Now that Tom Cable has the Raiders job, he needs a consistent quarterback. His top priority as head coach should be to do everything in his power to help JaMarcus Russell become a star.
John Harbaugh (Ravens), Mike Smith (Falcons), and Tony Sparano (Dolphins) all did terrific jobs as first-year head coaches. But they had something else in common. All benefited from quarterbacks who made a huge impact.
Rookie Matt Ryan played like a 10-year veteran for the Falcons. Rookie Joe Flacco was a major upgrade at quarterback for the Ravens. And there is no way the Dolphins make the playoffs if they don't acquire Chad Pennington after he was jettisoned by the Jets.
Next season will be Russell's third in the NFL, his second as a starter. How much he improves will go a long way toward determining how long Cable stays.
"Our only goal is to get in the tournament,"
Cable said Wednesday during a news conference to announce his promotion from interim coach to head coach. "You get to the playoffs, you have a chance to win the ring. That is what this organization has always been about."
The Raiders and their owner, Al Davis, are often criticized for the way they do business. But you could argue that the Falcons, Ravens, and Dolphins were all worse at the end of 2007 than the Raiders were at the end of 2008.
Things can turn around quickly in this age of parity in the NFL, especially if you get strong play at quarterback. The Raiders have a potential franchise quarterback in Russell. Now it's up to Davis, Cable and his staff to help Russell maximize his talent.
Time will tell if Russell has the work ethic and toughness to become a great player. But he has the tools--a cannon arm, size and deceptive mobility for a large man.
Watching Ben Roethlisberger do his thing in Super Bowl 43, Cable should have been envisioning Russell one day playing that way for the Raiders. Russell was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft. Quarterbacks picked No. 1 are supposed to become the kind of player Roethlisberger has become. That's what Davis expects. For Cable's sake, Russell needs to deliver.
Davis said Cable has assembled his own staff--a staff that is still being completed. The Raiders are still looking for an offensive coordinator, and their coaching staff will play a crucial role in Russell's development. It doesn't help Russell to watch offensive coaches come and go like pizza delivery guys.
Lack of coaching stability can affect players, particularly young players. Three coaches who worked closely with Russell last season--former head coach Lane Kiffin, former offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and former quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo--are already gone.
Paul Hackett has been hired as quarterbacks coach. Former USC head coach Ted Tollner will be the passing game coordinator. In addition, the Raiders will not have an official offensive coordinator. Cable will call plays, in conjunction with Tollner and Hackett. It will be important to run a system that takes advantage of Russell's strengths while camouflaging his weaknesses.
For the Raiders, the wait for a head coach is over, but the wait for a winning team continues. They have not had a winning season since 2002. The Raiders went to the Super Bowl that season, and from 1999-2001 they averaged 10 wins per season.
Does that mean Davis has lost his fastball and that the all-encompassing way he runs his organization no longer works? Or does it mean that if Russell can become a franchise player, Davis can put enough pieces around him to make the Raiders winners again?
At least Cable knows what he's getting into. He knows Davis. He watched the relationship between Davis and Kiffin disintegrate. He knows the players on the roster. And when Davis took his time hiring a new coach, Cable was willing to wait. Davis said he seriously considered another candidate but that Cable won a close contest.
The Raiders were 4-8 overall with Cable as their interim coach, but they were 3-3 over the last six games, ending the season with back-to-back wins against the Texans and Buccaneers. That finish probably earned Cable the job--one that won't be easy.
But the key to the Raiders next season is not the coach or even the owner. It's their young quarterback. If Russell steps up, the Raiders should improve. But if Russell remains inconsistent, it may not take long for an impatient Davis to pull the plug on Cable.
