Those that read JBB know there will be no love lost for Hackett. Among the most overrated coaches in all of football, Hackett’s tenure as quarterbacks coach was unproductive to say the least. Being unable to get anything out of JaMarcus Russell – though not even Bill Walsh could make that miracle happen – was Hackett’s first failure and his lone success might have been making Bruce Gradkowski occasionally look like an NFL caliber QB instead of the noodle-armed journeyman he is.

Tollner’s role as Passing Game Coordinator was no longer needed with both Jackson and now Al Saunders in the mix. As stated previously there were just too many cooks with spoons in the pot as far as the offense goes.

Now the attention finally turns to the defense where names like Winston Moss, Chuck Bresnahan and Joe Cullen are making the rounds through the rumor mill to replace John Marshall.

Super Mario hires a Super Agent, time to ca$h in

Rosenhaus made the announcement on Twitter that he has agreed to represent Oakland Raider left tackle Mario Henderson.

We are pleased to announce that we have signed Mario Henderson, starting left tackle of the Oakland Raiders as a new client.

Mario is a rising star at his position and we are excited to work with him. He is a FSU alum and played high school ball in Fort Myers.

(I love how Rosenhaus gives a shout-out to the city of Fort Myers, Florida, as if he’s trying to plant a demon seed in the mind of some freakishly athletic 12-year that might be living in Lee County)

Henderson inherited the starting left tackle position in 2008 after Kwame Harris was unable to stay healthy, remember a snap count or actually block anybody. Mario played well enough at the end of the season that head coach Tom Cable and offensive line guru Jim Michalczik stayed away from drafting a left tackle in a class with a plethora of talent at the position. The Raider brain trust instead opted to lean on Henderson and sign Khalif Barnes to keep Mario honest.

Henderson was a third round pick in an outstanding 2007 Raider class that includes JaMarcus Russell, Zach Miller, Johnnie Lee Higgins and Michael Bush.

With two years remaining on his rookie deal, expect Rosenhaus to play hardball with the Raider front office should his client continue the solid play he displayed at the end of ’08. Franchise left tackles are a premium in the NFL and the Raiders are already behind the eight ball no thanks to supposed left tackle turned stand out guard Robert Gallery. Don’t be surprised if Rosenhaus uses Gallery’s rookie contract as leverage and don’t be surprised if camera crews catch Henderson doing pushups on his front lawn as he performs a contract hold out in 2010.

From a career perspective, this is a great move for Henderson. From a fan perspective, this is bad news for Raider Nation.

My question is, what will Drew advise his client to do if the Raiders are unwilling to renegotiate his deal at the end of 2009?

We know exaclty how Rosenhaus will answer that and any other question.

Trust me, this will get ugly.

The reconstruction of the Oakland foundation shifted from the offensive line to the defensive side of the ball with a signing and yet another re-signing.

Linebacker Sam Williams checks in as the 11^th Raider re-signing posted on Raiders.com in ’09, while defensive tackle Ryan Boschetti makes his entry as just the 5^th signing and is the first new defensive lineman to arrive in Oakland. It should be noted that cornerback Chris Johnson would make it 12 re-signings, but his status still has yet to be officially announced by the Raiders.

Boschetti is a Bay Area native who might have crossed paths in the doorway with Tom Cable at UCLA . Williams is a holdover from the last time a 3-4 was attempted in Oakland.

John Marshall’s defense now takes the center stage as the draft nears. Ranked 31^st in the NFL against the run in 2008, it’s pretty clear what priority number one is for the former Seahawk coordinator.

Ryan Boschetti’s arrival does not mean that B.J. Raji is out as a choice at number 7, but the latest news on Raji does indicate he might very well be available to the Raiders.

Raji is on a list of names that failed drug tests at the recent NFL draft combine.

Most anticipate his draft status will fall. Many have already gone to the, “Look what happened with Warren Sapp” argument.

Raji is not Sapp. Sapp has concluded a stellar career in the NFL that began in controversy amid reports of a drug issue. So it’s unfair to compare Raji’s situation to Sapp’s at this point. Both were considered the best defensive tackles of their respective drafts, but Sapp was considered a top 5 pick if not number one overall.

The Raiders desperately need to make changes on the defensive line. Raji could very well be the best solution available in the draft. Now that there are character questions, his stock is rumored to be slipping, and he looks to be available when the Raiders are on the clock.

You can now throw B.J. Raji’s drug test in with Michael Crabtree’s injury and Andre Smith’s disappearance. One, if not all, of the three best players at their respective positions in the draft could be available to the Raiders at 7, yet each one comes with a warning label.

The 2009 draft takes yet another violent turn and again proves it is not for the faint of heart. For the time being, Tom Cable appears to be done with Jim Michalczik and is moving on to Dwaine Board.