NEWS UPDATE: The Las Vegas Raiders head coach and general manager search…..
When you inquire about the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach and general manager vacancies, most club beat writers and NFL insiders will tell you that Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly seem to be the front-runners, respectively.
After speaking with a person familiar with the matter, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that Pierce had become the “leading candidate.”
“If Antonio wasn’t the first choice, I would be shocked,” the insider told Schefter.
Kelly has been present for the Raiders’ head-coaching interview process, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Vic Tafur of The Athletic made a joke on when the Raiders will reveal their permanent general manager and head coach.
The Raiders haven’t officially decided whether to keep Kelly and Pierce in full-time positions, despite the expectation of most fans. This gave rise to conjecture.
Might owner Mark Davis shock everyone by selecting a different candidate to be general manager and try his hand at hiring a well-known head coach?
Albert Breer of the MMQB brought up former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel in the conversation.
“I believe they will likely stick with Antonio Pierce if they are unable to sign a big fish like Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh, or Bill Belichick,” Breer stated in a mailbag reply.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk most recently fueled the rumour around Vrabel.
When you start making connections, the rumour on the NFL streets over the weekend was that Vrabel was joining the Raiders. Even if the owners have not yet accepted Tom Brady’s bid to buy five to ten percent of the club, it is possible that they never will, despite Brady’s deep involvement with the organisation. Regarding the Las Vegas Raiders head coach choice, the source said, “But he is involved, and he and Vrabel are tight.”
The Raiders may now announce the hiring of their general manager and head coach positions since they have complied with the Rooney Rule by interviewing two external minority candidates.
Many fans are worried and want to know whether the Raiders are just being cautious or if Davis is changing his mind about his temporary players.
Related: Is there a perfect combination between Antonio Pierce’s novel approach and Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive prowess?
NFL: Indianapolis Colts vs. Las Vegas Raiders is where the Las Vegas Raiders hire their players.Ruszkowski, Trevor (USA TODAY Sports)
The Raiders will probably try to develop a quarterback this next season, therefore Davis should speak with some of the best offensive coordinators to compare their ideas with Pierce’s offensive schemes. While Aidan O’Connell, a rookie, showed progress in his development, it was not enough to guarantee that he would open the 2024 season as the starting quarterback.
A candidate’s selection of coordinators may make or break his candidature for the position in Las Vegas, as CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson pointed out.
However, Pierce has an edge over the competition since Davis and his colleagues haven’t interviewed any offensive-minded coaches. He has established a rapport with the Raiders offence even as a head captain in the style of a CEO.
The Raiders spoke with Leslie Frazier, a former defensive coordinator, and Kris Richard, another former defensive coordinator, this week.
Respectfully, Frazier and Richard are not in a position to challenge Pierce for the role as head coach in Las Vegas. How in the world are two candidates who did not coach this past season going to overtake Pierce in the hierarchy?
The Raiders have not asked to meet with any of the best offensive coordinators in the league—Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, Dave Canales, or Frank Smith—or conducted interviews with Harbaugh or Vrabel as of Thursday morning.
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According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Kelly has an advantage over Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, who met with Raiders brass last Friday, since he was there for the head coach interviews.
Though Davis said something similar regarding Kelly back in November, it’s interesting to note that Rapoport stated that the Raiders would have signed Dodds if they hadn’t brought in Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler together during the 2022 offseason.
Davis said that he will approach the hiring process with an open mind after firing Ziegler and McDaniels, pointing out that Kelly and Pierce aren’t necessarily a package deal.
Given that Tom Brady is present at the team and probably in Davis’ ear, one has to question whether his remarks have at least made the Raiders owner hesitate before selecting a choice.
Nobody really knows what Davis wants, other than conjecture, but it seems that he hasn’t abandoned his position over his wish to keep Kelly and Pierce.
It is completely unrestricted. I do have Antonio and Champ in those positions, so it’s difficult at the same time, even though I would prefer that they receive the job,” Davis told Tashan Reed of The Athletic.”
I don’t want to mislead people throughout the interview process if I begin to believe that’s certainly the route I’m going to take, which is not the case. Thus, attempting to keep my options open for possible hires will be a very fascinating dynamic.
Related: Four possibilities for offensive coordinator by the Las Vegas Raiders to back Antonio Pierce
The Raiders aren’t doing their due diligence (with a solid pool of applicants) to challenge Pierce until they interview someone who at least coached through the 2023 season, and they’ve only had two unimpressive head coaching interviews. Despite Brady’s voice adding a surprise aspect, Davis is ready to counterattack with his shot-callers who helped turn around a 3-5 club, even with Kelly participating in the interview process.
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