In a scenario where Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce gets the axe, does current general manager Tom Telesco get more time to fulfill his vision in Sin City?
Things are about to get intriguing out in the desert…
The Silver and Black find themselves in a highly precarious situation—the looming decisions could affect the team for the coming decade. Pierce’s future isn’t the only thing that’s currently murky; what about Telesco? The arrival of Tom Brady as a minority owner and Mark Davis’ inclination towards the prodigal son playing a significant role in shaping the team present an intriguing state of affairs. So, where does this leave the former Los Angeles Chargers boss?
Many Raiders fans weren’t exactly cheering when Telesco was originally announced—their familiarity with a former divisional rival likely played a part. All in all, Telesco demonstrated his value during the NFL draft. By selecting Georgia’s Brock Bowers, the best player available, Telesco has provided the Raiders with a crucial offensive component. Add in Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze to that haul; it’s possible that Telesco managed to pick three offensive starters in his first draft. Imagine what he can do with two or three more years.
An uncertain future awaits Raiders GM Tom Telesco…
The naysayers, on the other hand, point to free agency and an inability (or refusal) to address the roster’s weaknesses. The most egregious offense was paying for another “band-aid” in Gardner Minshew. In some people’s minds, a lack of aggressiveness when it came time to moving up in the draft is noteworthy. Again, these opinions are primarily held by fans and followers. You could even argue that the inability to secure Josh Jacobs’ services was another gaffe.
This is where Telesco’s situation becomes complex. Does Telesco’s fate depend on that of AP? If Brady and Co. truly believe that a “hard reset” is in play, will they judge Pierce’s shortcomings on the field as a failure of Telesco as well? Regardless of your opinion, Pierce has assembled the albatross that is the Raiders coaching staff. His experience of learning on the job has proven to be disastrous. Also, judging from Friday’s performance, we could argue that opting to send Aidan O’Connell to the bench might’ve been the wrong call at the outset of this season.
Nobody is exempt from blame at this point. However, as we always do, we took our question to Raiders fans—join our followers and weigh in on our live poll.
If the Raiders do indeed fire head coach Antonio Pierce, do you keep Tom Telesco as general manager?
— RaiderRamble.com™ (@TheRaiderRamble) November 28, 2024
This offseason, if nothing else, is going to be drama-filled.
*Top Photo: The Raider Ramble
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