After hiring Pete Carroll, the former Seattle Seahawks head coach, to be the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, one thing was certain: This would still be a defensive-minded team. Defense was still going to be the identity and culture of the Raiders.
And that's a good thing, a very good thing because that's been virtually the only positive of this team the last two or three years. So now you have Carroll, a defensive mastermind, so much so that he has one of the best defensive units of all time in the Legion of Boom. And then you have Carroll bringing back defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who has been responsible for these units for the last few years.
That allows there to be some continuity on the coaching staff that wouldn't have been there had Carroll brought someone else in. It also allows some of the scheme to stay the same so that the players that are still on the Raiders from last season don't have to completely learn a new system. Now, some things will be different with Carroll, but I'm willing to bet it will largely be Graham's system.
And so you can add all that up, head into OTAs and already tell which side will look better from the get-go. Of course the offense is going to struggle off rip, as they have a new QB, new RB, and a new system under new OC Chip Kelly. And then they are going against this defense that has a lot of the same things going for them that they had last year.
So yes, one thing is clear: The defense will probably be good all offseason in OTAs and even training camp. And the offense, well, they will struggle.
"The defense in general, the coverage group, did a really nice job today," Carroll said. "We stepped a couple of things up from Monday, and it showed. The offense saw some things they hadn't seen on Monday, so it was a little bit more difficult for them. But it was good to see us make the plays, and hard lessons for the offense when the defense is getting the ball. But it is all about the football for us, and the defense kind of hawking it today was emblematic of this day, so that was good stuff."
It also has to feel good that your secondary is practicing the way they are, and really shutting things down. They had three interceptions against Geno Smith on Wednesday and one against Aidan O'Connell on Wednesday. For that unit to be the biggest question on the defensive side of the ball, and to have that kind of practice is huge.
One thing is clear, this defense is going to be good in 2025 -- how good is the question. But it's also clear that this side of the ball will be ready far faster and quicker than the offensive side of the ball will. Now, it's about watching for the update on Christian Wilkins. Will they get him back in time to start the season?
It certainly doesn't sound like it. And maybe that is why the Raiders drafted two defensive tackles. But, it's good to know that Maxx Crosby is at full speed, and the secondary is playing well so far. But we have to remember, it's still so early. This is just part of offseason workouts, training camp is still a while away.
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