In case you fell asleep early on Tuesday evening, you missed some news that the Las Vegas Raiders decided to drop. Owner Mark Davis announced he was firing head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler just eight games into the season.
The Raiders had been a massive disappointment under McDaniels and Ziegler, culminating in an embarrassing Monday Night Football loss to the Detroit Lions, which had star players like wide receiver Davante Adams frustrated.
This news also comes hours after the NFL trade deadline had passed on Tuesday. Fans must have said to themselves, "Oh, that's why they didn't make any moves." Well, it turns out they may have left some offers on the table in the process.
A team told CBS Sports senior NFL insider Josina Anderson that they were trying to give the Raiders a call to "pry a playmaker" away from them. That team said, "Explains why they ghosted us…Nobody responded yesterday."
Raiders reportedly ghosted teams at the NFL trade deadline hours before firing Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler
The move isn't necessarily a shock. Why would a team owner like Davis allow a lame-duck general manager who is on the fence about keeping, trade away some players? That doesn't make much sense. But, Davis could have stepped in and taken matters into his own hands if so chosen.
It has Raiders fans wondering who they could have moved at the deadline. Interestingly enough, hours before the deadline and the firings of McDaniels and Ziegler, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that there was "not a chance in hell" the Raiders would trade Adams, their star wide receiver, before the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday.
There was another prominent wide receiver who has been the subject of trade rumors, and that's Hunter Renfrow, who saw his usage drop in his second year with McDaniels as head coach. NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport did report on Tuesday that the Raiders were close to trading Renfrow to the New Orleans Saints, but nothing was finalized after trying to figure out how to rework the contract.
Davis will now get a head start to find his next head coach and general manager in hopes he can make the right choices. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will serve as the head coach on an interim basis for the rest of the season. Assistant general manager Champ Bailey will take over Ziegler's duties.
