The Las Vegas Raiders are full steam ahead with the Pete Carroll era after bringing in the Super Bowl-winning head coach. However, rather than moving on with a new vision, Carroll is committed to rebuilding some of his old coaching staffs out in the desert.
Carroll decided to retain much-beloved defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who received head coaching interest in the past. Outside of this hire, Carroll seems intent on turning back the clock to his Seattle Seahawks glory days.
On top of rumors that suggest former Raiders head coach and offensive line coach Tom Cable could come back for a third separate stint with the team, it appears as though it is a near formality that Miami Dolphins passing game coordinator Darrell Bevell will be Carroll's choice for offensive coordinator.
According to Vic Tafur, "all signs" point to Bevell getting the Raiders OC job. While he is certainly a more inspiring hire than Luke Getsy and has a much more impressive resume in this league, Bevell may not be the offensive innovator many were hoping Carroll would bring in.
Raiders closing in on hiring Darrell Bevell as offensive coordinator
Bevell got his first OC job in the NFL in 2006 with the Minnesota Vikings. He held the same role with Carroll's Seahawks between 2011 and 2017, Matt Patricia's Detroit Lions in 2019-2020, and Urban Meyer's nightmarish Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 season. In Detroit and Jacksonville, Bevell was named interim head coach after the incumbents were fired.
On one hand, Bevell has a wealth of experience calling plays in the NFL. Bevell's offenses have ranked in the top 10 in yards three times and points five times, all while helping Russell Wilson win a Super Bowl and come one yard away from winning two.
On the other, the guy who called the infamous intercepted pass at the one yard line play hasn't had an offense rank in the Top 10 in yards or points since 2015. Bevell's Jaguars team, the last time he called plays, ranked dead last in scoring. With how involved Mike McDaniel is with the Miami offense, what is Bevell even doing on a daily basis?
While there are certainly much worse hires Carroll could have made, and Bevell's past history calling plays makes him more appealing than some younger neophyte coaches, the fact it's been a decade since Carroll and Bevell's glory days may not be super encouraging for Raiders fans.