Raiders revamping staff that went to playoffs
As new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels settles in, much of last year’s coaching staff has been dismantled.
It shouldn’t surprise too many folks that once Raiders owner Mark Davis had decided he was bringing in McDaniels and another New England Patriot by association, new general manager Dave Ziegler, that the possibility existed that last season’s coaching staff would be shown the door. Well, that’s exactly what’s taking place as new faces are overtaking the old ones.
The biggest names that are no longer with the Silver and Black as of today are Greg Olson, Gus Bradley, and Rich Bisaccia. Olson’s exit was a given that McDaniels would essentially be running the offense. That’s a no-brainer since the new head coach of the Raiders has been one of the best offensive coordinators in the last 10 years.
Olson didn’t do himself any favors last year as the offense, in general, began to fade down the stretch. However, give credit where it’s due; Josh Jacobs saw a resurgence late in the year and helped to push the Silver and Black into the playoffs, literally.
Who else is out for the Raiders?
Rich Bisaccia, who brought together the team and prevented them from going into a complete tailspin, is now in Green Bay. Bisaccia will be back in his old job as special teams coordinator for a team that has had a lot of different coaches in that position in the last few years.
The Raiders’ defense, which finally played at a respectable level, though not at an elite one, also saw its boss jettisoned. Gus Bradley will assume the same title with the Indianapolis Colts. Matt Eberflus, who used to be the Colts’ defensive coordinator, left behind a promising unit that Bradley is sure to keep growing.
Expected to join Bradley with the Colts is defensive backs coach Ron Milus, who did an amazing job developing Nate Hobbs and Trevon Moehrig. Rod Marinelli, the defensive line coach, is expected to retire, though there are rumblings from former Chicago Bears players imploring their old team to bring Marinelli on as defensive coordinator.
The other assistant that was shown the door was Tom Cable, who had done a good job at times as offensive line coach. In particular, he was instrumental in developing Kolton Miller into a top-10 offensive tackle. However, the unit underperformed in 2021. A lot of changes at the offensive line surely played a role, but in the end, Cable was gone as well.
The most notable assistant that will remain with the Raiders is Edgar Bennett, who developed players such as Hunter Renfrow and Henry Ruggs III as their wide receivers coach. His retention is also interesting due to his history with current Packers wide receiver, Davante Adams.
The Raiders made the playoffs with this staff after they lost their leader, Jon Gruden. However, the organization has turned the page on the 2021 season, and with it, its coaching staff.