Defensive coordinator is picking the head coach’s brain
When the Las Vegas Raiders hired Pete Carroll as head coach this offseason, it was a bit of a surprise that he retained defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Most new coaches opt to hire “their guys” to the coaching staff, especially within their area of expertise, and Carroll is defensive-minded.
The 73-year-old has been a DC at four different stops during his long-tenured career and has had 12 top 10 defenses in points allowed during his NFL career as a coordinator or head coach. For good measure, when Carroll was the Seattle Seahawks‘ head coach, Seattle’s defense ranked first in points allowed for four years in a row, 2012 to 2015.
But still, Carroll opted to retain Graham rather than hire someone else to call plays for the Silver and Black. Now, those two are working together, and Graham is taking advantage of the opportunity to learn from his boss.
“I mean, anytime you get a chance to work with someone with that experience, that level of success, I couldn’t be happier with the experience going on right now, just in terms of bouncing ideas off of him and hearing different ways of doing things,” the defensive coordinator said. “It’s been really beneficial for my growth, if I’m being selfish. It’s just something really good and positive for me. And then the track record just, I mean, why wouldn’t you listen? I mean, you’ve got to listen. It’s been great.”
On top of everything mentioned above, Carroll has a long track record of developing defensive backs. From Richard Sherman to Ty Law and Earl Thomas to Troy Polamalu, there’s no shortage of players in the secondary who became Pro Bowlers and/or All-Pros after spending time under Carroll’s tutelage.
Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
So, Graham has made sure he’s paying attention when the head coach is coaching up the defensive backfield.
“I’m being a sponge anytime he’s talking to those guys (defensive backs),” the coordinator explained. “That’s my personal experience with it. And you can see the energy he has and the ability to teach the position and coach the whole team. This has been really a great situation for myself, for the players, the coaches. We’re watching a master teacher working at his craft and seeing it live and in person. This is really beneficial for us.”
Of course, the two coaches have been developing the Raiders’ defensive identity for the upcoming campaign. Graham mentioned that they’ve talked about the defensive philosophy and shed some light on what that will look like for Las Vegas this fall.
“So from the defense, they’ll hate this answer, but we’ve got a long way to go, right? So do I as a defensive coordinator for the 2025 season,” Graham said. “That’s the benefit of the OTAs and the minicamps; you get to get out here, football in June. You guys probably heard me saying that to the players, it’s a great experience. And the situational football we’re going through, that’s been positive, and we’re learning from it.
“…It starts with our effort. If one thing I’ve learned from Coach, it’s to make sure to simplify the message and just keep giving it to them. It doesn’t have to be 20 buzz words, or some big paragraph or anything. We’ve got to play with great effort. We’re building the foundation for being a physical team. We’ve got to play smart.
“So, those are the things in terms of what we want the defense to look like, and then make the offense earn it. No easy plays, we’ve got to take away seams, got to take away posts. Can’t let them run the ball around the edge. Again, it’s not real football in terms of the running yet, but we have to have an understanding of that’s what we’re trying not to give up.”
In Graham’s three seasons leading the Raiders’ defense, the team has finished 26th, ninth and 25th, respectively, in points allowed. In other words, there’s definitely room for improvement, and the coach clearly understands that. Hopefully, Carroll’s guidance will make a big difference this fall.