Derek Carr world tour thread (updated with combine visits)
They had better records before and after Allen. Why do you ignore that?
I don't think most people realize how sheetty of a hand DA was dealt in Oakland. Yes, the 2011 raiders had an 8-8 record, but in 2011 Al Davis died and Mark Davis took over the team, and Mark hired Reggie McKenzie and gave him full autonomy over football operations. the whole coaching staff was fired, and Allen had to basically start from scratch. they had traded away draft picks (for Carson Palmer the year before), so they did not have a first or second rounder and had to trade some players to get back the 3rd and 4th rounders they had already traded away. Had no money to spend in free agency.
You probably would not even recognize the names of anyone McKenzie drafted that season.
Despite Palmer playing well in 2012 for the rookie HC (61% completions, 4K yards, 22TDs, 14ints) the raiders traded Palmer to the Cardinals for a 6th round pick.
If as a head coach you have a GM giving up a 1st and 2nd rounder to play 2 seasons, and trade that player for a 6th rounder, you will struggle to be successful.
So in 2013 the only QB they had left was Terrelle Pryor. they sent a 5th pick to the Seahawks to get newly disappointed QB Matt Flynn. They had the number 3 draft pick, but traded down to number 12 to regain a second they had traded away. They used the 12th pick to draft D J Hayden, who never developed into a starting quality player, and the second-round pick to draft Menelik Watson who washed out of the league after 4 injury plagued seasons.
Pryor got hurt and they had brought in Matt Flynn, and he played as poorly for Oakland as he did for Seattle. So, they Benched him and played Rookie UDFA QB McGloin.
Finally in 2014 Allen got a good qb, they drafted Carr in the 2nd round.
However the rookie QB was off to a slow start and they opened 0-4 and Allen got fired.
He struggled with having quality personnel. No head coach can overcome poor GM performance that results in a team that lacks talent.
McKenzie eventually ends up fired by the Raiders in 2018, and then Gruden was allowed authority over the whole team.
IMHO the raiders success under Gruden was more to do with the removal of McKenzie than it was the firing of Allen.