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This entry is primarily about a former Ravens kicker, but I'm going to start it off with news about a current Ravens coach.
That might seem like an unusual mix, but hey, I make the rules around here.
ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Raiders have asked for and received permission to interview Ravens quarterback coach Hue Jackson for an unspecified position.
Jackson has been with the Ravens for two years. He was an offensive coordinator twice; with the Redskins in 2003 and Falcons in 2007, and it's no secret that he'd like to return to that role or make a move toward a head coaching job.
Some might think that Jackson will be talking with the Raiders about a coordinator position, and that could be accurate. But don't be shocked if it's actually the head coaching gig that the two sides discuss.
Tom Cable is still in that role in Oakland, but there's a decent chance that he gets the ax soon.
Call it a hunch, but I bet Jackson's talk with owner Al Davis won't just be about an OC job.
Moving on, in his season-ending press conference yesterday, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was asked about the kicking position and how he plans on filling that role in 2010.
One option, Harbaugh says, is bringing back a guy that Charm City is somewhat familiar with - Matt Stover.
"Sure, Matt's a possibility coming back," Harbaugh said. "That could work out that way.
"He's a great guy and good person and a heck of a kicker, and that may work out. But it may not. So, that's what we've got to find out over the next couple months."
Stover, currently with the Colts, will almost certainly not be needed in Indy next year once Adam Vinatieri returns from injury. That could possibly free him up to return to Baltimore.
Also in the mix will be Billy Cundiff, who the Ravens signed 10 weeks into the season after the Steve Hauschka experiment came to an end. Harbaugh mentioned that even another option could be drafting a kicker to compete for the job in training camp.
One final kicking note to mention: Harbaugh said that the team wouldn't be against keeping two place kickers on the roster, as they did back in 2008 when Stover handled field goals and Hauschka took care of the kickoffs.
"We want to have the best kicker in here that we can, and we're certainly not opposed to having two guys kick," Harbaugh said. "If it's a kickoff guy and a field goal guy - whatever's best for our situation, that's what we're going to do.
"We've said from the beginning that we would rather have a guy that kicks off and does field goals because our punter is not a kickoff guy, and you'd like to have two guys in those spots. But we've proven we'll have three guys in there and be very happy with it, and that's a possibility going forward."
Later today, I'll pass along some thoughts from Cundiff, who recently addressed his time with the Ravens and how he feels about possibly returning for the 2010 campaign.
