Very much appreciate you sharing this interview with Chris Hansen of Raidersblog. I like his insights on where the Raiders are and where they are going.
A couple of things.
1) I'm not sure that Al Davis feels like he got burned losing Zach Miller. I think he has some crazy dysfunctional attachments to certain players. "Al Davis" guys, if you will. For whatever reason, Zach Miller wasn't one of his "guys". Remember, Al Davis is exceedingly generous to some of his players, so I don't think money was the issue here. My "out-of-leftfield" guess or conspiracy theory is that Miller was one of Cable's guys, and Al drew a line in the sand, so to speak. Old school mafioso stuff. There's a lot of pride behind the Raider shield and at its core is Al Davis's ego.
2) I know it's early, and Jason Campbell is always going to carry that "just an average QB" tag with him everywhere he goes. But consider this:
He's in his first back-to-back stable OC situation. He's had time this offseason to build on what he learned last year. He's the unquestioned starter, unlike last year. He's got a much better receiving core with potentially Hagan, Moore, and Ford all sure handed receivers on the field.
Garda, I know you study the game. So I ask you to do this. Go back and watch that Saints game. Notice Campbell's pre-snap reads, and how decisive Campbell was on that 91 yard drive. See how much faster he executed his decisions from the pocket. Notice the huddle is cohesive and nobody is sloughing off the field on substitutions. These are little things I know, but signals that Campbell is coming of age (I know he's a little late to the party, but not entirely his fault). Anyway, I won't oversell Campbell, but on that drive, if I blink my eyes I imagine I am seeing Peyton Manning. I know, it's a small sample size, but I am excited about Campbell's progress and especially Al Saunders playcalling. This is a much faster, more disciplined led offense in the hands of JCamp.
