Raiders’ newest scheduled interview for their open defensive coordinator position could put them on track to land underrated free agents
The Raiders need a good defensive coordinator and good secondary.
The Las Vegas Raiders have their man in Klint Kubiak, but they still need offensive and defensive coordinators. The offensive coordinator is less crucial, as Kubiak will call plays, while the defensive coordinator will run the defense.
So, choosing a defensive coordinator is arguably the most important decision that Kubiak and John Spytek have to make. Kubiak has a strong pool of candidates from his connections with his recent Super Bowl team, where the defense was one of the league’s best—and he worked alongside talented defensive coaches.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the Raiders will interview Seattle Seahawks safeties coach Jeff Howard on Saturday for the defensive coordinator job. Howard, who previously worked with Kubiak in Minnesota and Seattle, established himself as part of a Super Bowl-winning staff.
This is the second Seahawks assistant the Raiders are scheduled to interview; the other candidate is Seattle’s wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson. The Seahawks denied Las Vegas’ request to interview assistant offensive line coach Justin Outten. Another DC candidate is Rob Leonard, the former Raiders defensive line coach and a favorite of Maxx Crosby.
The Seahawks’ safeties coach, Jeff Howard, could lead to great free agent acquisitions
The Seahawks had one of the best defenses in the league last season, and a large part of that was the defensive line. In the trenches, there wasn’t a better team on both sides of the ball. However, that defensive line didn’t do it all themselves; the secondary was good, too.
With nearly $90 million in cap space, the Raiders could look very different in 2026. Expect heavy investment in defense, especially secondary. Vegas needs safety and cornerback help. The Seahawks have two pending free agents at both spots. If Howard joins Vegas and the Raiders make strong offers, safety Coby Bryant and corners Josh Jobe and Tariq Woolen could quickly improve the Raiders.
Howard has to get the job first before anything like that happens. Then again, maybe those guys know Kubiak well from last season and want to play for him.
Las Vegas Raiders News
Klint Kubiak has already won over the Raiders fan base in a unique way and he hasn’t even started the job yet
The Raiders are excited to have Kubiak, and he’s excited to be a Raider.
