the Raiders and turned around a lowly group that allowed a league high 72-sacks in 2006. That season, Oakland finished sixth in the NFL in rushing. He also helped Robert Gallery turn his career around from a bust tackle to a solid starting guard.

When Oakland parted ways with Lane Kiffin four games into the 2008 campaign – after a tumultuous feud between coach and owner – Cable was pegged for the job in the midst of the team’s worst stretch in modern day history.

“This is in many ways a strange day,” Cable said in September. “I have a friend who lost a job. That’s difficult in this business but, as we know, this is a business. It is time for us to move forward and to put the past behind us. … We have a good coaching staff here and a good football team here.”

Even though the Raiders posted another losing record – becoming the first team ever to lose at least 11 games in six straight seasons – highly regarded players declared their loyalty to Cable when the season ended and let their feelings be known about who should lead the team going into 2009.

“If (Davis) wants to ask or if he’s interested in our opinion, I’m sure any man in this locker room would vouch for (Cable),” commented running back Justin Fargas. “From just the way he’s treated us with respect and raised our expectations.”

The player who the organization needs the most to develop into a great talent even pledge his allegiance to Cable.

“[Cable] brought us from one direction and took us up the ladder,” quarterback JaMarcus Russell said. “He always told us that deep down he thought we were a good football team. By him becoming (head) coach, he guided us in a different way. He talked to us about what needed to be done, we need to make some changes and within that, I think we did.”

The news weeks after reports stated that New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride spoke to owner Al Davis on the phone regarding the position on January 3^rd, and officially interviewing for the job January in Oakland.

Green Bay Packer assistant head coach and former Raider linebacker Winston Moss was also a candidate for the opening.

Oakland will have to rebuild the staff around Cable, as their defensive coordinator since 2004, Rob Ryan, bolted to Cleveland to reunite with Eric Mangini at the same capacity for the Browns.

Greg Knapp, who was offensive coordinator and called plays for the Raiders before Cable took over that duty as the season wound down, also departed and landed with the Seahawks on Jim Mora’s staff.

“I want to be the head coach of the Raiders, but it’s not in my hands. But I certainly know I put this team together and got it going in the right direction, and today proved that,” replied Cable after the season ending victory in Tampa Bay when asked about his future with the club.

SBReport has also learned that Cable will have full autonomy in hiring his own coaches and surrounding himself with staffers of his choosing. 

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Greg Knapp

By Eric Strauss, S&B Report Staff Columnist

Although it remains to be seen whether interim head coach Tom Cable will be back with the Oakland Raiders next year, and in what capacity, there will definitely be changes in the Lane Kiffin-built coaching staff.

Multiple media reports indicate offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, as had been rumored for some time, will be joining new Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora Jr.

Knapp, at one time a possible head coaching candidate in Oakland, finally was given play-calling abilities after Kiffin’s dismissal a quarter of the way through the season, only to see them taken away by the halfway mark of the year after a string of low-scoring performances.

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, one of the longest-tenured members of the coaching staff, is reported to be a target of new Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini, who worked with Ryan in New England. Ryan has been with the Raiders for five years, serving under four different head coaches, and like Knapp was once considered a head coaching possibility.

The San Francisco 49ers’ website says Raiders running backs coach Tom Rathman has agreed to join that Bay Area club, with whom he spent most of his playing career.

And special teams coach Brian Schneider, whose charges had a terrific season in 2008, is reportedly interviewing around the league.

Most sources agree wide receivers coach James Lofton is the only member of the staff, including Cable, with a contract for 2009, and the other assistants’ pacts are up next week. Several reports indicate the team is willing to let assistants get an early start on departures, and with no clear indication of who the head coach will be, it appears many are trying to find stability somewhere other than Oakland.

The exodus began, in fact, before the season even ended, with offensive line assistant James Cregg notoriously drawing Cable’s ire by resigning to join Kiffin’s University of Tennessee staff.

The Raiders have not formally interviewed anyone for the head coaching spot yet (the Rooney rule must be satisfied, among other formalities), although owner Al Davis reportedly has spoken at some length with both Cable and New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, a former San Diego Chargers head coach.

If there are mass departures from the staff, even if Cable wins the permanent job as head coach, it could hamper some of the progress made by quarterback JaMarcus Russell and the team as a whole in a pair of season-ending victories.

On the other hand, with the Raiders’ recent struggles, it can be debated whether retaining a coach such as the ultra-popular defensive coordinator Ryan is a key to consistency, or merely a key to the consistent inconsistency of the past six years.

Other assistants who finished the 2008 season on the Silver & Black sidelines include: Quarterbacks coach John DiFilippo (who in a “Six Degrees of Separation” moment is the son of Gene DiFilippo, the Boston College athletic director who just fired head coach Jeff Jagodzinski, whose name was mentioned in at least one rumor reported out of Oakland), tight ends coach Kelly Skipper, defensive line coaches Keith Millard and Don Johnson, linebackers coach Don Martindale (Ryan’s right-hand man, who could be a candidate to replace him, or join him in Cleveland), defensive backs coaches Darren Perry and Randy Hanson, quality control coaches Adam Henry, Sanjay Lal, George Martinez and John Fassel, and strength coach Brad Roll.

One assistant who isn’t likely going anywhere is squad development coach Willie Brown, a Raider lifer who also works with the defensive backs. But the 23-year veteran staffer’s role could change, depending on who comes in as head coach.

What to do, what to do?

The Oakland Raiders are in a quite the predicament now.

The sure to be gone interim head coach, who appeared on his way out as the season wound down, just put together a two-game winning streak to end the campaign and put some uncertainty on what will happen on the sideline now that the year is over.

Does owner Al Davis retain Cable and give him an extension to continue his work with this club? Or, is he jettisoned in hopes that a new coaching staff will rejuvenate a team that has gone 24-72 since the dismantling in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.

The team has responded with improved play as the he got comfortable on the sidelines and more importantly, the players are now letting everyone know that he is their guy.

“If (Davis) wants to ask or if he’s interested in our opinion, I’m sure any man in this locker room would vouch for (Cable),” commented running back Justin Fargas. “From just the way he’s treated us with respect and raised our expectations.”

And expectations are now a lot higher with a young quarterback with a full season under his belt and looking to make major strides in 2009.

Cable has helped simplify things for JaMarcus Russell and since the offensive line coach took over the play calling, the former no. one overall choice has gotten better.

Russell’s voice should carry a lot of weight. And on any other organization, a quarterback who is getting paid that much money and that has the burden that he has being a high draft choice and the savior of the team would be someone that the owner listens to. But the Raiders are managed differently. So how will these comments effect what will happen:

“[Cable] brought us from one direction and took us up the ladder,” quarterback Russell said. “He always told us that deep down he thought we were a good football team. By him becoming (head) coach, he guided us in a different way. He talked to us about what needed to be done, we need to make some changes and within that, I think we did.”

The Raiders must act quickly. No messing around this off-season.

If they are going to rid themselves of Cable, it must be done as soon as possible to send a message that this team is headed in a new direction and to start the process of finding a new head coach and staff while there are plenty of candidates to choose from.

If they are going to keep him, they must state that swiftly to let him purge the Lane Kiffin staff and build a coaching circle he will be comfortable with.

So far, he has proven he can take a sieve of an offensive line that appeared to have no talent and that allowed 72-sacks in 2006, and turn them into a serviceable unit.

He proved that he could take a team in turmoil and make them believe.

Part of me says let him stay and finish the job at hand.

He wants to be here and has proven to be an established commodity. Cable has turned Robert Gallery’s career around and has motivated Mario Henderson enough to the point where he looks like a starting caliber left tackle. And if he is let go, chances are, he won’t be retained just to be the offensive line coach and that could cause regression along the trenches in 2009 without their mentor.

You rarely see an interim head coach demoted back to being a unit coach. And it will take quite the money for Cable to stay as offensive line coach if the Raiders bring in another head man. If he even accepts such a situation.

So that’s the case for keeping Cable.

If he’s a goner, they risk starting all over again with a guy who will have to re-evaluate the roster, implement new schemes and start fresh again with a team that has loss at least 11-games for six straight seasons.

Continuity is needed if this organization is going to finally head in the right direction…

Sure changes are needed all over that staff. Rob Ryan has not deserved to come back among others. And that may be the start of this team changing some problematic issues on the sideline…

But at this point, retaining Cable and making him the head coach may be in the team’s best interest.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist