Turns out the only people surprised by Steve Wisniewski’s not-so-sudden departure were everyone outside of the Raiders organization. CSN Bay Area confirms that Wisniewski had informed the team and most of the players he coached of his decision to step down weeks ago. All that remained was for the right time to roll around in order to get all of the coaches in one room to make the move formal.

That moment came earlier this week as the team prepared to head to Napa for camp. Soon afterward word spread throughout the media but by then it was old news to the Raiders.

Paul Gutierrez quotes Khalif Barnes who was informed of Wisniewski’s decision via text message.

“Yeah, I know, he texted me a couple of weeks ago, he texted me and I was surprised to hear it. Wiz, I know he was special to me. When he first came in, he gave me some of his 13 years of experience and knowledge, and how it was to be in the trenches, and I don’t think anyone did it better than him when he was with the Raiders.”

Lost in all of this could be the sudden conclusion to what looked like a solid coaching career for Wiz. Though he had only been a in the coaching arena for a few years Wisniewski was heralded as a rising star in the ranks. His experience as player surely endeared him to the men he coached while his peers and nothing but praise for his approach.

None the less, you can’t fault a man that chooses to put his family first. That report might have seemed like a smokescreen at first but given what we know now it’s clear that there was no added drama in an out-of-the-blue bit of news.

Just goes to show you that even during the more transparent Reggie McKenzie regime some things are still kept in house until the right moment arrives. Though Wisniewski’s departure came as a shock to most of us due to its proximity to the start of camp it turns out the timing was intentional and planned out. Such careful thought is a good indication of how this new era of Raider football will be orchestrated. Even if it’s news of the surprising variety, the handling of the Wisniewski situation gives McKenzie and company the benefit of the doubt for future happenings.

Pat Kirwan of CBS Sports first Tweeted the news and now Bill Williamson of ESPN.com has confirmed Steve Wisniewski has cleared out his office and is no longer working with the Raiders in an assistant coaching capacity. Perhaps this move was being discussed behind closed doors for some time now. For me, personally, it is stunning and very sudden considering camp is right around the corner.

Williamson cites Wisniewski’s desire to spend more time with his family as the main reason for his abrupt departure. However Williamson also claims that Wisniewski will continue to work with the team in a different and lesser capacity.

The knee-jerk reaction is that Wisniewski never felt welcomed during the transition to the Reggie McKenzie regime. Wisniewski was one of only three members of the previous coaching staff that remained on board when Dennis Allen was hired.

Of course Wisniewski has been a part of the silver and black family long before he was hired to help coach up the O-line including working with his nephew Stefen.

Maybe this was part of the plan all along. Perhaps McKenzie and Wisniewski had an understanding in place early on that he would remain as an assistant coach during the offseason to help preserve some continuity before bowing out before camp. Or it could be that Wisniewski saw the writing on the wall and decided to depart on his own terms.

No matter the case the Raiders will open camp with Frank Pollack coaching up his unit without the aide of Wisniewski.

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.