What’s subsequent for Raiders after making Antonio Pierce their full-time coach?

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders are working to formally take away the interim tag from Antonio Pierce’s title and make him the group’s full-time coach, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.

Pierce, 45, was promoted from linebackers coach within the wake of the Halloween night time firing of Josh McDaniels. He reinvigorated a then-dour Raiders locker room with post-victory cigar celebrations and his embracing of the group’s tradition garnered help from gamers and alumni alike. Las Vegas went 5-4 to finish the season.

His players-first mentality comes from enjoying linebacker within the NFL for 9 seasons with Washington (2001-04) and the New York Giants (2005-09), incomes Professional Bowl honors in 2006. He was additionally a key member of the Giants group that beat the then-undefeated New England Patriots in Tremendous Bowl XLII.

Nonetheless, after ending 8-9, the Raiders have two successful information and two playoff appearances — in 2016 and 2021 — since showing in Tremendous Bowl XXXVII in January 2003.

Pierce is the seventh coach (common and interim) Raiders proprietor Mark Davis has employed since assuming management of the franchise upon his father Al Davis’ passing in 2011, together with Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden, Wealthy Bisaccia and McDaniels.

Taking a better look, Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez solutions 4 large questions concerning the hiring of Pierce, together with what comes subsequent. Nationwide reporter Jeremy Fowler dishes on what he is listening to concerning the rent, and draft analyst Matt Miller spins it ahead to the draft. Lastly, entrance workplace analyst Mike Tannenbaum grades the rent.

Why did the Raiders resolve to stay with Pierce as a substitute of chasing a much bigger outdoors title?

Gutierrez: Mark Davis has gone down the rock star coach street earlier than with the likes of Gruden and McDaniels. Neither went particularly effectively, for differing causes.

Pierce understands the mystique, tradition and heritage of the Raiders, having grown up in Compton, California, a fan of the Silver and Black when the group performed within the close by Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum within the Eighties and early ’90s. He performed that card effectively, contemplating how essential being a Raider is to Davis.

Pierce and interim common supervisor Champ Kelly offered a masterclass as such, inviting so many Corridor of Fame Raiders gamers into the postgame locker room to assist the present class rejoice the season-ending win over the Broncos. From Marcus Allen to Mike Haynes to Charles Woodson to Richard Seymour to Jim Otto to Ted Hendricks to two-time Tremendous Bowl champ Jim Plunkett, with Gold Jackets Tom Flores and Fred Biletnikoff wanting on approvingly from the posh suites.

Then once more, as Pierce himself stated, he hoped he had “earned” the gig, quite that “deserved” it. Semantics? Maybe, however it’s true. Pierce modified the tradition and the vibe and gained video games. Going 5-4 and lacking the playoffs won’t appear to be that large a deal, however Pierce had the Raiders in each recreation — even the one they misplaced by two TDs to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, they led, 14-0 — they usually had feel-good wins towards the New York Giants (30-6), Los Angeles Chargers (63-21), Chiefs (20-14) and Denver Broncos (27-14) whereas going 3-1 towards the AFC West.

And the protection, for the primary time in eons, was the Raiders’ calling card. Discuss respecting and honoring Silver and Blackdom’s mystique, tradition and heritage.

How large of an affect did the Raiders gamers have on Pierce’s hiring?

Gutierrez: I will reply your query with one in all my very own — how can All-Execs Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and three-time Professional Bowler Maxx Crosby, who went as far as to insinuate on his podcast he’d ask for a commerce if Pierce was not retained, probably be ignored?

Maybe Davis realized from two years in the past, when gamers, together with Crosby, stumped brazenly for Bisaccia to no avail, as Davis wished an X’s and O’s coach in McDaniels quite than a locker room chief like Bisaccia. It wasn’t that Davis regretted not hiring Bisaccia; it was extra he wished he had taken higher temperature of the locker room.

Whereas the gamers’ needs won’t have been what put Pierce over the sting, they had been most assuredly a much bigger piece of the decision-making pie this time round. From Adams saying his “vote” was for Pierce and that he would “run by way of a wall for that man,” to Jacobs, a pending free agent, saying Pierce returning can be an element on if he selected to re-sign with Las Vegas to, sure, Crosby’s flex — which could be interpreted as a veiled risk that maybe compromises Pierce. All had been elements.

Will the hiring of Pierce affect their upcoming resolution at GM?

Gutierrez: The NFL has all the time taken a backward strategy to coaches having extra say than their supposed superiors and, in some circumstances, having a say in hiring their purported bosses. Pierce being employed earlier than a GM would recommend a continuation of that pattern. Even with current historical past.

Think about: when Gruden resigned in October 2021 within the wake of his electronic mail scandal and Bisaccia was elevated to interim coach, Davis informed ESPN.com then-GM Mike Mayock would have a 51/49 proportion benefit in personnel issues over the coach. Davis maintained that place for GM Dave Ziegler over McDaniels and appeared initially extra excited concerning the prospect of Kelly as interim GM than he was intrigued by Pierce as interim coach.

Have these emotions and roles reversed? It is robust to say as a result of Kelly and Pierce do appear related on the hip. Then once more, so had been Ziegler and McDaniels, and also you noticed how that labored out.

Pierce developed a bond with rookie QB Aidan O’Connell. Does this rent point out O’Connell is the Raiders’ QB1 getting into 2024?

Gutierrez: Provided that the Raiders do nothing within the present QB market or within the draft. So, in a phrase … no. Hear me out, although: Sure, Pierce referred to as O’Connell his “BFF” in a single early presser. And certain, it appeared as if Pierce sunk his candidacy by sticking with the erratic and motionless fourth-rounder in a 3-0 residence loss to the Minnesota Vikings. However O’Connell did rebound with eight landing passes and no interceptions in Las Vegas’ remaining 4 video games.

Nonetheless, Pierce, who benched high-priced-but-oft-injured vet Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of O’Connell — little question with Davis’ blessing — wouldn’t go as far as to say O’Connell can be the man going ahead. As a substitute, Pierce stated he had finished sufficient to be in “consideration” to be the starter going ahead.

The Raiders, who’re prone to half methods with Garoppolo and his costly contract, are nonetheless in quest of a franchise quarterback, a 12 months after shifting on from nine-year starter Derek Carr. Kelly was with the Bears after they drafted Justin Fields, who remains to be on his rookie contract. Fields, a possible commerce candidate, might be below monetary management the following two seasons.

The Raiders have the No. 13 general choose in April’s draft, however the prime three QB prospects — USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels — all determine to be lengthy gone earlier than their choice. The subsequent wave of QBs — Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy — could be passed by then, too.

Drafting a quarterback seemingly requires a commerce up, however at what value? And preserve this in thoughts: Whereas there’s a connection between Kelly and Fields, there’s a bond between Pierce and Daniels. Pierce recruited Daniels to his first faculty, Arizona State, and the Heisman Trophy winner shouted Pierce out in his acceptance speech. Daniels was within the Las Vegas locker room to help Pierce, sharing the identical cigar smoke-filled air, with the Raiders legends after the season finale. Keep tuned.

What are you listening to across the league on the rent?

Fowler: Some trade sources believed the Raiders had curiosity in Jim Harbaugh, however what was unclear was his stage of curiosity in that job, and the way far Vegas would have been keen to go, and in a means that might threat alienating Pierce.

Two main questions: Did Pierce use the leverage of locker-room help to safe a long-term contract? And who might be his offensive coordinator? Additionally, whereas the Raiders had been targeted on getting a deal for Pierce finished, Las Vegas now has to handle the overall supervisor place. Interim GM Champ Kelly is firmly within the combine.

If the Raiders resolve to go the draft route to handle QB, who could possibly be there at No. 13 for Pierce?

Miller: It is unlikely one of many prime three quarterbacks — USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels — can be there at No. 13, however Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy can be an attention-grabbing choice. The Wolverines’ system targeted on operating the ball, however McCarthy is an environment friendly passer (88.2 QBR), has nice mobility and exhibits sufficient arm energy to open up the sector each vertically and horizontally.

At 20-years outdated, there’s time and room for McCarthy to develop, however his toughness, management and motion traits are why scouts like him in Spherical 1. His dual-threat potential and readiness to play immediately can be enticing to Pierce if he goes with a quarterback in Spherical 1. The Raiders scored the fewest factors within the AFC West, they usually want a quarterback who can create on his personal to maintain tempo. As a former linebacker, Pierce is aware of the stress that mobility below heart places on a protection, so McCarthy at No. 13 is an intriguing match.

How would you grade this rent?

Tannenbaum: B. Pierce earned this job because of the Raiders’ spectacular play after he took over as interim coach in early November. Beating the Chiefs in Kansas Metropolis on Christmas Day was vital in displaying what he can do because the chief of this group.

I labored with Dan Campbell in Miami in 2015 for 12 video games, and this example jogs my memory of when he took over the Dolphins down the stretch, because the group exceeded expectations. Pierce has nice management qualities, however getting some veteran coaches on his employees might be essential to having success.