Las Vegas Raiders: For the first time in two decades, the Raiders are finally making legit power moves

For the first time in 20+ years, the Raiders are actually making smart and calculated power moves. Make no mistake about it, the Tom Brady effect is real. With him and other powerful investors investing in the Raiders starting this year, it’s also giving them the power to sign big names, coaches and players. With Tom Brady running the show, and the Raiders having plenty of money to go around, every free agent along with coaches are going to be wanting to come to Vegas. Let’s break it down and I’ll explain why things are finally changing for the silver and black below.

So, how are the Raiders suddenly making these smart and calculated power moves, after two decades of awful decisions and constant embarrassment? Tom Brady. Raiders owner Mark Davis allowing Tom Brady to run the show for him is probably the smartest move he has ever made.

It started with hiring Pete Carroll as head coach. Pete Carroll is a legend, a real culture builder and most importantly, a proven winner. He’s won on all levels. Won college national championships, won a NFL Super Bowl. Went back to back as a matter of fact and should have won the second one too, but came up just short. The point is though, all he does is win. With an overall NFL head coaching record of 170-120-1, (Playoffs 11-11, Super Bowl 1-1), Pete is the real deal. He’s a defensive minded coach, but he’s a quarterback whisperer. He’s always been great at developing young talent, including his quarterbacks.

Now let’s talk about retaining defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and defensive line coach Rob Leonard. This is huge and very important. Raiders superstar DE Maxx Crosby has always preached stability and consistency, and he gets that with the Raiders retaining both Leonard and Graham. Graham has been with the Raiders as a defensive coordinator since 2022, and Leonard was brought a year later in 2023 due to his close connection with Graham from their days in Miami together. Leonard also just got a promotion as the run game coordinator as well which is huge for him. Every year that these two have been there, the Raiders defense as a whole has improved significantly, especially the defensive line.

Last but not least, let’s talk about them hiring offensive coordinator Chip Kelly yesterday. This was massive. Kelly is an offensive mastermind and favors an inside zone running scheme. When he was a head coach in the NFL, his offenses ranked 4th, 3rd, 13th, and 27th, respectfully. He also just won the national championship with Ohio State after taking a small break from the NFL, and his offense was very impressive even with an average QB. Kelly was in talks with the Texans, but the Raiders suddenly swooped in and offered more money (6M a year) And a vision that Kelly ultimately couldn’t turn down (Again, the Tom Brady effect).

The Raiders still have some work to do, it will be interesting to see who they hire as QB coach. I would keep an eye on Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson, as he would be a great option and already interviewed for another position with the team. Next up after will be building the roster. Bringing in the right free agents and building through the draft will be key. The Raiders number one priority in both stages should be grabbing a quarterback. A veteran in free agency that can help a rookie get accumulated to life in the NFL. They should get a quarterback in no later than round two of the 2025 NFL draft, but really if possible, they should try to do it in the first round, no matter what it takes.

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