ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Jon Gruden's bringing Tom Cable back to the Oakland Raiders as his offensive line coach is the first head-scratching hire of Gruden’s second tenure in Silver and Blackdom.
Or have you forgotten how Cable’s first run in Oakland ended?
But first, let’s talk scheme.
Cable is, first and foremost, a proponent of the zone-blocking scheme, and the Raiders’ offensive line -- the most expensive line in NFL history -- is most comfortable running power. Running primarily zone schemes last season under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Downing was a huge detriment to the likes of left tackle Donald Penn, left guard Kelechi Osemele, center Rodney Hudson, right guard Gabe Jackson and right tackle Marshall Newhouse, and it did not take advantage of the unit’s strength.