The 2024 offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders has been anything but a quiet one. According to the GM Shuffle’s Michael Lombardi, Antonio Pierce suddenly has no idea what the Raider Way is. Then, we have general manager Tom Telesco in the unenviable position of delivering a franchise quarterback to a team in desperate need of one. To that end, the NFL Combine is underway this week, and both Pierce and Telesco are present, looking to lay out the future.
Chasing greatness
How close are the Raiders to catching the Kansas City Chiefs?
Today, there isn’t an answer, according to Pierce. Spearheaded by a couple of future gold jackets in quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid. With a strong offensive coordinator, the Chiefs have the best offensive lineup from top to bottom. In the AFC West and the AFC as a whole, respectively, the Raiders have to contend with the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
Consistency is key in the matchups; anyone can beat the Chiefs once, but will they be one-and-done? Defying that stigma starts with a defense. In 2024, the Chiefs’ high-powered offense was pedestrian-like, despite having Mahomes and perennial Pro Bowler and lead Swiftie, Travis Kelce. The Raiders, the last team to beat the Chiefs, did it with a special defensive effort that saw them score twice in back-to-back possessions.
Part of that is the application of the newly coined Mahomes rules. In today’s attempt by the league to de-physicalize football for “player safety” or the protection of their biggest cash-cow stars, the quarterback is untouchable. So how does one disrupt the magic of elite quarterbacks? By hitting them on every play, you give the star something to think about on every play other than the success of the play. Dating back to when Al Davis said, “Within the first five to ten plays, the other team’s quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard.”
Looking for a proven winner
The Raiders are the NFL’s content kings and are constantly the subject of conversation. When the Raiders are good, the league is in a better place. For this to happen, Las Vegas needs to address the quarterback position. Currently, Pierce has publicly backed Aidan O’Connell as the starting quarterback option, and it’s not the first time either. He has done it multiple times. Telesco and some in the Raiders organization believe they need to find not just “a” guy but “thee” guy.
So, what about the draft?
Pick 13 in the 2024 draft doesn’t offer a prime selection of the top available quarterbacks.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before…
Funny things happen on draft nights; however, the likelihood of the last two concurrent Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks sliding into the middle of the first round is not very high. As a result, the need for a trade arises.
Before the Raiders can offer the absonant king’s ransom, it will take time to move into the top three of the draft; they must also identify what they want. While talking to the Raiders beat reporters, he listed some of his criteria for what he needs from his quarterback.
- A leader: he wants someone who can lead.
- Someone who lives to rise to the challenge.
- Somebody who just really wants to compete and wants to be able to see that competitive spirit.
- When the game is on the line, he wants the ball (in different ways: making the throws, doing it with his legs, or putting us into the right play)
- He wants to go with a proven winner (at the college level, multiple starts, not one year of success).
- Someone who knows what it’s like to grind and go through some adversity.
Telesco better start working his magic…I told Tom: It’s your turn now. All eyes are on you. I am going to be undefeated for six more months. -Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce
Tom Telesco’s time to shine with the Raiders
Pierce has been a busy man selecting his coaching staff since having the interim tag removed. Defensively, it’s one of the most comprehensively complete and best coaching staffs the organization has ever seen. Knowledge is power, and Pierce has sought out a lot of it. Now it’s time for Pierce to hand the reigns to the front office guys.
Raiders’ GM Tom Telesco on two of the most important traits his ideal quarterback must have:
“Leadership and toughness.”
(Via @Raiders) #RaiderNation | #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/XLCnjeMvM2
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) February 27, 2024
Telesco must find the Raiders’ future franchise quarterback, and he has made it clear he lacks the time or patience for a rebuild. Pierce may have his criteria, but so does Telesco. The three traits that are “must-haves” for Telesco are leadership, toughness, and preparation skills above and beyond. Telesco will have a ton of help, benefiting from having Champ Kelly as the assistant general manager and bringing in his right-hand man, JoJo Wooden, to be his Senior Director of Player Personnel.
Currently, evaluating the current rookie class at the scouting combine will influence the direction taken at the start of free agency on March 11. Spending money on pieces to add is what fans want, but prioritizing signing their own is where Telesco’s head is at.
He’s making it clear that he wants to keep the core nucleus together. Telesco confirmed that Davante Adams, a Raider through and through, will not be traded. Take a look at his previous stops in Indianapolis and San Diego/Los Angeles, where the Colts and Chargers had top-tier wide receivers and kept them for his entire stint. Josh Jacobs may not have been franchise-tagged, but there’s reason to believe a deal will get done.
Sitting down in the heated chair…
Expect eventual termination as a head coach in the NFL; that’s just how things work. Sifting through today’s batch of incoming rookies is more difficult because of the NIL deals and players lacking hunger or the fear of being broke.
At the same time, there’s another matter at hand. There are media figures taking shots at coaches for their own failures, as well as those of their offspring.
One thing is for certain: in the “what have you done for me lately” league, winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing. Pierce knows what he’s up against and has vowed to not let this process change him. To attack it the same way he’s attacked everything in his life. Talking his sh**, smoking his sh**, and having fun in the process. If that isn’t the Raider way, I don’t know what is.
*Top Photo: Getty Images