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Las Vegas Raiders News & Rumors

2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 6th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Raiders Hire Patrick Graham As DC

February 4th, 2022 at 9:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have agreed to hire Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator, according to sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). With that, Graham will make a lateral move from the Giants to work under newly-hired head coach Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas. 

[RELATED: Raiders Name Champ Kelly Assistant GM]

New Giants head coach Brian Daboll wanted to retain Graham as his DC, even though he was a Joe Judge holdover. The two men worked together in New England, but their history wasn’t enough for Graham to stay put. Ultimately, Graham would have liked to stay as the head coach. The Giants and Vikings both had him as a finalist, but he did not land an HC offer in this cycle.

“I have had a good relationship with Pat for some time in this league,” Daboll said at his introductory press conference. “He’s very diligent. He’s smart. I think the players respect him. I have a good working relationship with him. Selfishly, I would love him to be here“.

It’s also worth noting that Graham has even more ties with the Raiders’ new regime — he’ll now work with fellow ex-Patriots in McDaniels and recently crowned GM Dave Ziegler. McDaniels and Graham overlapped in New England from the 2011 postseason through the end of the 2015 season, when Graham left for the G-Men.

Raiders Interview Patrick Graham For DC, Set Up OC Meeting With Drew Petzing

February 4th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Patrick Graham has generated considerable attention this offseason. After making it to the final round of the Vikings’ HC search, he booked a Raiders defensive coordinator interview.

The Raiders are interviewing the Giants’ DC for the same position Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. They also requested a meeting with Browns tight ends coach Drew Petzing, Zac Jackson of The Athletic tweets. Petzing will interview for Las Vegas’ OC job Saturday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Should Graham’s Raiders interview go well, he may have an interesting decision to make. New Giants HC Brian Daboll wants Graham back as DC, despite the latter being a Joe Judge holdover. Daboll and Graham worked together in New England, however. Graham also has close ties to the new Raiders power structure, having worked alongside Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler with the Patriots. McDaniels and Graham overlapped as Pats staffers from the 2011 playoffs — when McDaniels returned after a one-and-done Rams OC stint — through the end of the 2015 season, after which Graham left for his first run as a Giants assistant.

The Vikings chose Rams OC Kevin O’Connell over Graham, but Graham has now met with three teams — also being up for the Steelers’ DC job that went to in-house candidate Teryl Austin — this offseason. The 43-year-old defensive play-caller will land on his feet soon. The Raiders poaching Graham would force the Giants into other plans.

This upcoming OC interview marks new territory for Petzing, who has been a position coach for the past several seasons. Petzing, 34, has worked with Browns HC Kevin Stefanski throughout his career. After five years with the Vikings, Petzing went with Stefanski to Cleveland in 2020. McDaniels plans to call plays for the Raiders, minimizing their next OC’s role to some degree. The team has its new QBs coach in place already, in Bo Hardegree. The Raiders are also retaining wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett.

Raiders Interview Sean Desai For DC Job

February 3rd, 2022 at 9:47am CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders are meeting with a highly regarded candidate for the first defensive hire of the Josh McDaniels era. Las Vegas is set to interview former Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai today, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

[Related: Bears To Hire Alan Williams As DC]

Desai’s NFL coaching career dates back to 2013, and had only been spent in Chicago until now. At the age of 38, he already has an impressive amount of experience, between three different roles in the college ranks (including special teams coordinator at Boston College) and, most recently, the DC role he held with the Bears in 2021. With Matt Eberflus electing to bring a familiar face in Alan Williams with him from Indianapolis, though, Desai is in search of a new home.

One of the top young defensive minds in the coaching ranks, Desai’s unit ranked sixth in the league in yards allowed this season, despite injuries to the likes of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. That success earned him interest from the Seahawks earlier this month, as they requested an interview for their DC vacancy.

While he hasn’t officially taken another position yet, current Raiders DC Gus Bradley certainly seems to be on the way out. Between this Desai interview, and the meeting Bradley has already had with the Colts for their DC opening, there will apparently be a new voice for a Vegas defensive unit that ranked 26th in the league in points allowed in 2021.

 

AFC Coaching Notes: Broncos, Jets, Raiders, Titans

February 2nd, 2022 at 9:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Nathaniel Hackett filled two major roles on his coaching staff today, adding Justin Outten as his offensive coordinator and Ejiro Evero as his defensive coordinator. Naturally, the team isn’t finished adding to the staff. The Broncos announced that they’ve hired Butch Barry as their offensive line coach and Klint Kubiak as their passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Barry served as the 49ers’ assistant offensive line coach this past season. He previously worked with Hackett in Green Bay, with Barry serving as a senior analyst in 2020. The coach has also had stints with the Buccaneers and University of Miami.

Kubiak was the Vikings offensive coordinator in 2020. The song of Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak previously worked with the Broncos when he served as offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach between 2016 and 2018.

More coaching notes out of the AFC…

  • A pair of Jets coaches are stepping away from their roles. Senior offensive assistant Matt Cavanaugh won’t be returning to the team in 2022, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). Cavanaugh joined the team in August to replace the late Greg Knapp, and he primarily played a role in the QB room. Cimini tweets that offensive assistant John Beck also won’t be back in 2022. Beck served as Zach Wilson‘s “personal coach” last season.
  • After serving as an offensive assistant with the Patriots, Bo Hardegree is joining Josh McDaniels‘ staff in Las Vegas. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), Hardegree has been hired as the Raiders new quarterback coach. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders will be retaining receivers coach Edgar Bennett. The former Packers OC was considered for jobs elsewhere.
  • The Titans have hired former Texans defensive line coach Bobby King to be their inside linebackers coach, reports Aaron Wilson. King previously worked with current Titans head coach Mike Vrabel when the two were in Houston, and King will also have another opportunity to coach long-time Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham.

Raiders Name Champ Kelly Assistant GM

February 2nd, 2022 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

After falling short in a bid to land the Raiders’ general manager job, Champ Kelly is still headed to Las Vegas. The Raiders hired the longtime Bears executive to be their assistant GM on Wednesday.

While Kelly has spent the past seven years in Chicago, rising to the role of assistant director of player personnel, he worked with new Raiders HC Josh McDaniels during his brief Denver stay. Kelly was with the Broncos before and after McDaniels’ stint but rose to the post of assistant pro personnel director while McDaniels was running the show from 2009-10.

Kelly has been a GM candidate for a bit now, interviewing with the Broncos and Panthers last year. The Bears interviewed him for their GM role last month but ended up hiring Chiefs exec Ryan Poles. Kelly will now be new Raiders GM Dave Ziegler‘s right-hand man in the revamped Vegas front office. Ziegler also worked alongside Kelly with the Broncos during McDaniels’ stay, beginning his personnel career after Kelly had already arrived in Denver.

The 2022 season will mark Kelly’s 16th in the NFL. He began as a Broncos scout in 2007. The Bears hired him to be their pro scouting director in 2015. Unlike McDaniels and Ziegler, Kelly has no ties to the Patriots. Mark Davis has cleaned house in recent weeks, fully moving on from the Jon Gruden–Mike Mayock power structure.

Ravens’ Tee Martin, Raiders’ Edgar Bennett To Interview For Bills’ OC Position

January 31st, 2022 at 3:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Brian Daboll off to the Giants as their newest head coach, the Bills continue to search for a new offensive coordinator. The second name on the list of candidates is Tee Martin, the Ravens’ wide receivers coach, who is set to meet with Buffalo for the vacancy (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec). Not long after that came out, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweeted that Edgar Bennett, who holds the same title with the Raiders, will also interview for the role. 

[Related: Ken Dorsey To Be Considered For Bills, Giants OC Jobs]

The Martin announcement was made by Ravens HC John Harbaugh when he addressed the media on Monday. Martin, 43, has only been an NFL coach for this past season. He has a decorated college resume, though, highlighted by work as the wide receivers coach at Kentucky, USC and Tennessee dating back to 2010. Those stints have also included the roles of passing game coordinator, OC and assistant head coach along the way. The 2021 season, while disappointing overall for the Ravens, offered cause for optimism at the receiver position with Marquise Brown recording his first 1,000-yard season and Rashod Bateman demonstrating, once he was healthy, why he was worthy of a first round pick.

Bennett has been an NFL coach since 2005, the year he started working in Green Bay. That lasted until 2017, and included a three-year stint as the team’s OC. Part of a major overhaul on the offensive staff in 2018, the 52-year-old was let go in January of 2018. For the past four years, he has been the WRs coach with the Raiders; the 2021 campaign saw Las Vegas rank sixth in the league in passing yards.

These announcements come after it was reported that Ken Dorsey, the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the Bills, would likely be promoted to OC with Daboll gone. The only alternative, it is believed, would be if Daboll convinced Dorsey to follow him to New York. With Buffalo looking at two external candidates, the team will have options if that does in fact happen.

Colts To Interview Three More DC Candidates

January 31st, 2022 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

The list of potential Matt Eberflus replacements continues to grow for Indianapolis. The Indy Star’s Joel Erickson reports (via Twitter) that the Colts will be interviewing three more candidates for the defensive coordinator position: Raiders DC Gus Bradley, Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. and Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard. 

The team met with Jaguars DC Joe Cullen, as well as WFT DBs coach Chris Harris, last week. Then, it came out yesterday that they will also be interviewing longtime DC Jim Schwartz, who has most recently held the title of senior defensive assistant with the Titans.

Bradley was hired by the Raiders last January, in an attempt to bring in an experienced defensive mind to a team desperate for success in the second Jon Gruden era. The 55-year-old had served as DC with the Chargers, following four-year stints as head coach of the Jaguars and DC of the Seahawks during the ‘Legion of Boom’ era.

As for Whitt, an interview request is certainly nothing new. Each of the Seahawks, Ravens and Steelers met with him as potential replacements for their previous DCs. His work in Dallas this season contributed to the defense’s surprising performance, led on the back end by Trevon Diggs‘ league-leading 11 interceptions. At the age of 43, he has been an NFL position coach dating back to 2007, but has yet to be a DC at any level.

Richard has also generated DC interest this year. Just like Whitt, he has already received requests from Baltimore and Pittsburgh for their vacancies. The 42-year-old has spent most of coaching career in Seattle, including a three year stint as DC from 2015-2017. Since then, he’s been the DBs coach for the Cowboys, and, this past season, the Saints. If Dennis Allen takes over as HC in New Orleans, as is expected, Richard’s path back to a DC role may come via an internal promotion, rather than an external hire.

Erickson notes that these three interviews will take place today and tomorrow, which should bring the Colts one step closer to making a DC hire sometime in the coming days.

 

 

Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

January 31st, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Adam La Rose

Championship Sunday has come and gone, and with it, we now know the matchup for Super Bowl LVI. The Rams’ win on Sunday guarantees that the Lions’ other first round pick will be in the bottom two, slightly devaluing it relative to if they had lost. Still, it is one of the bargaining chips they hold if they were to attempt to move up into the top spot, from their current position of second. As one of four teams with multiple picks in the opening round, Detroit will certainly be a squad to keep an eye on in April.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.

Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
  2. Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
  3. Houston Texans: 4-13
  4. New York Jets: 4-13
  5. New York Giants: 4-13
  6. Carolina Panthers: 5-12
  7. New York Giants(via Bears)
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Denver Broncos: 7-10
  10. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
  11. Washington Football Team: 7-10
  12. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
  13. Cleveland Browns: 8-9
  14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
  15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
  16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
  18. New Orleans Saints: 9-8
  19. Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
  21. New England Patriots: 10-7
  22. Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
  23. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
  24. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  25. Buffalo Bills: 11-6
  26. Tennessee Titans: 12-5
  27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
  28. Green Bay Packers: 13-4
  29. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
  30. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
  31. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
  32. Detroit Lions (via Rams)

* = Remaining playoff teams

Saints Have Stake In Payton’s Future

January 30th, 2022 at 9:31pm CST by Ely Allen

When Saints’ former head coach Sean Payton retired, he left the door open for a return. Although he made it clear that he has no intention of coaching during the 2022 NFL season, Payton didn’t rule out a return later on. 

“My plans are not to be coaching in 2022,” Payton said. “I still have a vision for doing things in football and, I’ll be honest with you, that might be coaching again at some point.”

Because Payton is under contract with the Saints through the 2024 NFL season, this “mini-retirement” means that whichever team wants to sign him for the 2023 season will have to negotiate with the Saints to do so. Even though Payton told radio personality Dan Patrick that he heard two teams reached out through back channels, those channels never reached Saints’ general manager Mickey Loomis, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. This means that whatever the level of interest those two teams had, it didn’t rise to the point where they were ready to talk compensation.

Mortensen goes on to explain that, should another team reach out to see what it would take to sign Payton, New Orleans has their compensation chart ready on hand. The chart would be based on past similar transactions setting an estimated value through precedent.

The most recent example would be when the Buccaneers pulled Bruce Arians out of his recent retirement from coaching the Cardinals three seasons ago. This is a precedent the Saints’ would stray away from as Arians lack of success in Arizona led to the Cardinals essentially nudging him into retirement. When the deal was made to send Arians to Tampa Bay, the Cardinals received a sixth-round pick and gave the Buccaneers Arians and a seventh-round pick.

Payton is currently considered in much higher demand than Arians was at the time. Mortensen laid out three past transactions that he considers a little more on par with Payton’s current value. The most pricey example was about 20-years ago when the Buccaneers gave the Raiders two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and $8MM cash in exchange for Jon Gruden, who lead his new team to a Super Bowl victory over his old team. The Gruden deal differs a bit from the Arians deal because Gruden wasn’t thinking of retiring and there was really no threat to his job. Raiders’ owner and general manager Al Davis had some questions over Gruden’s value, but there was never talk that his job was in jeopardy.

Another similar deal came back in 1997, when Bill Parcells decided he didn’t want to coach for the Patriots anymore. Parcells’ contract restricted him from coaching anywhere else, so the Jets attempted to circumvent the restriction by hiring a key Parcells’ assistant, Bill Belichick, as their head coach and hiring Parcells as an “advisor.” After the Patriots threatened legal action, the commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, helped the two sides come to an agreement wherein the Patriots would send Parcells to the Jets in exchange for a first-, second-, third-, and fourth-round pick (spread over the following three years). Even though this deal doesn’t include any “mini-retirements,” it follows the current situation a little more closely than the Gruden deal.

Belichick’s return to New England had a very similar ring to his arrival in New York. After the Jets arranged for Belichick to succeed Parcells as head coach, Belichick went to his press conference and, instead of introducing himself as the new head coach, he introduce his resignation from the franchise. The Patriots soon requested permission to interview Belichick to replace Pete Carroll, but the Jets pulled the reverse card and demanded compensation, as Belichick was still under contract. Tagliabue stepped in, once more, and the Patriots sent New York a first-round pick in exchange for the coaching rights of Belichick.

All these examples, despite their different situations, provide a basis for the Saints to use in determining what they think they are due when another team inevitably comes calling. As a Super Bowl champion and long-tenured head coach, Payton is sure to fetch quite a price for whichever team decides to hire him.

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