Tag: Champ Kelly

Raiders say no pressure on top pick Brock Bowers to put up big numbers right away

No pressure on top pick Brock Bowers to put up big numbers right away says assistant GM Champ Kelly

Most teams drafting in the top half of the first round take a player with the expectations they will make an instant impact on the team. Or at least that’s the hope. That’s not something the Raiders have gotten out of a high first round pick in the draft in quite some time. Will Brock Bowers be the one who changes that? If so, the Raiders are not going to force the issue.

“There’s by no means pressure on him to come in and attain any numbers,” Raiders assistant GM Champ Kelly said of Bowers. “We need him to come in, learn this system, get acclimated to this city, meet his teammates, learn how to work well with Michael Mayer and Harrison Bryant, Cole Fotheringham, Zach Gentry. Get to know those guys and really learn the offense. But he’s a really fun piece to have because it’s going to be interesting to see how defenses are going to deploy when he’s on the football field.”

Should he not put up big numbers as a rookie, it would be the first time in a very long time that wasn’t the case for Bowers who was a four-star recruit out of High School and a First Team All American every year of his college career.

There’s no question the Raiders have high hopes for Bowers overall. They selected him despite greater needs at other positions because they believe he was the best player on the board regardless of position. They also see him as more than just a tight end.

“My wife could watch the tape on Brock and be excited about him,” said Kelly. “He’s a really good football player. Was highly productive in college. His position is tight end, but we saw him as a playmaker and offensive weapon.”

At Georgia, along with his tight end duties, Bowers lined up in as a slot receiver, in the backfield as an in line blocker, and even took the ball on reverses as a runner. The Raiders are hoping the threat of all the ways they could use him will force defenses to account for him. So, even when he doesn’t get the ball, he could free up others to make plays.

Raiders Asst GM Champ Kelly: ‘I put my ego aside’ to work with new GM Tom Telesco

Champ Kelly ‘put (his) ego aside’ as interim GM when Raiders hired new GM Tom Telesco

Last season when the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler, it was Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly who were given the titles of interim head coach and GM respectively.

Come the end of the season, Raiders fans were excited about the new energy coming from the team, prompting many to hope for the interim tag to be removed from both Pierce and Kelly to make their titles official.

Mark Davis had four choices. Either keep Pierce as head coach and bring in a new GM, keep Kelly as GM and bring in a new head coach, hire a new head coach and GM, or keep both Pierce and Kelly.

Davis liked both Kelly and Pierce, but keeping both in their new roles would mean the Raiders would have a rookie head coach and GM. Something that was a risky proposition. So, Davis went with the rookie head coach and brought in long time former Chargers GM Tom Telesco.

Hiring a new head coach would likely have meant Pierce would leave the staff. But hiring a new GM would mean Kelly stepped back into his previous role as Assistant GM. At least until he was hired away by another team.

That is, of course, if Kelly was amenable to it.

“I did not know Tom extremely well, said Kelly of Telesco.

“When we first got together, he laid out expectations for me and I was transparent with him about how I viewed the team and some of the needs and some of the [things] that we needed to do to make this team better. I was able to check my ego and put this team first.

“It’s not about me. It’s really about Raider Nation, the alumni, to try to put our best product forward so that we can win football games for this city and Raider Nation. Tom is easy to talk to and ultimately he wants what’s best for me and I want what’s best for him and this football team. And it’s my job to support him and all we do as we move forward. And hopefully we will continue to grow trust as we work together and win some football games together.”

That is a great attitude to have in an Assistant GM who, for a couple months, was entrusted with running the team. And Kelly likely knows that his name is out there in a positive way now, which means he is on the radar for GM jobs across the NFL as they open up.

Kelly has risen over the past 16 years in the NFL ranks from a college scout with the Broncos in 2007, to Director of Pro Personnel in Denver from 2010-14, to his current position which he now enters his third season with the Raiders.

Watch: Antonio Pierce talks how he went to bat for CB Jack Jones to get Raiders to sign him

Antonio Pierce staked his reputation on CB Jack Jones and convinced Raiders brass to sign him

With Josh McDaniels in charge, the Raiders had a swagger problem. They got plenty of it when Antonio Pierce took over as head coach. But he needed all the players on board with that. He had a few who were created their own including Maxx Crosby and Robert Spillane, and was looking for more.

That’s when Jack Jones hit the waiver wire. Pierce had coached Jones in high school and in college. Jones had become known for having some off field issues including getting caught with a firearm in the airport of all places.

So, when he was cut by the Patriots late last season, many teams would shy away from him. But not Pierce. he wanted Jones on his team right away.

Here he talks about how Raiders GM Champ Kelly and owner Mark Davis were hesitant to add Jones, but Pierce staked his reputation on his former player.

 

“As soon as [Jack Jones] hit that wire, and I saw it come across, I ran right upstairs to our interim GM Champ Kelly and said ‘Champ, he can help us,” said Pierce. “He said ‘Oh, AP, I don’t know, he got a lot of baggage.’ I go ‘I know, trust me, I’ve been there for all of them.’ Then I went to Mark Davis ‘I don’t know, AP, ahh. Right now you want to do that?'”

Pierce said he wouldn’t let it go and soon he was insisting the team make this happen. “I said, ‘you know what, I believe in him so much, if we eff this up, get rid of both of us at the end of the season. Because I know what I’m getting with Jack Jones.”

Jones has a coach in Pierce who believes in him. Something we all need at one point or another. Or perhaps more than one point. And Jones, at least over the final seven weeks of the season, justified his coach’s belief in him.

By Week 14, Pierce had had it with Marcus Peters dogging it and giving poor effort on tackling and he yanked him in favor of Jones. And Jones immediately paid dividends with a pick six and another one the following week.

He fit right in with the energy Pierce was trying to get from his group. Or as Pierce put it “Our swag level went out the roof when we put him in our secondary.”

As if now, Jones is the favorite to be the outside starter entering his third season. And Pierce enters his first season as the full time head coach. The gambit paid off for both of them.

Raiders hope to keep Champ Kelly as Assistant General Manager

Raiders hope to keep Champ Kelly as Assistant General Manager

Over the final ten weeks of last season the Raiders had a resurgence. Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler were out as head coach and General Manager respectively and Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly took over those role on an interim basis.

Because of the good feeling in the building after an inspiring 5-4 finish, many were hoping Mark Davis would make the decision to keep both in those positions, taking off their interim tags.

One of those things happened.

It was Pierce who got the nod as the new full time head coach, while Kelly watched as longtime former Chargers GM Tom Telesco got the GM job. Davis opting for experience at the position so as not to have a first time head coach and GM at the same time.

This decision doesn’t have to mean Kelly is out of the picture altogether. He is still under contract with the Raiders as Assistant GM and as ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez tells it, Mark Davis is hoping Kelly will stick around in that job.

“In talking with Mark Davis, he told me Champ remains with the organization [and] he hopes he sticks with the organization,” Gutierrez said in an interview with the Raiders broadcast. “When the season ended, the interim tags left… he went back to being the Assistant GM. Which is what he maintains and stays today. He (Davis) said he respects him, he appreciates everything he did for him so hopes he sticks around in that role.”

Kelly has had an interview with the Panthers for their GM opening, but nothing came of it. It wouldn’t be unusual for Kelly to step back into the Assistant GM role and hope for his time to come in the future. And doing so could be a win-win for him and the Raiders organization.

Report: Panthers have ‘quietly entered’ 2nd round of GM interviews

Per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the Panthers have quietly entered their second round of GM interviews.

The Carolina Panthers are keeping their search for a new general manager on the down low.

According to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the organization has “quietly entered” the second round of interviews for the vacancy.

Like their head-coaching hunt, the Panthers officially announced interview requests for their group of candidates back on Jan. 8. But unlike their head-coaching hunt, the team has not provided many updates throughout the process.

Based on numerous reports, the Panthers had interviews set up for at least seven of the 11 known candidates—assistant general manager Dan Morgan, vice president of football administration Samir Suleiman, Baltimore Ravens vice president of football administration Nick Matteo, Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, Kansas City Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, Las Vegas Raiders interim general manager Champ Kelly and Philadelphia Eagles assistant general manager Alec Halaby.

Jones also notes that Morgan went into the search as “strong candidate” for the role.

[lawrence-related id=689485,689297,689352]

Antonio Pierce sure is acting like he’s got Raiders head coach job

Antonio Pierce sure is acting like he’s got Raiders head coach job

There is nothing official yet as to who the Raiders head coach will be next season. But Antonio Pierce sure sounds like the job is his.

The interim Raiders head coach appeared at the Martin Luther King Jr Day Parade today along with Raiders legend Richard Seymour and interim general manager Champ Kelly. They were all smiles for the event.

Worth noting is the Seymour recently announced he has taken a role with the Raiders.

The Raiders had been holding interviews for the general manager position and were supposedly not going to start the process of interviewing head coach candidates until after the GM process had completed. Well, Monday they interviewed Leslie Frazier, which they could do prior to Jan 22 because Frazier is not employed by a team. And the interview satisfies the Rooney Rule.

So, could that suggest Champ Kelly has been retained as GM?

If so, that picture would look like three excited Raiders employees.

If that wasn’t enough, here’s Pierce all smiles while appearing in an interview during the parade. And while he was clear to say it isn’t “official” yet, everything else he said suggests he’s got the job.

 

 

“It’s a dream,” Pierce said of getting the job. “I don’t want to pinch myself just yet until it becomes official and we put a stamp on this bad boy, but I’m very humbled and honored.”

That sounds like and looks like someone who’s got the job.

Report: Panthers’ interview with Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly ‘went overtime’

The Panthers and Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly reportedly “went overtime” in their interview from this past week.

Las Vegas Raiders interim general manager Champ Kelly is in the process of trying to knock that “interim” label off, as he’s currently taking up interviews for a few general manager openings. Those openings include the one for the Carolina Panthers, who may have gotten quite an impression of the highly-regarded candidate.

Yesterday, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Kelly’s chat with the Panthers took place on Thursday, and that it “went well.” Taking it a step further, ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler tweeted on Saturday morning that the interview “went overtime.”

Kelly got his NFL start in 2007, as a college scout for the Denver Broncos. He went on to assume the roles of assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting and assistant director of pro personnel between 2008 and 2014.

The Campbellton, Fla. native then moved on to the Chicago Bears, where he was installed as the director of pro scouting in 2015 and the assistant director of player personnel in 2017. Kelly would be hired as the assistant general manager for the Raiders in 2022.

Kelly is one of 11 known candidates for Carolina’s general manager post. He is also slated to talk with the Raiders about their position today.

[lawrence-related id=689245,689276,689270]

Panthers reportedly complete 2 GM interviews

The Panthers reportedly completed interviews for their general manager job with Las Vegas’ Champ Kelly and Philadelphia’s Alec Halaby.

The Carolina Panthers have reportedly wrapped up a pair of talks for their general manager opening.

According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Raiders interim general manager Champ Kelly has completed his interview with the Panthers. Bonsignore noted that the chat took place on Thursday.

Kelly finished the 2023 season leading the Raiders’ front office after owner Mark Davis dismissed general manager David Ziegler on Nov. 1. He began serving as the organization’s assistant general manager in 2022.

The Campbellton, Fla. native started his behind-the-scenes career in the NFL as a college scout for the Denver Broncos in 2007. He’d then spend the next 15 seasons between Denver and the Chicago Bears—picking up roles in their scouting and player personnel departments.

Joining Kelly on the checklist was Philadelphia Eagles assistant general manager Alec Halaby. Halaby’s interview, per Joe Person of The Athletic, went down on Friday.

Halaby and Kelly are two of 11 known candidates for the job.

[lawrence-related id=689045,689260,689236]

Raiders line up several GM interviews while interim GM Champ Kelly sees outside interest

Raiders line up several GM interviews while interim GM Champ Kelly sees outside interest

The words ‘due diligence’ are going to be used a lot in the coming weeks and months, so prepare for that. A strong and inspired finish to this past season has many hoping the Raiders retain interim head coach Antonio Pierce and interim general manager Champ Kelly. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but the Raiders are doing their — wait for it — due diligence before making any official decisions.

Head coaches and GM’s are increasingly package deals in the league. Many coaches want to have some say in who the GM will be and vice versa. Which is why, until a decision is made on one position, the decision has not been made on either position.

Setting aside the head coach position for the time being, the Raiders are seeking out potential GM’s to speak with as part of that process.

Just in the past 24 hours, the Raiders have lined up interviews with three potential General Managers. — 49ers Asst GM Adam Peters, Colts Asst GM Ed Dodds, and former Chargers GM Tom Telesco.

Meanwhile Champ Kelly has received interest from the Panthers for their GM job.

None of this means the Raiders won’t hold onto Kelly ultimately. First and foremost, he needs to be prepared in case they don’t and it’s always a good to be in demand.

But should the Raiders really like one of the head coach candidates and he would prefer someone else as GM, the Raiders need to be prepared for that. Likewise, if they fall in love with one of these GM candidates in the interview process, they will need him to be onboard with the head coaching decision.

 

 

Panthers 2024 GM search tracker

Join us as we track every candidate in the Panthers’ search for a new general manager

Congratulations, Carolina Panthers fans. You got a twofer this time around!

Not only will the organization be on their second head-coaching hunt in as many offseasons—but, with the dismissal of Scott Fitterer, they’ll also be on the prowl for a new general manager.

Keep it here as we track each candidate throughout the process.