The Las Vegas Raiders finished the season as the NFL’s worst team.
Immediately after the season, the Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll. While the Raiders have not played a game since the first week of January, Las Vegas is already in a better position than they were last year.
Hiring Carroll never made much sense. Perhaps the Raiders viewed it as a bridge coach, as the 74-year-old Super Bowl winner could breathe some life into a zombified organization. Even if that was the rationale, it didn’t work. The Raiders were far and away the most embarrassing team in football, wasting another season of Maxx Crosby’s prime and burning up the first year of standout running back Ashton Jeanty’s rookie season.
On Sunday, the Raiders moved closer to hiring Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next head coach. This hire will not be allowed to become official until after the Super Bowl, as Kubiak will lead Seattle’s offense against the New England Patriots next week.
There’s no guarantee that Kubiak, 38, will be the right hire for the Raiders. But it’s a decision that signals that Las Vegas is finally ready to get serious about building their football team the right way.
As the worst team in the NFL, the Raiders will have the No. 1 overall pick. That selection is likely to be used on Indiana Hoosiers Heisman quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who just won the national championship in one of the most dominant college football seasons ever.
While Mendoza isn’t regarded as a “can’t miss” quarterback prospect like Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning or even Trevor Lawrence, ushering in a new franchise quarterback with a first-time head coach completely resets the timeline in Vegas.
There are countless examples of teams that are able to capitalize on quarterbacks on rookie contracts. That’s exactly what the Raiders need to do with Mendoza. Geno Smith was a colossal failure. Keep that project in the rearview mirror while adding protection on the offensive line and a few more playmakers to complement Brock Bowers.
In the AFC West, the Raiders will still need to compete with the Denver Broncos and Patrick Mahomes, who look to be the class of the division for a long time. Don’t forget that the Los Angeles Chargers are entering a make-or-break year with Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel in the saddle as offensive coordinator.
The Raiders just need to focus on building around Mendoza, Kubiak and Jeanty, while allowing Crosby to contend for meaningful games in the postseason during the rookie contracts of the premier young offensive talent.
Vegas’ roster has plenty of holes, but hiring Kubiak is a big step in the right direction for a team that was wandering the desert long before it ever moved out there.
