Why Raiders' Promotion of Rob Leonard Was the Right Decision

The Las Vegas Raiders' search for coaches to fill out its coaching staff is moving right along.

What Leonard Brings

The Raiders' new defensive coordinator has over a decade of coaching experience in the National Football League. He arrived in Las Vegas after previous stops with the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants, respectively.

Leonard has been on the Raiders' coaching staff since the 2023 seasons. During his three seasons in Las Vegas, the Raiders have had three different head coaches. Still, Leonard has remained, proving how valued he is by Las Vegas' front office. He has made himself valuable in various ways.

Development

Leonard has been vital in developing some of the Raiders' best defensive linemen over the past few seasons. Las Vegas' defensive line has been one of the most dependable units since Leonard's arrival. Leonard has displayed the ability to work with players of all talent levels.

Specifically, Leonard has shown the ability to help nearly every player under his tutelage get the most out of themselves since joining the Raiders. Leonard is a great selection for the Raiders' defensive coordinator position. All he has needed was a shot. Now, he gets his chance.

Stability

The Raiders have long sought stability within their coaching staff. Former Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham provided some stability, serving in the role for four seasons. Promoting Leonard is the closest thing to stability the Raiders' coaching staff will have under Klint Kubiak.

Leonard's promotion is probably the best decision Las Vegas could have made to fill the position. Anyone else they would have hired likely would not have had experience as a defensive coordinator either, and the players already respect him, which removes the need for a trust-building process.

The Crosby Factor

The Raiders' decision to hire Leonard as their defensive coordinator undoubtedly impacts their future with star defensive end Maxx Crosby. Mark Davis and the Raiders' front office have publicly made it clear they want to keep Crosby. It is unclear if Crosby wants to stay in Las Vegas.

Still, hiring Leonard could potentially help the Raiders and Crosby work things out. Crosby has been vocal in his support of Leonard over the years. Crosby has previously spoken highly of Leonard several times.

"It starts with [Leonard,]" Crosby said two offseasons ago. "I think he's done an incredible job, and he just pushes us in every single way. He knows what everybody wants, and you got to have real relationships with the players to be able to talk to him a certain way and I think that's what he does a great job of doing.”

Crosby explained that his and Leonard's relationship began, noting that Leonard's no-nonsense approach was evident early and a solid match for Crosby's similar mentality. With their coordinator position filled, Leonard could help the Raiders solve one of their most pressing offseason issues.

"For instance, when he first got hired, he took the time to get on a Zoom call. It was me, him, and Rod Marinelli, and like, usually a coach, coaches don't do stuff like that,” Crosby said.” It's like, 'no, this is my way.' He got in the meeting with him, and we chopped it up for an hour, and we talked football.

“And I thought that was super cool just because it shows like, even as a coach, he's still constantly learning, and that's why me and Robbie have a real relationship. It's not like just coach-type stuff; it's real life, and that's what I feel like why guys respect him so much. I think Marinelli was the same exact way. It was much more than just a coach, you have a real relationship with guys like that."

The Raiders and Crosby now find themselves at a crossroads. For the first time in his career, it is a legitimate possiblity that he and the Raiders part ways. Crosby and the team would respectively benefit from parting ways at this point. However, there is still hope for them to figure things out.

It is truly unknown how much Crosby wants or does not want to be traded. It is also unknown how much the Raiders' front office views Crosby as a tradable asset versus a building block for their pending rebuild. Regardless, Leonard's promotion could help cooler heads prevail.

Follow us on: X/Twitter @HondoCarpenter, @EZTrez_SI ,and IG @HondoSr . We also invite you to visit our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. There, you can discuss what you think the Raiders can learn from the teams in the Super Bowl.

Have every Raiders story straight to your email with the latest news. Our newsletter is completely FREE. We will not spam you or sell your information. SIGN UP HERE NOW.