Two days after interviewing with the Raiders, Mike Martz pulled his name from consideration for Oakland's head coaching job and is now contemplating whether or not to join the Detroit Lions' staff. Martz is talking to the Lions about becoming their offensive coordinator and will attempt to make a decision no later than Monday. Earlier this month the Lions hired Rod Marinelli to be their new head coach. Marinelli filled the other coordinator job on Tuesday when former Jets defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson was hired in the same capacity. Deciding who to hire as offensive coordinator will be a critical decision for the Lions, given the ongoing instability at the quarterback position. Marinelli wanted to discuss the job with former Bills coach Mike Mularkey, but Mularkey accepted an offer from the Dolphins last Sunday to run their offense.

Even as Oakland officials bide their time, waiting for an opportunity to meet with Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt after Super Bowl XL, the Raiders added to their list of head coach candidates. Owner Al Davis and other Raiders officials spent much of Thursday interviewing former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz about the vacancy created by the Jan. 3 dismissal of Norv Turner following just two seasons and a 9-23 record. It is believed that Martz requested the session and that Davis, who loves to pick the brains of coaches around the league, was quick to arrange the interview. Martz became the fifth known candidate for the job. The Raiders previously interviewed former Kansas City offensive coordinator Al Saunders, former Tampa Bay defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, current San Diego wide receivers coach James Lofton and current Oakland quarterbacks coach John Shoop, who is still under contract.

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper, the subject of trade speculation, isn't saying much these days. But others close to him are weighing in. New Vikings coach Brad Childress said Wednesday that he and Culpepper talk on a weekly basis. "You classify rumors as just that, rumors," Childress said Wednesday on "The Drive on Fox" with Chris Myers and Bryan Cox. "There's nobody that knows what Daunte and I talk about except Daunte and I, and I'd like to keep it that way." Childress said Culpepper's status as the Vikings' No. 1 quarterback has not changed. "I said in my opening comments... he's a franchise quarterback, and I don't believe a guy loses his position based on injury," Childress said. "So the first thing is, he doesn't need to be injured anymore. He's got to rehab. He's got control over that. I don't have control over that." Meanwhile, former Vikings receiver Randy Moss told Dan Patrick on Patrick's ESPN radio show that he spoke to Culpepper on Monday night. "Does he want out of Minnesota?" Moss said, repeating Patrick's question. "I really can't get that feel. What Daunte wants is some clarity. Clarity meaning, where is his future going to be? Is it going to be with them, as a franchise quarterback, or does he need to go elsewhere? ? Once he gets clarity, then they can go from there." Earlier, Moss said he and Culpepper reminisced about their days with the Vikings. Moss said he gave Culpepper some insight on the receiver's new NFL home. "I gave him a little lowdown on Oakland, the city, the team, the players," said Moss, now with the Raiders. "We just talked about a lot of things." Moss referred to Culpepper as a "brother" and said the two have a positive relationship. "I just want to let people know that there's nothing between us but love," Moss said. "But by him and me reuniting would be like a Cinderella story."

The Oakland Raiders' search for a new coach is in a holding pattern, perhaps until after the Super Bowl. The Raiders reportedly are interested in talking to Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as a candidate to replace Norv Turner, fired Jan. 3 after two losing seasons then hired last week as the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator. An interview with Whisenhunt would have to take place after the Steelers play the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Detroit. He is in his ninth season as an NFL coach and second in charge of Pittsburgh's offense after working the previous three years as the team's tight ends coach.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' dominating performance in Sunday's AFC Championship Game has focused even more of the Raiders' attention on Ken Whisenhunt. Already, the team had done some homework on Pittsburgh's no-nonsense offensive coordinator, who has been credited with keeping the Steelers' running game fresh and helping mold second-year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into a playoff-savvy performer. In the wake of the Steelers' 34-17 rout of the Broncos, it now appears the Raiders -- the last of 10 NFL teams to fill a head-coaching vacancy -- might be willing to wait until after Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5 to interview Whisenhunt. "He's at the top of their list,'' said a person familiar with Whisenhunt and the Raiders' search. "They'll be patient on this.'' Whisenhunt, 43, just completed his second season as the Steelers' offensive coordinator, previously having served as the team's tight ends coach. He also was an offensive assistant with the Jets, Browns and Ravens.

After spending the first week of their search for a new head coach perusing candidates with credentials on the offensive side of the ball, the Oakland Raiders will turn to defense this week, with an interview set with Rod Marinelli of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The much-respected defensive line coach, widely considered one of the best mentors in the NFL at his position, will huddle on Monday with team officials. Marinelli, 56, will be at least the third candidate to interview for the vacancy created when the Raiders fired Norv Turner three days after the 2005 season concluded. The club has met with Kansas City offensive coordinator Al Saunders and San Diego receivers coach James Lofton. Oakland officials are also attempting to arrange an interview with Fresno State coach Pat Hill.

Al Saunders became the first candidate to interview for the Raiders' head coaching vacancy on Wednesday, meeting for several hours with owner Al Davis and senior assistant Michael Lombardi in Alameda. The team said it has not spoken to any other candidates, despite radio and Internet reports that Lombardi flew to Chicago last week to meet with Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera during the bye week. Norv Turner was dismissed as head coach Jan. 3. This is the second time Saunders, 58, the Chiefs' offensive coordinator the past five seasons, has interviewed with the Raiders. Davis spoke to him in 2002 before settling on Bill Callahan, and he and Saunders are well-acquainted. Meanwhile, Fresno State coach Pat Hill, a top candidate on the Raiders' short list who has interviewed with the Houston Texans, conducted some damage control Wednesday after a Fresno Bee story said his flirtation with the NFL was hurting the Bulldogs' recruiting efforts.

Al Davis is putting his lead personnel man in charge of making preliminary contacts with potential candidates for the Oakland Raiders' coaching vacancy. Those who make the cut with Michael Lombardi will sit down with Davis himself. The Raiders returned to work Wednesday to begin planning their search, one day after firing coach Norv Turner following two losing seasons in which the team won only once against the AFC West. "Right now, in 20 cities in America, everyone is trying to figure out how they can win next year," Davis said. "And the coaches who are considered great young coaches right now, next year some of them will be raising their hand looking for jobs. That's the way this business is." The Raiders also must make decisions soon about the futures of their assistant coaches, though Davis said he expects at least some of them to stay with the organization. As far as finding Turner's replacement, the club is going to take its time. Davis likes offensive-minded coaches, but Turner was a highly regarded offensive mind and still had problems getting the most from an Oakland offense featuring Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Kerry Collins and LaMont Jordan.

The Oakland Raiders fired coach Norv Turner on Tuesday following consecutive losing seasons in which the team managed only one victory in its division. The 53-year-old Turner, who had a year remaining on his contract worth about $1.75 million, had known his job was in jeopardy for the last two months after struggling to get the most out of star receiver Randy Moss and an offense that also included quarterback Kerry Collins, receiver Jerry Porter and running back LaMont Jordan. Oakland lost its final six games and eight of nine to finish 4-12 and with one fewer victory than Turner produced in his first season a year ago. The Raiders have strung together three straight losing seasons for the first time since Al Davis came aboard in 1963 to coach and eventually own the team.

The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers will flip a coin to determine who gets the sixth pick in the NFL draft and who gets the seventh. The complete order for the April 29-30 draft was announced Monday, with Houston at No. 1, presumably with the rights to Reggie Bush, the Southern California running back who is expected to declare his eligibility after Wednesday's Rose Bowl. The Texans (2-14) officially fired coach Dom Capers on Monday as New Orleans (3-13), which will have the second pick, did with Jim Haslett. After the Saints come a group of 4-12 teams: Tennessee, the New York Jets and Green Bay, followed by Oakland and San Francisco. The Packers also fired their coach, Mike Sherman The NFL originally announced that the coin flip had been held. However, a later announcement said it will not be held until after the Super Bowl. After the seventh spot, the rest of the order among non-playoff teams is Buffalo, Detroit, Arizona, St. Louis, Cleveland, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Minnesota, Dallas, San Diego, and Kansas City.