How One Key Decision Expedited Raiders' Rebuild

The Las Vegas Raiders' offseason has been filled with the addition of new players and coaches. Las Vegas' front office recognized the need for a full rebuild and quickly put the wheels in motion to ensure it happens sooner rather than later.

Raiders Laying the Foundation

The many new parts the Raiders added this offseason will undoubtedly help Las Vegas turn things around, as a lack of overall talent was a major reason for their recent string of failed seasons. This offseason, many of their roster issues were addressed.

Yet, the sheer number of moves Las Vegas made on its roster and staff will naturally lead to a few growing pains. It will take time for the Raiders players and coaches to build trust and continuity, but some of that was already in place when Las Vegas promoted Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator.

Trust Already Established

As Klint Kubiak and Andrew Janocko continue working through the early stages of implementing a new offensive scheme and identity, Leonard is doing the same thing but with a head start, of sorts. No defensive coordinator Las Vegas could have hired knows the defense as well as Leonard.

More importantly, no coordinator Las Vegas could have hired is as well known and liked by the players as Leonard. Raiders veteran interior defensive lineman Thomas Booker recently explained how much trust Leonard's history with the team has built early in the process.

“I think you look at Robbie, you can tell the intensity that he coaches with. You can tell it's so genuine, it comes from a real place. I figured that out day one that I got here, once I got traded, that he was about it,” Booker said.

“So, I think when you see somebody like that transition over to defensive coordinator, you have guys that just want to play for that guy, guys who are really willing to run through a brick wall for somebody like that because they see that all the energy is real, the juice is real, the 'want to' is real. So, it's hard not to have that pervade the entire unit."

Las Vegas has gone through a handful of head coaches and coordinators recently. It could be argued that none of the Raiders' recent head coaches had the players' full trust in the locker room. That does not appear to be the case for Las Vegas at the moment.

Leonard maximized the talent of a Raiders' defense that did not have nearly as much as it does now. Leonard knows exactly what he wants from Las Vegas' defense. Interior defensive lineman Jonah Laulu recently explained Leonard's approach as they enter their third season together.

"Shout out Robbie, man, love Robbie. And I mean, he just wants us to be great. Him coaching us last year, and then now being the defensive coordinator I think is super cool just because he understands how it is, how the game is. Everybody has got to be connected from the back seven to the D-line, and I mean everything goes together," Laulu said following training camp.

“They get coverage, we can pass rush, or if we're stopping the run, we'll get them to pass the ball. I think Robbie, he has high expectations of us, and how he is, he's a very hands on coach, and he'll show you how he wants something done himself."

“Like he'll get down there, get in the stance. He'll hit the bag, tackle the bag. Like he'll show you how he wants done, and that's the type of coach you want to play for. He'll do it himself, like you know he would do it himself. So, I love Robbie, and I want to play as hard as I can for Robbie because just the respect I have for him."

The Raiders' decision to promote Leonard will one day be viewed as one of the most critical of Kubiak's tenure, as it helped maintain some sense of normalcy in a locker room that has had very little of that in recent seasons. They now turn to Leonard to help maximize a new look defense on the field.

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