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Raiders eye Louisville’s Todd Grantham to fill defensive coordinator role

By Brandon C. Williams

Oct 30, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Grantham talks with safety Gerod Holliman (8) during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Papa John
Oct 30, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Grantham talks with safety Gerod Holliman (8) during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Papa John /
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The Oakland Raiders continue to build their coaching staff, yet have hit a roadblock when it comes to pursuing Louisville’s Todd Grantham to fill their defensive coordinator role.

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Hopefully Todd Grantham didn’t invest in a home in Louisville, for it looks like he could be on his way to the West Coast.

The Cardinals’ defensive coordinator is the object of the Oakland Raiders’ desire, as he is their top choice to fill a similar role under new coach Jack Del Rio. Grantham has only been in Louisville just one season after he left Georgia to join coach Bobby Petrino. He is expected to meet with the Raiders before making a decision as to whether his Sundays will be filled with solving offenses beats doing so on Saturday.

Oakland has good reason to want Grantham, who authored a defense that finished sixth in the nation in yards allowed per game while finishing 24th in scoring defense. His Georgia defenses were ranked in the top 40 in scoring defense in his first three seasons as the Bulldogs’ coordinator before falling to 79th overall in 2013.

The Raiders are going to come off some scratch if they want to pry Grantham from Louisville. He was one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the nation, as he made $975,000 last season. Only Alabama’s Kirby Smart ($1.35 million) and former LSU mastermind John Chavis ($1.3 million) made more as defensive coordinators than Grantham.

Whoever ends up as Oakland’s new defensive coordinator will have a ton of work on their hands in trying to improve one of the NFL’s worst defenses. The Raiders allowed a league-worst 452 points last season, including eight games in where they gave up at least 30 points. Oakland was 16th in passing yards for the simple fact opponents found it more fun to run on them, as the Raiders were 22nd against the rush.

Lackluster work on the defensive end is perhaps the biggest culprit behind Oakland’s 13-year playoff drought. The Raiders have finished 20th or worst in scoring defense in all but one season since their then-number six defense led them to Super Bowl XXXVII after the 2002 season.

Sitting on the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, the Raiders could have a shot to upgrade their unit, as the likes of Florida defensive end/linebacker Dante Fowler and Missouri defensive end Shane Ray will be available for Grantham (or whoever else) to use as a foundation toward bringing much-needed swagger back to the Silver and Black.

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