The Las Vegas Raiders came into the offseason with some major questions, and the two biggest have already been answered as the franchise looks to build on their playoff appearance.
The Raiders have agreed to a deal naming former New England Patriots executive Dave Ziegler as the team’s new general manager. The team will also be bringing in former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the team’s new head coach.
Ziegler has spent the last 10 seasons with the Patriots, with the first nine of those being spent in their scouting department. Last season he was named the team’s director of player personnel and was credited, along with Bill Belichick, for the offseason moves that brought New England back to the playoffs.
McDaniels likewise has been part of the Patriots franchise for the past decade as the team’s offensive coordinator. Of course, it was a return to the franchise after McDaniels’ stint as head coach of the Denver Broncos, which lasted less than two seasons. While in Denver, McDaniels compiled an 11-17 record before being let go.
But McDaniels has done fantastic work in New England since returning, with the Patriots offense ranking in the top-10 in scoring in all but one season since 2012.
With McDaniels taking over, this more than likely means Rich Bisaccia’s time with the franchise has come to an end as well. The Raiders’ interim head coach did an outstanding job and was interviewed to take over permanently, but the Raiders decided to go in another direction. It has been reported that new Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus wants Bisaccia on his staff as special teams coordinator, so that could be where he winds up.
With these positions now filled, McDaniels and Ziegler can get to work on filling out the roster to their liking, and the biggest question mark will be the future of Derek Carr. As an offensive guy, McDaniels will undoubtedly want to be sure he has the right guy at the quarterback position, and whether or not that player is Carr remains to be seen.
