Las Vegas Raiders could lean on Pete Carroll to recruit 6x All-Pro

In one of the most surprising developments of the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders hired Pete Carroll to be their next head coach. After a 4-13 season from Antonio Pierce, it’s up to coach Carroll to avoid another fourth-place finish in the AFC West.

To do so, the Raiders will have to make some serious roster upgrades on both sides of the ball after ranking 29th in scoring and 25th in points allowed. The good news is there are plenty of solutions available.

Las Vegas Raiders urged to sign Bobby Wagner

Before he accepted the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching position this offseason, Pete Carroll spent 24 seasons in the NFL as either a head coach or a defensive coordinator. In that time, he’s coached thousands of players, which means he has connections all over the league.

Some of those players need new contracts this offseason, and coach Carroll could use his history to recruit one of the most accomplished defenders of the past decade.

Recently, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox suggested the Raiders should sign linebacker Bobby Wagner in free agency.

“If Carroll wants to add a former Seahawk this offseason, Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner should be his first choice. Wagner spent 11 seasons with Carroll in Seattle. He was one of the franchise’s top defensive leaders, and when he was released in 2022, Carroll wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.”
‘I wanted Bobby to stay with us forever,’ Carroll said.
BR on Bobby Wagner/Raiders

Wagner played for Carroll during their time together with the Seattle Seahawks, where the two won a Super Bowl, but now the six-time All-Pro needs a new team after spending last season with the Washington Commanders and the Raiders could be an ideal fit.

“Adding Wagner would help the Raiders in a couple of ways. For one, he’d help bolster a defense that ranked 25th in points allowed last season. Secondly, he’d help Carroll change the culture in Las Vegas and help show players who haven’t experienced a lot of winning in their Raiders careers what it takes.”
BR on Wagner/Raiders

Now 34 years old, Wagner is coming off a season that saw him rack up 132 tackles, two sacks, four pass deflections, and a forced fumble. While his age is starting to catch up to him, Wagner still earned second-team All-Pro honors after yet another impressive season.