Johnson can play guard or tackle. Oakland has already added tackles Khalif Barnes and Erik Pears in free agency to go along with incumbent Mario Henderson.

--LB Isaiah Ekejiuba received a three-year, $5.45 million contract despite playing only 18 defensive snaps over the past few years. He is a special teams captain who takes his job very seriously. Ekejiuba watched the NFL rules changes regarding his profession closely and isn't sure the one outlawing a three-man blocking wedge will have the desired effect.

"(As someone) who runs down for kickoffs, I'm glad. I don't want to run into a wedge," Ekejiuba told the San Francisco Chronicle. "But some of the smaller returners need a wedge to protect themselves. Guys may be taking open shots at them.

"The whole protection issue with the wedge is why they did it, but if you don't have that wedge of protection, somebody's running full speed at a 180-pound returner. Are you going to protect the guys smashing into the wedge and hurt the returner? One way or the other, you expose somebody."

--As a struggling graduate assistant at San Diego State, Tom Cable spent time living out of his car and called a high school friend in Snohomish, Wash., for help.

Dan Salvadalena recalled mailing Cable $100 to tide him over, one of the stories which were told at a Boys and Girls Club event last month in Cable's home town.

Salvadalena, a fire captain, figures Cable is the perfect man to work for Al Davis.

"He's a risk-taker," Salvadalena told the Everett (Wash.) Herald. "Normal people like to have security, to know what's going to happen and when. That's not Tom."

--Former Raiders and Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp is apparently not a fan of Raiders coach Tom Cable.

During a chat on NFL.com, Sapp was asked, "Do you think Cable is good enough to lead the Raiders?"

Replied Sapp: "Tom Cable couldn't lead the Raiders to a picnic in his own back yard."

He was glowing in his thoughts about the man who hired Cable.

"One of the true legends of the game. It was an absolute pleasure to play for the man," Sapp said online. "The only thing is, I wish I could have won more for him. He embodies everything that the NFL is. He's unmistakable. Recognize greatness when you see it, because it won't be around much longer."

--RB Darren McFadden, the subject of a character debate heading into last year's draft, had a spotless first year in terms of comportment but a college issue has returned in the form of a civil lawsuit.

McFadden was added as a defendant in a case involving a fight outside a Little Rock, Ark., bar in which he said he was protecting his brother.

Brant Hankins, a bouncer at the bar, was injured in the fracas. He filed suit against the bar and added McFadden and two of his brothers as "necessary parties," according to McFadden's attorney, Frank Shaw.

Hankins earlier sought $420,000 to settle the issue, dropping his claim once it became public.

McFadden was never charged, although he was briefly handcuffed.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think Tom is just a no-nonsense guy. He's a straight shooter, which I really appreciate about him. He's not going to B.S. anybody. He's going to lay it out for you exactly how he wants to see it." -- Raiders quarterback Jeff Garcia on Raiders' head coach Tom Cable.