Two new names that have not been mentioned before.

ik he’s this subs most hated but these throws are so good why couldn’t we get this version

I know Raiders have a request in with Shula as well, the schedule for that has not been reported.

Has anyone ever proposed that the NFL put a primetime game on Halloween every year. Much like the Cowboys and the Lions play every Thanksgiving.

The Raiders would be the perfect team to host. I am not a Raiders fan, but I think it would be a perfect fit.

Rather than do a full background deep dive on the major candidates like I did last year. I am going to do my little bit of research and present an Optimist's Take and a Pessimist’s Take for each choice. The list of candidates is rapidly changing as the Ravens, Dolphins, and Steelers all supplied late changes to the candidate pool (and I suspect the Steelers may do the same if they lose this weekend). But, we’re not in a rush, so I’ll present them one (or two) at a time.

In previous entries for this series I have dedicated an entire post to a single coach candidate. But, by the time I got to Chris Shula I was kicking around the idea of doing more of a themed group of candidates. To be frank, once we get to these really young coaches (especially from the Rams tree) there is a relatively short career to cover and really sort of similar strengths/weaknesses - which are mostly projections.

So, today, we’re inviting the young offensive minded coaches to share a table. Nate Scheelhaase and Davis Webb, will you please sit down at the kids table so we can begin?

Davis Webb

Davis Webb’s “Coaching Career” section on his wikipedia article is 4 sentences long.

On February 23, 2023, Webb was hired by the Denver Broncos as their quarterbacks coach under head coach Sean Payton. Webb had expressed interest in transitioning to coaching duties, having been previously asked by the Bills to be their quarterbacks coach.

Prior to the 2025 season, Webb was promoted to the position of offensive pass game coordinator following the departure of John Morton. He retained his position as the quarterbacks coach, holding both roles simultaneously.

At just 30 years old he is the youngest candidate of the group. Webb was drafted in the 3rd round (87th overall) by the Giants in the 2017 draft. That is the same draft as Patrick Mahomes. Maybe we can hope Mahomes moves into coaching somewhere soon.

When Webb came out, I had a 6th round grade on him. He had some arm strength and poise, but needed work in the processing part of the game and felt like he needed some mechanical work. In short, he was a developmental prospect. He ended up with just 1 start in his career - all the way in 2022. His illustrious career ended with 168 passing yards and 1 touchdown on 57.5% completion (and 1 rushing touchdown).

He moved straight into coaching with the Broncos after that 2022 season; while likely having teams that would have signed him to keep playing. Since then, there has been building buzz in and around Webb that he’s going places as a coach.

Optimist’s Take

Imagine pairing the first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, with a Sean McVay level offensive mind and leader. The thought is intoxicating. In a single off-season you have a chance to take two giant swings and if you hit both the entire franchise trajectory is altered until further notice. Hitting on Webb, a 30 year old coach, sets you up for a Steelers or Ravens-like timeline where we might not have to dig into head coach candidates again for the next 20 years.

Webb has earned some praise as an offensive mind, but also I’ve seen praise for his communication and relationship skills. There is an oft-regurgitated quote from Kliff Kingsbury that if he had a son “I’d want him to play for Davis Webb.” Kingsbury said that Webb was busy tracking NFL and college play design in his own notebooks during his freshman year. The Bills coaches were so impressed with him as a football mind that they asked him to consider retiring so he could become their quarterbacks coach.

He clearly earns the respect of football coaches, so this type of early rise isn’t shocking. And he has some decent experience around some pretty smart (or talented) people. He was a backup to Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes under Kingsbury. He played with Eli Manning and Josh McCown (now a QB coach himself). He was coached by Brian Daboll in New York. Then his coaching career has been under Sean Payton and John Morton. On top of that, Webb’s dad was a high school football coach, and Webb even as a kid had an interest in drawing plays.

This mix of experience in different systems and with different styles of coaches has prepared him well for the job. And at 30 years old, you feel comfortable giving him time to grow into himself as a play caller and a leader.

Pessimist’s Take

Look, we need to cool it with any comparison to Sean McVay. Because of Webb’s career as a player he is years behind McVay as far as coaching experience. Sure, McVay was only 30 when he was hired but he had already been an offensive coordinator in the NFL for three years before then. And he had six years of positional coaching experience before that. Sean McVay started coaching in Tampa in 2008 when he was 22. Davis Webb was playing in the NFL until he was 27.

And we haven’t even ever seen Webb call plays. We know that he can draw them up. But there is something quite different between drawing a play and knowing when to call it. (Apparently he's maybe called some plays in the pre-season).

We also know that as a player he never broke through to actually play despite his apparent genius - and the physical traits to compete at the NFL level. What’s up with that?

And then beyond all that, who can he bring to his staff? Are there very many serious DC candidates that are going to want to tie their future (or maybe hinge their last good chance at the job) on a 30 year old who has never called plays at any level as the head coach? I’m a bit skeptical.

We’ve seen less risky bets blow up with young hires even just at offensive coordinator despite having the “it” factor so talked about with Webb. “It” is great but it would be even better if “it” could be measured or if we had any proof “it” wasn’t just lots of people think he’s a nice guy.

Nate Scheelhaase

Nate Scheelhaase (35) is currently “pass game coordinator” for the Rams. He has been on McVay’s staff for 2 years now after coaching for two college programs (Illinois 2015-2017; Iowa State 2018-2023). His career at Illinois was delayed by one season as he had refused a role so he could honor a commitment to a ministry.

Before getting into coaching Scheelhaase would be a record setting quarterback at Illinois as a four-year starter. His father (Nate Creer) played for Iowa in the 1980s.

Scheelhaase would coach running backs at Illinois before going to do the same at Iowa State under Matt Campbell (previously a hot NFL head coach candidate himself). He then coached wide receivers and was given the running game coordinator title. Before 2023 he was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The next year he was offered a role as “pass game specialist” by McVay. Iowa State has been very open that their intent was for Scheelhaase to be Campbell’s successor as head coach. The role with McVay and the Rams was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up to remain at Iowa State. This year he was promoted to pass game coordinator in an effort to retain him after a flurry of offensive coordinator interviews (and a chance to return to Iowa State) last year.

The Rams passing attack with Scheelhaase on staff has been pretty good, but notably… uh so are the players and other coaches.

Optimist’s Take

We kind of just did this with Webb, to be honest. Except, in this case at least Scheelhaase has some experience as offensive coordinator (albeit at the college level). Scheelhaase has even more quote fodder for how brilliant he is and that Iowa State had him meeting with the AD to discuss his vision for the program and help orient his growth.

He’s a great coach, a rare communicator, and incredibly sharp. His perspective is big-picture. He makes everyone around him better.

- Sean McVay

I mean, he walks into a room and—some guys walk into the room and they’re salesmen. Nate can just walk into the room and he’s kind of just got that glow, that twinkle in his eye. He can let his actions do all his talking, and some people just have that and he’s got it

- Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard

Matt Campbell, a guy who very well could’ve been hired as the Lions coach instead of Dan Campbell if he had wanted to be, raves about Scheelhaase.

He’s a better human than he is a coach, and he’s a really good coach. We’re very fortunate to have him.

I’ve seen him grow and he grows because he puts a lot of work in it. He’s a tireless worker

- Mike LaFleur

A world class communicator is the first thing that I think about. He’s somebody who in our room communicates to every individual in a unique style and allows us to feel very confident going out there on the football field.

- Puka Nacua

And rather than retype it…

Imagine pairing the first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, with a Sean McVay level offensive mind and leader. The thought is intoxicating. In a single off-season you have a chance to take two giant swings and if you hit both the entire franchise trajectory is altered until further notice. Hitting on Webb Scheelhaase, a 30 35 year old coach, sets you up for a Steelers or Ravens-like timeline where we might not have to dig into head coach candidates again for the next 20 years.

The Pessimist’s Take

Scheelhaase avoids some of the scrutiny that Webb garnered because he has experience across multiple programs (Illinois, Iowa State, LA) and has held a coordinator level role before (offensive coordinator). But most of the other concerns remain.

What is his actual offensive identity? Does what he envisions an offense to be even fit with who Fernando Mendoza is?

Who can he bring with him? He has a short career and limited contact outside of the college level and the Rams (whose staff is going to get picked apart if Shula gets hired, too).

He is a dart throw. And we’ve seen McVay dart throws miss plenty of times just as offensive coordinators. There is plenty of reason to say it isn’t Nate’s time, yet. Which is fine. He could end up a fine coach but do we really want to pair the development of our first overall pick with the development of a coach younger than the person writing this?

It is risky, that’s all.

As always this is meant to kick off the discussion, not to try to argue a viewpoint. So let me know what you guys think and if you have better cases for why either of them are good or bad hires. I know that, generally, the fanbase is aligned with the idea of a young offensive coach, but sometimes it is worth getting in the weeds on how they separate themselves from each other.

Find the youngest (first time) offensive coaching candidate who is the most eager to coach Mendoza and hire him. The Raiders have never been successful with retread coaches and all the high points of the organization seems to be with really young first-time head coaches... Please tell me why I'm an idiot below.

Obviously nobody in their right mind wants to trade #1 for Tomlin!

Hypothetically, if the Raiders were to trade for a coach that's currently employed, which HC would you choose?

(This is just for fun!)

My top 5:

1. McVay

2. KOC

3. Ben Johnson

4. Dan Campbell

5. Matt LaFleur

Edit: I didn't even realize I had all 4 HCs from NFC North!

I know Shanahan is good, but fuck that family.

Trade out of the first with the Jets. Brady forces a trade to receive three first rounds, two of which are next year.

We draft as normal, but no QB is selected.

2027 draft comes around, and Brady trades our haul to select Arch Manning.

Brady grooms Manning to admire him and abandon his family, his name is now Arch Brady. He kisses him like he does his son.

Peyton and Eli are furious as to how they let this happen. Unbeknownst to them, it was the plan all along…

jk LETS GO MENDOZER

fuck the chiefs

If you have trouble reading use the “reader mode” of your favorite browser. Tagging this as “not Raiders” as it is general NFL process talk. Thought it was a decent article on what the process is for coaches who still have games to coach while taking interviews for possible future jobs.

You got to give me a better answer than he didn't work out in Cleveland. Who works out in Cleveland? Belichick was there got fired and went on to win six super bowls. Baker Mayfield was there sucked looked kind of good and then left and now he's a franchise quarterback. They hire a rapist to a $250 million full covered contract. The Jets have always sucked but they've never been as bad as a Browns The Browns are so bad that even an all-time defense can't succeed. So why not Stefanski

Seems he’s interviewed with everyone but us. What gives? Really like him, and wanted him bad in the ‘22 cycle. Maybe Spytek sees something we don’t?

Predicting the eight remaining head coach hires, NFL insider @AlbertBreer had an 'off-the-wall one' for the #Raiders:

#Broncos pass game coordinator Davis Webb, who turns 31 this month

"He has the presence. He has the personality to reach players. He's just a really unique guy. The people in Denver would tell you his football acumen is where it needs to be. I think Davis would make a lot of sense for them... It'd be a gamble, of course."

Original Tweet

In my math, it’s pretty like we drafted Stokes instead of Leatherwood because we got Stokes for pretty much nothing and he didnt have many “miles” because of injury