Would Mike Martz be a good fit as Raiders OC?

Mike Martz last served as offensive coordinator in Chicago. (US Presswire)

The Raiders fired offensive coordinator Greg Knapp shortly after the season, and for good reason: the offense, which ranked 14th in the league in 2011 according to Football Outsiders, dropped to 23rd (20th in passing, 30th in rushing). Now the organization is looking for the right man to get an offense with plenty of weapons going in the right direction.

And for Oakland, the short list includes … Mike Martz (via the Contra Costa Times). That's right, the former Rams coach who was once hailed as an offensive genius and the brains behind the Greatest Show on Turf, before stops as a coordinator in Detroit, San Francisco and Chicago sullied that reputation.

Raiders coach Dennis Allen, who just finished his first season in Oakland, said at his year-end press conference there's no rush to find Knapp's replacement.

“I don't have a time frame for getting somebody in,” Allen said at the time. “I want to make sure we get the right guy, and however long that takes for us to get the right guy, that's how long that that takes.”

Allen also said he isn't opposed to working with a coordinator with previous head coaching experience. “I'll be comfortable with a guy I feel like gives us the best chance to be successful in all areas,” he said.

Is that Martz?

We're guessing Bears quarterback Jay Cutler isn't listed as a reference on Martz's resume, and Martz's predilection for eschewing the run for the pass has a tendency to get his quarterbacks mauled. Given Darren McFadden's presence in the backfield and Carson Palmer's age and mileage, this probably wouldn't be the best marriage.

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