The first offseason without the presence of legendary owner Al Davis will prove to be the most intriguing one in decades for the Oakland Raiders.

Reggie McKenzie takes over as the main football executive and has already been working to shape the Raiders into his team. McKenzie started with the head coach and has been interviewing and evaluating his front office staff and scouting department over the past few weeks.

Raiders fans are accustomed to coaching change, but front office and roster changes have always been subtle from year to year. Al Davis was the final decision-maker for the Raiders and he would slowly sour on players and wholesale changes would always come at the expense of the head coach.

McKenzie’s philosophy will differ from the late Davis’ philosophy. Davis loved speed, but he was just as interested in his size, strength, speed and other measurable traits as he was with a fast time in the 40-yard dash. Former Raiders and Packers general manager Ron Wolf told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that McKenzie was one of the few that can tell who can play and who can’t play.

McKenzie will like some of the players on the Davis-constructed team and he won’t like some.

To go about creating a shopping list for the Raiders offseason, it is first necessary to make an educated guess as to the weaknesses McKenzie sees in the roster and who is available to strengthen the team.

The Raiders will be lucky to get pick 97 in April’s draft, so expect McKenzie to spend time looking for players that can help solve the Raiders defensive problems in free agency. McKenzie will also need to solidify the Raiders offensive line by finding inexpensive fits for the zone-blocking system.

Middle Linebacker (Need 1)

The Raiders will enter 2012 with four linebackers: Rolando McClain, Aaron Curry, Kamerion Wimbley and Travis Goethel. The Raiders will need more bodies and McKenzie may decide that replacing two or three of the starting linebackers is necessary.

McClain quickly wore out his welcome in Oakland and McKenzie can safety look for replacements now as opposed to giving McClain a third season as would typically be the case with a draft pick.

The Stud: D’Qwell Jackson, MLB

Jackson was a force up the middle for the Browns. He’s expressed a desire to stay in the Cleveland and the Browns could use the franchise tag to keep Jackson’s services, but if he hits the open market McKenzie should be interested.

The Young Star: Curtis Lofton, MLB

Lofton is just 25 and will be looking for a lucrative contract. McKenzie has said he will stay away from overpriced players and Lofton could qualify, but McKenzie also needs the stud middle linebacker the Raiders haven’t had in years.

The Technician: Stephen Tulloch, MLB

Technique is one of Tulloch’s strengths and the discipline needed to be a good technician could be useful to Dennis Allen and the Raiders defense. He’ll have plenty of offers out there, but he’s certainly a player the Raiders could look at to shore up the substandard group of linebackers.

The Familiar: Joe Mays, MLB

Just as it is easier to install an offense when the quarterback already knows the system, Mays was the “quarterback” of the Broncos defense under Raiders’ head coach Dennis Allen. He’d be an ideal candidate to join the Raiders and steal the starting job from Rolando McClain.

4-3 Outside Linebacker (Need: unknown)

The Stud: Erin Henderson

Henderson is an all-around outside linebacker that could really help out the Raiders defense, but the Vikings would be crazy to let him walk. If he becomes available the Raiders should consider his services.

The Value Proposition: Chris Chamberlain

He’s a solid linebacker that wouldn’t cost as much as many of the other top options. He’d compete with the Raiders’ other linebackers for a starting job.

The Familiar: Wesley Woodyard

He played more than 300 snaps in Dennis Allen’s defense last season. If he comes over from the Broncos he would compete for a job and help the Raiders quickly install and implement Allen’s defense.

3-4 Outside Linebacker (Need: Unknown)

The Best Available: Anthony Spencer

He’s benefited from DeMarcus Ware on the opposite side, but he’s a good player in his own right and has proved he can play. It seems the Raiders will remain a 4-3 team and Spencer will find a better home in a 3-4 scheme, but should the Raiders make a switch he could come into play.

The Tarver Terror: Manny Lawson

Lawson became expendable in San Francisco, but he became a solid player for the Bengals and he’d be complementary linebacker to the group the Raiders have now. defensive coordinator Jason Tarver has coached him before and he played well during his time under Tarver in San Francisco.

Cornerback (Need 1

)

The Throwback: Cortland Finnegan

He’s a physical cornerback to pair with Stanford Routt. He should be more available and more affordable than Brent Grimes. Finnegan is also good in run support, a problem area for the Raiders in 2011. The concern here is how the NFL will officiate a “dirty” player on the most penalized team in the league.

The Cross-Bay Badass: Carlos Rogers

He played like a top-five cornerback in 2011 and figures to be paid handsomely this offseason. The 49ers would like to retain him, but may have trouble retaining Rogers and Dashon Goldson. He’ll command big bucks, but McKenzie needs to quickly find a player to play opposite Routt.

The Rival Ringer: Brandon Carr

If the Raiders show interest in the 25-year-old Carr, he’ll be able to leverage the Chiefs and Raiders against each other for his services. He’s young and seems to improve every year. He’s a good No. 2 cornerback and has room to grow and time to do it.

Safety (Need 1 or 2)

The Raider: Tyvon Branch

The Raiders will look to retain Branch. He’s been an underappreciated player on the Raiders defense for many years and Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme may finally feature him.

The Injured Enigma: LaRon Landry

He’s been a star when healthy, but he suffered a nasty Achilles injury and his future is uncertain. The Raiders may be able to swipe a premium talent for a decent price, but he’ll need to pass a physical.

Mr. Inconsistent: Michael Griffin

What are you going to get from Griffin? History shows Griffin is either a Pro Bowl -aliber safety or a backup-caliber safety and nothing in between. That’s a bit disturbing, but the inconsistency might make him more affordable.

The Heavy-Hitter: Dashon Goldson

The 49ers will not lose Carlos Rogers and Goldson, but they will have to choose. If Goldson hits the open market he could be an option for the Raiders as he was last offseason. The fans will overrate Goldson’s season based on a few highlight reel plays and his hard-hitting style.

Offensive Line (Need 2)

The Forgotten: Sean Locklear, OT

He signed a one-year deal in Washington and didn’t start. The Raiders will be moving back the the zone-blocking scheme and Locklear would seem like a logical and inexpensive option to fix the revolving door at right tackle.

Cable’s Contributor: Breno Giacomini, OT

Giacomini spent three seasons without getting much playing time, but he started playing consistently in Tom Cable’s zone-blocking system in Seattle and came on strong toward the end of the season. Another affordable option to consider at right tackle.

The System Fit: Chris Myers, OC

If the Raiders feel comfortable with Stefen Wisniewski remaining at left guard, there are two zone-blocking centers available this offseason. One is Houston’s Chris Myers. The Raiders offensive line coach was assistant offensive line coach for the Texans last year and Greg Knapp the quarterback coach. Myers is an interesting option if the Raiders can steal him away from the Texans.

The System Fit: Scott Wells, OC

Like Myers, Wells is a zone-blocking center. It could be difficult for Wisniewski to pick up and make the line calls in a zone-blocking system initially. Wells or Myers would be ideal players to help the line. The addition of a zone-blocking tackle and center would solidify the Raiders’ offensive front.

Being the last head coach officially hired for the 2012 season and with the majority of the available coaches already finding new teams, Allen was starting from behind. It didn’t affect Allen too much at first because he  had a short list of coaches he wanted to bring in. As a head coach, especially a first time head coach, you immediately look for coaches that you’re comfortable with, coaches who share similar philosophies and coaches who you might have worked with in the past. Dennis Allen found his guys and was ready to scoop them up, but in there lies the problem. Teams are not required to let you interview their coaches. In fact they have the right to deny access all together, which is a right a lot of them seem to be taking advantage of.

Allen has been denied access by three teams already during his coaching search. First he was denied permission to speak with current Broncos linebackers coach Richard Smith for the defensive coordinator vacancy. Allen then set his sights for defensive coordinator on Bill Johnson who he worked with in Atlanta and New Orleans before landing in Denver. The Saints were quick to object to that idea as well leaving Allen searching for a plan C to coach his defense. Emmitt Thomas, the Chiefs secondary coach, was named as a candidate for defensive coordinator as well, but it sounded like he removed his own name from contention.

We also learned that the Raiders asked permission to speak with Joe DeCamillis who worked with Allen is Atlanta. Joe is currently coaching special teams for the Cowboys and Allen wanted him to do that Oakland. Dallas once again denied the Raiders permission to interview DeCamillis and once again Allen was left looking elsewhere for a coach.

Dennis Allen will eventually get a complete staff put together, but in the short-term he is experiencing life as a rookie head coach. Now that his coordinators are set, he should find it a little easier to fill out his coaching staff with assistants and position coaches.

Bill Johnson – Raiders denied permission to interview.
Age: 65
Current Position: Defensive Line Coach, New Orleans Saints
Previous DC Experience: None
Notes: Coached at Texas A&M during Dennis Allen’s playing career and got him hired by the Falcons. Johnson followed Allen to New Orleans. Too much history here to ignore.

Billy Davis
Age: 46
Current Position: LB coach, Cleveland Browns
Previous DC experience: 2005-2006 49ers, 2009-2010 Cardinals

Ed Donatell
Age: 53
Current Position: DB Coach, San Francisco 49ers
Previous DC experience: 2008 (Univ. of Washington), 2004-2006 (Atlanta Falcons), 2000-2003 (Green Bay Packers)

Brett Maxie
Age: 50
Current Position: DB coach, Dallas Cowboys
Previous DC experience: None

Richard Smith – Raiders denied permission to interview
Age: 56
Current Position: LB Coach, Denver Broncos
Previous DC Experience: 2006-2008 (Houston Texans), 2005 Miami Dolphins

Joe Whitt Jr. – Interviewed
Age: 33
Current Position: Secondary coach – cornerbacks
Previous DC experience: none
Notes: Worked with Richard Smith in Atlanta. Smith was one of Allen’s mentors. Excellent read on him by JSOnline.

Greg Manusky – Hired by the Colts.
Age:
Previous position: DC, San Diego Chargers
Previous DC experience: Yes.

Offensive Coordinator

Mike Johnson
Age: 44
Previous Position: OC, UCLA (Interim HC)
Previous OC experience: 2010-2011 (49ers San Francisco 49ers, UCLA Bruins)

Greg Knapp – Hired
Age: 48
Current Position: QB Coach, Houston Texans
Previous OC experience: 2001-2009 (49ers, Falcons, Raiders, Seahawks)

Jeff Jagodzinski
Age: 48
Previous Position: HC, 2010 Omaha Nighthawks (UFL)
Previous OC Experience: 2006 (Green Bay Packers) & 2009 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Clancy Barone
Age: 48
Current Position: OL Coach, Denver Broncos
Previous OC experience: 2000-02 (Houston Univ.), 1997-99 (Wyoming)

Joe Lombardi
Age: 31
Current Position: QB Coach, New Orleans Saints
Previous OC experience: None

Aaron Kromer
Age: 45
Current Position: OL/Running Game, New Orleans Saints
Previous OC experience: None
Note: 2002-2004 OL Coach for the Raiders, interviewed for Rams vacant Head Coaching Position.

Al Saunders
Age: 64
Current Position: OC, Oakland Raiders (under contract for 1 more season)
Previous OC Experience: A lot.

As with any fan base, the Raider Nation is not immune to overrating players. Every offseason coaches and front office personnel across the league lock themselves in the film room to study their own roster. It’s not uncommon for a player to lose snaps the following season after the team had time to evaluate their play relative to other players in the league.

There are a few players on the roster vulnerable to a loss of snaps or even a loss of a job after the Raiders new general manager Reggie McKenzie and new head coach Dennis Allen have time to evaluate them.

Who?

Matt Giordano

Giordano lead the Raiders in interceptions in 2011 with five and it has many fans thinking he is the solution at free safety and Michael Huff should be released or move to cornerback.

It’s important to remember Giordano only served as a nickel free safety and injury replacement for Huff in 2011, starting more than four games for the first time in his career. Dennis Allen coached Giordano during his final year in New Orleans and is well aware of his capabilities and limitations.

For every Giordano interception there was a missed tackle, bad angle or blown coverage assignment. What can be seen on television broadcasts is one thing, but imagine what more the coaches will uncover when they examine all-22 film?

If it wasn’t for an injury depleted and youthful group of Oakland Raiders cornerbacks in 2011, Giordano may have never had an opportunity to make the interceptions and we could be talking about a breakout year by Michael Huff. Instead, Huff was relagated to the slot cornerback role, a difficult and thankless position in a horribly designed 2011 Raiders defense.

Michael Bush

When Darren McFadden went down with yet another injury, Bush stepped in to carry the load. Few were worried about what might happen the the Raiders running game because Bush was starting caliber running back just waiting for his chance.

Bush got his chance and despite 256 carries put up numbers like a backup running back. Bush rushed for 977 yards while starting the final 9 games and averaged just 3.8 yards-per-carry. The latter tying him with Brandon Jacobs and putting him just ahead of BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Marion Barber and Joseph Addai.

There have been rumors and some fans have suggested that the Raiders trade McFadden and start Bush. If it’s a game of inches Darren McFadden has averaged 5.3 yards-per-carry the last two seasons to Bush’s 3.9, a difference of 50 inches per carry.

Darren McFadden has had issues with injuries, but the gap between him and Bush is considerable. If Bush is back in silver and black next season he should be valued and paid like a backup.

Jacoby Ford

Ford can electrify a crowd like no other player on the Raiders roster, but Ford has a lot to learn about being an NFL receiver. While Ford may be the most dangerous player on the Raiders roster with the ball in his hands, it’s getting it into his hands that has been a problem.

Despite an injury plagued 2011 campaign, Ford managed to play in 8 games, grabbing 19 balls for 279 yards. While Ford made the most of his receptions in 2011, he averaged just over 2 receptions per game played which is comparable to his rookie season.

Ford just isn’t getting open with great consistency and the Raiders were forced to get creative to get the ball to him. He’s an exciting young player, but he needs to improve as a receiver to become a consistent threat.

Mike Mitchell

The Raiders reached for an unknown safety out of Ohio University with the 47th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. In three seasons with the Raiders Mitchell hasn’t become a starter or even a consistent sub-package player.

Mitchell is a situational safety that is often given the tough assignment against the opposing team’s best tight end. At times this role has worked for MItchell, but he’s also had his fair share of problems and was routinely chewed-out by starting strong safety Tyvon Branch in 2011 for missed coverage assignments.

If Huff moves to cornerback and Giordano finds himself without a job, there would be an opening in the Raiders secondary for a starter. Tyvon Branch could slide over to free safety, but Mitchell is far from ready to assume the starting strong safety role as some have been lead to believe.

It’s been three seasons and Mitchell hasn’t become a starter, assuming he could be a productive starter in 2012 is a huge mistake. He’ll be lucky to make the roster next season under the Raiders new regime.

Bruce Campbell

The athletic offensive lineman made the active roster on game day just four times in 2011. There were instances in 2011 that an injured player that had no chance to play in the game was active on game day over Campbell.

This is the young lineman fans think can start over Khalif Barnes at right tackle? That’s seems unlikely at this point. As bad as Barnes was in 2011, Campbell must really look terrible in practice.

He’s a completely unknown commodity, expecting anything from him seems like a stretch headed into 2012. Raider fans should be happy if Campbell gives the team any positive production next season.

There is a lot of youth on this list and that means each player will have the opportunity to match the expectations the fans have placed upon them, even if that opportunity comes on another team.

We know that McKenzie comes over from Green Bay where they ran a 3-4 defense and won a Super Bowl while running the 3-4 defense. However, the Packers didn’t always run that style of defense. In fact, they just recently made the transition to the 3-4 defense in 2009.

What this means:

1) McKenzie has spent plenty of time around a 4-3 defense. Which is what the Raiders currently run.

2) McKenzie knows what it takes to make the conversion to a 3-4 from a 4-3.

3) McKenzie has seen what a successful 3-4 defense looks like and was part of building it.

Defensive scheme aside, McKenzie’s first order of business is finding a new head coach. Of the potential candidates to this point, four of them are defensive coaches (Winston Moss, Todd Bowles, Dennis Allen and Dom Capers). Three of the four candidates would be coming from a base 3-4 defense.

Winston Moss was hired to be the linebackers coach in Green Bay in 2006. They were still running a base 4-3 at the time. He was promoted to assistant head coach in 2007 and was the only defensive coach not fired after a horrible season in 2008. In 2009 they made the switch to the 3-4 and Moss became an inside linebackers coach. Two years later they had one of the most feared defenses in the league on their way to winning a super bowl. Since switching to the 3-4, the Packers hold a combined +58 turnover ratio in three seasons. Moss could still prefer the 4-3 to the 3-4 or he could be a convert to the 3-4. No one really knows.

Todd Bowles has been a secondary coach his entire career to this point, most recently with the Miami Dolphins, where he was also an assistant head coach. Before coming to Miami Bowles was a secondary coach for Dallas which also ran the 3-4. When Bowles was hired by Miami they were still running the 4-3, but soon after Bowles got there they also made the conversion to a 3-4 under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Bowles, like Moss, has 3-4 experience and has seen a team through the conversion process from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base defense.

Dennis Allen began his NFL coaching career with Atlanta in 2002 as a defensive quality control assistant. Hired by the Saints in 2006 as an assistant defensive line coach and later coached the secondary for the Saints in their 3-4 defense. Last year he was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Broncos and ended the 3-4 experiment and switched back to a 4-3.

Dom Capers has been around the league for a while and held a variety of different positions from position coach to head coach. He was hired as defensive coordinator by the Packers in 2009 to help transition their defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4. As noted above the Packers have since won a super bowl and have a +58 turnover ratio during Capers time as defensive coordinator.

McKenzie is still interviewing to make sure he finds the right guy, but it seems pretty obvious that if a defensive coach gets the job the Raiders could very well be moving to the 3-4 in the next few seasons. If McKenzie hires an offensive coach, it will be up to that coach which defensive scheme will be installed.

Regardless of how it plays out it will be an interesting offseason for the Raiders.

Notes: Carmichael has been Sean Payton’s offensive coordinator for many years. He’s relatively young and took a greater role in playcalling this season when Sean Payton was injured. If the Raiders decide to go with an offensive mind, they could do much worse.

Todd Bowles
Status: Interviewed 1/14
Age: 48
Specialty: Defensive Backs
Previous Position: Defensive Backs Coach & Interim Head Coach, Miami Dolphins
Head Coaching Experience: 2-1 (2011 Dolphins)
McKenzie link: unknown

Notes: Bowles seems to be a rising star, but he’s never been a coordinator at the NFL level. If hired, Bowles will need to bring in strong offensive and defensive coordinator. He’s got a long history with the Bill Parcells coaching and front office tree. Has potential to stay in Miami or consider other job if he isn’t hired as a head coach.

Dennis Allen
Status: Interviewed 1/18, second interview requested.
Age: 39
Specialty: Defense
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator, Denver Broncos
Head Coaching Experience: None
McKenzie link: unknown

Notes: Head of a strong defensive unit in Denver last season, his first as defensive coordinator. Could be a rising star as he has received promotions every couple years during his coaching career. If the Raiders decide to go with a young defensive-minded coach that is familiar with the division, Allen could be the right guy.

Marty Morhinweg
Status: Interviewed 1/20. No longer under consideration.
Age: 49
Specialty: Offense
Current Position: Assistant Head Coach
Head Coaching Experience: 5-27 (2000-2001 Lions), 75-52 (Assistant Head Coach 2004-2011 Eagles)
McKenzie Link: Yes, 1995-1996 Packers

Notes: He was very bad in Detroit as a head coach, but he may get a pass considering the talent he was given and the general manager at the time was Matt Millian. He’s been Andy Reid’s assistant head coach since 2004. He’s clearly a good offensive mind that could bring the west coast offense back to the west coast.

Mike Tice
Status: Interview Cancelled.
Age: 52
Specialty: Offensive Line
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator (Promoted January 6, 2012 from offensive line coach)
Head Coaching Experience: 32-33 (2001-2005 Vikings)
McKenzie link: Unknown

Notes: Tice clearly is a good coach, he’s always landed on his feet. His head coaching stint was unfruitful and plagued by controversy. It is a potentially bad idea to bring in a coach with questionable character to try and iradicate the penalty problem in Oakland. He’s also over 50 and not a young or fresh coach that are becomming plentiful. If he was a genius, we’d know it by now.

Winston Moss
Status: Interviewed 1/14 for 4 hours.
Age: 46
Specialty: Linebackers
Current Position: Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach, Green Bay Packers
Head Coaching Experience: Assistant Head Coach, 55-25, 2007-2011 Packers
McKenzie link: Yes, 2006-2011 Packers

Notes: Instant favorite the Raiders search, partly because McKenzie is rumored to have said that if he ever received a General Manager position that Winston Moss would be the guy he would hire. Moss is not only and ex-Raider, but he knows McKenzie well. He was only responsible for the inside linebackers of the Packers.

Dom Capers
Status: Interview cancelled
Age: 61
Specialty: Defense/Defensive Backs
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator, Green Bay Packers
Head Coaching Experience: 48-80 (1995-1998 Panthers, 2002-2005 Texans)
McKenzie link: Yes, 2009-2011

Notes: He’s nearing retirement age and coached a defense that-while opportunitic-allowed a lot of yards. He’s been a head coach and largely been a failure. He may be a good coordinator and maybe he has learned a thing or two about being a head coach since he was fired after the 2005 season in Houston, but his age and track record are now working against him.

Tom Clements
Status: Rumored Candidate.
Age: 58
Specialty: Quarterbacks
Current Position: Quarterback Coach, Green Bay Packers
Head Coaching Experience: None
McKenzie link: Yes, 2006-2011 Packers

Notes: With the exodus of Joe Philbin he could be elevated to offensive coordinator in Green Bay. He wants to call plays, so taking a job elsewhere to become an offensive coordinator also makes sense. He’s familiar with McKenzie. Is he ready to be a head coach? He’s 58, perhaps he never will be.

Mike McCoy
Status: Reportedly Not Interested
Age: 39
Specialty: Offense
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator, Denver Broncos
Head Coaching Experience: None
McKenzie link: unknown

Notes: Will McKenzie reach out to him again after being rebuffed so McCoy could seek the Dolphins position? Probably not. He cost himself the opportunity to interview, even if he was a longshot to get the position. He’s a young offensive coach.

2010

Al Davis hires Hue Jackson to revamp an offense that hadn’t been good in many years. With the aide of competent quarterback play and a healthy Darren McFadden, Jackson is wildly successful in his first year.

2011

Tom Cable is fired for an 8-8 season and Hue Jackson is promoted to Head Coach.

Situation

He is working with a roster constructed by Al Davis and defensive coaches hired by Al Davis.

October 8, 2011

Al Davis dies and Hue Jackson is forced to take a more active role in managing player personnel because-although unqualified-he is the most qualified person in the building. Mark Davis begins to gather his advisory team or John Madden, Ron Wolf and Ken Herock.

Problem 1

Hue Jackson loses his starting quarterback to injury for the season. Jackson knows with the passing of Al Davis that a new front office would be coming in and in all likelihood he would be fired if he didn’t make the playoffs and maybe he would even need to win a playoff game to keep his job.

Solution 1

Trade for Carson Palmer. Hue Jackson was looking out for himself, knowing that he had little chance of making a playoff run with Kyle Boller and knowing a losing record would mean he would be fired. Hue Jackson pressures Mark Davis to make a lopsided trade for the only decent quarterback available. Hue’s ego and power begin to grow within the organization and some question wether that is a good thing.

Problem 2

Hue Jackson and the Raiders lose the most explosive offensive weapon on the team for an extended period of time, Darren McFadden.

Solution 2

Ride Michael Bush and get the young receivers more involved in the offense.

Problem 3

Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore injured.

Solution 3

No good solution can be found as the Raiders continue to ride Michael Bush and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Meanwhile, John Madden, Ron Wolf, Ken Herock and Tom Flores are advising Mark Davis to interview Reggie McKenzie when the season ends. Mark’s advisors are telling him to be cautious about Hue Jackson’s ego and power grab within the organization.

Problem 4

Defensive secondary not playing well.

Solution 4

Hue crossed his fingers that Chuck Bresnahan, without the constant supervision of Al Davis, can turn the Raiders defense into something resembling a solid unit. Turns out to be a non-solution and one Hue Jackson can’t directly change.

Week 17

Hue Jackson heads into the final week of the season 8-7 after another epic defensive failure that he has little control over. His team has an outside chance to make the playoffs.

Hue Jackson, knowing his fate was now in limbo, his defensive coordinator incompetent and his team with a slim chance to make the playoffs, walks into Mark Davis’ office and asks for input on the General Manager hire as a last ditch effort to try to save his job. One he might have saved had he never walked though Mark’s office door.

Hue Jackson was acting in self-preservation and Mark Davis wisely refuses to grant Hue’s request. It was a slightly absurd request to begin with, allowing a head coach to have input in who is hired as his boss, but Mark Davis also viewed this as another Hue Jackson power grab. Mark Davis had been warned by his advisors to be careful regarding Hue Jackson’s ego and power aspirations.

The Raiders lose in week 17 and Hue Jackson voices his frustrations with the team and his lack of input on the general manager hiring process in his final two press conferences and in-so doing seals his fate with the Raiders. Mark Davis and his advisors collectively grumble at Hue’s final act and finishing the season 1-4 does not help Hue’s case, no matter how little he had to do with the collapse.

Reggie McKenzie is interviewed and Mark Davis and John Madden give McKenzie the impression that firing Hue Jackson and starting fresh is the best course of action. That makes things easier for McKenzie, because he likely desired the ability to hire his own guy, but would have considered keeping Hue around if Mark Davis had requested it. McKenzie gets a clean start instead of delaying the inevitable firing of Hue Jackson to hire his own coach.

The decision was made to start fresh under McKenzie. It is naïve to think that either Mark Davis or Reggie McKenzie made the decision to fire Jackson on their own. It was a collective decision and ultimately it was a series of events that went against Hue Jackson. Jackson is still a good coach and will land on his feet somewhere. His defense, his ego and his act of self-preservation ended his short tenure with the Raiders. The Raiders will be better for it and Hue Jackson will be a better coach for it.

Even though Jackson may deserve another year to prove himself, you have to ask why does a franchise hire a general manager? Many Raider fans have been lobbying for a GM for years and they finally got one, and a very good one at that. Now, fans are upset because Hue Jackson was let go by Reggie McKenzie. The reason you hire a GM is because you feel they know what is best for the team and you TRUST that they will make the decisions appropriate to improve your team. You can not hire a GM to run the team and then try to influence his decisions on how to run it. It would be the equivalent to hiring an investor and then telling them how to invest the money.

Reggie McKenzie was a great hire by Oakland and now he deserves every opportunity to do his job the way that he knows how and that includes evaluating EVERYTHING and making decisions on the best way to move forward. The future should be a bright one for the Raiders regardless of who is the head coach. Hue deserved another year, but McKenzie deserves the right to bring in his own guy.

Result: Shaughnessy played in three games registering 1 sack. There is no way of knowing is Shaughnessy would have made it to 10 sacks and the three games was too small of a sample to project out a full season. 0 for 1.

Prediction 2:  Taiwan Jones will have at least two touchdowns longer than 70 yards.

Result: Jones also had an injury that derailed what could have been a promising start to his young career. No dice. 0 for 2.

Prediction 3: Darren McFadden will have 2000 total yards from scrimmage.

Result: Yet again injury hurts he possibility of the bold prediction coming true. McFadden had 768 total yards from scrimmage in seven games. Projecting McFadden’s season over 16 games means he falls short at 1751 total yards. 0 for 3.

Prediction 4: Darrius Heyward-Bey will catch twice as many passes as he did last year.

Result: Twice as many? That wasn’t enough for DHB who caught more than twice as many passes and it was actually closer to three times as many. 1 for 4.

Prediction 5: Jason Campbell will have 3000+ yards passing and 20 touchdowns.

Result: Had it not been for the injury, Campbell was well on his way to 300 yards. Based on his first six games he would have been a little shy of the 20 predicted touchdowns. 1 for 5.

Prediction 6: Denarius Moore will return two punts for touchdowns.

Result: The injuries really are killing the bold predictions from 2011 as they did the team. 1 for 6.

Prediction 7: Jacoby Ford will return two kicks for touchdowns (despite the new rules).

Result: Injuries kill the prediction again. Ford had one in eight games. That’s two if he is healthy. I’m giving credit here. 2 for 7.

Prediction 8: Michael Bush will rush for just 500 yards….but with 10 touchdowns.

Result: Bush almost doubled the yardage prediction, but still fell short of the touchdown prediction. 2 for 8.

Prediction 9: The Raiders will have a top 5 offense and lead the league in rushing.

Result: 9th in yards per game and 16th in points per game. 2 for 9.

Prediction 10: The Raiders will win 10 games. (My prediction is 8 games +-2. Since this is for bold predictions, I’ll go with the higher one)

Result: Can’t help but feel like my bold prediction was two defensive stops away. 2 for 10.

Prediction 11: The Raiders will go 4-2 in the division.

Result: 3-3 and a defensive stop away. 2 for 11.

Prediction 12: The Raiders will not miss Zach Miller

Result: They didn’t. Boss was more than capable and the Ra5iders started incorporating the receivers into the offense. 3 for 12.

Prediction 13: The Raiders will not miss Nnamdi Asomugha

Result: A case could certainly be made either way, but the Raiders secondary was pretty bad for long stretches. Asomugha would have helped. 3 for 13.

Prediction 14: The Raiders will beat the Jets in the home opener.

Result: Win. 4 for 14.

Prediction 15: The Raiders will play the Chargers at home week 17 for the AFC West title.

Result: Not exactly what I had envisioned, but it was true. 5 for 15.

Prediction 16: Chuck Bresnahan ‘s defense will intercept 20 passes.

Result: 18 interceptions good for 12th in the league and perhaps the highest Bresnahan’s defense ranked in any category. 5 for 16.

Prediction 17: Rolando McClain will have 120 tackles

Result: Not close and I didn’t really expect this one to be. 5 for 17.

Prediction 18: Chris Johnson will have 8 interceptions.

Result: Injury or not didn’t look like he was going to get there. 5 for 18.

Prediction 19: The Raiders will lead the league in sacks.

Result: 15th ranking not good enough for such a talented group. Injuries certainly hurt. 5 for 19.

Prediction 20: Kamerion Wimbely will have 10 sacks.

Result: Just 8 sacks for Wimbley. Maybe if he wasn’t in coverage so much he could have reached the 10 sack level. 5 for 20.

Hitting on 25 percent of the bold predictions isn’t bad and it certainly could have been better if not for the numerous injuries sustained by the Raiders in 2011.

Another big problem is the linebackers are trying to cover slot receivers, tight ends and running backs out of the backfield. A lot of the big plays that Oakland surrenders are the result of players playing outside of their “comfort zone” or natural ability. Using the last game against the Chargers as an example, when the Raiders needed a key stop San Diego would run a “rub” route or get Gates matched up with Kamerion Wimbley, Aaron Curry, or even LaMarr Houston (on at least one occasion) and make a big play. Those guys have little to no shot at covering Gates. Using a 3-4 defense would allow Oakland to disguise their defense more, integrate more zone coverage, and keep players in roles that are a better fit for their natural ability. Most quarterbacks will tell you that the 3-4 defense is harder to diagnose pre-snap. The argument can be made that some of Oakland’s troubles on defense could stem from players playing out of their natural positions.

3-4 Linebackers

Kamerion Wimbley played DE in a 4-3 at Florida State. He flourished at rushing the passer, but was considered too small to play 4-3 DE at the NFL level so scouts had him tagged as a 3-4 OLB. He was drafted by the Browns in 2006 and played DE his rookie season and tallied 11 sacks. The Browns switched him to a 3-4 OLB in that scheme for three years before trading him to the Raiders. He racked up 15.5 sacks in three seasons as a 3-4 OLB. He’s been effective as a third down pass rushing end for the Raiders, but he has never had the skills to cover as a linebacker. Wimbley is built and has the skill set to be a 3-4 rush LB, but is more effective putting his hand in the dirt.

Rolando McClain played and excelled in Nick Saban’s 3-4 defense at Alabama, yet he was drafted by the Raiders to play 4-3 MLB. McClain has proved time and time again that he is not a good player in space, but can get downhill, tackle, and fill gaps like he did in the 3-4 at Alabama. 3-4 ILB is his ideal position because he would no longer have multiple gap responsibilities as a 4-3 MLB does. That coupled with less coverage responsibilities on the outside could salvage what appears to be a career headed for a quick end.

Aaron Curry who was acquired from Seattle is currently the Will LB in the Raiders 4-3 scheme where he also often times get caught in man-to-man coverage. The scouting report on Curry is no secret. He gets lost in coverage, but when it comes to instincts, filling gaps in run support and tackling he is one of the best. That is exactly why he would make a smooth transition to 3-4 ILB, where filling gaps in run support and solid tackling is the name of the game.

Travis Goethel has been praised by coaches for 2 years now for being relentless to the ball and tackling well. We have yet to see much from him because of his injury woes, but he could fill in as a reserve ILB. This was the scouting report on CBS when he was coming out of college “Goethel’s average speed and overall athleticism might not allow him to stay outside in the NFL, but his hustle, instincts in coverage and secure tackling could earn him a spot on the strong side or even inside in a 3-4 defense”

3-4 Linemen

Richard Seymour played six seasons at defensive end in a 3-4 system with the Patriots before coming to Oakland. He had two seasons that resulted in 8 sacks, help the Patriots win three Super Bowls and went to the Pro Bowl in four straight years at that position.

Tommy Kelly’s rookie season with the Raiders was the last year the Raiders ran a 3-4 defense. Kelly played DE in that system and with limited playing time his rookie year he still was able to amass 4 sacks and played very well. Kelly has experience and has proven he can play the role of a 3-4 DE.

LaMarr Houston played DT at the University of Texas before being drafted by the Raiders. At 6’3” 305 lbs he has the size to fill the role of a DE in a 3-4 as well. Houston’s style of play also mirrors that of a 3-4 DE. He is a power guy who often wins at the point of attack, and is great at setting the edge, however he lacks the pass rushing skills to be really effective in a 4-3.

John Henderson is a massive mountain of a man. That lead some people to believe he could be a good NT. His height may make him best suited to play outside in the 3-4 as an end. Henderson has very little 3-4 experience in his career.

Matt Shaughnessy is perhaps the most interesting fit or non-fit on the a Raiders defensive line. He came into the NFL at 260 pounds and promptly added 10 to 15 pounds of muscle to his frame to play at a high level as a 4-3 defensive end. Shaughnessy has the length to play 3-4 end but may need to add even more bulk to effectively set the edge at the position. Shaughnessy could also find a home as a 3-4 OLB, but he might have to drop weight gain a little quickness. Mario Williams transitioned to 3-4 OLB at 280+ pounds and was effective for the games he played before being lost for the season.

There will need to be some personnel changes and the Raiders new GM Reggie McKenzie helped the Packers switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in 2009 so he is no stranger to the conversion process.

A move to a 3-4 defense would immediately create a need for a NT and more 3-4 OLB’sand the Raiders may have excess ends for the 3-4. With Oakland’s lack of draft picks, that does create a challenge for the Raiders.