Best player Raiders Must re-sign in 2024 NFL free agency…
On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders made a somewhat shocking announcement, hiring Tom Telesco to become their new general manager.
Anyone who’s followed recent reports about the Raiders’ search for a new lead front office executive expected the team to hire Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds or promote its current interim general manager Champ Kelly to the full-time position.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed noted that the Raiders had a second round of interviews with potential general managers and reminded everyone that owner Mark Davis had reservations about pairing a first-year head coach with a first-year general manager.
Antonio Pierce will go into his first year as a head coach, so Davis clearly wanted to add some savvy to his team’s front office.
Of course, a portion of the fanbase expressed disappointment with the team’s choice for general manager, but some of the knocks against Telesco need some context.
Tom Telesco isn’t solely to blame for Chargers salary-cap bind
In Los Angeles, Tom Telesco left behind an aging and expensive roster. The Chargers are currently $45.8 million over the cap limit with Khalil Mack (32), Keenan Allen (31), Mike Williams (29) and Joey Bosa (28) accounting for more than $140 million in cap dollars.
While Telesco had a hand in building that veteran-laden roster, he wasn’t alone in terms of contract construction. Chargers president of football operations John Spanos has overseen the team’s salary cap since 2015.
In Las Vegas, Telesco will work with Tom Delaney, who’s managed the Raiders salary cap and negotiated player contracts for a number of years.
