The Raiders will Replace Tom Cable with Dave DeGuglielmo
Of all the bold predictions on this list, surprisingly, this one might be the boldest. Tom Cable has always had a fan in Jon Gruden as the Raiders’ coach quickly scooped him up after he was released by the Seahawks. However, as the team looks to rebuild, replacing Cable will be key.
The Raiders’ offensive line was disappointing in 2018, to put it lightly. In Cable’s first year back with the team, Oakland allowed 52 sacks, tied for the fifth most in the league. This comes just one year after the Raiders, with no Cable, allowed just 24 sacks, tied for 27th most in the league.
Oakland’s line did suffer injuries throughout the season. Donald Penn was placed on IR and replaced by Brandon Parker. Kelechi Osemele appeared in just 11 games while Gabe Jackson appeared in 13. And while first-rounder Kolton Miller played in all 16, he reportedly battled knee injuries all year.
However, even when healthy, Cable did not do an impressive job. The Raiders’ offensive line was a massive letdown after being ranked by Pro Football Focus as the seventh best heading into the season.
Outside of his one year with the Raiders, Cable has failed time and time again as an offense line coach over the past decade. As the Seahawks’ OL coach from 2011-2017, Cable’s units allowed the second, 12th, third, sixth, third, second and fourth most sacks in the league. It’s clear that Cable isn’t the answer and despite his loyalty to Gruden, the Raiders need to make a change.
That change should come in the form of former Colts OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo. Recently, DeGuglielmo was let go from his position as Head Coach Frank Reich wanted to bring in his own hire.
Stunner: The #Colts are letting OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo go, sources say. That line made tremendous leaps this season. But Frank Reich wants his own guy. DeGuglielmo was the only offensive coach Josh McDaniels had hired. Reich is actually recommending him to other coaches.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 15, 2019
It is important to note that there are some reports that DeGuglielmo was disrespectful and called offensive tackle Denzelle Good a “failure” following the death of his brother. If those reports are true, then this becomes a moot point and the Raiders should turn elsewhere. However, the former Colts’ coach earned a glowing review from his former All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson.
I’m seeing a lot of speculation/talk from outsiders talking bad about Coach Guge, and I just want to address it. He is a great fundamental coach and a great person. He unified us as an offensive line and pushed us to be the best. Anything else said about him is false.
— Quenton Nelson (@BigQ56) January 16, 2019
On the field, “Coach Guge” helped completely revitalize a Colts offensive line that was downright dreadful in 2017. The team went from allowing a league high 56 sacks last season to a league low 18 in 2018. DeGuglielmo not only got an All-Pro season out of Nelson, but coaxed a career year of Anthony Castonzo while turning second rounder Braden Smith into a quality starter.
DeGuglielmo proved that he is a quality offensive line coach with the Colts. In Oakland he could potentially do wonders with the amount of talent on the team’s offensive line.
The Raiders need to replace Cable. While they need to make sure DeGuglielmo isn’t a tyrant who will mistreat their players, he makes the most sense if the team does go a different direction at OL coach.
