Quick hits from Wednesday’s organized team activity access period:

– There were some serious protection issues during a team session, with the first offensive line unable to prevent defenders from poring in from all angles against Josh McCown, Andrew Walter and JaMarcus Russell.

McCown is light years ahead of both Walter and Russell in creating on the run when the protection breaks down. Kiffin said players who were McCown’s teammates in Arizona (Fred Wakefield) and Detroit (Mike Williams) said the quarterback was always one of the first taken in pickup basketball games.

“He really is a tremendous athlete, and has great ability to escape pressure, as you saw today a couple times,” Kiffin said. “He’s even quicker when you go from drills to when all of a sudden we’re in team (sessions) and he even looks quicker.”

– The Raiders first-team offensive line remained the same as it was last week _ Barry Sims at left tackle, Robert Gallery at left guard, Jake Grove at center, Cooper Carlisle at right guard and Paul McQuistan at right tackle.

“We’re not playing a game today, or tomorrow, Kiffin said. “We’re not worried about that. We’re worried about guys getting better and finding out the best five and what position they’re going to be at. We’re going to continue to try a lot of different situations.”

– Who was that No. 34? LaMont Jordan, an inconsitent receiver when he had 70 receptions two years ago but led the league in drops, and a non-factor in the passing game before being injured last season, made a pair of eye-opening grabs.

On one, Jordan reached up away from his body for a McCown pass under blanket coverage by Michael Huff and made the catch. Later, he extended for a pass some 40 yards downfield and caught the ball.

– It appears Jerry Porter’s switch to jersey number 81 has been derailed by financial concerns. Porter said to switch his jersey would cost $210,000 _ a $130,000 charge from the league and $80,000 from the Raiders.

“Man, there’s a couple of nice cars I’d like to get for that money,” Porter said. “I could buy a nice vacation home, or at least go half on one with someone else.”

Porter continues to be the clear standout among Raiders receivers. He caught one deep post for a score from McCown.

Porter was still wearing No. 81 Wednesday.

Update: Got a return e-mail from NFL spokesman Greg Aiello regarding the cost of Porter changing his number. The money paid out by Porter would not be to the NFL, accoridng to Aiello.

“We would not charge him anything, but Reebok and the Raiders would have to be reimbursed for the Jerry Porter 84 Reebok jerseys they have in stock, ” Aiello said. “Or Jerry can wait until next year to change numbers when the stock of his jersey is depleted. The more advance notice a player can provide when requesting a number change, the less chance there is of financial ramifications.”

– S Darnell Bing had an interception of a Walter pass and broke up a late throw from Russell.

– DT Warren Sapp and DE Derrick Burgess continue to sit out OTA sessions and Kiffin said he’s not sure if either man will be at voluntary minicamp June 11-13. Neither man has particpated in Oakland’s offseason weight program, but Kiffin said he’s not concerned because both players looked to be in good shape at the mandatory minicamp following the draft.

– WR Mike Williams continues to miss time with a hamstring pull sustained during the mandatory minicamp. Kiffin, who said the day of the injury said it wasn’t serious, apparently later discovered it was a serious pull and said Wednesday the lengthy absence has been no surprise.
– FB Zack Crockett was in Florida running a football camp for underprivledged youths. RB Dominic Rhodes had a personal issue and will return Thursday, Kiffin said. RB ReShard Lee had arthroscopic knee surgery and missed practice.

– No sign of PK Sebastian Janikowski or P Shane Lechler, and nobody seems to mind.

“They’ve not been here in the past and we’re really not concerned with it,” Kiffin said. “They come out here and kick for five minutes and stand around the rest of the day. They’re working on their golf game.”

The use of Ronald Curry was only one of a laundry list of things written about in this blog when it came to criticisms of the Art Shell regime.

Colleague Monte Poole, writing about Curry’s standing in Lane Kiffin’s world, echoed many of those sentiments in a Sunday column.

As the offseason progressed, however, I changed my mind. Through no fault of his own, Curry may never realize it, but he some day ought to thank Shell.

Bringing Curry along slowly and gradually, as if the receiver were inching toward a finish line in a marathon, was the right thing to do.

When the season ended, Curry was the Raiders leading receiver with 62 receptions for 727 yards. He had 33 of those receptions in the final 14 quarters _ his big finish starting at the precise moment Moss left for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.

Besides shattering the myth that Moss’ presence was required to get Raiders receivers open, Curry’s strong showing was enough so the club, facing a $5 million roster bonus, made sure he remained in Oakland.

Curry could have caught more passes earlier in the season. I wrote it in this blog, much as Monte did Sunday, and dozens of you posted comments saying the same thing.

Although a short-term coach, Shell was thinking long-term and showing rare perspective with a player coming off two serious injuries. He made the decision that was in the best interest of the player’s health and career, even if it wasn’t necessarily the best for his team.

It wasn’t communicated that way, of course. Shell didn’t tell Curry he was putting him on ice as training camp started, letting him slowly work his way back. He didn’t tell Curry that Alvis Whitted was going to be a starter for much of the season, with Curry playing almost exclusively in three-receiver sets.

Not that it would have mattered. After tearing his Achilles’ the first time as a Raider in December of 2004, Curry rehabbed so fast he was back on the field the following season, only to tear it again.

He’s a player, and it is his job to get back on the field as quickly as possible. It’s the way he is wired. One of his teammates that year thought Curry never looked ready.

“He was out there, limping around, it was terrible. He had no business being on the field,” the player said.

So Shell went in with a long-range plan and stuck to it. If Curry had been used early and often, he may not have been ready to finish so strongly. Or he may have gotten hurt again.

It may not have seemed so at the time, but Shell and the medical staff did the right thing.