Pete Carroll, like Antonio Pierce just a year prior, retained Patrick Graham as the Raiders' defensive coordinator even after both took over the program and largely cleaned house.

Keeping Graham was a testament to the respect both coaches have for the job he has done in Las Vegas.

The defense was Graham's to run as he saw fit under Pierce and Josh McDaniels before him, but how much autonomy he will have under Carroll is something to watch. Carroll is a defensive-minded head coach known for creating the famed Legion of Boom in Seattle that was pivotal to the Seahawks making back-to-back Super Bowls and winning one in a 43-8 blowout over Denver.

“Any time you get a chance to work with someone with that experience, that level of success, I couldn’t be happier ... just in terms of to bounce

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