It seemed like a good bet that the Raiders would add some players with Patriots ties when they hired General Manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels this offseason and that’s come true over the last couple of weeks.
Not all of the additions are coming directly from New England, however. Defensive end Chandler Jones spent the last six seasons in Arizona, but he said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that the draw of playing for Ziegler, McDaniels, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham — who was a Patriots assistant when Jones joined the team — was a big one despite the time apart.
“I feel amazing. It’s a dream come true,” Jones said. “I was just sitting here talking with Pat Graham, I spoke with Dave Ziggy and I talked to Josh McDaniels, and these guys have known me since I came into the league. I mean, these guys have known me since I was a puppy. They’ve known me almost like a decade ago. To have the opportunity for everything to come around full circle, for me to be on the same team with these guys, it credited to a lot of my decision. It gives me a lot of trust. I trust this front office like no other and, like I said, It gives you the motivation to go through a wall for people like that. They demand that respect for sure.”
Other coaches and executives from New England have stumbled once they’ve gone out on their own. The Raiders are betting that the Ziegler/McDaniels duo will buck that trend and continued production from Jones will go a long way toward making that bet pay off.
