The Oakland Raiders need a new head coach and Mark Davis has Pep Hamilton, Adam Gase, Jack Del Rio, Mike Shanahan and Tony Sparano could be potential options and this comes as Reggie McKenzie may look at a Larry Fitzgerald trade or Mike Wallace this offseason to try and add some talent to the offense for young quarterback Derek Carr.
The Raiders are looking at a number of options and ESPN.com reports that the team has interviewed Pat Shurmur and they also are looking hard at Pep Hamilton. According to Bill Williamson at ESPN.com, the team has interviewed a number of candidates, including Mike Shanahan, Jack Del Rio, Eric Mangini and Darrell Bevell, while Kyle Shanahan has been looked at as an offensive coordinator option. Hamilton and Gase are very intriguing options, as they both have been very successful as offensive coordinators. The Raiders will have to wait until the Colts and Broncos play (and see who loses) if they want to hire one of those names and if their candidate is on the winning team, they will have to wait a bit longer.
McKenzie may also look at making a trade for a playmaker like Larry Fitzgerald, Mike Wallace or Andre Johnson, as all three of those players have some contract issues with their teams. The Raiders may have the cap space to make a move, but if Fitzgerald is released as some reports have speculated, the team will have an easier tie signing him. McKenzie has already said that he plans on adding talent for Derek Carr, but it remains to be seen how he will do it and who he will bring in.
The Raiders are not necessarily looking for an offensive coach, but based on the names they have brought in, it looks like they will be leaning towards that side of the ball. The defense wasn't great last season either, but the offense was not productive at all and one goal for Reggie McKenzie this year is to get more talent on the roster. A trade with Fitzgerald, Mike Wallace or Andre Johnson could be an option, while the team also may look at Amari Cooper with the number four overall pick in the draft.
Last season the Raiders went 3-13 on the year and just 1-5 in the AFC West and now they are trying to at least get back to .500, which is where they were a few years ago. The team went 4-12 two years in a row under Dennis Allen and he was fired in the middle of this past season, with Sparano taking over on an interim basis. Sparano could end up as head coach, but Davis likely will go another direction this offseason. The team played hard under Sparano and won a couple games, but that may not be enough for him to get the job.
The team did not get their first win until November and that came after a 0-10 start. The Raiders won over a couple good teams and played hard against others, winning over the 49ers and Chiefs as well as the Bills while also playing close with the Chargers and Seattle Seahawks, which was on the road at the Link. Winning three of their final six games may not be enough for Sparano, as the offense finished dead last in rushing yards per game and near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed per game.
