Josh McDaniels Could Target Notable Name for Defensive Coordinator If Hired by Raiders

The rumors surrounding Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders are heating up. It's thought that the veteran coach wouldn't even take an interview at this stage in his career unless he expected to get a job offer, which could signal the mutual interest by both parties.

Josh McDaniels Raiders

One name has emerged as a potential choice for McDaniels' staff if he is hired by Las Vegas.

Wink Martindale Raiders

Former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has been linked to the same job on McDaniels' possible Raiders staff. Baltimore fired Martindale just over a week ago, leaving the experienced coach to pursue new opportunities.

Martindale not only has history with the Raiders, but McDaniels as well. Martindale's first NFL gig was as a linebackers coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2004-2007. He then took up the same position under McDaniels on the Denver Broncos in 2009, and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2010.

Following two years in Denver, Martindale took a season off before joining the Ravens in 2012. He served as DC from 2018-2021 in Baltimore, where he led one of the top defenses in the league. The Ravens ranked in the top seven for both fewest yards and points allowed in each of his first three years.

Injuries caused Baltimore's defense to drop into the bottom half of the league this past season, but it's hard to blame them given how the losses piled up.

Martindale clearly knows how to get the most out of his talent on defense, and he'd be an excellent choice for the Raiders if McDaniels is hired.

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Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.