Bill Belichick was quickly replaced as head coach by Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots, but it will probably take longer to replace him as general manager. There are several former Patriots executives in the NFL who have joined other clubs. Former general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders Dave Ziegler is one person to watch.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network stated in an X post on January 12 that Ziegler is one of the candidates that might be considered for the position.
After working his way up to director of player personnel, Ziegler began his career with the Patriots in 2013 as the deputy director of pro scouting. Before joining the Raiders, he worked as Belchick’s right-hand guy in the front office for a few years. Ziegler didn’t stay in the role long enough to provide a reliable assessment of his abilities, since Las Vegas sacked him before he could complete a second season.
Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, ought to be well acquainted with Ziegler’s abilities in assessing talent. He would probably only be given consideration for a general manager position in New England.
Was Dave Ziegler Rightfully Fired?
It wasn’t entirely shocking when Josh McDaniels was let go from his position as head coach of the Raiders. The players didn’t seem to be clicking with him, and he had a 9–16 record. The fact that supporters would start badgering owner Mark Davis about firing McDaniels did not help.
The case of Dave Ziegler was more intricate. Davis simply wanted to move on from both McDaniels and him since they were seen as a package deal. Still, Ziegler accomplished a few worthwhile goals. It was a wise trade to acquire Davante Adams, a wide receiver who has had consecutive seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards. Tre Tucker, Aidan O’Connell, and Michael Mayer, the Raiders’ 2023 draft selections, proved to be important performers this season.
Additionally, Ziegler made good use of free agency by adding Marcus Epps and Robert Spillane. There was a lot of terrible along with the good. The defensive end was cut prior to the 2023 season due to the disastrous signing of Chandler Jones. Tyree Wilson, a projected first-round pick in 2023, didn’t have much of an impact this season, and Jimmy Garoppolo’s $72 million contract might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Ziegler has plenty of room to grow—he’s only 46—but he might have to take a step back before being given another chance to be a general manager.
News about the GM search for the Las Vegas Raiders
This time around, it looks like the Raiders will begin interviewing potential head coaches before hiring a general manager. According to Ian Rapoport, the team has scheduled interviews with Ed Dodds, general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, and Terrance Gray, director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills, on January 12.
On January 13, the club will interview Champ Kelly, the temporary general manager.
One thing Rapoport pointed out is that Dodds was probably going to be hired by the Raiders, but Mark Davis preferred Josh McDaniels, and McDaniels preferred Dave Ziegler to be his general manager. This time, the team will have the opportunity to hire Dodds, but Kelly is undoubtedly still a possibility. It appears that Dodds or Kelly will take over as general manager of the Raiders for the upcoming campaign.
