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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.

The Oakland Raiders continue to go back to their recent -- and unsuccessful -- past to fill out their offensive coaching staff all the while keeping an experienced hand.

NFL.com is reporting that 2011 Oakland offensive coordinator Al Saunders is staying with the team as a senior assistant. The report said Saunders had a year added to his contract that will run through 2013. Saunders won’t be offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach, two roles he covered last year. His specific role is unknown.

Still, I think it is good that he is being retained in some role. This is a young staff. Saunders is an NFL veteran. His experience will help even if it is not in a major role.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the team has hired John Defilippo as its quarterbacks coach. He was Oakland’s quarterback coach in 2007-08, which were JaMarcus Russell’s first two seasons. Defilippo has been the quarterbacks coach at San Jose State the past two years.

He reunites with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. He was the offensive coordinator in Oakland in 2007-08. Yes, Oakland’s offense was anemic those years, but the talent was depleted. The two coaches are inheriting much better talent now.

New Oakland coach Dennis Allen (who worked with Knapp in Atlanta) is clearly comfortable with Knapp and Knapp is comfortable with Defilippo.

Meanwhile, the Raiders reportedly hired USC receivers coach Ted Gilmore for the same position. He worked for former Oakland coach Lane Kiffin at USC.

UPDATE: Ole Miss secondary coach Keith Burns has reportedly been added to Oakland’s staff. He has a long history with Allen. His role has been specified, but it could be as an assistant secondary coach. The word is former Kansas City assistant Tim Krumrie is a candidate to be Oakland’s defensive line coach.

UPDATE: The Raiders just formally announced Saunders will be retained as a senior offensive assistant.

The Oakland Raiders have not confirmed NFL.com’s report that Greg Knapp will be brought back as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator. Still, here are some thoughts on the pending hire:

This is the most important assistant coach on Dennis Allen’s staff. Because Allen is a defensive specialist, he will be able to help the new defensive coordinator. Yet, it is the offensive coordinator who Allen will have to put his most trust in.

I don’t think this hire will inspire much excitement in the Raider Nation. Knapp has already been Oakland’s offensive coordinator and it didn’t work out well. He is a good, solid coach, but the truth is, he is not known for being one of the most dynamic offensive coaches in the league.

In fairness, Knapp will be working with a much more talented offense in his second tour in Oakland. The Raiders’ offense was anemic when he was the coordinator in 2007 and 2008. When Tom Cable took over as interim coach after Lane Kiffin was fired in 2008, Cable stripped Knapp’s duties from him. In Knapp’s only full season as the offensive coordinator (2007), the Raiders were No. 27 in total offense.

I think what we have to focus on is Allen’s past with Knapp and not Knapp’s past in Oakland. The two worked together in Atlanta earlier last decade. Clearly, Knapp was impressive enough for Allen to give him this chance.

Even though he was most recently Houston’s quarterbacks coach (he did a nice time adjusting to several injuries and he made undrafted rookie T.J. Yates a playoff-game-winning quarterback), Knapp is a run-first coordinator. That jibes well with Oakland’s talent. The Raiders have one of the best running games in the NFL.

Knapp knows some of Oakland’s talent. He had Michael Bush (a free agent who may be given the franchise tag) and starting tailback Darren McFadden in the program when he was last in Oakland. So, that adjustment will not be difficult. For the most part, most of the key offensive parts are new.

Knapp’s hiring likely means 2011 Oakland offensive coordinator Al Saunders will not be brought back, although it is feasible he could take on a lesser role. But Allen (who originally wanted former Green Bay coach Mike Sherman as his coordinator, but he went to Miami), struck fast to replace Saunders. So, it’s clear he wants to build his own staff. New Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie fired coach Hue Jackson because he wanted to find his guy, so it’s only fair Allen is afforded the same luxury.

Still, it will be interesting to see if Allen keeps anyone on Oakland’s staff. McKenzie indicated Monday that there are some coaches on Jackson’s staff that Allen may keep. I’d think perhaps offensive line assistant Steve Wisniewski may be one of them. Meanwhile, several of Jackson’s assistants are leaving. The latest is reportedly tight ends coach Adam Henry.

With Knapp reportedly in the fold, now the biggest remaining job on Allen’s staff is defensive coordinator. Former San Diego defensive coordinator Greg Manusky (he was fired earlier this month) is among those in play. Allen has been denied permission to speak to multiple candidates for the job.

Reggie McKenzie just took a big risk.

Al Davis would be proud.

In his first move as the late Davis’ replacement at the helm of the Oakland Raiders, McKenzie, a longtime lieutenant in Green Bay, made a hire few could have guessed two weeks ago when he fired coach Hue Jackson after an 8-8 season. That man is Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

Allen was hired despite having just one year experience as a coordinator and has no previous ties with McKenzie. At 39, Allen is the youngest active head coach in the NFL.

A former Raiders linebacker, McKenzie -- who was recommended to Oakland owner Mark Davis (Al Davis’ son) by former Oakland and Green Bay executives Ron Wolf and Ken Herock -- was expected to stick to his Green Bay roots. Packers assistant Winston Moss and Dom Capers were reportedly candidates, but it was Allen who emerged after an active 14-day search. McKenzie centered his search on Allen in the past day or so. An agreement was made after Allen was interviewed a second time Tuesday.

Allen is the first Raiders head coach who is a defensive specialist since Al Davis hired a 32-year-old John Madden in 1969. While Al Davis was partial to offensive minds, he certainly wasn’t afraid to hire a young coach and he no doubt would have saluted McKenzie for sticking to his gut and hiring the coach who he thought was the most impressive. This isn't the first time a hot-shot Denver assistant has become the Raiders’ head coach, either. Al Davis hired Denver assistant Mike Shanahan in 1988.

There is no doubt Allen has a chance to be a strong coach. He is regarded as one of the better young defensive minds in the NFL, and he had instant success in Denver while earning the respect of the Broncos’ defensive players.

Denver was ranked last in the NFL in almost every defensive category following the 2010 season. After Allen took over, the unit improved immensely in 2011 and the defensive resurgence was a big reason why Denver advanced to the playoffs after a 4-12 record in the previous season.

Prior to the start of the season, Allen talked about what he liked from his new players in Denver, and I'm sure he will have the same approach in Oakland.

“I think they’re trying to play fast,” Allen said. “I think they’re trying to play physical, and at the end of the day I’ve tried to preach to them, we’ve preached as a coaching staff, that it’s not really about the X’s and O’s but it’s about the way we go out there and play the game. That’s what we’re trying to do, and I think the guys are buying in and believing in it and trying to do that.”

Allen ran a 4-3 defense in Denver, and the Raiders could stay with the 4-3, as well. Oakland has a talented defense, but it sagged badly down the stretch as the Raiders lost four of their final five games. The Raiders gave up way too many big plays. Fixing that issue will be one of Allen’s top priorities, along with solving the Raiders’ penalty problems. Oakland set NFL record for penalties and penalty yardage in 2011.

He will also be expected to provide stability where the three past Oakland coaches -- Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Jackson -- could not. All three of those men created their own distractions at one point.

Allen has a reputation for being hard-working and for stability, as does McKenzie. The dysfunction at the top of the organization must end in Oakland. The Raiders have not been to the postseason since 2002 -- tied for the second-longest streak in the NFL.

In McKenzie and Allen, the Raiders have two young, hungry leaders. But there are risks. Allen, who was New Orleans’ secondary coach before getting the Denver job, is fairly inexperienced, and if it doesn’t work, people will question why McKenzie didn’t go for a more experienced coach or hire somebody he is more familiar with.

But give McKenzie credit going out of his comfort zone and hiring the man he felt best about. Al Davis certainly wouldn’t have had a problem with that.

Could the San Diego Chargers be on the verge of losing their special teams coach to the college ranks?

Our SEC blogger, Chris Low, reports that the Tennessee Volunteers are once again trying to pursue Rich Bisaccia to become their special teams coordinator. He could also get the associate head coach label as well.

It is not known if Bisaccia would be interested in going to the college ranks. He was offered the job two years ago before Lane Kiffin bolted to USC.

The Chargers would miss Bisaccia. He is considered a premier special-teams coach. The unit made major strides under Bisaccia in 2011 after it had a disastrous season in 2010. This will be an interesting situation to monitor because San Diego would have to make an important hire if Bisaccia does leave.

With the Oakland Raiders searching for their seventh head coach since Jon Gruden was sent to Tampa Bay 10 years ago, let’s look at three key aspects the new coach must address.

Stability: The past three coaches in Oakland -- Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Hue Jackson -- all created their own drama at different times in their stay in Oakland. The days of the head coach in Oakland being a distraction must be over.

Penalties: The Raiders set NFL records for penalties and penalty yardage in 2011. I have a difficult time pinning that issue all on Jackson. The Raiders have historically been one of the most penalized teams in the NFL and Jackson tried to fix the issue. The new coach is going to have to figure out a way to cut down on this problem.

Defense: The Raiders haven’t hired a defensive-minded coach since John Madden was hired nearly 40 years ago. That may change as new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie is a former linebacker himself. At least two of the expected candidates, Green Bay’s Winston Moss and Darren Perry, are defensive coaches. Changing philosophies may be a good idea. Oakland’s defense gave up way too many big plays in 2011 and is a primary reason why Oakland didn’t make the playoffs. Jackson talked about his willingness to move to a 3-4 defense. That may happen in the post-Jackson days. Green Bay runs a 3-4 defense, so if Moss or Perry is brought in, Oakland may make the switch. That would work in my mind. The Raiders have several natural 3-4 fits on defense. Whatever the method, the new coach in Oakland must improve this side of the ball.

In an interview with ESPN’s Page 2, former Oakland coach Lane Kiffin has some interesting things to say about Oakland owner Al Davis, who he famously feuded with. Among the nuggets Kiffin disclosed was that Davis wouldn’t show up to Oakland’s offices until the afternoon. What does it all mean? Nothing, but it’s always interesting to hear dish by the scorned.

Here’s the Raiders’ part of Kiffin’s interview:

In retrospect, was going to Oakland an unwinnable situation?

It is almost impossible. I don't know why I didn't listen, [because] so many people told me that. That's why, if you ask [Steve Sarkisian], he didn't go. He had a chance to go. You're just so far behind other clubs. You're waiting for [owner Al Davis] to wake up and come to work at 2 o'clock in the afternoon to make decisions that the rest of the league is making at 6 o'clock in the morning. You're still running videotapes over to the hotel so he can watch practice at night.

The overhead projector Al Davis used during the news conference he held after your firing seems like kind of a metaphor for how he runs the Raiders. Would you agree?

Yeah, it was. It was sad, really, to see somebody who's accomplished so much in his career and been such a powerful figure in the NFL ... to see that was actually pretty sad to watch. But you're exactly right, an overhead projector -- that describes the pace that you're dealing with of the way an organization is being run.

Sebastian Janikowski has a cannon for a leg, but you sent him in to attempt a pretty long field goal (76 yards) in your last game as coach of the Raiders. What was your strategy when you sent in that play?

That's Shane Lechler's fault. [Cracks a smile.] He was the holder -- the punter. ... Shane told me [Janikowski] could make it. [Janikowski] actually, when you put him that direction in [the Oakland Coliseum] during warm-ups, he'll make some from there. So, I blame Shane for that one. ... If you get the wind right in that direction, he can make that.

OK, Raiders’ fans, have at it. I know Kiffin is one of the Raider Nation’s most hot-button topics of recent memory. Let your thoughts fly in the comment section. I’d ask you to play nice, but I know that would be a futile request.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver plans to bring back veteran safety Brian Dawkins at this point. He may need to take a pay cut. New Denver coach John Fox loves veterans and Dawkins’ presence should help rookie safeties Rahim Moore and Quinton Carter.

• Denver never took a defensive tackle, despite it being its greatest need. It’s no surprise Denver didn’t take a defensive tackle on Saturday. Once the second round passed, there weren’t many quality prospects available.

• The rumor mill in Denver is already spinning a Kyle Orton-Albert Haynesworth trade. Washington needs a quarterback and Denver needs defensive tackle. Makes senses, would Denver want to pay Haynesworth?

• Expect Denver’s starting linebacker crew to look this way: Von Miller at strongside linebacker, third-round pick Nate Irving in the middle and veteran D.J. Williams on the weakside.

• Denver second-year quarterback Tim Tebow said he was pleased to hear Denver leader John Elway is behind him. Elway said Saturday that Denver will look at the top quarterbacks in every draft. Denver looked at the top eight quarterbacks this year without taking one. Fox, once again, said Orton is the starter as of now. Still, I expect Tebow to get the chance to play in 2011.

• The Raiders took two receivers who played for former Oakland coach Lane Kiffin. They took Tennessee receiver Denarius Moore in the fifth round and USC receiver David Ausberry in the seventh round. Moore is fast, but he has issues with his hands. Ausberry is very big and he is an interesting prospect. Oakland has a lot of young receivers so these two players will have to work to make the team.

• In his first draft, Elway took a player from Cal -- linebacker Mike Mohamed -- without taking a player from his alma mater. Mohamed, a candidate to play right away on special teams, said Elway noted that fact in a phone conversation Saturday.

• Denver entered the draft wanting four immediate starters. It may have gotten five in Miller, Moore, Carter, Irving and right tackle Orlando Franklin.

• Elway said the team thinks defensive linemen Marcus Thomas and Kevin Vickerson will be better off in a 4-3 scheme than the 3-4.

• Fox noted that Denver tight ends coach Clancy Barone was part of Antonio Gates’ development in San Diego. Barone is in charge of making fourth-round pick Julius Thomas an NFL player. He played one year of college football after playing college basketball. Gates played college basketball but not college football.

• The Chiefs made an intriguing pick in the sixth round in defensive tackle Jerrell Powe of Mississippi. He fills a need for the Chiefs. He is the massive run plugger that the team has been seeking. He was considered a first-round possibility a year ago. He has stamina issues, but he could help in a limited role as a rookie.

• Denver took Oklahoma defensive end Jeremy Beal, who was productive in college even though he didn’t test well at the combine. He had 28.5 sacks and 53.5 tackles for losses in college. That’s a steal in the final round.

As expected, the Oakland Raiders have added Baltimore assistant Al Saunders to their coaching staff.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saunders will be Hue Jackson’s offensive coordinator. Jackson, who had a major impact on Oakland’s offense in 2010, said this week he will call the plays in Oakland, but expect Saunders, who will be 64 next month, to have a big role on the staff. Oakland still needs to hire a defensive coordinator. Saunders was San Diego's head coach from 1986-88.

Saunders, who has also been an offensive coordinator in Kansas City and St. Louis, worked with Oakland quarterback Jason Campbell in 2006-07 in Washington as assistant head coach. That experience should help Campbell progress this offseason.

Saunders has interviewed for the head-coaching job in Oakland in the past. So, yes, if Al Davis ever gets the hankering to fire Hue Jackson --- who is Oakland’s sixth head coach since 2002 -- Saunders has potential. Jackson, of course, was Oakland’s offensive coordinator when he replaced Tom Cable who was the Raiders’ offensive line coach when he replaced Lane Kiffin.

UPDATE: It is being talked about that Oakland could pursue a defensive coordinator to run the 3-4 defense. I think that would be a good idea. Oakland has several players who are naturals for the 3-4. It could be a nice fit for this team.

As usual, Al Davis stole the show on a day he announced the hiring of a head coach.

Like the day when Tom Cable was promoted in 2008, much of Tuesday’s press conference focused on the team’s former coach. Cable replaced Lane Kiffin. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson now replaces Cable.

Jackson sat next to Davis as he tore down Cable as Cable did when Davis tore down Kiffin. Kiffin lost his case against Davis. Cable is now fighting Davis in a grievance. Cable, who was hired in Seattle as offensive line coach and assistant head coach Tuesday is trying to recoup $120,000 in fines levied by Davis.

Both the San Francisco Chronicle and Oakland Tribune had solid coverage of Tuesday’s Oakland reality show.

Here are my thoughts on some highlights:

On the Cable talks: Davis is clearly starting his legal case against Cable. Many of Davis’ issues with Cable stemmed from 2009 before Davis kept him for another year.

On the pending free agency of star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha: Davis said Asomugha is great and said he hopes he can re-sign Asomugha. I still expect Davis to be aggressive in his attempt to re-sign Asomugha. I’m surprised Davis wasn’t more verbally forceful about his hopes to keep Asomugha.

Davis continued to support quarterback Jason Campbell: It's clear Davis will stick with Campbell for the short term and he likes him more than backup Bruce Gradkowski. Davis compared Campbell to names from the past prior to the season the way he did with JaMarcus Russell before him. The truth is Campbell is 29. I have no problem with Oakland going back to him in 2011 and giving Jackson more time to work with him. But the time is now for Campbell.

Davis addressed Russell: Davis said Russell was a good person, but he has some personal issues. Davis admitted the failure of the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft.

Meanwhile, Jackson said he will be the primary play caller and Al Saunders is an offensive coordinator candidate. I have no problem with Jackson calling the plays. He did a terrific job in 2010. The Raiders were sixth in the NFL in scoring, It would be strange if Jackson didn’t keep the gig.

Jackson was his usual enthusiastic self and said all the right things, including that the Super Bowl is the team’s goal.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens have promoted secondary coach Chuck Pagano could to defensive coordinator. It had been reported that the Raiders would pursue Pagano for the same job.

The Spanos family is reportedly shopping a minority piece of the San Diego Chargers. This happens often around the league and really shouldn’t affect the leadership of the team. Meanwhile, a San Diego columnist looks at the team’s quest for a new stadium.

The Raiders expressed pleasure that Lane Kiffin’s grievance against the team was denied Monday. Kiffin was seeking $333,000 in contract off-set compensation.

The league decided that San Diego’s game at Indianapolis on Nov. 28 will remain the Sunday Night game. It will be Vincent Jackson’s season debut as his roster exemption ends. This is his third game on the list after he ended his holdout.

The Chargers signed safety Pat Watkins for depth. Receiver Gary Banks was cut, which is a sign the team is getting healthier at the position.

Al Davis is hot.

Not only are Davis’ Oakland Raiders tied for first place in the AFC West with Kansas City Chiefs at 5-4 (and have the current tiebreaker edge) and are over .500 at this point in the season for the first time since 2002, but Davis --- a grievance and court-room legend --- has also won off the field. A league arbitrator ruled that Davis was just in his firing of former head coach Lane Kiffin in September 2008.

The ruling took more than two years after Kiffin pursued part of his remaining contract. Davis argued from the day he fired Kiffin, in an infamous news conference, for just cause because he was insubordinate. Davis had a laundry list of reasons why he thought Kiffin was fired justly.

The arbitrator agreed. Kiffin was seeking $333,000, which was a contract offset. He was hired as the head coach at Tennessee two months after he was fired by the Raiders. Kiffin is now the head coach at USC. The Raiders' counter grievance for lawyer and arbitration fees was also denied, the source said.

But this has to be considered a win for the Raiders. It was more about money, anyway. Kiffin challenged Davis like few ever have. In the end, Davis prevailed.

Just like the old days, baby.

It seems that the Raider Nation is split on the future of Tom Cable.

Our sound-off question this week was whether Oakland fans think Coach Tom Cable should be on the hot seat. The Raiders are 1-3 and 10-22 in two full seasons under Cable, who replaced Lane Kiiffin after the fourth game of the 2008 season. Oakland has some talent, but it is making too many mistakes.

We received a ton of responses and there were slightly more Oakland fans in favor of keeping Cable rather than making yet another coaching change in Oakland.

If Oakland loses at home against San Diego on Sunday to fall to 1-4, I think Cable could be in trouble, though. Oakland owner Al Davis believed Cable when he said countless times this year that the Raiders were ready to be a playoff team.

Below are some of your responses. Thanks to everyone who participated:

RaiderDre from Richmond, Calif.: I believe Cable has one more year. This team needs offensive line help! Also they need to change the Defensive scheme. Unfortunately the Al Davis mandate requires his coaches play the same vanilla D year after year. Something is broken and I'm not buying the sentiment that the Raiders don't have enough talent. Special teams is also a problem this year. Cable cant do it all him self. Firing him will only set us back...

Alvin from Omaha: Cable should not be put on the hot seat just yet. Yes the offensive line is terrible but they need time to develop Mario Henderson is a filler at best and Veldheer needs time coming out from a D2 School like Hillsdale, and i haven't seen a lot of Bruce Campbell so i can't say for him however the raiders there are some positives and if sea bass had made the kick at Arizona we'd be 2-2 and if we had played decently against Houston we'd be 3-1. So my thinking is that we need more time!

Geno Varela from Midlothian, Va.: Too many of the Raiders flaws point directly at poor coaching and/or lack of leadership. I see there biggest weakness as lack of accountability. As the Head Coach, he is at the top of the accountability list. As tired as I am of changing coaches, I am more tired of losing. Cable will have to pay the ultimate price but I hope it does not happen until after the season. There's no way Hue Jackson is ready to be HC as he's not yet become a decent OC.Time for Mr. Davis to open up the vault and bring back Gruden and a competent GM...after the season ends and we hopefully win more than 5 games.

Brian R. from Linden, NJ: In response to Tom Cable being on the hot seat.I think the last thing Al Davis should do is get rid of Cable.The team plays hard for Cable & despite thier current record the team is actually starting to look more like well a team.The Raiders need Stability on the Head coaching end and Cable provides just that!

Paul Durant from Denver: Regarding Tom Cable. I am a California guy, long time Raider fan transplanted to Denver.It is impossible to know what Al Davis is thinking but I do not think Tom Cable should be on the Hot Seat. The players respect him, play hard for him, and are a much improved team despite their record. They are overmatched physically at the line of scrimmage and do not yet know HOW to win consistently. The trenches are where the game is won or lost and the Raiders have to find a way to out scheme opponents despite inferior strength and talent on both sides of the ball.Al Davis is going to do what Al Davis wants to do, but changing Tom Cable will not help and possibly set the organization back for another time. Like all aspects of life or business, there is something to be said for consistency and continued improvement. I see improvement and with some consistency, a steady coaching staff, schemes, and improved talent in the years to come, the Raiders will be an improved team that learns how to win the close games like the loss in AZ. In Tom I trust.....

RaiderAdrian from Kansas City: Get Rid of him now. He tries to act like he knows what he is doing but he has a terrible record as a Head coach. Its not like we are gonna get better long term with him and why not give Hue a chance to see if he can do any better now, if not we will search for a good coach in the off season.. and if AL has to overpay for one so be it!

Jstor from New Mexico: I definitely don't think that Tom Cable should be fired. I think he should be allowed to play out the season and watch the Raiders go 4-12 once more. But then again, I'm a diehard New England Patriots fan and I'm just thinking about that 1st round pick of Oakland's. I'll basically vote for anything that results in a lot of Raider losses. Right now I think that keeping Cable on board is the best way to accomplish that goal.

Mike from San Jose: I don't think Tom Cable should be on the hot seat. He is doing the best with the hand he was dealt. Yes he is expertise is the O-line but he does not call the plays. Run DMC is the 3rd leading rusher in the lead so the line should be given credit where credit is due. When it comes to pass protection it is what it is. Why isn't anyone calling for Hue Jacksons head? Why isn't the OC calling for more roll outs to get Bruce G outside the pocket? Look what the Texans were doing with Schaub in the game roll out after roll out after roll out! It was VERY effective. Tom Cable should NOT be on the hot seat. He hasn't lost the respect of the players yet. I dont believe in moral victories or the woulda shoulda couldas but the raiders in my mind should be 3-1. But at the end of the day the position the raiders are in you couldn't ask for anything else. They are definitely in the think of things in the AFC West.

Abdullah from San Diego:I think Cable's in the hot seat if the red hot Chargers destroy my Raiders. If it's another competitive loss I think the seat will be warming up a bit. Out of the 32 games he's coached, 12 have been losses by more than 17 points. That means he wasn't able to minimally prepare a team 12 times in 32 games. Given, the offense looks better but the defense that was supposed to be improved is struggling mightily. We know Mr. Davis thinks it's a coaches job to put great players in a position to succeed so I'm sure he's asking why players ranging from good (Lamarr Houston, Trevor Scott, Rolondo McClain) to great (Nnamdi, Seymour) aren't dominating opponents.

Autumn from Cedar Falls, Iowa: Cable should be on the hot seat. Cable was suppose to be such an o-line guru, so what happened? Is it the talent? Is it him? The raiders have not had a winning season since Barrett Robinns walked out in the superbowl. We have had many QB's since then and all have failed...why? Because the o-line has never been addressed or the same since that superbowl. The raiders can have whomever they want behind this oline, and will not be sucessful until its fixed. It starts in the trenches, and that inclides both sides of the ball.

I don’t think Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable is on the hot seat quite yet.

But if Oakland loses at home Sunday to San Diego, the seat will be flaming under Cable. So let’s get ahead of the story, Raider Nation. Our sound-off question is this: Do you think Cable’s job should be in jeopardy?

Oakland is 1-3. While there have been some encouraging signs, the team's play has been sloppy. The area of Cable’s expertise, the offensive line, is a weak spot.

Cable took over for Lane Kiffn before the fifth game of the 2008 season. He has coached the team in 32 games, which two full seasons. He has 10-22 record in Oakland.

Do you think Cable should be on the hot seat or do you think he deserves more time?

Hit my mailbag with your thoughts. I will post some of your responses later in the week.

Mid-week mail call:

Dwayne from Brooklyn wants to know what the similarities and differences between Brandon Marshall's situation in Denver and Vincent Jackson's situation in San Diego.

Bill Williamson: I think they are fairly different deals. Marshall was unhappy with his contract and being in Denver in general. He never held out, but he did cause some waves in 2009, including a preseason suspension and a suspension in his final week as a Bronco. Jackson has been much quieter. It is all about money. He is holding out because he wants to be paid, but he is not making a huge stink about it.

John Penrose from Columbus, Ohio wants to know if I think Oakland offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will be the team’s next head coach.

BW: That is the speculation. If the Raiders struggle early in the season, Tom Cable could be on the hot seat. Al Davis thinks highly of Jackson, so a promotion is not out of the question. After all, that’s how Cable became the head coach when Lane Kiffin was fired.

Mikey from Dallas wants to know if New England running back Laurence Maroney could end up in Denver.

BW: It’s an interesting question, Mikey. There has been some talk the Patriots are down on Maroney. Still, it might be a bit of a long shot that he is traded or cut. If so, you’d have to think Denver would be a natural fit. Maroney played for Denver coach Josh McDaniels in New England and the Broncos could use another running back, so the pairing makes sense. Another option could be Washington. Mike Shanahan almost drafted Maroney in 2006 while coaching the Broncos.