The Raiders were historically bad on defense this year, but help is coming soon.
The search for a new defensive coordinator is already underway and while Rod Marinelli may hang around in some compacity, the expectation is that the Raiders are going to hire from outside of the building for their next defensive coordinator.
On Monday, a tweet from CBS Sports insider Jason LaCanfora listed current Falcons HC Raheem Morris, former Jets DC Gregg Williams, and Rams LB coach Joe Barry as top candidates to be the Raiders next defensive coordinator.
Morris and Williams have been names linked to the Raiders for weeks, but Barry has not. Although it probably shouldn’t come as a huge surprise as Barry is the son-in-law of Marinelli and, assuming the report is true, the interest in Barry is probably a good indication that Jon Gruden would like to keep Marinelli on staff if possible. For what it’s worth, Barry was also Jay Gruden’s defensive coordinator in Washington.
It can be difficult this time of year to sift through rumors as agents are known to leak interest (whether real or not) in their clients to media outlets. There are also media personalities with relationships. For example, The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore has been championing Wade Phillips to the Raiders for weeks. Bonsignore was the first to definitively report Phillips’ interest in the job and the team insider has been beating the drum for Phillips ever since.
Ultimately, the decision will come down to who Gruden wants and it may prove to be the most important hire of his second tenure with the Raiders. If the defense isn’t fixed quickly, it will be interesting to see how much patience team owner Mark Davis will have with Gruden. Yes, Gruden signed a reported 10-year, $100 million deal, but there could easily be provisions in the deal that allow the Raiders to cut ties with Gruden sooner.
twitter: @raidersbeat
What kind of moron would hire Gregg Williams after firing Paul guenther? They were two of the worst defensive coordinators in the league and they were both fired for good reason. I mean that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
Raheem Morris is not leaving his head coaching spot either that’s also moronic absolutely stupid and unintelligent thing to say. Wade Phillips is the best man for the job and I put Marinelli in their second behind them and keep Marinelli if we hide Phillips anyway as a defensive line coach if he stays. Raheem Morris and Greg Williams? What idiot said that? Does that person get paid to say stupidity like that?
If Jason Lacanfora said that, that’s the dumbest thing that I’ve heard him say in a long time and you guys shouldn’t even be reprinting it, it’s just utterly unintelligent
It was definitely frustrating watching the Raiders on defense this last half of the season. They started well and never improved during the course of the season, while most other teams showed improvement. They don’t show any pride or poise when the game is on the line. That Miami game was the worst, I thought that they decided to tank the rest of the season in hopes of a better draft choice, these days you never know. Every year I began with hopes for a top notch quality defense given their draft choices, but they don’t seem to play up to their buildup. We need to make a stronger commitment to excellence to our defense, after defense wins championships.
I think Greg Williams would be a good fit, he’s always seemed to have a hard nosed defense’s where ever he’s coached, even though he’s had some dirty history but what the hell the league already hates the Raiders anyway.
Raheem Morris is the obvious choice although I think that Atlanta will give him his well deserved contract to be the next Head Coach of the Falcons.
Knowing how history points that Jon Gruden has been influenced by his buddies a lot over the years and now knowing that Marinelli’s son in-law is Joe Barry this seems to feel like something that my stomach is turning over… If this is the choice hopefully my stomach isn’t preparing me for something bad!
Gregg Williams? Seriously???
I hope Gruden humble himself, get rid of all his friends that are not doing the job , get some smart innovative coaches that will challenge teach the team and challenge Gruden himself, use analytic more . Get rid of Trent Brown , bro just don’t want to play or he just don’t want to be a raiders.
Yeah Greg Williams did a great job and the New York Jets which was ranked as the worst team in Jets history this year and that white Adam gase was fired today yeah we definitely want want to sign him! Said no one in their right mind ever. He also led the Browns to their Owen 16 season in case you’re unaware of it so dude you’re a brother you’re a Raider but I can’t continue to comment any further or else it would just insult you into base me. Gregg Williams should never coach in the NFL again and neither should Paul guenther go back to college and try and learn something maybe the Canadian Football League could need someone of their Calibre I hear the Saskatchewan Roughriders can use a defensive coordinator. And maybe the arena league unless they didn’t go bankrupt during the Coronavirus. But the NFL? You got to be kidding me bro.
I would only give Lily Collins and Cory Littleton a second chance if they came in at half the money that they sign for because under Gunther you can’t expect anyone to excel. Trent Brown should be gone. Jeff Heath is a better safety than Johnathan Abram. I get a drum another year or two before I give him the Mike Mitchell kick in the pants. We should have known his intelligence was limited when he pronounce the L in salmon. He’s no John Lynch or Ronnie Lott that’s for sure. Actually Nick kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton should have to swap contracts because of littleton’s performance LOL and please we have to upgrade over Keyshawn Nixon and Nevin Lawson that’s just a joke quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Phyllis Cry Me a River are so experienced they will just shred us every time they see us. And don’t think Justin Herbert’s going to flame out he’ll probably turn into the next Philip Rivers and will have a handful every year twice a year now with the Dalts. It’s bad enough to queefs are this good we had a better defense we would have swept them this year. In fact we would have won three of our clothes games including the second game with the Chiefs had Marinelli been our defensive coordinator in all likelihood. Gunther was clueless we could have been 11 and 5 in in the playoffs easily if we had any kind of Defense.