Raiders: Placing an early grade on the hire of Dave Ziegler

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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: (EDITORS NOTE – This image has been converted to black and white) Oakland Raiders helmet is seen on the field after the game between Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /

Raiders: Placing an early grade on the hire of Dave Ziegler

Why is Ziegler here?

In terms of why Ziegler is here, it is based on his strong track record of roster construction and an area in which former Raider general manager Mike Mayock was inconsistent and ultimately failed — drafting talent.

However, the first position that Ziegler was entrusted with during his time with the Patriots organization in 2013 was not pro scouting, and not college scouting, which was an area he was involved in until 2020.

What he was able to do in this time was add a bevy of talent via free agency in players such as Trent Brown, Kyle Van Noy, Alan Branch, Jason McCourty, Rex Burkhead, and Stephon Gilmore. Players who were virtually let go of without a fight, as their previous teams deemed them non-essential to their future plans. This led to Ziegler helping the team accomplish the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl, which happened three times under his supervision in New England.

This keen eye for detail, and ability to add such talented players who outside of maybe Gilmore had basically no market available to them before they arrived in New England, shows that Ziegler does indeed have a knack for sniffing out talent.

This should not only translate to adding a much stronger free-agent class than what Mayock was able to do in his time in Vegas but should also give Ziegler the freedom to have the say on drafting as well, both areas in which the Raiders are in dire need.

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