The troubled Oakland Raiders are considering adding NFL royalty Mike Holmgren to their front office, according to Bill Williamson and John Clayton of ESPN.com. Holmgren has a glittering resume, having won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and reached one with the Seattle Seahawks. Holmgren joined the Cleveland Browns as president three years ago, but was ousted after an ownership change.
Early last year, the Raiders hired former NFL linebacker Reggie McKenzie as their general manager, and Holmgren would not be brought in to have a small role. McKenzie and Holmgren do have a familiarity with one another; McKenzie joined the front office of the Packers during Holmgren's third year as head coach, and they co-existed until Holmgren's departure in 2008.
Holmgren presided over the last three Browns drafts, which have been rife with productive NFL players such as cornerback Joe Haden (first round, 2010), safety T.J. Ward (second round, 2010), running back Montario Hardesty (third round, 2010), Colt McCoy (fourth round, 2010), wide receiver Greg Little (fourth round, 2011) and running back Trent Richardson (first round, 2012). While Cleveland had successful drafts under Holmgren, the team never finished above 5-11 during his tenure, despite the talented young core he had built.
The Raiders have not made the playoffs since 2002, and have had many high-profile draft miscues, most notably taking LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in 2007. After three disappointing seasons, Russell was out of the league and considered by many to be the biggest draft bust in NFL history.
Holmgren's previous history with McKenzie could mean that they would be able to find a balance of power when making personnel choices. If they can be cohesive, they could combine to make smart choices and avoid moves such as trading their first-round pick in 2012 and a second-round choice in 2013 for Carson Palmer, a serviceable quarterback set to make $13 million in 2013. There is also speculation that part of Holmgren's role will be to secure a new stadium for the Raiders.
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