Raiders hire Patriots' Dave Ziegler as general manager

Ziegler, 44, spent nine seasons in New England, where he began as assistant director of pro scouting and worked his way through the ranks. He was promoted to become the de factor general manager of the Patriots early in 2021 after Nick Caserio left to become the Houston Texans GM.

The Raiders are reportedly close to hiring Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the team's new head coach, and the hiring of Ziegler could be more evidence that McDaniels gets the job soon.

Las Vegas finished the 2021 regular season with a 10-7 record, but lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-19, in the wild-card round. Days after the loss, Mike Mayock was fired following three seasons as the Raiders' general manager.

Jon Gruden resigned as head coach of the Raiders in October after emails surfaced showing the former "Monday Night Football" commentator using racist and homophobic comments in conversations with former Washington executive Bruce Allen.

The Raiders currently own the No. 22 pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.