Despite not being aligned with Pete Carroll's scheme, former defensive coordinator Patrick Graham should have no trouble finding his next job. The work he did with a Las Vegas Raiders defense that sorely lacked talent was enviable, and he successfully took back the defensive reins late in the year.
Simply lasting through three head coaches in Las Vegas also proved Graham's mettle as a coach, but it's unlikely he'd be back under the another new head coach. He interviewed for a head coaching job that has since been filled (Miami Dolphins) and a defensive coordinator opening that remains open as of this writing (Washington Commanders).
As new head coaches around the league shape their new coaching staffs, other opportunities may naturally come Graham's way. With that in mind, Graham may actually have an ideal landing spot, especially now that the coaching dominoes are really falling.
Steelers ' DC job under Mike McCarthy looks perfect for Patrick Graham
Art Stapleton of North Jersey.com has pointed to a fresh potential landing spot for Graham.
"Been hearing former Giants and Raiders DC Patrick Graham's name as a possible defensive coordinator for Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh," Stapleton wrote. "Graham was with McCarthy in Green Bay."
On Graham's long coaching resume, in the NFL continuously since 2009, it doesn't really stand out. But as Stapleton noted, he was on the staff of new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers in 2018 as the linebackers coach and run game coordinator.
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McCarthy is basically guaranteed to lean toward hiring assistant coaches he knows and has worked with before, for better or worse, in his third stop as a head coach. That naturally stands to includeformer players who are now coaches.
But a well-respected former assistant like Graham should be not be overlooked, and it's fair to assume McCarthy is not overlooking him as a defensive coordinator candidate, based on Stapleton's report.
The Steelers uncharacteristically had some issues of their own defensively this season. But they have plenty of talent on that side of the ball, even if it tilts older at this point, and a fresh voice for that talent stands to be good for the situation as the team tries to remain competitive.
As options for Graham go, reuniting with McCarthy might land at the top of his list if he is indeed wanted to run the defense in Pittsburgh. But wherever he lands, Raider Nation will be happy to see him land on his feet.