5 Steps Raiders Must Take to Become AFC Contenders After Hiring Antonio Pierce as HC

5 Steps Raiders Must Take to Become AFC Contenders After Hiring Antonio Pierce as HC0 of 5

Raiders head coach Antonio PierceEthan Miller/Getty Images

On Friday, the Las Vegas Raiders made a decision that many saw coming days ago. They hired Antonio Pierce as their head coach, removing the interim label.

Our early head coaching vacancy predictions connected Piece to the Raiders because of the club’s results on his watch and the outpouring of support from leaders inside the locker room.

Owner Mark Davis fired general manager Dave Ziegler, head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi following Las Vegas’ 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 8. As an interim head coach, Pierce took over and immediately changed the tenor of the team, and we saw a more confident and competitive squad on the field.

After a 3-5 start under McDaniels, the Raiders went 5-4 on Pierce’s watch and made notable improvements on both sides of the ball.

Based on Pierce’s 10-week audition, he certainly earned the full-time job, but now what?

After the Silver and Black confetti falls in celebration of Pierce, the Raiders have quite a bit of work to do to make a jump from an 8-9 squad to a playoff contender, and we’ll walk you through the possible steps.

Retaining Champ Kelly in the Front Office1 of 5

Raiders interim general manager Champ KellyJeff Bottari/Getty Images

In an attempt to run it back with the shot-callers who helped turn the Raiders’ 2023 season around, owner Mark Davis should retain Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly as a pair.

In the interim general manager role, Kelly took over for Dave Ziegler after the trade deadline, which limited his ability to implement his vision for the roster.

With that said, Kelly probably signed off on the Raiders’ claim for cornerback Jack Jones, whom the New England Patriots waived in November, which worked in the team’s favor.

Rather than hire a new general manager, who may have a much different vision for the team’s personnel than the previous regime, Kelly’s presence in the front office could help establish some stability for young players and developing rookies like Tyree Wilson, Michael Mayer and Tre Tucker.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Las Vegas interviewed Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, who’s a top candidate for the job.

The club also interview Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown, Denver Broncos executive director of football operations/special adviser Kelly Kleine Van Calligan, Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray and former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco for the general manager position (h/t NFL.com).

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Champ Kelly has been present during the Raiders’ head coaching interviews.

If Kelly doesn’t receive an offer for a general manager job elsewhere, he could remain with the Raiders in a different front-office position as a liaison between Pierce and the new lead executive.

Adding an Innovative Offensive Coordinator2 of 5

Raiders interim offensive coordinator Bo HardegreeEthan Miller/Getty Images

Now that Antonio Pierce has the Raiders’ full-time head coach position, he must build a staff. Keep in mind that Pierce took over Josh McDaniels’ group, so we should expect significant changes.

Las Vegas already lost offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, who accepted an offer to become the New York Giants’ offensive line coach.

The Raiders offense struggled throughout the 2023 campaign, finishing 23rd in scoring and 27th in total yards.

Under McDaniels this season, Las Vegas didn’t score more than 21 points in a game. After Pierce took over, the unit improved with three 27-plus-point performances, but the Raiders failed to score 21 points in the other six contests.

Pierce has a coaching background on the defense, which makes his choice for an offensive coordinator extremely important for the team’s growth on that side of the ball.

Wide receiver Davante Adams appeared on the Two G’s and a Pod podcast with James Jones and Amber Theoharis, and he voiced a fair criticism of former head coach Josh McDaniels’ offensive system and expressed optimism for the offense in a different scheme (starts at 8:27).

“The scheme itself kind of held us back. … We definitely didn’t execute the best that we could of at all times, but next year, with a little bit of a different scheme on offense mixed with what we have personnel-wise, I think we’ll be able to unlock a different version of our team,” Adams said.

On FS1’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Cowherd said, “Keep your eye on Kliff Kingsbury as Pierce’s potential offensive coordinator.”

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kingsbury interviewed with the Chicago Bears for their offensive coordinator position. As a senior offensive assistant at USC, Kingsbury worked with quarterback Caleb Williams, who could go No. 1 overall to the Bears in the 2024 draft.

We’ll likely hear other names associated with Pierce’s options for an offensive coordinator in the coming days.

Revamping the Quarterback Room3 of 5

Raiders QB Aidan O’ConnellIan Maule/Getty Images

Las Vegas must upgrade its quarterback depth chart, which includes Aidan O’Connell, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer.

Garoppolo is an injury-prone signal-caller who’s coming off his worst season, throwing for seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Hoyer is 38 years old with only four starts since the 2019 season.

O’Connell had a decent rookie campaign, throwing for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but he didn’t play well enough to solidify himself as the unquestioned Week 1 starter for the 2024 term.

The Raiders have the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 draft. If they don’t move up for a quarterback, they could target Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix, who may be available after the first 10 picks.

Remember, the Minnesota Vikings (No. 11) and Denver Broncos (No. 12) could also take quarterbacks in the first round. Vikings signal-caller Kirk Cousins is set to become a free agent in the new league year, and the Broncos benched Russell Wilson in Week 17, which clouds his future with the team.

While a lot of early mock drafts expect the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots to take quarterbacks with the first three picks, the Patriots could decide to trade back if they don’t love their options. If New England moves out of the third spot, Las Vegas should try to move up.

In the event that the Bears, Commanders and Patriots all swipe quarterbacks, the Raiders should make calls to Chicago (No. 9 overall) and the New York Jets (No. 10 overall) to leapfrog the Vikings and Broncos for a rookie passer.

Even if the Raiders stand pat and choose a quarterback with the 13th pick, they should still explore the trade market for a veteran signal-caller who can compete with O’Connell in case the rookie isn’t ready to start Week 1. The Bears could place Justin Fields on the trade block if they draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall selection.

If the Raiders retain Champ Kelly in some capacity, he may vouch for Fields. When Chicago drafted Fields in the first round of the 2021 draft, Kelly served as the team’s assistant director of player personnel.

In the best-case scenario, the Raiders would head into training camp with O’Connell, a rookie quarterback and a young veteran who can be a serviceable starter or knows the offensive coordinator’s system.

With strong competition at the most important position, Las Vegas would have its best battle-tested passer under center to start the 2024 term.

Solidifying the Offensive Line4 of 5

Raiders center Andre James Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The Raiders have to fill some vacancies or upgrade spots along their offensive line. Center Andre James, right guard Greg Van Roten and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor will be unrestricted free agents in March. As a result, we could see new faces alongside left tackle Kolton Miller and versatile interior lineman Dylan Parham.

Among the three soon-to-be free-agent linemen, James is the longest-tenured, playing five seasons with the team. Though he’s been solid at the pivot, bigger three-technique defensive tackles can get the best of him on passing downs.

Over the previous three seasons, Eluemunor has played mostly right tackle, but he provides valuable versatility with experience at left tackle and guard. Las Vegas could retain him on a modest deal.

Based on Pro Football Focus’ grading system, Van Roten had a solid campaign while on the field for 1,025 snaps, though he’ll turn 34 years old in a few weeks.

Whoever starts at quarterback will need solid pass protection even if the Raiders roll with a signal-caller who’s more mobile than Aidan O’Connell. Las Vegas also needs a more consistent push at the line of scrimmage for its ground attack, which ranked 30th in total yards for the 2023 term.

Las Vegas needs to add a little more youth to its offensive line, and the club has to find a long-term starter at right tackle.

Retaining Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham5 of 5

Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick GrahamEthan Miller/Getty Images

To the surprise of anyone who thought the Raiders defense would finish at the bottom of multiple statistical categories, the unit ranked ninth in points allowed for the season.

Through the first eight weeks of this past campaign, Las Vegas allowed 23.4 points per contest but only gave up 16 points per outing in its last nine games, which further highlights Antonio Pierce’s impact on the team.

Nonetheless, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham remained a constant throughout the term, and the players seemed to improve in his system through the course of the season.

Apparently, other teams around the league took note of Graham’s work with the Raiders defense.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks have requested Graham for head coaching interviews.

Pierce has experience as a defensive coordinator from his time at Arizona State between 2020 and 2021, but he should try to convince Graham to stay because it would be beneficial for the budding talent on that side of the ball.

In 2023, edge-rusher Malcolm Koonce recorded career highs in multiple stat categories, recording 23 pressures, eight sacks and nine tackles for loss.

In his second season, first with the Raiders, cornerback Jack Jones recorded two pick-sixes, four pass breakups and allowed a passer rating of 63 when targeted in coverage through seven games with the Raiders.

Rookie Tyree Wilson’s defensive numbers won’t blow you away (29 tackles, two for loss, 11 pressures and 3.5 sacks), but he could make strides with continuity in the defensive scheme.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.