HEADLINES

Tom Telesco

Raiders Fire GM Tom Telesco

January 9th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are giving quick hooks to both their 2024 power brokers. Two days after Antonio Pierce‘s ouster, Tom Telesco is gone. The Raiders announced the veteran GM’s firing Thursday.

Telesco was believed to be safe after Pierce’s firing, as teams almost never make GMs one-and-dones. That will happen to Telesco, whose Brock Bowers draft choice did not prove enough for the Raiders to justify a second season. As Las Vegas searches for a new head coach, the team will clear the decks to pair that to-be-determined leader with a front office boss.

[RELATED: Pete Carroll To Interview For Raiders’ HC Job]

The team’s HC search is directly tied to Telesco’s dismissal. A search for two leaders at the same time appealed to the Raiders more than potentially forcing a head coach on an incumbent GM, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes. This will be a tough blow for Telesco, who has now been fired twice since December 2023.

Given tremendous power as a minority owner, Tom Brady‘s fingerprints are involved here. The broadcaster/part-owner discussed the situation with Mark Davis, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, and those conversations pointed the team in the direction of a full-on new start. Telesco, 52, was also not involved in the decision to fire Pierce, Tafur adds. Considering Brady’s influence now, Telesco was set to have his power curbed had he been retained for a second year. But this firing likely closes the book on his GM career. Trent Baalke is the only second-chance GM remaining, and his Jaguars standing is murky right now.

Last year, the Raiders brought in Telesco shortly after removing Pierce’s interim tag. Telesco had been the Chargers’ GM from 2013-23. While GMs infrequently receive second chances, Telesco’s experience brought Davis to sign off on an arranged marriage of sorts, with the owner wanting to pair his unseasoned HC with a veteran exec. Telesco-Pierce friction developed early, particularly about the quarterback position, last year. As the team attempts to solve that issue, neither will be part of it.

Pierce had supported a trade-up move to land a potential long-term QB option in the 2024 draft, while Telesco was in the camp of retaining assets and making the pick at No. 13. Having roster control, Telesco won out and Bowers delivered a historic season. Likely en route to a first-team All-Pro honor, Bowers broke Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for receiving yardage by a rookie tight end. Bowers’ 1,194-yard year aside, the Raiders still have a glaring need at the most important position. A new GM will now tackle that from the No. 6 spot in the draft.

The Raiders had pursued Jayden Daniels, but a climb from No. 13 to No. 2 to reunite the ex-Arizona State passer with Pierce was never viewed as likely. The Commanders shot down the one offer they received for the pick; that proposal likely came from the Raiders. Michael Penix Jr. emerged as a fallback plan, but the team was not high enough on the left-handed prospect that a trade-up was strongly considered. After the Broncos chose Bo Nix at 12, the Raiders were effectively cut off. This significantly hampered Pierce, who did not warm up to Gardner Minshew. Pierce benched the free agent signing on a few occasions. More Pierce-Telesco friction developed during the season, and Brady’s outsized influence appeared to affect the GM.

Working with stopgap options at QB, Pierce finished 4-13 in his only full season as HC. He had gone 5-4 as Las Vegas’ interim coach. At that time, Davis was linked to potentially hiring an exec to check in above a GM. No such hire happened, but NFL owners approving Brady this past fall may vault the all-time QB great into such a role. Brady is on track to be a central figure in the team’s search for a quarterback answer, and the high-profile FOX staffer has already been heavily involved in the Raiders’ coaching search. Thursday’s firing will clear the way for a high-end coaching candidate to have a say in the team’s GM hire.

Telesco’s two-year, $25MM Minshew contract did not do much for the Raiders, beyond a Week 2 upset of the Ravens. Minshew may well be cut soon. The other notable Telesco free agency pickup cost far more, but Christian Wilkins — given a four-year, $110MM deal that checked in behind only Chris Jones‘ among D-tackles — suffered a Jones fracture that knocked him out after five games. The Raiders’ decision to let Josh Jacobs walk in free agency may not have been as costly as the Giants’ apathy regarding Saquon Barkley, but the defection hurt Vegas’ run game as well. Jacobs said he did not speak with Telesco before he left for Green Bay.

Telesco’s short Raiders tenure also included a trade of Davante Adams, who had run out of patience with the Raiders’ quarterback situation. Telesco landed a third-round pick from the Jets, who took on all of the wideout’s remaining 2024 salary. That pick will now help Brady and the to-be-determined GM, as the team may need ammo to trade into Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward territory, as the Titans (No. 1), Browns (No. 2) and Giants (No. 3) need signal-caller help as well.

Vegas may not end up holding a special place for the twice-fired GM, as a 63-21 Raiders rout of the Chargers led Telesco and Brandon Staley out the door in Los Angeles. Telesco’s Chargers teams had received steady praise for their roster construction, and the Raiders viewed the GM as having assembled better rosters than the results ultimately yielded. That influenced the team’s GM pick, even as Telesco only went 3-for-11 in playoff berths as the Bolts’ front office boss. The next Raiders GM search committee will have a prominent new voice in Brady.

Brady has already contacted ex-Patriots boss Bill Belichick about potentially bailing on North Carolina and coming aboard, but the new Tar Heels coach is not believed to be considering a return to the league. A GM opening would clear a potential path, however. The Raiders also secured a meeting with Lions OC Ben Johnson, one of the hottest HC candidates in recent memory. Johnson is meeting with three other teams this week as well. Having an open GM slot would stand to appeal to Johnson, who has been selective during his time on the HC carousel.

The Raiders have now fired two GMs since October 2023, having canned Dave Ziegler at the same time of Josh McDaniels‘ ouster. The team had given Jon Gruden personnel power upon hiring him, with Mike Mayock riding shotgun. Neither setup lasted long. Brady and Co. will attempt to find a long-running HC-GM tandem for a franchise that has not enjoyed that in ages. The heavy turnover among the Raiders’ staff could certainly hurt the team’s chances at landing a quality GM. How that factors into the team’s upcoming pursuit will be worth monitoring.

Raiders Fire HC Antonio Pierce

January 7th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two days after the Patriots made Jerod Mayo a one-and-done head coach, the Raiders are following suit. Antonio Pierce‘s stay as a full-time Raiders HC will be capped at one season, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reporting the team is firing its interim-turned-full-time coach.

Rumblings about a Pierce ouster have steadily come out for weeks, with the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker struggling during a 4-13 season. Pierce had impressed in 2023, winning over the locker room — to the point players voiced strong support for his full-time candidacy — after a 5-4 finish. He will not have a chance to rebound from this disappointing campaign, despite Las Vegas winning two of its final three games.

Some Raiders players kept voicing support for Pierce after the season ended, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds, but ownership did not give into any such pushes this year. Maxx Crosby memorably was tied to a trade request if the Raiders did not promote Pierce, with Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams stumping for the unusual HC candidate as well. Mark Davis listened at that point, being fond of Pierce’s style and appreciation for the organization’s history. Pierce still brought an atypical background for the job, as we detailed in our Offseason In Review piece, having never been an NFL coordinator or college HC. His inexperience showed.

This will not be a full-on teardown. The Raiders are not firing GM Tom Telesco, Schefter adds. GMs typically receive fewer second chances but are more generally given more time than head coaches. Telesco is one of just two active second-chance GMs, and he will receive a second Raiders season. That said, minority owner Tom Brady is expected to play a big role in the Raiders’ 2025 offseason. That stands to strip some power from Telesco.

At least two unknown candidates have caught the Raiders’ eye, with Bovada’s Josina Anderson reporting the availability of these coaches helped cause the delay in the franchise firing Pierce. The team was linked to ex-Brady teammate Mike Vrabel recently, but the Patriots are also expected to complete a strong pursuit of their former linebacker. It would stand to reason Davis will target experience with his next hire, but the past few years have not been good for the second-generation owner.

Davis had convinced Jon Gruden to come out of the broadcast booth to sign a 10-year contract in 2018, but problematic emails surfacing led the second-stint Raiders HC out of town. Gruden had missed the playoffs in his first three seasons back, though his 2021 team — with interim leader Rich Bisaccia at the controls — qualified and nearly upset the eventual AFC champion Bengals. Davis expressed regret over passing on Bisaccia, helping Pierce’s chances. Pierce did make the interesting leap of being a Josh McDaniels hire that impressed. Davis canned McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler 1 1/2 seasons into their tenure. He is still paying McDaniels’ contract, and Pierce will still draw a Raiders salary going forward.

A Monday report pointed to disagreements between Pierce and Telesco continuing into the season, with the quarterback position at the heart of this friction. Pierce had pushed for a QB-driven trade-up move, but Telesco was in the camp of retaining the team’s draft picks rather than mortgaging future pieces. While the GM’s side may be up on the scorecards early in this fight — thanks to Brock Bowers‘ historic season — Pierce was forced to coach a bottom-tier quarterback situation. The Raiders used Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder this season.

The former Arizona State DC sought a reunion with ex-Sun Devils starter Jayden Daniels, and the Raiders almost certainly were the team to make the Commanders an offer — the only one they received — for No. 2 overall. Moving from No. 13 to No. 2 was never too realistic, but the Raiders standing pat also cost them target Michael Penix Jr. The team was high on Penix but did not view the southpaw passer as worth trading up for; ditto Bo Nix, who ended up in Denver at No. 12. The Raiders took Bowers, who looks like an instant star, but enter the offseason in dire need at QB.

Like Mayo, Pierce inherited a difficult situation. The Raiders traded Adams early this season, leaving them with both a QB deficiency and a lack of playmakers. Las Vegas’ offense ranked 29th offensively, as Pierce fired OC hire Luke Getsy midway through the season, after Kliff Kingsbury backed out of a deal. Patrick Graham‘s defense finished 25th in points allowed. The 2023 team had climbed to ninth, marking the only time since the Super Bowl XXXVII season the franchise had finished in the top half in scoring defense. How Pierce assembled his staff also generated internal scrutiny, and he was not exactly praised for game management, either.

As for where the Raiders will go post-Pierce, Schefter notes Brady is indeed on the search committee. Considering Davis’ comments regarding the legendary QB’s role in terms of fixing that position, it is unsurprising Brady will help pick the coach. Approved as part-owner after more than a year of waiting, Brady has been mentioned as being set to play a central role in the HC search — even as his FOX Super Bowl responsibilities will interfere on this front. As of now, Brady remains in the historically unusual spot of broadcasting through significant limitations; the Raiders appear to be planning to make that worth his while via rare (for a minority owner) opportunities in personnel.

Pierce, 46, did not bring a play-calling acumen to the Raiders. Davis was burned by the two previous coaches who did, however, with the McDaniels mistake stinging fast. It will be fascinating to see which direction the Raiders go now. Pierce snapping a 10-game losing streak with wins over the Jaguars and Saints will hurt the Raiders moving forward, as they slid from the No. 1 overall draft slot to No. 6. A push for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward will likely require another trade-up effort.

Davis’ recent quick-trigger firings, and the team’s quarterback situation, will not make this a particularly appealing job. The presences of Andy Reid (and Patrick Mahomes), Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh in the AFC West also will create a daunting task for Pierce’s successor. It looks like Davis is counting on Brady to be a difference-maker in the Raiders’ uphill battle, though luring Vrabel to the desert will not be easy.

Telesco will now have a chance to make a hire, though that was not his strong suit in Los Angeles. Telesco hired Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley — coaches who did not impress, with the Raiders viewing the GM’s rosters as better than the results — and was fired after a 63-21 loss in Las Vegas in December 2023. How Brady’s presence will impact Telesco’s role will be a key Raiders storyline as well, as Davis will certainly face pressure to land his next hire after essentially passing on a true coaching search in 2024 to hire Pierce.

Already admitting what he has deemed a mistake, Davis will try again. No Raiders coach has lasted more than four years on the job since Art Shell‘s first stint, which occurred well before the younger Davis assumed control. The search for elusive HC stability persists.

Latest On Raiders, HC Antonio Pierce

January 6th, 2025 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders stumbled to a 4-13 finish, dropping a one-sided Chargers rematch after winning two straight. This dropped the Silver and Black out of the top five in the draft order, which will impact the team’s ability to select one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s prospect pool.

Antonio Pierce remains in place as the Las Vegas HC, but rumors about a potential firing persist. Many around the league expected an ouster after Week 18. With Black Monday upon us, Pierce has thus far avoided it. But a dismissal may be close. Pierce is “absolutely” not safe, per Outkick.com’s Antonio Salguero.

Mark Davis met with Pierce after the Raiders’ loss to the Bolts, and another meeting may well be on tap for Monday morning. The Raiders placed Pierce in a difficult position this season, outfitting him with a bottom-tier quarterback situation. Pierce had pushed for a monster trade-up for Jayden Daniels, and while the Raiders were most likely the team that sent the Commanders the only offer for No. 2 overall, a 13-to-2 move-up was never viewed as realistic. The team’s inability to land a better QB option looks to have created issues between Pierce and GM Tom Telesco.

A report in April indicated the HC and GM disagreed on a quarterback trade-up, with Pierce landing in the camp that one was necessary. He may well have been right, as the Raiders ended up shut out of the 2024 first round. They deemed target Michael Penix Jr. a player of interest, just not one they viewed as worthy of a trade-up. Brock Bowers‘ arrival looks good on Telesco’s resume, but the Raiders now need a quarterback in what appears to be a worse offseason to do so. They sit sixth in the 2025 draft, and supply and demand points to Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward being off the board by then. Another trade-up effort may be required if the Raiders want either player.

Pierce-Telesco disagreements do not look to have ceased after the Bowers pick. Pierce privately continued to express disappointment over the QB situation he was handed, Salguero notes, indicating friction between he and Telesco continued into the season. This could well end up keying a Pierce firing, which will obviously not go over well with the former linebacker-turned-HC given the hand he was dealt. That said, Pierce does not bring a tactical background and needs both offensive and defensive play-callers. He also fired OC Luke Getsy midway through their first season together. Will Davis give his HC the chance to hire a new play-caller on that side of the ball?

Players stumped for Pierce last January, as he had gone 5-4 as Vegas’ interim HC. This year’s 4-13 outing has him squarely on the hot seat. Minority owner Tom Brady also looks likely to snare some of Telesco’s decision-making power, with Davis expected to turn to the legendary QB-turned-announcer for help to fix the quarterback situation. Brady is also on track to have a major say on the HC matter, though his Super Bowl LIX responsibilities with FOX may interfere on the latter front. Despite Pierce making it into Black Monday (unlike Jerod Mayo), he may not end the day as the Raiders’ HC.

Latest On Antonio Pierce’s Status; Raiders To Involve Tom Brady Heavily In HC Call

December 18th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders made an unorthodox hire in January, keeping Antonio Pierce as their head coach despite his lacking of a conventional resume for such a post. Players, most notably Maxx Crosby, stumped for Pierce; nearly a year later, however, he is on the hot seat.

Although it should be noted Pierce does not have too much to work with right now, the Raiders have lost 10 straight and have the inside track on the No. 1 overall pick due to a projected strength of schedule advantage on the 2-12 Giants. Pierce being given the chance to coach said draftee, most likely a quarterback, is far from assured. A recent report had NFL insiders split on the Las Vegas HC’s future; a subsequent offering is a bit more pessimistic.

Some around the league believe the Raiders are giving consideration to making Pierce a one-and-done (as a full-time HC, at least), according to Bovada’s Josina Anderson, who points to Tom Brady having a significant say here. Brady will indeed be heavily involved on the coaching front, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.

It is unusual for a minority owner to have the kind of power Brady appears to now possess in Vegas, as Mark Davis will lean on the recently retired quarterback to lead the effort to fix the team’s signal-caller situation as well. With Brady’s role set to change how the Raiders operate, Anderson adds another interesting piece of this equation by indicating some around the league believe GM Tom Telesco is “separating himself.”

The Raiders hired Telesco shortly after they removed Pierce’s interim tag, and Davis said last week the franchise does not view the two as a package deal. That makes matters interesting, as GMs are typically given longer leashes than HCs. Telesco also has far more experience, having been the Chargers’ GM for more than 10 years.

Before hiring Telesco, Davis spoke of wanting a third power broker to join his team’s head coach and GM, which at that point had not been determined. While not holding a football ops title, Brady appears to be that third power player in Vegas. As such, Telesco’s job description will have changed less than a year into his tenure.

As for Pierce, he said (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore) his conversations with Davis have been positive and alluded to being under contract in 2025 when asked about his job security. Pierce is a historical outlier in terms of coaching paths, having been neither an NFL coordinator nor a college HC before receiving this Raiders chance. Although players have responded to the former NFL linebacker and Arizona State DC better compared to Josh McDaniels, the honeymoon period is long over. The Raiders are stumbling to their worst season since Art Shell‘s 2006 return, which produced a 2-14 record and the No. 1 overall pick.

Pierce is widely believed to have pushed for what would have been an unrealistic trade to acquire Jayden Daniels (at No. 2 overall) before the draft and has been saddled with Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder this season. Being fired during a QB transition period for the franchise would be a tough break for Pierce, though he will have a 1 1/2-season sample size due to the interim appointment last year. The Raiders finishing 2-15 and keeping their HC would invite tremendous scrutiny, and the prospect of Brady wanting to start over at HC and QB could loom.

Residing in a division that houses the two-time defending Super Bowl champions and resurgent Broncos and Chargers teams helmed by successful coaches, the Raiders have an uphill battle to wage. The allure of an unusually prominent ownership role may well have enticed Brady to wait more than a year to be approved, and the Raiders’ 2025 offseason — particularly where the dominoes fall at quarterback, head coach and general manager — is poised to be quite interesting.

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.

2024 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

May 7th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Patriots hiring Eliot Wolf as their de facto GM after having moved on from Bill Belichick, all five teams in need of a GM have filled their post this offseason. If other teams decide to make GM changes, they’ll be added to this list.

Updated 5-11-24 (4:35pm CT)

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Washington Commanders

Raiders Split On Moving Up For QB?

April 11th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Antonio Pierce has spoken openly about his interest in acquiring a long-term QB option this offseason. New GM Tom Telesco had franchise QBs at the helm in each of his 11 years running the Chargers. This would point the Raiders to doing what they need to in order to acquire one of this draft’s starter-caliber arms.

But the team holds the No. 13 overall pick. With the Vikings acquiring another first-rounder from the Texans, they hold Nos. 11 and 23. The Broncos lack a second-round pick, but they do possess No. 12 overall, their first Round 1 draft slot in three years. It could be difficult for the Raiders to climb high enough to outflank the Vikings, as the Bears, Commanders and Patriots more likely than not to select a passer in the top three.

It also may not be a given all the key parties in the Las Vegas building want to put together a big trade package to draft a QB. Pierce is on board with doing so, per Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline, but Telesco is “leaning heavily” toward sticking with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Controlling the Raiders’ roster, Telesco has the final call. Though Pierce should be expected to wield notable power ahead of his first draft as HC, Telesco has obviously run 11 drafts to his zero.

The Raiders have been closely tied to Jayden Daniels, who arrived at Arizona State when Pierce was on the Sun Devils’ staff. Daniels has remained close with Pierce, going so far as to be in the Raiders’ locker room after their Week 18 win over the Broncos. While a recent report indicated Las Vegas wants to trade up for Daniels — a player they mentioned during their OC search — the Commanders and Patriots stand as clear obstacles in that path. The Raiders believed to have been making an effort to move up, and a report coming out of the Combine confirmed Vegas had made inquiries about climbing from 13. Understandably, a Daniels visit is on the Raiders’ docket.

Mark Davis has OK’d a move up the board, though it could cost two future first-rounders to make that jump. The Commanders choosing Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy at 2 could make matters quite interesting in Nevada, given the stream of connections to Daniels. That would put the Patriots to a decision, should the Raiders make a monster offer to vault to No. 3. The Pats are likely open to moving down, but the buzz as of now points to New England drafting a QB at 3. Moving back to 13 would effectively lock the Pats out of the Daniels-Maye-McCarthy tier.

The Raiders could stick at 13 and have a chance at Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr., though Broncos-Nix connections have come out during the draft run-up. If the Raiders pivot to a non-quarterback call at 13, ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid indicates a cornerback-or-tackle decision may be on tap. While cornerback remains a need, especially after Amik Robertson‘s defection to Detroit, a Las Vegas tackle move should be considered on the radar, Reid writes.

The Raiders have Kolton Miller entrenched on the left side, but two-year RT starter Jermaine Eluemunor left for the Giants. Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com mock draft sends Penix to Vegas, while Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN.com offering gives them Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga.

Of course, a tackle-or-CB move would only raise the stakes for the Raiders in 2025, as a Minshew-centered roster would not present a high ceiling for the 2024 team. In a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, that would not qualify as an exciting plan. But Minshew signed a two-year, $25MM deal. He does give the Raiders a fallback option if they opt against leaving Round 1 with a passer. Of course, if Pierce wants a QB and Telesco does not view it as realistic, this draft would not exactly start this partnership off on the right foot.

Raiders Will “Attempt” To Re-Sign RB Josh Jacobs

February 26th, 2024 at 6:17pm CST by Ben Levine

None of the big-name, impending-free-agent running backs are expected to be franchise tagged, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that teams are closing the door on retaining their offensive focal points. This includes the Raiders, who will attempt to re-sign free agent RB Josh Jacobs, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

[RELATED: Raiders Remain Interested In Re-Signing RB Josh Jacobs]

There have been previous rumblings that the Raiders could look to retain the star running back, but only on their terms. The team had no interest in franchising Jacobs for a second-straight season, a move that would have locked the RB into a $14.14MM salary. That commitment would have placed Jacobs third at his position in average annual value (behind Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara) and would have marked a nearly $2.5MM increase on his 2023 cap hit.

Considering the deep free agency class at the position and the anticipated squeeze that some free agent RBs will surely face, it should be a relief for Jacobs that the Raiders are somewhat valuing continuity. The running back has spent his entire career with the organization, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with a league-high 2,053 yards from scrimmage to go along with 12 touchdowns. That performance followed the Raiders’ decision to not pick up his fifth-year option, making Jacobs an impending free agent last offseason.

The organization never let their star hit free agency, slapping him with the franchise tag instead. The two sides couldn’t agree to a long-term extension but ultimately reworked the 2023 contract to avoid a holdout. While Jacobs couldn’t match his 2022 production, he still compiled 1,101 yards from scrimmage before missing the final four games of the season.

This time around, Jacobs will be facing a different regime in Las Vegas, although that might not end up working out in his favor. As our own Adam La Rose recently pointed out, new Raiders GM Tom Telesco was running the Chargers front office when the organization allowed Austin Ekeler to pursue a trade in lieu of an extension. The standoff between running backs and front offices will certainly be one of the major story lines of the offseason, and Jacobs will be a central figure in the conversation.

If Jacobs doesn’t return to Las Vegas, the Raiders could pivot to Zamir White. The former fourth-round pick had a chance to start at the end of this past season, averaging more than 114 yards from scrimmage in his four games as the lead back.

Raiders Targeting Jayden Daniels?

February 6th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders will be eyeing quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft, but they might not wait for a signal-caller to fall to No. 13. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders could be a trade suitors for a top-three pick.

Fowler notes that head coach Antonio Pierce is a “big fan” of Jayden Daniels, but the organization would surely have to trade for the LSU quarterback. Pierce and Daniels crossed paths during their stints at Arizona State, and that familiarity makes the Raiders a natural landing spot for the prospect.

Further, Fowler notes that Pierce was evaluating offensive coordinator candidates with “the loose possibility of Daniels in mind.” The team’s first choice for OC, Kliff Kingsbury, most recently worked with the draft’s top QB prospect, USC’s Caleb Williams. When Kingsbury declined the Raiders offer and opted for the Commanders’ job, the Raiders pivoted to Luke Getsy.

Fowler assumes that the Bears will take Williams with the first-overall pick, meaning the Raiders will likely have to trade with the Commanders (No. 2) or the Patriots (No. 3) if they want to add Daniels or UNC’s Drake Maye. New GM Tom Telesco was known for his drafting prowess during his years with the Chargers, although his strategy usually didn’t feature home-run, draft-day trades.

With that in mind, it’s notable that the team recently met with Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. at the Senior Bowl, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Penix is hoping to emerge as the fourth QB on the draft board (following Williams, Daniels, and Maye), although he’s not consistently projected for the first round.

Regardless of how things unfold during the draft, it’s likely that the Raiders will be eyeing a new signal-caller in 2024. Jimmy Garoppolo barely played once Pierce was named the interim head coach, and the veteran will likely be a trade/cut candidate. And while rookie Aidan O’Connell was a standout during the final chunk of the season, it sounds like the Raiders envision him as more of a backup. If the Raiders strike out in the draft, the team could turn to the likes of Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and Jameis Winston via free agency.

Tom Telesco To Control Raiders’ Roster; Team Wants Champ Kelly Back

January 25th, 2024 at 10:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis‘ two recent regimes featured head coach-centric operations, with Josh McDaniels and Jon Gruden the much higher-profile figures compared to their respective GMs. Although Mark Davis made a point to say Dave Ziegler controlled the Raiders’ 53-man roster, comparisons to Mike Mayock‘s shotgun role alongside Gruden also emerged after the Patriot Way model combusted.

In pairing Tom Telesco with Antonio Pierce, the Raiders have an experienced GM and an unseasoned head coach. Davis confirmed (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) Telesco will control the roster, but the longtime Chargers front office boss said he and Pierce will work collaboratively.

“It’s a partnership,” Telesco said, via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. “As far as building the roster, you’re working through the vision of the head coach. How does he want to play on offense? How does he want to play on defense? How does he want to play on special teams? And you build it that way. … We’re going to be able to bounce ideas off each other.”

Telesco will become the rare GM to receive an immediate second chance. Although Trent Baalke is in place as the Jaguars’ front office leader, four years passed between Baalke’s San Francisco ouster and his elevation to this role. Baalke and Telesco are the league’s only current GM retreads, with the rest of the league using first-timers or having a setup in which the owner is the team’s de facto GM. Telesco, 51, lasted 11 years as Chargers GM but only oversaw three playoff teams.

Pierce and Telesco did not have any connection prior to this partnership, though the two joked about the 63-21 December result that ultimately led the latter to Las Vegas. The team preferred Teleseco’s experience to finalists Champ Kelly and Ed Dodds and liked the Chargers’ roster makeup, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. Telesco’s knowledge of the AFC West also worked in his favor.

It is true Teleseco built well-regarded Bolts rosters for most of his tenure, though they regularly fell short of expectations. The ex-Colts exec also inherited Philip Rivers in his prime and had Justin Herbert waiting for him when the Dolphins chose Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall in 2020. This Raiders effort stands to be more difficult through that lens, and the lack of a prior relationship with Pierce will make the setup worth monitoring.

Kelly is under contract, and Davis said (via Gutierrez) he hopes the veteran exec will stay with the team. It appeared Kelly was close to landing the job, with the Raiders having him sit in on their few HC interviews. But it had been reported Pierce and Kelly were not necessarily a package deal. Davis also added Tom Delaney would remain in place managing the Raiders’ salary cap. Part of the search committee that produced Pierce and Telesco, Delaney has been with the Raiders since the late 1990s.

Hired as Ziegler’s assistant GM before becoming the interim leader midseason, Kelly interviewed for the Panthers’ GM job. That has gone to Dan Morgan; Kelly has not been connected to any other job. Unless the Raiders let Kelly out of his contract or he quits, a situation in which Telesco works with his top competitor for the job could conceivably come to pass.

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