ALAMEDA, Calif. — A report that former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel has spoken with Oakland Raiders managing general partner Al Davis in recent days passes as no surprise, Raiders senior executive John Herrera said.

Davis and Fassel have known each others for many years and speak on occasion, Herrera said. Yet, any correspondence shouldn't be construed as Davis soliciting resumes, lining up candidates or even thinking about replacing current coach Tom Cable.

"Mr. Davis receives correspondences on a regular basis, be it phone calls, letters, whatever, from prominent people throughout the football world, including Jim Fassel," Herrera said Monday. "That's normal in the course of business in the NFL." Any decisions about Cable's future won't be made until after this season, at the earliest, Herrera said.

"Mr. Davis' focus is on his team scoring more points and winning more football games," Herrera said. "He knows Jim Fassel quite well and doesn't need an introductory letter from him." The ESPN report Sunday said Fassel sent Davis a letter expressing his desire to be considered for the coaching job next season. The report cited an unnamed team source.

Fassel coached the quarterbacks for the Raiders in 1995. His son, John, is the special teams quality control coach under Cable.

As for Cable, he said Monday in his news conference that he is intent upon coaching the Raiders beyond this season.

"If I can get this team turned around, absolutely ... ," Cable said.

"This is my opportunity to manage this team and try and turn it around for whatever happens. It says interim before my name, so I don't worry about that (speculation)." Curry still smarting Wide receiver Ronald Curry caught six passes for 73 yards Sunday. One week earlier, he was deactivated for Oakland's game against the Carolina Panthers. Suffice to say, it has been a turbulent season for the most-tenured Raider outside of punter Shane Lechler and kicker Sebastian Janikowski.

Curry began the season as a starter opposite Javon Walker. Cable benched Curry one game after he replaced the fired Lane Kiffin on Sept. 30. At that point, Curry said he felt singled out for his team's offensive woes and expected his Raiders career to end with this season.

His outlook hasn't changed.

"I'm still thinking my future's not here," Curry said. "I'm going to go out here, play these last six games, give what I've got for this team, for this organization ... " Curry said he still isn't at peace with the way his demotion was handled. Having the support of his teammates provides some comfort.

"It means a lot, having the approval of your peers when they see the work that I put in, and see the type of player I am, and they see the situation unfold," Curry said. "For the last couple of years, I've been one of the most consistent players here. For them to come in and treat me the way they treated me the last couple of weeks is B.S."

Curry said he was told by Davis before the Panthers game that he would be deactivated for that game and the seven after that, as well. A season-ending ankle injury to Walker necessitated Curry's inclusion on the active roster once again.

Harris keeps job Cable's initial assessment of left offensive tackle Mario Henderson's play in relief of starter Kwame Harris didn't jibe with what Cable unearthed watching the videotape of Sunday's game.

"Poorly," is how Cable described Henderson's play in the second half.

Harris is the unquestioned starter for the Broncos game Sunday.

Henderson will not spell Harris, as he did the past two games.

"We have to clean up the penalties with him, but he was playing quite well other than those two false-starts," Cable said of Harris.

EXTRA POINTS

Quarterback JaMarcus Russell "tweaked" an ankle against the Dolphins, but "he should be fine" for the Broncos game, Cable said. ... Center Jake Grove (calf), defensive end Derrick Burgess (triceps) and linebacker Ricky Brown (groin) are day-to-day. ... The Raiders reached an injury settlement with tight end Ben Troupe (foot) and released him.

He didn't appear in any games.