Two big questions for serious, long-time Raider fans

[raiderman41]

1 How many of the scheduled interviews with GM candidates are simply a way for the Raiders to scout their weaknesses and perhaps even to assess the quality of coaching, players and various units? Al Davis used to do this all of the time. He would glean insight into his teams and coaches through this outside view. Could this be part of an assessment into Coach B, Gus Bradley and all?

2 With Mark Davis not being a football guy like his dad, who is advising him? When his dad died, Mark had John Madden and Tom Flores. Madden is gone and Flores is getting too old to really advise him on the NFL of today. Marcelo Reese is the senior advisor to Davis, but is he really that astute in coaching, personnel matters? Who is Davis turning to now for advice with no GM in place?

[Johnkr]

If you look at the advice Mark Davis got when he inherited the Raiders, it wasn't that good.
I think Davis started making decisions based on what his' father did in the past. Hiring Gruden
was returning to the last time the Raiders really had a good team. If you project this to the current
situation. Jim Harbaugh worked for Al Davis. John Madden said “Al always respected him because he
played. Al liked players. He felt the guys that played would relate better to players. He also respected
Jim because he was a tough guy, a smart guy, a grinder. Somewhere in Al’s mind, he had it that someday
Jim would be the Raiders head coach. Because of Harbaugh's relationship with his' father, I think he is
Mark Davis' top choice. Ed Dobbs also interned in Oakland under Al Davis. I think he is the top choice for GM.

As far as picking the brains of candidates. I don't think anyone could do that like Al Davis.

[SuperRaider]

Really don't know what Mark Davis is doing on the GM search; their a possible chance that Davis won't hire GM till later on after he bring a HC in; in which I think going to be Jim Harbaugh....at this moment we need to know who the HC is going to be; it might have already been agree verbally between Davis and Harbaugh that Harbaugh will be HC, but Mark said I gotta go and interview a few other people to make the hiring legal....

The sad thing is that Al Davis should have had Mark Davis more involved in running the Raiders when Al was a alive; I don't think Al trusted anybody with the raiders and that why Mark Davis was far in the background...I do think Mark Davis has gotten better as an owner as he has learned more on the job compared to when he took over in 2012...

[Assassin32]

I hope Mark, within his process listens to the people that he is brining in. He may hear things that might trigger some change (hopefully for the better) that he or others don't see from the inside. I also think he needs to hire the GM first. I am all for Harbaugh but he needs to be accountable to the GM. If that is not the case than I would like to see us go with Theo Riddick and an up and coming coordinator. Josh McDaniels, not up and coming would be ideal due to the fact that in his scheme you don't need a mobile QB. but I don't believe that is remotely possible.

[Vioraider]

I don’t think Bisaccia is going to be the coach. I hope that MD hires a GM immediately and allows them to either select, or give input on the next coach. I don’t want to see Riddick due to the fact that he has zero experience. I also do not want to see Josh McDaniels. My prediction is Dobbs and Harbaugh. I guess we are going to find out very soon

[raiderman41]

I hope Mark, within his process listens to the people that he is brining in. He may hear things that might trigger some change (hopefully for the better) that he or others don't see from the inside. I also think he needs to hire the GM first. I am all for Harbaugh but he needs to be accountable to the GM. If that is not the case than I would like to see us go with Theo Riddick and an up and coming coordinator. Josh McDaniels, not up and coming would be ideal due to the fact that in his scheme you don't need a mobile QB. but I don't believe that is remotely possible.

This is what I'm thinking. If he learned anything from his father, it likely was to use these interviews as a way of getting an outsider's assessment of his team. I'm hoping that someone with close ties to the Raiders, with an insight into the league and its potential next, hot young GMs is advising Davis into the people he needs to talk with first. Maybe its Charles Woodson. Maybe its Rich Gannon. Maybe it's Louis Riddick. Maybe it's a combination of a number of people. I hope Davis isn't listening to people like Jerry Jones, who knows little and would likely try to encourage Davis in the WRONG direction.

I can see Davis asking questions such as:

What is your scouting report on Derek Carr?

What do you think is the strength of the Raiders' team roster?

What do you think is the weakness of the roster?

Where did you have Cle Ferrell slotted on your board? (do this for all of the first rounders the Raiders have selected in recent years)

What was your scouting report on the Raiders' offense?

What was your scouting report on the Raiders' defense?

Who would be on your short list of potential coaching candidates for the Raiders? Why?

What would be your plan to turn the Raiders into perennial winners? Tell me the first 10 steps you would take in this process.

In asking these types of questions and many more to each of the GM candidates, I think Davis will begin to learn more about his team and more about whether or not he is talking to a potential GM with whom he can have a good relationship. Davis doesn't need a "yes man." He needs someone who knows the team intricately, and has a plan to rebuild it and turn it in to a perennial winner.

Davis needs a right hand man he can trust. Gruden hand selected Mayock, and Gruden was that guy for Davis. Davis selected wrong the last time around. Gruden was more show than anything. Davis can't make a bad selection now in his GM, or he will relegate this team to being a loser for the next 5 years. The foundation is there; someone just has to take it to the next level. The GM is someone who needs to be with the Raiders for at least the next 10 years to build stability. This is the person who will help select the head coach.

Marcel Reese is likely telling Davis this is what he needs to do. If Reese is indeed a friend and confidant of Mark Davis, he needs to steer him in this direction. Reese does not have the experience to be the GM, but he knows enough to advice Davis to take the time to hire a GM first then allow that GM to conduct the coaching search. Davis should have a few candidates lined up for interviews, which will be conducted by him and his new GM.

Under this scenario, Coach Biassacia may or may not be the head coach. A GM may tell Davis that he saw the Raiders played very hard for the man, and the problem wasn't effort. He may tell him that the offense was too vanilla, that the team first and foremost needs a more innovative offensive coordinator. He may also tell Davis that the Raiders defensive scheme was good, or that it, too was too predictable. The GM candidates may also give Davis an honest assessment of Derek Carr in terms of what he's worth and whether or not the Raiders need an upgrade to advance this offense.

The people Davis is scheduled to bring in include people with close ties to New England, Cincinnati and the Colts, quality programs that have drafted well and have built strong teams.