Jets Had Interest In Raiders OC Todd Downing
Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville opted to stay in Denver rather than pursue the Jets‘ offensive coordinator vacancy, and New York’s hope to conduct a wide-ranging search for a new play-caller may have played a factor in Studesville declining to remain in contention, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, who adds that Studesville didn’t want to “lose a bird in the hand.” The Jets have “at least” three other candidates on their radar at the moment, per Cimini, and one name of interest could be Chiefs co-offensive coordinator Matt Nagy (though it’s not clear if the ESPN scribe is reporting or speculating). Kansas City would be able to block any interview request from New York, which could present a problem as Gang Green continues its hunt. The Jets also expressed interest in new Raiders OC Todd Downing before he was promoted from QBs coach, per Cimini.
Latest On Raiders’ Potential Relocation
While businessman Sheldon Adelson could contribute $650MM toward a $1.9 billion domed stadium for the Raiders in Las Vegas, the franchise might not need the casino mogul’s support to relocate. The Raiders have informed the NFL that Goldman Sachs is committed to financing the stadium even without Adelson’s involvement, reports Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Adelson and the Raiders have hit snags in their negotiations, though they had made progress toward an agreement as of Jan. 4. For now, “talks are ongoing,” Adelson family spokesman Andy Abboud revealed Thursday. The Raiders, meanwhile, echoed a similar sentiment.
“Right now, negotiations are proceeding and we’ll see if we come to an agreement with the Sands [Adelson] family,” said Raiders senior vice president of stadium development and operations Tom Blanda. “I’m not really sure who else we’ll talk to.”
Cognizant that their bid to construct a Las Vegas stadium might not include help from Adelson, the Raiders told the league’s stadium and finance committees Wednesday that they’re exploring ways to proceed without him.
“The Raiders are looking at the potential of doing [it] without Mr. Adelson if it comes down to that,” said Steelers owner Art Rooney II, who’s also chairman of the league’s stadium committee.
Carr, Mack Extensions "Looming" Over Raiders Offseason
- While the Raiders would presumably like to be players in free agency, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes that several contract extensions are “looming” over the organization. Both quarterback Derek Carr and linebacker Khalil Mack are eligible for new deals, and the organization will surely have to pay to retain the star duo.
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Raiders Promote Jake Peetz To QBs Coach
- The Raiders are making some coaching changes under new offensive coordinator Todd Downing. Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports (via Twitter) that the team will be promoting senior offensive assistant Jake Peetz to quarterbacks coach. Peetz has spent seven years coaching in the NFL.
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Latest On Chargers’, Raiders’ Relocation
The Chargers had been facing a Jan. 15 deadline to decide whether to join the Rams in Los Angeles by next season, but the NFL pushed that date back Wednesday, per the Associated Press. The Bolts now have until Jan. 17 to choose their fate, and the league is still holding out hope that they’ll remain in San Diego, a source told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. However, the league won’t prevent owner Dean Spanos from relocating the team if he’s unable to find a stadium solution in San Diego, another source informed Acee.
“No one is going to tell Dean he can’t go,” said the source. “They’re going to tell him he shouldn’t go.”
Spanos doesn’t seem eager to leave San Diego, but he also hasn’t made enough progress toward a new facility that would replace the 50-year-old Qualcomm Stadium. As of last week, the Chargers were of the belief that a $100MM to $175MM gap existed between the funds the city, county, league and team were willing to put forth and what a new stadium would actually cost. That remains the case, per Acee, who now lists the figure at exactly $175MM.
The Chargers would welcome more financial aid from the league, but its owners – especially the Rams’ Stan Kroenke – haven’t shown any urgency to make that happen, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). With that in mind, the Chargers are operating as if they’re about to relocate, Acee reports. The franchise has already drafted a press release and planned a news conference, though Acee adds that it did the same a year ago before delaying its LA decision.
The league’s stadium and finance committees met Wednesday to discuss the futures of the Chargers and Raiders, but the latter club was the primary focus.
“There was little to no discussion on the topic of the Chargers,” league executive Eric Grubman revealed.
The Raiders have until Feb. 15 to file for relocation to Las Vegas, where businessman Sheldon Adelson could contribute $650MM to a $1.9 billion stadium. The two sides continue making progress after some previous hiccups in negotiations, tweets Cole, but the Raiders aren’t going to be content to let their Vegas dreams slip away if Adelson backs out.
“The Raiders are looking at the potential of doing [it] without Mr. Adelson if it comes down to that,” said Steelers owner Art Rooney II, who’s also chairman of the league’s stadium committee.
There’s no word on exactly how the Raiders would raise $650MM in Adelson’s absence. The team is set to put forth $500MM toward the cause, while Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and state Legislature previously signed off on contributing a record $750MM in public funds.
Raiders To Retain DC Ken Norton Jr.
- Ken Norton Jr. will remain the Raiders‘ defensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Head coach Jack Del Rio assumed play-calling duties midway through the 2016 season, and Oakland ultimately finished 23rd in defensive DVOA. While Norton Jr. will stick around, defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson has been fired, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link).
Raiders To Promote Todd Downing To OC
Bill Musgrave is out in Oakland but the Raiders won’t be going out of house to look at candidates. Quarterbacks coach Todd Downing is being promoted to OC, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. 
[RELATED: Raiders Part Ways With OC Bill Musgrave]
Downing was a “hot” coach and had been contacted about “four or five jobs” around the league, a source tells Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Ultimately, the Raiders had to make a choice and they opted to bump up Dowling and let Musgrave’s contract lapse.
Downing, 36, first broke into the NFL coaching ranks as a low-level assistant with the Vikings in 2003. Since then, he steadily moved up the ladder with stops in St. Louis, Detroit, and Buffalo before landing in Oakland. Downing got some good football out of Matthew Stafford when he was the Lions’ QB coach and the league has taken notice of what Downing has been able to do recently with Derek Carr.
Given that the Raiders acted quickly to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy, only one club — the Jets — is currently looking for a new offensive play-caller on offense. Follow all the latest coordinator news by bookmarking PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker.
Raiders Part Ways With OC Bill Musgrave
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave will not be returning to the Raiders in 2017, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Musgrave had an expiring contract and the team allowed it to lapse. Now, quarterbacks coach Todd Downing could be an in-house candidate to replace him. 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2017 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker]
Under Musgrave’s command this year, the Raiders had the No. 6 ranked offense in the NFL. He was recently mentioned as a candidate to take over as the Broncos’ head coach in the wake of Gary Kubiak‘s retirement, but it is not clear whether Denver has reached out to him.
As shown in PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker, the Raiders are now the second team this offseason to be in search of an offensive coordinator, joining the Jets. Former Chargers coach Mike McCoy is said to be a candidate for the Jets’ gig and it will be interesting to see if the Raiders seek out an interview with him, given his familiarity with the AFC West. Before his four-year Chargers stint, McCoy spent three years with the Broncos. Now that he’s available, Musgrave could also garner consideration from Gang Green.
Musgrave, 49, has now completed two separate stints with the Raiders, though they were nearly two decades apart. In 1997, he was Oakland’s quarterbacks coach. In 2015, he was hired as OC.
Matt McGloin Wants "A Chance To Compete For A Starting Role"
- Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin, an impending free agent, said that he is seeking a place where he will get “a chance to compete for a starting role,” Josh Dubow of the Associated Press tweets. The 27-year-old has nine career starts under his belt, and he’s connected on 58-percent of his career passes for 1,868 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
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Raiders Sign Nine To Reserve/Futures Contracts
Oakland Raiders