The Las Vegas Raiders have swiped a former division rival to lead their front office.
All signs pointed to the Raiders hiring former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco as their new GM, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, and the team made the hire official on Tuesday night.
Considered a dark-horse candidate among the Raiders finalists, which included interim GM Champ Kelly and Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, Telesco brings a wealth of experience to pair with coach Antonio Pierce. That experience likely won out for owner Mark Davis, who reportedly had expressed apprehension about pairing a first-time GM with a rookie coach.
L.A. fired Telesco in mid-December after 11 seasons with the organization. The Chargers earned three playoff appearances during his tenure, going 84-92 overall.
Telesco drafted eight Pro Bowlers during his run with the Chargers, including Keenan Allen (five times), Joey Bosa (four), Derwin James (three) and Justin Herbert (one). He helped build competitive rosters in L.A., including big recent free-agent splurges, but the club could never get over the hump.
Pairing Pierce, a first-year full-time coach, with a veteran GM with draft acumen makes smart sense for a Raiders club looking for a quick turnaround after firing Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler after less than two seasons.
