Raiders’ former front office member who failed terribly could soon get a second chance at his dream job
The Las Vegas Raiders now have a bright, young general manager in John Spytek, who just aced free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Las Vegas Raiders have had several regimes over the last few years. Of course, the regime that started the downfall from their last playoff appearance was head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.
The two just were not a match. Not only was the product on the field bad, but they weren’t building a roster very well either. The regime failed to get a franchise quarterback after letting Derek Carr go. They have not had a franchise quarterback since Carr. Now, Ziegler could be up for a GM job again.
According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the Minnesota Vikings have a preferred candidate list for their open general manager position. And Ziegler is on the list, as he currently works in the front office for the Tennessee Titans, having just completed his first year as their assistant GM. Meanwhile, the Vikings just recently fired former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
The list also includes Rob Brzezinski of the Vikings, Terrance Gray of the Buffalo Bills, R.J. Gillen of the San Francisco 49ers, John McKay of the Los Angeles Rams, Nolan Teasley of the Seattle Seahawks, and Chad Alexander of the Los Angeles Rams. All of these guys are considered to be “up and coming” in the GM scene. Maybe, just maybe, the Vikings believe that Ziegler’s second time around would be better. And, it’s certainly possible that’s true.
Dave Ziegler tried to draft C.J. Stroud
There was a rumor circulating after Ziegler was fired that he had desperately tried to draft C.J. Stroud. He knew the cost to move up and was fine with it. However, that same rumor also states that McDaniels overruled him there.
Dave Ziegler’s draft picks with the Raiders
- Round 1 (No. 7): Tyree Wilson, EDGE
- Round 2 (No. 35): Michael Mayer, TE
- Round 3 (No. 70): Byron Young, DT
- Round 3 (No. 100): Tre Tucker, WR
- Round 4 (No. 104): Jakorian Bennett, CB
- Round 4 (No. 135): Aidan O’Connell, QB
- Round 5 (No. 170): Christopher Smith II, S
- Round 6 (No. 203): Amari Burney, LB
- Round 7 (No. 231): Nesta Jade Silvera, DT
- 2022 Draft Class Round 3 (No. 90): Dylan Parham, G/C
- Round 4 (No. 122): Zamir White, RB
- Round 4 (No. 126): Neil Farrell Jr., DT
- Round 5 (No. 175): Matthew Butler, DT
- Round 7 (No. 238): Thayer Munford Jr., T
- Round 7 (No. 250): Brittain Brown, RB
Stroud has not only been the best quarterback of this draft but also one of the best quarterbacks in the league. I hate to say it, but had they drafted Stroud or traded up to draft him, those two could still both have their jobs right now.
