Tom Telesco general manager of Los Vegas raiders declared that he would shortly be retiring

The Los Angeles Raiders announced on Tuesday that they have hired Tom Telesco, the former general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers, for the same position.

Owner Mark Davis expressed his unease about the prospect of appointing a first-time general manager and head coach to The Athletic last month. When former general manager Reggie McKenzie hired former head coach Dennis Allen in 2012, the Raiders last had that configuration. As a result, Allen finished 8-28 and was let go four games into his third season of employment.

Davis remarked, “I had a rookie general manager and a rookie head coach.” “We lacked a brilliant football brain in the building to assist them. I’ve discovered that during the process.

Having saying that, Davis made a conscious decision to keep an open mind regarding possible possibilities going into this summer. Five out of the six applicants he interviewed for the position of General Manager had no prior GM experience. But in the end, Davis chose Telesco as the one who succeeded.

According to league insiders, as recently as last week, Davis appeared to be debating between Colts deputy general manager Ed Dodds and interim general manager Champ Kelly. However, Davis became hesitant to link the first-time head coach with the first-time general manager after officially hiring Antonio Pierce as head coach last Friday.

Although he had intended to appoint a general manager prior to selecting a head coach, he ultimately chose on Pierce while remaining unsure about who would head the human resources division. After giving Telesco a second interview on Monday, Davis hired him on Tuesday after giving him a weekend to reflect.

With this addition, the Raiders appear to be putting expertise above all else, and in pairing Pierce with Telesco, they have discovered a desired new general manager.

Telesco oversaw the Chargers personnel department for the previous 11 seasons. That assignment came to an end in December due to a dearth of outcomes. Telesco never went past the divisional round despite making the playoffs three times and winning two postseason games. But he did establish himself as a reliable talent assessor. In addition to Justin Herbert, he also drafted Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Hunter Henry, Shawn Slater, and Tuli Tuipulotu. Austin Ekeler was signed by him as an undrafted free agent. After signing Casey Hayward in free agency, he went on to win two All-Pro selections. In exchange, he got Khalil Mack.

In the draft, he had Tre’ McKitty and Jerry Tillery; in free agency, he had Bryan Bulaga and J.C. Jackson. His two main areas of weakness were not putting enough emphasis on the offensive line and not developing enough depth, especially in the later selection rounds. A new beginning under new management ought to be energizing. In his 33 seasons, Telesco has seen a lot of the NFL, having guided the Chargers through relocation and a franchise quarterback change.

Since Davis took over as owner in 2011 after his father Al Davis passed away, Telesco is the Raiders’ fourth general manager. For more than ten years, the team has been beset by terrible free-agent signings, poor draft selections, and disastrous trades. It is now his responsibility to put an end to that.

Kelly’s contract is still in effect. The only clubs with open general manager positions right now are the Chargers and the New England Patriots, and he hasn’t conducted interviews for either job. Kelly may stay with the team in 2024 if Telesco wants him on staff and Kelly wants to stay.