Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE

No surprise at all that Jason Campbell and the Raiders officially parted ways. Once Carson Palmer was acquired the writing was on the wall. What is a surprise is where Campbell chose to take his talents. The man Al Davis once compared to Jim Plunkett is headed to Chicago where he’ll carry a clipboard behind Jay Cutler.

Campbell could have easily found work elsewhere in a situation that might have provided an opportunity to be a starter. Behind Cutler his only chance to play will come via injury. Of course that isn’t too much of a longshot given the former Bronco’s recent history. Then again, maybe Campbell just wants to be on a team in contention.

Any team looking for an open audition at quarterback isn’t one that is going to be making much noise come January of 2013.

For Campbell this is yet another stop on an otherwise unfortunate career. Once upon a time he was a first round pick out of Auburn pegged to be the QB of the future in Washington DC. That situation never provided any stability for JC and once the Redskins turned the page by signing Donovan McNabb it was Oakland who came calling.

Known for his leadership qualities, tireless work ethic and arm strength, Campbell was the breath of fresh air Mr. Davis needed to end the disaster that was JaMarcus Russell. With Campbell under center the Raiders returned to the top of the NFL in offensive production. His first year in Oakland saw the Raiders end a hideous string of losing season as the silver and black finished with a respectable .500 record.

Campbell’s second year in the Bay saw him get was off to the best start of his career before disaster struck. A broken collar bone ended his season then the panicked trade for Palmer claimed his job. Injury in a contract year usually spells uncertainty during the offseason. Luckily Campbell’s resected enough around the league that a team like Chicago would gladly welcome him given their lackluster backups to Cutler.

You can’t help but root for a guy like Campbell. He’s a pro’s pro that never complains, always shows up ready to go to work and was precisely what the Raiders needed before things began to spiral completely out of control. Having signed a one-year deal with the Bears, Campbell will likely be back on market again next year where a better opportunity might present itself. Here’s hoping the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL gets his due one of these days.

Raiders willing to roll the dice on Tice?

While the Raiders have yet to officially confirm many of the names being rumored as candidates for the coaching vacancy the reports keep pouring in from various sources. The latest man in the mix is Mike Tice, the current offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears though he’s only held that title for a hot second.

Tice was promoted from offensive line coach to coordinator following the recent retirement of Mike Martz. Before his current stint with the Bears Tice was the mediocre head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

Yet another uninspired candidate for Reggie McKenzie to meet with if the reports are accurate.

Thus far the Raiders haven’t shown much interest in pursuing a more established coach. The majority of the names mentioned have either had no head coaching experience or were, at best, well below average as head coaches.
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As it stands the safest best there is in the AFC West is the Oakland Raiders.

Don’t take my word for it though, let the math geeks tell you that the Silver and Black have a 60% shot at winning the division and giving the East Bay a long overdue playoff date.

Let’s not get too carried away.

Yes, the Raiders control their own destiny. Yes, the rest of the teams in the division have more questions than Bob Costas does for Joe Paterno. No, the Raiders cannot afford any of that to factor into their upcoming contests.

Jay Cutler’s broken thumb has only opened up the opportunity for a potential soul crushing loss. Hue Jackson had better not be taking Caleb Haine lightly. These are the games that cost teams their dreams.

That blown lead in Buffalo looms large as do those two TD tosses Tebow connected on just a few weeks ago.

The Raiders cannot afford another penalty party as they did in Minnesota. It speaks volumes on how well Coach Jackson has his team mentality prepared when you see them overcome all these mistakes.

All that being said the time has come to flip the playoff switch.
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