Silver And Black Pride
Returning Raider Nation’s questions for the week
We’re a couple of weeks into the offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders and the head coach search is heating up with buzz surrounding Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson heading to the Raiders gaining steam. While this week’s mailbag will focus on Johnson and the head coach search, it’s also open to any NFL Draft and free agency questions.
Q: If Ben Johnson and the Raiders agree to a contract, could he do more with this same (offensive) roster than what was done last season?
A: Adding Johnson wouldn’t solve all of Las Vegas’ offensive issues as the team still has question marks at running back, on the line and, of course, at quarterback. But I do think he would have gotten more out of the personnel than this past year’s staff.
Johnson is a pretty creative play-caller, especially in the running game, so I’d trust him to adjust his scheme to fit his player’s strengths more than Luke Getsy and company. Also, Aidan O’Connell is a much better fit in Johnson’s passing game, which uses a heavy dose of play-action, than Getsy’s system.
He’s not a miracle worker who would have made the Raiders a playoff contender in 2024, but I feel confident that Johnson would have gotten better results this season.
A: The offense is definitely Johnson’s since Dan Campbell isn’t much of a scheme guy, having never served as an offensive coordinator before becoming the Lions’ head coach. Granted, Campbell was a tight end and a tight ends coach, but he likely hired Johnson for his system or vision of an offense that leans heavily on the position. For what it’s worth, Johnson is also a former tight ends coach.
I think Brock Bowers would be a big draw for any offensive-minded coach and having Michael Mayer, who was widely considered a top tight end in the draft two years ago, could be intriguing as well. Though Mayer hasn’t done much during his first two seasons, a young and talented tight end duo could certainly entice a coach that used the third-highest rate of 12 personnel this season, per Sumer Sports.
Q: Any insights into why the Raiders haven’t requested interviews with Joe Brady or Liam Coen?
A: I don’t have any inside information on that and I am also surprised they haven’t interviewed Brady or Coen yet, especially the latter since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got eliminated last week. Las Vegas could still chat with those two, but my current read on the situation is that the organization’s first choice is Johnson, and Plan B is Pete Carroll.
I think Johnson being the top candidate in this hiring cycle—and arguably last year’s too—trumps any criteria Mark Davis has for the next head coach. But if the Lions’ OC doesn’t want the job, Davis would prefer to have an experienced candidate after it didn't work with Antonio Pierce.
Again, we’ll see if that changes next week or the week...
