IF Darren McFadden stays healthy for all of 2012 then the Oakland Raiders will win the AFC West.

Yeah, not exactly a bold statement when it begins with the dirty if word. But it’s not a reach when you consider how close the Raiders have been the last two years with only a side serving of Run DMC. Imagine what they’d look like with a full helping. He’d be the league’s leading rusher and possibly biggest producer of total yards from scrimmage with a full 16 games.

Carson Palmer doesn’t have to be great. With Jason Campbell being average the Raiders went from hopeless to in contention almost every Sunday. Anything was an upgrade over #2, we know this. But you can’t ignore McFadden’s breakout coming at the same time things improved in Oakland.

Keep in mind the Raiders haven’t had a good defense either. Funny thing is when McFadden is playing the defense is good enough to keep them in the game. Without McFadden the D becomes softer than Clay Aiken at an album cover shoot.

Not saying a homerun threat like McFadden can erase a bad defense. I’m still trying to forget what happened in Jacksonville. But I’ll take my chances in any contest with a weapon that can turn the tide with one touch.

Beyond his talent, he’s also a valued asset for all the other things he does. As a receiver, blocker, decoy and let’s not forget hard worker, McFadden is in that Walter Payton type mold. Not saying he is Payton, just that there is that all-around feel to his game that reminds you of Sweetness.

Darren McFadden is that type of player. MVP level talent with an old school approach.

Despite all of his injury issues, McFadden has avoided any major surgeries too. Keep that in mind. A lot of what he’s suffered has been of the freakish variety. Things that just can happen when you play a brutal sport.

But…here comes the but…

He does have a history of foot problems. That’s a warning sign too big to ignore for a running back. His latest was a condition that caused Matt Schaub to get surgery. McFadden and the Raiders didn’t choose the knife instead opting for rest and rehab. Kelly Skipper has coached him up for years now and he’s already saying McFadden is making cuts at full speed in May. So perhaps the no-surgery approach was best.

We’ll have to wait and see.

Getting back my not-so-bold proclamation of Oakland taking the AFC West back. Let’s be honest about this division. It’s just one big collection of good talent, good coaching and overall average teams.

The San Diego Chargers are Super Bowl champs in July and at home watching the playoffs in January. Get ready for the next round of hype when the football news dies down in the coming months.

Kansas City has teased its fans with some flashes of brilliance then followed that up with worse showings than the 0-16 Lions. They’re trendy right now too but don’t overlook the fact that they’re starting all over again with a new head coach, same as Oakland.

Change is constant in the AFC West so the deck keeps getting shuffled.

Denver is the no-brainer to most. As in you’ve got no brain if you’re picking them just because of Peyton Manning. He hasn’t played in a year and last time he did it’s not like the Colts ran through the league with ease. Plus, let’s be honest, nobody knows how this dude will respond when he takes a hit at game-speed. Don’t act as if this isn’t a gamble by the Broncos cause it is.

That brings me back to McFadden. He’s in his prime much like LaDainian Tomlinson who pushed the Chargers to the top of the AFC West in past years. Forget all that copy-cat talk of the NFL being a passing league. A dominant running back is the greatest luxury there is in football. They’re just few and far between with a short shelf life so when you get one you’ve got to take advantage.

Which brings me back to that dirty if word.

All running backs take punishment so injury is expected. Being able to manage pain versus injury is as old as the game itself. Nobody doubts McFadden’s toughness which means his injuries are serious enough that he just can’t play even if he wanted to. That is concerning cause we know he routinely plays through pain like all true professionals do.

So…if McFadden can stay healthy for 16 games I’m calling the AFC West crown right here, right now for the Oakland Raiders.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Reggie McKenzie got the Raiders GM gig by promising something Mark Davis thought the franchise badly needed – change.

The firing of Hue Jackson was a warning shot. The surprise release of Stanford Routt was only the prelude to what is coming next.

Currently McKenzie is in Indianapolis with one eye on the field and the other on the scouting department. More than likely once the Raiders are done with their evaluation process McKenzie will go about assembling his own scouting department. But that too is just another appetizer for the main meal.

McKenzie’s house cleaning is wide sweeping and will leave no corner of the franchise unchecked. As the new sheriff in town told Jerry McDonald yesterday, more changes are coming.

“We’re looking at some things. A lot of agents are in town, so we’re looking to sit down with some of these guys and work some things out. Without being specific, there are things we’ve got to get done and we’re in the process of doing that now. So yes, we can expect some things to happen.’’

In other words, McKenzie will be giving the agents he speaks with two options for their clients – take a pay cut or take a hike. The out-of-whack contract demolition process is in full swing what with the Raiders well over the salary cap and free agency on the way.

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve heard plenty of names floated out there that could become casualties in the on-going salary dump. Tommy Kelly, Kamerion Wimbley, Aaron Curry and Michael Huff have all been mentioned. While that is just speculation and nothing more there is something else at work other than the numbers game.

You’ll notice every name mentioned is that of a defensive player. One of McKenzie’s first orders of business was to evaluate his roster. By hiring a defensive minded head coach in Dennis Allen and then parting ways with the team’s top corner it is clear that the biggest changes are occurring on one side of the ball.

You’ll also notice that the only coaches that were retained in the process were offensive what with Al Saunders, Kelly Skipper and Steve Wisniewski remaining on board.

The writing is on the wall and it is very obvious where the focus has shifted to in the East Bay. No longer is offense a top priority. Just about every man that plays defense for the silver and black not named Richard Seymour should feel unsafe about returning next season. Don’t be too surprised if that extends to free agents like Tyvon Branch too.

There is no doubt that Branch is part of the solution and not the problem. However his problem is that he’s a free agent due a raise. McKenzie could value Branch but might not have the coin to get into a bidding war. Plus you can’t underestimate McKenzie’s clear desire to construct a team in his image.

All the changes made thus far have been done so in order to give McKenzie a roster and coaching staff he’s personally selected. With an underperforming and overpaid defense currently on the books there is every reason to think drastic moves are on the way. The Raiders need draft picks. The Raiders need cap space. Plenty of cost cutting is coming even if that means spending more in the short term to save cash in the long run. That’s just the cost of undoing Al Davis’ business.

The Oakland Raiders have added six more assistants to the 2012 coaching staff including two who are in their second stints with the Silver and Black—quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore, tight ends coach Mark Hutson, defensive backs coach Clayton Lopez, defensive backs coach Johnnie Lynn and defensive line coach Terrell Williams.

Clayton Lopez was rumored to be on his way to the Bay after coaching DBs in St. Louis last season. As you can see his hiring was also confirmed. That both Clayton and Johnnie Lynn hold the same title either says there is no official defensive backs coach or that Dennis Allen, a former DB, might be a little more involved with that unit. But that is just speculation on my part.

What is fact is that many of Allen’s assistants are making their NFL debuts as coaches. Whether or not that will have any impact on the team’s performance remains to be seen.

Another fact is that the times are changing. Reggie McKenzie has canceled the scholarship program in the East Bay with Hue Jackson, most of his staff and Stanford Routt being the first casualties. More moves are sure to follow in due time.

The lone holdovers from Jackson’s staff are Al Saunders, Kelly Skipper and Steve Wisniewski. There is some speculation that Allen will add more assistants to the staff down the road but for now this is your new coaching staff of the Oakland Raiders.