The Las Vegas Raiders‘ latest big swing at head coach was Pete Carroll. It seemed like a move that would work. He has a long history of success and has turned teams around before.
However, things haven’t worked out at all. The Raiders are 2-10, and arguably look worse than they did last season under Antonio Pierce. If Carroll were younger, it would make sense to give him more time to turn things around, but he’s already the oldest head coach in NFL history at 74.
In recent weeks, there has been talk that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Mike Tomlin might be heading toward a divorce. While things have grown stale for the team, Tomlin has never had a losing season and holds the record for most consecutive non-losing seasons to begin a coaching career at 18.
Sometimes, coaches just need a fresh start. Sean Payton and Andy Reid are perfect examples of that. If the plan is for Tomlin and the Steelers to sever ties, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders would be among his ideal landing spots.
“If Carroll is indeed out in five weeks, the Raiders’ next coach could be inheriting the skeleton of a competitive roster, along with an opportunity to target one of next year’s top quarterback prospects,” Knox wrote.
“If the season ended today, Las Vegas would own the fourth overall pick in the draft. With the Titans and Giants—teams that just used first-round selections on QBs—likely picking before them, the Raiders could make a move for their preferred target.”
Tom Brady Could Factor In
While Tomlin is a top-tier coach, there could be some problems with him potentially going to the Raiders. Knox broke down how Tom Brady’s involvement could lead the coach to avoid the team.
“The Steelers simply aren’t going to have a shot at a prospect like Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore without expending a massive amount of draft capital to move up from the middle of Round 1,” Knox wrote. “The biggest potential roadblock to this pairing might be the presence of minority owner Tom Brady. After dealing with one of the league’s most hands-off owners in Art Rooney II, Tomlin may not want to deal with an owner who appears to have his hands in everything.
“However, the Raiders would almost certainly give Tomlin a hero’s welcome, and with a high draft slot and the second-most projected cap space in the NFL, Las Vegas could improve its roster in a hurry.”
Is Tomlin a Big Enough Upgrade Over Carroll?
A big reason why the Raiders might not love the idea of hiring Tomlin is that his resume isn’t too different than Carroll’s over the last decade. Carroll had very few losing seasons during his time with the Seattle Seahawks, and won a Super Bowl early in his tenure, before struggling to find playoff success later.
Tomlin is only 53, so there’d be a lot more patience with him, but it might be time for the Raiders to go after a young offensive mind. It’s not hard to see Tomlin having a similar season with the Raiders as Carroll has had. It makes more sense for the team to bottom out and embrace a more youthful approach.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Record-Breaking Head Coach Named as Possible Pete Carroll Replacement appeared first on Heavy Sports.