Battle Red Blog
It’s been awhile since the Texans have played one of these games. Fanduel immediately set them as double digit favorites and you just don’t see that on the regular in the NFL. Matt Holder of Silver and Black Pride has been doing yeoman work over there this year in spite of the struggles of the team. As Texans fans, we know full well the kind of season they have been having and completely empathize. Unfortunately, most of the drama now comes in the aftermath and the decisions they will make on players and coaches. We started our conversation there.
Battle Red Blog: This is Pete Carroll’s first year in Vegas and it obviously hasn’t gone very well. Do you see him getting a second year or do you see them moving on when the season is over?
Matt Holder: There’s a lot of momentum toward Carroll being a one-and-done head coach in Las Vegas. The Raiders are staring at a multi-year rebuild, and he turns 75 in September. It’s hard to justify keeping a coach who will be halfway to 80 years old in that circumstance. Also, Pro Football Talk recently reported that speculation around the league is that the Raiders and Carroll are going to work out some sort of deal where he “retires” and gets a portion of the money he’s owed. Those negotiations could be key because I’m sure Mark Davis isn’t thrilled about paying another head coach who doesn’t work for him.
The only way I can see Carroll getting a second year is if the organization wants to maintain some level of continuity. The Raiders have had four full-time head coaches (five if you count Rich Bisaccia’s interim stint) since moving to Las Vegas in 2020, which is part of the problem. But, given Carroll’s age, it’s not as if he’s the long-term solution anyway.
BRB: Geno Smith was brought in to be the quarterback for at least a few seasons. Do you see them moving on from him when the season is over or do you think a different offensive coordinator could get more out of him?
MH: It depends on your previous question because the former Seattle Seahawks duo is kind of a package deal. So, if the head coach gets fired, I could see the organization also letting the quarterback go, too.
According to Over The Cap, the Raiders would take on $18.5 million of dead cap space but save $8 million by cutting Smith in the offseason. Having the extra money to spend in free agency is probably worth it, seeing as the 35-year-old isn’t the long-term answer. Also, with how he’s played this year, one could argue that the Raiders would actually be taking on more “dead money” by keeping him around at $26.5 million.
Another factor at play here is whether Las Vegas lands the No. 1 overall pick and how the front office views this year’s quarterback class. If the Raiders are picking at the top of the...
