Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Not everything Reggie McKenzie is doing these days is about undoing what Al Davis did. The re-signing of Derek Hagan proves an example of McKenzie re-doing something that Davis previously un-did. Not sure if that makes sense or if its proper grammar for that matter but I think you get the point.

If you’re reading this blog then you already knew Hagan as a former Raider that played his way onto the roster as a camp invite last season. He was eventually released, went to Buffalo and one year later has again found his way back to the Bay.

In need of some help at receiver with injuries piling up, the Raiders have signed the former Sun Devil for his second run with the organization. This comes one day after Oakland gave veteran Jabar Gaffney a lookover. However Gaffney’s salary would have been fully guaranteed had he been on the roster for week one making Hagan a bargain McKenzie could very much afford.

Hagan impressed last preseason for the Silver and Black including a 100-yard performance against the Saints. He’s a valuable asset as a chain mover on third down and has the ability to make plays in the open field as well.

In order to make room for Hagan the Raiders parted ways with the recently signed Coye Francies.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

When the Oakland Raiders open training camp in just over a month from now there will be plenty of position battles to keep an eye on. Except for a few obvious exceptions most every job is up for grabs under the new regime. Having concluded their offseason program yesterday the new coaching staff has got to have a solid idea of where they stand and what areas need to be addressed before the preseason begins.

But since we’re talking about a team that had to part ways with some major contributors just to get into cap compliance, any help the coaches need will likely have to come from the players they’ve already seen.

These are your 2012 Oakland Raiders, a collection of “As Is” talent that won’t be changing much between now and the start of the regular season.

On the one hand it might come across as disconcerting that the final 53 men left standing will be the same faces that have been around since May. Normally you’d expect a team to make a few acquisitions going into camp just to keep competition honest. Then again, since when is it a bad thing to have camaraderie through continuity? At this point the entire team has already done enough bonding to make training camp a formality of the job. That’s going to go a long way in keeping this group of players as a big, happy family.

It’s also par for the course under the conditions Reggie McKenzie inherited.

Yesterday McKenzie laid out his analysis of the team and he pretty much said any roster changes will likely be put off until next offseason.

Now that doesn’t mean there won’t be a new face or two in camp. It’s just that they’ll be of the Derek Hagan/Matt Girodano variety that made the cut coming out of camp last year.

There will be no fliers taken on aging vets just to see how much is left in the tank. Save your T.O. to Oakland headlines, national media.

There will be no Richard Seymour-esque trades before the start of the regular season. McKenzie has already said the Raiders are out of the business of trading away future draft picks.

Most of all there will be no midseason panic button pushed should another Kyle Boller crisis arise. These are your 2012 Oakland Raiders. What you see is what you get.

Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Of the many free agents to exit the East Bay this offseason few will elicit as many reactions as Chaz Schilens. Schilens was everything and nothing to the Raiders. A diamond in the rough that flashed all the potential of an All-Pro yet had the production only a practice squad lifer would envy. Injuries robbed Schilens of the chance to showcase his skills. Emerging young talents like Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford made him expendable.

Chaz has now taken his talent to the Big Apple where his greatest miracle will be trying to produce as a wide receiver with Mark Sanchez taking the time to occasionally complete pass between photo shoots. Best of luck with that, Chaz.

The Raiders have moved on. Such is the nature of pro football. Reggie McKenzie has no desire to continue the projects of Al Davis. However every team needs some type of prospective talent to mold. Without that talent evaluators would only have to scan NFL draft websites instead of actually doing their jobs.

One man that McKenzie has kept around as a pet project of sorts is Eddie McGee. The quarterback turned receiver flashed enough potential to earn a spot on the practice squad last season. Whatever it was the former coaching regime saw in McGee must have meant something to the current one.

Currently McGee still has roster spot. He was recently seen in the now infamous pic Tweeted by Darrius Heyward-Bey in which McGee stands next one Terrell Owens. That post-workout pic made some minor headlines this week because of unemployed diva amid the Raider receiving corps.

What got little to no play at all was Carson Palmer, who has been working out with many of his receivers including McGee, comparing the project pass catcher to Chaz Schilens.

To be sure McGee has a long way to go until the Schilens comparisons can begin. First and foremost McGee will have to make the active roster and actually catch a few balls in an NFL game. Practice squad heroics mean about as much as high school accomplishments in the NFL.

As far as similarities go, both Schilens and McGee are built the same way. McGee measures out at 6’3” and has good speed for a big receiver. During his pro day back at the University of Illinois McGee ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, somewhat similar to what Schilens clocked for San Diego State.

Beyond that we haven’t seen enough of McGee aside from limited snaps last preseason. We don’t know if he is anything close to being as good a route runner as Schilens or if he attacks the ball in the air. But I’ll take Palmer’s evaluation at face value.

No matter McGee’s potential he’s got a tough road to climb in order to get into the mix in Oakland. Schilens was already established as a legit contributor and even he was pretty much an afterthought despite being healthy last season.

With Schilens out of the picture McGee has a clear path to the active roster. Unless another Derek Hagan type shows up in camp and impresses enough to get a contract. Such is life in the NFL for an undrafted talent like McGee. Chances are few and far between so all this could be for not if we never see him in a regular season competition.