The Oakland Raiders are coming into Week 6 after firing their head coach and losing starting QB Derek Carr to an injury and now fantasy football owners can rest easy, as Carr is expected to start over Matt Schaub and Matt McGloin next week, while names like Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Jim Harbaugh and Bill Cowher have been mentioned as potential replacements for Dennis Allen.
According to Pro Football Talk, Holmgren confirmed that he met with the Raiders last week and while no deal is in place now for him to be coach, he is another major name along with Jon Gruden. The Raiders will chase Gruden, but all reports so far have the former Oakland coach sticking with his job on TV. Holmgren has reportedly wanted to get back into the game after his stint with the Cleveland Browns did not go well and he confirmed the meeting and the possibility of him being head coach. Holmgren called it a "pop in and out" meeting, but he also added that GM Reggie McKenzie and him had worked together when he was in Green Bay.
The connection with Holmgren and McKenzie could be big for Holmgren coming in, as he likely would want a say in personnel decisions. Holmgren did that in Seattle and in Cleveland and if McKenzie stays, their relationship would be key. Holmgren has won the Super Bowl and has had plenty of success in the NFL and he would be coming in to replace Dennis Allen after he was fired. The Raiders have issues from the top down, but there is a chance that players like Carr and Mychal Rivera can continue developing into solid starters down the road.
Any coach that comes in will have a major job to do and Holmgren did not do so well the last time he has the chance to do that, which was in Cleveland. Fantasy wise this week, Carr looks like he will start and for fantasy owners with him as the quarterback, feel free to use him as long as he is active. Even if Schaub were to start, he has missed the past two games with a family issue and he has not yet gotten the chance to work with the offense on the field this season.
Gruden is a fantasy and it's likely better that the team doesn't get him. Gruden is a great coach and a solid TV personality, but his hype likely far outweighs what he can do with a team like the Raiders. Holmgren is intriguing and after a young coach like Dennis Allen did not get it done, an old school guy like the Holms could be the way to go.
