The Las Vegas Raiders have continued to receive interest in their coaching vacancy.
Despite having one of the least desirable openings on the surface, the Raiders have convinced top coaching names to at least hear them out.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, as well as Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo interviewed with the team on Friday.
Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh will interview sometime next week, and one with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is yet to be scheduled.
Now, a new name that has been linked to the Raiders for quite some time is starting to develop interest in the position.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal, sources close to University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders have indicate he is considering making the jump to join the Raiders.
“He has a very strong interest in the job,” the source said, per Bonsignore.
The news comes on the back of reports that minority owner Tom Brady is taking charge of the head coaching and GM search. The Raiders are hoping he will help them replace Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco who were fired on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
The Sanders family and Brady have been connected for a long time, largely due to the Hall of Fame quarterback’s influence on Deion’s son Shedeur. Brady has worked out and mentored the Colorado quarterback, and his clothing brand signed Sanders to an NIL deal in 2022.
Should Deion want to join the Raiders, it will likely be as a package deal with both Shedeur and Colorado safety Shilo Sanders joining the roster. The good news is that the Raiders have pathways available to both, should they ultimately decide to go the Sanders route.
The Raiders currently hold the sixth overall pick in the draft and could look to trade up. The Tennessee Titans sit at number one, but reports have them preferring University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
The Browns hold pick number two and, while they could be in the market for a quarterback after Deshaun Watson’s Achilles setback, it is uncertain if Sanders has any interest in joining them. If not, the Raiders could have a willing trade partner to move up the order and draft their franchise quarterback.
Shilo is a much-less ballyhooed prospect, but the Raiders could snap him up with their seventh-round selection to fulfill their end of this hypothetical bargain.
The Sanders family joining the Raiders would certainly add entertainment value to an already thrilling offseason. So long as it translates to winning on the field, the team will accept that.
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