The Las Vegas Raiders have officially introduced their new head coach and general manager, and things certainly look like they are about to change.
One of the things that stood out from the Raiders press conference was related to Derek Carr. I mean, who else, right? Many fans and media alike believe that Josh McDaniels’ coming to take the coaching reins will suit Carr well.
In fact, it’s predicted that the Raiders’ red zone offense will improve dramatically with McDaniels at the helm. New general manager Dave Ziegler, who also made his Silver and Black debut, wasn’t too keen when talking about an extension regarding Carr.
"“I had a great conversation with Derek yesterday. … There’s gonna be a process of us learning Derek, Derek learning us, that’s going to be Step 1.” – Ziegler on Carr via Albert Breer of MMQB"
None of what Ziegler said should be concerning to anyone in Carr’s camp. The new general manager has spoken with the Raiders’ quarterback and even praised the mutual conversation that took place Sunday.
The fact is, this new duo of McDaniels and Ziegler isn’t familiar with Carr, at least not in terms of operating day-to-day. Both McDaniels and Ziegler are aware of Carr’s accomplishments, most recently helping to lead Las Vegas to the playoffs this past season.
New Las Vegas Raiders duo begin laying down their vision
No clear answer on Carr, yet
Whether a couple of playoff appearances and owning most of the Raiders’ passing records will be enough to warrant an extension is a different question. No doubt, in the coming months, fans will be attentive to what’s being said from Raiders HQ. Even more so when you consider that Ziegler will have the final say over all personnel.
As far as the Carr conundrum, it won’t be resolved anytime soon. Ziegler navigated the questions and played it smart. He didn’t commit to anything and played his hand well. Both sides of the Carr debate will likely read into it as they see fit, but we won’t know what the Raiders are planning for quite some time.
With all the pleasantries out of the way, there’s much to dissect after this monumental presser, and make no mistake, Raider Nation, that was just the first step in what will be a momentous 2022 season.
New head coach and general manager, now what?
Both Ziegler and McDaniels made it clear it’s an honor to come to Las Vegas, and no doubt, they’re excited to get to work. More importantly, these two have put in a lot of effort together, and they’ve won a lot of games with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
"“Mark Davis prioritized synergy between his GM/HC hires, which is why the Ziegler/McDaniels combo made sense.” –Maurice Moton via Twitter"
But as Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report pointed out, the fact that these two are familiar with each other certainly played a role in their being hired simultaneously. When it came to Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, you just never knew who had the final say over what.
Perhaps that is how they wanted it, but it also showed dysfunction. It also meant we never knew who was ultimately responsible for which draft pick and which free-agent signing.
"“There’s a lot of talented players on this team. I’ve evaluated it to a degree. To be fair to this team, there’s an evaluation period that we need to go through as a staff so we’ll have a better idea of what it will be going forward & that’ll take time.” –Ziegler on the current roster"
The McDaniels/Ziegler pairing appears to be in sync, and they know the direction they’re going in. They’re aware of the fact that they’re inheriting a talented roster, but one that’s far from perfect. Ziegler again played it smart. No doubt he’ll continue doing his homework and we’ll know soon enough who fits their vision.
Let’s face it, these two are bringing in their own sense of culture. I believe they call it the “Patriot Way.” Most Raiders fans are regurgitating the notion that their team is replicating the Patriots, but here we are.
The Raiders are getting a mature and refined McDaniels.
The instant reaction and criticism to the Raiders’ decision to go with McDaniels was quick and harsh. Most fans chose to go with emotion over logic, pointing to McDaniels’ time as Denver Broncos head coach.
Also, let’s not mince words here; most Raiders fans didn’t like this choice because of the new coach’s history. He’s been Belichick’s right-hand man for years, and clearly, that doesn’t sit well with Raider Nation.
"“I knew a little bit of football…I didn’t know people.” -Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels"
However, watching the presser and digesting what McDaniels said, it’s possible that the man who coached the Broncos more than a decade ago isn’t the one that Mark Davis hired. In fact, the new head coach openly admitted that he wasn’t too keen on building personal relationships, which, as we all know, is key in coaching a team.
His youth and arrogance were quite evident back then, but that was a long time ago. After returning to the Patriots, McDaniels became one of the most respected and revered offensive coordinators in recent NFL history. Nevertheless, running an offense and being in charge of the entire locker is a completely different thing.
Regardless, McDaniels appears to be ready now. More importantly, he also believes he can work with Carr and can win right now. In other words, despite Ziegler’s response, this team is more likely to reload than to rebuild. More importantly, and this should give Raider Nation some solace, the new head coach recognizes that the Raiders need to be “adaptable.” That’s something they didn’t do much of under Gruden.
Las Vegas Raiders: Early to-do list for GM David Ziegler
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A Raiders team capable of game planning every week and attacking the opponent’s weaknesses while making in-game adjustments sounds like 21st-century football, not 1998, as Gruden eloquently put it once. No, these are the new Raiders. These are McDaniels’ Raiders.