Just two weeks ago, Al Saunders was a possible replacement for Bill Muir as the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator. It was believed he could be leaving the Oakland Raiders organization after serving as their OC last year. However, new head coach Dennis Allen wants Saunders back and he wants to give him a bit of security.
Jason La Canfora is reporting that the Raiders are bringing back Saunders until 2013 with his new contract. Saunders has a keen offensive mind and a complex playbook, but a quarterback with a strong arm and valuable experience like Carson Palmer should do well with some consistency and a coordinator like Saunders at the helm. All in all, this is a great move for the team.
Last year, the Raiders were within a game of winning the AFC West title despite the initial issues of Palmer’s return to the NFL and loss of offensive MVP Darren McFadden for most of the season. Given a full off-season the Raiders should be quite competitive and have good reason to believe they have a chance at the AFC West title.