The Las Vegas Raiders have successfully poached Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to be their next head coach. The Raiders should not stop at prying just Kubiak from Seattle, as they should take as many pieces from the defending Super Bowl champions as possible.
Kubiak is likely to bring a handful of offensive assistants with him to Las Vegas, with common names including offensive line coach John Benton, quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, and running game coordinator/senior offensive advisor Rick Dennison. But to land them, they'd all need promotions.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kubiak's relationships are less clear. He worked with Seahawks defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Karl Scott back in 2021 on the Minnesota Vikings staff, and he could easily become the Raiders' next defensive coordinator.
But Kubiak should at least kick the tires and see if they can pry defensive coordinator Aden Durde from Seattle.
Raiders' Klint Kubiak should do all he can to pry Aden Durde from Seattle
Now, in terms of job title, Durde being the Raiders' defensive coordinator would not be a promotion, and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald could block the move. And he likely would, as losing two coordinators in one offseason is tough sledding, especially this late in the process.
That said, Durde does not call defensive plays for Seattle. That is Macdonald's job. Durde may very well view a play-calling defensive coordinator job as a promotion; Kubiak and the Las Vegas front office would just need to give him a job title promotion as well, like assistant head coach.
Again, it is a long shot, and Scott would likely fare just fine as the Raiders' defensive coordinator. Plus, prying a coordinator from your old team might be breaking an unwritten rule for Kubiak. But it's all about building the best staff in Las Vegas, rules and decorum be damned. This is the Raiders.
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The California Post's Vincent Bonsignore spoke last week on Raider Nation Radio, and he felt that Durde was a name to watch. Durde is a fast riser in the coaching world, as he was still an intern with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 and on the Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellowship in 2016.
He quickly ascended to a defensive quality control and outside linebackers coach position for the Falcons and became a defensive line coach back in Dallas. After three years there, he became Macdonald's defensive coordinator in Seattle, and now he's a Super Bowl champion.
Although born in London, England, Durde played some American football himself. He played professionally in Europe and had two NFL stints on the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers in 2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.
Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr recently dove into Durde as a coach, and he seems like a great defensive mind and leader to have in Las Vegas. The Raiders have always taken chances on people, and if Kubiak can convince Macdonald to let him leave and call plays, Durde could thrive in Sin City.