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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.

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.

I know a lot of Raiders fans wanted to see new general manager Reggie McKenzie make a big splash and compensate for having less than a full slate of draft picks by trading up in the draft.

McKenzie, in his first year as a GM, made one deal as he moved down 10 spots in the fifth round and added a seventh-rounder. However, there were no bold moves.

It was the right call because the Raiders have to stop mortgaging the future. Compensatory picks can't be traded, so the Raiders could only deal their fifth- and sixth-round picks this year. Those picks have little value, so McKenzie likely would have had to include future picks if he wanted to trade up and pick higher than No. 95.

The problem is Oakland has a reduced draft class again next year, so McKenzie would have been foolish if he dipped into that class. McKenzie is not a fool.

The Raiders still owe Cincinnati a first- or second-round pick next year and they still owe Seattle a fourth- or fifth-round pick in 2013. The Bengals, as part of the Carson Palmer trade, will get the Raiders' 2013 first-rounder if Oakland goes to the AFC title game. If not, the Bengals will get the Raiders’ second-round pick.

As part of the Aaron Curry trade, the Seahawks will get either Oakland's fourth- or fifth-round pick based on Curry’s playing time.

The Raiders were bailed out by three compensatory picks this year. Don’t expect much of a comp-pick haul next season. The Raiders signed several free agents and lost Jason Campbell and Michael Bush to Chicago as free agents. So, unless Bush goes off in Chicago or Campbell has to play because of an injury to Jay Cutler, the Raiders aren’t going to get much in the way of comp picks. Yes, Oakland released several players who caught on elsewhere but released players are not part of the comp-pick formula.

Thus, Oakland is looking at a small draft class for one more year. McKenzie is playing it smart by being patient and careful. By 2014, it should pay off with a full draft class.

The Oakland Raiders need depth, and they just added some to their deepest position. A source confirms Dave Tollefson has agreed to a deal with the Raiders.

Tollefson will not change the Raiders’ defense, but he is a solid player who bolsters the defensive front.

Tollefson is a solid third defensive end who is versatile enough to play tackle and linebacker in some sets. That makes him a perfect rotational fit for new coach Dennis Allen’s plans to use multiple fronts.

The Raiders could use Tollefson since the promising Trevor Scott signed with New England and Jarvis Moss is unsigned and probably not in Oakland’s plans. Tollefson had five sacks last season. He will provide a good pass-rushing burst as a backup. Again, Tollefson is not a premier player, but there is plenty of value in this signing.

He is signing for two years. The Raiders offered Tollefson more guaranteed money than other suitors. Tollefson is a Bay Area native who was on Oakland’s practice squad in 2007.

In other AFC West news:

• I could see Denver, Kansas City and San Diego all considering Chris Crocker, who was just cut by the Bengals. All three teams could use a veteran safety and have considered options this offseason. Crocker, who has durability issues, is 32 and he was a captain.
• ESPN Stats & Information looks at how the Broncos have gotten stronger in an attempt to help new quarterback Peyton Manning.

An NFL.com columnist reports some scouts believe Peyton Manning began to slide some before his neck injury last season. My thoughts? He’s 36. We are not going to see the 2004 Manning, but would you bet against that guy having solid season in the next couple of years? Nah, me neither. Meanwhile, a Sports Illustrated piece follows Manning’s process as he chose to play with the Broncos.

As expected, Manny Lawson is not going to be a Raider. The defensive end/linebacker is headed back to the Bengals.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting former Giants’ running back Brandon Jacobs is heading to the Bay Area. But he‘s going to the San Francisco 49ers, not the Oakland Raiders. Jacobs was considered a potential replacement for Michael Bush, who signed with Chicago, but the Raiders have too many other needs and too much salary-cap limitations to sign a player like Jacobs. Oakland will likely look for a bigger back later, perhaps in the draft.

The Denver Post looks at the Broncos’ remaining needs.

Gary Kubiak has backed up and coached John Elway. He has been a long-time competitor of Peyton Manning.

Kubiak is worried about Elway and Manning combining forces in Denver, where the veteran quarterback signed last week. Here is what Kubiak, head coach of the Houston Texans, thinks of the pairing:

"That's a hell of a combination there,” Kubiak said the NFL owners meetings. “That's powerful. It's great for their organization. It's a big move by John and the organization on this guy, probably the greatest quarterback ever to play the game. He seems healthy, ready to go, so it's a big move by them. They've got a good football team already. They're sitting in the playoffs last year. Their defense played well over the course of the season.

“I think everybody had better worry about it. It's a very powerful combination."

Other AFC West news:

ESPN’s John Clayton reports that the Chargers are continuing to talk to their free-agent defensive tackle Antonio Garay.

Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel told the Kansas City Star that his team has no glaring holes and will wait until after the draft to see where it stands at nose tackle.

San Diego coach Norv Turner likes being under the radar in the AFC West chase.

Unless there is a dramatic change, it appears Cincinnati defensive end/linebacker Manny Lawson will not be signing with the Raiders. Oakland is looking for a starting strongside linebacker, and may wait for the draft to get one. Another player in whom Oakland has reportedly shown interest, Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson, reportedly will visit the Packers.

Adam Caplan reports that Cincinnati backup linebacker and special-teams player Dan Skuta visited the Chiefs. He is a restricted free agent, but Kansas City would not owe the Bengals any compensation if the Chiefs signed him to one because he was an undrafted free agent.

The Raiders will reportedly have a pre-draft visit with Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman, a good run-stuffer from a great defense. All teams typically conduct several pre-draft meetings, so a visit with a college player might not necessarily mean much.

Silver and Black Editors reports defensive tackle John Henderson has retired. He was recently cut by the Raiders after two seasons with the team. He has experienced several injuries recently.

Denver free-agent defensive lineman Derrick Harvey has signed with Cincinnati. He was a non-factor in Denver last season.

Oakland is still in on Cincinnati defensive end/linebacker Manny Lawson. But so is Green Bay and Indianapolis.

New York Giants defensive lineman Dave Tollefson visited Seattle. Oakland has shown interest in Tollefson, but finances may be an issue. Tollefson is a Bay Area native and former Oakland practice squader.

Cincinnati re-signed defensive tackle Pat Sims, winding down the market at the position even more. Denver badly needs a defensive tackle. It will probably draft one at No. 25 in next month’s draft.

UPDATE: Not so fast. The folks who reported the Henderson story said they made a mistake and Henderson is not retired. Translation: If someone offers a Henderson a deal he likes he probably will consider playing. Two years ago, when he signed with the Raiders, Henderson did so in June and this year could be a similar situation.

UPDATE II: I just talked to Henderson’s agent, Joel Segal. Here is what he had to say: “John is absolutely not retired.” So, there you go.

Cincinnati receiver Andre Caldwell tweeted that he has signed with the Broncos.

Caldwell, 26, has been a backup, possession-type and would be a back-of-the-rotation player for Denver. He had 37 catches for the Bengals last season; in 2009, he had 51 catches for 432 yards.

The Broncos are reportedly interested in reuniting new quarterback Peyton Manning with former teammate Brandon Stokley. If signed, he too would be a rotational receiver.

In other AFC West news:

The Raiders are reportedly are among the teams interested in Giants defensive lineman Dave Tollefson. The Bay Area native was on the Raiders practice squad in 2007. There is no movement on the Manny Lawson front. The Raiders are among several teams interested in him.

The San Diego Chargers’ interest in Jackie Battle has taken the next step.

UT San Diego is reporting the Chargers are visiting with Battle on Tuesday. He would back up Ryan Mathews if signed.

The Chargers started focusing on Battle last week as a possible replacement for Mike Tolbert if he left in free agency. Tolbert signed a four-year deal with Carolina on Monday. Battle is a solid backup who likely fell out of the Chiefs’ plans when they signed Peyton Hillis last week.

In other AFC West news:

Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli was asked about the team’s pursuit of Manning. After losing out on Manning, Pioli deserves credit for giving his offense a big boost in the form of Hillis, tackle Eric Winston and tight end Kevin Boss. Matt Cassel remains the Chiefs’ quarterback and he got a lot of help.

As expected, former Oakland pass-rusher Kamerion Wimbley has agreed to terms with Tennessee. Oakland cut Wimbley in a salary-cap dump last week.

As expected, receiver Jerricho Cotchery is visiting the Chiefs on Tuesday. He would be a rotational receiver in Kansas City. He had 16 catches last season for Pittsburgh.

Rick Reilly looks at the Tim Tebow-John Elway relationship as it appears to be ending.

In a radio interview, Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas discusses the major change on the team.

In a radio interview, Broncos’ hall of famer Shannon Sharpe discusses Manning’s impact in Denver,

In a radio interview, Winston discusses the possibilities with his new team.

San Diego free-agent linebacker Everette Brown is going to visit with the Lions. There is little chance he will return to the Chargers.

UPDATE: The Raiders are reportedly one of the teams interested in Cincinnati defensive lineman Manny Lawson. I have talked to a source close to the situation and the Raiders are, indeed, one of several teams interested in Lawson. The process is expected to heat up in the next couple of days. There is no favorite team to land Lawson at this time.

He would be a rotational player in Oakland. One advantage Oakland could have is Lawson and new Oakland defensive coordinator Jason Tarver was in San Francisco together. Lawson has experience in both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. The Raiders have not publicly said whether they will be a 4-3 or a 3-4 but new coach Dennis Allen has said the Raiders will use multiple fronts.

When the Oakland Raiders cut guard Cooper Carlisle last week in a salary-cap move, they told his agent they wanted him back.

They stuck to their word and have re-signed Carlisle.

It will be interesting to see what they are going to do with him. He is a right guard as is newly signed Mike Brisiel. One of them could be moved to left guard and the Raiders could make second-year standout left guard Stefen Wisniewski a center. That was the original plan when they draft him.

If not, Carlisle gives Oakland good depth on the line.

UPDATE: A source close to the situation said that, while plans can change, there is a strong chance Carlisle will move to left guard and enable Wisniewski to move to center. I think that would be a smart move. Carlisle is a solid pro and Wisniewski may be better suited at center. In Brisiel, Carlisle and WIsniewski, the Raiders would have a strong interior line.

Nothing is official, but it seems like that may be way the Raiders are leaning.

In other AFC West news:

If Oakland doesn’t sign Matt Leinart to be its backup quarterback, John Johnson or Dennis Dixon could also make sense.

Cincinnati is visiting with Denver free-agent defensive lineman Derrick Harvey. He is not expected to be back with the Broncos.

The free-agent running back market has been slow to develop and Michael Bush has been a part of that unexpected lag.

But interest in the Raiders running back's services has been picking up. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting Bush will visit the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. In Seattle, he’d be reunited with former Oakland head coach Tom Cable and former Raiders tight end Zach Miller.

Bush has already visited the Bears (where former Oakland starting quarterback Jason Campbell recently signed) and he is supposed to visit Cincinnati Monday. Former Oakland head coach Hue Jackson is on the Bengals’ staff.

At this point, it seems like Bush will not get a contract to start. Because of that, you would think he would consider remaining in Oakland as Darren McFadden’s partner. But because the Raiders have some cap restrictions and other needs (they are still hunting for several cornerbacks, including Shawntae Spencer and Tracy Porter), re-signing Bush right now may not be a top priority.

But if the market for Bush cools down, perhaps a return to Oakland would become more realistic.

NFL Network is reporting that the Denver Broncos and the Tennessee Titans are not just competing for Peyton Manning, but also for Atlanta pass-rusher John Abraham.

Abraham will turn 34 in May, but he can still be effective. He had 9.5 sacks last season. He is a consistent pass-rusher who has 112 sacks in 12 NFL seasons. He's reached double digits in sacks in three of the past five seasons.

Adding Abraham to a pass rush that includes Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil would give Denver one of the very best pass rushes in the NFL.

In other AFC West news:

NFL Network is reporting the 49ers will sign Oakland special-teams ace Rock Cartwright, pending a physical. Cartwright was a pivotal part of the Raiders’ locker room. The loss would sting some.

In addition to visiting with former St. Louis cornerback Ronald Bartell on Thursday, the Raiders are showing a lot of interest in New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter. That makes total sense. He played for new Oakland head coach Dennis Allen in New Orleans. Porter is visiting Cincinnati. Expect the Raiders to express interest in several cornerbacks. It’s their biggest need area.

Bob Glauber of Newsday tweeted that the Colts are not inclined to pursue tampering charges against Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel for comments he made about Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning on Saturday at the NFL combine.

From what I hear, I don’t expect the NFL to pursue charges, either. I expressed my thoughts on the silly saga Monday.

In other AFC West news:

The word at the combine was Cincinnati free-agent Jonathan Fanene could fit in with the Broncos. He is a versatile 4-3 player who can play both defensive end and tackle.

Another tidbit uncovered at the combine is that Oakland will be looking for linebackers aggressively in free agency and in the draft. Kamerion Wimbley and Aaron Curry are potential candidates for release in Oakland as the Raiders work to get under the salary cap.

It was a good day at the combine for potential AFC West prospects. Defensive tackles Dontari Poe of Memphis and Fletcher Cox of Mississippi State, and middle linebacker Luke Kuechly of Boston College all performed well at the combine Monday. The Broncos might be interested in Poe and Cox, and the Chiefs might look at Kuechly.

There is a report that the Jets will allow linebacker Bart Scott to seek a trade. He’s a 3-4 linebacker. I don’t see the two teams in the AFC West that run a 3-4, Kansas City and San Diego, making a run at Scott through a trade.

He is getting older and is on the decline. Perhaps if he becomes a free agent and is inexpensive, there could be interest. The Raiders will run some 3-4 looks, and it is possible it becomes a 3-4 defense based on its personnel heading to training camp, according to coach Dennis Allen, and it will need linebackers. I’m not sure if Scott would be the type of player the Raiders would pursue.

One team to keep an eye on in the Brandon Carr pursuit is Dallas. Word at the combine was the Cowboys could make an aggressive run at the Chiefs’ cornerback.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper is offering another mock draft . Let’s check out his first-round picks for the AFC West teams:

*11. Kansas City: Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly

My take: Expect to see Kuechly connected to the Chiefs often in the next two months. I like the pairing. He has a chance to be a tremendous 3-4 inside linebacker in the NFL. He could be part of a standout group of linebackers. Romeo Crennel is on the cusp of assembling a great defense and this instinctive player would be a great addition.

18. San Diego: Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd

My take: This is an interesting pairing. Floyd has a chance to be a dynamic receiver in the NFL. The only way I see this pairing work is if Vincent Jackson leaves as a free agent, which is a possibility. Otherwise, the Chargers have more pressing needs.

25. Denver: Penn State DT Devon Still

My take: This would be a terrific value pick for Denver. I think the Broncos will be looking for the best defensive player or top running back available at No. 25. Adding a player like Still could continue Denver’s improvement on defense.

*A coin flip with Seattle next week will determine whether the Chiefs will have the No. 11 or No. 12 pick. Oakland traded its first-round pick (No. 17) to Cincinnati as part of the trade for quarterback Carson Palmer.

I would think the events in Oakland on Tuesday were duly noted in Kansas City.

A day after the Chiefs promoted former defensive coordinator and interim coach Romeo Crennel to permanent head coach, the Raiders fired head coach Hue Jackson.

Jackson immediately goes to the front of the line of available offensive coordinators. The Chiefs need an offensive coordinator, and reports say they are looking for a dynamic offensive leader to allow Crennel to worry about other things.

In my mind, Jackson qualifies as a dynamic offensive-coordinator candidate. He turned the Raiders’ offensive around during the past two seasons — as coordinator in 2010 before becoming head coach last year.

The names of Chiefs quarterback coach Jim Zorn and former Jacksonville offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter are also floating around for the Chiefs job. Jackson would be intriguing, though. I think he’d fit with the Chiefs’ personnel, and you would have to think the freshly fired Oakland coach would be interested in staying in the AFC West.

Will the Chiefs end up hiring Jackson? We’ll see, but his sudden availability has to at least be discussed in Kansas City. There will be competition for Jackson, though. Miami is interviewing Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer for its head-coaching vacancy. If he gets the job, a Zimmer-Jackson combo could be in play. The two are longtime associates.