When the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels midway through his second season with the team, general manager Dave Ziegler was also dismissed. The latter has found his next NFL opportunity, at least on a short-term basis. 
Ziegler is joining the Saints as an advisor through the upcoming draft, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. This temporary agreement will give New Orleans an experienced voice in key personnel decisions over the coming weeks as the team navigates its annual slate of cap gymnastics and free agency. The draft itself will of course be another crucial checkpoint on the offseason calendar.
Ziegler started his executive career with the Broncos in 2010. He worked as a player personnel assistant that year, but some of his subsequent experience came on the scouting side of the operation in Denver and New England. The 46-year-old worked his way up to player personnel director with the Patriots in 2021 before taking the Raiders’ GM gig.
Things did not go according to plan in Vegas, however. The Raiders went 14-20 during his time in charge, a span which took on a distinctly ‘Patriot Way’ flavor. A number of ex-Patriots players were brought in, including quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The veteran encountered new injury concerns in his debut Vegas campaign, and he was benched in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell by interim coach Antonio Pierce. Garoppolo’s PED suspension will allow the Raiders’ new regime to cut bait, but finding a replacement will be a top offseason priority in the bid to move on from the McDaniels-Ziegler tandem.
The Saints have a number of important decisions to make in the near future, including a continuation of the restructures and extensions which will be needed to get under the salary cap ceiling. A number of veterans – including wideout Michael Thomas, whose contract is set up for him to be released – will likely be let go, though. Replacing them via free agency and the draft will be key factors in the Saints’ bid to reach the postseason after going a combined 16-18 under head coach Dennis Allen. It will be interesting to see if Ziegler earns an extended stay in New Orleans or helps his stock for another executive position elsewhere once the draft has concluded.
Saints should have cut the egocentric and divisive Michael Thomas YEARS ago. Drew Brees made him look much better than he actually was. Ever since Brees retired, Thomas’ only skill is milking injuries and sending ambiguous and unintelligible negative tweets.
I will say, at one point, I do think Thomas brought talent to the table. I 100% agree they should have cut him years ago, though. He’s a shell of what he used to be, and the headaches far outweigh his talent.
Well this is depressing news.
I don’t understand the allure of the “Patriot Way” when, time and again, it’s been proven it doesn’t work. How many executives and coaches have tried -and failed- to duplicate it. The guy that invented it couldn’t replicate it without Brady.
So we’re going to let this guy have important draft input?! I’m trying to laugh to keep from crying.
This seems like an overreaction. Even most of the worst GMs in recent years were good at something before they got the big promotion. Just because he didn’t do a particularly good job as GM (sandwiched between Mark Davis and Josh McDaniels–not exactly the best spot) doesn’t mean he can’t contribute as another hand on deck.
Is it an overreaction?
Maybe Ziegler is good at something, but it isn’t player evaluations. The Raiders ’23 draft class, lead by Tyree Wilson, was largely underwhelming. Wilson wasn’t even on the field for half the snaps most games.
O’Connell was maybe their best selection, and reports are they already want to upgrade.
I understand it can be helpful to have different viewpoints in the room, but you can also muddy the waters by getting input from people that shouldn’t be giving input.
Mayer was looking very good by the end of the year. Tucker looked like a nice piece, too. The idea that Ziegler will drag the whole operation down by being a consultant strikes me as silly. Even good GMs have draft flops and there are former mediocre GMs in front offices around the league that are doing just fine.
Not that it would be worth it to pay for and subscribe to Apple TV to see The Dynasty – The Patriots Story but there are plenty of excerpts and commentary outside of the show itself which gives a different picture than the running narrative. Interesting stuff; true, you always have to wonder if people just have an ax to grind but maybe it was Brady all those years that kept things together from the player’s standpoint. The allure of winning is a very strong enticement to stay together despite how you actually get there.
Thank God nobody in the NFL did anything stupid like renaming the Super Bowl Trophy…
I’d be curious what Derek Carr thinks of this? Not that he lit it up this year but that’s a bit awkward