Key Factor in Raiders' Offseason Coaching Staff Additions

Kubiak Connection

More specifically, Las Vegas hired several coaches to its staff who had some prior ties to him. This is very common across the league among coaches who accept head coaching positions. However, few coaches have ever walked into a situation as unique as the one Kubiak just did.

Las Vegas' decision to hire the likes of Andrew Janocko and others was a wise move to help eliminate the natural learning curve and adjustment period that is already on the horizon for the new-look Raiders. It is a decision that has and will continue to help the Raiders get off to a smooth start.

With all of the new pieces Las Vegas added to its coaching staff and roster, every bit of familiarity will count. This is especially true for a Raiders team on their fourth head coach in four years, with more offensive coordinators and interim offensive play callers who have come and gone during that time.

The Raiders need all the help they can get. However, they have also found multiple ways to help themselves this offseason. This should make for a more cohesive and more competitive team this upcoming season. Las Vegas solidified its coaching staff, then its roster.

Other Factors

The promotion of Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator proved that it took far more than previous ties to Kubiak to land a job on his Raiders coaching staff. Along with prior ties, Kubiak was sure to hire a coaching staff with many decades of experience.

After last season's struggles, few coaching staff additions the Raiders made this offseason will matter more than the addition of Rick Dennison as their offensive line coach. He is a well-respected coach with 30 years of NFL coaching experience. Tyler Linderbaum recently noted his presence.

"It's been awesome. Tons of experience, and all the coaches in there with Mario [Jeberaeel] and Ben [Wilkerson], just really pushing us to be the best versions of ourselves on the field and then in the classroom," Linderbaum said.

"Just with Rico's experience, he's coached a lot of football, and it helps with a room like ours just trying to gel together and get as much information from him as possible, just the way he communicates and goes about football, it resonates with us."  

Las Vegas has assembled a coaching staff that, at the very least, should be better than its most recent three. The Raiders still have a long way to go and have to prove on the field that the additions they made off the field were the right ones.

However, based on the coaching staff and roster additions recent Raiders regimes have made, John Spytek and Kubiak's Raiders appear to be headed in the right direction. Las Vegas has had a dismal past few seasons, but this offseason has given reason to have legitimate hope for the Raiders.

Coaching has been arguably the Raiders' most significant problem lately. Even if their rosters had been better recently, there is little to make one believe any of Las Vegas' three most recent coaching staffs could have done all that much with them.

This offseason, the Raiders finally fixed their coaching staff.