Raiders notebook

Dominic Rhodes had some biting comments when he was let go by the Raiders earlier this week. The most telling is that head coach Lane Kiffin “just doesn't really have a chance because somebody else is in control all the time.”

That might sound like something coming from a player bitter for having essentially sat out a year and wanting to take a few parting shots on his way out the door. The thing is, Rhodes was not bitter. In fact, he sounded rather pleased with his situation. The Raiders, per an agreement Rhodes had put in his contract this offseason when he agreed to restructure his deal with Oakland, released Rhodes as a result of using its first-round draft pick on running back Darren McFadden.

According to Rhodes, Kiffin didn’t even want to draft McFadden. He also bemoaned the Raiders’ selection, citing the team’s poor run defense over the years as a more important area of need. Rhodes also knows the difference between how a team should be run and how it shouldn’t. He went to the playoffs in four of his six seasons with the Colts, winning a Super Bowl with the team in 2006 before signing with Oakland as a free agent last year.

It’s one thing for the media to hypothesize about the situation in Oakland. Fans tend to believe it’s the sportswriters and columnists running with stories just to take shots at the Raiders.v But when a player speaks out so critically, especially one who doesn’t have an axe to grind, it doesn’t bode well at all. You can bet, too, that Rhodes isn’t the only player in the Raiders locker room feeling that way.

So what happens the first time Kiffin tries to discipline a player? Will they listen? Or will they shrug it off, knowing the coach has limited -- if any -- authority left?

Not good. Not good at all.