Even though the Las Vegas Raiders have shown interest in Antonio Pierce, the position of general manager remains vacant, which is a very significant one.
Along with Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, Champ Kelly, who took over as interim coach when the Raiders fired coach Josh McDaniels and Ziegler at the end of October, is still a candidate for the position. Additionally, the Raiders interviewed former Chargers general manager Tom Telesco again on Monday.
“Former Chargers GM Tom Telesco is in Las Vegas for a second interview for the Raiders GM job,” tweeted Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
In order to provide some context for Tafur’s revelation, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo noted that there are currently three candidates vying for the position of general manager and that team owner Mark Davis should make a decision in the coming days.
GM Champ Kelly of the Raiders, GM Ed Dodds of the Colts, and GM Tom Telesco of the former Chargers are still in the running for the opening general manager position in Vegas. It appears that the second round of interviews will conclude today, therefore a decision is anticipated shortly,” Garafolo stated.
The Raiders’ possible hire of Telesco would have an unusual symmetry to it, given Telesco’s former employer, the Chargers, fired both Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley in the wake of their humiliating 63-21 Thursday Night Football loss to the Raiders. A guy they dismissed would be hired by the Raiders.
Telesco did not exactly establish a stellar record in Los Angeles, so in general, the Raiders would be foolish to select him. After taking over the Chargers during their 2013 relocation to San Diego, Telesco’s teams finished 84-95 over the course of 11 seasons. In his tenure as the team’s owner, the Chargers only made three trips to the playoffs.
The Chargers have a history of assembling excellent lineups, but they have frequently lacked toughness and cohesion. Telesco took in Staley as his third coach with the Chargers, bringing him on board due to his defensive reputation that he had built while with the Rams.
However, the Chargers finished the season ranked 28th in yards allowed (6,170) and 24th in points allowed (398). “Ultimately, Telesco’s firing appears to have come down to his body of work,” ESPN’s Kris Rhim said in a piece on the reasons behind Telesco’s dismissal. During his eleven seasons as general manager, he brought on three head coaches and won two playoff games. Telesco failed in his ten-year attempt to turn the Chargers into winners. He had simply run out of time.
