It is a new era for the Las Vegas Raiders.
On Monday morning, the team held a press conference to officially introduce their new head coach, Pete Carroll, and general manager, John Spytek.
While their first impressions were certainly strong, the franchise has a long way to go if they want to become a contender. Before the team can find a quarterback, add players in free agency, or look towards the draft, Carroll has to finalize his coaching staff.
The first step for him will be finding his offensive and defensive coordinators. That process began Monday morning as well with their first interview request going out to a Seahawks assistant that worked under Carroll in Seattle.
But Carroll made sure to mention that he also wanted to retain any valuable members of Las Vegas' previous staff.
Defensive line coach Rob Leonard to interview for Raiders defensive coordinator job
Rob Leonard has served two seasons as the defensive line coach for the Raiders, and it is no coincidence that the unit has been arguably the team's best in that time. According to The Athletic's Tashan Reed, he's among the people Carroll is interviewing for the defensive coordinator job.
The #Raiders' search for a coaching staff is underway. They requested an interview with Seahawks defensive backs coach Karl Scott for their defensive coordinator vacancy, as @jjones9 reported.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) January 27, 2025
They're also interviewing their own DL coach, Rob Leonard, for DC.
Obviously, he inherited Maxx Crosby, but under Leonard's guidance, Crosby was able to take his game to new heights by leading the NFL in tackles for loss in 2023 en route to an AP Second-Team All-Pro selection.
Other players like Malcolm Koonce and K'Lavon Chaisson really found their footing while being coached by Leonard as well. Both players had career years with him on the staff, and Tyree Wilson made a huge jump from his rookie season to his second year as well.
Even veteran players like Adam Butler and John Jenkins found new life while in the defensive line room with Leonard, and both players may see a nice payday in free agency as a result. Butler had played for Leonard before the two reunited in Las Vegas, which speaks highly of Leonard and his ability to form relationships with his players.
If Carroll were to hire Leonard as defensive coordinator, fans can rest assured that free agents like Koonce, Chaisson, Butler and Jenkins would become higher priorities to retain.
Leonard has also made stops with the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants, so for a young, rising coach, he has a wealth of experience to draw from.