Now Playing: The Spytek x Brady Show
I feel sorry for Pete Carroll. Didn't do great, but also didn't stand a chance.
Now we're told that "GM John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady."
Enjoy your autonomy and operations control, John! I'm sure Mark and Tom will give you tons of leeway.
Draft 2026, here we come!
What do you all think?
posted by Raider Take at 8:41 AM
66 Comments:
In terms of guys with HC experience: Stefanski was fired by Browns he would be a possible choice also Mike McDaniels if Miami lets him go abd Brian Flores. Then there are a bunch of assitants like Minter, Kubiak, LeFleur etc. Whoever it is they need to be able to grow and nuture Mendoza. Sandy
That was fast! Did the Raiders finally do something right? Firing another HC after one year is never a good direction but Pete Carroll didn't stand a chance to retain his job. Too many obstacles, including his age and short-term contract. But I was stunned at his unwavering approach that buried his ability to be successful. That's on Pete. I guess look no further than outcast Chip Kelly who had no problem immediately finding new work despite his abrupt firing. Folks in the marketplace understood it was mostly Carroll, not Kelly driving the Raiders failure on offense (and defense).
But I also agree with those who believe Carroll was doomed from the start. I honestly don't know what it will take for a HC to be successful in the Raiders organization. We've seen too many failures and no successes under current ownership, spanning several GMs.
These aren't one-offs. And most former Raiders coaches are better than their records with the Raiders, including Pete Carroll. Josh McDaniels is hitting out of the park as OC in NE, like he never left. He's had tremendous success with two rookie QBs in NE, i.e., before and after his stint as Raiders HC (Raiders could use someone with that ability right now!). Even Dennis Allen looks impressive as Bears DC.
Will the Raiders finally figure it out, or do they stand to fall deeper into the rabbit hole of dysfunction with the next iteration of the Tom Brady show?
The Raiders have defied all efforts by the NFL at parity, they even defy the law of averages. After the 2025 debacle, why should we believe Tom Brady can change that?
Raiders are a classic case of "can't see the forest for the trees."
The thing about Pete, if he wasn't the right guy for this particular job, or wasn't up to snuff as a coach, yes, that's on him - but it's more on leadership for hiring another underperforming coach who's DOA. Patriots got Vrabel, Bears got Johnson, but yet again Raiders were way off the mark in their hiring and decision making. Not long ago, in our division, Chargers hired a former Super Bowl coach, Broncos hired another Super Bowl coach, then we hire a Super Bowl coach and it's a disaster. Ultimately, this isn't about McDaniels, Carroll, etc. It's about leadership failure.
Agreed. The overarching theme is leadership. The Raiders dysfunction is deep. Just last year they fired a GM after one decent season. Who does that?
As for Carroll being a SB winning coach, he's at least a few years removed from that, just as Jon Gruden was when the Raiders brought him back. Both coaches had left coaching when the Raiders hired them.
My biggest complaint(s) has been a lack of due diligence, and that includes the new Brady era. Did Davis even reach out to Jim Harbough before he hired Antonio Pierce, or Mike Vrabel before he hired 74 year-old Pete Carroll, etc.?
It just seems like the Raiders (Mark Davis) couldn't be so remiss and so stupid, even if he tried. Yet here we are.
Mark Davis's media statement was a deferral to Tom Brady, who works for FOX. Spytek is Brady's puppet. And if Brady is in full charge, are we now doubling down on the "Patriot Way?" We've already seen what that looks like without Bill Belichick... but I think he and Jordan Hudson might be available if Tom Brady and the Raiders want to make another impulse hire.
I know this is going to sound petty, but I just don't like Brady. Respect him as a football player, but don't like all of the attention whoring since retirement, something's off
The one constant since 2011 has been Mark Davis, who loves to taunt that "he doesn't know what he doesn't know." I've said it many times, it is time for him to learn "what he doesn't know" if this organization is to move forward. I don't trust Tom (who hired Kelly, even though Pete had another person in mind).
The wording of Pete's firing did, however, indicate that Pete had more of a voice than Spytek on the make up of the team.
This is markedly different for Mark to do since Reggie McKenzie as GM. Think about it, before Reggie, the HC (Hue Jackson) made the decisions. After Reggie: Gruden, McDaniels, Antonio Pierce, and now, Petey made the decisions about the team over the GM. Look at the problems it creates when the Head Coach wants all the decision-power.
Sure, Tom will be the one Spytek answers too; but I don't think we are going down another "Patriot Way" debacle. F@$&%^ the Patriots! We're the Raiders!
We will see. I think a strong indication that we will go the "Patriot Way" is if Brian Flores is hired, and if that happens, I may not be a "fan" much longer.
The bottom line for the Raiders is that they cannot afford to mess this up anymore. JUST PROVE IT, BABY!
I know what Mark Davis doesn't know - how to run a coherent football organization and how to learn from mistakes
But I'm not sure if Mark knows that he doesn't know those things, which may be the root of the problem
His dad knew, and yet, didn't help him, or find an adequate replacement. He had one with Amy Trask though. In the last post, I gave my Top 5 HC Candidates: Joe Brady, Chris Shula, Klint Kubiak, Mike LeFleur, and Gruden. I really don't think Kubiak would take the job if it were offered to him, just my opinion. He had the chance to take the Saints job, and turned it down.
Anyway, here are some other names I find intriguing:
Grant Udinski (OC, Jags). At 29, he would be the youngest HC ever, but look what he did with Jacksonville's offense this year.
Kliff Kingsbury. We had the opportunity to hire him as OC, in fact, this is who Pete wanted before Brady trumped him and hired Kelly. Like Kubiak, I'm not sure he'd take it though.
Frank Ross (ST Coordinator, Texans). There is a thought that ST Coordinators make great coaches ; and Ross is a prime example of that. I'd be hard pressed to find anyone who understands the game as much as he does.
Adam Stenavich (OC, Packers). Was the leading candidate for the Bears last season when they thought Ben Johnson was going to the Raiders.
Ejiro Evero (DC, Panthers). If we want to go with a defensive minded coach, this is the guy (not Saleh).
David Shaw (passing game coordinator, Lions). Has deep ties to the Raiders and Gruden. Did a fantastic job as HC in Stanford, would love his first HC job in the NFL to be with the Raiders.
Kevin Stefanski (fired HC of Browns). This would be intriguing because of the work he did in Cleveland, a franchise in more disarray as the Raiders. But like Kubiak, I'm not sure he'd take the job if offered because it would be too much like the dysfunction in Cleveland. Immediate rumor is he is the top choice for the Giants.
Jesse Minter (DC, Chargers). This would be another intriguing name. He has done wonders with the Chargers defense; but with his long time ties to the Chargers, not sure he'd be interested. Definitely worth the conversation.
Patrick Graham (DC, Raiders). I would love to see him get a chance to be the HC. He is one of the smartest people in the League, and the players on the team deeply respect him and how he has handled himself the past few years in difficult situations.
Just say a hard "NO" to the following names being mentioned by people:
Robert Saleh, Brian Flores, Matt Nagy, Todd Monken, Vance Joseph, and Mike McCarthy.
Davis issued a statement delegating responsibility to Brady and Spytek. But Davis saying he's removing himself, IMO, doesn't cure the problems. IMO, the Raiders are steeped in all new dysfunctionality with Tom Brady making the calls. He didn't exactly hit his last HC choice out of the park. Instead, he brought the entire Raider Nation to its knees.
SS reporterad
A bunch of business people in a board room. A owner who knows nothing of managing, Brady...really? And Spytek...ditto; And business people with them. Thstis is who makes ,over for hirings and the roster. I think guys who might know football were able and or better to build a team. This bunch of execs and ex players and ownership groups and business people is a plan for others but just isn't he.pingus
Several teams like Bears, Pats and Jags made lightning fast turns from last season. The Broncos are the #1 seed in the AFC for crying out loud. But at this point, how can we trust the Raiders process? How many times can they screw this up, because it seems infinite? The statement from Mark Davis is like a Hallmark card. It was probably written by AI. Tom Brady and his puppet GM have already shown us they are fallible, and it only took them one season.
The Raiders have the resources to make a 1-2 year turn. #1 slot in the draft, something like $100M in salary cap space and a bevy of worthy players like Bowers, Crosby, Jeanty, Miller, JPJ, Mayer, and others.
The window for stuff like this is usually very short. The Raiders already traded away their only starting WR. Now leave it to them to trade Crosby for draft picks... because we've done so well doing that in the past, right?
Assuming the Raiders reverse course and draw from the well of top coordinators instead of retreads and retirees, there are many top-flight coordinators worth vetting. I'd be more concerned about drawing from other coaches who were just fired, which I saw on some wish lists. Let's assume if they failed elsewhere, they will fail exponentially with the Raiders.
Yet with all the resources at their disposal, it seems axiomatic that just using the most conventional wisdom will send the Raiders in the right direction. Don't overthink it. Right? Don't tell me you're moving an All-American center to play guard, then have him ride the bench. Don't tell me some college QB has more upside than Mendoza when Mendoza is hitting everything he touches out of the park.
How many years of failure will it take for the Raiders to stop overthinking and outsmarting themselves?
All the stars are lined up. This thing could run on autopilot and produce results. If the Raiders could plug into some AI supercomputer we'd be all set. Instead we have Davis, Brady and Spytek running the show. Soon they'll be telling us how great the Raiders are going to be, again.
We know, what we know !!! That is that the Raiders will draft Mendoza with the # 1 pick. That should mea n a young, offensive minded HC will be hired, to pair with Mendoza.
Mendoza on his back all the time does Raiders no good, so obviously, the 0-line must be improved.
Who will Mendoza throw the ball to ? Dump offs to Jeanty, and intermediate passes to the TE's are nice, but Raiders need to get ball down field to WR's. My hope is they can get Chris Olave from the Saints. I think he is the most underrated WR in NFL.
Anyhow, that's a starting point of a plan. Sure hope Brady/Spytek have one.
Ghost, that's conventional wisdom you're applying. Are the Raiders capable of that?
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47517128/las-vegas-raiders-2025-collapse-mark-davis-tom-brady-pete-carroll-geno-smith-dysfunction
Brutal write up. I am ok with giving Brady a shot but the man needs to committ full time and be there to help Mendoza etc.. Sandy
Yikes! Sandy, that is not a good article for the Raiders. It doesn't come out and say it, but with all the dysfunction there was no accountability. I think Spytek spoke to this in his interview yesterday that there will be accountability with the next coach and his staff (shots were fired). I think Brady will continue to broadcast (that's where he makes $$), and leave Spytek in charge while holding him accountable.
Meanwhile, we fans continue to hold our breath wondering if this time it will work out ....
Breaking from Tom Pelissero, the Ravens have fired John Harbaugh! Raider Nation, we may have are next Head Coach right here!
That's crazy. Who do the Ravens think they will replace him with that's better? I honestly don't know how to process that. I should be happy the Raiders might have a shot at Harbaugh but I was also kind of hoping the Raiders might find the next Ben Johnson. This needs to be carefully vetted.
What I'm seeing is that the Raiders have resources and options.
No more excuses!
Raiders requested interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
With that request, the Raiders are already outpacing last year's ridiculous HC search effort. They should also sit down with Harbaugh asap. Keep 'em coming... and make an informed decision, for a change.
NY, I think John Harbaugh with a young OC would be awesome! I think his downfall in Baltimore was really Todd Monken, and his vanilla play calls. How can you have Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, DeAndre Hopkins, and Zay Flowers and fall flat offensively like they did this year? They had problems with their O-Line too.
John is a very conservative coach, but he would need a guy who would be willing to take risks offensively to help balance that out; and John would have to be ok with that. I love the idea, but not sure it would work, or how it would work.
I don't like the idea of Harbaugh, they need someone younger and from the offensive side of the ball. Sandy
I don't know, I personally think that Jim & John Harbough are vastly overrated as head coaches. They're solid, good, even very good, but the way people fall all over them, as if they are unquestionably great....I just don't know.
You have to take a hard, critical look at everyone really. What the heck is Belichick's record without Tom Brady, not too good, right ?
So somebody please tell me, other than being about ten years younger, what is the difference between John Harbough, and Pete Carroll ?
Would Harbaugh's fall and transition to another team resemble Andy Reid, or would it be more like Pete Carroll?
And, Nate, your question is valid. With the superstar talent the Ravens had on offense, how could they fail so bad?
I feel like chasing Harbaugh might be the easy path, but searching a legit next best HC will mean putting in the work that the Raiders have stupidly avoided for decades.
I don't know Harbaugh the way I now know Carroll. Is Harbaugh a systems coach like Carroll? Would he be another problem the Raiders have to repair next year?
On a side note, I read that the Ravens recently extended DT John Jenkins. Obviously, Jenkins made an impression. DT was a major weakness for the Raiders heading into the season, but it looks like they have some young guys worthy of another try. Shame Carroll didn't get them on the field sooner. Same with all the other young players he resisted playing.
I also read a scathing article about Brennan Carroll, how he is not detail oriented and how line players were doing two-a-week meetings without coaches to go over what they weren't being trained by coaches. The article called the 2025 coaching staff among the worst in Raiders history and cited how Carroll hijacked both the offense and defense from Kelly and Graham, respectively.
Seems like Spytek just watched it all play out. What happened to "see something say something? No surprise Carroll was fired by early Monday morning. There were no further deliberations.
How many former head coaches are the Raiders still paying? It's got to be several, right?
Ghost: "I don't know, I personally think that Jim & John Harbaugh are vastly overrated as head coaches. They're solid, good, even very good, but the way people fall all over them, as if they are unquestionably great....I just don't know."
I think your statement applies more to Jim than it does John. John has been the Ravens coach for 18 years, and was a Special Teams coach long before that. He really paved the way for his younger brother.
Jim has a tendency to stay at a place for 5, at the most 6, years. John seems to be more stable. Looking at his record, he seems to be more the kind of coach that coaches to the strengths of the team, and is all about being aggressive on both sides of the ball. However, offensively, he is a power/run guy and sets everything up with the run; and it can be VERY vanilla. That is why I said he'd need a young OC who is willing to take risks; but would he accept that? If I were to interview him, I'd ask him about his philosophy on offense and would he be willing to tweak it some to be a little more aggressive at times.
With that said, he seemed to open up more with Lamar Jackson at QB, who has a big arm. But this last season, it seemed that even Lamar was way more conservative; but I think that falls more on Todd Monken than Harbaugh and that is based on Lamar's multiple MVP seasons before Monken. I think John took the sword for his OC this year.
This is the kind of character John has, the Ravens team site posted this statement from him after he was let go:
"Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today. 😊 It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION.
Gratitude to the owner and organization who was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with Special Teams success. A difficult thing to do … and Appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity.
I hope a legacy built on Faith, always Fighting, always Believing.
Values built into an Organization, through a Team, that are Worthwhile, Good and Lasting and that are admired by fans and foes alike.
Meaningful & Impactful Relationships with Players through the years that I will cherish always. Grateful for their Strength and Courage.
Loyal partnerships in this wonderful building, that grew into strong friendships, through the toil and tempest of the job every day.
Mostly to my treasured Family, my Ingrid and my Alison, who are beyond compare in every way and the Loves of my life, and my close-knit family and good friends who stick with you no matter what.
Finally, to the author and finisher of our faith, Gratitude for a Journey beyond anything I could have dreamed of on my own – All is well with my soul because of the Good God who guides and sustains me."
I don't think he'd be anything like Pete. He will land on his feet quickly. I have him pegged for possibly: Titans, Giants, would love to see the Raiders at least interview him (he has to be better than Matt Nagy who is interviewing this week), and maybe even Cleveland if they were smart. He is not going to be out of a job for long.
Do we believe that a hot coaching candidate with options would choose to join the likes of the Raiders and Jets when they've seen what happens to their head coaches time and time again? Maybe Brady's star power can bridge the credibility gap, but otherwise I doubt we'll have the pick of the litter.
Bringing in another veteran HC like Harbaugh might create a new power struggle with the Raiders. As it is, getting rid of Pete Carroll was addition by subtraction.
Despite his ridiculous results, Carroll coached the team to "win now," which reportedly was in contradiction to what Spytek and probably Brady wanted. At least for now, that pendulum has swung back the other way... just in time for Mendoza to enter the building.
To be honest, I barely have an opinion on who the new coach should be. I just want the Raiders to make the kind of informed decision that has eluded this organization for as long as I can remember.
Fascinating to read all the sh*t that's coming out now about how bad Brennan Carroll was as an assistant coach (for O-line and RBs), and how players held private meetings to try and compensate for the lack of coaching.
I've been complaining all season about JPJ being moved to guard, and now it's being revealed that coach(es) wanted to trade him but Raiders exec(s) blocked that effort. Thankfully!
There were so many issues this past year. Who would have thought Pete Carroll could be so bad... and the Raiders execs pretty much sat back and watched it happen. Again, the lack of (or need for) any further deliberations following the last game says it all. Pete was long gone before he was fired.
So the reports are the Chip Kelly was foisted on Pete Carroll creating operational misalignment, while Pete was allowed to have an incompetent nepo coaching the offensive line in front of the #1 draft pick. Very on-brand from Mark Davis. He really knows how to form coherent chains of command and leadership structure. It all flows from the top.
Just to be honest, before any of this happened, the 2 coaches I would hire if they ever came available, and there were rumors that they would be this off-season, are Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh. I have more reservations with John Harbaugh, but both are usually attracted to vanilla OC's. I wouldn't mind Harbaugh or Tomlin if they were willing to take an OC like Brian Callahan/Kevin Stefanski type OC. But these guys may be HC again (though not completely sold on Brian Callahan being a HC right away).
What I like about both is they are aggressive on all sides of the game. They both strategize to the strengths of their roster, and not a scheme, which is why they have a winning tradition. Tomlin works well in an environment of accountability, which is where I think Spytek and Brady are taking things now that they have been given the reigns. Whereas, I think it would be too much for John to accept; because he prefers full control of the roster.
Here are my predictions for the open HC positions, with the thought that there may be more coming soon:
Titans - John Harbaugh (the rumor is a team with a HC currently in place [Jets] has reached out to him)
Giants - Kevin Stefanski
Browns - Brian Flores or Joe Brady
Ravens - Kliff Kingsbury or Klint Kubiak
Cardinals - Saleh or Minter
Falcons - Matt Nagy or Chris Shula
Raiders - I prefer Joe Brady or Chris Shula here; but I really don't know at this point. I've given a list of names. The most intriguing name the Raiders are talking to is the QB coach of the Doncos Davis Webb. I think another name that is not well known among fans that would be an interesting conversation is Frank Ross (Sp Teams Coordinator, Texans).
Totally agree. It seems the Raiders brass just watched while Carroll went rogue and blew up an entire season of potential development.
Clearly they don't know how to correct it. Davis's statement leaving Brady and Spytek in charge wasn't worth the AI search it took him to create it. After watching Spytek and Brady allow last season to crumble right in front of them, I don't trust them to get it right either.
Unfortunately, I am going into this offseason with lots of skepticism. It's the blind leading the blind, run by the blind. 23 years of failure tells us this thing can only happen with dumb luck.
The stage is set for the Raiders make a no-brainer pick, perhaps even more obvious than Brock Bowers.
Mike Florio, often Raider hater, thinks the Raiders are in a "good position." He also thinks the Raiders should contact Indiana HC Curt Cignetti and interview him for their HC opening. I thought that too after watching the Rose Bowl. I had posted as much here and maybe bring OC Mike Shanahan (no relation) too. Heck, maybe draft from their roster to help Mendoza feel right at home.
The Raiders could do a lot worse, and they have for 23 years.
I think the problem with Pete was the same problem with Gruden and McDaniels; Mark gave him more authority over Spytek, which handcuffed him from holding Pete accountable as he went rogue. It was well known that Pete did not want Chip Kelly, he had another "guy" in mind. Kelly was a direct hire from Brady, who Pete could not trump.
Brady wasn't around enough on the season to hold Pete accountable because of his broadcast duties. Spytek was given more authority this time around to hold the coach accountable. Something that should have never changed.
Brady is wanting to bring in John Harbaugh for an interview too, but Harbaugh has said he is not taking calls this week.
Rumors are swirling if Arch Manning will leave Texas and enter the draft. He hasn't declared, he is 3 years removed from High School, is a sophomore at UT. If he enters the draft, I think he would be the pick over Mendoza.
Mendoza seems more ready. But Manning is, well, a Manning. 10 TDs rushing this year. Not what you want your QB to do, but can also be effective when passing breaks down. I think Mendoza had 6 rushing TDs. Raiders might get spoiled with either one... but it's hard to imagine Raiders passing on Mendoza. There's no room to make a mistake here. They only get one shot at this.
All the clickbait around the Raiders coaching search is mind-numbing. The one that concerns me most is that they aren't taking this serious enough. Tom Brady has only failed once at picking a HC (0-1). Mark Davis many more times. But we've watched this process play out and fail for decades.
Raiders have the makings of an O-line built for power, with notable anchors at LT and C. They have a RB who will tear up the league if he can get into open space. They have a franchise TE. Now they have access to a potential franchise QB (please stop overthinking that one!). They have $100M cap space.
With all their resources, the Raiders should be two years to paydirt, i.e., back to the playoffs, or more.
Reaching again from the depths of despair, the Raiders have never had better opportunity than they do right now, in this moment. The stars are all lined up, IMO. They just need to stop being so stupid. And therein lies the problem.
I’m sold on Mendoza. I think his mental approach and pro level preparation gets so much attention (rightly so) that his physical gifts get undersold. I see a guy who is big, mobile when he needs to be, and throws a beautiful, accurate ball with zip or touch when called for. I think he’s a good bet at 1.
As for coaches, I have a gut feeling about Davis Webb. Gives me 1998 Gruden vibes.
I'm sold too. 17/20 5 TDs. I watched the game until it was a blowout, and I don't remember seeing an incompletion. Mendoza knows exactly when and where to throw the ball. His placements outside the coverage are impossible to defend. Moore threw inside toward the coverage on his first pass and got a pick-6. Moore might have a great arm, but he's nowhere near Mendoza's readiness. Some of Mendoza's most impressive throws went to Saratt. Bring them both!
Imagine if Derek Carr could have brought with him his college WR, Davante Adams! Carr threw 50 TDs his last year in college, then was stymied by bad coaching and bad playcalling his entire career.
The Raiders need to protect Mendoza against that. They should hire Indiana OC Mike Shanahan to run their offense. Rose Bowl - Peach Bowl, I don't remember seeing a more disciplined, balanced and dominate college team than Indiana, led by what has to be the Raiders next QB. Anything else, e.g., another pick, trade down, etc., would be criminal, IMO.
Got to love that every Raiders article now starts with "Raiders insider says".
Media are ramping up stories that Spytek did not have a say in hiring Carroll and actually wanted to go another route. That's a shame.
Safe to say, at this point, the Raiders will need to make a mistake in their modus operandi in order to get something right. And leaving Tom Brady with Al Davis-like authority is, IMO, a huge mistake. It's already a failure.
Steve, I have the same feeling about Davis Webb. I think the only reason why he is not OC is because of Sean Payton.
The coaching search is what it is. I'm curious to hear about the Kubiak interview; and who we have lined up next week. Just say no to Saleh, Joseph, Nagy (Josh McDaniels twin brother from another mother), and Mike McDaniels (unless it is for OC). I think those are band aid fixes. I would also be curious if Mark Davis is willing to give Jack Del Rio another go, since he fired him just to hire Gruden.
As far as Arch Manning, he has already signed a commitment to go back to UT, so he is not coming out to the NFL; so Mendoza it is, and I am fine with that. He seems to make great decisions with the football, and great pre and post snap reads.
All I have to look forward to with the Raiders is we have the #1 pick in the draft, and we are searching for our 10th Head Coach since 2014. Each time Mark Davis and company says, "We have to get this right." Yes, yes you do Mark. But how many opportunities do you have to get it right while the fan-base suffers? Just Prove It, Baby!
Jack Del Rio allowed Bill Musgrave to leave after the Raiders only respectable season (now 23 years and counting) and watched the offense implode as a result. My memory was that Del Rio eventually lost the locker room. There's no recovering from that. I can only imagine how deflating it would be to bring Del Rio (or Gruden) back.
The Raiders need to focus! They need to build a coaching staff and team around their new franchise QB. IMO, that could mean drafting somebody like WR Saratt from Indiana or poaching some of their coaches. But it definitely means hiring a HC and OC who are keenly aware of what they need to do make Mendoza successful... in other words, much unlike what the Raiders did to Derek Carr.
In a manner of speaking, the Raiders need to stop being the Raiders.
Remarkably, there are still naysayers out there suggesting the Raiders maybe shouldn't draft Mendoza. Huh? What better option do the Raiders have? Wait another 10-20 years for someone else to come along.
The argument against Mendoza is that the team surrounding him is too good. He has a great ground game and all the time he needs to process his throws. Okay! How's that different in the NFL? Teams that aren't balanced or can't protect their QB aren't going far.
Mendoza is a serious processer on the field and on the sideline. Watching this kid work the past few weeks has impressed the hell out of me. His pinpoint accuracy with throws, keeping the ball away from tight coverage is amazing.
Sure, he needs coaching. He needs a balanced attack. He needs better WRs than the Raiders currently have. All this can be true.
Funny, after putting all the BS out there that Mendoza might "not be the guy" Bucky Brooks from FOX said this...
"without question, he’s QB1 in this class and I don’t even know who QB2 is and if QB2 is a first rounder..."
Huh? What is he even talking about?
IMO, drafting Mendoza may be the most obvious pick the Raiders make in their history. They have no other choice.
Look at all the shiny new QBs other teams around the NFL have. Sure some may be struggling a bit, but others have really taken hold and become franchise QBs.
Again, the Raiders have no choice. It's their turn. This will be their one and only chance. So, Bucky Brooks, put all your BS analysis in your pipe and smoke it.
With the #1 pick, the LV Raiders select Fernando Mendoza!
PS funny story.. my kid who doesn't ever watch FB watched the Peace Bowl and a couple days later said to me, "Dad, I watched the Raiders next QB." That makes him smarter than Bucky Brooks.
"Peach" Bowl.
Sometimes I type faster than I think... not always a good thing
That is usually the case with the first pick QB in the draft, that they are joining a team that may be less subpar than the college team they leave. Remember, Eli Manning told the Chargers not to draft him. Why? Because they were in such disarray as an organization. They drafted him anyway, and he immediately told them he was sitting out the season and wouldn't sign or play for them (like Bo Jackson did to Tampa). What happened? They traded him to the Giants for Philip Rivers within an hour. It's funny, if the situation is truly that bad; a drafted player doesn't have to sign, and have the possibility of being redrafted the next season.
The point being, drafting a player like Mendoza puts the pressure on the team to build around the talent they draft. If they can't do it, you can guarantee after the rookie deal, they will be gone and sign somewhere else.
Yes, I remember, Manning outright refused to play for the Chargers. They were left with no choice but trade him. Perhaps similarly, Dennis Allen and the Raiders were sorely unprepared to develop Derek Carr, i.e., until Bill Musgrave came and let Carr revert back to his college formations. Once it worked, they let Musgrave go and Carr stalled (pun intended), suffering with bad coaching most of his career.
Not sure if I understand your last statement. Teams can tag players for multiple years. If the marriage doesn't work, it doesn't mean it will automatically end.
The Raiders are a pathetic organization. It's time they got something right. The opportunity for a franchise QB is right in front of them. The Raiders HQ should have a calendar on the wall, scratching off the days to Mendoza! Otherwise, Wake Up, Mark! This is their last chance to get it right. Mendoza isn't going to fail, especially, if the Raiders are smart enough to bring player(s) and/or coaches to LV with him.
If Pete's mantra to the fans was "It's Time to Compete" my mantra to the Mark Davis and the Raiders org is "Stop being Stupid." Stupid is contagious in the Raiders organization. Very frustrating when I feel anyone of us could do better.
There are teams who would tag players to prevent them from moving on, but usually if a team doesn't build around a drafted QB and they stink it up, they usually let them go (Justin Fields, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones most recently). QB is too important of a position to hold on to them if they are performing poorly; unless you're the Cardinals with Kyler Murray.
I don' t know if you watched the playoffs this weekend; but pretty amazing games. I was rooting for Josh Jacobs and the Packers to beat the Bears, and it started well, until the Packers came out playing not to lose, and lost. I mention this specifically because the Raiders have requested to interview the DC of the Packers Jeff Hafley.
After watching the Packers lose after having an 18 point lead made me think, "Why would I want a coach who is going to pump the brakes with a huge lead and play not to lose?" Hafley's defense quit putting blitz packages together after the half, until around the end of the 3rd Quarter when momentum shifted and the Bears started making a run. Then they could not stop the Bears, even after scoring a TD (missed xtra point) to give them a sizable lead back. No thanks. I don't think Caleb Williams is a good QB either, sloppy mechanics, reminds me a lot of Colin Kapernick except he can sling it down field. If you didn't see the game, go look at the highlights and watch his foot work as he throws. It makes me cringe; how can you lose to that?
The Bills squeaked by the Jags, and they could not get their running game going; and don't look now, it's not going to be any easier against the Doncos. I am pulling for the Bills to win. Make the world a better place, punch the Doncos in the face!
As much as I hate the Patriots winning, I loved the game last night against the Chargers. Holding them to 3 points, while Herbert was sacked 6 times. At one point, Herbert got hit in the funny bone and cried. It made me smile like when Derek Carr called timeout. Pats play the winner of Texans v Steelers tonight, and I'm pulling for the Texans. I really wanted Demeco Ryans a few years ago when we hired AP (though I was happy with AP at the time too, until he didn't get his QB which he made it known he wanted Daniels and/or Stroud). I think we have a similar opportunity with interviewing Ejiro Evero (DC, Panthers) and Fernando Mendoza. Evero is my #1 until we can get Joe Brady. The Bills and Texans are the teams I am rooting for in the AFC to go to the Super Bowl.
Philly losing to the 9ers kind of surprised me, but felt if the Eagles got away from Barkley rushing the ball, the 9ers had a shot at winning, and they did. Even though Barkley had 106 rushing yards, the 9ers kept it close enough to where the Eagles had to pass, and it cost them. More than likely the Seahags beat the 9ers next week.
I'm not sure about the Rams v Bears, if the Bears come out flat like they did against the Packers in the first half, the Rams won't quit in the second half and let the Bears come back. On the other hand, if the Bears defense plays against Stafford the way they did against Love; the Bears can win this game. Stafford does not do well under extreme pressure. Davante Adams struggled to make catches that almost cost them against Carolina. This is going to be an interesting match up. A lot in the media are on the Rams bandwagon, but I'm not sure they get out of Soldier Field alive.
Teams were shortsighted to move on Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones. But this isn't about guessing what might or might not happen in 3-5 years. It's about having an opportunity to draft a potential franchise QB now. I don't understand how there could be any question at this point. The guy who seemed to be most questioning it says there's no other QB that matches Mendoza. Skipping on Mendoza and drafting edge, WR or trading back instead would be an epic mistake that only the Raiders could make.
Yes, how smart was Ben Johnson to take the Bears job and NOT the Raiders? Mike Vrabel too... although I've seen no report that the Raiders even tried to interview Vrabel.
Raiders will continue to suck until they smarten up and make better choices. It will start with a HC who knows how to coach up an already great QB with 8 TD passes in his last two college bowl games!
NY, Re Ben Johnson that is why with Mendoza they can hopefully get one of their top chocies for coach versus last year. Nate like your playoff observations but I disagree on Caleb he seems like a star. Sandy
My biggest concern right now is that there are too many voices in the ownership group. That could impede the coaching search and hiring.
Mike Tomlin has stepped out as Steelers HC. I would say he is available to the Raiders, but since he wasn't fired, but stepped out, I'm not sure he will be looking right away to get back into it. I may be surprised if he does.
I will reiterate that the rumors all season about Tomlin and John Harbaugh being relieved of their duties that they would be #1 and 2 choices to coach the Raiders. I still believe they should be, even though with Harbaugh, not sure it would work with what he is rumored to be demanding.
With that said, I still the Raiders have a lot of due diligence to do in regards to the next head coach. I wouldn't be surprised if they went younger, and not established coaches like Tomlin/Harbaugh, and go after Shula, Evero, Brady, Mike LaFleur, Kubiak, etc.
Is it possible that the job of head coaching is so demanding that these guys got burned out? You're talking about one coach who had Aaron Rodgers as his QB and another who had Lamar Jackson. Both had good teams. Both failed.
And, at least prior to the 2025 season, wouldn't we have put Pete Carroll in the same company as Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh?
Don't get me wrong, they are all great coaches. But what do they bring to the Raiders at this moment? Carroll demonstrated he wasn't the right choice. Now Tomlin and Harbaugh are leaving long-term gigs and we might want them to jump right into the Raiders mess? IDK. Moreover, these guys are system coaches. They bring systems that they demand players fit into, or they replace the player(s).
That's not what I hope the Raiders are looking for right now. I want the Raiders to find a head coach who specifically and resoundingly understands how to expand Mendoza's skills into the NFL in a way that's fitting to the Raiders real and true mantra, "Commitment to Excellence." Not some BS like "it's time to compete."
I think that's consistent with your last sentence, Nate. I'm on board with that. But to get it right, the Raiders need to apply due diligence like they never have before.
Guys with options like Harbaugh aren't going to get near the Raiders. The consensus belles of the ball like Ben Johnson last year aren't going to, either. It'll take Brady working some star magic to bring someone proven in, or we'll need to swing and hopefully not miss on a prospect coach from the coordinator ranks.
Stefanski would be a good choice. Sandy
RT, a fair and well-deserved assessment, but do the Raiders have enough leverage, e.g., #1 pick and $100M cap space, to perhaps entice a legit candidate? They are doing interviews and reaching out, perhaps in a more efficient manner than we're used to.
The #1 pick no doubt makes the job less radioactive, but the last QBs to go #1 were Cam Ward, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff and Jameis Winston, most of whom were shortly followed (or are going to be) by fired coaches. Smart candidates will know it's not a magic wand. And the #1 pick in the hands of a smart team may be worth less than the #2 or #3 pick in the hands of a savvy one.
Personally, I'd rather select from your list of the last QBs to go #1 than select from the Raiders past #1 picks over that same period. Think for a moment of that list, and maybe Mendoza makes more sense.
Williams has a new coach, and that paid off for the Bears. Savvy is exactly what we need. But a worthy coach will want to work with somebody as talented as Mendoza (ala Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams). And if not, maybe the Raiders don't want that coach. IMO (and that's not worth much), Mendoza has savvy that those other QBs didn't coming out of college. Watching Mendoza place the ball in tight coverage is beyond his years. 17/20 with 5 TDs last week. He's been doing it all year.
But am I reading you correctly? Do you think the Raiders should go another direction with the top pick? Maybe trade down?
As far as coaching, that's on the Raiders to make the right decision. They have to be aware of past failures and be savvy themselves in this process.
In the end, consider this. Which is worse? The Raiders take Mendoza and he faulters, or they pass on Mendoza and he excels? Wow! Right?
Hey, NY, my point is strictly about coaching candidates. We can agree that, on its own, the Raiders coaching job is about as radioactive as you can get to top candidates with options. So the only thing that can tip the scale (beside a persuasive Tom Brady telling them THIS time it'll be different) is the #1 pick (QB) and cap space. But history shows that a #1 draft pick QB is hardly a magic bullet for coaching success, especially in the hands of questionable decision makers / draft pickers, which defines the Raiders to a T. Therefore, the hunt for a top head coach is still gonna be uphill despite the top pick and cap space.
Agreed. The Raiders have a special way of making themselves toxic. We saw Ben Johnson literally flee the Raiders last year and instead choose a Bears team in disarray. Even Matthew Stafford used Tom Brady to get a pay raise, leaving Brady 0-2 in his influence quest.
What should we make of how quickly John Harbaugh signed with the Giants? Clearly, the Raiders were never an option for him.
Maybe it's a numbers game for the Raiders. Fortunately, there are only 8-9 openings and hopefully at least 10 qualified people. The Raiders biggest failure has been their inability to identify top candidates. Perhaps more realistically, their hiring process has been less than thorough or complete.
I don't know the circumstances surrounding each team looking for a new HC, but I do believe the Raiders have an opportunity, again, with Mendoza and cap space. And that might be greater market capital than other teams can offer, some of whom don't have a legit QB or have a franchise QB who's aging out.
So, an opportunity sits in front of the Raiders, perhaps like never before. That has to be marketable, right? Many pundits think the Raiders are in the best position for a big turnaround in 2026. Leave it the Raiders to screw that up.
If modern history tells us anything, we can only trust the Raiders (Mark Davis!) to be stupid. Anything else is an accident. Question is, are we stuck in another rabbit hole off-season, or is this the one? The Raiders have a long history of thinking they are smarter than the other guy....
Will the Raiders hire someone like Klint Kubiack as HC, draft Mendoza and retain Maxx Crosby? Let's hope they put deeper thinking into it than I just did, but that sounds viable.
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To your point, RT, perhaps I overlooked the most obvious elephant in the org, i.e., the mere fact that Mark Davis plows thru coaches every 1-2 years. Who wants to sign up for that? It took a Mark Davis man crush for Gruden to be given carte blanche in a 10-year commitment.
Clearly, this isn't going to be easy for the Raiders. At a minimum, they need to promise candidates "it will be different this time," when we know it won't be. Mark Davis has a trigger finger and apparently doesn't mind paying 4-5 head coaches at a time.
Do you think they've fallen off the "qualified" coaching tree so far that the pattern we've seen is all we should expect? Can we assume Tom Brady and possibly Jim Gray are beating the street for high-level candidates... telling them Mark Davis has stepped back. That seems to be the Raiders message.
In all this mess, Mendoza hasn't declared he will enter the draft. Could the Raiders be so messed up that he doesn't declare... in a year which all the stars are lined up for him personally?
Media say the Raiders have completed up to seven interviews for HC. Tom Brady was a broadcast announcer at the game which Klint Kubiak - a Raiders HC candidate - was OC for the winning team (an interesting conflict of interests for Brady!), and Raiders brass reportedly will attend the NCAA Championship game which Mendoza will make his final audition (like he needs one).
It seems like the wheels are in motion and turning at a better pace than previous off-seasons which the Raiders were searching coaches and QBs. Of course, the proof is in the pudding.
Just thinking aloud, over the last several coaching hires the Raiders went from...
Gruden, who hadn't coached in 10 years, to
Bisaccia, who had never been a HC, to
McDaniels, who had been a HC but failed in epic fashion, to
Pierce, who had never been HC at pro level, to
Carroll, who was oldest HC in NFL history and had aged-out a year before he arrived.
On the surface, that's either thinking out-of-the-box stuff or just stupid. Raiders are about to hire their sixth HC in six years, so "stupid" is a safe call.
Bills fire Sean McDermott. Crazy off-season already. If Klint Kubiak is ready to be HC, Raiders might be lucky to get him. Better teams than the Raiders looking for a new coach.
To be honest, with the Steelers, Bills, and Ravens looking for a HC; it makes it that much more difficult for the Raiders to find their next one. Steelers have to be the best team because of loyalty by the Rooney family. They are looking for their 4th HC in history! Read that again, their 4th HC in team HISTORY!
I think Kubiak may be the leading HC candidate in Buffalo or Baltimore. I think McDermott would be an interesting candidate for the Raiders as well. We will see.
I'd guess the Raiders are taking a look at upstart candidates from teams still in the playoffs. Otherwise, why wouldn't they be closer to a decision? Seems like a lot of deliberation but no action.
Even with other people in the org taking a lead, the Raiders seem to be steps behind their competition. Is there no getting over the "stupid" hurdle for them?
That's what has me concerned about the #1 draft pick. Too much time for them to think about it. I'm blown away by articles suggesting the Raiders should trade back... which would leave them without a QB, or the same sub-quality QB they're used to. That's a path to nowhere, i.e., unless our ultimate goal is swamping 2-15 and 4-13 records for 8-9 and 9-8 records.
This is the best and maybe only opportunity they will get. Haven't we been waiting for this moment for over two decades?
New take is up, picking up where this thread leaves off. Thanks for the inspo NY.
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