In the wake of the Las Vegas Raiders hiring Pete Carroll as head coach and John Spytek as general manager, Carroll is now filling out his coaching staff, with the defensive and offensive coordinator positions topping the list of priorities.
On the defensive coordinator front, it appears Carroll has landed on his choice, and it is none other than Las Vegas' defensive coordinator from the past three seasons, Patrick Graham.
"Not leaving Las Vegas: The Raiders have re-signed Patrick Graham as their defensive coordinator, per sources," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
"Graham’s contract expired and he had options, including going to Jacksonville. But Pete Carroll and Tom Brady are fans of Graham and convinced him to return," Pelissero added.
When it comes to the offensive coordinator, that position has yet to be filled officially, but we do have a clear favorite for the role.
Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, "all signs point to" the Raiders hiring Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach and former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Tafur adds that the Raiders still have more candidates to interview.
From the jump, Bevell has been considered the favorite for the Raiders' vacancy due to his connection with Carroll, who he worked under while calling plays in Seattle, where the pair made two Super Bowl trips, winning one.
"Darrell has a great reservoir of stuff that he’s done and he’s a really good play caller," Carroll said of Bevell back in 2017. "He finds explosive plays in every game plan. He’s done a great job.
Bevell has been an offensive coordinator four times during his career. His first play-calling gig was with the Minnesota Vikings (2006-2010), and he also served in the same role with the Detroit Lions (2019-20) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2021).
The Seahawks routinely had an elite rushing attack and top-10 scoring offense under Bevell. Seattle's offense ranked top-10 in scoring four times and sported a top-five rushing attack four times, also.
There have been rumblings that Carroll could fully get the band back together by bringing in Russell Wilson, who is a pending free agent of the Pittsburgh Steelers after spending one season with the team. Of course, Wilson enjoyed a ton of success under Bevell and might be keen on a reunion with he and Carroll.
And the fit makes sense. While the Raiders drafting a quarterback is the most ideal scenario, that is not guaranteed and the team will need a veteran insurance policy. Wilson would be a strong bridge option and a solid mentor for a young quarterback, if the Raiders end up drafting one.
