This has already been an eventful offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders as the team has hired a new head coach and general manager in Pete Carroll and John Spytek respectively. And at the forefront of everything for the Raiders has been minority owner Tom Brady.
It had long been rumored that Brady would be the main person calling the shots this offseason, as owner Mark Davis would rely heavily on the former quarterback. No one was quite sure how much influence Brady would have, but it sounds like it is quite a lot.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic recently appeared on The Ryen Russillo podcast and made it clear that Brady is running ‘everything’ for the Raiders this offseason:
“Let’s just start with making it really clear that Tom Brady is running everything in Vegas. It’s all Tom Brady. I think there’s some rumors, some chatter, I’m telling you, this is all Tom Brady there. Even his own TB12 programs are being installed there, so to speak. Alex Guerrero’s out there, he’s going to be working some of the players. He is trying to do it and change the Raiders and have a tremendous amount of influence on them.”
Many consider Tom Brady the greatest player in NFL history. He is trying to bring his success to this Raiders franchise in the best way he knows how. Whether he will succeed remains to be seen, but Mark Davis clearly believes in him and empowers him to turn this franchise around.
Brady and the Raiders hope they have the right coach to lead the way in Carroll. Still, it is also well known that they pushed hard for former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Russini noted that apparently, the pitch from Brady was received well:
“The pitch to Ben Johnson has to be layered in Bradyisms. Ben Johnson had to feel like we’re going to do this the right way, I’m going to do this with you. We’re in lockstep. We’re together. We’re a team. Not so much, I’m owner, your coach. And I think that was really enticing to Ben Johnson who has been very hesitant to hopping into this head coaching space.”
Johnson ultimately chose to take the Chicago Bears head coaching position largely due to their quarterback situation, with the promising Caleb Williams under center. Finding the franchise quarterback will undoubtedly be Brady’s next move in his quest to turn the Raiders back into an elite NFL franchise.
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby discusses conversations he’s had with Tom Brady
It isn’t just about the new additions for the Raiders, as Tom Brady must also assess who is currently on the roster and get everyone on the same page. This team’s most important and unquestioned leader is defensive end Maxx Crosby, and he sounds to be on board as well.
Crosby recently discussed conversations he’s had with Brady, saying he’s excited about the future after talking with the Raiders minority owner. He also added, once again, that his ultimate goal is to play in the postseason when it matters most and hopes that will come with this franchise.
