A pair of top NFL insiders are not completely sure Las Vegas Raiders boss Mark Davis will be as patient as some may think if the team continues what has been a disappointing start to the 2023 season.
While the Las Vegas Raiders top decision-makers and fanbase might be willing to be a little patient after a rough showing in Josh McDaniels’ first season as head coach, that restraint may start to wear thin if the team does not show some progress after a mixed start to this season.
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After making some McDaniels preferred adjustments to the roster during the spring and summer, the team has not looked too good to begin their 2023 campaign. Their one-point season-opening win against the Denver Broncos is looking less impressive by the week with Denver seemingly the worst team in the league. That victory was then followed by back-to-back losses where Las Vegas was either soundly beaten or shot themselves in the foot.
This all coincides with some apparent drama in the locker room centered around 2022 additions Chandler Jones and Davante Adams. It furthers a picture that McDaniels does not have full control of his locker room and that the team general manager Dave Ziegler has built is a poor mix of players.
Las Vegas Raiders record (2023): 1-2
That is why ESPN NFL insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler debated in a Wednesday column if Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis could decide to clean house if things don’t improve, and fast, this season.
“Owner Mark Davis had a long-term vision in mind when he hired McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, and moving on would not be cheap. It doesn’t hurt to let this one play out,” Fowler wrote. However, his colleague disagreed and made the case for why change could come sooner than some expected.
“The franchise is in perceptibly worse shape than it was when McDaniels got there. Jimmy Garoppolo is already hurt. Davante Adams is making noise about being unhappy. It just feels like every move that has been made since the Adams trade has made the roster worse, and if they finish with one of the league’s worst records (which I believe to be extremely possible), how long will Mark Davis be willing to live with his mistake?” wrote Graziano.
After the unexpected resignation of Jon Gruden two years ago due to an email scandal, the organization is looking for stability. A fourth coach in as many seasons would be the opposite of that, however, their standard has always been high and if there is no progress, moving on from McDaniels or Ziegler is not a completely unrealistic possibility.