As the rumors in Oakland continue to heat up, Tim Kawakami of Mercury News believes that the Raiders may eventually stick with Tony Sparano at head coach and Reggie McKenzie at general manager for another year.
Raiders could keep Tony Sparano, Brandon Marshall questionable for Broncos
Oakland is reportedly considering going into a one-year holding pattern with both its coach and GM. Meanwhile, Denver is hoping to return a key contributor on defense and Eric Mangini is interviewing for the defensive coordinator job in Washington.
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Kawakami argues that because of the uncertainty surrounding where the team will be playing past 2015, staying in a holding pattern for another season could make sense. After missing out on Jim Harbaugh, the Raiders could decide to wait another year instead of settling for a second-tier candidate like Rex Ryan or Todd Bowles.
After taking over in the interim after Dennis Allen’s mid-season firing, Sparano’s team showed some promise towards the end, winning three of the last six games.
Marshall questionable against Colts
Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall has been officially listed as questionable after being a limited participant in practice on Friday.
Marshall missed the final two games of the regular season with a foot injury. He's one of the key contributors on defense, leading the team in tackles in the absence of Danny Trevathan and Nate Irving. He'll be a key factor in slowing down an Indianapolis running game that went for 114 yards in a win over the Bengals in the Wild Card round.
Also listed as questionable for the Broncos are defensive tackle Mitch Unrein and defensive end Quanterus Smith.
Justice Department steps into Washington’s legal battle
Last summer, the Washington football franchise sued a group of Native Americans that had recently won a major decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. On Friday, the Justice Department announced it would step in to defend a key federal law being attacked by the team's lawsuit, according to The Washington Post.
Last year, the trademark office's appeal board ruled that the Redskins name and logo violate the Lanham Act, which bars trademarks that disparage people or bring them into "contempt or disrepute." The Washington franchise's lawsuit claims that the Lanham Act is "unconstitutionally vague" and that it "effectively chills First Amendment free speech rights."
The Justice Department is not weighing in on the Redskins issue itself, but will defend the constitutionality of the Lanham Act.
Mangini to interview with Washington
Former Jets and Browns head coach Eric Mangini is next in line to interview for the vacant defensive coordinator spot on Jay Gruden's coaching staff in Washington, according to NBC's Dianna Marie Russini.
Mangini has interviewed for the head job with the Raiders, but most league experts don’t believe there’s any real chance that he’ll land that job.
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