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The Las Vegas Raiders are in the early stages of a rebuild, and one of the main aspects of it will be new head coach Klint Kubiak installing a winning culture. Kubiak was part of a Seattle Seahawks team that won Super Bowl LX last season, so he knows what needs to be part of that environment.
As a result, Kubiak should be getting players to buy into his way, given that it has led to championship results. New Raiders QB Kirk Cousins appeared on Seattle Sports and stated that he expects parts of the Seahawks‘ culture to be installed in Las Vegas.
“There’s no doubt that some of the verbiage and culture-building principles that were used in Seattle will be applied here in Las Vegas,” Cousins said in a May 8 video from Seattle Sports. “They worked. We’d be foolish not to apply them.”
Moreover, Cousins said Kubiak is bringing some of Seattle’s culture-building principles to Las Vegas, not only because they worked there. The veteran quarterback mentioned that Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald left a major impact on the Raiders head coach.
“There are some things that weren’t a part of that world that I was in with the Kubiaks five years ago that will be a part of our world now because Mike Macdonald left such a great impression on Klint and on Andrew [Janocko],” Cousins added.
“I think that’s a great compliment to Coach Macdonald that there’s almost going to be a coaching tree, if you will, now as a result. I’m even learning some of the principles secondhand that he brought to Seattle, and I really like what he emphasizes and what he does.”
Raiders Owner Mark Davis on the Team’s Rebuild
The Silver and Black have done a lot of things right this offseason to get this rebuild off on the right foot. Along with culture-building, such as having players earn their shield, Las Vegas has added interesting pieces to the team via free agency and the draft.
While it’s far from a finished product, Raiders owner Mark Davis spoke and expressed his excitement about the team’s direction as they look to become AFC contenders once again.
“The offseason has been very strong for us,” Davis said on May 7 during an appearance on Radier Nation Radio. “We continually win the offseason. It’s time to now make it translate to the regular season. I do feel a different vibe around this building right now.
“Everybody really is working together. Everybody seems to be on the same page. It seems like we’re ready to go for long-term, sustained growth now.
“With Fernando Mendoza coming in as potentially the starting quarterback, it’s just so exciting. We’ve got the pieces in place. It’s going to take a while to get all the players and everything, but I believe that we’re at the forefront of getting this thing going again.”
Klint Kubiak on the Team’s QB Battle
As for Cousins, the veteran will be part of a QB competition to determine the starter. The 37-year-old might be the favorite over rookie Fernando Mendoza, but he still needs to go out and show it during practice and the preseason.
With OTAs and mandatory minicamps approaching, Kubiak spoke with JT the Brick and shared his thoughts on the QB competition.
“I expect the guys to go out and do their job,” Kubiak said in a May 6 video on the Raiders’ YouTube channel. “They always talk about our quarterback competition.
“They’re competing against the defense every day, but Kirk and Aidan [O’Connell] are going to get reps. Fernando is going to get a lot of reps. We’ve got a long way to go until we start playing football in September.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
