Kubiak facing big questions as move to Raiders becomes official

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders made it official Monday by announcing Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will be their next head coach.

Kubiak arrived in Las Vegas on Monday fresh off a 29-13 Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Among the questions facing Kubiak as he takes over:

— Who he will hire as his coordinators on offense and defense?

If Kubiak brings coaches with him from Seattle, he could consider quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko for offensive coordinator and Aden Durde on the defensive side. It obviously would be a promotion for Janocko, though Kubiak might call the plays. Durde is the Seahawks' DC, but he would have the opportunity to have full control of the defense, unlike in Seattle where coach Mike Macdonald calls plays on that side of the ball.

— What to do about defensive end Maxx Crosby?

Two NFL reporters have said that the Raiders' star pass rusher wants out. He wasn't happy about being placed on injured reserve with two games left this past season and might not have the appetite for another rebuild attempt. Crosby said on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” that no such talk came from him, but he also didn't deny he wanted out.

The Raiders could get a haul by trading the 28-year-old Crosby and perhaps even accelerate the rebuild. Dallas got two first-rounders and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark by shipping Micah Parsons to Green Bay.

— How will he prepare for free agency and the draft?

Las Vegas has the No. 1 pick and more than $91 million in salary cap space, according to overthecap.com, so the Raiders have the opportunity to greatly upgrade their roster. It's almost certain they will use that top pick on Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and quarterbacked Indiana to the national championship.

But the Raiders will need to surround Mendoza with a lot more talent than is currently on the roster. Their top priorities likely will be improving the offensive line and finding a No. 1 wide receiver. The defense doesn't have a glaring weakness, but can use help throughout that side of the ball.

Kubiak, 38, confirmed during an on-field interview with NFL Network after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl on Sunday that he was heading to Las Vegas. Not that it was a surprise.

Kubiak and the Raiders began working toward finalizing an agreement more than a week ago for him to take the job, a person with knowledge of the discussions said at the time. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no contract was in place and no announcement could be made until after the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.

He'll be the third coach in three seasons for the Raiders and fifth full-time leader since they moved to Las Vegas in 2020. He succeeds Pete Carroll, who went 3-14 in one season in Las Vegas after a storied run with Seattle that included two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.

The Raiders have been searching for a path back to their glory days. Three Lombardi Trophies sit in the team’s facility, but the Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since their last Super Bowl appearance in the 2002 season. They have made the postseason just twice since, most recently in the 2021 season.

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