Pete Carroll’s coaching staff: Scheme, system will chart roster course

Who Raiders new head coach assembles around him determines which players stay or go

Retaining Tom McMahon as special teams coordinator Wednesday morning.

That’s the first domino (of many) that fell regarding Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff.

Building the crew around him is a priority and the Raiders began the construction shortly after the Monday press conference that introduced Carroll as head coach and John Spytek as general manager.

Las Vegas interviewed current Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Darrell Bevell on Tuesday. The familiarity runs deep with Bevell and Carroll as the former was the latter’s offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks. The Raiders requested permission to talk current Seahawks defensive passing game coordinator Karl Scott on Monday, so expect more names to surface.

Who Carroll chooses to surround himself with as a coaching staff will chart the roster course as scheme and system will loom large on the makeup of the Raiders. The coordinators and various assistants are going to point Spytek and Carroll in the direction of keeping, adding, and subtracting players from the roster as the duo will forge a Silver & Black identity — one that was severely lacking the past few seasons.

“My first order of business is going to begin with Coach (Carroll) here. We’re going to talk more about the kind of player we want, what it looks like at every position, the kind of person we want. To me, it’s vitally important,” Spytek said during the introductory presser. “You’re going to hear, I think, both of us continue to talk about that. What does it mean to be a Raider? What are the qualities that we’re going to stand for? What are qualities that everybody that comes into this building is going to stand for? I take that very personally and very seriously as a responsibility of mine.

“The scouts are in charge of finding the right kind of people to bring into an organization. There’s no greater responsibility, I don’t think, than that.”

In McMahon’s case, his side of the ball is relatively set with place kicker Daniel Carlson, punter AJ Cole III, and long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer being at the top of the talent chart at their respective position groups. The return units need work, but special teams is the least of the Raiders’ worries this offseason.

The person calling the plays on offense and defense is what Raider Nation is eagerly awaiting. So let’s take a look at potential fits.

Offensive Coordinator

We have to start with Bevell, a play caller for Carroll from 2011 to 2017. Bevell called the plays when Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII but also dialed in the ill-fated call in Super Bowl XLIX. Bevell has been with Miami since 2022 and helped Mike McDaniel’s offense find its footing.

Another Seattle connection is Shane Waldron, who was the Seahawks offensive coordinator from 2021 to 2023. A Sean McVay disciple, Waldron was popular in Seattle, however, the concern here is he was waxed by the Chicago Bears just nine games into the 2024 season in which the team ranked 30th in total offense and 24th in points scored at the time of his firing.

Carroll could opt to go his own family tree route with sons Brennan and Nate. Brennan is the University of Washington offensive coordinator and offensive line coach while Nate is the Carolina Panthers’ passing game coordinator. Both sons worked with their father Pete in Seattle and if nothing else, could be destined for assistant coach roles outside of play-calling duties.

Spytek can dig into his background to propose an OC, such as Byron Leftwich. Both Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady are quite familiar with the former NFL quarterback as Leftwich called plays for Bruce Arians with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Leftwich hasn’t coached in the NFL, however, since his firing after the 2022 campaign.

There’s also a laundry list of former play callers — former Houston Texans OC Bobby Slowik was fired this past Friday, as an example — and ultra neophyte types that haven’t had play calling on their resumes.

Of course, who the Raiders tab as the offensive line coach looms large, too. Tom Cable is floated around as a potential trench boss and Raiders and Seahawks fans alike are quite familiar with that name.

Defensive Coordinator

This side of the ball can have deep Seattle ties, too.

Former Raiders and Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is available after the Indianapolis Colts sent him packing. Philosophically and schematically, Bradley likely fits into what Carroll wants from his defense.

Then there’s Kris Richard, who played for the Raiders back in the day and interviewed with the team regarding potential spots on the defensive coaching staff. He’s coached under Carroll (USC and NFL), called plays, and is currently the defensive backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Another connection is Nick Sorensen, the former San Francisco 49ers defensive boss. Fired after just one year, Sorensen was on Carroll’s Seattle staff from 2013 to 2020. And then there’s Scott, who has been the defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator for the Seahawks since 2022.

Carroll can also look inward at this past season’s Raiders staff, too.

The team spoke to defensive line coach Rob Leonard regarding the DC role. And Patrick Graham remains available after his contract expired post 2024 season. He’s interviewed most recently with the Jaguars for their defensive coordinator vacancy.