Mike Mayock is out as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders. In his place, Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels have taken over the reins of the franchise. They are the new general manager and head coach duo in Sin City.
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Rebuild or Retool
After a trip to the 2021 playoffs, the Silver and Black are on their way to a possible reconstruction of the team. Will it be a total rebuild, or will it simply be adding a few key pieces to put the team in championship contention? We also talk about whether the 2021 season was a success or a failure while we think about that question.
Architects of the Change
Leading the transformation of the team will be Ziegler and McDaniels. Ziegler comes over from the New England Patriots, where he served nine years, most recently acting as their de facto general manager next to Bill Belichick. McDaniels also hails from the Patriots, where he served as a successful offensive coordinator.
McDaniels is expected to rebuild the offense. He has proposed utilizing veteran quarterback Derek Carr to deploy an extensive offensive system focused on continued use of play-action and two tight end sets. These sets would feature both Darren Waller and Foster Moreau.
Where Do Some Players Fit In?
In this rebuild and deployment of a new team, there are some loose ends when it comes to some of the Raiders’ players. Fullback Alec Ingold and running back Kenyan Drake are coming off season-ending injuries. Where do they fit into the new offensive scheme? On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Casey Hayward had a fantastic 2021 season. The Raiders will have to consider signing him to a longer contract. Where will Las Vegas move with regard to keeping them on the team?
Draft Class Review
In addition to these current topics, we take a look back at the 2016, 2017, and 2018 draft classes. After listing the players that the team selected, it is not hard to see that the Raiders struggled in this area. PJ Hall, Johnny Townsend, and Arden Key were some of the players who were picked during that run.
The lone bright spot in these classes has proven to be left tackle Kolton Miller. While the Raiders have picked up quality players from other teams in these classes, the only other highly valued Raiders were rookie undrafted free agents. Two of these players are running back Jalen Richard and linebacker Nicholas Morrow.
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