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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.

If anyone still hasn’t grasped that the Oakland Raiders are a changed organization, all they have to do is watch Juron Criner run routes during this weekend’s rookie minicamp.

A player with potential, Criner has speed in the 4.7-second range. He is not the burner former owner Al Davis craved, and if Davis were still alive Criner would likely not be in Oakland today.

The Autumn Wind is still a Raider, but it blows on a different course.

When Davis died at age 82 on Oct. 8, it was clear that the Raiders were going to embark upon a major transition period. Davis was the Raiders’ decision-maker for nearly 50 years, even into his ailing final days. That just doesn’t happen in the NFL anymore. Can you imagine George Halas still running the Bears, or Vince Lombardi still on the sideline in Green Bay?

While we anticipated change, the modification since the 2011 season ended in Oakland has been swift, dramatic and wildly intriguing. The Raiders are suddenly moving on from the staunchly independent ways of Davis and emerging as a modern outfit with youthful spirit and ideas.

“I think the biggest challenge is that because the leadership has been the way it’s been done for so long, people are used to doing things one way,” new Oakland head coach Dennis Allen said earlier this offseason. “I think the biggest challenge is just getting people within the organization to open up the thought process to doing things another way. There are different ways to do things in this league. I think everyone within the organization has been open and receptive to conforming to the way (new general manager) Reggie (McKenzie) and I are trying to do things.”

Though Davis was a legend, his ways didn’t always work in today's NFL. The Raiders’ last Super Bowl title came nearly 30 years ago and Oakland hasn't had a winning season in 10 years. Its nine-year playoff drought is tied for the second-longest in the NFL.

If there has been an MVP in Oakland since Davis’ death, it has to be his son, Mark. While his father ran the team, the affable younger Davis chose to ride in the background. Once he took over as the leader of the Raiders, Mark continued that approach.

Davis -- who was being advised some of his father’s top lieutenants in John Madden, Ron Wolf and Ken Herock --- listened to advice and hired Green Bay personnel man Reggie McKenzie as general manager shortly after the end of last season. Mark Davis deserves credit for respecting his advisors' recommendations (McKenzie has a strong ties to Wolf and Herock) and for allowing McKenzie to run the team once he was hired.

McKenzie’s task is a tough one and it will take time. But thus far, McKenzie -- a former Raiders linebacker -- has put his head down and dug in. The Raiders didn’t hire an Al Davis clone in McKenzie. The new GM is doing things his way.

McKenzie hired Allen, then Denver’s defensive coordinator, as head coach. The last defensive-minded head coach in Oakland was Madden -- who was hired in 1969. McKenzie fired longtime scouts and revamped the team’s draft preparation, focusing on modernizing the process. He has reportedly already hired a new college scouting director, former Green Bay colleague Shaun Herock, and has added former Jets' executive Joey Clinkscales to the front office. More scouts are likely on the way in.

McKenzie cut several players to whom Davis gave supersized contracts in his final years -- part of what should be a new emphasis on salary-cap management under McKenzie. The Raiders also added players in free agency and in the draft who fit Allen's schemes, rather than a rigid scouting plan. Speed and measurables are no longer as important as when Al Davis was running the team.

On the first day of the Raiders’ offseason program, newly signed linebacker Philip Wheeler made some eye-opening comments.

“I actually heard some of the coaches saying we’re not just big and fast anymore,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to be big, fast and we’re going work harder and have good football players. The (Raiders) were always bigger, faster and stronger than everybody. But the awareness of the game, some of it was down or whatever. I feel like Mr. McKenzie brought in a lot of players in who actually know how to play the game and aren’t just faster than everybody. We have actual football players here now.”

Change in Oakland haven't stopped with the players. It has flowed throughout the organization in the past few months, including the hiring of a new public-relations director with whom McKenzie has a history. The Raiders have become more accessible and appear to be willing to be more transparent than under the Al Davis regime.

It’s a new NFL world and McKenzie is introducing his team to it. Allen said the plan is to meld the past and the future in Oakland.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for all of us that are involved,” Allen said. “To take over such a historic program, be a part of that tradition there with the Raiders, is obviously exciting for all of us. We’re excited about the opportunity to put our stamp on the program.

“I think with every great program in the National Football League, I think you really have to respect the history and tradition within the organization. The Oakland Raiders. It’s one of the most storied franchises in all of sport, not just the NFL. We want to embrace those, embrace the past, and the history of the organization. But yet, we want to do it our way. Reggie and I are going to work together to do it the way we want to do it, and put the best team out on the field we can put out there.”

Much of the transformation will be based on bringing stability to the franchise. The past three head coaches -- Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Hue Jackson -- all created distractions for themselves and for the team. Throughout the years, instability caused many former Oakland players to be relieved when they became former Oakland players.

“There’s definitely a difference,” former Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt (whom McKenzie released) told reporters in Kansas City after he signed with the Chiefs this offseason. “You know what? I think there’s a little more stability here to say the least.”

Still, Allen made it clear the building process in Oakland will involve every facet of the organization.

“Our deal is, we want to foster an organization that’s based on trust, honesty, integrity, doing the right things, doing it the right way,” Allen said. “Those are things that both Reggie and I believe in. That’s the way we’re going to run that organization. We’re going to do things the right way. We’re going to do things in a first-class manner. We’re going to build a team that’s going to be tough, smart, disciplined. Just like I talked about doing the right things within the organization, that’s the way we’re going to do it as a team.”

Call it new shades of Silver and Black.

Here’s a list of some of the most compelling 2012 NFL games involving AFC West teams:

Sept. 9

Atlanta at Kansas City

Tony Gonzalez comes back to Kansas City.

Pittsburgh at Denver

The Steelers lost to Tim Tebow in their last game; they return to Denver to help the Broncos usher in the Peyton Manning era.

Sept. 10

San Diego at Oakland

I just love these season-opening Monday nighters.

Oct. 7

Denver at New England

Manning-Tom Brady has a new look. Still a classic.

San Diego at New Orleans

Philip Rivers-Drew Brees isn’t too shabby, either.

Oct. 15

Denver at San Diego

Early-season statement game on a Monday night.

Oct. 28

New Orleans at Denver

Manning faces the team that kept a Super Bowl ring from him.

Nov. 1

Kansas City at San Diego

Second half of the season starts on a Thursday night.

Nov. 12

Kansas City at Pittsburgh

Chiefs face Todd Haley, their former coach turned Steelers offensive coordinator, on a Monday Night. Should be fun.

Nov. 25

Oakland at Cincinnati

Carson Palmer goes back to Cincy to see Hue Jackson, the man who brought him to Oakland.

Dec. 6

Denver at Oakland

Rivalry gets a Thursday-night taste.

Dec. 23

San Diego at New York Jets

The AFC West’s lone crack at Tebow gets prime-time slot.

Dec. 30

Kansas City at Denver, Oakland at San Diego

If this division is as tight in 2012 as it was in 2011, this day will be crucial.

Breakdown: The Reggie McKenzie/Dennis Allen era starts in style as the Raiders host San Diego on "Monday Night Football" in Week 1. It’s a rematch of a game that knocked the Raiders out of playoff contention last season in Hue Jackson's last game with the team. The Raiders start and end the 2012 season against San Diego. Oakland plays at San Diego in Week 17.

The Raiders host Denver and Peyton Manning on Dec. 6 in a Thursday night game in prime time.

The Denver game falls in the middle of a pivotal three-game home stretch in which the Silver and Black plays against the Browns, Broncos and Chiefs. The Raiders can make a playoff push during that stretch.

Complaint department: There really isn’t too much to complain about. Only once does Oakland have to play back-to-back weeks on the road, and it’s at the end of the season, when the Raiders travel to Carolina and San Diego. So, the Raiders better be in good shape heading into the holidays.

Early wake-up call: It's the first time in team history Oakland has to play five games in the Eastern time zone, beginning in Week 2 in Miami. West Coast teams have often talked about the challenges of playing on the East Coast.

Raiders Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)
Week 1: Monday, Sept. 10, San Diego, 10:15 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, at Miami, 4:15 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, Pittsburgh, 4:15 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, at Denver, 4:05 PM
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, at Atlanta, 1:00 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, Jacksonville, 4:15 PM
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Kansas City, 4:05 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, Tampa Bay, 4:05 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at Baltimore, 1:00 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, New Orleans, 4:05 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, at Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, Cleveland, 4:15 PM
Week 14: Thursday, Dec. 6, Denver, 8:20 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, Kansas City, 4:15 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at San Diego, 4:15 PM

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.

Every team in the AFC West will likely have a new backup quarterback in 2012.

With the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs making their moves the past two days, the focus is now on the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders.

Friday night, the Chargers signed former No. 3 quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (the Chargers traded him to the Seattle Seahawks two years ago) and cut quarterback Billy Volek. Whitehurst will backup starter Philip Rivers. Saturday, Denver free agent Brady Quinn signed with Kansas City where he will back up Matt Cassel.

With Quinn gone, the Broncos will have a new backup regardless if Peyton Manning or Tim Tebow is the starter.

Oakland is expected to move on from Kyle Boller, who had a connection with former head coach Hue Jackson. Matt Leinart is a likely target. He played for new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp in Houston and Leinart is close with Oakland starter Carson Palmer. Leinart was a backup to Palmer early in his career at USC.

Denver’s search for a backup quarterback will be more difficult to peg. In addition to Volek, Vince Young and David Garrard are also options.

Michael Bush may be taking his first steps out of Oakland.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the running back is visiting Chicago on Wednesday and he has a visit scheduled with Cincinnati on Monday. Bush would be a complement to Matt Forte in Chicago and he would reunite with former Oakland quarterback Jason Campbell if he signs with the Bears. Campbell signed with the Bears on Tuesday.

The Bengals -- who have $40 million-plus in salary-cap room -- have long been considered a potential suitor of Bush. Schefter also reports the Bengals are planning a visit with New England running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Former Oakland coach Hue Jackson is an assistant coach in Cincinnati.

If Bush doesn’t sign with the Bears or the Bengals, there could be AFC West interest in him. Kansas City is visiting with Cleveland’s Peyton Hillis and the Chargers’ Mike Tolbert. If interest in those players falls through, the Chiefs could show interest in Bush. If Tolbert doesn’t come back to San Diego, the Chargers could try to get Bush. They tried to trade for him three years ago. Denver could also show interest in Bush.

Bush finished last season as the Raiders’ starter because of a season-ending foot injury to Darren McFadden. Oakland opted against giving Bush the franchise tag and instead placed it on safety Tyvon Branch. That was the right call because Branch is a starter and the Raiders have greater needs on defense.

Oakland would like to bring the bruising Bush back, but it may be unlikely.

Weekend mail call:

James from Colorado wants to know what quarterbacks could replace Tim Tebow as the Broncos’ starting quarterback without fan scrutiny.

Bill Williamson: Of the quarterback available this year, I think it is small group. I think there’s Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III and that’s it. Luck and Griffin are out of the picture. Yet, the Broncos are trying aggressively to make Manning Tebow's successor. I think would be accepted, even by Tebow’s most ardent supporters. They would have to understand. Any other of the available quarterbacks would likely invoke some sort of backlash.

James from Azusa, Calif., wants to know if the Raiders could sign a backup quarterback.

BW: Kyle Boller was connected to former coach Hue Jackson. I think the Raiders will look to move on. There is a chance Terrelle Pryor could become the No. 2 quarterback. Still, I would expect a veteran to come in to produce competition for Pryor. There are several backups available. If new Oakland coach Dennis Allen liked what he saw of Brady Quinn in practice when both were in Denver last year, the Raiders could be interested.

Tyler from Denver wants to know if there is any way Jacksonville would trade the No. 7 pick to the Broncos for Tebow.

BW: New Jacksonville owner Shahid Khan has said he would have drafted Tebow, who is from Jacksonville. Tebow would surely sell tickets and he would be a shot in the arm for the struggling franchise. But the Jaguars just drafted Blaine Gabbert with the No. 10 pick last season. If would be very surprising to see the Jaguars give up the No. 7 pick for Tebow. If they were interested, I’m sure it is something the Broncos would be willing to do, especially if they land Manning.

Of course, Peyton Manning is going to be the quarterback who everyone will be keeping their eyes on this offseason. However, there is an AFC West quarterback who is also coming off an injury who may be one of the top under-the-radar prospects.

Keep an eye on Jason Campbell. Capping a stunning turn of events that started five months ago when he broke his collarbone, Campbell will very likely leave Oakland. Had Campbell not been injured, he would have likely signed an extension with the Raiders by now.

Acquired in a draft weekend trade with Washington in 2010, Campbell made steady improvements and was becoming the undisputed leader of the Raiders at the time of his injury. However, then-Oakland coach Hue Jackson traded two premium picks to Cincinnati for Carson Palmer, two days after Campbell was injured. The Raiders are now married to Palmer.

Because he will get other opportunities in free agency, Campbell very likely will not return to Oakland. At the very least, Campbell will likely get a chance somewhere to compete for a starting job in training camp. That would not be the case in Oakland.

Among the potential candidates to sign Campbell may include the Jets, Jacksonville, Miami and Seattle. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said he thinks Campbell will be one of the best quarterback bargains available in free agency and I think he could find a new job within the first couple of days of free agency.

Oakland free-agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh is open to returning. I think he will be a back-burner option for the Raiders although quarterback Carson Palmer is comfortable with him. At this point, Houshmandzadeh is just an aging backup. He’s the type of player teams try to upgrade from. Plus, he was signed by former coach Hue Jackson. The new Oakland regime has no ties to Houshmandzadeh.

Denver quarterback Tim Tebow -- who knows a thing or eight about being a national sensation -- discusses the sudden rise of New York Knicks’ guard Jeremy Lin in a video.

The Chiefs’ website looks if Oakland free-agent quarterbacks Jason Campbell fits with the Chiefs. He played for Kansas City quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn in Washington and performed well with Zorn as his head coach. If Campbell were signed, it would be a heated battle between him and Matt Cassel for the starting job.

The Cincinnati Bengals are next to host former Oakland cornerback Stanford Routt, a player in whom the Kansas City Chiefs are also interested.

The Bengals might have gotten a boost in their pursuit of Routt on Friday with the hiring of former Oakland head coach Hue Jackson as a defensive-backs and special-teams assistant.

Though Jackson has an offensive background, I fully expect that he will try to sell Routt on working with him again. Going to a team where his former head coach is employed may appeal to Routt.

Routt will meet with the Bengals after visiting the Bills and the Chiefs; he spent two days with Kansas City this week. I wouldn’t think the Chiefs are out of the Routt picture because he is visiting another team. Routt, cut by Oakland last week, is in a position of strength. Because free agency starts March 13, the 28-year-old can take his time and make several visits while weighing his options.

The Jackson hire in Cincinnati adds a new wrinkle to Routt’s decision.

In other AFC West news:

Tebow-mania hit the UCLA campus this week as Tim Tebow worked on his mechanics there this week with Bruins offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. Mark Kreidler has a column on the never-ending quest to fix Tebow’s mechanics.

In an Insider piece, ESPN’s Chris Sprow offers suggestions on what the Broncos should do with Tebow and other thoughts on the needs of the other three teams in the AFC West.

CBSSports.com has a free-agent match for each team in the NFL. Kansas City cornerback Brandon Carr is a popular one.

Hue Jackson will benefit from the Carson Palmer trade, after all.

After being bypassed for offensive-coordinator jobs, Jackson is back in the NFL, back with the Cincinnati Bengals. In a strange move, Jackson – known as one of the best young offensive minds in the NFL – will assist defensive backs and special teams in Cincinnati. He hasn’t coached either position in the NFL, and hasn't coached special teams in 20 years. Jackson was considered a top offensive coordinator before he took over as the head coach in Oakland last year.

New Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie fired Jackson last month.

This is Jackson’s second tour with the Bengals. He coached the receivers from 2004-06 under Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. This move signals that Jackson was willing to do anything to get back into the league. The Raiders will pay the difference between Jackson's salary from the Bengals and what he is due under his remaining contract in Oakland. Because he is not even a position coach, I wouldn’t imagine the Bengals are paying Jackson much.

It’s ironic that Oakland is paying Jackson to work in Cincinnati. Jackson credited his connections in Cincinnati for being able to get the Palmer trade done last October. The Raiders sent their first-round pick (No. 17) in 2012 to Cincinnati in 2012 plus either a first- or second-round pick in 2013 to get the then-31-year-old quarterback. At the time of the trade, Jackson said it was the “best trade in football.” The general consensus is that the Bengals fleeced Jackson in the trade.

His personnel decisions were one of the reasons why Jackson was fired. Oakland is slated to visit Cincinnati during the 2012 season in a matchup that could be juicy enough to merit prime-time consideration.

I’m sure Jackson will hope to get either head-coaching or offensive coordinator opportunities in 2013. But in the meantime, he will be an assistant in a familiar setting, albeit in an unusual fashion.

There has been plenty of movement in the front office and on coaching staffs in the AFC West in the past several weeks. Two of the seven coaching staffs that changed in the NFL occurred in the AFC West this year.

There are some more additions as staffs round out throughout the division, but the major hirings and firings have been completed. Let’s review:

Denver Broncos

Recap: After going through a lot of change in recent seasons, Denver was pretty calm this year. It hired former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio to be the defensive coordinator after Dennis Allen went to Oakland as head coach.

Comment: Del Rio is Denver's seventh defensive coordinator in seven years. However, he has coached for coach John Fox before, so there shouldn’t be too much flux.

Kansas City Chiefs

Recap: Interim coach Romeo Crennel, who replaced Todd Haley with three games remaining in the season, was made the permanent head coach. He hired Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator and Crennel will likely oversee the defense himself.

Comment: The key here is Daboll. Crennel has the defense going in the right direction and he is well-respected by the entire team. Daboll needs to take this potentially strong offense to the next level.

Oakland Raiders

Recap: The Raiders underwent the most change in the division this offseason. The change began sadly when owner Al Davis died in October. After the season, former Raiders’ linebacker and former Green Bay executive Reggie McKenzie was hired as general manager. He quickly fired coach Hue Jackson and replaced him with Allen. He hired Greg Knapp (a former Oakland offensive coordinator) to run the offense and Stanford co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver to head the defense.

Comment: It’s an exciting time in Oakland with lots of great potential. But there is no question that much of the new leadership is inexperienced in their new roles.

San Diego Chargers

Recap: The big news in San Diego is what didn’t happen. After the Chargers finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs for the second straight season, coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith were expected to be shown the door. But owner Dean Spanos made the surprising move to keep them both. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was fired and linebackers coach John Pagano replaced him.

Comment: The pressure is on everyone in San Diego. If the Chargers don’t make the playoffs in 2012, we’ll likely see the type of wholesale changes that occurred in Oakland.

Sans getting another head-coaching job, former Kansas City Chiefs’ coach Todd Haley couldn’t have bounced back any better than he has.

With it looking like he might sit out the 2012 season, Haley -- who was fired by Kansas City with three games left in the 2011 season -- was been hired to be the offensive coordinator by the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen confirmed the story.

Haley was a Steelers’ ball boy while growing up in Pittsburgh. His father, Dick Haley, is a legendary former Steelers’ personnel man. It has been reported that the Chiefs are not honoring the final year of Haley’s contract because they fired Haley with cause. The team has not commented on the report.

So, getting this job might not only help Haley financially, it gives him a chance to revive his career in his hometown.

The Steelers’ job was considered a prime job. Haley, who was Arizona’s offensive coordinator prior to being hired by the Chiefs in 2009, can potentially become a head-coaching candidate again if the Pittsburgh offense flourishes.

Haley is considered a strong quarterbacks coach, and he will have a good student in the form of Ben Roethlisberger. Haley has been known for yelling at players during games, so it will be interesting to see how an established quarterback like Roethlisberger will handle it if the situation arises.

The Chiefs play at Pittsburgh in 2012, which has a chance to be one of the more interesting weeks of the Chiefs’ season.

By the way, of the seven head coaches to be fired during or after the 2011 season, former Oakland coach Hue Jackson is the only one not to get a job elsewhere in the league as an assistant coach so far. NFL.com reported the Steelers talked to Jackson before offering the job to Haley.

What is going on with Hue Jackson?

Not much.

In one of the more surprising developments on the coaching carousel the past few weeks, the former Oakland Raiders’ coach is not getting much interest on the assistant-coaching circuit.

Jackson interviewed to be the offensive coordinator in St. Louis and he interviewed as quarterbacks coach in Arizona. He wasn’t hired. Jackson has been bypassed for interviews elsewhere. There are openings in Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay and perhaps Jackson will be in play there. Nothing has developed yet, though.

Further clouding the Jackson situation is the fact that his offensive coordinator in Oakland, Al Saunders, is a finalist for the Kansas City offensive coordinator job. This is no shot at Saunders, but something is going on here. Saunders is a fine coach who has a lot of experience and who is well respected around the league.

But it was Jackson’s offense in Oakland. Jackson called the plays. You’d think he’d get some interest before his lieutenant.

Perhaps Jackson will land somewhere, but for a coach who was unexpectedly fired, you’d think he’d already have a job. The Raiders were 8-8 in Jackson’s one season as a head coach and the offense made great strides under in him 2010 (when he was the coordinator) and in 2011. He was considered one of the bright, young offensive coaches in the league.

Now, he can’t get an assistant job.

Perhaps what helped get Jackson fired in Oakland is what is hurting him getting a new job. Jackson turned off folks with his attitude following the death of Al Davis in October. After the final game of the season, Jackson infamously chastised Oakland’s players and vowed to take on a bigger role in all aspects of the organization.

Perhaps perspective employees are hesitant to bring on personality like that. It’s too bad, because Jackson is a quality football coach who deserves to have a job by now.