Welcome Klint Kubiak!
Barring any 11th hour drama, it sounds like we have a new head coach in Klint Kubiak.
I must admit, this is a better result than I feared as the process played out. A hot up-and-coming offensive mind paired with a #1 draft pick quarterback plus Bowers, Jeanty, etc. certainly sounds appealing, and it's a clean break from hiring retreads and in-house replacements who never become head coaches when they leave the Raiders.
Whether or not Kubiak proves to be a leader of men and a culture changer remains to be seen, but at least this makes sense on paper.
(In a weird plot twist, Kubiak will be squaring off at OC with former Raiders coach Josh McDaniels during the Super Bowl, after the Raiders job seemed to strip McDaniels of any offensive magic during his tenure here).
I still can't help but think the Raiders were dancing on the head of a pin here. If Kubiak decided to go with the Cardinals or return to the Seahawks (both realistic possibilities), I'm not sure where that would have left us. As I predicted, it sounds like Tom Brady's star power played a role in papering over the minefield associated with being a Raiders head coach, and without that I'm not sure this deal would have been consummated.
Regardless, they pulled it off and that's what matters. There's no doubt that this injects some sunshine into the Raiders' prospects in 2026 and beyond. It feels like a breath of fresh air. Just how minty fresh it'll be, we shall see.
Bottom line: an exciting day in the Raider Nation.
posted by Raider Take at 11:56 AM
30 Comments:
With the Raiders, best not to celebrate until the contract is signed, but yeah, it looks like it's going to happen.
McDaniel needs a Qb to win. Raiders gave him Grapopola, and AOC, and asked for the impossible.
Raiders have a good base of young talent on offense, so Kubiak is a good choice. But Seattle also has a great defense. I hope that's not lost on the Raiders as they set about building a winning team.
Can't fault Tom Brady for his initial instincts. Brady wanted Ben Johnson last year and Johnson turned the Bears on a dime. It's often when the Raiders compromise (which they do a lot) that the bottom falls out. Pete Carroll was a big mistake, and that's not hindsight. Plus, the Raiders didn't appear to make any overture to Mike Vrabel and look where he's headed, with Josh McDaniels no less. Vrabel will be coach of the year.
The Raiders are a failing organization. There's no way to sugarcoat it. You couldn't be as bad if you tried. Mark Davis should send flowers to John Mara and the Giants for gifting Davis the #1 pick. Otherwise, the Raiders would have still tried the 60-yard FG and beat the Chiefs despite the stupidity behind it.
But here we are with an up-and-coming first time HC and the first pick in the draft. It's a great start to the offseason. I'm cautiously optimistic.
But I would also like to make clear my interest in drafting Mendoza isn't that he will be the next superstar QB. I read a quote from Giffin III that summed up Mendoza best.
“Mendoza’s biggest superpower is protecting the football while still being aggressive,” Griffin said. I think it was also said that Mendoza is not elite at anything but he's good at everything.
With a good ground game, that's exactly what the Raiders need. It was interesting to also read that Klint Kubiak opined on Mendoza in 2024, suggesting he was a big fan.
Maybe the stars are finally lining up. We can only hope! Because that's all we have.
Rumors are swirling that Maxx Crosby wants out and he's going to be traded. This would be terrible. Sandy
Mark Davis is like an amateur day trader. Buys stocks when they're high, holds when he should sell. So he wastes much of Crosby's prime, and only after Crosby is coming off an injury (one that Davis himself hyped) will he be forced to trade him because he alienated the most ultimate warrior and consummate Raider we've had in a long while. He takes a swing by drafting an RB way high in the draft (#6, higher than McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson were taken), the highest RB drafted since 2018, not to a team that needs a few pieces to get to the next level, but to a team mired in mediocrity with a terrible offensive line and questionable QB. Stuff like that.
When you put that into context, it's possible Spytek and the Raiders didn't truly hit on any draft picks out of eleven last year. So what's one or two more picks in a trade going to do for them?
Crosby is understandably frustrated, but he needs to speak with his new coach and get comfortable. Kubiak sounds like a players coach. On the other end, the Raiders would be stupid to trade a player who exudes winning culture. They have ample resources without trading their best player.
IMO, Crosby is all the Raiders have that keeps them relevant. He embodies commitment to excellence even when the Raiders organization abandoned it.
Here's another piece that suggests as I have that perhaps JPJ should never have been removed from center. The Raiders O-line is better than Carroll's staff which sabotaged its talent with bad coaching and moving players out of position. IMO, Parham is the week link. He's a backup at most. Maybe the Raiders can add a solid vet and work with Grant and Rogers to get immediate results.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/why_raiders_ol_outlook_is_better_than_it_seems/s1_16640_43430039
I read the article it lost credibility when it mentioned DJ Glaze as a viable/good right tackle. Raiders need to spend in free agency on offensive lineman. God help us if they trade Crosby Sandy
The whole line sucked! I think the point that the OL underperformed last year due to bad coaching is valid (and certainly comes with the assumption that every position will be under the microscope of new coaches). But at one point it was reported that the OL were meeting outside of organized practices in order to fill the void in coaching. That's pathetic. I can't imagine Brennon Carroll will work again in the NFL... beyond the level of "assistant to the assistant."
I love Maxx Crosby. He gives his all to the Raiders. You cannot say that about most of the current roster.
But Maxx is mad that the Raiders shut him down for two games, and tanked to get Mendoza ? That they are going to hire a blue chip OC, from a super bowl team ? Now he wants out ! This doesn't make any sense.
Either way, if Maxx stays, or goes, I wish him the best. But I would rather have an eleven man defense, than a one man defense.
I hear you Ghost Ship, but maybe Crosby (like me) has just seen too much to believe that Mark Davis won't fumble even the most perfect of handoffs. He's in the second half of his prime, if he bets yet again on Mark and the Raiders and loses that bet, then his career ends without tasting any postseason glory when he was at his peak as a contributor. I think that might tempt anyone to grow a wandering eye. Also, yes, he was shut down for the sake of improving the team going forward, but that was only after the team asked him once again to sacrifice his body in service to yet another season that was grossly mismanaged by ownership. I can't fault him if he bolts.
I am no fan of Mark Davis. He has been a terrible owner. Trying so hard to be like his father, when he should just be himself.
But MD did reward Carr, Devante Adams, and now Maxx, with big contracts. They signed the contracts, they took the deal, and everything that goes with it.
But then, Adams, and maybe now Maxx turn around and say it's no good anymore. They want out. Last I checked, loyalty is a two way street, Davis paid up, so now Maxx should live up, to the deal he agreed to.
Maxx Crosby is the face of the Raiders. I've always been in the camp that he should never be traded. Mark Davis placed Crosby off limits last year when things were stirring up and Meyers got traded. But here's the thing, Crosby works for the Raiders. He played injured most of last year. They made a decision to pull him for his sake and for the sake of the team (in a lost season). It wasn't just to tank a game, it was to play another game next year when it might actually mean something.
Now Crosby appears to be out on the circuit whining that "he doesn't get pulled from games." That's not his call. It's a bit too righteous and perhaps selfish. Raiders made a team-first decision.
Personally, I believe cooler heads will prevail once Crosby has an opportunity to speak with Kubiak, and definitely by the time he meets his new rookie QB. Both guys are class acts and Crosby will want to engage with them.
If not, that would be very unfortunate but it's time to trade him for a boatload of draft picks. Just a thought but maybe going on podcasts and running your mouth all the time is not a wise choice for active players. That's more what you do after football. It makes Crosby look like he's turning into a diva.
Interestingly, if the email scandal never happened, Gruden would be coming into Year 8 of his 10-year deal and the Raiders (and Crosby) wouldn't be on their 5th head coach since Gruden left. Of course, it's hard to say where the Raiders would be based on Gruden's first four years. It's just one mess after another. It's like we're getting punked by the Truman Show.
Maybe the Raiders planned on trading Crosby when they pulled him (ala Derek Carr). But that goes against Mark Davis's directive. Unlikely we will ever find out the truth. I certainly hope he stays. Crosby is the only reason I was able to stomach several games that I watched last year.
You guys make good points!
Glazer has been reported by media to be backtracking a bit on his comments about Crosby. Again, hopefully, cooler heads prevail. Crosby is ALL we have. We went through this before with Mack, but it would be much worse with Crosby. Crosby is not holding out for more money. If the Raiders trade him because of his passion to play and win, clearly, they will be the losers.
On a lighter note, Mendoza appears to be doing the "idolized Tom Brady as a kid" tour with media. Securing Klint Kubiak as HC could be a feather in Brady's cap, but helping to mentor a QB like Mendoza seems like it would be right in Brady's wheelhouse.
Looks like a blueprint to improve the Raiders offense is already in progress. But between the Crosby saga and lack of talent and coaching, the defense is a complete mess. Not forgetting that Carroll dumped 9 of 11 starters on defense and Spytek let him, then replaced those players with lesser talent. Spytek hasn't shown us anything yet.
Here we go, in his own words. This squashes everything about the rumors, at least from Crosby's side.
“Now that I’m quiet, I’ve got random people making big statements for me,” Crosby told FOX Sports host Colin Cowherd.
“They’re like, ‘Maxx must’ve told them this.’ For me, I just sit back and laugh because I know my truth and when I go to bed at night, I have a smile on my face because I don’t have to explain nothing to nobody… I’m getting healthy. I’m in the building every single day. I’m in this building from 6 a.m. when it’s dark out, and I’m here until almost 2… That’s all I care about. So all the noise, that’s news to me sometimes.”
The biggest takeaway for me is that "Crosby is in the building every day at 6 a.m." The Raiders can't walk away from a player like Crosby unless they are irreparably stupid... which, actually, they might be (we witnessed Spytek allow the entire defense to walk last year).
I don't want Davis to meddle, except as it pertains to keeping his directive that Crosby is untouchable. IMO, Crosby is a franchise player on the level of Howie Long. The Raiders have never needed a player more than they need Maxx Crosby in this moment. He's a culture maker and the glue to bring them back to relevance. Letting him out of the building would be another Marcus Allen level mistake, IMO. This is much bigger than Khalil Mack.
Well said NY, the fact that you can compare Maxx to Howie says a ton right there. Sandy
I've been a huge fan of Crosby since preseason in his rookie year when he broke or fractured a bone and asked to have his hand put in a cast so he could go back in the game. His opposition to being shut down the last two games this year is in his DNA. Someone needs to pull him aside and assure him that was a one-off and it will never happen again... nor will there be a reason. Losing to the Giants will reward the Raiders with their best chance at a franchise QB since Derek Carr, with the hopes he will be better than Carr. Now, the Raiders need to do the rest of the work to make that happen.
I read where Kubiak may be recruiting some coaches from the Seahawks staff, including their QB coach to be OC. I have to say, my cold shoulder is starting to thaw.
My 2 cents
-Defense wins Championships. MacDonald v. Vrabel
-But it was also Kubiak v. McDaniels. I'm still astounded that Josh McDaniels bookended his Raiders gig with super bowls. Apparently, he just needs to have a boss.
-Darnold was under center a lot, which goes against what I said earlier about Kubiak using shotgun a lot. Nonetheless, it was effective for play-action (mostly because Walker was great).
-Back to defense, that was not Pete Carroll's scheme. Both teams played a lot a man coverage and brought pressure. Interesting that two Pats starters were Raiders starters the year before. Spillane and Chaisson both had better years than their Raider replacements.
-Finally, Bunny was bad; All-American is always better. What was the NFL thinking?
-Now all that's left is, get Kubiak signed and poach as many top coaches and players as possible from those two teams.
Get this B.S. "it's time to compete" OUT!
Bring back, "Commitment to Excellence!"
Sorry I have been quiet for awhile. I resigned my position and moved, so its been a wild 3 weeks for me.
I never thought Kubiak would join the Raiders because he comes from the Shannarat tree, yet here he is. Great move.
I dont think Crosby is going anywhere. The last few seasons reports of his trade has swirled with nothing to show for. Maxx came out on Cowterd and pretty much said he is in the building everyday.
Mendoza reminds me of Derek Carr coming out of the draft. The only difference is Mendoza is a D1 athlete. Rumors are swirling the Kubiak wants DC to train Mendoza. I love that idea, because McDummy shafted him. Give DC a chance to end right with the Raiders.
In the end for me as a fan the Raiders still need to JUST PROVE IT, BABY!
Derek Carr element is an interesting thought and could stabilize the Crosby issue.
Darnold was solid, but it was, DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE !! that won the championship. Hope this is not lost on Raiders brass.
Blanket coverage in the secondary. Blitzes that actually get to the Qb. Linebackers that are elite athletes, not washed up vets. Take notes Spytek, and make it happen.
This game really reminded me of the last super bowl the Raiders won. Plunkett was solid, but it was the defense, and Marcus Allen that carried the day. So long ago !!
If the Raiders are smart (a big "if" prior to Kubiak's arrival), they can walk and chew gum on offense and defense with the 1st pick and 90M to 100M in cap space. Many of their troubles can be solved this year. Interesting to hear Kubiak say that it will be a collaborative effort, but he seems pretty hands on in terms of fitting the right scheme. It's all talk now, but he was the guy on offense in Seattle and they nailed it in a short period.
Raiders are very coy about discussing their interest in Mendoza. Who else is there? Nobody! If they don't draft Mendoza and instead trade back or pick someone else #1, that would be a colossal mistake. This is a once in a generation opportunity. Not only is Mendoza exceptionally talented, he's inexpensive, allowing the Raiders to spend their resources elsewhere. It seems like it's in the bag. Kubiak is a man of faith. So is Mendoza.
In his presser, Kubiak said he had coffee with Maxx Crosby. Crosby was the first one in the building when Kubiak first arrived at Raiders HQ. "They talked football." Yeah, Crosby isn't going anywhere else.
Kubiak said he has a list of coaches to interview for coordinators and assistants. It's going to be interesting to watch this process. Sounds like the Seahawks QB coach and passing game coordinator are at the top of his list.
There's a report out citing the worst coaching jobs of all time. Raiders made the list with Art Shell 2.0. Also making the list but not with the Raiders were Hue Jackson (Browns) and Josh McDaniels (Broncos). How McDaniels and Carroll didn't make the list as Raiders HCs is a mystery, especially, Carroll.
The universe is strange. We get Seattle's OC as coach after getting former Seattle coach Carroll and trading for Seattle QB Geno Smith, after Seattle outsmarted the Raiders by signing free agent Sam Darnold and offloading Geno Smith for a third-round pick, a genius move by Seattle on both fronts. Hopefully Kubiak can help the Raiders finally do some outsmarting.
That's crazy! Think the Raiders see or understand it for exactly how you correctly stated it?
Pats and Steelers have had similar dominance over the Raiders.
Will this time be the one?
I really believe the Raiders are set up for success. Kubiak! Mendoza! $100M in cap space! But I don't trust them to be smart. I hate to say it, but I have very little confidence in John Spytek. He's already missed so much.
Kubiak seems to be building his staff quickly and without issues. Lenoard as in-house hire for DC is a widely respected choice, and Leonard is poaching Matt Robinson from the Giants who just hired him from Baltimore. McCoy for assistant HC has knowledge and experience that should be helpful. They also hired an experienced ST coach, and Janocko (Seattle's QB coach) is reportedly being hired as OC despite reports that he was being promoted to OC for Seattle.
Honestly, I don't know what any of this means. But it seems like a smooth process that we're not used to seeing from the Raiders. All new coaches draw from a well of coaches they've worked with in the past, so there are always going to be limitations.
I think the key going forward will be the meddling or lack thereof. Can Kubiak have time and space run his show, or will Davis, Brady and Spytek start sticking fingers in the pie?
Brady has taken over meddling. Apparently, that's how we got Chip Kelly.
However, based on recent hires, it looks like Kubiak is in charge. Certainly, let's hope Kubiak gets more space with the roster than Al gave to Kiffin, who stopped wearing Raiders gear and was hiding from his staff by his second Combine. Of course, Kubiak's interest in Mendoza is probably much greater than Kiffin's interest was in JaMarcus Russell. This stuff is transformative. IMO, Kiffin could have changed the Raiders trajectory over the past two decades.
And as bad as Pierce might have been (in fairness, he wasn't given a chance either), Carroll and Spytek destroyed what was left. Now we're trusting Spytek to help fix it. That's what has me most concerned.
It's hard to believe the Combine is next week and free agency starts March 11, with legal tampering on March 9. My hope is that the Raiders cut ties with Geno Smith. They need a clean break from last year. Smith is Pete Carroll's baggage... to which Mark Davis must be approaching as many people on payroll outside the organization as he has inside.
Commanders only paid $6M for Von Miller on a 1-year deal and he's a FA. Koonce is a FA too and the Raiders paid $12M for him. See where that's going? Miller is more of a rotational player at this point, but the Raiders still have Wilson... who's gotten better each year.
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