Though some continue to believe that Raiders coach Lane Kiffin will be fired before the start of the 2008 regular season, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News thinks that Kiffin has been kept around to help develop quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Even though Kiffin has by all appearances been frozen out of the defensive side of the ball and at best shares offensive authority with coordinator Greg Knapp and receivers coach James Lofton, Kiffin is the guy who’s responsible for the quarterback position.  And that’s the position where the team has made its most recent huge investment.

Kiffin raved last week about Russell’s development.  “You see the same thing I do:  This is not the same JaMarcus we saw a year ago,” Kiffin said.  “The way he moves around and the way he’s zipping the ball around and the confidence he’s throwing with.  It’s exciting right now.”

Kawakami also believes that one of Kiffin’s goals is to increase Russell’s completion percentage to 65 percent.  Assisting in this regard could be 2008 first-rounder Darren McFadden, who could take short passes and take the up the field.