Las Vegas Raiders GM Tom Telesco spoke off the podium at the 2024 NFL Combine.
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00:00 >> He's not very informal.
00:02 >> Tom, I'm not in any way implying animus at all, but I was told that people from
00:07 someone in the building, they were just cool the way you and Antonio seemed to fit
00:12 like a hand in glove.
00:13 There was really didn't seem like an acclimation,
00:15 you guys just instantly started working together.
00:17 For you, was that something special the way you two have been able to mesh?
00:21 >> Yeah, it's a big part of the job.
00:23 I mean, especially during the football season,
00:25 even now you spend more time with the head coach than you do with your wife.
00:28 So you have to get along really well.
00:30 It's just fun to go through the process,
00:33 even though it's a new process with a new group of people.
00:35 But yeah, you want it to be kind of seamless, but we're not there yet.
00:40 But it's been a good process.
00:41 Like I said, I think I said at the podium,
00:42 just watching how he worked through the assistant coaches process.
00:45 Cuz I've been through that where we've made mistakes,
00:48 where we've hired somebody too fast.
00:50 And watching him go through that process was just really, it was an eye opener.
00:53 I'm like, geez, he's a pro, he knows how to do this.
00:55 So, and as we work through this, yeah, but a lot of, football's football.
01:02 But it's a people business and relationship building amongst all levels.
01:05 Players and coaches, front office and coaches and everybody alike.
01:09 So it's a big part of it.
01:11 >> Tom, you had mentioned that a lot of work to do offensively.
01:14 Are we talking more scheme?
01:15 Is it talent?
01:16 Is it personnel?
01:16 What would you- >> Well, it'll be a new scheme just based
01:19 on a new coordinator.
01:19 And then if you look at the offense, right now, just for agency wise,
01:24 our offensive line has a lot of holes.
01:27 So we gotta kinda figure that all out.
01:28 But yeah, so it's gonna be a collaborative effort amongst the coaching staff and
01:34 personnel staff to kinda get this thing moving.
01:36 >> You've been in the FC West for a long time.
01:38 Now that you've gone through the roster, how close do you feel like the Raiders
01:42 are to competing with those guys that just won a back to back championship?
01:45 >> Yeah, impossible to answer how close you are.
01:47 But we're gonna keep working towards it.
01:49 So I was asked earlier on another interview, when you build your team,
01:53 are you building your team's foundation?
01:55 Are you building a team to beat the Chiefs?
01:57 I'm like, well, the answer is we're building our team's foundation.
02:00 But you can't help but see the Super Bowl champs are right in our division and
02:04 Patrick Mahomes is there.
02:05 So as you go through the process, yeah, we're looking at Denver,
02:09 we're looking at Kansas City.
02:10 Looking at the Chargers, obviously, which I should say I know them pretty well, but
02:15 they're gonna be completely different next year.
02:17 So as you build your football team, you need to build us first.
02:19 But you can't help but have your eye on the division team.
02:21 You can't help but have your eye on the Chiefs and how you match up with them.
02:25 But our plan is to kinda, we know we have to build, okay, but
02:28 I don't see this as trying to tear everything down and start from scratch.
02:31 We wanna be able to compete and win along the way, so that's the goal.
02:34 >> What's the biggest challenge,
02:36 evaluating quarterbacks before the draft, as far as looking at these young guys and
02:39 figure out what they're about and what you can project for them going forward?
02:42 >> Like all the positions, you're projecting them to the next level.
02:48 So there's a lot of players that are really great college players that just
02:52 don't pan out at this level.
02:53 So trying to project forward on these players.
02:55 We have it so much easier than other scores that, imagine a baseball scout
03:00 trying to project a high school senior to a major league baseball player.
03:03 Like, that's hard.
03:05 We have it easy.
03:06 We've watched, these quarterbacks are all big school quarterbacks.
03:09 So we've seen them play against other big schools.
03:11 But still, there's a jump there, and can you do that, the same thing at this level.
03:14 So you put enough scouts' opinions, coaches' opinions, and
03:20 then head coach's opinion, and my opinion, and you kinda get that all together.
03:24 You try and make the right decision.
03:26 You just try and increase your odds and the player you take,
03:28 whether no matter what position it is, that you're gonna hit on the guy.
03:32 But we all know that we're not right all the time.
03:35 >> Tom, you go through your history, and Jim Kelly, Peyton Manning,
03:38 Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert.
03:40 You know what a big time quarterback looks like.
03:42 Does that make you more aware that you need that kind of a quarterback, or
03:46 do you feel like there's other ways to engage?
03:49 >> Well, yeah, everybody's looking for that Patrick Mundlins, obviously.
03:55 But those guys you just mentioned, where it helps me is, I know what they put into
03:59 the job inside the building that people don't see, that you don't see on tape.
04:03 And what it takes to be a quarterback in this league.
04:05 Justin Herbert, and Philip Rivers, and Peyton Manning, and
04:11 how they prepared to play this level, what you have to do.
04:14 I think that helps you being around those guys and know what it takes.
04:17 It's more than just watching tape of the player,
04:19 especially at the quarterback position.
04:21 So much of the game is from here up.
04:23 And how do you evaluate this?
04:26 This is hard.
04:27 So seeing those guys on a daily basis at least helps me for
04:32 wherever down the road, whoever you take, we gotta have the same qualities.
04:36 >> You've never had to trade up for any of those guys, when you think about that.
04:40 Does that make you, are you less reluctant to do that?
04:43 People say, well, he's never done it before, but you never really had to.
04:47 >> Yeah, you're just trading up into any point in that round,
04:51 you have to weigh how bad you want the player and how much are you giving up?
04:55 What are you losing with that?
04:56 So it's just a judgment decision.
04:59 And part of that is, we may think we know the player is gonna hit, but
05:03 we really don't, right?
05:04 We just don't, you never 100% know.
05:06 But you have to weigh what you're giving up.
05:09 And could that set you back or can you handle it?
05:12 So that's a real judgment decision.
05:15 >> Is there a price that's too high?
05:16 If you feel like you identify your guy,
05:18 is there somewhere you're like, I can't go past this?
05:20 >> I'm sure there probably is.
05:22 >> Tom, do you envision exploring the veteran quarterback market at all this
05:26 offseason or is it pretty much about the draft?
05:28 >> No, we're exploring.
05:29 We'll explore every avenue.
05:31 And I like the quarterback that we have.
05:33 I mean, I thought he did a really good job last year.
05:36 And the rookie quarterback to come in and play the way he played and
05:39 the circumstances he played in, I think that's not this kind of bet.
05:43 >> It's something, I know we talked about trading up, but I believe so
05:46 in your tenure with the Chargers, you never traded down.
05:48 Is it something philosophically that you were against trading down or
05:52 did it just not come together?
05:52 >> No, I mean, I would love to trade down.
05:55 It just didn't, in those circumstances, it just didn't present itself in something
05:58 we thought made sense for us.
06:00 But certainly not a philosophical reason to not do that.
06:04 >> Now that you've started to dive in and look at the Raiders,
06:06 is there something that's pleasantly surprised you that maybe you weren't
06:09 expecting?
06:10 >> There's a lot of things,
06:14 because I just didn't know much about the team, the organization, until I got here.
06:18 There's a lot of people in the building that are really impressed with what they
06:22 do in all different departments, and
06:23 that's things you don't know until you get there.
06:25 That's been great to see.
06:27 Actually, the building itself has been amazing.
06:31 But I guess just looking at the football team,
06:34 when you can establish a level of toughness and kind of have that, and
06:39 I think that can carry over from year to year, that's hard to do.
06:42 And I think we have that right now.
06:44 So we're starting with the base of that, which is encouraging.
06:48 So that's the one thing, and I know I've mentioned that already, but the mental and
06:52 physical toughness of the football team has continued to show up
06:54 throughout the year last year, so that's a good base to start with.
06:58 >> When you scout and evaluate your guys that you have in the building from
07:01 a personal perspective, what are the things that you preach to these scouts and
07:05 these people in place as to what you're looking for for the roster?
07:07 >> Well, it kind of varies by position, and
07:12 a lot of that varies based on what we're gonna be in offense and defense.
07:14 But for every player, a drive and desire to be great,
07:22 those are two traits that you just have to have in this league.
07:25 Cuz every team is good, every team has talent, but when we bring players in here,
07:29 you gotta have a drive to be great and a drive to be better and get working.
07:32 What I've noticed, at least so far, is how many players right now are coming to
07:37 our building to work out on their own in the offseason.
07:40 It's not like that everywhere.
07:41 That showed you right there, the guys, they wanna be around,
07:45 they wanna be around each other, and
07:46 they wanna do things to make them a better football player.
07:48 So that's a base part of it.
07:50 I'm seeing that already, it's pretty early in the process,
07:54 I've kinda noticed that already.
07:56 >> Tom.
07:57 >> Antonio talked about, from day one, embracing the Raider culture,
08:00 the bravado, all of that.
08:03 He's been known to go on some podcasts and say some things.
08:05 Are you cool with that?
08:07 Are you fine with him just, that's who he is, and being fine with the game?
08:11 >> I am, plus I'm so boring, even it's right out.
08:15 Cuz I don't ever say anything that's remotely interesting, and
08:18 he's the other way, so I think it's kinda good for the Raiders.
08:22 But I think it's great, you wanna have an identity of who you are, and
08:26 I wanna lean into the Raiders' identity.
08:28 And that's part of the Raiders' identity, so it doesn't bother me,
08:31 I actually kinda like it.
08:32 >> Tom, you good?
08:33 I'm sorry, go ahead.
08:33 >> In the offensive line, what was your evaluation of that group last year?
08:37 What do you look at as far as guys in the market like Andrea and Jerad?
08:39 >> As a group of five, they did a pretty good job in pass protection.
08:44 And one game wasn't bad as well.
08:48 Third down, it's everybody involved.
08:51 Third down wasn't great.
08:53 Red zone play wasn't really good, but as far as, they held up pretty well last year.
08:58 A group that was kinda put together, a little bit draft,
09:01 a little bit of free agency, a little bit of late signings.
09:03 So we'd like to get some consistency in there with that group.
09:07 Usually O-line consistency takes a number of years to get there.
09:10 You're talking about five starters, plus you need at least two more after that,
09:15 that are really gonna come into play.
09:16 So it just takes time to kinda build that and get that together.
09:19 I'd like to have a group that's kinda placed together consistently.
09:24 In the free agency era, it's hard, but you still kinda get there.
09:28 So it may take some time to get it exactly where you want it.
09:31 But we've got some areas there that it's, the free agency,
09:35 we've got some holes there.
09:36 >> What is your philosophy when it comes to free agency about building the team and
09:40 maybe not going too deep into free agency,
09:42 kinda building it with the draft as well?
09:43 >> Yeah, I mean, the philosophy is we wanna re-sign our own players
09:46 rather than go sign somebody else's UFAs.
09:49 That's the philosophy.
09:50 However, we do have to supplement the roster with UFAs.
09:53 And then this year with where we are, we're gonna have to sign some agreements.
09:57 That's basically, it's a whole new regime as far as coaches and GM.
10:01 And there's some things we need to get up and running.
10:03 So we may have to use free agency a little more this year than typically I would like,
10:08 but it's gonna be part of the process.
10:09 Just have to be very careful in free agency.
10:12 I mean, I know the cap went up this year, which is great.
10:15 But it doesn't matter if it's 255 or 555.
10:18 It's the same group of players that are available.
10:21 And unfortunately, the success rate isn't that high.
10:24 In football, you change teams as a free agent.
10:26 So very few of those guys even finish their contract and
10:29 they sign a big UFA contract.
10:30 So gotta be very cautious with it, spend the money wisely.
10:36 But yeah, we're gonna have to probably go that route a little bit more this year
10:39 than usual.
10:40 But we have to use all avenues in this league between free agency, draft,
10:45 street players, trades, we just can't really have, hey, we're drafting.
10:49 This doesn't work.
10:50 >> Tom, looking at you just admitted, you're gonna need to sign some free agents.
10:54 You've gotta be extremely happy when you look at your salary cap situation.
10:58 >> Yeah, like I said, you just gotta spend it wisely.
11:01 But a lot of that money, it's not like we're gonna take all that money and
11:04 spend it all on free just this year.
11:05 I mean, a lot of things that go into it, extensions for our own players,
11:09 even having money forward for when we have other bigger contracts we have to do.
11:13 But yeah, to be in a situation that we do have some to spend,
11:16 yeah, there isn't any alternative, right?
11:20 We got some work to do.
11:21 >> All right, thanks.
11:24 >> Thanks, Tom.
11:25 >> Thanks, guys, appreciate it.