It’s been less than a year since Dave Ziegler was fired from his job as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders. He didn’t even get a full two years on the job but owner Mark Davis has clearly seen enough.
Though his first general manager job went up in flames, he appears to still be a respected football mind around the NFL. According to a July 23 X post from Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, Ziegler has landed a job as a personnel advisor for the New Orleans Saints.
Back in February, it was reported by CBS Sports that Ziegler was brought on as an advisor for the Saints ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. The fact that he’s landed a full-time gig shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
Mickey Loomis is one of the most respected general managers in the NFL so he’s a good person for Zielger to learn from. Raiders owner Davis said himself that Ziegler was inexperienced prior to firing him. Perhaps all he needs is to get some more experience away from the New England Patriots. The Raiders didn’t give him much time to work out the kinks but he could still have a bright future.
Dave Ziegler Reunites With Derek Carr
The most notable thing about Ziegler going to the Saints is the fact that he’s reuniting with quarterback Derek Carr. It’s no secret that the divorce between Carr and the Raiders was a bit tense. Ziegler was the person who ultimately released Carr from his job as the Raiders starting quarterback for nine years.
Now, as a personnel advisor, it’s unlikely that Ziegler will have a ton of face time with active players like Carr. It’s also likely that the quarterback has moved on. He’s spoken highly of Zielger and previously made it clear that he doesn’t think he’s a bad person. It’s hard to imagine Carr will have too many thoughts on the situation.
Loomis is the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to personnel for the Saints so his thoughts on Carr are the only ones that matter.
Will Dave Ziegler Be a General Manager Again?
When the Raiders fired Mike Mayock as general manager after the 2021 season, he seemed to walk away from the NFL. He also doesn’t appear to have much interest in trying to get back into an NFL front office. Ziegler, on the other hand, is jumping right back in.
Some of his moves with the Raiders were very questionable. Paying Darren Waller and Carr just to trade and cut them a year later was a bad look. Using the No. 7 pick on Tyree Wilson just for him to be completely ineffective as a rookie didn’t help. There’s also the Jimmy Garoppolo signing, which may have been the worst signing of last offseason.
However, Ziegler did have some moves that looked good in hindsight. Robert Spillane and Marcus Epps were excellent free agent signings. He was also able to give Maxx Crosby a contract extension that was very reasonable. Ziegler only had a year and a half in a general manager role so his reputation likely isn’t tarnished enough to keep him from getting another chance at some point.
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