The Las Vegas Raiders are dedicated to Antonio Pierce. The crew eliminated the interim tag shortly after the 2023 season ended and named him the full-time head coach.
Pierce and the Raiders brass traveled to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine this week, and the top coach gave some perception on what he hopes to have on the quarterback place for the 2024 season.
“I don’t know how it’s going to play out, but (Tom) Telesco better start working his magic,” a smiling Pierce stated in reference to common supervisor Tom Telesco’s offseason technique. “I told him: ‘It’s your turn now. All eyes are on you. I am going to be undefeated for six more months.'”
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Tom Telesco, left, and Antonio Pierce attend an introductory information convention on the Las Vegas Raiders’ Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Efficiency Middle Jan. 24, 2024, in Henderson, Nev. (Ethan Miller/Getty Pictures)
The Raiders at present maintain the thirteenth decide within the upcoming NFL Draft.
Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are this yr’s high quarterback prospects. If the Raiders do not wish to commerce for or signal a veteran free agent quarterback, the crew may elect to commerce up in an effort to safe one of many highly-touted younger signal-callers.
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“I am sure that’s something that Telesco has already spoken about, but that’s my personality,” Pierce stated on the potential for pulling off a commerce to maneuver up within the draft. “As you guys saw and witnessed, I am a go-getter. But obviously that has to be a collective agreement.”
Final season, Aidan O’Connell, a 2023 fourth-round draft decide, dealt with the beginning quarterback duties for 10 video games. The Raiders signed veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo final offseason, however he struggled mightily, throwing seven touchdowns towards 9 interceptions over his seven appearances.
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell (4) of the Las Vegas Raiders passes in the course of the second quarter of A recreation towards the New York Jets at Allegiant Stadium Nov. 12, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Pictures)
The franchise is extensively anticipated to launch Garoppolo later this offseason. Pierce laid out what he’s in search of within the crew’s subsequent quarterback, saying he was not interested by a “band-aid.”
“I would hope whoever we draft, that’s the route we go, that’s who the starter becomes,” Pierce stated. “You don’t want to put a Band-Aid at that position. That’s old … that’s old, man. I think the Raiders … we’ve seen that enough in this organization.”
Jimmy Garoppolo of the Las Vegas Raiders makes an attempt a cross in the course of the fourth quarter towards the Denver Broncos at Empower Area at Mile Excessive Sept. 10, 2023, in Denver, Colo. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Pictures)
The Raiders play in the identical division as th Kansas City Chiefs, the crew that has received the final two Tremendous Bowls. Pierce is in search of a quarterback who is not going to again down from the problem of dealing with the defending champions twice subsequent season.
Interim head coach Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders runs off the sphere after the Raiders defeated the New York Giants, 30-6, at Allegiant Stadium Nov. 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Pictures)
“I want a guy that can lead, that wants to compete. I want a guy that’s not afraid of a challenge because this is a big challenge that we have in front of us. We’ve got the world champs in our division again. You know what you have to deal with each and every year as long as you have Patrick Mahomes in our division,” Pierce stated.
“I want somebody that says: ‘You know what? I am up for that challenge.’ That’s the same way I look at it going against these three coaches in this division.”
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Pierce added that he’s looking for a signal-caller who has confirmed they’ve the power to win.
“You want someone who has been battle-tested, that has been through adversity, had challenges and wasn’t just handed the keys. Because that’s going to be the process here no matter what we do,” Pierce stated.
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