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The Las Vegas Raiders‘ search for a new defensive coordinator has already begun and some intriguing names have emerged. The team is linked to Gus Bradley, Joe Barry, Raheem Morris and Gregg Williams. Three of those men worked for Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay over a decade ago.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Bradley is the front-runner but Barry is in the mix.
“While Bradley is probably the front-runner for the job, the Raiders are also expected to talk to Rams linebackers coach Joe Barry. Barry is [Rod] Marinelli’s son-in-law,” Tafur wrote.
Bradley has been one of the most successful defensive coordinators in the NFL over the last decade. His Seattle Seahawks defense was so good that he eventually got a head coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. When that didn’t work out, Bradley took over the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense. Under Bradley, the Chargers’ defense has finished within the top-15 in points allowed per game in three of four seasons.
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Is Bradley a Good Fit?
Bradley is a really good defensive coordinator and has had a lot of success in the NFL. However, his success has come when he’s had elite talent to work with. The Seattle Seahawks defense he led from 2009 to 2012 was legendary and littered with Pro Bowlers. When Bradley went to Jacksonville, he didn’t have nearly as much talent to work with and their defense was terrible. In his four years there, his scoring defense was never better than 24th in the NFL.
He went back to being a coordinator and joined the Chargers. He once again had a lot of success there but he had great talent to work with. According to The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen, Bradley needs a “dominant” front four for his defense to work.
The Raiders might have the weakest front four in the NFL right now. Perhaps they’ve struggled because of bad coaching and Bradley could bring out the best in them. While there are some concerns with Bradley’s ability to elevate average to below-average talent, the Raiders could certainly do worse.
Morris Not in the Mix, Says Tafur
Raider fans aren’t going to want to see this but apparently, Raheem Morris might not be in the mix for the defensive coordinator job, per Tafur.
Unlike Bradley, Morris proved during his brief time as interim head coach for the Atlanta Falcons that he could elevate a defense that doesn’t have a ton of talent. After his defense shut down the Raiders’ offense, fans have been clamoring for Morris to get the defensive coordinator job. Once his defense held Patrick Mahomes to only 17 points late in the season, fans were even more adamant about him getting the job. There’s no reason to think he wouldn’t be a fit with the Raiders. He coached under Gruden before and has a strong relationship with the coach.
Perhaps he’s not interested in the gig right now but he might be the best fit of all.
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