It was a surprising scene following an offseason filled with rumors of Huff parting ways with the team that made him the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft.

“It was funny because every week it was a different story,” Huff said. “I know everybody associated me with (former Oakland defensive coordinator) Rob Ryan going to Dallas, and I’m from Dallas so everybody put two and two together. The whole time I knew what was going on and the Raiders knew what was going on, so there was really no panic on our side.”

Huff, who earned $5.75 million in 2010, is coming off his best season after struggling his first few years in the league. The sixth-year veteran had 94 tackles, three interceptions, four sacks and three forced fumbles in 2010.

Mike Mitchell and Tyvon Branch have been alternating between the two safety positions through the first few days of camp. Huff’s return likely means Branch, last year’s leading tackler, can remain at strong safety.

“He’s one of the guys that can play several things, but he’s our safety,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson said of Huff. “He’s returning at the position he played and I’m expecting a big season from him.”

There has been talk of possibly moving Huff to cornerback, a need position for the Raiders after Nnamdi Asomugha signed a $60 million, five-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Huff played there sporadically last season after injuries to the team’s other cornerbacks depleted the depth.

For now, though, the plan is to keep him at safety.

“Whatever the defense needs I’ll do it,” Huff said. “I’ll play dime. I’ll play a little linebacker in there. I’m not really too big but I’ll do anything to help the defense. I just want to win.”

Although Huff was free to sign with another team, he declined any offers to visit and didn’t take phone calls based on previous discussions he had with the Raiders’ front office.

“(Teams) called but I didn’t answer,” Huff said. “I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. They drafted me so I’ve been here through the bad times. I’m looking forward to turning this around and being here through the good times.”

The Raiders had the league’s second-ranked pass defense last season but surrendered 29 touchdown passes, fifth most in the NFL. Improving that unit was a priority in the offseason.

Oakland hired Hall of Famer Rod Woodson to assist defensive backs coach Kevin Ross, signed Stanford Routt to a $31.5 million, three-year contract, and drafted cornerbacks DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa. Chekwa dislocated his left shoulder during Saturday’s practice and was wearing a sling on Sunday.

Asomugha’s departure, while certainly not unexpected, left a void Huff hopes to help fill.

“He’s the one that kind of showed me how to watch film and showed me how to study,” Huff said. “I definitely give him a lot of credit for helping me grow to the next step. Now I have to take that next step. What he taught me, I gotta teach the young guys that.”

Huff is the fifth free agent who has returned to the Raiders since the end of the lockout. Oakland also signed eight of its potential free agents before the lockout.

Tight end Zach Miller remains the team’s highest profile free agent.

“I’ve talked to him several times and hopefully that situation will be resolved soon,” Jackson said. “Which way it’s going to go, nobody knows. Obviously, his teammates, his coach and everybody else would love to have him back here but again, no different than everybody else who’s a free agent.”

NOTES: KR/WR Jacoby Ford is sidelined indefinitely after breaking a hand on Saturday but Jackson expects the second-year player to be ready in time for the season opener. Ford set a single-season team record with three kickoff returns for touchdowns in 2010 and was also one of the Raiders’ most explosive wide receivers.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Why: Oakland decided not to extend the contract of coach Tom Cable on Jan. 4.

Process: The Raiders have been conducting interviews and have been evaluating the current coaching staff. Oakland is not naming any candidates for the job.

Leading candidate: Oakland offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. He did a terrific job in 2010 during his first season in Oakland. It would be a surprise if he doesn’t get the job.

Why this job is better than some think: The past few days in the coaching world is proof that time spent in Oakland can help a career. New San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh, new Denver coach John Fox and new Stanford coach David Shaw all spent time with the Raiders in key roles. Numerous former Oakland assistants have become head coaches in recent years. The notion that this is a coaching graveyard is inaccurate.

Other candidates: Again, no firm confirmations have been made but we’ve heard the names of former Oakland assistants Marc Trestman and Rob Ryan. Ryan is talking to Dallas about its defensive coordinator job.

Timetable: The Raiders have no deadline and because no other team is looking for a coach, there is no rush. However, Oakland is getting close to ending their staff evaluation and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the decision is made sooner than later. I can see a decision by the end of next week.

A Scout’s view: “I didn’t think Cable should have been fired, but if you do it, I think Jackson has to be the choice,” writes Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have the only head coaching vacancy left in the NFL.

With Denver’s hiring of John Fox on Thursday, six of the seven head coaching vacancies have been filled this offseason. Earlier Thursday, the Cleveland Browns hired Pat Shurmur as coach.

The Raiders announced last week they were not picking up a $5 million, two-year option to retain Coach Tom Cable. Cable went 17-27 in two-plus seasons. He led the Raiders to an 8-8 mark in 2010, Oakland’s best record since 2002.

“The interview process is ongoing,” senior executive John Herrera said. “We have been doing our due diligence with our current assistant coaches. That process has been ongoing all week.”

Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is considered a favorite to get the head coaching job. He is under contract as an assistant already for next season.

The contracts of many of the other assistants, including defensive coordinator John Marshall, expire next Tuesday.

Marshall could be in jeopardy after the Raiders allowed at least 30 points in six of their eight losses.

Jackson came over after last season and assumed the play-calling duties from Cable. The improvement on offense was the biggest reason why the Raiders won three more games than they had in any of the previous seven seasons.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have the only head coaching vacancy left in the NFL.

With Denver’s hiring of John Fox on Thursday, six of the seven head coaching vacancies have been filled this offseason. Earlier Thursday, the Cleveland Browns hired Pat Shurmur as coach.

The Raiders announced last week they were not picking up a $5 million, two-year option to retain Coach Tom Cable. Cable went 17-27 in two-plus seasons. He led the Raiders to an 8-8 mark in 2010, Oakland’s best record since 2002.

“The interview process is ongoing,” senior executive John Herrera said. “We have been doing our due diligence with our current assistant coaches. That process has been ongoing all week.”

Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is considered a favorite to get the head coaching job. He is under contract as an assistant already for next season.

The contracts of many of the other assistants, including defensive coordinator John Marshall, expire next Tuesday.

Marshall could be in jeopardy after the Raiders allowed at least 30 points in six of their eight losses.

Jackson came over after last season and assumed the play-calling duties from Cable. The improvement on offense was the biggest reason why the Raiders won three more games than they had in any of the previous seven seasons.

Led by quarterback Jason Campbell, a breakout season from running back Darren McFadden and big plays from rookie receiver Jacoby Ford, the Raiders finished sixth in the league in scoring with 410 points. That was the sixth-most points scored in a season in franchise history and more than doubled the 2009 scoring output.

If Jackson does get the job he would be the sixth first-time NFL coach out of the seven hired this offseason, with Fox being the only experienced candidate.

The Vikings and Cowboys kept their interim coaches with Leslie Frazier staying on in Minnesota after replacing Brad Childress during the year and Jason Garrett keeping the Dallas job he took over from Wade Phillips.

Two teams went the NFL coordinator route, with Shurmur replacing Eric Mangini in Cleveland and Ron Rivera taking Fox’s place in Carolina. San Francisco went to the college ranks to hire Jim Harbaugh from Stanford to replace Mike Singletary.

The other big development for the Raiders so far this offseason was the news that the final year of Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s contract had voided because he did not meet certain incentives.

The Raiders previously had an option for 2011, which would be worth either $16.8 million or the amount of the quarterback franchise tag, whichever is greater.

Now Asomugha will be an unrestricted free agent. The Raiders can either sign him or likely receive a compensatory draft pick in 2012 if he signs with another team.

Asomugha was paid $28.5 million in the first two years of the contract.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders now have the only head-coaching vacancy in the NFL.

With the Denver Broncos’ hiring of John Fox on Thursday, six of the seven head-coaching vacancies have been filled this offseason. Earlier Thursday, the Cleveland Browns hired Pat Shurmur as coach.

The Raiders announced last week that they wouldn’t pick up a two-year, $5 million option to retain coach Tom Cable, who went 17-27 in two-plus seasons. This season, he led the Raiders to an 8-8 mark, their best since 2002.

“The interview process is ongoing,” Raiders senior executive John Herrera said. “We have been doing our due diligence with our current assistant coaches. That process has been ongoing all week.”

Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is considered a favorite to land the head-coaching job. He’s already under contract as an assistant for next season.

The contracts of many of the other assistants, including defensive coordinator John Marshall, expire next Tuesday. Marshall could be in jeopardy after the Raiders allowed at least 30 points in six of their eight losses.

Jackson came to Oakland after the 2009 season and assumed play-calling duties from Cable. The improvement on offense was the biggest reason why the Raiders won three more games than they had in any of the previous seven seasons.

Led by quarterback Jason Campbell, a breakout season from running back Darren McFadden and big plays from rookie wide receiver Jacoby Ford, the Raiders finished sixth in the league in scoring with 410 points. That was the sixth-most points scored in a season in franchise history and more than doubled the 2009 scoring output.

If Jackson receives the job, he would be the sixth first-time NFL coach out of the seven hired this offseason, with Fox being the only experienced candidate.

The Vikings and Cowboys kept their interim coaches, with Leslie Frazier staying in Minnesota after replacing Brad Childress during the year and Jason Garrett keeping the Dallas job he took over from Wade Phillips.

Two teams went the NFL coordinator route, with Shurmur replacing Eric Mangini in Cleveland and Ron Rivera taking Fox’s place in Carolina. San Francisco went to the college ranks to hire Jim Harbaugh from Stanford to replace Mike Singletary.

The other big development for the Raiders so far this offseason was the news that the final year of Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s contract had voided because he didn’t meet certain incentives.

The Raiders previously had an option for 2011, which would be worth either $16.8 million or the amount of the quarterback franchise tag, whichever is greater.

Now Asomugha will be an unrestricted free agent. The Raiders can either sign him or likely receive a compensatory draft pick in 2012 if he signs with another team.

Asomugha was paid $28.5 million in the first two years of the contract.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders have the only head coaching vacancy left in the NFL.

With Denver’s hiring of John Fox on Thursday, six of the seven head coaching vacancies have been filled this offseason. Earlier Thursday, the Cleveland Browns hired Pat Shurmur as coach.

The Raiders announced last week they were not picking up a $5 million, two-year option to retain coach Tom Cable. Cable went 17-27 in two-plus seasons. He led the Raiders to an 8-8 mark in 2010, Oakland’s best record since 2002.

“The interview process is ongoing,” senior executive John Herrera said. “We have been doing our due diligence with our current assistant coaches. That process has been ongoing all week.”

Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is considered a favorite to get the head coaching job. He is under contract as an assistant already for next season.

The contracts of many of the other assistants, including defensive coordinator John Marshall, expire next Tuesday. Marshall could be in jeopardy after the Raiders allowed at least 30 points in six of their eight losses.

Jackson came over after last season and assumed the play-calling duties from Cable. The improvement on offense was the biggest reason why the Raiders won three more games than they had in any of the previous seven seasons.

Led by quarterback Jason Campbell, a breakout season from running back Darren McFadden and big plays from rookie receiver Jacoby Ford, the Raiders finished sixth in the league in scoring with 410 points. That was the sixth-most points scored in a season in franchise history and more than doubled the 2009 scoring output.

If Jackson does get the job he would be the sixth first-time NFL coach out of the seven hired this offseason, with Fox being the only experienced candidate.

The Vikings and Cowboys kept their interim coaches with Leslie Frazier staying on in Minnesota after replacing Brad Childress during the year and Jason Garrett keeping the Dallas job he took over from Wade Phillips.

Two teams went the NFL coordinator route, with Shurmur replacing Eric Mangini in Cleveland and Ron Rivera taking Fox’s place in Carolina. San Francisco went to the college ranks to hire Jim Harbaugh from Stanford to replace Mike Singletary.

The other big development for the Raiders so far this offseason was the news that the final year of Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s contract had voided because he did not meet certain incentives.

The Raiders previously had an option for 2011, which would be worth either $16.8 million or the amount of the quarterback franchise tag, whichever is greater.

Now Asomugha will be an unrestricted free agent. The Raiders can either sign him or likely receive a compensatory draft pick in 2012 if he signs with another team.

Asomugha was paid $28.5 million in the first two years of the contract.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

The Oakland Raiders said they will not extend the contract of coach Tom Cable, who led the National Football League team to its best record in eight years.

Cable, 46, was told yesterday that his contract won’t be renewed, the Raiders said in a statement on their website last night. His deal expired at the conclusion of the regular season. The team gave no information on a successor.

Cable took charge of the Raiders when Lane Kiffin was fired in 2008. The team’s fifth coach in six years, Cable went 17-27 and guided Oakland to an 8-8 mark this season, its best since 2002, when it reached the Super Bowl after going 11-5. Cable was offensive line coach from 2007 until Sept. 30, 2008, when he was named interim head coach.

Cable was involved in an incident at the team’s training camp hotel in Napa, California, on Aug. 5, 2009, that left one of his assistants with a broken jaw. Defensive assistant Randy Hanson told Yahoo Sports he suffered the injury when Cable threw him out of a chair during a meeting with other coaches and then threatened to kill him.

A review of police reports, medical records and witness interviews by Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein concluded that there were no blows or punches thrown and that Cable didn’t make any verbal threats toward Hanson. No criminal charges were filed against Cable.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dex McLuskey in Dallas at dmcluskey@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net