Former Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell Joins the Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce continues to fill out his coaching staff, hiring former Jacksonville Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell.

The Las Vegas Raiders have new faces in many important positions. They have a new general manager, offensive coordinator, and now a new linebackers coach.

Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce has added former Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell to his coaching staff, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 

Caldwell also has experience as a linebackers coach for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles.

Coach Pierce decided to fill the linebackers coach position with a coach much like himself. 

Like Pierce, Caldwell played in the National Football League for many seasons, in more than 150 games, including 49 starts. During that time, Caldwell registered 500-plus tackles.

The Raiders improved in the turnover category this season after finishing near the bottom of the league in forced turnovers in 2022. 

Caldwell's proven ability to help a defense create turnovers will be a skill Coach Pierce and Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham can use moving forward.

According to Garafolo, Caldwell interviewed with the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and other teams before agreeing become the linebackers coach and be the running game coordinator for the Raiders.

Caldwell has been coaching since 2008, when he joined the Eagles as their defensive quality control coach. Three seasons later, he would become their linebackers coach.

The Las Vegas Raiders have hired former Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In 2013, Caldwell would take the same position with the Arizona Cardinals and hold it for to seasons. He  would then join the New York Jets as their assistant head coach and linebackers coach for four seasons before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as inside linebackers coach.

Caldwell would help win a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay before joining Doug Peterson's staff in Jacksonville. He spent the last two seasons in Jacksonville, but was let go after the season despite the fact that his defenses ranked near the top of the league in forced turnovers in both seasons.

With the Raiders, Caldwell joins two defensive-minded coaches, Pierce and Graham, who want to continue developing Las Vegas' young defense. 

The three will work together to get the most from the Raiders' defense moving forward.

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