The Las Vegas Raiders will have a decision to make on interim general manager Champ Kelly. If the Silver and Black decide to roll with Kelly as the architect of this new project, he recently shed light on his philosophy for building an NFL team.
Over the years, the Raiders have whiffed on general managers looking to implement their vision that can put the franchise back at the top of the AFC. So, what does Kelly have in mind with his potential blueprint? Should he get the job permanently? Well, he shared it with SI’s Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. about it.
What would a Champ Kelly-built Raiders team look like?
Carpenter asked Kelly his principle of belief as to the style he’d bring to Las Vegas. Well, assuming that ownership decides to hand him the reigns permanently. For example, some general managers see draft picks as gold. Then, you have others who see them as capital to barter for proven players.
As a result, Carpenter wanted to know what ideas or philosophy Kelly had regarding roster building. The 2023 NFL season is close to ending, and the offseason with free agency and the 2024 draft looming would allow Kelly to start putting his fingerprints all over the squad.
“As it pertains to my philosophy on team building in the NFL, you must start with the quarterback position,” Kelly told Carpenter. “The quarterback is one of the most difficult positions to play in all sports. In addition, I believe in building the team from the inside out, meaning to start with offensive and defensive fronts.
“The key is being able to obtain the quarterback, then be able to protect that player through scheme and skill. Next, we must be able to disrupt the opponent’s passer on the defensive side of the ball through both rush and coverage.”
The current status of Raiders’ quarterback situation
Aidan O’Connell was one of the top performers in the Raiders’ 63-point performance in the Week 15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Although the contest was a high for the rookie signal caller, he’s also had some learning moments, such as the 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
O’Connell has three games left this season to convince Kelly or whoever might have the general manager position that he deserves a shot at having the starting quarterback position heading into the 2024 NFL season. If it’s Kelly who gets the job, he’ll need to decide if the Raiders should spend a high draft pick or trade for a player who can be the franchise quarterback.
Kelly has the right mindset, all things considered. The AFC West is filled with quality quarterbacks, and it’s time Las Vegas finds a player under center that can rival Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson, and Patrick Mahomes. Could it be O’Connell, or will the Silver and Black need to look elsewhere?
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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