The Raiders are back to the drawing board at head coach and at least one insider thinks there may be a surprise candidate or two in line to replace Antonio Pierce.
Maybe we’ll learn more about the mystery candidates in the days ahead, but on Tuesday the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore dumped five names the Raiders are expected to consider.
“Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are among the candidates the Raiders are expected to consider. That list could expand in the coming days,” Bonsignore reported on Tuesday.
Notably, Vrabel was the first name Bonsignore listed, but it seems like some of the ‘Vrabel to the Raiders’ hype has died down in recent days.
With the firing of Jerod Mayo in New England, there aren’t many media types around the league who don’t think Vrabel will return to the team he played for from 2001 to 2008.
”I believe there were certain contingents of people within the organization that thought Mike Vrabel, because of his relationship with Tom Brady, was going to be a good fit,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast. “I’m just telling you today I don’t believe that’s going to happen now.”
The expectation is that Tom Brady will be heavily involved in the coaching search, so look for some of the candidates who interview to have a connection to Brady.
Once upon a time, the Raiders brought back Jon Gruden for a second stint. Maybe this will be the year they go back for another round of Josh McDaniels.
It’s too soon for jokes like that, but it is noteworthy that Brady played a role in McDaniels getting hired by the Raiders three years ago.
The GOAT can have a mulligan on McDaniels, but Raider fans will rightfully go over a ledge before signing up for another three years like the last.
x: @raidersbeat
Honestly, I made a joke about my list of 6 candidates I’d be interested in as Raiders coach, then ranked Gruden at like #90 after a bunch of blank spaces. Just to make sure I am covering for Mark Davis’ insanity, let me make sure I update it to reflect that Rex Ryan would rank somewhere around #332. Just for context, Davis’ other sounding board, Jim Gray would actually come in at #331, and Art Shell would be #274. Josh McDaniels would probably rank around #107.
On a (hopefully) more serious note, I think Vrabel would make an excellent choice if they can land him.
Firing Antonio was a mistake.How is a team supposed to gain continuity when the organization keeps going through coaches,look how Dan Campbell started and where he has led to the team perfect example! Also the Raiders need to really think about the draft don’t sell the franchise’s future. Getting a quarterback is imperative but at what cost the team needs a player to get the ball to as well Raiders fans remember the JaMarcus Russell fiasco and Calvin Johnson went next in the draft look how well that turned out then the next year the team had to pass on Aaron Rodgers Right now it looks like fourth and goal from 6 yard line in the fourth quarter with four seconds remaining down by five needing a TD to win does this franchise score or fold up and disappoint yet again. The AFC west is only getting harder does this team want to compete or wollow in the basement of the league strong changes need to happen to bring this team back to the realm I have been a fan going on fifty years and I realize you don’t wave a magic wand and everything is fixed but the fans deserve a lot better than they have been seeing it’s time to JUST WIN BABY again!
Pete Carroll would get my vote with Leftwich the OC