The Las Vegas Raiders have literally been raiding the staff of the Seattle Seahawks as new coach Klint Kubiak fills out his roster of coaches, but the Seahawks finally decided they’ve had enough. The Seahawks blocked the Raiders’ efforts to interview Seattle run game specialist and assistant offensive line coach Justin Outten for the position of offensive coordinator, according to a report written by Nikhil Mehta of ProFootballRumors.com.
It’s a surprising move, but it was really only a matter of time. Kubiak’s list of Seahawks interview requests was seemingly growing by the day, and at some point Seattle was bound to put a stop to it.
The Raiders have already promoted from within to fill their defensive coaching positions, though. They named defensive line coach Rob Leonard as their new defensive coordinator yesterday, and coach Joe Woods will be sticking around to provide help on defense.
The move is especially noteworthy given Outten’s specific responsibilities. He undoubtedly played a key role in unleashing Kenneth Walker III this season, and it was Walker’s sudden knack for explosive plays that helped the Seahawks route the New England Patriots, 29-13, in the Super Bowl.
The Raiders have a back who looked more than capable of what Walker did this year, at least at times. Running back Ashton Jeanty was the sixth pick in last year’s draft, but he had trouble finding room to run behind a horrible offensive line that fell apart once left tackle Kolton Miller went down to a high ankle sprain that turned out to be a stress fracture.
But Jeanty also proved to be a capable receiver out of the backfield, especially on swing passes that got him out in space. That’s a dimension Walker simply can’t offer, and it’s hard to imagine Kubiak not trying to capitalize on that talent.
Outten would have aided in that effort, but now he’s not available, and it will be intriguing to see Kubiak’s next move. He’s obviously intent on putting his staff together quickly and efficiently, which is essential given how long it took the Raiders to make this hire. The Raiders have the top pick in the draft and plenty of cap space to make additions, and Kubiak undoubtedly wants to get on with the job at hand so he can come to OTAs ready to go.
Kubiak has other interview requests that are either pending or underway, so it remains to be seen if those will be postponed or put on hold. He has some parts and pieces in place already, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he hired his offensive coordinator this week, regardless of that coach’s background.