FanPost

Mayock Going After Dabo Swinney?

Let's say Allbright is on to something here - he who basically walked us through the Khalil Mack trade a couple years ago. Question is - if MD were to hire Dabo Swinney, might that lead to a trade for the Clemson crown jewel Deshaun Watson? Seems like it would be an exciting opportunity. A gamble to be sure, given Watson's legal situation right now, but gambling is what Vegas is all about, right? Would Swinney be a solid supporting figure for Watson in his second chance? Potentially the most supportive head coaching figure that Watson could hope for right now. Swinney has obviously had his own bouts with public image in recent years, so perhaps he'd need a second chance, as well? Either way, MD has to know that this organization must be exciting in Las Vegas. Part of the allure with Gruden was his rock star appeal. He was the face of the organization, when typically " face of the franchise " is reserved for star players. With Rodgers landing in Denver after this season, and Herbert and Mahomes already established, MD has to know that the team has a solid chance of being last in the division standings beyond this season....but with Dabo and Deshaun, at least the team wouldn’t be irrelevant. For - irrelevance - is certain death in the business of professional sports.

Anyway, it’s beginning to look as if Swinney's growing tired of college football with the NIL and transfer portal rules as targets of his ire. Could he actually be looking for a new opportunity? He obviously knows how to use mobile QBs and how to scheme around their strengths. But would Dabo’s brand of leadership work in the NFL? Tough to say, but if he had a QB who could deliver his message and have his back in return, he'd probably have at least a decent chance at success. Great quarterback play can mask a lot of things....Russell Wilson has been pulling Pete Carroll's defense for years now, and Carroll benefitted by getting a contract extension.

However, there's another interesting name there that oddsmakers have above Dabo Swinney - Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy has a checkered legal history, and that's likely the reason that he hasn't been hired yet. He’s done really well in incorporating the running game with the passing game in KC, and that's no easy task with an Andy Reid who just doesn't care for running the football. Bieniemy could do wonders with a combination like Jacobs and Watson in the Raider backfield. A dynamic running game to go along with Waller, Ruggs and the instant chemistry that Watson has with Renfrow would be extremely tough for the opposition to deal with on a weekly basis. Especially with a dynamic, aggressive trigger man under center like Watson who's willing to extend play after play and push the ball down the field with big, chunk plays. And of course, the offensive line wouldn’t have to perfect or super-expensive because Watson’s carried multiple, shaky offensive lines to the playoffs. Still, given his history of run-ins with the law, I would consider Bieniemy's candidacy - doubtful.

But if we're assuming that Mayock will be allowed to tab the next head coach, it'd be fair to mention Don " Wink " Martindale as a candidate because of Mayock's connections in Baltimore. But one does have to wonder if Martindale is just best suited to run a defense as it's coordinator. Being head coach could take a level of focus away from his strengths as a coach. But if Martindale were able to tab a strong offensive coordinator that allowed him to focus on his area of expertise, hiring him for head coach could take our defense to the next level. If we're still getting a strong, four man pass rush and are able to combine that with Martindale's brilliant blitz schemes, we could have a top 10 defense in no time.

Either way, now is not time for MD to go bland at quarterback and/or head coach. It’s within the realm of possibility that the league is out to get MD - and it’s highly likely that they wouldn’t mind one of their own taking control of the team. In their eyes, MD is not one of them. He's different from the old man, but ultimately, he's the same....not one of them. They don't view MD as a real partner, so the last thing he needs is a bland product. MD's only answer is to swing big and knock it so far out of the park that ownership circles have to accept him - essentially what Al had to do. I wrote similar months back when I did a piece on this " sinking ship " following the reports of MD's tax issues and Raider business execs and their exodus....

When I did that piece, I was told that I was being too negative. Well, on top of the potential tax issues and multiple business execs pulling out - we've now had our head coach resign amidst an email scandal. So is it OK to be negative now? Is it safe to panic? We need a hero to save this ship. Buying LV's WNBA team isn't enough to solidify MD's standing in LV as a solid partner to the NFL. MD had better be willing to purchase rock star heroes this off-season. Pay Waller, pay Maxx, pay a star ( or rising star) head coach, and pay whatever it takes to land Watson or Russell Wilson at quarterback. If MD cannot do these things to keep the team relevant, his own emails need to be searched and scoured through. The Las Vegas Raiders need assertive ownership.