Are the Raiders entering rebuild mode with all the new faces in the building as of last week?
With no clear QB1, a new GM and a new head coach, it certainly looks that way from the outside, but Pete Carroll didn’t sound like a coach focused on the distant future in his press conference on Monday.
As Raiders flagship radio host ‘JT the Brick’ pointed out on Tuesday, Carroll has been talking this week like a coach expecting to win games right away.
“These guys [have] got to have a great off season. They’ve got to thread the needle,” JT said on his Raider Nation Radio show on Tuesday. “I had a couple of big takeaways yesterday, but the biggest one was Pete [Carroll] pretty much telling us ‘No, no, no. We’re getting this done now.’ This wasn’t about a two [or] three year plan. This is not about three years with the fourth year option, and maybe getting it right at the end. This wouldn’t be worth it to him.”
“Did you all get the impression yesterday that Pete Carroll didn’t take this job for any money?” JT continued. “I got that impression. I don’t think Pete Carroll said, ‘Man, I’m only going to take this job if you pay me this much.’ Head coaches make a lot of money. He came here to take this job to instantly win because he wants to have fun. He wants to win so badly, and he really respects Raider Nation.”
Even with all the positive energy around the organization in recent days, Carroll still has the odds stacked against him. But the news on Wednesday that defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is expected to be back next year was no small development development.
Graham rejected a contract extension before the 2024 season, and many believed he was a candidate to move on even if Antonio Pierce had been retained.
But according to league insider Josina Anderson, Graham is working on a deal with the Raiders to return as their defensive coordinator.
For Carroll, it will be a massive step in a good direction if he is able to bring back Graham.
It has been rumored that Graham’s presence might be key to bringing back several free agents on defense and according to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, Graham’s return would be a positive development for Maxx Crosby’s contract situation.
“I asked someone in the organization with direct knowledge of Maxx’s contract and about [his] deal, and the person looked me right in the eyes and said, ‘Maxx is priority one.’” Carpenter said this week on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“If I was to say today, do I think Maxx will re-sign? Yes,” Hondo continued. “If they keep Patrick Graham and Rob Leonard, I don’t expect any chance he goes anywhere else. If they keep one of them, I still think there’s a great chance, and if they don’t keep either one, I would guess [the odds are] 50-50. You don’t make those decisions, if you’re the Raiders, just on one guy… but that’s where that sits.”
x: @raidersbeat
Yes, I do not think PG, would have worked with Jack Jones, He not big enough or Displne for either of these Coaches. As for QB with a front line to protect the QB AOC is top. this guy is so accurate. He broke Brees records at Purdue.