Raiders Don’t Have ‘a Lot of Talent on the Team,’ NFL Head Coach Says

Andrew PetersJanuary 19, 2024

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One NFL coach believes the Las Vegas Raiders’ lack of talent could be a deterrent for head coaching candidates, per Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein and Charles Robinson, who recently conducted an anonymous poll of several league sources.

“You don’t have a quarterback. You’re not really picking one where you want to,” the coach said. “There’s not a lot of talent on the team—specifically like the guys on offense, Davante [Adams] and Josh Jacobs, I don’t know if you really want those guys back. Defensively, you got Maxx [Crosby]. But after that, there’s not a ton there either.”

The Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels along with general manager David Ziegler in October following a 3-5 start, though Las Vegas had a late-season surge under interim coach Antonio Pierce and finished 8-9. Now, the Raiders are looking for their third coach in four years.

The team posted some of the worst offensive numbers across the NFL this season, ranking 27th in total offensive yards per game and 23rd in points per game. It’s clear the Raiders need a boost on offense, but it’s not clear where that boost will come from.

At running back, Jacobs is set to hit free agency this offseason after posting the worst numbers of his career in 2023 (805 rushing yards, 3.5 YPC, 6 TDs). No. 1 wideout Adams is set to carry a $25.4 million cap hit that goes up significantly after 2024, per Spotrac, and he finds himself at the center of trade speculation.

Las Vegas looked to rookie Aidan O’Connell at quarterback this season, and he recorded 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions after he replaced Jimmy Garoppolo. Perhaps more development for the 25-year-old will yield growth in his second year.

The Raiders will also pick 13th in the draft with the chance to add a foundational piece on offense. The Bleacher Report Scouting Department has the team taking Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze with the selection in an attempt to boost a bottom-10 passing unit.

Regardless, the lack of talent could prevent the Raiders from drawing in a big-name coach like Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh.

As of last week, Pierce was the odds-on favorite to land the permanent job following his 5-4 stint at the helm, per multiple reports, though the team was also reportedly considering Harbaugh, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Whoever lands the gig, they’ll clearly have a lot of restructuring to do.