New Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak passed most of the tests in his opening press conference, and the rumor mill is cranking up to anticipate his staff hires. Sam Robinson of ProFootballRumors.com did a rundown on both sides of the ball, and he touched on some interesting names.
Start with the offense, which is appropriate given the problems the Raiders had there. Kubiak is expected to try to bring in his quarterbacks coach, Andrew Janocko, as his new offensive coordinator, and Albert Breer of MMQB pegged Janocko as the “widely presumed” leader.
Janocko has worked with Kubiak before with the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints as well as the Seahawks, so it will be interesting to see if Seattle decides to promote him from within. Other Seahawks coaches such as offensive line coach John Benton and pass-game coordinator Jake Peetz are also expected to be options, and pass game coordinator Karl Scott has also been mentioned as Kubiak goes about the business of raiding his old staff.
Part of the reason Janocko is the favorite is because of his work with quarterback Sam Darnold, who was once perceived as one of the most fragile quarterbacks in the NFL. But Darnold has gone on two deep playoff runs now and he has a Super Bowl ring to show for it, so Janocko’s name is being thrown around a lot.
The situation is a little muddier on the defensive side for the ball, with former Cleveland Browns coordinator Jim Schwartz being mentioned. Other names include Joe Cullen, the defensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Raiders defensive backs coach Joe Woods, although Woods was let go in the coaching staff purge the Raiders did last Friday before announcing the Kubiak hire. Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver is another prominent name that's been mentioned.
The age mix on the staff will be intriguing to watch. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Kubiak to opt for someone older like the 58-year old Cullen on the defensive side of the ball, given that Kubiak’s background is on offense and he may want an old head to run the defense. Other coaches like Scott are younger, and Kubiak definitely needs to change the energy in the building.
Expect this staff to be built quickly, though. The Raiders lagged behind during the interview process because of the various commitments of minority owner Tom Brady, so they have a lot more work to do than other teams that have been prepping for free agency and the draft for several weeks now.