Oakland Raiders future is bright with Jack Del Rio
By Dan Salem
The Oakland Raiders future is bright with Jack Del Rio, another NFL coach getting his 2nd chance at success. After a decade in Jacksonville, he enters the Black Hole. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.
TODD:
The Oakland Raiders have hired their new head coach, Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.
This seems like a fine decision, especially considering Denver’s recent improvement on that side of the ball which, at least on some level, has to be because of Del Rio. However, we have already seen the story of this man as a head coach. It’s happened before.
He was the Jacksonville Jaguars head man for a good long while, nine years to be exact. Overall, it was kind of a failure and he was fired in 2011.
Under him, the team had three winning seasons and two playoff appearances. He won one playoff game during his tenure in Jacksonville. There was a good pile of evidence to say that Jack Del Rio could not be a successful head coach in the NFL.
And yet, I’m on board with this hire. In fact, I have recently come around on the whole recycling of head coaches deal that runs rampant in the league. I used to be baffled by it. We already know ‘so-and-so’ can’t coach!
But more and more, it seems that coaching at this level takes practice, just like anything else. It seems guys can be much more successful in their second go-around. A lot of them need to fail that first time out and learn where they went wrong.
Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick, arguably the top two coaches in the sport, are perfect examples of this.
So why not Del Rio? Why can’t he also make great strides in his second chance at coaching? I think he can. Oakland could use his defensive acumen for sure. And if Derek Carr can improve during his sophomore campaign, this team may be on the upswing.
DAN:
You surprise me and I’m loving it. Oakland Raiders fans should be thrilled at the hire of their new head coach and Jack Del Rio is certainly entering a win/win situation. I’ve always believed that failure breeds future success, especially with NFL coaches. Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick are two excellent examples, but the list goes on and is not limited to out right failure at one’s first job.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Andy Reid did well in Philadelphia, overstayed his welcome, and found new life in Kansas City. Tom Coughlin did decent in Jacksonville and found championship glory at his next stop in New York. Del Rio joins a bevy of coaches this offseason who are getting a second, or third, chance at being a head coach in the NFL. The difference with Del Rio is that he had tenure, he spent nine seasons with the Jaguars.
Nine years with one team is itself a major NFL accomplishment. Very few coaches can claim nearly a decade leading their team. Del Rio found the playoffs only twice, but look at the quarterbacks he had leading the Jaguars. Byron Leftwich, Mark Brunell, David Garrard, Quinn Gray, Todd Bouman, Trent Edwards, Blaine Gabbert, and Luke McCown all led the Jaguars for one game or another during Del Rio’s time at the helm. You can’t tell me Derek Carr isn’t better than every single one of those quarterbacks.
I love what I saw from Carr in his rookie season, and expect a steady improvement towards winning consistency during year number two. Pairing Carr with a defensive minded coach looking to once again prove himself in the NFL is great mojo for the Raiders. A hungry quarterback and a hungry head coach with a rabid fan base itching for any kind of success. This spells actual enjoyment for the Raiders and their fans in 2015.
Look who else Del Rio inherits as head coach of the Raiders. He gets an excellent backup quarterback in Matt Schaub. He has solid wide receivers with a lot of potential upside; James Jones, Kenbrell Thompkins, Andre Holmes, and Denarius Moore. Plus he gets reunited with his former running back, Maurice Jones-Drew. Nearly everyone on this team has something to prove, boding exceptionally well for Oakland and Raiders nation. The Black Hole is alive.
TODD:
It follows more logically that someone who had relative or legitimate success at a first stop would find similar results during a second go-around. The reason Belichick and Carroll are such interesting stories is because they failed during their first head coaching gigs, a la Del Rio.
Although nine years is a long time in coach speak, the Jaguars went through lots of pains during that near-decade period. I’ll admit that a number of Del Rio’s quarterbacks were less than adequate, but I can and will tell you Derek Carr is not better than every single one of those quarterbacks.
Carr showed glimpses but he struggled with accuracy and was dead last, the very worst passer in the league, in terms of yards/attempt. And he was oh so bad at it. Carr was more than a half yard worse than every other QB in the league. There is something to be said for taking what the defense gives you; Carr said it too many times, week after week.
As I said, I like the hire, but slow your roll here a tad, and how dare you insult late-2000s David Garrard. He had some solid seasons!