Jacksonville Jaguars News & Rumors

Josh Allen Wants To Remain With Jaguars

February 4th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top priorities for the Jaguars this season will be deciding on Josh Allen‘s future with the team. As a pending free agent, Jacksonville’s sack leader is in line for a raise on either a franchise tag or a long-term agreement.

General manager Trent Baalke recently made it clear the Jaguars will not let Allen reach the open market, meaning that, at a minimum, the team will use the franchise tag on him. Doing so would cost roughly $22MM (although the matter of classifying him as a defensive end or an outside linebacker would likely come into play), a steep rise from the $10.9MM he earned in 2023 on his fifth-year option. If a multi-year pact becomes an option, though, Allen will be open to working out an agreement.

During his second career Pro Bowl appearance, the former first-rounder confirmed his desire to remain in Jacksonville in 2024 and beyond (video link via Juston W. Lewis of the Florida Times-Union). Serious talks have not yet taken place, though, and Allen noted the “business” aspect of the NFL when it comes to free agency. Teams which use the tag are allowed to negotiate a long-term contract until mid-July, so it could be used in this case as a means of buying more time to hammer out a deal.

Allen had already established himself as Jacksonville’s top edge rusher entering the season, and his 2023 performance produced career highs in a number of categories. His 17.5 sacks put him in a tie for second in the league in that department, and he recorded a personal best with 46 pressures and 33 quarterback hits. At 26, Allen’s next deal will cover most or all of his prime, and a long-term deal will likely rank near the top of the edge market as a result.

Jacksonville used the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft on Travon Walker, and he took a notable step forward (10 sacks, 30 QB pressures) this year after a quiet rookie campaign. While Walker will likely be in place for another three seasons, maintaining his partnership with Allen for years to come would be a welcomed development for the Jags’ defense. Improvement in the pass rush department will be a target for Jacksonville this offseason in any case after the team tallied 40 sacks (25th in the NFL).

The Jaguars currently sit mid-pack in terms of cap space, but plenty of financial moves will be made in the coming weeks as teams prepare for free agency. Jacksonville also has wideout Calvin Ridley among the players in need of a new contract, but Baalke’s stance suggests Allen will be a higher priority. Talks between the latter and the front office will be a key storyline to follow as the new league year approaches.

Titans To Hire Nick Holz As OC

February 2nd, 2024 at 8:01am CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after meeting with Nick Holz, the Titans have landed on him as their new offensive coordinator. The Jaguars passing coordinator has been tapped for Tennessee’s OC position, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Holz interviewed with Tennessee on Monday as part of the team’s search for a Tim Kelly replacement. Now, he will make an intra-divisional move and take on a new position with the Titans’ new-look coaching staff. Despite not doing so during his time with the Bengals, new head coach Brian Callahan will call plays on offense for Tennessee.

Holz, 39, and Callahan worked alongside each other with the Raiders in 2018, making them a logical pair to reunite in Tennessee. The former held a number of titles during his Raiders tenure, which lasted from 2012-21, but his only OC experience came in 2022 when he served on UNLV’s staff.

Following that one-year stint, Holz returned to the NFL on Jacksonville’s staff. The Jaguars did not meet expectations during the latter part of the season in particular on offense, leaving the the team out of the postseason. While quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s injuries were a factor, Holz will head to Tennessee with a number of challenges and no OC experience in the pro game. He will nevertheless be a key member of the Titans’ efforts to develop Will Levis.

The 2023 second-rounder took over for an injured Ryan Tannehill midway through the campaign, and he is now in place atop Tennessee’s depth chart. A number of other moves will no doubt be coming on offense for the team – with improvement along the O-line and in the skill-position corps needed for a return to the playoffs – but Levis’ Year Two growth will be a central storyline in Nashville.

Tennessee met with Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis as part of the team’s OC search, and the Titans also submitted an interview request with Dolphins associate head coach Eric Studesville. After a relatively brief process to find a Kelly replacement, Holz will now take on a key position on Callahan’s initial staff. The Titans have been busy this offseason, but several major vacancies on the sidelines have now been filled.

Earlier this week, the Titans worked out an agreement to hire Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as their new defensive coordinator. He, too, does not have NFL DC experience, just as Callahan has never been a head coach at the pro level before. An inexperienced staff will be in place in Tennessee for the 2024 season as the team looks to rebound from the struggles of the past two years.

Jaguars GM Trent Baalke On QB Trevor Lawrence

January 28th, 2024 at 8:09am CST by Rory Parks

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, who now has three years of service time under his belt, is eligible for a contract extension. Our Sam Robinson, however, suggested at the end of December that Jacksonville may wait to enter into extension talks with the former No. 1 overall pick, who did not take the leap forward that many had anticipated when the 2023 season began. Jags GM Trent Baalke did not put a timetable on those dicussions, but he did imply that a new deal for Lawrence is not exactly at the top of the agenda at the moment.

“As far as Trevor and the long-term relationship with this team, there’s no doubt in that,” Baalke said at a press conference on Thursday (via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk). “We’re going to get something done at the appropriate time.”

The Jaguars will surely exercise Lawrence’s fifth-year option sometime before the May 2 deadline. That will lock in a fully-guaranteed salary of $21.98MM for the 2025 season, and when combined with the $1.06MM salary he is due to make in 2024, Jacksonville essentially has Lawrence under club control for two more years at an $11.5MM AAV. Even if the Clemson product is not yet a top tier signal-caller, that qualifies as excellent value.

When asked to assess Lawrence’s performance in 2023 and how to improve his production moving foreard, Baalke said, “I think Trevor had another learning year, right? Like we all do when we’re a third-year guy in this league. I think there are some areas he made great strides in. You look at this season, one thing we’ve got to do is we’ve got to — two things, it works both ways — we’ve got to do a better job of keeping him safe and protected and he’s got to do a better job of protecting himself.”

Baalke referenced the myriad injuries that Lawrence faced in his third year in the league, including a concussion, a knee sprain, an ankle sprain, and a sprained AC joint. Although Lawrence was able to play through the first three of those ailments, they certainly affected his performance, and the sprained AC joint forced him to sit out Jacksonville’s Week 17 contest against the Panthers. That was the first game that Lawrence had missed in his career.

In his final four games of the 2023 campaign, Lawrence failed to post a quarterback rating above 83.9 and completed 60% of his passes for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Jacksonville lost all four of those contests, including a Week 18 matchup with the 5-11 Titans that was meaningless for Tennessee but that would have put the Jaguars in the playoffs as AFC South champions if they had won it. In all, the Jags lost five of their last six games to drop them from contention for the conference’s top seed to a postseason non-participant (the only game the club won in that stretch was the Week 17 contest that Lawrence missed).

Now 24, Lawrence still has time to live up to the vast potential that made him such a coveted prospect when he entered the professional ranks. It may even be fair to write off his rookie season in 2021, which was spent primarily under the disastrous stewardship of then-HC Urban Meyer. Nonetheless, Baalke may want to see a step forward in 2024 before making any significant contractual decisions.

In 2023, Lawrence completed 65.6% of his passes for 4,016 yards and 21 TDs against 14 interceptions, good for a QB rating of 88.5. He did run for 339 yards on 70 carries (4.8 YPC), tallying four rushing touchdowns in the process.

Titans To Interview Jaguars’ Nick Holz For OC Job

January 26th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Ely Allen

A top candidate has emerged to become the new offensive coordinator under first-time head coach Brian Callahan in Tennessee. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Titans will be interviewing Jaguars passing game coordinator Nick Holz on Monday for their officially open offensive coordinator position. Tim Kelly was the incumbent for the position, but following the firing of Mike Vrabel, plenty of the Titans’ offensive staffers have explored interview opportunities elsewhere, seeing the writing on the wall that often comes with a change at head coach.

With Callahan in place as the team’s next head coach, the Titans’ focus will now shift to filling out the rest of the staff. They recently made their first request to the Ravens to interview defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson for their defensive coordinator position. Now, we get an idea of who the new head coach likes as a potential coordinator on the offensive side of the ball. This is Holz’s first request to interview for a coordinator job this offseason and, according to our records, the first NFL coordinator interview of his career.

Holz has a strong connection to Callahan that makes him an obvious candidate to assist the new head coach in Tennessee. Holz’s extensive experience in the NFL all comes from the Raiders organization. After assistant coaching jobs at the college level, Holz spent 10 years in Oakland and Vegas. After three years as an offensive assistant, Holz alternated between roles as an offensive quality control coach and an assistant wide receivers coach. When Callahan spent a year in 2018 as the Raiders quarterbacks coach before joining Zac Taylor in Cincinnati as offensive coordinator, Holz was an offensive quality control coach in Oakland.

With Holz as passing game coordinator, the Jaguars finished in the top-10 for passing yards, though quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a slight step back in 2023. While averaging more passing yards per game, Lawrence fell four touchdowns short of last year’s total and threw an unappealing 14 interceptions after limiting himself to eight in 2022. Callahan reportedly plans on calling plays for the Titans after not calling plays during his time as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, so it will be interesting to see what plans the team has at offensive coordinator. Regardless, Holz’s history working with Callahan makes him a top candidate for the position as Tennessee moves forward with the hiring process.

Coaching Notes: Eagles, Canales, Bucs, Falcons, Fins, Fangio, Colts, Raiders, Jags

January 26th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Caldwell will not land the Eagles‘ DC position. Vic Fangio becoming available is expected to give the Eagles the candidate they wanted last year. Recently fired from his Jaguars DC post, Caldwell will still have a chance to end up in Philly. The Eagles are interviewing him for their linebackers coach position, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Caldwell has a history with the Eagles as a player and coach. The longest stretch of Caldwell’s 11-year playing career came in Philly, transpiring from 1998-2001. Caldwell, 52, worked as a part-time starter for Ray Rhodes and Andy Reid‘s teams and joined Reid’s staff in 2008. On Reid’s final five Eagles staffs, Caldwell collected a Super Bowl ring as linebackers coach for the 2020 Buccaneers. The Raiders, however, have also shown interest.

With the coaching carousel spinning wildly, here is the latest:

The Falcons are the third team wanting to speak with Aden Durde about a DC post, joining the Packers and Rams. Raheem Morris wants to meet with the Cowboys’ defensive line coach, ESPN’s Todd Archer tweets. Durde, 44, has become quite popular. These are believed to be his first slips about a DC interview. Durde and Morris coached together in Atlanta from 2018-20; the former moved up from the quality control level — to outside linebackers coach — during Morris’ season as the Falcons’ interim HC. He has been in Dallas since.
Shifting back to Fangio, it seems there is little love lost between the veteran staffer and some Dolphins defenders he coached this season, agent Drew Rosenhaus said. Rosenahus mentions some Dolphins stood in Fangio’s corner but many did not. Fangio has been known to ruffle feathers but has been one of the most in-demand defensive coaches during the 21st century. The Dolphins had given him a deal worth more than $4.5MM per year. While his exit is being framed as the team letting the 65-year-old assistant return to his home state, unpopularity among players likely made that an easier decision.
The Buccaneers will not receive two third-round picks as a result of Dave Canales receiving a head coaching job, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. Although Canales is Latino, the Bucs will not pick up the Rooney Rule-driven draft haul due to the the coach’s one-year tenure, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Canales is believed to have needed to be with the Bucs for at least two years to receive the third-round selections from the NFL.
Matt House is returning to the NFL. The Jaguars are hiring the LSU defensive coordinator to be their linebackers coach, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. House, the Chiefs’ LBs coach from 2019-21, spent the past two seasons in Baton Rouge. He has served as a DC at four programs, including Kentucky. House will join Kris Richard and Cory Robinson as Ryan Nielsen Jacksonville hires thus far.
Spending the past three seasons as a Jets assistant, Ricky Manning Jr. will join the Raiders. The Silver and Black are hiring Manning as their new defensive backs coach. The former NFL DB spent time on the Raiders’ practice squad in 2009; his most notable coaching title has been assistant DBs coach in Seattle under Richard from 2016-17.
The Colts are not retaining two of their defensive staffers. They are letting the contracts of defensive line coach Nate Ollie and assistant DBs coach Mike Mitchell expire, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, who adds neither staffer is expected back. Ollie, 32, joined Gus Bradley’s staff in 2022 despite having no history with the veteran coordinator. His firing comes after the Colts saw notable development from defensive ends Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo. The two 2021 draftees combined for 16.5 sacks this season, and the Colts had four players with at least eight. This marked Mitchell’s first coaching gig; he had finished his 10-year career as a safety with the Colts.

Jaguars To Hire Kris Richard, Cory Robinson

January 26th, 2024 at 1:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Spending this season without an NFL gig, Kris Richard will again be paired with Ryan Nielsen in 2024. The two former Saints co-defensive coordinators are reuniting in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars are adding Richard to their staff, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The two worked in New Orleans together from 2021-22. Richard is best known for his time as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator, and that tenure has helped keep him on HC carousels. The 44-year-old assistant, who interviewed for the Raiders’ HC job this month (though, he did not appear a serious candidate), will resume his career as the Jags retool on defense.

While Richard’s time as Seahawks DC lasted three seasons, he was in Seattle for the Legion of Boom’s entire run. Rising from assistant DBs coach to cornerbacks coach to DBs coach to DC, Richard was the most consistent non-Pete Carroll presence on those coaching staffs. The Earl Thomas–Richard Sherman–Kam Chancellor mentor has not followed Gus Bradley or Dan Quinn up the ladder, but he has continued to be a regular on defensive staffs since his Seattle stay wrapped in 2018.

The Seahawks finished four straight seasons as the NFL’s top scoring defense, following only the 1950s Browns by accomplishing that over a four-season stretch. Coaching in two Super Bowls as a DBs instructor, Richard was in place during the last of those seasons (2015). The Seattle defense has not reached those heights since, and it has trended downward since Richard was fired following the 2017 season. Richard spent two seasons with the Cowboys (2018-19) before resurfacing in New Orleans. This season marked Richard’s second year off in the past five, however; he did not coach during the 2020 campaign.

The Jags are also hiring Cory Robinson as cornerbacks coach, Wilson adds. This continues the Saints reunion shaping up in Jacksonville. Robinson spent the past season with the Tennessee volunteers but worked under Nielsen and Richard with the Saints in 2022 as assistant DBs coach. Robinson held that role in New Orleans for three years.

Jaguars Prepared To Use Franchise Tag On Josh Allen, Want To Retain Calvin Ridley

January 25th, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Josh Allen and Calvin Ridley‘s rookie deals began in different years, those five-year contracts will expire at the same time. Ridley’s 2022 gambling suspension changed his timetable, which puts his second NFL employer on the clock now. Both players are set for free agency, though the team would prefer neither reaches the market.

It appears fairly clear how the Jaguars will approach this decision, with a hierarchy forming early. Allen will be prioritized. GM Trent Baalke confirmed (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) the five-year edge rusher will be a Jaguar next season. This would point to the Jags being prepared to use the franchise tag once again.

Jacksonville has used the tag in each of the past three years, keeping both Cam Robinson and Evan Engram off the market. They tagged Robinson twice. For Allen, a tag would cost nearly $22MM. Though, the recurring linebacker-or-defensive end debate would figure to come up here. Allen is nominally an outside linebacker but for all intents and purposes plays defensive end. This issue has come up for several teams in the past, as the linebacker tag — which groups on- and off-ball ‘backers together — is set to check in around $1.5MM below the DE number.

The Ravens reached a compromise with Matt Judon back in 2020; that could be relevant for the Jags and Allen, who played defensive end when the team used a 4-3 scheme. New DC Ryan Nielsen has used both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes during his time as a coordinator. Judon’s Ravens agreement notwithstanding, teams generally win these debates — should a grievance come from Allen’s side.

The Jags retaining Allen will be pivotal; the Kentucky alum broke through in a contract year. After hitting double digits in sacks once — as a rookie in 2019, with 10.5 — over his first four seasons, Allen registered 17.5 in 2023. This could not prevent a Jacksonville late-season collapse, but it undoubtedly made the former top-10 pick some money. Of course, this performance coming after three seasons in which Allen failed to surpass eight sacks also could lead to a “prove it” request from the team that leads to the tag once again coming out. That said, the Jags kept Allen out of trades at the 2022 deadline. The 26-year-old pass rusher will bring some leverage to extension talks, which Baalke confirms have not yet begun.

Ridley’s situation is more complicated. The Jags re-signing the 2018 first-round pick would determine what draft choice goes back to the Falcons. The Jags already sent the Falcons a 2023 fifth-round pick for Ridley, but the second choice is conditional depending on the Alabama alum’s future in north Florida. If the Jaguars re-sign Ridley, they would owe the Falcons a second-round pick.

“The sky’s the limit; he’s only going to get better because of the way he works,” Baalke said of Ridley. “When you love something as much as he loves football, you can’t help but get better. We would love to have Calvin back. We are going to work toward that. What that means is, I don’t know right now.”

Ridley’s age also could complicate matters for the Jags. He is already 29, being set to turn 30 during the 2024 season. Jacksonville also has Christian Kirk tied to an $18MM-per-year accord and Zay Jones on an $8MM-AAV pact. Engram’s 2023 tag led to a three-year, $41.25MM extension. While Trevor Lawrence remains on a rookie deal, he should be expected — despite an inconsistent season — to receive a mega-extension either in 2024 or 2025. A Ridley re-up would represent a significant commitment to the skill positions. Travis Etienne is also now extension-eligible.

The 2022 trade pickup did produce his second 1,000-yard season, accumulating 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games. This came after Ridley missed the 2022 season and most of the 2021 campaign, the latter absence coming after the talented wideout cited mental health reasons for leaving the Falcons. Ridley re-established some momentum in 2023 and, after generating extensive trade interest in 2022, would be one of the top wideouts on the market, should the Jaguars not re-sign him before the legal tampering period.

Jaguars Hire Ryan Nielsen As DC

January 22nd, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars have found their Mike Caldwell replacement. Jacksonville is set to hire Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official.

This will mark the first trip outside the NFC South since 2016 for Nielsen. He had been with the Saints from 2017-22, and in his final year with the team he served as co-defensive coordinator. That tenure was followed by an intra-divisional move to Atlanta. Nielsen guided the Falcons’ defense in 2023, but with a new head coach on the way, his future remained uncertain until now.

The Falcons initially blocked Jacksonville’s efforts to speak with Nielsen. However, Atlanta ultimately changed course and permitted an interview to take place. As was the case in his previous gig, Nielsen will have play-calling duties with the Jaguars, making this a lateral move. Given the issues Jacksonville experienced on defense this season, and the widespread staff changes which came about as a result, Nielsen will have plenty of work to do in Duval County.

Caldwell was one of many defensive coaches let go by Doug Pederson after the campaign, one in which Jacksonville appeared to be on track to win the AFC South. A late-season collapse left the team out of the playoffs and in need of a fourth DC in the past five seasons, however. Questions have been raised about the offensive personnel who are still in place, but for now attention will turn to Nielsen and his ability to provide stability over an extended period.

The 44-year-old has only two seasons of coordinator experience at the NFL level, but he has shown promise both in New Orleans and Atlanta. Nielsen helped oversee a defensive turnaround with the Falcons in 2023, and the team ranked 11th in yards allowed. They excelled in the passing game in particular, ranking eighth in yards surrendered through the air. That marks a stark contrast to Jacksonville’s performance.

The Jags finished in the top 10 against the run in 2023, but they ranked only 26th against the pass. Nielsen will aim to achieve better balance in 2024 and beyond and, in turn, help Jacksonville return to the postseason. Atlanta’s staff will remain worth monitoring, meanwhile, with signs continuing to point them to an agreement with Bill Belichick. His arrival would no doubt be followed by a number of personnel changes.

Here is a final look at the Jaguars’ DC search:

Shane Bowen, defensive coordinator (Titans): To interview
Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): Interview blocked
Chris Harris, cornerbacks coach (Titans): To interview
Chris Hewitt, secondary coach (Ravens): To interview 1/21
Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): To interview
Don Martindale, former defensive coordinator (Giants): To interview
Ryan Nielsen, defensive coordinator (Falcons): Hired

AFC South Notes: Taylor, Rankins, Colts

January 21st, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars are retooling their defensive staff after their late-season collapse knocked them out of playoff position, but Jacksonville’s offense submitted a clunky campaign as well. Trevor Lawrence did not take the step forward many expected, battling injuries and producing an inconsistent third season. After finishing 10th in points and yards in 2022, the Jags ranked 13th in both categories (and 18th in DVOA) this season. As Doug Pederson fired most of his defensive assistants, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes some late-season buzz pointed to GM Trent Baalke taking a hard look into the state of the offense.

This effort is believed to have centered around OC Press Taylor, whom Pederson gave play-calling duties before the season. Pederson called plays in 2022. Pederson displayed loyalty to Taylor in Philadelphia, and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was not onboard with the prospect of Press Taylor — the younger brother of Bengals HC Zac Taylor — staying on as Eagles QBs coach and pass-game coordinator for a second season back in 2021. (The Eagles did not employ an OC that year, making Taylor Pederson’s top lieutenant on that side of the ball.) Nearly two weeks after the Jags’ season ended, Taylor remains on track to be the Jags’ OC for a third year. The coming season will be pivotal for the Jags, who may want to see a true leap from Lawrence before extending him.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

Sheldon Rankins has now played out his one-year Texans contract, though the team has exclusive negotiating rights with the veteran defensive tackle until the legal tampering period begins in March. Rankins, however, said (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson) he would prefer to re-sign with the Texans rather than leaving in free agency. Working as a full-time starter, Rankins played well in Houston. The former Saints and Jets D-tackle registered six sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown this season. The Texans have part of their DT equation solved, having given Maliek Collins another contract (two years, $23MM) last summer.
Kenny Moore‘s Colts contract became an issue back in 2022. With the NFL still not placing considerable value on slot cornerbacks financially — at least, not compared to high-end boundary cover men — Moore expressed frustration about the four-year, $33.3MM deal he signed back in 2019. Moore has now played out his deal and is on track to be a first-time free agent. One of the NFL’s better slot corners over the course of his career, Moore became vital to a Colts team that did not feature consistent perimeter coverage this season. While the prospect of testing the market would seem appealing, Moore said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) he wants to stay in Indianapolis. After an injury-plagued 2022, Moore returned to form this season. With Moore intercepting three passes and returning two for TDs, Pro Football Focus ranked the 28-year-old defender 17th at the position.
Ryan Kelly attempted to set the record straight recently, indicating (via Fox 59’s Mike Chappell) he is not considering retirement. The eight-year Colts center finished up his age-30 season, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall center, and is under contract for 2024. The Colts shopped Kelly this past offseason. The final year of the Pro Bowler’s contract includes a nonguaranteed $11.4MM base salary.

Latest On Raiders’ GM, HC Positions

January 17th, 2024 at 1:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:02pm: Kelly has sat in on the Raiders’ HC interviews this week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Although Dodds and others may remain in the GM mix, that certainly represents a good sign for Kelly’s chances of staying in Las Vegas. Kelly’s presence at Pierce’s Monday interview would obviously stand to help his chances, given the buzz the latter has received in recent days.

10:56am: While Antonio Pierce‘s experience level would make him one of the most unusual head coach hires in NFL history, it looks like the linebackers coach-turned-interim leader is the clubhouse leader to secure the job. The Raiders are considering running it all back.

Champ Kelly has gone through a second GM interview, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. Pierce has already completed his coaching interview. Although the Raiders have not necessarily been adamant the Kelly-Pierce tandem stay together, this looks to be a scenario that is very much in play.

On the surface, the Raiders sticking with two Josh McDaniels-era hires would be extraordinarily odd considering how quickly McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler were dismissed. Kelly has a history with Ziegler, from their time together in Denver, but did not work for the Patriots. Pierce only worked with McDaniels and Ziegler over the past two seasons, coming back to the NFL after four seasons at Arizona State. Top Raiders players, a contingent driven by Maxx Crosby, want Pierce back. They may soon get their wish.

Initially pegged as set to attempt a swing for a big-name HC, Mark Davis looks to be taking his players’ views seriously re: Pierce. The former linebacker’s knowledge of Raiders history and their culture has appealed to the owner, whose previous big swings — on McDaniels and another Jon Gruden stint — whiffed. Still, with Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel available, it would be interesting to see the Raiders pass on requesting interviews with any of them.

Raiders interviews with Kris Richard and Leslie Frazier have satisfied the Rooney Rule, which mandates clubs meet with at least two external minority candidates before hiring a head coach. These two represent the only external candidates interviewed for the job at all, with the Raiders initially focusing on their GM position. It would seem a misstep on Davis’ part to hire Pierce without exploring the field, but the owner has expressed regret about not hiring former interim HC Rich Bisaccia two years ago.

The Raiders do not view Pierce and Kelly as a package deal, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds Ed Dodds — the Colts’ assistant GM who impressed during his 2022 interview with the Raiders — is viewed as Kelly’s top threat for the gig. Dodds met with Davis during this cycle on Jan. 12. A Pierce-Dodds partnership would be in play as well, given the interim HC’s lack of history with Kelly. But the partnership that helped the Raiders finish 5-4 post-McDaniels may still be favored to return. Kelly has been viewed as firmly in the mix to stay for a few weeks now.

Las Vegas’ first round of GM interviews wrapped this weekend; a decision should be expected soon. Dodds impressing back in 2022 and remaining on the team’s radar would point to the seven-year Colts exec receiving a second meeting as well. A Seahawks scout for 10 years, Dodds has a history with the Raiders. The veteran personnel man began his NFL career interning with the team while Al Davis was still in place. Dodds was with the Raiders from 2003-06. He has since been on several teams’ GM radars and has been integral to the Colts building a quality roster — one held back for years by an inconsistent QB situation.

If Pierce is to be back, it might point Patrick Graham out of town. A five-year defensive coordinator, Graham has considerably more experience coaching in the NFL than Pierce. With Pierce’s background on defense, Graham may seek an opportunity elsewhere. The Raiders have not interviewed Graham for their HC job yet. Pierce’s unique lack of experience would also likely lead to him prioritizing seasoned staffers. One of them may be veteran DC Gregg Williams, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora.

Out of the league since his two-year run as Jets DC ended ignominiously late in the 2020 season, Williams has been a defensive coordinator for eight teams. He spent last season as the defensive boss for the XFL’s DC Defenders. Williams, 65, is best remembered for his role in the Saints’ Bountygate scandal, but the former Bills HC has remained employable since. Pierce and Williams have a strong bond, per La Canfora. This would date back to the two’s time in Washington; in place as Washington’s DC from 2004-07, Williams coached Pierce in 2004 — before the standout linebacker signed with the Giants a year later.

The Jaguars are also interested in Williams, La Canfora adds. Jacksonville may be prioritizing experience in its search to replace Mike Caldwell as DC; four current or former coordinators received interview requests. Williams was in place as the Jags’ DC in 2008, a one-year tenure under Jack Del Rio in 2008.

In addition to Davis, the Raiders have a handful of staffers — along with recent Hall of Fame inductee Richard Seymour, a Raider from 2009-12 — on their interview panel. Team president Sandra Douglass Morgan, director of football administration Tom Delaney, board member Larry Delsen and advisor Ken Herock join Davis and Seymour, per Reed. Davis described Herock, a longtime Raiders consigliere, as the ringleader of the searches that led to McDaniels and Ziegler being hired two years ago. We heard in the fall he and Delaney would play roles in the team’s latest searches. Al Davis once approached Seymour about a future front office role, Breer adds, noting the star D-lineman also helped Mark Davis during his years as Raiders owner. It would not surprise if the four-year Raiders defender was tapped to play a key role in the next regime.

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