Tag: Dave Ziegler

10 worst moments that led to Josh McDaniels’ firing as Raiders head coach

10 most mindblowing moments of Josh McDaniels’ ill-fated Raiders tenure

It’s not lost on me that in just 25 games as Raiders head coach, I was able to pretty easily put together a list of ten utterly terrible moments that led to Josh McDaniels being fired.

The man who talked openly about all the mistakes he made when he first got a head coaching job ten years earlier ended up getting fired even quicker than he had in his doomed Denver stint. He lasted 28 games as Broncos head coach. He fell short of that by three games (25) with the Raiders.

This is a clear case of how it started, how it’s going. It started poorly. And it got worse. As hard as that might have been to believe possible just a year and a half ago.

For this, I put together a top ten list. But with Mark Davis saying McDaniels was fired because he saw regression rather than progress, I thought it captured that best to list them chronologically.

So, enjoy the ride. Mainly because it’s over now and you can look back thankful it’s over.

Raiders firing GM, HC may have prohibited Saints-Hunter Renfrow trade

The Raiders fired their GM and head coach at the NFL trade deadline. It’s hard to hold trade talks when there’s nobody answering the phone:

It’s hard for Mickey Loomis to trade talks when there’s nobody answering the phone, and that may have been the case for the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. The Raiders announced late Tuesday night that team owner Mark Davis fired everyone at the top of the organization, including head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints were working on a trade for Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow which fell apart in the hours leading up to the deadline, citing disagreements in which side would have paid more of Renfrow’s salary for the rest of the season. It shouldn’t have been difficult to work that out.

Renfrow is due $3.7 million in weekly game checks the rest of the season, but the Saints could have lowered that number by lowering him to the veteran minimum salary and getting the Raiders to cover the difference; he’s qualified for a $1.08 million base salary, which comes up to about $600,000 for the last ten weeks of the regular season. So the Saints would have paid that and the Raiders would have been on the hook for $2.1 million. Were they really so busy haggling over that number (which is less than 1% of the $224.8 million salary cap) they ran this down to the deadline?

Maybe the sudden layoffs at the top of the Raiders’ organizational chart played a factor. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson cited a source with a team that was in negotiations with Las Vegas who said the lines of communication fell apart on trade deadline day: “Explains why they ghosted us …  Nobody responded yesterday.”

What could the future hold? Renfrow is due a hefty salary in 2024 that will probably make him a cap casualty, and the Saints are clearly interested in him at a near-minimum salary. If he’s willing to sign for that much in the spring and work to reestablish himself as a reliable receiving threat in the NFL, working again with his old quarterback Derek Carr, maybe they’ll circle back to him once he becomes available. But that won’t happen until the season is over and the Raiders have rebuilt their organization yet again.

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Patriots fans react to Raiders firing Josh McDaniels as head coach

Patriots fans are waking up and reacting to the news that Josh McDaniels has been fired as Raiders head coach.

The NFL world is waking up to the shocking news that the Las Vegas Raiders have fired both coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler late Tuesday night.

It was a short-lived run for McDaniels in his second head coaching tenure. Just like his run with the Denver Broncos, he failed to make it a full two seasons with a team.

The Raiders were coming off back-to-back losses to the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions and likely on the verge of another disappointing season with a 3-5 record. They finished third in the AFC West division last season with a pitiful 6-11 record.

McDaniels clearly has deep ties within the Patriots organization, and there will immediately be thoughts of him potentially returning in some capacity to either coach or serve as a senior offensive adviser in New England.

We’ve pulled together some of the best reactions regarding the Patriots and McDaniels from social media.

Social media reacts quickly to firing of Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler

Social media was quick to react to the late-night firings of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired their head coach and general manager in the most Raiders ay possible — with the news breaking just after Halloween.

Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, both hired in January, 2022, were relieved of their responsibilities by owner Mark Davis, and the team subsequently released a statement on social media.

McDaniels signed a six-year contract, which leaves the Raiders having to pay off the remaining four years. Per ESPN, linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will be interim head coach.

The Raiders were 3-5 this season, and 9-16 in McDaniels’ tenure. McDaniels, the New England Patriots’ longtime offensive coordinator, previously served as the Denver Broncos’ head coach in 2009 and 2010, putting together an 11-17 record before he was fired there.

Despite the late-night nature of the firings, social media was quick to respond, because social media never sleeps.

Raiders fire head coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler in late-night news dump

The Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler after one-and-a-half unsuccessful seasons.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired their head coach and general manager in the most Raiders ay possible — with the news breaking just after Halloween.

Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, both hired in January, 2022, were relieved of their responsibilities by owner Mark Davis, and the team subsequently released a statement on social media.

McDaniels signed a six-year contract, which leaves the Raiders having to pay off the remaining four years. Per ESPN, linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will be interim head coach.

The Raiders were 3-5 this season, and 9-16 in McDaniels’ tenure. McDaniels, the New England Patriots’ longtime offensive coordinator, previously served as the Denver Broncos’ head coach in 2009 and 2010, putting together an 11-17 record before he was fired there.

Breaking: Raiders fire HC Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler

Breaking: Raiders fire HC Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler

Trick or Treat! After 10pm Halloween night, Raiders owner Mark Davis officially announced the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels along with General Manager Dave Ziegler.

Davis said in a statement:

“After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave.  I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best.”

McDaniels and Ziegler lasted just 25 games as head coach and General Manager of the Raiders. The team went 9-16 over that span.

The former offensive coordinator McDaniels saw his offense this season fail to break 20 points in any game this season. Monday Night against the Lions, the team scored just seven points and lost despite the defense forcing three turnovers and returning an interception for a touchdown.

Tuesday the trade deadline came and went with the Raiders making no moves to either add talent or add future draft capital. Which is probably for the best considering the issue seemed less to do with the players and more to do with the coaching.

Adam Schefter is reporting that Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will take over as interim head coach.

Pierce is well-liked, and should inspire his guys if nothing else.

2023 NFL GM rankings: The 5 best and 5 worst execs, starring Howie Roseman

Some of the guys on this list have built budding dynasties. Others just ruin their team’s hopes to contend.

Every star-studded Super Bowl contender has a mastermind pulling all the right strings behind the scenes. Without a quality general manager, most great, even good, teams never even launch off the ground.

And a quality GM is responsible for everything. They spend months scouting comprehensive draft classes. They have to massage their franchise’s salary cap when it comes time to make difficult financial choices. Even smaller decisions, like offseason training programs and equipment at the team’s facilities, are up to them. If we’re being forthright, a quality NFL GM has their fingerprints everywhere.

This isn’t necessarily a good thing for everyone.

Some GMs aren’t up to the task of having every important football decision come across their desk. They seemingly run their team like a 15-year-old kid playing Madden’s franchise mode who simulates all the smaller but essential details. And then it’s no wonder when their squads get obliterated every time they play a game.

For The Win’s 2023 preseason GM rankings centers on the folks who aren’t overwhelmed when they read one contract page on Over The Cap. It also highlights the people slowly but surely driving their franchises into the ground. After all, we have to see both sides of the coin.

MORE NFL PRESEASON:

Davante Adams calls Raiders GM Dave Ziegler ‘the man’ on Instagram after criticizing the team’s direction

Adams might have been playing damage control pretty quickly.

Davante Adams became a Las Vegas Raider last season and, on an individual level, picked up where he left off in Green Bay. The 30-year-old was once again a First-Team All-Pro and the arguable best downfield receiving weapon in the NFL. However, the Raiders struggled, winning just six games, as they’ve transitioned from Adams’ friend Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo under center.

It’s part of this shift that had Adams questioning the Raiders’ new direction under general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels in a recent interview with The Ringer’s Mirin Fader.

“We [Adams and Ziegler and McDaniels] don’t see eye to eye on what we think is best for us [the Raiders] right now … I’m going to have to buy into this and try to be as optimistic as possible. It’s not what I expected to happen, but it’s something that’s the reality now.”

Phew. Those are some rather ambivalent and noncommital thoughts for a franchise’s most important field-tilting player.

Perhaps recognizing that he criticized the Raiders’ direction in public too much, Adams shared an Instagram post calling Ziegler “the man” where he’s holding him and smiling.

On the one hand, it’s a business. I’m sure the Raiders have little issue with Adams’ honesty — especially given his pedigree — letting his feelings out into the open. On the other, good for Adams to quickly clarify that he wants to be in lockstep with Las Vegas as he enters the likely last phase of his pro football career.

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Tyree Wilson is work in progress but Raiders see ‘growth mindset’ of future star

In Tyree Wilson Raiders see physical specimen without ‘savvy’ but with ‘growth mindset’ of future star

Thursday night the Raiders made Texas Tech edge defender Tyree Wilson their selection at seventh overall in the draft. Putting the intriguing college talent front and center as the team attempts to improve upon their 6-11 record from last season.

It was a decision GM Dave Ziegler described as comfortable. Why did they feel comfortable taking Wilson? That’s a long answer.

Let’s start with the basics. Everyone raves about Wilson’s physique. He’s a specimen at 6-5, 271 pounds with 35-inch arms and a 84-inch wingspan. He has raw abilities which make for a good baseline to work with.

There’s the evaluation of a what a player has put on tape and then there’s the evaluation of what kind of potential they have. After all, we’ve all seen players who dominate the college game and put up great numbers there, but the moment they are put against NFL level competition, they are out of their depth.

Some would argue, that is often the case with rookies. That they get that shock when they hit the NFL and every player is better than just about any competition they faced in college.

Separating those who hit their peak in college and those who continue to improve at the next level is most of the battle. It’s why they talk about work ethic a lot when evaluating talent. Those evaluations start with the scouts.

“When they come back and they tell me he’s a guy with extremely long arms and an amazing body who practices extremely hard day in and day out, we’re automatically excited when we hear that,” said Raiders Assistant GM Champ Kelly.

Those of us who have seen the way Maxx Crosby has practiced throughout his career can draw a straight line from that to how he dominates in games. Going all out in every drill, every rep, and every snap. Wilson seems to subscribe to that as well.

“I feel like if you don’t practice hard, you don’t play hard,” said Wilson Thursday following his selection by the Raiders. “Coming to the Silver & Black, that’s what they’re big on – practice like you play and being dominant and relentless.”

Wilson had the look of a very confident man Thursday night. In his sleek black suit adorned with floral designs and his black button up shirt completely open to expose his several large sparkling chains around his neck. Which made it kind of funny to hear Ziegler use the word “humble” when describing Wilson.

However, his style of clothes and bear hug that lifted Roger Goodell off the stage floor aren’t an indication of his humility as a player.

Ziegler also referred to Wilson as a “willing learner” with a “growth mindset” and a “passion for football” and a “drive to get better.”

Much of that may sound cliche, but there’s a reason for that. Mainly because it’s so important in evaluating whether a player will develop into the talent you hope they will.

A good sign is how open he was to going into detail when I asked him about the areas in which he needs the most work.

“There’s other things that I need work on like locking out all the time and playing with pad leverage and just being more technically sound,” Wilson said. “Coming from college and going to the NFL, that’s the biggest thing that you have to work on.”

Ziegler listed these areas and many more including counter moves and setting the edge. Generally speaking, he said Wilson won with “length and power” but was not technically “savvy”. Which is another way of saying he is a raw physical talent.

“How to study your tackle, what’s the best way to specifically beat this individual player. That’s not something that he had to do,” Ziegler added. “He didn’t have to vary it as much as he’s going to have to do in the NFL. So, there’s a level of that that I think he can continue to grow.”

Wilson will have two great mentors in Crosby and Chandler Jones. So, he’ll have plenty of opportunity to live up to his potential. He will have a chance to carve out a role for himself early and for the long term. But from the sounds of it, he has a long way to go for that and will have to be everything the Raiders hope he is from a character standpoint in order for him to reach it.

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Raiders GM on role for Tyree Wilson among pass rushers ‘the more the merrier’

Raiders GM Dave Ziegler talked about how they plan to use Tyree Wilson in the short term

With the sheer number of glaring needs the Raiders have, it can be easy to overlook certain positions. One such position is edge rusher where the Raiders had Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.

Granted, Jones wasn’t lighting to world on fire much of last season, but with what he’s being paid, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so adding Tyree Wilson with their pick at seven overall means they are hoping he will come in and contribute immediately.

“The more the merrier,” said Raiders GM Dave Ziegler on adding another pass rusher in Wilson. “His ability to disrupt. We talked about it before. We’d like to eventually develop over time a front that’s able to come in waves and you’re able to keep guys fresh. And I think that’s important in this day and age especially because we have quarterbacks that run around. Like Herbert can move around, Russell Wilson moves around, Pat (Mahomes), he can move around in his own way, so being able to have some guys that can disrupt the quarterback and have more guys that can do that in phases, if you will, is valuable.”

Adding a rotation of pass rushers is one thing. But the Raiders see Wilson as being able to play alongside Jones and Crosby in certain sets.

“We thought he was extremely versatile,” Raiders assistant GM Champ Kelly said of Wilson. “He played all across the front, so you can line up with Maxx and Chan and those guys and still find a role to help us rush the quarterback. We’ve even seen him dropping in some clips, so we’re excited about that too.”

You can bet the Raiders will try to get their new top pick on the field as often as possible and in any way they can.

The 6-5, 271-pounder got to the quarterback a lot over his last two seasons at Texas Tech. To the tune of 14 sacks combined despite missing three game last season. He also got in the backfield to make tackles for loss 28 times over that same span.

The Raiders were 30th in the league in team sacks. So, yeah, they’re hoping he can help them come up a bit in those ranking.

“You see a guy that’s 6-5, 35-inch arms, whose proven to have the ability to get to the quarterback from multiple spots,” said Kelly. “That’s just an exciting possibility.”

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