Rumors: Could Raiders have real interest in Todd Bowles?

The Las Vegas Raiders search for a new head coach is underway, so is former New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles in play for the job?

The Silver and Black dropped the first domino in their offseason bonanza by absolving Mike Mayock of his duties as general manager. All things considered, most fans weren’t too shocked, given what’s transpired over the last year in Las Vegas. Looking ahead, the team needs a head coach (and a general manager), and owner Mark Davis has quickly become a busy man as he looks to fill the two most important vacancies in football operations for his team. Todd Bowles is reportedly going to have an interview, which begs the question of whether there would be any legitimate interest.

However, things can always change. According to Bleacher Report, the Raiders appear to have an interest in Bowles’ services. They reported that, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Raiders could be looking at Bowles to replace Rich Bisaccia. Bowles will also be interviewed for head coaching positions with the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears.

There will be several candidates as far as the Raiders’ job goes, though many point to Jim Harbaugh as the odds-on favorite, per Pro Football Focus Betting.

Bowles could turn the Raiders defense into something special

Bowles would certainly help the Raiders, especially on defense. The success surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is often tied to quarterback Tom Brady. However, their success is more so due to the team’s dominant defense. Bowles’ unit has been especially ferocious in run defense. They were number one in stopping the run in his first two years, 2019 and 2020. Last year, they had a minor drop-off to third place, which is still light years ahead of the Raiders.

In other words, a Bowles-led Raiders team would surely overtake the Denver Broncos as far as having the best defense with Vic Fangio now out as their head coach. Most recently, the Buccaneers’ defense held the Philadelphia Eagles to 15 points. Philly only mustered 95 yards on the ground against Bowles’ unit.

Bowles’ track record as far as running a defense speaks for itself. In the event that Bowles were to receive consideration and the gig itself, the Raiders would still need a strong offensive play-caller. For now, we’ll have to continue monitoring the situation in Vegas.