Tom Telesco wasn’t the popular choice among Raider fans to be the team’s next general manager, but the more we learn about Telesco, the more it becomes clear why the Raiders wanted him.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was a guest on the JT The Brick Show this week and he talked about why he thinks Telesco will be a good fit for the Raiders…
“He is a very, very good general manager. He is very good. You know, the Chargers reputation probably hurt him a little bit and I think it’s fair to say that coaching-wise they could have been better the last three years. Brandon Staley did not work out and was eventually fired. That is a very talented team…”
He is a very good drafter. I would say that he is someone who is very prudent and if he is going to take a big swing at something, he has to be absolutely sure. [He’s] maybe not the biggest trader in the whole world, but he’ll certainly do it… it’s going to be really interesting to pair him to Antonio Pierce because Antonio Pierce, from what I hear about him, he wants things done yesterday. So a very calculated, careful GM and a coach who wants things done right now. That’s a pretty good mix because they can sort of balance each other out.
I thought it was a great, great hire. I was really surprised that Telesco was fired and that he didn’t have a landing spot. So when it became clear that it was going to be the Raiders, I was like ‘You know what, that actually makes sense.'”
Aside from the addition of Telesco, the other encouraging development for the Raiders was their ability to retain assistant GM Champ Kelly, who many believed was the frontrunner for the GM job prior to Telesco being hired.
Every indication is that Telesco and Kelly have worked well together in their first weeks on the job, and their first big decision might be their most important.
The Raiders will be making a major investment at quarterback in the next 10 weeks and it’s imperative that they get the decision right.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Time will tell with Tom Telesco
Well, it happened as I predicted, we will face Reid, Payton and now Harbaugh twice a year. It going to be tough. Harbaugh was my 1st pick and Pierce was my second. I hope Pierce proves me wrong and we win Super Bowls, not just being content going to the playoffs. Its been 40 years since we last won a Super Bowl. Lost to the Packers 33-14, beat the Vikings 32-14, beat the Eagles 27-10, beat the Redskins 38-9 and lost to the Buccaneers 48-21. Man, I can’t stand Gruden, lol.
I hope Tolesco/Pierce drop Garrapalo, Jacobs and Renfro as they’re way over payed. I would stay and draft JJ McCarthy at 13, sign Kirk Cousins for a year or two and build the trenches, please. We do need another CB and smart picking up free agents.
I really wanted champ bailey he deserved the chance. The couple of good things are that champ was retained and labeled asst general manager. The other item is that Delvaney will control cash flow. Thats a good thing since the chargers are 36 million over the cap. So Mr Telesco i really think that if you want Raider Nation to embrace you, you need to make some big splashes. Getting a qb is absolutely top priority. Fields seem to be a logical choice. Resign jacobs to a 3 year contract. Keep 3rd and renfro at a redone deal or dump him. Go get patrick Queen from baltimore this will give us a nasty defense. Upgrade the 2 lines thru the draft and free agency also you have some good players on the PS. Good luck Mr Telesco.
I really hope they are right about the Raiders GM. For the fans, team, staff, and Mark Davis. They all deserve to get it right, like Madd Max I’d love to see them go to the Superbowl and win it again. Best of wishes to Raider Nation
No, it is another bad hire by Davis. He left the Chargers in a bad spot. He also got lucky on some draft picks.