Posted by Josh Katzowitz On Tuesday, we told you about the, um, interesting decision by owner Al Davis not to renew the option of Raiders coach Tom Cable, casting him into unemployment instead of rewarding him for the team’s best record in eight seasons and a clean sweep of the AFC West.
Now, the fallout begins.
Oakland punter Shane Lechler told CSN Bay Area (via Pro Football Talk) that the decision was a “huge setback” and intimated that it might cause the team’s best players to not want to play for the organization.
“I’m not so sure this isn’t a terrible decision,” Lechler said.
A few other spicy quotes.
On Hue Jackson, the team’s offensive coordinator who now could be in line for Cable’s old job: “Yes, I do respect (Jackson) … Whether he can call plays and pull off the whole head coaching deal and deal with Al Davis on the side, I don’t know. That’s a lot on somebody’s plate, so we’ll see.”
More on Cable: “I just want to know . . . how do you justify firing somebody when you just went 6-0 in the division and 8-8 in the season after we put in so much as a group, as a unit, as a team with our leader being Tom Cable, how do you just go ahead and whack this guy with, I mean, no reason?”
If anybody can say this in the Raiders organization, it’s Lechler. He’s regarded as the NFL’s finest punter, and if Davis wants to part ways with him because of the above comments, Lechler would have no problem finding a job in the NFL. Hell, maybe that’s exactly Lechler’s plan.
Maybe Lechler’s not just pissed, but maybe he’s also quite brilliant.
And as we all know, pissed and brilliant is a dangerous combination.
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