No one wants to be the one to tell a perennial Pro Bowler or a team record holder that it's time to go.
Yet, someone has to do it. Raiders managing general partner Al Davis admits that he is guilty of hanging on to once-productive players long past their shelf life.
New coach Tom Cable isn't swayed by past accomplishments, shiny resumes, fat contracts or where a player was selected in the NFL draft. He displayed his produce-now-or-ride-the-bench philosophy by demoting two starters after only one game in place of fired coach Lane Kiffin.
"That was the message,"
Cable said, when asked if he sent a message to his players by removing wide receiver Ronald Curry and free safety Michael Huff from the starting lineup after the New Orleans Saints game Oct. 12.
To be sure, these weren't token moves.
Curry is the longest-tenured player on the roster outside of kicker Sebastian Janikowski and punter Shane Lechler. He has three seasons in which he caught at least 50 passes and led the Raiders in receptions and yards last season.
Rookie Chaz Schilens replaced Curry in the starting lineup. He caught two passes for 10 yards against the New York Jets last Sunday.
Huff was the No. 7 pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He started all 37 games during his three-year NFL career before he was replaced by journeyman Hiram Eugene last Sunday.
"It's about you going out and producing,"
Cable said, without hesitation. "Everybody here gets paid. Everybody here's a pro. You put that helmet on and go between the lines, you have a job to do, and you're expected to do the job as best you can like any coach or anybody."
Curry recorded only six receptions for 61 yards and one touchdown through Oakland's first five games. In the process, he dropped several passes that Cable deemed catchable.
Huff moved to free safety in the offseason and was being counted on to deliver game-altering plays. Kiffin and Cable criticized Huff's play the first five games.
"There have been some great players that get benched and end up coming back "
... ," defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. "People take demotion any way that they want, but I know Michael's professional. He was disappointed in some of the things that he was doing on the field."
"He is a fine student of the game. He realizes that if he keeps working hard, good things will always happen to good people."
The eye-opening moves weren't knee-jerk reactions to one game, Cable said. He evaluated his players' performance in his first game in place of Kiffin, consulted his coaching staff and rewarded players who worked hard in practice.
This isn't to say that Curry and Huff didn't work hard, Cable said. It's about creating competition, stoking the fire and putting players on notice.
"We're going to do whatever it takes to win, no matter what,"
is the message received by players, defensive end Jay Richardson said. "It kind of opened some guys' eyes, and they were like, 'This is serious, and he's serious about winning, so let's all get going.'"‰"
Cable no doubt received Davis' blessings on the moves. Kiffin made similar moves, but he failed to heed Davis' advice.
"We had players who had played eight or nine years here, that I asked him to be careful with,"
Davis said. "Just treat them (with respect), give them a chance. "... (Kiffin) was more interested in cleaning out the locker room and getting (his) guys in there than winning. I can only say to you, I have a different opinion on this thing."
Huff backed Cable's move, saying he hasn't performed as well as he expected.
"Things just didn't go my way, so it was time to make a move,"
Huff said. "I definitely understand it."
Cable didn't make any stirring moves this week. However, he wants it known that everyone is accountable for their play.
"I just felt like if it's not getting done the way that we see it needs to get done, then you have to challenge them,"
Cable said. "The best way to do it is for them to stand and watch."
