WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR CABLE, RUSSELL AND THE RAIDERS?

   Tom Cables Raiders finished with a very disappointing record of 5 and ll. Many head coaches in the NFL would not survive this, Cable may be among them and soon. Al Davis is going to decide whether to keep Cable or start all over again with a new coach, a new system and another season lost. He has to decide if Jamarcus  Russell will be the Quarterback of the Raiders or if Cable remains coach. Cable can't stay as head coach if Jamarcus has to start next year. Cable and the team just don't believe in Russell and it will definitely be another losing season.

    So this is your choice Al, Russell or the rest of the team.

   Do you tear the heart out of the team by firing Cable and starting Russell or do you give the team the continuity at head coach that they desperately need? Either way Russell is in trouble. He has not improved since he arrived in Oakland and many believe it's due to the constant turnover of his coaches and mentors. Many believe it's pure laziness on his part. Either way he has failed miserably.

   How can he possibly turn it around? How is Russell going to learn a new playbook if he couldn't learn all of the current one? How will he improve his mechanics if he has another new head coach, quarterbacks coach, new system, new playbook and a heck of a lot of conditioning work just to get in shape? Russell will fail again, the team will not have his back and the fans will leave in droves as the season tanks..... again. How many fans are going to buy season tickets if they know Russell is going to be given back the starting job he never earned? A lot less is my guess.

   The best thing for the Raiders and Russell is to keep Cable as head coach, have Jamarcus dedicate himself to football and conditioning in the off-season and let the team start Gradkowski next season. Let Russell and Frye compete for the backup slot. Then if Russell gets himself together, learns all of the playbook and how to read defenses, you never know what will happen in a 16 game season. Injuries happen! Chances are that he will get another shot at it during the season and might be able to make the most of it, Ala Vince Young. This is Russell's best chance of future success and the Raiders best hope of making the playoffs.

   One last point I'd like to make is that the more the media says Al will fire Cable, the more likely he will do the opposite.