After firing Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels, the Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason needing to fill their general manager and head coaching vacancies.
There were a lot of rumors regarding their head coaching position, with names like Jim Harbaugh floating around as possibilities. However, Raiders owner Mark Davis made the right choice in retaining Antonio Pierce who served as the interim head coach during the 2023 season and led the team to a 5-4 record in his nine-game stint.
Pierce was able to bring together the locker room and improve Las Vegas’ defense, so he was a no-brainer pick. However, Davis went outside the organization to hire their next general manager as he brought in former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco.
Telesco has a lot of work to do to familiarize himself with the current roster, though he made a quip about Aidan O’Connell’s quarterbacking ability via Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee:
Tom Telesco on the QB position and Aidan O’Connell:
“I have a lot of learning to do to figure out this team from the inside, not from the outside. Aidan played pretty well against us, so that’s a plus.” #Raiders— Anthony Galaviz (@agalaviz_TheBee) January 24, 2024
O’Connell played the Chargers twice during the regular season, with the first game being a close 24-17 loss and the second meeting resulting in a 63-21 blowout win. In some respects, O’Connell’s career day in Las Vegas’ second game against Los Angeles led to Telesco’s firing.
Telesco may be coming off a lost season with the Chargers, but there’s no denying that he put together enough talent on both sides of the football to compete with the best teams. A rash of injuries and poor coaching decisions doomed L.A.’s playoff hopes, so Davis must be banking on Telesco’s eye for talent.
The quarterback position feels unsettled at this point of the offseason, and Telesco may opt to find his own player at the spot. O’Connell is definitely worthy of being a backup on this Raiders team though it’s hard to imagine that he’s the long-term answer as their starting quarterback.
Davante Adams likes Kirk Cousins as potential free-agent signing
Armed with a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Las Vegas could look to trade for their future franchise signal caller. If they don’t, however, then free agency feels like the next logical step.
Davante Adams should have a say in whether the team brings in someone via free agency, and he believes that Kirk Cousins is a worthy target.
