Raiders Hiring Pete Carroll Addresses Critical Need of the Franchise

HENDERSON, Nev.--As the dust settles on the Las Vegas Raiders coaching and general manager search, the outcome may surprise some, but while the journey may not have been expected, the result was.
The Las Vegas Raiders sought a new general manager and head coach, aiming for a GM who could align with Tom Brady's vision and an experienced coach who could lead effectively.
John Spytek, the new GM, played football with Tom Brady at the University of Michigan and was the key factor in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wooing him to bring a Lombardi Trophy to their city.
Both men accomplished their respective roles.
Spytek was a young intern when I covered the Detroit Lions, respected as a go-getter who did more than ask with an ambitious side that would make the insecure uncomfortable.
People warmly referred to him as the "Whiz Kid" because he seemingly had all the proper information when asked on many subjects and his penchant for working however long it took to get the job done.
I am neither shocked nor surprised by this hire. Tom Brady, Mark Davis, and Richard Seymour did well.
You get a proven winner in Pete Carroll, a man with a superb eye for talent and the ability to develop it.
Warm and demanding, Carroll is the rare coach who can be both a player's coach and a disciplinarian.
The jewelry he wears into the room will instantly garner the respect of stars like superstar DE Maxx Crosby, star defensive standouts, and free agents Adam Butler and Robert Spillane.
The question with Carroll is not age. The question will be staff.
The Raiders have a quarterback in desperate need of development in Aidan O'Connell and certainly a new-look addition at signal-caller, but who will lead them?
The task would be difficult on the defensive side of the ball, but convincing Patrick Graham to stay would be a significant coup. The task would not be easy for reasons I won't dive into now, but I will should Graham depart. If anyone could do it, Carroll might have the savvy.
If Graham does or does not stay, another key staffing issue will be Rob Leonard.
Leonard staying with Graham would be ideal, but if Graham moves on, as many expect, the promotion of Leonard to DC would be a genius move not just from an extraordinary football coach standpoint but to his locker room.
My colleague Michale France wrote a terrific piece today on the possibility of Carroll reuniting with former Super Bowl-winning QB (With Carroll) Russell Wilson.
That would allow new GM John Spytek to use a BPA (Best Player Available) strategy, which allowed the Raiders to pick rookie sensation tight end Brock Bowers last year.
Pete Carroll may not be the Raiders' first choice in this cycle, but what matters is that he is their last choice.
Carroll, a proven winner with a premier work ethic, offers the Raiders a chance at stability and continuity.
Carol can deliver both. The question now is whether Mark Davis and Tom Brady have the patience to let him.
Carroll is used to being in charge; how that works out with Spytek and Brady still needs to be defined, but the stability and continuity are not a light at the tunnel that turns out to be a train; it is, for the first time in a long time, a reality.
In a town known for gambling and moving all in, Carroll is the opposite.
That is a good thing.
He isn't the shiny new toy like Ben Johnson; he is the grizzled veteran with a proven track record who was thrown on the trash heap way too early.
The Raiders have a lot to prove; Carroll does not.
This hire may not be what many wanted, but it is what the Silver and Black needed.
Carroll has been where the Raider Nation wants to go.
Now, they have to let him get you there.
Time will tell, but don't bet against Carroll. Watch closely to see if the organization has fixed what has held it back.
Time will tell, but in a town known for gambling, the odds finally favor the Raiders.
That in and of itself marks this hiring cycle and early success.
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