How many more former New England Patriots staffers will we see in Las Vegas next season?
That's fair to wonder after the Raiders hired two high-level Patriots staffers -- offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and director of player personnel Dave Ziegler -- as their new head coach and general manager, respectively.
It appears the answer is at least one: Las Vegas is hiring Patriots offensive assistant Bo Hardegree as its new quarterbacks coach, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday night.
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Hardegree comes to the Raiders after one season with McDaniels in New England and five previous seasons in the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins (QB coach, 2016 to 2018) and New York Jets (offensive assistant, 2019 to 2020).
So, what will the rest of Las Vegas' coaching staff look like under McDaniels? The new head coach is keeping at least one holdover in wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett. But there's a good chance McDaniels hires an offensive coordinator he's familiar with, and a few options could make sense for that role:
- Nick Caley, Tight ends and fullbacks coach, Patriots. A potential candidate to replace McDaniels as New England's offensive coordinator, Caley also attended John Carroll University and worked with McDaniels for seven seasons in Foxboro.
- Jerry Schuplinski, former quarterbacks coach, New York Giants. Schuplinski and McDaniels were offensive colleagues for six seasons with the Patriots (2013 to 2018) and were also college teammates at John Carroll.
- Chad O'Shea, wide receivers coach, Cleveland Browns. O'Shea worked closely with McDaniels for seven seasons (2012 to 2018) as the Patriots' wide receivers coach.
While familiarity may not be as high of a priority for McDaniels on defense, it's possible he could tab Jerod Mayo as the Raiders' defensive coordinator. The Patriots inside linebackers coach interviewed for Las Vegas' head coach job and has experience with McDaniels as both a player in New England and a coach.
Recently-fired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale also has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the same role with the Raiders while Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai reportedly is interviewing for the Raiders DC job, so it's no guarantee McDaniels fills out his coaching staff with ex-Patriots.
But Patriots fans should keep a close eye on Las Vegas' new hires, because it's possible more could come from a New England organization that has lost a lot of talented coaches and executives in recent years.