This piece is the first of a few  in which I will go through my thoughts on the likely direction of the Oakland Raiders at the conclusion of the season.  Future articles will discuss my predictions on the direction of the offense and defense in general and specific players.

Here are my thoughts on the coaching staff.  I try to walk through this very logically and sequentially so each successive point builds off the previous points.  The future articles will build on these points as well to create as full a picture as I can.

So, please enjoy my predictions on the coaching staff for the 2013 Oakland Raiders and let me know what you think either in the comments section or on Twitter @AsherMathews

Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen aren’t going anywhere:

“My long-term goal was to research and identify a general manager to lead the Raider organization into the future. I consulted with Ron Wolf to help me identify potential candidates, one of which was Reggie McKenzie.

“Unfortunately, league rules prohibited us from contacting any current employees of other National Football League teams until the end of the regular season. So for three months, I did extensive research into all the potential candidates for the job.

“But early on, I recognized that Reggie McKenzie was the man I was looking for to lead the Raiders into the future. On January 1^st, the shackles were off and we were finally able to ask the Green Bay Packers for permission to interview Reggie McKenzie to become general manager of the Oakland Raiders. On January 2^nd, the Green Bay Packers graciously granted that permission.

“I called Reggie, we spoke briefly, and made arrangements for him to fly in for an interview. We met with John Madden for about six hours and reached an agreement that Reggie would become the general manager of the Oakland Raiders. After the meeting, I texted Reggie that my father used to say, ‘The greatness of the Raiders is in its future.’

“Reggie, the future is now. Ladies and gentlemen, Reggie McKenzie.”

This is how Raiders owner Mark Davis introduced General Manager Reggie McKenzie at the press conference on January 10^th.  While Davis has expressed dissatisfaction with the current record it seems unlikely that, even with a disappointing year, he is going to replace McKenzie already.

No, Reggie McKenzie’s job is safe for another year, at least, but likely for a few more years while he tries to bring some consistency and stability to a franchise that has seen upheaval after upheaval in recent years.

TFDS Contributor Seth Murphy takes an early look at some of the players he thinks the Raiders may target with TFDS' first mock of the 2013 NFL Draft. For more of his thoughts on the Raiders or the draft, you can follow him on Twitter @SethMurphy4991

First Round: Star Lotulelei DT University of Utah

Star Lotulelei has been a monster in the middle of Utah’s defensive line. He would fit in Oakland either as a 0 technique Nose Tackle in a 3-4 defense or as a 1 technique if  Oakland chooses to stay in the 4-3. Many of Oakland’s problems on defense can be traced to the decline of veteran DT’s Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour, both of whom are clearly nearing the end of their respective careers.

Star would make an immediate impact in stopping the run. The 6’ 4” 320 pound monster won the 2011 Morris Trophy for best defensive lineman in the league as voted on by starting offensive lineman. Over his career star has accumulated 107 tackles, 7 sacks and 22.5 while also forcing 4 fumbles and recovering 5. Those numbers are impressive for an interior defensive lineman that faces a double (sometimes triple) team on every play. He also played some goal line fullback and he has recorded a 17 yard reception.

It can't be masked, overlooked or denied; we are honestly a weak, underachieving, dreadful team. If you look at games long enough as I have, you will also realize we are one of the WORST Raider teams as well. Since 2007, the Oakland Raiders have won at least 4 games. Right now? We are still stuck on magic number 3.

Hell, do we even want our team to win? Should we even try to overcome our mistakes? I can sense what most of you are thinking -- of course not. Get the high draft picks, build around them and start Allen Year 2 off with better players. Speaking as a former Athlete, I'll tell you all; that frame of thought is just not possible in the minds of the Players. As long as you compete in the NFL, you play to win. There is just no other option, Nation.

That was a great Halftime, Oakland. They honored all of the of Raiders that were previously inducted into the Hall of Fame. I'd like to think that most of our players look at yesteryear and get motivated, energized and feel a sense of pride after putting those colors on. But it's just not true.

 Dear Mr. Allen,

I understand why Pryor hasn’t been active until late in the season – I really do.  I know you were saddled with him after the Raiders gave up a pick in the 3^rd round for him and while he’s just the kind of guy that Al Davis liked – big, strong, fast and extremely athletic – he’s incredibly unpolished.

I know you likely don’t think he’s the future of the franchise.  I know you’re more worried about winning your fourth game than you are developing a young guy like Pryor who you doubt will ever develop into a starting QB.  I know that your coaching seat is hotter right now than you ever imagined it would be in your first season taking over a team that admittedly had a lot of issues before you got there.

Look, I understand all that and I sympathize with you –we all have employees, coworkers or superiors that we think only got the job because someone made a mistake when hiring (or in this case drafting) them.  And I have my own reservations about Pryor’s future to be honest.  I mean, he lacks accuracy on many of his passes which is really a fundamental necessity for an NFL Quarterback.

Danny & Dano, the hosts of  Sonoma County Sports Fans radio show and podcast were kind enough to invite me back again this week to talk Raiders.  We discussed a number of different topics including the possibility of Jon Gruden coming back to coach the Silver & Black, how much blame Carson Palmer bears for the offenses struggles and what the Raiders should do, at a broad level, for this year's draft.

Please take a listen! To listen to the show, click here.

You can follow Danny & Dano on Twitter @SoCoSportsFans

For more thoughts from Brad, follow him on Twitter @jazzhessian

Summary
A spirited effort by the Raider defense against Peyton Manning and the Broncos proved not to be enough as the Raiders fell again, bringing their record to 3-10. After a rough week for Dennis Allen dealing with the unexpected loss of his father Grady, the Raiders seemed to come into the Thursday night matchup with an emotional boost.

After giving up a touchdown on the first drive, the Raider defense bounced back nicely. They put more pressure on Manning than any other team this season, and held the Bronco offense to field goals on four out of their six redzone trips. Inconveniently-timed penalties coupled with a slow start by the offense killed whatever momentum they might have gained, however.

Poor pass protection and dropped passes hampered the offense, and Palmer’s increasingly poor decision-making ended up being the nail in the coffin for the Raiders. With several minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Broncos were already milking the clock. Final score: 26-13.

The Raiders extended their losing streak to 6 straight and dropped their overall record to 3-10 with a 26-13 loss to the rival Denver Broncos.

The Raiders were large underdogs coming into the game but looked like they might be able to make it interesting as they went into half only down 6 points to the Manning-led Broncos.

They came out driving well in the second half, as well, with McFadden scampering for a 36 yard run on the first drive after getting the edge before the defense could stop him.  However, the team wasn't able to capitalize and the game quickly got out of hand from there.