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What does future of Las Vegas Raiders hold? Tough decisions loom for owner Mark Davis

UPDATE: The Las Vegas Raiders release general manager Mike Mayock on Monday afternoon. “We have relieved Mike Mayock of his duties as General Manager of the Las Vegas Raiders. We thank Mike for his contributions over the last three years in helping to form the foundation for the franchise to build upon in its future.”

ORIGINAL STORY: Jim Harbaugh or Brian Flores for the next Las Vegas Raiders head coach? Or how about keeping Rich Bisaccia?

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis has some tough decisions to make after the Raiders lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-19, in the wild-card playoffs at Paul Brown Stadium on Saturday.

Davis will make a decision whether to keep general manager Mike Mayock, Bisaccia and quarterback Derek Carr.

The Raiders cannot go through another major overhaul, like so many that Carr and the franchise have experienced since he arrived in the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2014 draft.

It has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for Carr since, going through a variety of head coaches (Dennis Allen, Jack Del Rio and Jon Gruden) and offensive coordinators (Greg Olson, Bill Musgrave, Todd Downing and Olson again).

Not many likely thought that the Raiders, after what they went through off the field, would this year end a playoff drought that began following the 2016 season.

After Gruden’s ouster, it seemed logical to consider whom the Raiders should consider next while Bisaccia played out the string as the interim head coach. But we waited to see how things unfolded.

Then a winning streak happened, capped by a regular season-ending 35-32 overtime win over the Los Angeles Chargers that sent the Raiders to the playoffs as a fifth seed.

For that, alone, the Raiders could consider taking the interim tag off Bisaccia. Not many could have pulled off what he did, with the players rallying behind him and playing hard while going on the streak that locked up the postseason berth.

Who knows? Maybe Bisaccia doesn’t want the full-time head coaching job, but if he does, he deserves a shot with Las Vegas.

Bisaccia was asked if he gave it any thought on getting the full-time coaching job.

“I’m just thinking about those guys in that locker room that played the game with their heart and soul out there like that and had a chance to win at the end,” Bisaccia said after the game.

Carr gave his approval for Bisaccia saying “I’ve never seen someone with an ear for the locker room. Not just one player, one side, but everybody.”

“He’s proven that people listen to him,” he said. “All of those things are decisions I don’t get to make, I just play quarterback and do my best to complete every pass. With everything that went on this year, all the pieces missing, everything that changed, he held it together. We lose two linemen, a starting receiver, and your number one target. We lose Josh Jacobs for a little, then Kenyan Drake. And that’s all on offense. The fact that the staff kept us competitive and finding ways to win football games is what our organization is all about. We’ll see what happens. We know what we want to have happen. We’re Raiders. We’re going to play football, but we hope it’s for somebody special.”

Prior transitions and rebuilds have not done much to advance the Raiders’ cause. They led to a string of sub-.500 seasons in 2017 to 2019 and an 8-8 record in 2020. Now, finally coming off a winning regular season, the Raiders look to be trending upward with the emergence of Darren Waller, Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow and Josh Jacobs.

But if another transition takes place, with a new coach and GM potentially going in a different direction at quarterback, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders take 10 steps backward.

The players have spoken highly of Bisaccia and Carr during the season.

Gruden just part on in-season turmoil

The season turned chaotic when Gruden resigned Oct. 11 after e-mails surfaced that detailed disturbing comments he made about NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith, commissioner Roger Goddell and others in the NFL and associated with the league

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden leaves after speaking during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden leaves after speaking during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Las Vegas.

Davis accepted the resignation and appointed Bisaccia as the interim head coach.

The Raiders went on to win the next two games before more turmoil hit the Raiders on Nov. 2, when wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was charged with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving.

After that, cornerback Damon Arnette was released when video surfaced of him holding a gun and allegedly threatening to kill someone.

Tailspin ensues for Raiders

All those distractions seemed too much to overcome for the Raiders, who lost three in a row before picking up a 36-33 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

Still, the Raiders’ struggles quickly resumed, going through a 1-5 stretch during the tailspin.

That’s when Carr and Co. seemed to decide enough’s enough.

Facing elimination in the playoff race, Carr, Crosby and Bisaccia helped rally the team and the ensuing four-game win streak clinched a spot in the postseason.

“I do know one thing for me personally is I love Rich and whoever they bring in here, is going to do a great job,” Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow said Sunday. “I think Rich has proven that he can do it at this level. We love playing for him. We played hard for him and he’s done a great job. He can lead us if given the opportunity. We’ll see how the card folds. We’ll obviously love whoever they bring in. We’ll work towards bringing a Super Bowl next year.”

What Mark Davis needs to do

The Raiders have momentum with the young players they have on the roster.

Crosby, punter A.J. Cole and linebacker Denzel Perryman were named to the Pro Bowl. Cole was named to the All-Pro first team; Crosby was a second-team selection.

Mayock swung the trade that landed Perryman, who led the team in tackles.

The future is bright for the Raiders, but only if they keep Carr to keep stability there, and perhaps Bisaccia.

It doesn’t make sense to bring in a whole new staff and have the players learn different schemes all over again after the success seen in the 2021 season.

NFL Network reported early Saturday that the next coach will determine if Carr remains with the team. Carr has gone on record that he’d likely retire rather than play for another team, and he has never gone against his word.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr walk to the sidelines during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, in Indianapolis.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr walk to the sidelines during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, in Indianapolis.

And there is no way the Raiders should give up a haul of draft picks for another quarterback when you have Carr, who has 30 game-winning drives — six this season — and this season played such a critical role in holding the team together.

All he had lacked during his career was a decent defense. He finally has that and the Raiders reached the playoffs.

Continuity is always important in the NFL and the Raiders have a lot to build off this season. But only if they keep the staff, and Carr, who were responsible for the turnaround.

The wait begins.