Oakland Raiders Want Mike Holmgren? Former Super Bowl Winning Coach In Talks? Can Holmgren Help Carson Palmer?
Ten years removed from the playoffs, and the Oakland Raiders are still in need of a major shakeup.
The Raiders are currently searching for two executives, one to run the football side, and the other the business side of the team, according to NFL.com. And the same report from Wednesday stated the former Super Bowl winning coach and executive Mike Holmgren is under consideration for a front office gig in Oakland.
The Raiders haven’t made the playoffs since 2002, which is currently tied for the second worst streak in the NFL behind the Buffalo Bills and their 13 years away from the postseason. Their last appearance was a lopsided 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Holmgren's last turnaround project with the Cleveland Browns did not go over as well as his stints with Green Bay and Seattle. Cleveland went a combined 13-35 during Holmgren’s tenure as team president for 2010 to 2012. However, Holmgren’s draft choices last season of running back Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden showed glimpses of promise, meaning he might have left the Browns better off then when he arrived.
Like the Raiders, the Browns have gone 10 straight seasons without a playoff appearance.
A member of the storied Bill Walsh coaching tree, Holmgren led the Green Bay Packers to two straight Super Bowl appearances with one win in 1996. He then moved on to the Seattle Seahawks for 10 seasons, and helped the club reach its first and only Super Bowl to date.
His work with quarterbacks, and overall team building, earned Holmgren much of his strong reputation over the years. His tutelage of Brett Favre could be credited for the future Hall of Famer’s longevity, and Matt Hasselbeck made three Pro Bowl appearances with Holmgren in his ear.
Oakland paid a fortune in draft picks for quarterback Carson Palmer, who threw for 4,018 yards last season despite a running game ranked 28th in the NFL. The Raiders may not need Holmgren for his quarterback expertise, but rather his overall abilities to rebuild a club.
The Raiders have the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft, and could use Holmgren's overwhelming experience come April to add a potential franchise player.
As a coach, Holmgren has a career 272-161 record, and 13-11 mark in the playoffs. He hasn’t coached since 2008 when Seattle went 4-12.
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