The Las Vegas Raiders continue to be stuck in the early stages of a rebuild and must figure out the right pieces to pull themselves out of the mud. One issue is that the team has been unable to find the right head coach for the job, and Pete Carroll has not been able to turn things around in his first season with the team.
It would be a bit unfair to expect Carroll to immediately turn this team into a playoff contender, though he did state before the season that he felt they could do just that. However, that hasn’t been the case, and some are wondering whether he is the right person to oversee a rebuild, given that he is the oldest coach in the NFL at 74 years old.
If the Raiders decide to move on from Carroll after the season, the question then becomes who will replace him. And there could be an intriguing name on the coaching market this offseason, as current Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may become available. If he is, he would be a prime candidate for any openings, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN:
“Kevin Stefanski’s future comes up often in my conversations with people in the league due to the Browns’ 6-23 record the past two seasons. Another reason his name comes up: Several executives and coaches I’ve spoken to believe he’d be a prime candidate for a head coaching job elsewhere should Cleveland move on after the season. ‘He’s a good coach, experienced, two-time Coach of the Year — Cleveland is a hard place to win,’ an AFC executive said. ‘He might need a fresh start elsewhere.’”
There are numerous ‘what ifs’ in this scenario, as there is no guarantee that the Raiders will fire Carroll or the Browns will move on from Stefanski. But if those things were to take place, the Raiders pursuing the two-time Coach of the Year would make a lot of sense.
Stefanski is an offensive mind, and the Raiders are poised for a top-5 pick where Stefanski could identify his quarterback of the future to pair with rising stars Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. While nothing is for certain, this is something to keep an eye on for the Raiders as the offseason approaches.
Raiders preparing for Kenny Pickett to start at QB vs. Eagles
The Raiders are still focused on the current season, but with quarterback Geno Smith injured last Sunday against the Broncos, the team is preparing for backup Kenny Pickett to make his first start of the season against the Eagles in Week 15.
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