The Raiders appeared to get a big decision right this week when they officially removed the interim tag from head coach Antonio Pierce.
It was a great day for the fans and maybe an even bigger day for the locker room.
But just when it looked like Mark Davis and company were starting to turn the corner and make sensible decisions for the organization, the Raiders’ GM search has taken a turn toward the bizarre.
Every indication leading up to the team’s coaching interviews this week was that interim GM Champ Kelly would be hired for the full-time job, and he was even present for the head-coaching interviews.
“I believe the GM has to have some say in who the coaching staff is going to be,” Davis told The Athletic five week ago, but a report on Saturday in The Athletic indicated that the team’s interview panel is now divided on whether Kelly or Indianapolis Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds should get the job.
Some have pointed out that Kelly didn’t have the benefit of building his resume over the last three months the way Pierce was able to do, but doesn’t Kelly deserve credit for choosing Pierce in the first place?
The irony of the latest GM conundrum is that 82 year-old Ken Herock is reportedly the dissenting voice against Kelly (in favor of Dodds) on the team’s interview panel.
For those who don’t remember Herock, he was the leader of the coaching search that led to the Raiders hiring Josh McDaniels.
Herock apparently never asked McDaniels about his failed tenure in Denver during his interview process with the Raiders, and if that report is accurate, how could Davis side with the opinion of Herock for the second time in two years after the team’s disastrous 22 months with McDaniels?
There might be one reasonable explanation…
Herock may have led the head-coaching interviews two years ago, but some believe the owner (and his advisors) made a decision on McDaniels prior to the interview process. The interview process with McDaniels, in that case, would have been more of a recruiting process and would explain why Herock didn’t press McDaniels on his time with the Broncos.
Could a scenario like that be playing out with Kelly?
Do we know who Tom Brady wants for the job? Do we know who Mark Davis really wants for the job?
Or is it the case that an 82 year-old advisor to the owner, who doesn’t have an official position with the team, has enough clout within the organization to stall the GM search to the position the team is in today?
twitter: @raidersbeat
At 82 year old he has to a redneck by birth. A Black President and Head coach. I be **** if he is going let a Black GM complete the trio. So Mark was okay naming him interim. Whose team is it
That’s quite a conclusion jump, evidence? He was a trusted associate of Al Davis for years, do really think AD would have been around a racist? No way, not with ADs history.
Way too much hand wringing about Herock’s influence.
Amy, Art , Tom , AL Davis he did the hiring.
I’m a redneck by birth. I have no problem giving the most qualified person the job regardless of color. Y’all need to stop trying to make it a race issue. The raiders organization has broken every race and gender boundary before any other team. That is historical fact. Best person gets the job. Always. That is raider nation. Anything else is just b.s.
Jason Funk did you read in the article where Herock endorsed J. McDaniels for head coach. I agree that race should never be a factor. Needless to say, the front office haven’t necessarily picked the best available man for the job like you so cavalierly claim.
So then your saying McDaniels was the best man for the job 2 years ago? 🤔 😃 😄 😂 🤣
Is the color of the skin that important to you? You’re calling someone a redneck because he favors a g.m with more expetience? Sounds like a Racist comment to me
You must either be a 40 year old white woman with 3 unnatural hair colors and a face full of fishing tackle or you’re jamarcus’ brother. Which is it?
Cmon man. Everything isn’t about race no matter how much you listen to mainstream to convince you that it is. It’s 2024 and not 1964.
Well said my friend
Why are racists always looking for racism Terry?
Why does race have to a factor. People need to stop looking at other people by the color of their skin. Why can’t they just be a person and judge them on their character. Black people always jump straight to racism if a decision involves a white and black person and the black person doesn’t get their way. The black community goes straight to racism when race isn’t the deciding factor, they just say and assume that. We’ll never get past racism if that’s how black people see things when dealing with white people.
Us Raider fans can’t even be happy about AP being hired because of nonsense like this. Champ deserves a shot, he was part of the “righting the ship” formula. Who knows what the GM/AP chemistry will be like bringing in someone else. I think it’s time for Herock to take an extended vacation.
I see and mostly agree with that sentiment. But if Ken Herock was a trusted adviser to Al Davis (I don;t know if he was or not) then his voice will carry a lot of weight. I think the Raiders should and ultimately will hire Chamo Kelly, but Dodd has more hands on experience doing this exact job so wouldn’t likely end up as a whiff.
Champ Kelly deserves nothing, because he has shown nothing and there is scant evidence that he knows how to build anything.
Dobbs has much more experience, ties to the team.
Suck Herock. Bottom line he was part of the bastards that brought mcclown to Vegas. Go with your gut mark. Champ is your man! You already know AP and Camp have a connection working together.
Ken should be given a seat in the suit and told to sit down and enjoy the privilege. Listening to these old Al Davis guys who never played the game or coached is so archaic. Grow some balls mark and hire both Champ and Dodd’s. Get your franchise out of the 1970’s so you actually have a chance to win again.
If Herock was an adviser to Al, as you indicated, he will have a big voice in Marks ear until he dies. Mark will probably always give much weight to men who helped form the Raiders of old whether we think he should or like that fact. Kelly makes a lot of sense and I’m rooting for him, but Ed Dodd would not be a whiff and does have NFL experience doing the exact job he is interviewing for.
The BIGGEST issue, IMO, is hire SOMEbody soon so that preparations and scout teams etc can be well settled before the senior bowl and East/West Shrine bowl. Not to mention lots of film to study going into an important draft and free agent signing period.
guy literally played multiple years for the raiders. dont make all of us raider fans looks so low IQ
Need to hire Champ Kelly!!!
So an 82 year old with no formal position and no accountability for bad decisions is calling the shots for Mark Davis? And you wonder why the Raiders organization isn’t held in high regard around the NFL.
I’ve been a fan since 1967. I haven’t seen a fire under these boys like this for awhile. I say if whatever AP & Champ has done too motivate these guys like this, they both deserve a chance. Mostly because they have good chemistry with, I whole heartedly believe we have the right combination to be on top again.
I hope they hire Dodds who is a true Raider under the Al Davis leadership. Those package deals of GM and coach never works for the Raiders. Time to go full blast forward and get us back to where we belong
Now I see why he was fired. The most dangerous man in any company or organization is the one who is about to retire. I could see if they lost every game after the first two wins beyond the bye week, however, they didn’t and were pushing to try and get into the playoffs. Some people are never happy unless the Raiders are losing…..probably thinking it keeps their jobs relevant.
I think Kelly gets the job. Don’t know what the hold up is but from MOST of the articles about the Raiders I have read from the past few weeks, they are just re-writes or somebody trying to stir the pot. Remove the tag and let these guys get to work, rhe end product will tell us if it was the right decision.
The Mark Davis response should be, “Thank you Sir for all of your valued advice, but in this case, as the owner of this football team. I must make the decision that in opinion, is best
for this team. And that is to make the current interim General Manager, my choice as the
General Manager going forward. This decision will instill a continuity of management at
this time.
82 he should be Retired.. Are u Serious
I stopped reading after 82 year old!
Mark Davis you did the right thing by Hiring Ap. Now I been a fan since 1970 and this team. His finally playing like the old Raiders. And that is because of champ Kelly, Ap plus Patrick gram. So please mark hire champ and Patrick. And if you want hire Dodds. Ap champ Patrick Dodds there is your guys.
.
Mr. Herock; Thank you for all of your valued advice. But at this time I believe that this decision on who should be Raider General Manager should end with Mark Davis deciding
that for the sake of the continuity of team management that the current interim General Manager Champ Kelly be retained and named the General Manager at this time.
I think the raiders should hire Kelly and peers Kelly is GM appears as a coach cuz to me it looks like they can get along and work together and do a good job and bring the raiders back to playoff form or even win a championship I believe that they can do it
Funny how the people screeching about prejudice are the same people who are making Herock’s age an issue. Wanna see a bigot? Just look in the mirror.
If this all true, AL Davis needs to take an extended vacation w/ the 1970s timer.
Champ and AP are a good team. Look how they turned around the team last season. Champ brought forth AP and that was a good call. They have the team backing them and players play hard for someone they believe in. Dont make the same mistakes with Champ and AP that you made with Ziegler and McDaniels.
If Champ was being considered for the GM prior to McDaniels/Ziegler coming in, then he is the next man up.
Al would have promoted him Herock be damned! Who the hell are you anyway?
Concentrate on a Play Caller!
I have been a fan since 1968 and glad to finally see the Raiders moving forward. Give Champ a chance for continuity. It seems that he, AP and Patrick works well together. So far as the 82 , even the greatest guys out there has seen the game past them by. . Let’s move on
Been a long time raider fan AP/Champ got to roll with it… Let’s Go Raider Nation!!!
This is crap. Take what we have and let it play out. What’s the problem. The dogs just became a pack. When the wolfs loose one of the pack. It leads to turmoil
Here we go again, nobody mentions the fact that what we really need is a reliable Quarterback.
I don’t think Herock, a person that has Never played,coached or done Anything besides Watch the Game should be Advising ANYONE on how to put together a Team. Do what you do Best and Just Watch!!
He played with the Raiders from ‘63 to ‘67 and won an AFL championship. He played with a couple of other teams before retiring and coming back to the Raiders as an advisor and became one of Al’s most trusted guys. He may have been wrong about McDaniels, but he’s definitely done more than just “watch the game”.
While I believe Champ deserves a shot here because culture matters and he’s part of what drive that culture change here, if they chose Dodds that would still be an understandable football decision based on his track record.
“drove”, not “drive”. Yeah, I’m OCD.
Champ Kelly is the man for the job. He has earned the opportunity. If I were Mark Davis I would have fired anyone who even suggested McDiqweed for the job.
Do the right thing by the organization. Hire Champ Kelly
Out with the OLD and in with the new!
Wasn’t Champ the one who brought in Jack Jones? Just sayin… give the man his due respect and the GM tag!
Actually no, AP has history with Jones and advocated for Kelly to pick him up, that was all AP.
He has played and been employed by multiple teams, not that i want him making decisions but youre just making stuff up to prove your point try doing some research
hire champ
I honestly would put Champ head of football operations and hire Ed Dodds as GM. That way Champ stays and gets a promotion and we still get Dodds. Both would put their heads together on what’s best for the team. Until they come to a conclusion. I think Champ has shown that he can handle the job.
There’s always a dissenter in interview loops. The majority of the interviewers need to be consistent in Kelly’s favor to return Herock to the golf course.
Whoever raised racism as an issue in this GM hiring question—JUST STOO THAT AND GO AWAY! It’s not germane here with the Raider organization. They’ve proven this. And while going away take old man, I accountability Ken Herock with you please. Step up on your own for a moment Mark Davis, have some gusto and hire both Dodds as Head of Football operations, Champ as his GM and this way shift the working compatibility issue on and between them two. And when Dodds is ready to move out an on ( if and when)Champ is fully prepared to run the entire front office who knows i”( now that’s thinking ahead)! And finally Mark Davis thank you for caring but please stay out of football talent evaluations!