Amid all the hirings and firings at the end of an NFL season, it's easy to overlook certain things.
But in this period of relative calm, it is possible to step back and reflect more deeply on what has developed.
Take, for example, the fact that one of the league's glamor franchises is now being run by a Fox lead color analyst who had no prior experience as a football executive.
Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders: Is this for real?
Until recently, Brady's involvement in leading the team remained unclear. The seven-time Super Bowl winner and his business partner purchased a minority ownership stake in the Raiders from Mark Davis, but Brady also had that job in the Fox booth that pays him a reported $30 million a year. Wouldn't that role be his main focus?
Evidently not. After the team fired head coach Pete Carroll at season's end, Davis said general manager John Spytek would lead the search "in close collaboration" with Brady, with both expected to "guide football decisions."
That spelled out what many already suspected: Despite having little of his own money in the Raiders, Brady was now calling the shots in Vegas.
And how's that going? Maxx Crosby, the Raiders' star edge rusher and by far the best player on the team, wants out, even though he just signed a massive contract extension last year. An all-gas-no-brakes player if ever there was one, Crosby is reportedly upset that the Raiders benched him for the final two games of the season while they tanked their way to the first overall pick in April's draft.
Rumors have also hinted that Crosby is put off by the organizational culture under Brady, particularly the presence of wellness guru Alex Guerrero, a longtime pal of Tom's.
The Athletic reported Wednesday that Guerrero, officially the team's wellness coordinator, "regularly attends practices and meetings" and "purports to possess significant organizational power."
The suggestion that Brady has installed Guerrero as his eyes and ears isn't particularly surprising. There were many reasons for Brady's awkward split with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, and their dispute over Guerrero's role was among them. (Belichick eventually banned Guerrero, whom Brady credits with helping him achieve remarkable longevity in the NFL, from the Patriots' facilities.)
But this is the kind of thing that gets a lot of inexperienced executives in trouble: They'll surround themselves with their guys because that's more comfortable than seeking unfamiliar help.
So far, Brady hasn't shown a particular knack for the job. His first offseason resulted in the hiring of Spytek, a former colleague from Tampa Bay, and the appointment of Carroll as coach. The team also brought in Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and signed Geno Smith, 35, to a $75-million contract, with almost $60 million guaranteed.
The results couldn't have been much worse. Smith, who had been an efficient leader of a talented Seattle offense, couldn't do anything behind a poor Raiders unit. Kelly, best known as an innovative college play-caller, was fired midseason as Vegas' offense remained dull and ineffective. Carroll, brought in as a win-now coach, managed just three victories before being dismissed.
Having eschewed the rebuild in Year 1, Brady and Co. are now expected to go full scorched earth, dealing Crosby for draft picks and building around their projected No. 1 selection, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders will also likely release Smith, and although the club will take a cap hit, it's one it can afford in a losing year.
The moves might even work - there are worse ideas than drafting a national championship winner as your franchise quarterback. Still, one question overshadows everything: Can Brady really do this job while working all season in the Fox booth?
He obviously possesses a big football brain, but he also had a lot of help across his incredible playing career. The defenses he played with in New England (and Tampa) were excellent, and Belichick was a ruthlessly effective roster manager for most of his time with the Patriots. Most of all, those teams had Brady, who often played on a below-market contract to help the team pay for other talent.
What evidence is there that Brady the executive knows how to build a winner that doesn't involve Brady the quarterback? Not much.
And why did Davis - son of legendary, hands-on NFL owner Al Davis - cede control of his franchise to a guy expected to spend most of the season saying things like, "This is a big play here for the Packers, KB"?
That question is much tougher to answer.
Scott Stinson is a contributing writer for theScore.
