ESPN NFL

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Raiders in 2012.

Dream scenario (9-7): Maybe the Raiders get the Carson Palmer whom the last staff envisioned and he regains his form from years ago. Although the tight end position is a nightmare, Oakland’s core of young wide receivers could burst onto the scene this season. Denarius Moore could be a superstar, and Juron Criner could be an ideal complement. Switching schemes can be dicey, but the Raiders’ offensive line looks better off going to a zone-blocking scheme and should be especially improved on the interior. Oakland absolutely must cut down on penalties, and drastically reducing such mistakes seems like a reasonable and reachable goal. Also, only four teams threw more interceptions than the Raiders last season. Reducing picks along with having an exceptional pair of kicking specialists could greatly aid Oakland in winning the hidden-yardage battle.

Nightmare scenario (4-12): The Raiders have poor depth. They are also breaking in a new head coach and new schemes. As the season goes along, their depth will surely be tested -- and I don’t expect it to respond kindly. Oakland absolutely needs Darren McFadden to stay healthy this season. Of course, that has been a problem for its spectacular running back. When healthy, few in this league produce like McFadden, but the right tackle position looks like a trouble area. There also could be a drop-off coming on defense. The defensive line overall is strong, but where are the top edge pass-rushers and top cover men? In a passing league, that is a massive problem in my eyes. The best I can forecast for Oakland is to have great luck with injuries and sneak into the playoffs as a wild-card team, while their nightmare scenario could be selecting in the top five of next year’s draft.

Denver Broncos

Cornerback Tracy Porter, whose pick-six sealed the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl XLIV victory over the Indianapolis Colts, hasn't gotten around to talking trash to new Denver teammate Peyton Manning, the man who threw that ball. "I think once we finally get settled in we'll have enough time to shoot that little joke in," Porter told USA Today. "As of right now, we're both still learning."

The Broncos' trade of backup cornerback Cassius Vaughn to Indianapolis for little-used fullback Chris Gronkowski is most significant for the fact that it's Matt Russell's first trade since taking over as director of player personnel, Mike Klis notes.

Defensive end Elvis Dumervil is "more in shape" than at this point last year, he tells the Broncos' official site, and credits the team's strength coach and a new nutrition plan.

After a Pro Bowl rookie season, Broncos linebacker Von Miller landed the Denver Athletic Club's Colorado Athlete of the Year award.

Kansas City Chiefs

Coach Romeo Crennel, who grew up in a military family, and linebacker Caleb Campbell, a West Point grad who holds the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Army, were among a Chiefs contingent that visited a junior high school at nearby Fort Leavenworth.

Oakland Raiders

With more talent on his side of the ball than on defense, new Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Knapp is going to need to keep the unit humming and take some pressure off Dennis Allen's defense, Mark Purdy writes in the San Jose Mercury News.

Mike Goodson, an offseason trade acquisition from Carolina, is making an impression with coaches in his quest to win the backup running back job.

San Diego Chargers

General manager A.J. Smith laughed off Las Vegas picking the Chargers to finish second in the division, behind Denver. "I couldn't care less about predictions," Smith told U-T San Diego on Wednesday. "It's fun to do, and it stimulates conversation."

Coach Norv Turner told season-ticket holders during a conference call that he'll lean "heavily" on special-teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia this season after Bisaccia was given the title of assistant head coach.

Denver Broncos

Champ Bailey says he doesn't anticipate a move to safety. "I'm a realist, though, if I see myself on tape and I think it's time to make a move, I'll know it's time to make a move, I'll be the first to see it, I'll be the first to know it," Bailey said, smiling. "In my mind, though, I might not say it right away, I might wait for somebody to ask."

Veteran defensive tackle Justin Bannan tells Lindsay Jones that he "tries not to" think too much about what effect playing football might have on his body down the road.

Kansas City Chiefs

Starting safeties Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis aren't on the field for this week's practices, but are seemingly on course to be back for training camp, the Kansas City Star reports.

The Chiefs signed free-agent wide receiver Aaron Weaver, who played collegiately at Syracuse in 2010 but missed 2011 with a knee injury.

Oakland Raiders

In a (very) brief statement following the Raiders' organized team activities Tuesday, linebacker Rolando McClain apologized for "the bad publicity that's been put out there" following his legal troubles, CSN Bay Area reports. McClain's teammates have said the linebacker seems unfazed by the recent events.

The new defensive scheme is getting good reviews from players so far, according to the Raiders' official site.

Tight end David Ausberry has added 15 pounds this offseason and is up to 265 as he focuses on claiming a starting role, CBSSports.com reports.

San Diego Chargers

A rules change that will require all players to wear knee and thigh pads beginning in 2013 is "dumb," cornerback Quentin Jammer told U-T San Diego.

Philip Rivers lost pal and backup Billy Volek in a salary-cap move over the offseason, but a reunion with Charlie Whitehurst has the Chargers' starting quarterback feeling pretty comfortable, Kevin Acee writes.

Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning's presence will undoubtedly improve Willis McGahee's rushing stats -- at least that's what McGahee is preaching, and Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla says the Broncos running back has a sermon he can back up.

Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams' trial on driving under the influence and traffic charges ended Monday in a mistrial.

Who is the most indispensable player to his team in the NFL today? At least three NFL.com writers answer the question by saying the Broncos cannot succeed in 2012 without Manning under center.

Kansas City Chiefs

Matt Cassel defends his position as the Chiefs' starting quarterback, telling Sports Radio 610 in Kansas City: “I believe in myself, and I know I’m a good quarterback. Of course there are going to be criticisms and everything like that, and that’s part of the business. ... And hopefully it’s all going to go in the right direction, we’re going to win a lot of ball games, get in the playoffs, and ideally we’d like to win a Super Bowl.”

Arrowhead Pride takes a closer look at fourth-round pick, wide receiver Devon "Wiggles" Wylie out of Fresno State.

The Chiefs are using Dexter McCluster as a wideout -- for now. The Kansas City Star's Adam Teicher has more observations from practice.

Oakland Raiders

San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami says Raiders middle linebacker Rolando McClain's actions and his spotty play have shown he's the polar opposite of the kinds of players GM Reggie McKenzie and new coach Dennis Allen want in their locker room.

If there were such a thing as an offseason practice MVP, fifth-round draft pick Juron Criner would walk away with the trophy. Criner, a rookie out of Arizona, even impressed Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer.

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers are in need of a third-down back, and it just so happens the best running back in franchise history and the fifth-leading rusher in NFL history is looking for a team to join. GM A.J. Smith should set aside past differences and bring LaDainian Tomlinson back, says the North County Times' Jay Paris.

Opinions vary on funding for a new Chargers stadium. San Diego’s four major mayoral candidates state their cases.

Denver Broncos

Mike Klis of The Denver Post: "The meshing of [John] Fox and [Peyton] Manning, and Manning and the Broncos, begins today with the Broncos' first organized team activity (OTA) workout at their Dove Valley headquarters."

Denver has reportedly started talks on a contract extension with left tackle Ryan Clady.

Kansas City Chiefs

Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com offers a preview of the team's OTAs that start Monday.

SI.com's Don Banks includes running back Jamaal Charles among those players primed for a bounce-back season in 2012.

Oakland Raiders

Toni Monkovic of The New York Times' Fifth Down Blog asks: "To put it in today’s terms, was the Raiders’ use of illegal pads [back in the day] on par or even worse than the Saints’ bounty system?"

Wide receiver Denarius Moore says he's fine with receiving added attention from defensive backs.

San Diego Chargers

Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego: "For eight long years, since just after the dawn of the A.J. Smith period, we’ve been teased with every reason to believe that this is the year a Chargers team that looks so good will actually be good enough. And so … with the caution that this could well be like the movie trailer that promises thrills and chills only to turn out to be 'John Carter,' I am intrigued enough by what I see and hear to deliver the teasing news that the Chargers have perhaps found the final pieces of the puzzle."

Scott Bair of the North County Times goes one-on-one with rookie safety Brandon Taylor.

Weekend mail call:

MD Ellis from Marysville, Calif., wants to know if the Oakland Raiders could trade a receiver such as Louis Murphy because of fifth-round pick Juron Criner.

Bill Williamson: Perhaps late in the preseason, something could happen since Murphy is a free agent after next season. But I think the most likely situation is Oakland will keep all of their young receivers and see how it develops. It’s a good, solid group. But it needs some players to stand out, so the Raiders may be better off keeping everyone and seeing how it plays out.

Jon from Fort Dodge, Iowa wants to know if I think the Denver Broncos have a realistic chance to make the Super Bowl.

BW: If Peyton Manning's neck issues are behind him, I think Denver has a chance to be very competitive and they should be a fairly strong team. But there are more talented teams in the AFC West and Denver has the second toughest schedule in the NFL. For Denver to get to the Super Bowl it will need its defense to continue to make huge strides, have great health and some good fortune.

Kurt from Seattle wants to know what I think about Kansas City Chiefs receivers coach Nick Sirianni.

BW: Sirianni has been highly regarded in Kansas City. He was the offensive quality control coach for the past three years. He helped in several different areas and he was credited for helping Matt Cassel during his strong season in 2010. I think Sirianni certainly can be a coach to look for as an offensive coordinator candidate in the coming seasons.

Terrell Owens is campaigning to get back into the NFL, and his current targets are his first team and the team in which his previous quarterback plays for.

Owens went on “The Drive” on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, in an interview that will air Monday, and said he’d like to play for either the 49ers or the Raiders. Let’s get this straight: Owens would like to play for any team. But thus far, there have not been any takers. Owens was out of football in 2011, and he turns 39 in December.

Yes, he’s a hard sell.

Yet, he is pushing for a chance to reunite with quarterback Carson Palmer. They played in Cincinnati together in 2010, and Owens worked out with Palmer and some Oakland receivers this offseason.

“If I had to prefer a team, I’d probably want to end where I started, but other than that, that’s not possible, but at the same time, anything can happen. That being said, there’s really only one team left in the Bay Area who I haven’t played for, that really, at this point in time is a viable option, and that’s the Oakland Raiders,” Owens said, “Given the opportunity, if that’s on their radar for me to come in and help them win some ball games, and ultimately help them try to win a championship, then I’ll take that challenge on.

"I definitely feel I have a lot of football left in me. I think Carson knows that. The guys that saw me running around, those receivers, they saw me first hand, so it’s just a matter of someone giving me an opportunity to make that happen. If that’s the case with the Raiders, I’ll assess that when the time comes.”

The reality is, it doesn’t matter if Owens is interested in playing for the Raiders. There are a lot of people in the world who would like to play for the Raiders. What matters is what Oakland’s brass wants. Thus far, it appears Oakland is satisfied with its young core of receivers. As I have expressed often, I think it is the right call.

Let’s see what fifth-round pick Juron Criner can do. Taking away repetitions from him in favor of a rusty 38-year-old with a history of being a locker-room distraction doesn’t make any sense.

In other AFC West news:

Tight end Dallas Clark reportedly visited the Patriots this week. He recently visited the Chiefs.

In an Insider piece, Mel Kiper says he thinks Kansas City linebacker Justin Houston will build upon his strong rookie season.

Denver signed fifth-round pick Malik Jackson. He is the team’s second draft pick to sign.

Here are some highlights from our AFC West chat, held earlier Thursday:

Denver

McNutty from Seattle: Does the signing of [Joel] Dreessen and [Jacob] Tamme (Dreesetamme) mean that Denver is not counting on Julius Thomas this year?

Bill Williamson: They are giving Thomas time. Tamme and Dreessen are ready to go. Thomas is a developmental player. If he comes on strong (as he did in camp last year before he was injured), he'll get his chance.

Kansas City

Atilla from St. Louis: Bill - what do you see that makes you believe that [Jon] Baldwin can make the step to become a better than average receiver. I was not impressed with the fight issues last year, and I hoping he grew from that experience. His best catch was one that was nullified against Denver behind the safety's back.

BW: He has big ability and he fits the offense. He has a chance. But he has to keep his head on straight.

Oakland

Scott Seymour from Anaheim, Calif.: Which AFC West team has the best receiver group?

BW: I think Oakland has a chance to be the deepest in the division. Really, it's a young group of receivers throughout the division and I want to see which group steps up. But I do like how deep Oakland's receivers are.

San Diego

Sergio from Tijuana, Mexico: Hi Bill, what expectations do you have for Robert Meachem, can he be this year's Reggie Bush and live up to expectations with more playing time in SD?

BW: He will be given a huge opportunity. He has great speed and he is a vertical threat. That is perfect for Philip Rivers' arm and Norv Turner's scheme. They expect him to be a difference maker. I think health is the key for him.

I have received a lot of questions from readers this afternoon about how much of the 2012 season Oakland middle linebacker Rolando McClain will miss because of his court case in Alabama.

Right now, it is impossible to guess.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that after being sentenced to 180 days in jail, McClain's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said McClain has filed a request for a jury trial and now, under state law, "the process starts all over again." Steinberg said McClain will be notified at a later date as to when the jury trial will begin.

If the jury trial is a quick process and McClain is sentenced, he could face jail time during the season. But who knows how long the process will be and there are appeals and other situations at play. Often, when athletes serve jail terms, their attorneys try to arrange it that the time is served during their offseason.

Also, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could decide to discipline at any time if he chooses to suspend McClain. Again, this is a legal situation that is fluid. Any speculation on McClain missing time would be mere guesswork.

UPDATE: The Raiders released this stamement on the McClain situation: “The Raiders are well aware of the proceedings in the Alabama courts today. The team will continue to closely monitor the legal process, understanding that when appropriate the NFL will review the situation under its personal conduct policy.”

In other AFC West news:

The Broncos and kicker Matt Prater have a model to work with on a new deal. Fellow franchised kicker Conner Barth received a four-year, $13.2 million deal from Tampa Bay on Thursday. Prater has yet to sign his tender and he is not with the team during OTAs.

San Diego coach Norv Turner turned 60 on Thursday. Turner has proclaimed Chargers star tight end Antonio Gates ”back.” Gates has been dealing with foot injuries for several years.

Oakland running back Darren McFadden talks about his return to health on ESPN radio.

The Broncos announced they've signed fourth-round pick Omar Bolden. The cornerback is the team’s first pick to sign.

Thursday was not a good day for Oakland middle linebacker Rolando McClain.

However, his legal fate in an Alabama assault case has not been sealed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He reports that after being sentenced to 180 days in jail, McClain's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said McClain has filed a request for a jury trial and now, under state law, "the process starts all over again." Steinberg said McClain will be notified at a later date as to when the jury trial will begin.

McClain was arrested in November on misdemeanor assault, firearms and other charges after police said he fired a gun during a fight in his hometown of Decatur. He was home during a game week to attend a family funeral.

The fact that McClain will get a jury trial gives him a second chance. However, McClain will likely face a strong case against him. His co-defendant has already testified against McClain and there is a video of the alleged assault.

If convicted in the jury trial, McClain would likely have to serve some jail time. He could also face NFL discipline.

I know some Oakland Raiders fans are concerned about whether versatile fullback Marcel Reece will be part of the team this season.

Reece, an exclusive rights free agent, has still not signed his tender and he is missing voluntary OTAs. The Raiders signed fullback Owen Schmitt this week and Reece has hired an agent, Joel Segal, who recently had a high-profile player hold out while he worked out a new deal.

My thoughts on the Reece situation? Don’t worry about it. It will work itself out.

Reece will show up at some point and will contribute to Oakland’s offense. There are many, many players who stay away from teams in May. Let’s talk when September starts.

Reece is like every other holdout. He doesn’t have much choice but to play. Ultimately, they all show up.

Plus, Reece is a good player at a position that isn’t overly valued financially by teams. He doesn’t have a ton of leverage. He is a player who is still establishing himself. He will get paid and maybe it will be before this season. If not, he will have to continue to earn his new deal.

Yes, Reece is important to Oakland's offense. I’m not discounting that. He can help at fullback, running back, tight end and in virtually every down situation.

And just because Segal had a holdout in the past doesn’t mean every new client will hold out.

As for Schmitt, Oakland can’t be blamed for bringing him in. But I don’t think it was a power play against Reece. It was just a move to strengthen the offense. If Reece is in Oakland for the entire training camp, Schmitt may have a hard time making the team. But perhaps the coaching staff (Schmitt played for Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp in Seattle) will figure out a way to keep both players. Either way, Oakland is just giving a good player a chance.

The reality is that Reece is a Raider and I expect him to continue to be a Raider in 2012.

According to the fine folks who took our AFC West poll this week, new Oakland backup quarterback Matt Leinart is the best backup in the AFC West.

We asked readers this week who they think is the best backup quarterback in the division. All four backups are new in 2012. In addition to Leinart in Oakland, Caleb Hanie is in Denver, Brady Quinn is in Kansas City and Charlie Whitehurst is the backup in San Diego.

Overall, it is not a good group that backs up a good group of starters in the division. Still, in our poll, Leinart received 38 percent of the vote as of 2:05 p.m. ET Wednesday. Quinn received 35 percent of the vote, Whitehurst received 15 percent and Hanie received 11 percent. Yes, that adds up to 99 percent. That means the final percent was split too evenly to be assigned to one player.

I can see why Leinart won the vote. He fits the West Coast offense and he has history with Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and starter Carson Palmer. Still, like any of these backups, I don’t see Leinart having long-term success if he has to spell Palmer for an extended period.

This is how I listed the group in a recent post: Quinn, Leinart, Hanie and Whitehurst. But they are closely bunched so I can’t argue too much with these poll results. Thanks to everyone who played along.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Carson Palmer gave himself a refresher course this offseason in what watching football without the modern convenience of high definition is like.

It brought him back to the late 1980s, when he watched football just because he liked what he saw without knowing the complications of the game.

This time around, it was for the benefit of his NFL career.

As part of his indoctrination into the West Coast offense, Palmer, 32, watched as much of the scheme as he could. He went all the way back to the Bill Walsh-coached San Francisco 49ers.

“It was pretty cool going back to those days,” said Palmer this week during a break in the Raiders’ organized team activities. “There were no HD films back then, so it was kind of gritty. It brought me back to when I was 8 years old and I just wanted to see (49ers running back) Roger Craig score a touchdown. You look at the game so differently now, but it was a good learning experience.”

Palmer’s West Coast cram sessions included several incarnations of the scheme. However, a primary focus was the 2010 and 2011 Houston Texans. Palmer watched every game the team played the past two seasons.

New Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was Houston’s quarterbacks coach in those seasons, and Knapp is bringing a version of the West Coast offense to Oakland. He is a disciple of the 49ers’ West Coast offense and has used versions of it as a coordinator in San Francisco, Atlanta, Oakland (in 2007-08) and Seattle.

Palmer was in a West Coast offense in his first year at USC, at age 18. In a season during which he will turn 33, Palmer must adjust to the offense in what will be a crucial year for him personally. The previous Oakland regime traded two premium draft picks for Palmer last season in a desperate attempt to stay in the playoff hunt when starter Jason Campbell went down for the season with a broken collarbone.

Oakland was 4-2 when Campbell went down. It was 4-6 after acquiring Palmer from the Bengals. Thrown into the Oakland system after holding out in Cincinnati, Palmer’s rust showed as he threw 16 interceptions and 13 touchdown passes for the Raiders.

Palmer is now comfortable in Oakland, and though he is still adjusting to Knapp’s system, he says he is thrilled with the playbook because Knapp’s offense has so many variations. There are some classic West Coast schemes, but there is also zone-blocking running and other modifications. Palmer said he believes it is the most varied offense he has been in.

He thinks it will blend nicely with Oakland’s speed at receiver. Mostly, Palmer is confident his transition to the offense will be easy because of Knapp himself.

“He’s been fantastic with me,” Palmer said. “He’s amazing. He is a teacher in addition to a coach. It will really help me get this offense down.”

New Oakland coach Dennis Allen said Palmer was a major reason why he chose to hire Knapp as his offensive coordinator. He said Palmer’s ability to adjust to Knapp’s offense made the Palmer-Knapp pairing a “great fit” in Allen’s mind.

Allen scoffs at concern that Palmer might not be athletic enough to run Knapp’s offense. He has repeatedly said he thinks that Palmer is athletic as Matt Schaub, who flourished under Knapp in Houston. Palmer often ran around the field freely on Tuesday in addition to participating in a multitude of plays, including several deep passes, which mesh with his big arm.

“He moved around today,” Allen said Tuesday. “He’s plenty athletic.”

Allen also said the key is to be flexible -- not only on offense, but on defense, where the 4-3-based Raiders will use multiple front-seven sets. Allen -- who was Denver’s defensive coordinator last season -- saw the benefit of in-season coaching when the Broncos went to an option offense for Tim Tebow midway through the season. He said Tuesday he learned from that experience.

“We are running the West Coast offense, but we’re going to do a lot of things,” Allen said. “We are going to take advantage of what Carson does best.”

While hopes are high in Oakland that Palmer will show he was worth the high price, some worry about the fit. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. is in that camp.

“I have a lot of concerns with Palmer adjusting to the Raiders’ new offense,” Williamson said. “First off, it was the former staff/philosophy that wanted Palmer. He doesn’t anticipate routes well. When the receiver becomes open, Palmer throws it. Therefore, defensive backs get a better break on the ball and run-after-the-catch potential is more limited. Also, he has heavy feet and not a movement-based quarterback, which is ideally what they now want in Oakland. I do think Knapp will adapt his system to fit Palmer -- he will have to.”

To help Palmer adjust to playing for Knapp, Oakland signed Matt Leinart to be his backup. Leinart backed up Palmer at USC and the two Heisman Trophy winners have a close bond. Leinart was in Houston the past two seasons.

Leinart said this week he is happy to help Palmer with any nuances of Knapp’s offense. He said keys for Palmer will be to use bootlegs and rely on what should be a strong running game.

"I'm here for Carson, to help him with reads, to let him know that certain things are very good, just to stay on it," Leinart said. "Because when you're taught a new offense, there's things that you're not used to; you're used to doing it a certain way. Sometimes the reads are a little different. I told him today, 'Just stick with this route because it's a great route for us. It's going to be a great route for us.'"

And if he needs any reassurance, all Palmer has to do is flip on that gritty, grainy game film from yesteryear.

As part of their front office and scouting restructuring, the Oakland Raiders have formally announced several new appointments.

Here are new positions, in alphabetical order, as relayed by the team: Teddy Atlas, scouting coordinator; Calvin Branch, college scout; Joey Clinkscales, director of player personnel; Zack Crockett, college scout; Tom Delaney, director of football administration; Shaun Herock, director of college scouting; Von Hutchins, pro scout; Brad Kaplan, college scout; Larry Marmie, pro scout; Mickey Marvin, college scout; David McCloughan, college scout; Raleigh McKenzie, college scout, Trey Scott, college scout; and Dane Vandernat, pro scout.

In other AFC West news:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Chiefs will visit with former Miami safety Yeremiah Bell. The Chiefs are looking for depth at the spot. They recently visited with veteran safety O.J. Atogwe.

The Rams signed two AFC West players Tuesday when they inked Kansas City free-agent tackle Barry Richardson and former Denver linebacker Mario Haggan. Neither was in his former team’s plans.

Recently retired Denver safety Brian Dawkins will appear on ESPN’s "NFL Live" on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

UPDATE: As expected, the Raiders signed fullback Owen Schmitt.

He played for Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp in Seattle. He is a hard-nosed player, who has a chance to make the team. Restricted free-agent Marcel Reece is and still will be the starter. He has yet to report to the team. Perhaps this minor heat will persuade Reece to join the team.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- After running in front of the media for the first time in seven months, running back Darren McFadden met the press Tuesday after the Oakland Raiders' organized team activities practice.

Earlier in the day coach Dennis Allen said McFadden was at full speed. McFadden said he began running in April and he has felt 100 percent for about a month. He he thinks the injury, that knocked him out of the final nine games of the season, was a “freak” occurrence and he does not worry about a similar injury again.

Here are some more notes after talking to other Raiders on Tuesday:

• Quarterback Carson Palmer was impressed by the day of fifth-round pick receiver Juron Criner. However, Palmer said he has seen many younger receivers have good spring days over the years. Palmer walked off the field with Criner and told him he must continue to have these types of days.
• Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey apologized to fans for “bringing bad attention” to the team. He was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving last month.
• Second-year quarterback Terrelle Pryor expressed relief that there is quarterback coach in Oakland to help him develop. Former head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Al Saunders handled the job last year. Pryor now works with position coach John DeFilippo on a regular basis.