Jack Del Rio’s Choice for Raiders’ OC Raises Eyebrows
By Kevin Saito
Well, we certainly didn’t see that one coming.
From almost the moment Jack Del Rio was hired as the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders, speculation about the coordinators he was going to bring on board centered on two candidates – Marc Trestman to run the offense, and Mike Smith to run the defense. It was a “dream team” of sorts that sent shivers down the collective spines of the Raider faithful, but alas, it did not come to pass.
And now, the Raider faithful are scratching their collective heads.
The first domino to fall was former Atlanta Falcons head coach Smith. Linked to Del Rio by his time serving as the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville, it was widely thought that Smith would be reprising that role in Oakland. But some are speculating that Smith, rather than take what amounts to a demotion to become Del Rio’s DC, is opting to step away from the game for a year.
Enter Eric Mangini. Interviewed for the Raiders’ head coaching job just a couple of weeks ago, Del Rio and the Raiders have brought Mangini back in to interview for the role of defensive coordinator. In his one year as a defensive coordinator, with the New England Patriots in 2005, Mangini led a team that had the eighth ranked run defense, but thirty-first ranked passing defense. Marks that don’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence.
Though the Raiders most definitely need to upgrade their run defense, their passing defense needs just as much work. He spent five seasons serving as the Patriots’ defensive backs coach, and nine seasons overall working with Bill Belichick, so perhaps Del Rio is hoping some of that rubbed off on Mangini. Otherwise, considering him for the DC role – especially given the fact that he’s spent the last couple of seasons on the other side of the ball as the San Francisco 49er’s tight ends coach – is a curious choice. At best.
Speaking of the other side of the ball, though initially thought to be bringing back Marc Trestman – the offensive coordinator of the Raiders the last time they saw the playoffs – Del Rio ran an end around and fooled everybody by hiring Philadelphia Eagles’ QB coach Bill Musgrave.
Musgrave, who served as Del Rio’s OC during his first two seasons as the head coach in Jacksonville, hadn’t even surfaced as a potential candidate until Sunday evening. And by Monday evening, the Raiders were announcing the hire.
It’s believed that Musgrave was hired, in large part, because of the work he did developing Matt Ryan into an elite passer when he served as the Falcons’ QB coach from 2006-2010. As an offensive coordinator from 2011-2013, Musgrave oversaw a rushing offense that ranked inside the top-10 in each of his seasons, but a passing offense that ranked near the bottom of the league.
Of course, given that he was saddled with the likes of Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder as his starting QB’s, he can’t take all of the blame for the passing offense’s poor showing.
Musgrave typically operates a more conservative, run heavy offense – something that would help ease the offensive burden on Derek Carr. But given his immersion in Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offensive scheme in Philadelphia, it’s possible that Musgrave has added a few intriguing wrinkles into his playbook.
More from Las Vegas Raiders News
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- Raiders: Bryan Edwards out, Henry Ruggs doubtful for Sunday
- Raiders: Damon Arnette re-injures thumb, could be headed to IR
- Raiders fall short in letdown Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots
- Raiders: Game breakdown and prediction for Week 3 at New England Patriots
Though Carr had his ups and downs in 2014, his development was solid, and with 3,270 passing yards, on a 58.1 percent completion rate, and 21 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions, he had a good year overall. But Del Rio and the Raiders are banking on the idea that Musgrave can take his development to the next level, and help turn Carr into the franchise QB he’s shown that he has the potential to be.
Del Rio hiring Musgrave to run the offense has most definitely raised some eyebrows around the Raiders’ fan base. Bringing Mangini back to interview for the DC slot is guaranteed to raise even more. Though there is no guarantee that Mangini will get the job, there also doesn’t appear to be anybody else on Del Rio’s radar. At least, not that we know.
These aren’t the coordinators Raider fans thought – or maybe just hoped – they were getting when Del Rio was hired. And at least in Mangini’s case, it is a curious move to make. Unless of course, Del Rio himself will have a heavy hand in the defensive play calling.
With the Super Bowl just a couple of weeks away, and the start of the NFL’s offseason looming, how this all plays out will be interesting – and nerve-wracking for Raider fans – to say the least.