Latest Tom Brady flex pairs two of the best defensive minds on the Las Vegas Raiders

Continuity often runs counter to what the Las Vegas Raiders have done as an NFL franchise for the better part of three decades now. The Davis Family may still own the team, but they run through head coaches like the late Larry King did wives and hardly ever qualify for the playoffs. While hiring 70-something Pete Carroll off the street was a bit strange, retaining Patrick Graham makes a lot of sense.

Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network reported on Wednesday night that Graham is not going anywhere. He had been in contention for the Jacksonville Jaguars head-coaching position that ultimately went to former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Graham was also thought to be a candidate for any number of defensive coordinator posts in the wake of Antonio Pierce being let go.

Now that Carroll is in charge in Las Vegas, apparently, he and minority owner Tom Brady are big fans of Graham's coaching chops and wanted him back on the Raiders staff. Although Graham never crossed paths with Carroll before, he was coach on Bill Belichick's New England Patriots staff from 2009 to 2015 when Brady was their franchise quarterback. Retaining Graham was an easy choice.

The Raiders' issues last year were all about offensive ineptitude more than anything, not on defense.

It may be another trying year for the Raiders, but retaining Graham makes too much sense for them.

Las Vegas Raiders retain their defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham

Over the last handful of years regarding the Silver and Black, the Raiders have not been well run at all, but do tend to show some areas of strength as a team worth building upon. They have had good assistants on their coaching staffs, but their bread and butter has been the pass rush centered around perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby. It has been the offense that has been so wacky.

While Carroll and Graham favor defense, this may be a way for the Raiders to help raise their floor even more. As they try to figure out who their next franchise quarterback is going to be and how they are going to get the most out of his game, it probably does serve them to get the most out of their defensive talent while they can. Defense comes and goes every year, but great coaching should not.

I just think at the end of the day, with Graham garnering so much interest from other teams for other jobs and positions, it was probably in the Raiders' best interest to hold on to him and see if it can work under Carroll. Having a strong advocate in the building in Brady certainly helps. Overall, the Raiders are in a far better spot with Graham coming back, as opposed to having to make yet another hire.

The big key for the Raiders is incoming general manager John Spytek to crush his first offseason.