NFL Rumors: Raiders look primed to make Josh McDaniels their new HC
Josh McDaniels is one of the hottest names available in this year's coaching carousel across the NFL. McDaniels has spent the past ten years as the New England Patriots offensive coordinator. He has 16 seasons of coaching experience on his résumé and fits the mold of the young offensive mind teams look for.
One of the eight teams in the NFL looking for a new head coach is the Las Vegas Raiders. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia has a chance at keeping the job, but it seems increasingly unlikely with the firing of general manager Mike Mayock.
Rumors linking McDaniels to the Raiders heated up on Friday, as per a tweet from Patriots beat reporter Mark Daniels.
Josh McDaniels to the Raiders rumors are starting to heat up.
That wouldn't be ideal for Mac Jones. Consistency is key for a young QB. If I'm the Pats and McDaniels leaves, I'd go after Bill O'Brien ASAP. There's already a relationship there (somewhat) with him and Mac. twitter.com/JFowlerESPN/st…
Josh McDaniels could be in line to be the next Raiders HC
If McDaniels were to be hired by the Raiders, the first order of business would be deciding the future of quarterback Derek Carr. Carr has one year remaining on his contract, making this a critical offseason for himself and the Raiders.
The 30-year-old quarterback had arguably the best season of his career in 2021. He threw for a career-high 4,804 passing yards despite Henry Ruggs III, Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs being in and out of the lineup.
McDaniels and the Raiders could trade Carr, as he'd be a hot trade asset to quarterback-needy teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Raiders roster is ready to win games if they keep Carr. Should they choose to move on, they'd likely need some time to get their quarterback adjusted. That's especially true if they draft a rookie quarterback.
The most prominent question that'll be asked if Josh McDaniels leaves the Patriots is the future of Mac Jones' development. Patriots reporter Evan Lazar agreed with Daniels that Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is a name to watch to replace McDaniels.
If Josh McDaniels goes to Vegas, my first call if I'm Bill Belichick is to Bill O'Brien. BOB had his issues as a head coach. But he was the architect of the 2010-11 #Patriots that dominated with two TEs and just ran Mac's old scheme at Alabama for a year. Would be a no-brainer.
O'Brien never coached Jones in college but ran the same system Jones used. That familiarity could help Jones' growth rather than stunt it with a new system.
Josh McDaniels isn't guaranteed the job, however. Another college coach, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, has been rumored to be interested in the job if offered.
When strictly comparing their head coaching résumés, Harbaugh has a better record and more postseason success. McDaniels was 11-17 in his two seasons as Denver Broncos head coach in 2009 and 2010.
Josh McDaniels has since paid his dues and learned under Bill Belichick. The fallout from McDaniels potentially joining the Raiders is immense and would affect the Patriots' long-term plans of finding Belichick's successor.