INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Las Vegas Raiders know how important continuity is on their coaching staff.
That’s why they decided to bring back defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Graham, who interviewed for head coaching and defensive coordinator openings this cycle, is one of the league's most underrated defensive coaches.
Pete Carroll knows how important Graham is to this team, too. Over the years, he has formed strong relationships with the players and helped develop them into quality contributors.
Carroll spoke with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine about the decision to retain Graham.
"In putting the staff together, I really wanted to see if I could bring some people that had been with me that I could have a background with, that could help me share the ideas and the concepts of what we were going to present,” he said. “I wanted to get guys that had never been with me before, so they had to learn it with us for a couple reasons. One, I wanted the guys that had been with me to help have to teach those guys and to share with them. And then the third element of it, was to get some guys that had been in the program so that they could give us an advantage, a leg up on the continuity that's necessary. Knowing the players, knowing the system, knowing the division, all of that. So there was really three elements of putting it together. Patrick [Graham] and Robbie Leonard were right at the top of the list to get that done. It's been done. It's working out quite well."
Graham’s defense ranked 18th in the NFL in defensive expected points added per play at 0.07, which accounts for the number of points a team is expected to produce each time it snaps the ball.
Despite multiple injuries to important players on that side of the ball, Graham’s defense remained competitive and helped the Raiders stay in position and not let games get too out of hand.
Graham had real shots to take jobs elsewhere, but Carroll knew his value was too high and did not want to let him leave.
That decision may pay off if the Raiders add talent to the defensive side of the ball and remain healthy in 2025.
