Many tried and failed, but it was up to Gus Bradley to solve the Raiders’ defensive problems for a long time.
The Bay Area News Group learned that Bradley was appointed by coach Jon Gruden on Tuesday as the new Raiders defense coordinator. The Raiders confirmed Bradley’s addition to the staff.
The Los Angeles Chargers defense coordinator for the past three years, succeeds Bradley as interim coordinator Rod Marinelli, who took over when Paul Guenther was sacked with three more games in the 2020 season.
Guenther was Gruden’s hand-picked choice as defense coordinator when he returned to coaching in 2018. The Raiders were at the bottom of the NFL defensive rankings all season, and Gruden fired Guenther after a 44-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts when both teams were in the playoffs. claimants.
Bradley and former Seattle defense coordinator Kris Richard were the only candidates interviewed.
It depends on Bradley to upgrade a Raiders defense that has been weak over the last quarter century, with only a few exceptions. Marinelli is expected to remain as coach of the defensive line.
Bradley, 50, got his first NFL job in Jon Gruden’s staff at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 as a quality control coach under Monte Kiffin. Bradley was the defense coordinator in the state of North Dakota.
He switched to linebacker coaching, but lost his job when Gruden and staff were wiped out a month after a 31-24 loss to the Raiders to end the 2008 season.
On Kiffin’s recommendation, Bradley was interviewed by Seattle first-year coach Jim Mora, who was impressed enough to appoint him as defense coordinator.
“Monte says, ‘JL, listen to me, I have a guy here in Tampa who’s one of, if not the best football coaches I’ve ever worked with,’ ‘Mora told the Seattle Post-Ingelligencer.’ He is. ‘ An A-plus. He’s a one-time coach. You need to talk to him. ”
Although Bradley had no experience as an NFL coordinator, Mora hired him. When he was sacked after one season, Bradley retained the post under Pete Carroll.
With the 2009-12 Seahawks, Carley, led by Carroll, formed a defense that included young talent such as Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner. Seattle led the NFL in defending points (15.3 points per game) in 2012 and went from 7-9 to 11-5.
Bradley then spent four seasons as head coach at Jacksonville, 14-48, before being fired. He then joined Anthony Lynn as the Chargers defense coordinator.
Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward told USA Today at the 2017 Pro Bowl that Bradley came up with a big thumb from Sherman.
“He just said, ‘Man, you’re going to like this man! “You’re going to be willing to run through a wall for him, because that’s the type of person he is,” Hayward said. “It got me excited. He said he’s really a good mix for a cornerback because he’s going to mess things up. He will play some (cover) three, he will play a man. He said Gus would mess things up and cause different pressure. ”
There are numerous ways to rank a defense statistically, with two of the most basic points allowed and yards allowed.
The Raiders were 30th in points allowed in 2020 and have been since 2006, when they were no. 18 was, not under 20. They ranked fairly consistently in terms of yardage in the 1920s, with the outfielder as no. 11 in 2010 under John Marshall.
The 2006 year was a statistical mistake in the sense that the Raiders, in addition to the 18th point allowed, reached the No. 3 spot in the rankings. That season, under Art Shell, the Raiders were so weakly offensive that opponents realized that once the lead came in at 10 points, the game was essentially over and they had to kill the clock more than trying to score.
Only twice in the last 30 years have the Raiders had a top 10 defense in terms of yardage and points. They were ninth in points and eighth in yardage in 1996 under the late Fred Whittingham, but finished largely 7-9 due to injuries sustained by quarterback Jeff Hostetler.
The other time was 1990, when under Dave Adolph the Raiders were number 7 in points and number 4 in yard. They were 12-4 that season and among defense personnel were Greg Townsend, Howie Long, Jerry Robinson and Terry McDaniel.
Bradley has the following players under contract for 2021, ranked according to the salary cp number: the linebacker Cory Littleton ($ 13.7 million), the closing corner Lamarcus Joyner ($ 11.2 million), the defensive end Carl Nassib ($ 9.5 million), the defensive end Clelin Ferrell ($ 8.5 million), linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski ($ 7 million).
Other young players under their draft selection contracts that are likely to be the foundation pieces for 2021 include safety Johnathan Abram ($ 3.1 million), cornerback Damon Arnette ($ 3 million), cornerback Trayvon Mullen ($ 1). 9 million) and the defensive end Maxx Crosby ($ 1 million). .
The Raiders have spent much more freely on offense than on defense since the arrival of Gruden, and according to his account, players under contract are $ 115.5 million below the salary cap, with $ 70.6 for defense according to overthecap.com.
Over the past two seasons, the Raiders have made some important defensive signings in the free agent, especially Joyner, Littleton and Nassib, but no one has made the kind of impact Gruden and Mayock had hoped for.