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Raiders To Evaluate HC Antonio Pierce After 2024 Season

December 12th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders went 5-4 to close out the 2023 season, and interim head coach Antonio Pierce received a number of endorsements from players to receive the full-time gig. Owner Mark Davis – having regretted not doing so in the case of Rich Bisaccia previously – decided to keep the former Pro Bowl linebacker in place for 2024.

Things have not gone according to plan, though, with Vegas struggling in a number of categories. The team sits at 2-11 on the year and a high draft pick (perhaps the No. 1 selection) is set to be a central element of the offseason. By the time the draft takes place, a decision will have been made by owner Mark Davis regarding any coaching moves.

On that note, Davis said (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) during the league meetings he will evaluate the Raiders’ staff, including Pierce, after the season ends. Notable changes have of course already been made during the campaign, with Pierce electing to fire offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in November. Scott Turner took over as interim OC, a move which has also seen his father Norv join the staff. Those moves have not yielded a notable uptick in offensive efficiency, although other factors have contributed to that.

Quarterback injuries have been seen throughout the campaign, with Gardner Minshew suffering a broken collarbone and Aidan O’Connell missing time. The latter suffered a bone bruise in Week 14, but he may be available for the Raiders’ next game. Failing that, Desmond Ridder will be in line to start against the Falcons, his former team. Minshew was added in free agency as a bridge starter option, although he only narrowly won out a training camp competition with O’Connell. Their collective struggles have left the Raiders near the bottom of many offensive categories.

League sources are split on Pierce’s job security, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, partially because his contract length was shorter than most other recent hires. Firing him after one injury-riddled season in which the Raiders were not expected to compete seems harsh, but Tom Brady‘s addition to the team’s ownership group could complicate matters.

Davis wants Brady to “have a real role in the decision-making,” per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. If Brady already has his eyes on a different long-term head coach – or simply believes that Pierce isn’t the man for the job – Las Vegas may not waste their time (or Pierce’s) by giving him another year.Davis recently clarified that Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco will be evaluated separately.

“They didn’t come in as a team. They are individuals,” said Davis, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, though the Raiders made the decision to hire Telesco less than a week after elevating Pierce from his interim status.

The early returns on Telesco’s moves this offseason have been positive. First-round pick Brock Bowers is a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and second-rounder Jackson Powers-Johnson has cemented himself as the team’s starting center. The jury remains out on the $110MM given to defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who had a solid start to the year but has been on injured reserve since October with a Jones fracture in his foot.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Raiders’ Charles Snowden Arrested For DUI

December 12th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Charles Snowden is facing a DUI charge. The Raiders defensive end was arrested early Tuesday morning and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, as detailed by David Charns of 8 News Now.

Snowden was released shortly thereafter, court records show. He does not have an arraignment scheduled at this time, and a hearing for a status check on his arresting document is set to take place in April.

“The Raiders are aware of the incident involving Charles Snowden and have been in contact with the NFL and local authorities,” a team statement reads (h/t Vic Tafur of The Athletic). “The club will not comment further as this is a legal matter.”

A former UDFA, Snowden made a pair of appearances with the Bears in 2021 before seeing a lengthy spell between regular season NFL appearances. He joined the Raiders’ practice squad last December but did not see any game time. Vegas waived Snowden during roster cutdowns this August, but he was immediately retained on the team’s practice squad.

The Raiders have been shorthanded along the edge in 2024, something highlighted by Malcolm Koonce missing the entire campaign due to a knee injury. His absence has opened the door to other contributors as complementary options to Maxx Crosby. Snowden has been one of the players who has seen a notable workload as a result, appearing in all 13 games so far this year and making seven starts. The 26-year-old has logged a 36% defensive snap share, totaling 30 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

It remains to be seen how the Raiders will proceed in the wake of Snowden’s misdemeanor charge. He is currently on track to become an exclusive-rights restricted free agent this offseason, but a decision on the team’s part to move on would leave him available to interested teams via the waiver wire.

Tom Brady To Play ‘Huge’ Role In Raiders’ Personnel Plans; Mark Davis Not Mandating QB Pick?

December 11th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since ditching their solid but unspectacular Derek Carr plan, the Raiders have delivered a rudderless two years at quarterback. They have not seen their free agency and draft plans pan out, and the organization is amid a lengthy buildup to another true search for an answer.

Although the Raiders looked into Tom Brady as a player ahead of the 2023 free agency period, the former Josh McDaniels pupil retired for a second time. That did not stop Mark Davis from aligning with the QB legend soon after. It took a bit, but Brady’s ownership stake is now official, leading to what promises to be a prominent partnership — one that will not place the 23-year veteran as a figurehead.

Brady will play a “huge” role in personnel, with Davis going as far as to confirm this (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore) at the latest owners meetings Wednesday. Bonsignore reported earlier this week Brady will hold a prominent place in the Raiders’ decision-making hierarchy “over time.” This invites obvious intrigue due to Brady’s stature and how it will impact the authority of GM Tom Telseco, who controls the Raiders’ roster. This is a night-and-day turnaround from Brady’s June 2023 assessment, which pegged a “very passive” role in Las Vegas.

More specifically, Davis wants to hear an honest assessment from a qualified staffer who is not fearing for his job, according to Yahoo’s Charles Robinson. Buying a stake in the Raiders earlier this season — after more than a year of waiting — Brady has no concerns of being pushed out. The NFL has allowed him to operate dually as FOX’s top analyst, albeit with significant sanctions, and minority Raiders owner. That setup is interesting enough by itself, but with Brady set to help shape the Raiders’ long-term plan, how they will go about addressing the quarterback spot will be a central 2025 NFL storyline.

Brady does not hold personnel experience, but Davis is certainly set to lean on this century’s highest-profile player’s body of work within the game. As it stands, Brady will be perhaps the lead decision-maker when it comes to Las Vegas determining its QB answer.

As for where that player will come from, a drafted arm might not be a lock. Conflicting accounts have emerged, per Robinson, as to whether Davis will demand the Raiders draft a starter-caliber QB. Be it through the draft or a veteran acquisition, Robinson adds Davis will mandate a long-term plan to fix this issue. The Raiders also want to improve their roster before acquiring a to-be-determined long-term QB, Robinson adds, noting that in-house extensions may be on the horizon. Given the Raiders’ 2-11 record, it will be interesting to see which players become targets.

Although Ken Stabler played longer with the Raiders, Carr operated as the longest-running QB1 in team history. The Raiders erred by signing Jimmy Garoppolo, and Antonio Pierce repeatedly benched Garder Minshew despite the team having signed him to a two-year, $25MM deal in March. Since Carr was parked in Week 17 of the 2022 season due to his contract, the Raiders have started six quarterbacks. That number might balloon to seven Sunday, if Desmond Ridder is needed in place of Aidan O’Connell. Neither of those passers, however, will be expected to factor into Telesco, Davis and now Brady’s long-term plan.

With a month left in the season, the Raiders are projected to hold the No. 1 overall pick. This top-heavy season, though, has produced a host of challengers for that spot. And the 2025 draft’s QB crop is not viewed especially well. That could prompt the Raiders to look into other options — be it a true starter or another bridge plan ahead of 2026. Antonio Pierce, who pushed for a Jayden Daniels reunion, would almost definitely — if he is retained, that is — be against a second bridge plan ahead of a 2026 draft choice. But Pierce or his replacement will be answering to Brady and Telesco on this matter.

Once they learned no Daniels trade would happen, the Raiders had Michael Penix Jr. as a potential fallback option. But the team did not want to trade up for the Washington prospect, who went eighth overall to Atlanta. The Falcons choosing Penix at 8 flummoxed the Raiders, Robinson adds, as the Telesco-led front office believed he would be there at 13. With Penix going at 8, the Broncos scuttled any plans to trade down and drafted Bo Nix — who visited the Raiders — at 12. This left the Raiders in the cold at QB, though they did do well to acquire Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Brock Bowers in a best-player-available pick.

Bowers’ historic pace should bode well for Telesco’s standing within the building, but soon he will need to provide Brady with answers at quarterback. It will be quite interesting to find out who will hold the anvil when it comes to how the franchise proceeds here in 2025, but given Davis’ comments, it should not be expected Brady will encounter significant pushback if he voices a strong opinion about a near-future path.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/10/24

December 10th, 2024 at 8:46pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB K.J Cloyd

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins has made just 64.0% of his field goal attempts this season, which includes two misses from inside 40 yards. Patterson kicked for Cleveland when Hopkins was injured at the end of last season, and his addition to the practice squad indicates that head coach Kevin Stefanski is considering a similar change this year.

The Titans signed Narveson as insurance for starter Nick Folk, who is dealing with an injury, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Narveson began the season as the Packers’ kicker, but after missing five of his 12 field goal attempts, all of which came inside of 50 yards.

Raiders Place RB Zamir White On IR, Promote QB Carter Bradley

December 10th, 2024 at 1:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Zamir White‘s 2024 season has come to an end. The third-year running back was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, the Raiders announced.

White has been limited to eight games this season, and the quad injury he is currently dealing with has left him out of the lineup since Week 12. An IR stint ensures an absence of at least four games, the time remaining in Vegas’ season. White’s attention will therefore turn to recovery in advance of 2025.

As expected, Josh Jacobs departed the Raiders in free agency, a move which allowed White to assume RB1 duties at the start of the campaign. The former fourth-rounder had a strong showing late in the 2023 season when Jacobs was hurt, suggesting he would be effective as a full-time starter. Like with most of the Raiders’ offense this year, however, things have not gone according to plan for White. The 25-year-old averaged just 2.8 yards per attempt and scored one touchdown prior to suffering the injury.

Vegas is also without Alexander Mattison at the moment, so the team will move forward with the likes of Ameer Abdullah, Dylan Laube and Sincere McCormick in the backfield. The Raiders are out of postseason contention, but an improved showing on offense down the stretch could help quell doubts about head coach Antonio Pierce‘s job security. 2025 marks the final year of White’s rookie contract, so his performance next year will be key.

In a corresponding move, quarterback Carter Bradley has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. The undrafted rookie will provide depth under center as the Raiders evaluate the status of Aidan O’Connell, who could be an option to suit up in Week 15. If that is not the case, Desmond Ridder will get the nod and Bradley will have the opportunity to dress as his backup.

Aidan O’Connell Suffers Bone Bruise; Raiders QB Not Ruled Out For Week 15

December 9th, 2024 at 2:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

When an air cast was placed on Aidan O’Connell‘s leg prior to being carted off the field, the possibility existed he would be dealing with a major injury. A report from Sunday night indicated the Raiders feared the second-year quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury, but the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided.

Further testing revealed O’Connell is dealing with a bone bruise, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Considering the potential for more drastic outcomes, that is certainly a welcomed development for team and player. O’Connell will attempt to play in Week 15, so his status over the coming days will be key.

O’Connell already had a stint on injured reserve earlier this year, with his activation coming in time for him to replace Gardner Minshew in the lineup. The latter is out for the year due to a broken collarbone, an injury which opened the door for O’Connell to once again compete for a potential starting spot in 2025. Things have generally not gone well in that regard, with O’Connell’s play on Black Friday being an exception. If he can manage to suit up, though, the Purdue product could continue auditioning for a role next season.

Two more years remain on O’Connell’s rookie contract, so he should still be in consideration for at least a depth spot on Vegas’ QB depth chart moving forward. Minshew is also on the books for 2025, however, and the Raiders are on track to be in position to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft. A strong end to the season would not give the team a chance at a postseason berth, but it would help O’Connell’s stock in the organization.

The Raiders’ other healthy option under center is Desmond Ridder, who took over yesterday after O’Connell’s injury. The former Falcon would be in position to start against his former team if he were to get the nod for Week 15, but that will depend on O’Connell’s ability to recovery in short order.

Raiders Fear QB Aidan O’Connell Suffered Season-Ending Knee Injury

December 8th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:15 PM: Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports has broken the confirmation that O’Connell’s leg injury is indeed serious. Per Schultz, O’Connell suffered a season-ending knee injury in today’s loss to the Buccaneers.

With O’Connell likely joining Minshew on IR, the remaining four starts of the season should fall to Ridder. The only other quarterback in Las Vegas, aside from part-owner Tom Brady, of course, is practice squad rookie Carter Bradley out of South Alabama, who will likely need to be called up to the active roster. If the Raiders want more bodies in the room, they’ll need to sign a free agent or practice squad member from another franchise.

3:21 PM: The Raiders have already been dealt one notable blow on the injury front with respect to the quarterback position. They appear to have endured another during Sunday’s action.

Aidan O’Connell went down with a leg injury during the third quarter of Vegas’ game against the Buccaneers. An air cast was placed on his left leg before he was carted off the field. Such circumstances are often tied to major injuries and lengthy absences, and the Raiders will be further shorthanded at the QB spot if that proves to be true in this instance.

Gardner Minshew suffered a broken collarbone last month, leaving O’Connell in position to reclaim starting duties upon being activated from injured reserve. Minshew had won the offseason competition used to determine Vegas’ Week 1 starter, but neither passer impressed during training camp or the preseason. O’Connell saw playing time prior to landing on IR, and Minshew’s injury coincided with his return to action.

The 2023 fourth-rounder has not enjoyed much success this year, although his showing against the Chiefs on Black Friday (314 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions) showcased the potential for a late-season run of stronger outings. Instead, O’Connell’s attention will now turn to recovery as the Raiders move forward with Desmond Ridder under center. The former Falcon has made three appearances so far in 2024, his debut Vegas campaign. Ridder – a pending restricted free agent – could play his way into a deal with the Raiders or another team with his showings in the coming weeks if he finds himself as their only available passer.

For O’Connell, this development marks another unwanted mark on his efforts to secure a starting gig with the Raiders. He and Minshew are under contract for next year, but Vegas has long been seen as a suitor for a notable QB addition this offseason. With neither signal-caller easing doubts about their future before being injured, the Raiders will no doubt be a team to watch closely on that front.

Vegas lost 28-13 to Tampa Bay on Sunday, dropping the team’s record 2-11 on the year. The Raiders could very well be in position to select a passer during the first round of the draft as a result. O’Connell, 26, could return again this season depending on the severity of his injury, but he may well be sidelined until a 2025 campaign which could included new faces under center.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/24

December 7th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions, including gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Eagles starting tight end Dallas Goedert has been placed on injured reserve, so Jenkins will come up from the practice squad for a little added depth.

Egon Durban, Michael Meldman Have Deals In Place To Purchase Raiders Stakes

December 7th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 7: Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes the Raiders deals will indeed be on the agenda at the upcoming league meeting. Full ratification could therefore take place soon.

NOVEMBER 21: Earlier in 2024, the deals allowing Tom Brady, Tom Wagner and Richard Seymour to purchase a total of 10.5% of the Raiders was approved. Agreements are now in place for two more minority owners to join the organization.

Silver Lake co-CEO and Endeavor board chairman Egon Durban has a deal with Raiders controlling Mark Davis, as first reported by Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal. Durban will be joined by Discovery Land Company founder and chairman Michael Meldman provided their purchases are formally approved. Each will acquire a 7.5% stake should the deals go through.

Davis will still maintain control of the organization in the event the Durban and Meldman purchases receive approval. At least 24 of the league’s 32 owners will need to give the deals the green light, something which could happen during the NFL’s special league meeting next month. The finance committee has already reviewed the terms of the agreements, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). A recommendation for approval could pave the way to the ownership group at large finalizing the deals.

One potential issue on that front is the fact that Endeavor has a sports agency arm called WME Sports. Durban owns a stake in the company, which has (among other athletes) NFL players as its clientele. By rule, NFL owners cannot also represent players or coaches; as a result, Durban will need to divest from WME as a condition of his Raiders purchase being approved. Fischer reports Durban has given assurances to the NFL that such a move will take place within four months of the deal being going through.

“WME Sports’ football group continues to operate business as usual, and we are prepared for various scenarios as it relates to our football representation business, which is thriving,” a company statement reads. “Our priority remains creating growth and opportunity for our clients and partners.”

Durban and Meldman’s purchases will come in part from Davis’ equity in the Raiders, as well as from the Boscacci and Lovingfoss families, descendants of some of the franchise’s original investors. Full financial terms are not known, but Fischer reports the deals will check in at a “much higher price” than the ones Brady, Wagner and Seymour paid for their shares (which valued the franchise at $3.5 billion).

Mark Davis has been in place as the Raiders’ controlling owner since his father Al passed away in 2011. The 69-year-old is set to remain in his current capacity for the foreseeable future, but further additions to his ownership group could be coming soon.

Bill Belichick Interviewed For North Carolina HC Job; Latest On NFL Interest

December 5th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

This season marked Bill Belichick‘s first out of the NFL since 1974. The legendary HC-turned-media mainstay has only served as a full-time coach in the NFL ranks, moving from assistant positions in Baltimore, Detroit, Denver and New York to his two HC roles (Cleveland, New England). It is widely known the recently fired Patriots leader is eyeing a jump back into the league.

An unusual development may well have taken place in the meantime. Belichick interviewed for the North Carolina head coaching job, according to 247Sports.com’s Grant Hughes. Considering the instability in the college ranks right now, along with Belichick’s exclusive ties to the NFL over a near-five-decade span, it would be borderline shocking if he made his coaching return to that level. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the North Carolina meeting.

Discussions have occurred over a several-day period, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer and Pat Forde report. Belichick is the son of a longtime college coach. His father, Steve, was an assistant at Navy for 34 years. Steve Belichick also spent three seasons (1953-55) as an assistant at North Carolina. While the NFL lifer bowing out of a second NFL derby to coach the Tar Heels 70 years after his father did would be unexpected, it is a key coaching storyline to monitor right now. Belichick indeed still would likely prefer the pros, per Breer, though he has done extensive research on the current college game.

[RELATED: Ex-Belichick Lieutenants Ready To Rejoin Him At Next Job?]

Belichick, 72, has been tied to the Giants and Cowboys and has connections to Jaguars ownership, further clouding Trent Baalke‘s Jacksonville future. All three jobs may soon be available, and while Belichick has an advantage on candidates employed by teams presently, he would need to wait on those three jobs. The Bears, Jets and Saints are the only teams that can interview Belichick now.

Coaches still on staff elsewhere must wait until after the wild-card round to interview, while unattached candidates can start early. Though, Belichick is almost definitely not returning to the Jets due to a long-adversarial relationship. Unless the Bears and Saints show interest, Belichick will need to wait until the offseason carousel starts.

North Carolina fired its two-time HC Mack Brown recently, and Steelers OC Arthur Smith came up as a target. Smith rebuffed Tar Heels interest, as a potential second chance as an NFL leader awaits. Belichick taking the meeting is certainly interesting, and he would obviously raise the ACC program’s profile. That said, Belichick’s age and the unstable landscape of Division I sports right now stand to generate roadblocks. The Tar Heels have been open to senior-citizen HCs, hiring Brown back at age 67 in 2018. The Tar Heels have produced one 10-win season over the past 27 years.

Belichick’s 20-plus-year tenure as a de facto GM would appeal to schools in the NIL era, in addition to his obvious coaching resume’s draw, though the transfer portal and evolving compensation setup have led high-profile coaches in both football and basketball out. Boston College’s Jeff Hafley was among them, leaving an ACC HC gig for the Packers’ DC post (Brown also expressed frustration with the current state of college sports). The world’s highest-profile football coach stepping in would be rather strange. Indeed, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adds some in the NFL believe Belichick is using North Carolina in an effort to push teams to act faster and make it known he wants back into the league in 2025.

Any college commitment would also drain time from Belichick’s quest to break Don Shula‘s career wins record. At 333, Belichick sits 14 behind Shula’s mark. The NFL also brings a potential age barrier, one that impacted Belichick’s candidacy this year. No team has hired a head coach older than 66; Belichick will turn 73 in April. The Falcons viewing Belichick as a short-term option prompted them to steer clear, though myriad other factors were also behind Atlanta’s decision.

The Raiders job also may open soon, creating a fascinating what-if about now-part-owner Tom Brady overseeing his former coach. Mark Davis pulling the plug so quickly on longtime Belichick lieutenant Josh McDaniels likely makes that a nonstarter, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indeed does not see a fit there if the Silver and Black boot Antonio Pierce soon.

The Cowboys continue to come up as a potential Belichick destination, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who adds the Buccaneers have as well. Tampa Bay passed on firing Todd Bowles last year, as the third-year HC ultimately rallied to lead the team to the divisional round. The Bucs are 6-6, putting Bowles on shaky ground once again. Though, they play in the NFL’s worst division and could certainly claim a playoff spot for a fifth straight year. Mike McCarthy is wrapping up a five-year contract, though the prospect of Jerry Jones keeping his embattled HC — one Dak Prescott strongly endorsed this week — has also surfaced.

Belichick was believed to be willing to cede some power if hired by the Falcons, with Arthur Blank confirming the coach did not demand a de facto GM role during his interviews. But meshing with Dallas’ long-running honcho, who obviously plays the lead role in Cowboys personnel moves, continues to loom as a potential dealbreaker for both parties. Barring an unexpected move into the college ranks, Belichick connections to teams figure to pick up again soon.

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