Many have tried and failed, but it is up to Gus Bradley to solve the Raiders ’long-standing defensive problems.
Bradley was hired on Tuesday by coach Jon Gruden as the Raiders’ new defensive coordinator, the Bay Area News Group has learned. The Raiders confirmed Bradley’s addition to the staff.
Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator for the past three years, Bradley succeeds interim coordinator Rod Marinelli, who took office when Paul Guenther was fired with three games left for the 2020 season.
Guenther was chosen by Gruden as the defensive coordinator when he coached again in 2018. The Raiders were at the end of the NFL defensive rankings all season, with Gruden firing Guenther after a 44-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts when both teams played the playoffs. contenders.
Bradley and former Seattle defensive coordinator Kris Richard were the only known candidates to be interviewed.
It’s up to Bradley to improve on a Raiders defense that has been poor for most of the last quarter of a century with only a few exceptions. Marinelli is expected to continue as coach of the defensive line.
Bradley, 50, got his first NFL job on Jon Gruden’s staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 as a quality control coach at Mount Kiffin. Bradley had been the defensive coordinator for the state of North Dakota.
He went on to coach the forwards, but lost his job when Gruden and staff were razed a month after a 31-24 loss to the Raiders to close out the 2008 season.
On Kiffin’s recommendation, Bradley received an interview with Seattle freshman coach Jim Mora, who was impressed enough to hire him as defensive coordinator.
“Monte says, ‘JL, listen to me, I have a guy here in Tampa who’s one, if not one of the best football coaches I’ve ever worked with,” Mora told the Seattle Post-Ingelligencer. “He’s a unique coach in life. You need to talk to him.”
Although Bradley had no experience as an NFL coordinator, Mora hired him. When he was fired after a season, Bradley held the position of Pete Carroll.
With the 2009-12 Seahawks, Bradley, under Carroll’s leadership, modeled a defense that included young talents such as Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner. Seattle led the NFL in goal defense (15.3 points per game) in 2012 and went from 7-9 to 11-5.
Bradley spent four seasons as head coach with Jacksonville, going from 14 to 48, before being fired. He then joined Anthony Lynn as Chargers defensive coordinator.
Chargers corner Casey Hayward told USA Today at the Pro Bowl in 2017, Bradley arrived with a big thumb from Sherman.
“He just said,‘ Man, this guy will love you! You’re going to be willing to run down a wall for him because that’s the kind of person he is, ”Hayward said. “It simply came to our notice then. He said it’s a really good mix for a corner player because he’ll mix things up. He will play some (cover) three, he will play some men. He said Gus will mix things up and put different pressures. ”
There are a myriad of ways to statistically classify a defense, with two of the most basic points allowed and gardens allowed.
The Raiders were 30th in points allowed in 2020 and have not been below number 20 since 2006, when they were number 18. They have been quite ranked in the 1920s in terms of yards, with an atypical value number 11 ranking under John Marshall in 2010.
The year 2006 was a statistical fortune, as the Raiders, in addition to being 18th in allowed points, ranked No. 3 in yards. That season, under Art Shell, the Raiders were so poor on offense that opponents realized once the lead reached 10 points, the game essentially ended and they spent more time killing the clock than trying to score.
Only twice in the last 30 years has the Raiders had a defense in the top ten in terms of training and points. They were ninth in points and eighth in yardage in 1996 with the late Fred Whittingham, but finished 7-9 in large part due to injuries suffered by quarterback Jeff Hostetler.
The other time was in 1990, when under Dave Adolph the Raiders were number 7 in points and number 4 in yards. That season they were 12-4 and the defensive staff included Greg Townsend, Howie Long, Jerry Robinson and Terry McDaniel.
Bradley has hired the following players for 2021, ranked by number of soldiers: defender Cory Littleton ($ 13.7 million), corner Lamarcus Joyner ($ 11.2 million), defensive end Carl Nassib (9, $ 5 million), defender Clelin Ferrell ($ 8.5 million), defender Nick Kwiatkoski ($ 7 million).
Other young players under their draft selection contracts who are likely to be key pieces for 2021 include safety Johnathan Abram ($ 3.1 million), cornerback Damon Arnette ($ 3 million), cornerback Trayvon Mullen (1 , $ 9 million) and defensive end Maxx Crosby ($ 1 million).
The Raiders have spent much more freely on offense than on defense since Gruden arrived, and currently hired players account for $ 115.5 million below the salary cap with $ 70.6 allocated to defense according to overthecap. how
Over the past two seasons, the Raiders have made significant defensive signings in free agent, most notably Joyner, Littleton and Nassib, but none made the impact Gruden and Mayock had expected.