July 20, 2008

 If the Raiders hire veteran assistant coach Paul Hackett as an offensive consultant, as Al Davis is reportedly considering, it might be the most critical move of their offseason, according to sources in Oakland. Hackett is widely regarded as one of the best developers of quarterbacks around, and he might work wonders with JaMarcus Russell, who begins his first season as the Raiders’ starter.

 Although underachieving DT Dewayne Robertson failed a physical earlier this offseason, which stopped him from being traded to the Bengals, we hear the Broncos, who later acquired him in a swap with the Jets, don’t seem too worried about the bone-on-bone condition in his knee. Sources say head coach Mike Shanahan is well aware of the fragile knee and will likely lighten Robertson’s training-camp workload to help him stay fresh for the season. Robertson’s ability to stay on the field will be important to Denver’s defense this year — the interior of its defensive line struggled last season, and the Broncos ranked 30th in run defense.