Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs pleaded guilty to unlawful manners of driving - careless driving on Wednesday after initially being charged with driving under the influence:

Hobbs was arrested at 4 a.m. on Jan. 3, hours after the team's key Week 17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. According to TMZ Sports, he was found asleep at the wheel of his car in a parking lot exit ramp when cops were called.

The 22-year-old was booked after failing sobriety tests, but the toxicology report showed he was under the legal limit for a DUI charge. 

The guilty plea to the lesser charge requires Hobbs to pay a $685 fine and complete 20 hours of community service and a victim impact panel in order to avoid a 30-day jail sentence.

Hobbs is still not finished with his legal trouble.

Just weeks after the Jan. 3 arrest, Hobbs was cited for reckless driving after reportedly going 110 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. He is due to appear in court in April for the Jan. 21 traffic stop.

Hobbs has remained on the Las Vegas roster, playing in last week's playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 2021 fifth-round draft pick played 16 games this season (nine starts) while totaling 74 tackles, one interception and one sack.    

The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly requested an interview with Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for their head coaching vacancy.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the Raiders contacted the Bucs for permission Tuesday, two days after Tampa Bay was eliminated from the NFL playoffs.

Bowles, 58, has been the Bucs defensive coordinator for the last three seasons. He came to Tampa after being fired by the New York Jets following a four-year run as head coach. The Jets went 24-40 during his tenure and never made the playoffs.

The Raiders are searching for a full-time replacement for Jon Gruden, who resigned in October after racist, sexist and anti-gay emails he sent while he was at ESPN were leaked to the media. Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia took over as interim coach and led the Raiders to a wild-card berth.

Bisaccia has gotten the support of the locker room and is a candidate for the full-time job, but the Raiders are going through a full hiring process. The team has been linked to Jim Harbaugh, but it does not appear as if the two sides have met to discuss a potential NFL return for the Michigan head coach. 

The Buccaneers defense has ranked among the NFL's best over the course of Bowles' three seasons at the helm. They were fifth in scoring defense and ninth overall in Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) metric during the 2021 regular season. 

As they continue to search for a new general manager, the Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly set to interview an in-house candidate. 

Per USA Today's Mike Jones, Raiders director of pro scouting Dwayne Joseph will speak with the team about replacing Mike Mayock in the general manager's chair. 

The Raiders fired Mayock on Jan. 17 after three seasons. He was hired in Dec. 2018 to run the front office along with then-head coach Jon Gruden. 

Gruden resigned as head coach in October amid the fallout from a report by Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman of the New York Times in which it was revealed he had written a series of emails between 2011 and 2018 that contained sexist, anti-gay and anti-trans language.

The emails were uncovered as part of the NFL's investigation into workplace misconduct allegations involving the Washington Football Team. 

Rich Bisaccia, who was the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, was promoted to interim head coach for the rest of the season. 

Amid all the turmoil within the organization this season—which also included 2019 first-round pick Henry Ruggs III being released after he was charged with DUI resulting in death in November—the Raiders were able to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. They lost 26-19 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the wild-card round on Jan. 15. 

New England Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler, Chicago Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly and Bengals scout Trey Brown have already met with the Raiders about the general manager position. 

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Saturday the Raiders put in a request to interview Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds. 

Joseph has been the Raiders' director of pro scouting since 2019. The 49-year-old has been working in NFL front offices and scouting departments since 1998.

Prior to being hired by the Raiders, Joseph spent four years with the Philadelphia Eagles as director of pro personnel. He was a key figure in building the Eagles' roster that won Super Bowl LII in 2017.    

The Las Vegas Raiders will reportedly interview Jerod Mayo for their head coaching vacancy on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Mayo has been the inside linebackers coach for New England Patriots since 2019, taking even more responsibilities for a team without an official defensive coordinator. The 35-year-old also spent eight years as a player for the Patriots, earning two Pro Bowl selections at linebacker while winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008.

He has been a hot coaching name this offseason, already getting an interview with the Denver Broncos.

Rapoport noted Mayo "has impressed in the interviews he's had." 

Aaron Wilson of Texans Daily reported the Houston Texans consider Mayo "one of their top head coaching candidates."

“This guy was an excellent football player and he’s an outstanding young coach who has everything you want from a head coach other than previous experience at that job,” an NFL executive told Wilson. "Jerod is a winner, and he will continue to win on and off the field, period. I think the Texans would be making a great choice if Jerod winds up being their guy. I believe in him."

The Patriots finished 2021 with the No. 2 scoring defense after finishing seventh in 2020 and first overall in 2019.

Head coach Bill Belichick always has a major hand in building the defense while outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick, Bill's son, calls plays on defense. Mayo still has a significant role throughout the season, including weekly game-planning and substituting defensive packages, according to Evan Lazar of CLNS.

It's enough to put Mayo on the short list for several jobs despite minimal experience in the coaching ranks.

The Raiders, meanwhile, could be an exciting destination for any coach candidate as a squad that is coming off a playoff appearance. After Jon Gruden resigned in October, interim coach Rich Bisaccia led the team to a 7-5 record with four straight wins to end a 10-7 regular season.

It might be enough for Bisaccia, a longtime assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, to earn the permanent job himself.

"We all think that he's the right guy," starting quarterback Derek Carr said.   

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly "preparing to make a run" at New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to fill their head coaching vacancy.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Saturday the Pats are "surprised" McDaniels hasn't drawn more interest with eight openings around the NFL, though the belief he would want "full control over the football operation" could be a factor working against him.

McDaniels is in his second stint leading the New England offense. He previously filled the role from 2005 through 2008 before leaving in 2009 to become a head coach for the first time with the Denver Broncos.

His tenure in Denver flamed out quickly. The team posted an 8-8 record during his first season in charge and he was fired midway through the 2010 campaign following a 3-9 start.

After a brief one-year stint as the St. Louis Rams' offensive coordinator in 2011, he rejoined the Patriots' staff in 2012 and has spent the past 10 years guiding the team's offense.

In 2018, the Indianapolis Colts announced they'd agreed to terms with McDaniels to become their new head coach, but he backed out of the agreement a short time later to remain in New England.

That about-face may also be a factor in why some teams "remain skittish" about whether to involve the 45-year-old Ohio native in their head coaching search, per Florio.

The Raiders have opted for a full-scale coaching search despite interim head coach Rich Bisaccia leading the team to the playoffs after the midseason firing of Jon Gruden.

Bisaccia guided Las Vegas to a 7-5 record after taking over, but Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported he faces an "uphill battle" to retain the role after the team was eliminated from the postseason by the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend.

If hired, McDaniels would inherit a Raiders offense that ranked 11th in yards per game (363.8) and 18th in scoring (22.0 points per game) during the 2021 season.

His first major decision, especially if he's given full control of the roster, would be how to proceed with quarterback Derek Carr, who's set to enter the final year of his contract in 2022.

The Raiders haven't provided a timetable to wrap up their coaching search.

Former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell issued a statement Saturday to deny a report he turned down interview requests from the Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings to discuss their head coaching vacancies.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported Friday that Caldwell turned down the opportunities amid separate interest from the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars:

According to multiple sources, the Raiders and Vikings both reached out to former Colts and Lions coach Jim Caldwell this week to request to interview him, and he declined both requests. This indicates strongly that Caldwell believes he will get one of the other open jobs, and my understanding is that he's in the mix in both Chicago and Jacksonville and already is reaching out to candidates for his staff.

Caldwell posted a 62-50 regular-season record with four playoff appearances across seven years as a head coach, three with the Colts and four with the Lions. He guided Indy to Super Bowl XLIV before falling short against the New Orleans Saints.

His tenure with the Lions ended after the 2017 campaign despite posting back-to-back 9-7 seasons. Detroit has compiled a 17-46-2 record since his departure.

He was hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2019 to serve as their assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, but he stepped away from those roles before the start of the season to focus on his health. He instead served as a consultant.

"I will be stepping back due to some medical complications that require my full attention," Caldwell said at the time.

Now the 67-year-old Wisconsin native has jumped back into the coaching carousel and has attracted interest from several teams as he looks to extend his career into a sixth decade. He started as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Iowa, in 1977.

It sounds like he's still trying to keep his options wide open despite the speculation he was already starting to build a staff for potentially Chicago or Jacksonville.

Caldwell gained a reputation of being well-liked by players, and he drew praise from legendary Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2014:

Jim Caldwell has meant a great deal to me in my career. I felt like, once he got to Indianapolis, and became my quarterbacks coach, that my game really improved. It took a step up, and I thought Jim had a great deal to do with that. He and I had a set routine that we tried to perform every day in the meeting room on the practice field in different drills.

Meanwhile, it's unclear whether the Raiders and Vikings will formally request an interview with Caldwell following his statement on Saturday.

They are two of the eight NFL teams searching for a new head coach.

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs was cited for driving 110 mph in a 65-mph zone on Sunday, less than two weeks after he was charged with DUI, according to 8 News Now. 

A spokesperson for the Nevada State Police Highway Patrol confirmed to 8 News Now that Hobbs was not arrested on the reckless driving charge.

On Jan. 3, Hobbs failed field sobriety tests and was transported to Clark County Detention Center on a misdemeanor DUI charge. An officer found him asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle on a parking garage exit ramp.

The officer stated he smelt a "slight odor" of an alcoholic beverage coming from Hobbs, and the cornerback told police he "was just tired." 

Hobbs' attorney's released the following statement, via 8 News Now:

The facts and circumstances related by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to the news media leave serious concerns that this does not qualify as a DUI under Nevada law.

Hobbs, 22, was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He recorded one interception, three passes defended, one forced fumble, one sack, 74 tackles, three tackles for a loss and four quarterback hits in 16 games.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is reportedly "getting floated" as a potential option to fill the Las Vegas Raiders head coach vacancy, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

Jones noted it might be tough to "pry him loose" from the Patriots, but fans should "keep an eye on Vegas."

McDaniels has been an offensive coordinator in New England since 2012 and has spent 18 total seasons on the Patriots staff under Bill Belichick. He initially left in 2009 to become head coach of the Denver Broncos but was fired after producing an 11-17 record across two seasons. 

In 2018, McDaniels was announced as the Indianapolis Colts head coach before he changed his mind and stayed in New England.

Aaron Wilson of Texans Daily reported there is "significant interest around the league" in the 45-year-old this offseason, but he is "not expected to pursue any head coaching opportunities during the postseason."

McDaniels has been extremely successful with the Patriots, helping the offense finish this season sixth in the NFL in points scored behind a rookie quarterback. Only once in the last 10 years has the offense finished worse than seventh in the category.

The coach has also been on the Patriots staff for all six Super Bowl titles, serving as offensive coordinator for three.

There could still be hesitation to hire McDaniels as a head coach after his struggles in Denver and a controversial exit in Indianapolis.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, is seeking a full-time replacement for Jon Gruden after the former coach resigned in October following the release of emails he wrote that contained racist, anti-gay and misogynistic comments. Rich Bisaccia led the team to the playoffs as an interim coach and has the support from the players to take over the permanent job going forward.

"We all think that he's the right guy," quarterback Derek Carr said of Bisaccia last week.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has also been rumored as a potential option for the Raiders, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.     

The NFL has filed a motion to dismiss former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden's lawsuit against the league and commissioner Roger Goodell, which alleges that the league intentionally leaked the racist, anti-gay and misogynistic emails that eventually led to his midseason resignation.

Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, Michael McCann of Sportico and Mark Maske of the Washington Post provided more information:

Per Ben Shpigel of the New York Times, Gruden filed a lawsuit with the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada in November, alleging that the league took part in "a malicious and orchestrated campaign" against the 58-year-old and accusing them of "a Soviet-style character assassination."

"The suit accuses the N.F.L. and Goodell of intentionally leaking the emails to The Times and The Wall Street Journal during the middle of the Raiders’ season to inflict 'maximum damage' to Gruden," Shpigel wrote.

Gruden resigned on Oct. 11 after leading Las Vegas to a 3-2 start in the fourth season of his second stint with the franchise.

The emails were part of the NFL's investigation into the workplace culture of the Washington Football Team following accusations by former female employees of sexual harassment and verbal abuse within the organization.

Some of his Gruden's emails, which largely occurred in the 2010s prior to his time coaching the Raiders, were sent to ex-WFT president Bruce Allen. Gruden and Allen previously worked together for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2004-08.

Regarding the lawsuit, NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy said in a statement to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio that "the allegations are entirely meritless and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims."

It's unclear how the emails leaked, though the Gruden findings led to more calls for the NFL to unveil everything related to the investigation. Notably, former WFT employees—who the league said it was protecting by not releasing complete findings—have been vocal in their requests that the league makes public its findings.

The league's punishment to Washington included a $10 million fine.