Raiders, Jackson moving closer to the edge

Hue Jackson is solving one problem by getting Carson Palmer and T.J. Houshmandzadeh in back-to-back game weeks: He now has two players who have had the benefit of a full training camp, which is two more than most other teams.True, Palmers training camp with Houshmandzadeh consisted of throwing the ball for about a week, but its something.

But it also commits the Raiders to a new world where the offense is actually Palmers. He has won the job, he got his favorite slot receiver from bygone days, and by some accounts is going to start calling his own plays at the line in certain situationssomewhere between Peyton Mannings role in Indianapolis and Andrew Lucks at Stanford.Were not saying this is either good or bad. Palmers played one half of unprepared football this year, Houshmandzadeh none at all, and the offense still is going to revolve around Darren McFadden for as long as he is healthy and available. The unknowns here are as plentiful as they are delicious.But it gives even newer meaning to Jacksons oft-parodied I live on the edge remark in that he has now handed the keys to a guy hes had in the building for three weeks, a rise as meteoric as his own. And while the statute of limitations of Al wouldnt have done it that way is rapidly running out in the fast-evolving world of professional collisions for hire, this does represent not only living on the edge, but doing tongue-stands on it.They may get away with it in the short term, too, as the Denver Tebows come to town for what can be the perfect distraction. Tebow is now his own sideshow, a deal not entirely of his making but still a very palpable and even bloated one. Carson Palmer is now at best a national sidebar while the debate about Tebows place in the universe is debated for yet another week.And we should add that, Tebow aside, the Broncos arent very good, the one team in the AFC West who doesnt have a share of its lead.Thus, Palmers new role is going to get lost here, at least for awhile and except by Raider diehards who care little for the travails of Tim Tebows resume. But the Raiders are now farther on the edge than they were even a week ago, and one wonders what comes next.Tim Brown, airport courtesy phone, please?