The Las Vegas Raiders hired New England Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler as their general manager, the team announced Sunday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero first reported the news.
With Ziegler on board, the Raiders are also finalizing a deal with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the head coach, per Rapoport.
Ziegler has been the de facto GM for the Pats and was key in their fast turnaround in 2021, Rapoport added. New England's 2021 draft class paid off quickly, garnering valuable contributions from rookie quarterback Mac Jones (No. 15 overall), defensive tackle Christian Barmore (No. 38) and running back Rhamondre Stevenson (No. 120).
The pair was in New England together for the better part of a decade, winning three Super Bowls during that time. Ziegler was in the Pats' scouting department for the past nine years, though 2021 was his first as the director of player personnel. He also spent three years with the Denver Broncos, where he first worked with McDaniels. They were also teammates at John Carroll University in Ohio.
The Raiders went 10-7 and are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2016, losing on Super Wild Card Weekend to the Cincinnati Bengals. Third-year GM Mike Mayock was fired days later.
